Night's Mistress (Children of the Night)

by Ashley, Amanda

  She forced a smile, already regretting her decision.

  “You’re getting married!” Savanah exclaimed when Kyle made the announcement later that evening. “Oh, I think that’s wonderful. Congratulations, you two! When’s the happy occasion?”

  “I’m not sure,” Mara said. “Not for five or six weeks.”

  “Well, of course not,” Savanah said with a knowing grin. “You’re still recovering from having a baby. No sense getting married until you can have a real honeymoon.”

  “You’ve got that right!” Kyle exclaimed, then looked at Mara. “Hey, I’m kidding.”

  Mara smiled a bit self-consciously. Derek was living proof that they had already had the honeymoon.

  “We haven’t set a date yet,” Kyle said, giving Mara’s hand a squeeze, “but I’m ready whenever she is.”

  “What kind of wedding did you have in mind?” Rane asked.

  Mara shook her head. “I really don’t know.” She looked at Kyle. “Do you?”

  “Anything you want is fine with me.”

  Anything she wanted . . . In her time, there had been no formal marriage ceremony in front of a priest, although there was a written contract, which included the wedding date, the names of the bride and the groom, as well as the names of their parents. It was also customary to list the husband’s profession, the name of the person who drew up the contract, and the names of three witnesses. When a young man and woman decided to wed, the man made a payment to the bride’s father, and bestowed a gift of gold, silver, or other precious stones on the bride. Once an agreement was reached, the bride moved in with her future husband. Of course, back in those days, the woman might be as young as thirteen and the man only fifteen or sixteen. A wedding was naturally a festive occasion. There would be a lavish feast, with dancing and singing and toasts to the happy couple. When the bride and groom departed for their new home, it was customary for the guests to throw green wheat, the symbol of fertility, into the air. If the marriage didn’t work out, a divorce was easily obtained by either party. Usually, the husband paid support of some kind to his ex-wife.

  “I don’t have any family,” Mara said, “except for Rane’s.”

  “My folks are gone, too,” Kyle said, “so there won’t be anyone on my side of the church.”

  “Small and intimate, then,” Savanah said. “You know I’ll be happy to help in any way I can, and I’m sure we can count on Cara and Kathy, too. Now, let’s see, you’ll need a dress, and a maid of honor and a best man . . . Rane and I would be happy to stand up with you, if you like.”

  “Slow down, Savanah,” Rane said, grinning. “I think these are decisions that Mara and Kyle need to make on their own.”

  “I’ve no objections to having you as my best man,” Kyle said.

  “Savanah, you know I’d be pleased to have you as my maid of honor.”

  “That’s settled, then,” Savanah said, giving her husband a smug look. “When you’re ready, we can go into town and look at dresses. Listen to me, running on like this. Rane’s right. This is your wedding. Maybe you don’t need a dress. I mean, if you don’t want to get married in a church . . .” Savanah’s voice trailed off.

  “I’d like a church wedding,” Kyle said, “if Mara has no objections.”

  “I guess it would be all right.”

  “Maybe we could have the baby baptized at the same time,” Kyle said.

  “I didn’t know you were so religious,” Mara remarked. She had been quite a believer, once upon a time, but that had been centuries ago.

  “Well, I haven’t been to Mass in years,” Kyle admitted, “but marriage is a serious thing and should be done right. And baptism, well, it’s important.”

  “You’re Catholic, then?” Mara asked, thinking she still had a lot to learn about her future husband.

  “More or less,” Kyle said. “Is that a problem?”

  “That means you’ll need a priest,” Rane said, glancing from Mara to Kyle.

  Kyle nodded. “Definitely.”

  “Father Lanzoni,” Rane and Savanah said in unison.

  “Of course,” Mara said, smiling.

  “Lanzoni.” Kyle looked at Rane. “He’s the priest that married the two of you, isn’t he?”

  “And everyone else in the family,” Rane said with a grin. “I’ll get in touch with him, if you like.”

  That evening, while Kyle was rocking the baby to sleep and Rane was out hunting, Savanah took Mara aside. “I hope you two will think about moving up here with the rest of us,” she said. “There’s a lovely old house not far from here. It’s for sale or lease.”

  “I’ll mention it to Kyle,” Mara said, although she wasn’t sure she wanted to buy another house. Leasing would probably be best, at least for now.

  “I hope he’ll agree,” Savanah remarked. “It would be nice to have some non-vampire friends close by.”

  “Does Rane’s being a vampire ever bother you?” Mara asked. “I mean, it’s none of my business, but . . . never mind.”

  “You’re wondering how I could have fallen in love with a vampire when one killed my father.”

  “It’s crossed my mind from time to time.”

  “Well, I didn’t plan to fall in love with him,” Savanah admitted with a faint smile. “I don’t think we choose the one we fall in love with. It just happens. I didn’t want to love him, but I do. I know he’s done a lot of bad things in the past, but”—she shrugged—“who hasn’t?”

  Mara nodded. She was in no position to judge anyone. “It must get lonely sometimes,” Mara said, “being the only mortal in the family.”

  “Not lonely, exactly,” Savanah said. “Cara and Kathy are wonderful women, and I love Rafe and his dad. And, of course, Roshan and Brenna are terrific, although they don’t spend much time here, but . . .” She blew out a sigh. “It’ll be nice to have someone to go to lunch with, you know?”

  Later that night, while nursing the baby, Mara thought about her conversation with Savanah. Mara had to admire her courage. In spite of what Rane’s wife had said, it couldn’t be easy for her, being the only human in a nest of vampires.

  In the days that followed, Mara discovered what it was like to live in a house where people loved each other. She hadn’t grown up in a home like Rane’s. She had never known her father, hadn’t spent much time with her mother. She had spent her early childhood in Pharaoh’s palace. Later, she had been a slave in Shakir’s household, and then, abruptly, Dendar had transformed her into a vampire and left her to fend for herself. Unlike most sires, he hadn’t stayed around to tell her what to expect, or to help her adjust to her new lifestyle, and then in a rage, she had destroyed him. Turned and alone, she’d had no one to look after her, no one she dared trust.

  One afternoon, at Kyle’s insistence, they left the baby with Savanah and went to look at the house Savanah had told Mara about. It was, indeed, a lovely old place. The exterior paint, green with white trim, looked new. There was a wooden swing in a corner of the porch.

  “The perfect place to rock the baby in the evening,” Kyle remarked while the Realtor unlocked the front door.

  The interior of the house had also been recently painted, and while Mara wasn’t crazy about white walls, it was something she could live with, at least temporarily. The three bedrooms were all good sized; each had its own bathroom. The living room was large, with a stone fireplace in one corner. Though she hadn’t spent much time in any kitchen, Mara fell in love with this one, which was large and sunny, with glass-fronted cabinets, lots of counter space, and a view of the backyard. She could already imagine a gazebo in the corner, and a swing for Derek.

  “I think we should buy it,” Kyle said, looking at Mara. “The Realtor said the seller is willing to knock ten grand off the price. That’s a good deal. What do you think?”

  “It is a nice house,” she replied. Why was she so hesitant? “It’s up to you.”

  “No, it’s up to you,” he said. “I can paint anywhere.”

  �
��All right.” They couldn’t stay with Rane and Savanah indefinitely, and it was a nice house.

  After giving Mara a quick kiss, Kyle told the Realtor they would take it, with the stipulation that they could have a thirty-day escrow. “So we can spend our honeymoon in our new home,” Kyle said.

  After some not-so-subtle coaxing by Kyle, Mara set the date for the wedding. November 30.

  On a Friday evening in mid-November, after giving Kyle detailed verbal and written instructions on caring for the baby, Mara accompanied Savanah, Kathy, and Cara on a trip into town to look at wedding gowns.

  It was a new experience for Mara, shopping with other women. She’d never had any female friends. She had spent most of her mortal life as a slave; as a vampire, she had preferred the company of men.

  She tried on a dozen dresses, each one beautiful, and yet none of them seemed right until she found a cream-colored, floor-length gown of brushed silk that fit as though it had been made for her. She had decided against wearing a veil. It wasn’t as if she was some modest virgin, after all.

  Savanah whistled softly when Mara stepped out of the dressing room. “Wow, you’ve got to buy that one!”

  “We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t ravish you right there on the floor of the chapel,” Kathy said.

  “Are you sure you just had a baby almost six weeks ago?” Cara asked with a shake of her head. “It took me six months to get my figure back.”

  “Yes, but you had twins,” Kathy reminded her with a grin.

  “True enough. Enjoy your baby while you can, Mara,” Cara said wistfully. “They grow up way too fast.”

  Mara nodded. She couldn’t believe how much Derek had changed in just six short weeks. He was such a handsome, even-tempered little thing.

  Turning, Mara looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was still something of a shock to look into a mirror and see herself staring back. She canted her head to the side. With all due modesty, she had to admit that she did look good. The gown clung to her figure, emphasizing her breasts, which, thanks to motherhood, were larger than ever, making her waist seem even smaller than it really was.

  “You’re going to be a beautiful bride,” Cara said.

  Mara smiled faintly. All brides were beautiful. Plain or pretty, wearing a wedding dress transformed them all.

  “Yes, indeed,” Kathy agreed. “Are you sure you don’t want a veil?” She held up a froth of cream-colored lace.

  “Oh, it’s great!” Savanah snatched it from her sister-in-law’s hand and placed it on Mara’s head. “It’s perfect!”

  Mara looked at herself in the mirror again. The veil fell in graceful folds past her shoulders.

  “What do you think?” Savanah asked.

  “I’ll take it,” Mara decided. After all, she would only be a bride once. She might as well do it right. She just wished she was as excited about her upcoming nuptials as Cara and her daughters-in-law.

  It was the end of November. For Mara, the days had passed all too quickly, and suddenly, the wedding was upon them. Mara stood in the small dressing room located in the rear of the church while Savanah and Kathy fussed over her hair and her gown. Cara sat in the corner, holding Derek.

  “You look absolutely lovely,” Savanah said, smoothing a wrinkle from Mara’s veil.

  “Thank you.”

  “I think that does it.” Kathy gave Mara a hug. “Kyle’s a lucky man.”

  Kathy and Cara moved toward the door, pausing when they realized Savanah wasn’t behind them.

  “Are you coming?” Kathy asked.

  “Yes, I’ll be right there.”

  Kathy and Cara exchanged glances, then left the room, closing the door behind them.

  Savanah laid her hand on Mara’s arm. “Is everything all right?”

  “Of course,” Mara said brightly, “why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Well, for one thing, brides are usually happy. I’ve seen corpses who didn’t look so glum.”

  Mara started to say she was happy, but the words refused to come.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind,” Savanah said quietly.

  “I wish that was true,” Mara said. “But there’s no going back now.” Lifting her chin, she left the dressing room, her footsteps heavy as she made her way to the chapel.

  It was a lovely old church. The altar and the pews, carved from oak, carried the patina of their years. A shaft of bright silver moonlight filtered through the beautiful red, blue and gold stained glass window above the altar, a deep blue carpet covered the wooden floor. The chapel was nothing like the lavish temples of ancient Egypt and yet there was a sense of peace within these walls that she had felt nowhere else on Earth.

  It was quiet in the chapel. Mara glanced at those already seated. Roshan and Brenna sat side by side, holding hands. They were a handsome couple. Roshan wore black, as always; Brenna wore a dress instead of her customary blouse and full skirt. Vince and Cara sat with Brenna and Roshan. Abbey Marie sat on Cara’s lap, contentedly sucking her thumb. Rafe and Kathy sat in the second pew. Derek slept in Kathy’s arms. Mara studied Rafe’s wife, wondering if she ever regretted her decision to accept the Dark Gift so early in life. Did she ever long for children of her own?

  Cordova family friends Susie and her were-tiger husband, Joe Cagin, sat behind Rafe and Kathy. Mara had been surprised to see them. She had never been particularly fond of Joe, though they had rubbed elbows from time to time during the War. Susie was a unique individual. Mara sometimes thought the other woman’s life sounded like a paranormal soap opera. Susie had been an ordinary mortal until a werewolf bit her. She’d had a difficult time adjusting to being a werewolf, had been afraid her three sons wouldn’t be safe around her. Susie had been swept up in Edna and Pearl’s horrendous experiments during the War. She had been on the brink of death when Cagin and Kathy persuaded Rafe to bring her across. He had done so, reluctantly. To Mara’s knowledge, no other were-creature had ever become a vampire.

  Mara glanced at her watch, wondering what was keeping Father Lanzoni. The watch had been a wedding gift from Kyle. It was lovely, but only served to remind her that she was mortal, subject to the passage of time. Time. It was her enemy now.

  “I’m sure Father Lanzoni will be here soon,” Savanah said.

  Mara nodded. Savanah looked lovely in a shimmery gown of rose-colored silk. As best man, Rane stood beside Kyle.

  Mara was beginning to think they would have to postpone the wedding when the double doors of the chapel flew open. But instead of Father Lanzoni, Logan stood there. Clad in black trousers, a black shirt, black leather boots, and a long black duster, he looked as handsome as the devil himself and equally dangerous.

  The chapel suddenly hummed with tension as Roshan and the three Cordova men turned to stare at Logan.

  Mara could almost smell the sudden increase in the testosterone level. She glanced at Roshan, who had gained his feet.

  “It’s all right,” she said quietly. “He’s a friend of mine, here at my invitation.”

  With a nod, Roshan resumed his seat, his expression wary.

  “You invited him?” Kyle stared at Logan in disbelief as Logan took a seat across the aisle from the others.

  For a moment, man and vampire glared at each other like wolves meeting for the first time. Then, with a lift of one brow, Logan inclined his head, and the tension in the room diminished.

  “I called him a few days ago,” Mara said. “I had to let him know.”

  “You should have told me,” Kyle said, his voice tight.

  “I know. I’m sorry, but he’s my oldest friend, my only friend except for Rane’s family.” She lifted a hand to the ruby at her throat. “Please don’t be angry.”

  A muscle ticked in Kyle’s jaw. “I’m not mad, but you should have warned me.”

  The priest arrived then, putting an end to any further discussion. Father Giovanni Lanzoni was a man of medium height with warm hazel eyes and wavy black hair heavily laced with silver at his temples.

>   “I’m sorry I’m late,” the priest said. “An old friend of mine needed last rites, may the Lord bless him.” He smiled at Kyle and Mara, his expression turning to one of confusion as he took Mara’s hand in his. “Mara . . . ?”

  “Your senses don’t deceive you, Father. I’m no longer Nosferatu.” Even though she was no longer a vampire herself, she could feel the priest’s preternatural power. It filled the room, an ancient power that, like fire, could be either beneficial or deadly. It occurred to her that Logan and Father Lanzoni were now the two oldest vampires in existence.

  The priest was studying her carefully. “How did this happen? I don’t understand.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “I heard rumors, of course, but I discounted them . . .”

  “Please, Father,” Mara said quietly. “Can we just get on with the ceremony?”

  “Yes, of course.” With a last worried glance in her direction, the priest took his place at the altar. “We are gathered here this evening to unite Kyle Bowden and Mara in the bonds of holy wedlock, an institution ordained by God for the blessing of His children. In the beginning, God joined Adam and Eve together and admonished them to cleave to one another, to be fruitful and multiply.”

  The priest turned his gaze on Mara. “And so I say to you, if you wish to have a happy marriage, then you must share your heart with no one else . . .”

  Mara licked her lips. Had the priest somehow divined that she still had strong feelings for another man?

  “For true happiness,” Father Lanzoni continued, “you have only to put your loved one first and yourself second, to treat your spouse as you would be treated, to remember how much you love one another on this day, and on every day that follows, for as long as God grants you breath.

  “I will say the words that legally bind you together, but the true marriage between the two of you must take place in your hearts.”

  Father Lanzoni glanced at those sitting in the audience. All were supernatural creatures, save for Savanah and the two infants. “If there is anyone here who knows why this man and this woman should not be joined together, let him speak now, or hereafter hold his peace.”