Moonshade (Vampire Conclave: Book 1)

by S. J. West

  I know Julian is nearby. I can feel his presence, but it’s also apparent that he isn’t inside the house.

  I put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt I brought from my own wardrobe before walking down to the kitchen. Helen is there, busily preparing my breakfast for me.

  “Good morning, Sarah,” she practically chirps. “Did you have a good night’s rest?”

  “Honestly? It ended up being ok.” With Viktor’s revelation, the night hadn’t been a complete disaster. At least I know I have one person who understands everything about me and is on my side.

  “Well, why don’t you sit down at the table, and I’ll bring you your food.”

  While I’m eating the breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and croissants Helen prepared for me, I ask her, “Where is Julian this morning?”

  “Out in the garage,” she answers, standing by the sink as she washes the skillet she used to make the eggs. “He said something about tuning up the Aston Martin.”

  Avoiding me is what he’s really doing out there, I think but don’t say out loud. Well, two can play at that game.

  “I think I’ll go out today and do some shopping. Would you like to come with me?”

  Helen looks thrilled by my offer. “That would be fun! Thank you, Sarah. It’s been ages since I went shopping with another woman. I think the last time I had such an excursion was with your mother before she decided to leave us.”

  “Well, let’s make a day of it then,” I say, becoming more excited. “I’ll call the salon I go to and see if we can get the full treatment this morning, my treat. Then we’ll hit the mall and see what kind of damage we can do to my credit card.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Oh,” Helen snaps her fingers, remembering something. “I’ll need to be back here by at least three, though. Julian said he invited someone for supper this evening. He asked me to tell you to dress nicely for his guest.”

  I can’t say I appreciate being ordered around, but that wasn’t Helen’s fault.

  “Who’s coming?” I ask out of curiosity.

  “He didn’t say. All I got out of him was that it was an acquaintance he made at Mira’s party.”

  I have no idea who it could be and don’t waste time dwelling on the matter. I have plans of my own for the day.

  I make a call to the salon I usually go to and book us for the works: hair, makeup, pedicures, and manicures. I tell Viktor what we’re going to do, but he doesn’t seem very interested. Apparently, he’s more concerned about getting a nap in while I’m away because he curls up on his fluffy cat bed and promptly closes his eyes.

  While I change clothes, I feel Julian come into the house and hear him walk into his room. I hate to admit that I feel somewhat relieved by his closeness. At least I won’t have to pretend nothing is wrong between us when Helen and I go down to the garage to get into my car.

  Helen is a pure joy to be around for the rest of the day. Having a girls’ day out has definitely lifted her spirits. It’s the least I can do for her, considering all the work she has to do just to keep me fed on a daily basis.

  After we’re through being pampered at the salon, we go out to eat at a local restaurant called the Gilded Crown. It’s an Italian restaurant that serves a never-ending soup and salad lunch. I’m sure the waiter thinks I’ll eat them out of business, but I limit myself to six bowls of soup and six plates of salad. We then head to the mall and shop until we have to leave in order to make it back home in time for Helen to prepare supper.

  Since Julian suggested I dress nicely for our guest, I bought a new dress to wear that evening. It isn’t a dress I see myself wearing often, but I feel the need to look my best. Maybe if I look irresistible, Julian will stop being so stubborn and admit he cares for me more than just as his companion. Yeah, I know the thought is a fanciful one and not very realistic, but I don’t know what else to do to make him wake up and realize he can’t hide from his feelings for me forever.

  Since my hair and makeup are already done, all I’ll need to do to prepare for the evening is put my dress and shoes on. With all the extra time I have before I need to do that, I decide to help Helen in the kitchen. I’m cutting up some vegetables for a salad when Julian walks into the kitchen.

  My heart starts beating double time, making my blood pound through my veins. It feels like my stomach is filled with a thousand monarch butterflies all straining to find a way to escape.

  “Did the two of you have a nice day out?” he asks us, not looking at me but at Helen.

  “Yes, we did,” Helen says with a big smile on her face. “I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. It’s nice to have another woman in the house again.”

  “Hmm…” Julian doesn’t sound so sure.

  I keep my eyes on the cucumber I’m slicing, attempting to make sure I don’t cut off a finger in the process. I feel Julian’s eyes fall on me briefly before he leaves the room. Thankfully, Helen doesn’t comment on Julian’s odd behavior. I really don’t want to talk about it anyway.

  Helen finally shoos me out of the kitchen, forcing me to leave and get ready for our mystery guest. The dress I bought for the occasion is a short-skirted, one-shoulder, black stretch charmeuse sheath dress with pleats under the bust line and a close-fitted bodice with ruched side seams. It zips up the side, leaving the front and back seamless. I decide to keep my hair down like the salon styled it. I finish the outfit with a pair of simple black high heels.

  “Stunning. Absolutely stunning.”

  I turn from the full-length mirror in the corner of my room to see Viktor lounging on his side of my bed, naked again of course. I walk over to the TV in the room and turn it on to provide interference from prying vampire ears.

  “Please put the sheet on,” I beg him as I stare at the TV screen for my own modesty’s sake.

  I hear him get up from the bed and walk behind me to the chair by the window where I draped the sheet earlier. Once I know he’s covered up, I turn to face him.

  “Am I right in assuming this dress is meant to catch the eye of a certain stubborn vampire we both know?”

  “You assume right,” I tell him. I run my hands down the sides of the dress self-consciously. “You don’t think it’s too much, do you?”

  “Personally, I don’t think you need it to get his attention. You already have that. But men sometimes need to be reminded of what they are missing out on.” Viktor eyes me from top to bottom. “And I can assure you he’ll be second-guessing his decision in leaving you last night even more when he sees you this evening.”

  I want to believe Viktor, but I still have my doubts about Julian’s reaction to me. Will he think I’m trying too hard? He did tell Helen to make sure I dressed up for our dinner guest. If he says anything derogatory to me about the way I’m dressed, I’ll simply remind him I’m only following his orders.

  “Well, wish me luck,” I tell Viktor as I head out the door.

  When I don’t get a reply, I turn to see that Viktor has already transformed back into his preferred cat form, untangling himself from the sheet crumpled on the floor to go back to his comfy bed. When I reach the downstairs, I see Julian sitting in the living room, flipping through the channels on the TV. His back is to me, but I know he senses my presence because he falters in his channel surfing. He’s sitting in his favorite wingback chair, so I have to walk around the back of it in order to stand in front of him.

  His eyes travel the length of me before they meet my gaze.

  “You look nice this evening,” he says without showing an ounce of emotion. He returns his attention back to the TV and continues to flip through the channels, effectively ignoring me.

  That was it? I look nice?

  “Ditto,” I say tersely, even though just the sight of him is making my heart do flips inside my chest again, which I hate. If he can feel my emotions, then he knows exactly how I’m feeling: completely devastated just by his presence. He’s dressed in a pair of dark grey slacks and a white long-sleeve button-down shirt opened at the
collar.

  I’m not sure what else to do, so I ask a question.

  “Who did you invite for dinner?”

  “Gage Morgan.”

  “The warlock from Mira’s party?” I can’t help but be surprised by this development. I thought Julian didn’t care for the persistent warlock.

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you invite him to come here?”

  “I wanted to thank him for his help in controlling the other warlocks and witches during the brawl. Without him, it’s possible we could have lost some lives.”

  He didn’t tell me about Gage’s involvement in the fight. I’m happy to know I was right about the warlock’s nature.

  The doorbell rings, saving me from having to think of anymore small talk.

  “I’ll get it,” I tell him, feeling the need to put a little distance between us, even if it isn’t a lot.

  Gage stands on the front porch, holding a colorful bouquet of Gerbera daisies. I have to admit, he is quite handsome with his high cheekbones, slender nose, and easy grin. He reminds me of a young Brad Pitt but rougher around the edges, not quite so angelic-looking.

  “Hello, Sarah.” His eyes quickly take in my dress. “Wow. You look stunning this evening.”

  “Thank you.” I step out of the doorway to give him room to come into the house.

  He walks in and hands me the flowers. “These are for you. I hope you like them.”

  “I love Gerbera daisies,” I admit. “They’re one of my favorite flowers.”

  “Gage.” Julian walks out of the living room and holds his hand out to our guest. “I’m glad you could make it. Sorry about the short notice.”

  “No problem. I was just happy to get the invitation.” Gage looks at me as if I’m the one who invited him, not Julian. I immediately become suspicious.

  “Sarah,” Julian looks at me. “Why don’t you take Gage to the back patio? That’s where everything is set up.”

  “Follow me,” I tell Gage. About halfway down the hallway, I notice Julian isn’t following us. I come to a complete stop and turn back to look at him. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “No, I have some things to take care of this evening.” I can tell he’s lying. “You two enjoy your meal. Helen outdid herself.” He walks out the front door, leaving me to entertain the guest he invited.

  “I’m sorry about that,” I say to Gage, continuing to walk down the hallway through the kitchen. I notice Helen is nowhere to be seen. I lay the flowers on the kitchen island and show Gage to the back patio.

  The scene outside looks like something you would see in a sappy romance movie. The table has been set for two, with a white tablecloth and a small arrangement of red roses and candles. Scattered around in the pool are those floating candles shaped like a water lily, illuminating the glassy surface with a warm glow. The fine bone china and baccarat crystal we used for Adrian’s dinner is set in place, along with a large assortment of finger foods. I invite Gage to sit down.

  While he’s putting his napkin in his lap, Gage glances over at me and says, “You didn’t invite me here, did you?”

  “No,” I’m quick to answer. It ends up coming out sounding unintentionally rude, but it’s the truth. “I thought Julian invited you.”

  “He did, but he made it sound like you wanted to see me again.”

  “When did he invite you?”

  “Late last night. He came by my house and asked me if I wanted to come here this evening.”

  “I see.” Well, I guess that answers my question about where he went last night. “Where do you live, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Gulfport, on the beach.”

  So Julian went all the way to Gulfport just to find me a date. How sweet of him. I can feel my temper begin to flare white-hot.

  “Is something wrong?” Gage asks, looking concerned.

  Apparently, I’m not hiding my irritation with Julian from him very well. I have to remind myself it isn’t Gage’s fault that he’s here. He was simply given misleading information. I’ll have to wait to have my discussion with Julian later, in private...without witnesses.

  “I’m sorry if he misled you into thinking I was the one asking you to come over. I promise it won’t happen again.”

  Gage grins. “I don’t mind as long as you don’t. I don’t want to force my company on you, though. I can leave if that would make you feel better.”

  I shake my head. “No, stay. As long as you’re here we might as well get to know one another. You’re the first warlock I’ve ever met. I would love to know more about your life.”

  I reach for a platter of mini-quiches, offering him first pick. Gage accepts my universal offering of goodwill in the form of food.

  “What do you know about us?” he asks.

  “I know you can cast spells,” I say, feeling ignorant admitting I know virtually nothing in front of an expert on the subject. “I’m afraid that’s the extent of my knowledge.”

  “Well, the first thing you should understand is that not all warlocks and witches are made equal. There are different levels.”

  “Do you go to warlock and witch school to gain levels? Please tell me Hogwarts is real,” I jokingly beg.

  “No, I’m afraid Hogwarts isn’t real,” Gage chuckles softly. I can tell he wants to let out a louder laugh but is too polite to do such a thing. “The levels range from one to ten, and you’re pretty much stuck with whatever level you’re born with. The only thing that can be taught is how to use the correct spells for the right occasion, but basically, we’re home-schooled when it comes to magic. Other than that, we lead normal human lives.”

  “What level are you?”

  Gage smiles. “I’m a ten.”

  Of course he is.

  “So I’m assuming the higher the level you are the more powerful your magic is.”

  “Correct.”

  “So, what types of powers do you have?”

  “Each of us is able to use one of the four basic elements: fire, water, earth, or air. There are a few of us who have what’s called spirit magic, but it’s very rare. Our major powers all depend on which element we can control.”

  “Which element do you control?”

  “Air.”

  “So your major power is controlling how air moves?”

  “More or less, yes.”

  “Do you have minor powers?”

  “Some of us can heal to a small extent, but it takes a lot out of us.”

  “Maybe you can help me clear up something that I’ve been a bit confused about.”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “At the party there was a group of witches and warlocks like you. But since then, I’ve also learned that the alfar have magic abilities, too. What’s the difference between your type of magic and the magic of the alfar?”

  “You would have to ask one of them for the details,” Gage shrugs. “They keep to themselves for the most part, but from what I’ve been able to observe, their powers seem to center on mind control and manipulating matter. I once saw an alfar child transform a stuffed dog into a real one right in front of my eyes. I don’t think he was supposed to let me see him do it, but it was the most incredible work of magic I’ve ever witnessed.”

  I’m sure Gage would be even more amazed if he could see Viktor the cat change into Viktor the human. The topic of our conversation must have interested my feline friend because he saunters out of the French doors and onto the patio, lying down beside my chair.

  “Everyone is talking about the cat picking you to be its next guardian,” Gage comments. “None of us have known him to choose anyone but alfar royalty.”

  “I guess he just likes me.” It isn’t a lie, but it isn’t the whole truth either. I don’t think Gage needs to know the real reason behind Viktor’s decision.

  We eat our meal and make chit chat about how unseasonably cool the weather that evening is and how we think the New Orleans Saints will do this season. I like football. I’m not an avid fan, but I like
it enough to watch a few Saints games every once in a while on TV.

  When we finish our meal Gage sits back in his chair, toying with the cup of coffee in front of him.

  “So, tell me, what is your relationship with Julian?”

  “I don’t quite understand the question. We’re bonded, but you know that. What is it that you really want to know?”

  “Some people at the party thought you might be lovers the way he kept his eyes on you the whole evening.”

  “No,” I reply with a small shake of my head, “we are most definitely not lovers.”

  “Do you mind me asking if you’re dating anyone?”

  “Not in the conventional sense.” I then explain the plan Julian and I have set into motion to make my family and friends think we are dating so his presence in my life appears natural.

  “That certainly makes sense considering the fact you’re still learning about our world. How do you like what you’ve learned so far? Having any trouble coping with it all at once?”

  “Oddly enough, most things haven’t shocked me too much. I guess understanding the bond between Julian and me was the most difficult thing to comprehend. When someone tells you they’re a vampire, the first thing a sane person does is look for the straitjacket.”

  Gage laughs. “I can’t blame you there. It is pretty out there if you haven’t been raised to believe in it all your life.”

  He falls silent for a moment as he seems to contemplate what he wants to say next.

  “Would you mind it if I came over again to see you? I would really like to get to know you better, Sarah.”

  Just like with Daniel, I know if I hadn’t already given my heart to Julian I would have taken Gage up on his offer of a date almost immediately. He’s handsome, nice, well-spoken. I would have to be crazy not to give a guy like him a chance.

  I’m about to say no when an idea blossoms inside my mind. It could have been me just wanting to see if it would hurt Julian, but the idea of letting Gage get to know me better seems like the perfect opportunity to test my stubborn vampire. Would he even care? After all, he’s the one who set up this romantic interlude. He’s obviously trying his best to force me into another man’s arms. Would Gage’s presence in the house make Julian jealous at all? There was only one way to find out.