by Rhys Rowlyn
Bram bursts out laughing, shaking his head. “No, I had no desire to be a creator.”
“What’s the problem? I know you like children.” Smirking, I tilt my head to the side.
“Of course I love children, but I’ve never wanted the responsibility of a group of vampires. They can be a pain in the arse. I was happy to help Gabriel manage his. Besides, I’ve never felt compelled to create a vampire, and to do so meant I would have had to leave Gabriel and forge out on my own. I never had a desire to.” Bram links our hands and pulls one to his lips, kisses the back, and does the same to the other.
“What’s Gabriel like? Giselle never really talked about anyone but Phillipe, and since everyone has awakened, I haven’t thought to ask about any of the others.” I often wondered about the men in the boxes, but every time I brought them up, Giselle would get sad, so I stopped asking.
“Gabriel was an Anglo-Saxon warrior who was injured trying to save a child. I knew when I saw him fall that Alastair was going to change him. The compulsion was that strong. I had only been a vampire for a couple years, but some things you simply know.”
“So you’re older than Gabriel.” I bite my lower lip, trying to hide my grin and he tickles my side.
“Actually no. Gabriel was already thirty years old, and I was only twenty when I was changed, so he’s my senior if you look at age, but I’ve been a vampire longer.”
“So what’s he like? I’m curious as to what we have to look forward to.” I had a hard time getting to like Phillipe, but that was due to his treatment of Giselle. André I liked immediately, and Bram is my mate, so I had to come to terms with that. The rest are a mystery.
“He’s tough and strong-willed but the most loyal man I’ve ever known. He usually acts as if he’s got a stick up his arse around people he doesn’t know, but once you’re in his circle, he relaxes. Most think he has no sense of humor, but he does, and it’s wicked.” Bram bursts out laughing. “I remember a time we were staying with a coven, and Gabriel convinced Alastair their high priestess had a thing for him. Alastair tried to let her down easily, but she ended up letting him down instead. The look on his face… but then Alastair had the last laugh and they ended up, shall we say, enjoying each other’s company the rest of our stay.”
“So I can expect a prankster.” This is news I was definitely not expecting.
Bram waves his hand, dispelling my notions immediately. “Oh no, just don’t judge him until you get to know him. He takes his responsibilities way too seriously and will probably be full of self-righteous rage at having been put under a curse. I would imagine once he gets over it and finds his mate, he’ll be fine, but he’s probably going to test our sanity until he does.”
“What about you? Weren’t you angry at what our ancestors did to you?” I know we’re mates, but I do wonder if there isn’t a bit of angst hidden down deep.
“The first thing I knew when I woke up was that you were my mate. I was so preoccupied with you, I didn’t have time to be angry. Even now I don’t hold any ill will toward the women. Had it not been for the curse, who’s to say if we would have ended up with mates?”
“What an interesting thought. So you believe in fate?” I yawn, unable to stop myself, and am beginning to feel the effects of our busy night.
“Yes, I do. I’ve spent too much time with witches to not believe in it. Every coven has a seer, and they say fate has a hand in everything. You are getting tired. It is time to rest.” Bram moves down in the bed until he is lying on his back and settles me against his side.
My eyes have grown heavy, and it isn’t long before I allow sleep to take me.
Cassie
After taking one last glance at myself in the mirror, I leave my room. I took extra care with my appearance tonight and know it’s because I want Bram to only have eyes for me. Giselle is probably going to give me hell when she sees my outfit, but I don’t care. Tonight is Halloween and the annual Vampire Ball, and I want to make an impression.
The dress I’m wearing caught my eye a few months ago, and I couldn’t resist buying it. I didn’t know I would be wearing it for my mate. It’s a floor-length red silk number that hugs my curves with a thigh-high slit coming up one side. It has a very low cleavage cut, but lace covers the top and meets in a halter neckline, leaving my back and shoulders exposed. I have on red heels with an ankle strap. Overall, it’s extremely dramatic and sexy.
Bram about flipped his lid when I told him where we were going. He couldn’t believe this was a thing. Giles volunteered to take the men shopping, so I’m anxious to see how they look.
I am shocked when I catch sight of Bram. His beard is gone, and damn, he’s gorgeous. I mean, he looked good with the beard, but he’s stunning without it.
“Well, aren’t you a vision, love.” Giles waggles his eyebrows at me and grunts when Bram elbows him out of the way.
Bram reaches up to take my hand and helps me descend the last few steps. “A vision indeed. You look beautiful, astín.”
My cheeks heat as I stop at his side, looking him up and down. “You look pretty amazing yourself.” I run my hand along his smooth chin, smiling at him.
He grins, and a dimple appears on each cheek. “So you like me without the beard?”
“Oh, yeah.” I sigh, then cough to clear my throat. “I mean, I like the beard too… but oh, yeah.”
He laughs, hugging me to his side. I step back and look at him fully. Giles did a good job on his shopping trip. Bram is wearing a dark-gray suit, a multi-colored vest with golden thread woven throughout, and a white shirt. He has on a gold cravat, and his long blond hair is pulled back at his neck.
“Did I do good?” Giles stands off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest.
Before I can answer, the front door opens, and Chi walks in dressed in a wine-colored suit with a pink shirt. He has on a burgundy-and-pink swirled scarf tied at his throat and a wine-colored felt hat. The sisters follow him, and all look beautiful but are dressed quite uniquely.
Cara has on a yellow lacy number with an empire waistline, and her hair is up in a riot of curls. Ciara has on a blue dress styled similar to mine with silver woven throughout, and her hair falls in long curls. Circe is wearing black leather pants, high-heeled short boots, and a black overdress with gold trim. Her hair is straight, and she has on dark eye shadow and nearly black lipstick.
“Oh, ladies, aren’t you a sight to behold. Please tell me you all will save a dance for me.” Giles bends before them in an elegant bow.
Chi slaps his shoulder. “Why of course, good-looking. I’ll always save a dance for you.”
We all burst out laughing as Giles’s mouth falls open and his face turns red.
“Stop it. I’m only joking. I know you’re as straight as an arrow.” Chi walks over to me, looking me up and down. “My, my, don’t you clean up nice, and look at this man. He’s almost too beautiful with his clean face. Darling, I’m so glad you got rid of that awful beard, especially since it was covering this up.” He pats Bram’s face, and I giggle as Bram’s cheeks turn red.
“Chi, quit flirting with my mate. Where’s everyone else?” I know everyone is planning on coming. We’ve made arrangements at the club so Giselle and I could both be off, and Rebecca was more excited than I’ve ever seen her.
“They’re going to meet us there. Giselle wanted to check in at Shadows and Rebecca rode with them. I believe Fleur wanted to see how her father was doing,” Giles says as he opens the door, waving us out.
We hired a car, which is already parked out front. Parking can be horrible in the city, especially for an event such as the ball, so this is the lesser evil. We all pile in, and Chi squeals over the stocked bar, opening a bottle of champagne. It’s times like this I wish I could drink alcohol and it wouldn’t make me vomit.
“I’m still in shock we’re going to a vampire ball.” Cara smiles over the glass of champagne Chi handed her.
“It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? Everyone thinks it’s
all fun and games, and they will be wearing fake fangs. There is even a Dracula and his bride. It’s a big charity event for the Children’s Hospital. Giselle and I have only been a couple times, but we always donate, and it’s good to know the high rollers in town.” I snuggle into Bram’s side, liking being there.
“I’m often amazed at how the world has changed. With movies and supernatural television shows, people act as if witches and vampires are sexy, and the persecution has stopped, which is a good thing.” Ciara clinks her glass with Cara’s.
“Speaking of witches, why didn’t y’all go to the covens’ annual gathering?” I was surprised when Bram informed me the sisters would be coming with us. I thought witches were supposed to get together on Halloween.
Chi shakes his head, tsking. “You know I had a fight with my grandmother, and also, we’ve seen a few witches around and they haven’t been very welcoming to the sisters. We wanted to have fun tonight, and I didn’t think crashing their party would be.”
Cara tips her glass toward Chi, winking at him. “Besides, we’re going to do our own celebrating when we get back and show Chi how to renew himself. I’m a bit leery of what they do at the local gathering.”
“I’m unsure what our purpose is here, but I do know there is an underlying darkness in this town,” Circe says. She’s been sitting quietly in the corner, and I’d almost forgotten she was with us.
“I thought you were a seer and that was the reason you came here.” My tone is a bit suspicious, and I frown when Bram lightly pinches my side.
Circe is drawing circles in her palm, but when her gaze meets mine, it’s as if her green eyes have flames behind them. “I am, but I can’t see the future of my sisters or myself. Our coven seer, Delphine, is the one who told us we would be coming. I did see Bram awakening and finding you, and also him calling, but nothing about why we were to come here. Besides, visions don’t work like that. Most are sporadic at best, and sometimes they make no sense at all. It can be very frustrating.”
Bram laughs uncomfortably, rubbing my shoulder. “No matter what brought you here, I’m glad you are. Things in the witch community are not right here, and they haven’t been for a while.”
“Bram, I think you’re right.” Cara nods, taking a long drink of her champagne.
“Oh look, we’re here. Let’s leave all this serious business behind and do some dancing.” Giles grins, hopping out of the car and holding the door for us to exit.
The ball is being held at the civic center, and the decorations are beautiful. The entryway has dark-velvet drapes and a coffin in the corner. I laugh at Bram’s frown. It looks like a scene from an old Dracula movie.
Phillipe, Giselle, and Rebecca greet us when we enter the main ballroom. Rebecca is bouncing up and down with excitement, and I grin at her.
“Who is this young whelp with you, Cassandra? What have you done with our hairy Bram?” Phillipe laughs when Bram throws a mock punch at him.
“Wow, Bram, who knew you were hiding this under that shaggy beard?” Rebecca rubs his cheek, and I step between them. She holds her hands up. “Hey, not trying to take your man. Just in shock is all.”
“Merde, Bram, is that you? I barely recognized you without the beard.” André walks up, slapping Bram’s shoulder.
Bram rubs his chin self-consciously, so I lean up and kiss it. “My mate wanted to know what I looked like without it, and I granted her wish. I do admit it is much cooler, and in this climate, it’s not a bad thing.”
“I can hardly wait until Gabriel sees you. He won’t know who you are. Has he ever seen you without your beard?” Phillipe laughs, winking at Bram.
“No, he hasn’t. I have never shaved it off. I’ve never really thought about it.” Bram wrinkles his brow, drawing his brows together.
“Well, I think you look handsome, and I agree New Orleans can be so hot you think you’re going to melt. So I would imagine you’ll feel better.” Giselle leans her head on Phillipe’s shoulder, smiling.
“Enough talk about Bram and his face. Rebecca, let’s dance.” Giles points at the couples dancing, holding out his other hand.
She takes Giles’s hand and follows him out to the dance floor. They are playing “Brick House” by the Commodores, and Giles is showing he’s kept up with the latest dance moves. Chi leads Ciara out onto the floor. The three remaining men look as if they are about to break and run.
“It’s all right. We won’t make you dance to any of the modern music until you’ve learned how.” Fleur laughs, looping her arm through André’s.
“The last time I danced was in a ballroom, and the music was very different.” Bram curls his arm around my waist and pulls me tighter against his side.
“At least this music is tolerable, unlike the awful stuff they play at the club,” Phillipe gripes. He hates coming to the club when it’s open and is always complaining about the music rotting his brain.
Giselle rolls her eyes, bumping her hip against his. “It’s what the kids want. I will admit I have enjoyed certain eras of music more than others. The seventies was one of my favorites.”
“Giselle, I’m going to take Bram for a stroll around the ballroom. If you need me for any of your hobnobbing, call. Otherwise, I want to have a look around. Maybe I can convince him we can slow dance together at least.” I grab Bram’s hand and take off into the crowd. I’ve decided to get him in a corner and see what it’s like to kiss his beard-free face.
Bram
We have been at the ball for several hours and are outside taking a breath. The sisters and Chi just left to go do their witch business, and Rebecca has joined us on the steps in front of the event center.
“Hey, did that guy just shove a girl into the back of his van?” Rebecca points at a cab as it speeds away from the curb.
“What the hell? Did he just snatch her in the open, in front of a crowded building?” Cassie runs over to the spot the cab vacated. “I have his scent and something else.” She wrinkles her nose, waving her hand in front of her face.
Cassie runs down the sidewalk to the corner and looks around but turns back, her shoulders drooping. Rebecca joins her.
“I smell sevoflurane.” Rebecca scents the air, wrinkling her nose and grimacing. “Yep, definitely sevoflurane.”
“What is sevoflurane, and how do you know what it smells like?” Cassie narrows her eyes on the girl.
“In my former life, I was a biochemist and worked in a lab in Jackson, Mississippi. I worked with forensics, so we studied all sorts of toxins used in crimes. Sevoflurane is a form of ether used in anesthesia. It has a sweet smell.” Rebecca squats, looking around the sidewalk, and picks up a golden bracelet.
Squatting beside her, Cassie takes the bracelet from Rebecca and examines it. “How did I not know this?”
“You never asked. Come to think of it, none of you have asked much about my former life.” Rebecca stands, brushing her hands off down the sides of her dress.
“Sorry, guess I was focused too much on helping you adjust to this new life and kind of forgot about the other one.” Cassie pulls Rebecca into a hug.
“Ladies, can we focus on the crime? A girl was just taken, and we need to figure out where she’s been taken and by whom.” I look down the street, wishing I had thought to give chase. Unfortunately, with all the people milling about, it would have been hard not to reveal myself if I did.
“He’s long gone, but we have this scent to go on, and maybe we can figure out who’s buying drugs used to knock folks out. At least we have something to go on. This is usually only used in medical situations, but you can buy anything illegally. You wouldn’t happen to have a drug dealer in your back pocket, would you? I’m good with analyzing chemicals, but I suck at actually finding criminals.”
“I may know a few folks who could lead us in the right direction.” Cassie laughs at Rebecca’s look of shock. “What? I own a club that can be used for kidnapping. I like to stay on top of things. I have a few friends who might be able to lead us i
n the right direction.”
“Astín, I’m learning something new about you every day.” I grin down at her and laugh when her cheeks turn pink.
Shaking her head, Cassie pulls her phone out of the small bag she’s carrying. “I’m calling Hollis. Maybe a wolf or half-breed is in the area. The scent is getting fainter, but wolves’ noses are more sensitive than ours.”
She walks away from Rebecca and me to make her call, and I study Rebecca with new eyes. She’s always joking or making odd remarks and never struck me as a studious person. I believe there is much we don’t know about the young woman.
“Hollis is sending a half-breed over. Hopefully he’ll be able to pick up on something. We’re going to need to be on the lookout. Damn, I wish we would have given chase, but he was in traffic before I realized what had happened.” Cassie puts her phone away, and I move behind her, massaging her shoulders.
“That poor girl. I hate to think what she’s going through.” Rebecca paces in front of us, rubbing the back of her neck.
“So you were a biochemist? Did you only do forensics, or can you do other research?” Cassie steps in front of Rebecca, tilting her head to the side.
“Yes, it’s what my degree is in. I loved crime shows growing up and thought it would be fun to try to solve mysteries for a living. It was always interesting but rarely fun. As for doing research, yes, I can do that. I worked in a blood bank during college to pay my bills. Why?” Rebecca crosses her arms over her chest.
“You know the famille owns a research lab in the city, don’t you? It’s where we get our blood from.” Cassie shrugs and turns toward me when I grunt.
This is news to me, and I guess I should have questioned it. I never thought to ask. “How did this come to be?”
“Giselle saw an opportunity to have blood at our disposal and took advantage of it, although we’ve always wanted someone we trusted to oversee it. This is the perfect solution.” Cassie grabs Rebecca’s shoulders and gives her a slight shake.
