by Eric Asher
I thought of my apartment and closed my eyes. The air around me began to move and just as I was being torn away, I heard Vander’s voice in my head. When I opened my eyes, I was lying next to him. I stared at him in disbelief. This wasn’t my room.
“Vander?” I said aloud but his response was in my head.
“Are you okay, where are you?” His voice resounded.
“I’m with you actually.” He was like stone beside me. I moved from the bed.
“What?”
“Tabitha came through on her promise. I was trying to get home but then I heard you in my head and well, I guess you pulled me here. Just please tell me you are fed because I cannot get out and I don’t want to be your snack when you wake up.” The room was sealed completely. I tried to find a door, a panel, something that would let me out but there was nothing.
“The rooms are time locked. It will open when the sun sets and yes I am fully fed luckily.”
“Good.” I sat at the foot of the bed. “What’s our plan?”
“Plan?”
“Yes, my dear old mom was the one to take me. News flash, she is alive, and a vampire. I am sure she will try to come for me. Apparently, there is some badass vampire named Samiel who wants to make me his super hybrid vampire puppet. She said that you are aware of him, so I won’t dance around the topic.”
“Samiel wants you?”
“Yes, he turned her and now he wants me.” I paused. “You don’t seem surprised to find out my mom is a vampire.”
I was distracted by the sound of clicking, locks releasing. I looked as the wall opposite the bed moved slowly to reveal a small doorway.
“I knew she was turned.” Vander was now standing, pulling on a leather jacket.
“And yet you chose not to tell me, why?” I followed him out of the room and to the stairwell that would take us up to the first floor of the castle where I was trained.
“I chose not to tell you because I wasn’t sure if she was still alive. Everything I said is true. Your mother vanished, she was here one day and gone the next.”
“She also said that you and every other vampire know that there is something special about me. You all want me for one reason or another. Was that the truth?”
“Yes, Faith. All of it is true.” He led me out of the castle to the lit grounds.
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”
“I was waiting for the right time.” he searched the area and seemed to relax. We were alone.
“What now? My mom is going to come for me; Samiel is going to come for me, and what about Tabitha’s little message for you?” I was interrogating him now and he accepted it.
“Now we prepare ourselves. Your mother will come and when she does, we will convince her to stand and fight. Samiel is bad, but he is more hype than anything. Hani, well that is my problem, not yours. Our only concern right now is making sure that Samiel doesn’t harm you.”
“Did someone say Samiel?” Hani’s small voice rang out and I damn near jumped out of my skin. Vander however managed to keep his composure entirely.
“Yes, it seems he is the one responsible for all of the attacks.”
“He wants to turn me.” I spoke once I had cleared my throat of the panic.
“Well, we can’t allow that to happen now can we?” The woman in her deceptive form appeared next to me. “It’s time we pay our old buddy a visit.” She looked to Vander. “Tell Sam to tag along. It wouldn’t be a proper reunion without her.” She winked and was gone.
“I guess we are going after the big bad wolf.” Vander smiled. “Are you tagging along Melissa?”
I followed his gaze and saw my mother standing just at the edge of the lighted field. In a blink, she was right next to us. She looked both completely pissed off and terrified.
“Why did you do this?” She asked me.
“I told you I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for you to tell me it was okay.” I stepped closer to Vander in case she tried to pull a fast one. He was older, stronger, and faster.
“You have no idea what you have done. You’ve only been in this world for a few weeks! You think you know these people or understand anything that is going on?”
“I have been a part of this world for a few weeks. That is true. I have only known you for what, not even 48 hours. Don’t tell me what to do!”
“Look, ladies,” Vander interrupted. “I appreciate this mother daughter bonding moment but we have a lot to do. Hani will want to move soon.”
“I am coming with you.” My mother told Vander. “She is my daughter and I will protect her.”
“I don’t need your protection.”
“You don’t know what you need.” She rolled her eyes and then vanished.
AMBUSH
Hani called for us to move the next night. I fell in line next to Vander. Sam, my mother and Hani were all dressed in the best ass kicking gear and they made me feel completely out of place. Others were there, the protectors, human, and vampire alike. They stood together prepared to fight at Hani’s command. My mother would lead us, at least until we got to our destination, considering she was the only one who knew where we were going. Three points. My mom in the middle, Hani to the right, and Vander to the left. We all linked hands and waited for the pull of the shift. I was told to focus my energy on my mother. I needed to tap into the gift that Tabitha had given me and use it to help bind that energy with hers. Hani and Vander did the same as we attempted to transport the rest of the team with us.
In one moment, we were all standing just outside the doors of the castle. In the next, we were on a beach. My feet sank into the sand as the air settled around our forms and a quick check was done to make sure all members were accounted for. A quaint beach house sat in front of us, a massive white mansion not far behind it.
“This is it.” My mother announced as she stepped back from the head of the group.
Hani moved to replace her as she addressed the team. “Alright. We all know our roles. Act fast, stay hidden, and take out as many of those bastards as you can!”
In a heartbeat the vampires were gone and the humans not far behind. Vander had brought the best of the best together at the request of Hani. My human counterparts were seasoned and skilled, they moved with the strength and speed of immortals. I was told to stay by Vander’s side at all times, never to stray away. My protection was key. I could hold my own, but I had been taken before and there was nothing to stop that from happening again. The vampires here would be stronger, older, and faster. I needed Vander.
The rest of us moved into the beach house. Beneath the floorboards was a hidden passage that my mother said would take us into the heart of the mansion. The first team would strike from outside while we made our move on the inside. Hani wanted to make a direct path to Samiel. Cut the head off the snake, and the body would die along with it. Vander seemed to agree with her theory though I felt he was apprehensive.
Vander didn’t seem to deny her ability to take Samiel down so that put me at ease. In the tunnels, we encountered a handful of vampires, which my mother and Vander worked to cut down quickly as they lead our group. I stayed close by but did not get in on the action. I watched in awe as my mother worked. Vander had told me she’d been a bad ass protector in her day and that skill set was on full display. I held my breath as I watched her swiftness. In one move, she snapped the neck of one vampire with her right hand while simultaneously ripping the heart from the chest of another with her left. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
We made it to the hatch that would open up into the mansion. We took a moment, listening as those that were inside ran for the doors to fend off the intruders that attacked from outside of the boundary walls. Everything was happening as planned. They were unaware of our position beneath the floorboards, which was exactly what we wanted. When the room above had fallen silent, my mother pushed the hatch and disappeared through it. She was followed quickly by Hani. Vander turned to me and gave me a reassuring look. Everyth
ing was going to be all right. He grabbed my hand and jumped through the opening, lifting me with him.
In the room, I saw three things all at once. A tall slender man atop a long staircase, Hani looking fierce and ready to fight, and the strange orange glow from the hands of a witch I hadn’t expected to be there, Tabitha. They all moved in unison. Samiel jumped from the stairs, body colliding with Hani. Tabitha shot the power from within her into the side of the smaller vampire. I yelled my disagreement with what was happening as my mother wrapped her arms around my waist pulling me from the chaos and Vander leaped into the air catching the unsuspecting Samiel mid leap. The blood of two elder vampires spilled across hardwood floors and white furred rugs. My horror wasn’t mine alone. I saw the same in my mother’s eyes. She hadn’t expected any of this to occur.
“What is going on?” I was pinned beneath her weight, the sound of screams erupting as more vampires filed into the room.
“I don’t know.” She pushed me further from the fight.
I’m not sure what happened after that. I know that Tabitha moved towards my mother and I, and she was chanting something in a language I had not even the basic understanding of. Her hands glowed again but this time with a soft green hue. My chest warmed and my mother’s hold tightened around me. I felt at surge of energy. It was a mixture of the hottest hellfire and the coldest winter storm I could ever imagine. My body convulsed and the next thing I knew I was waking up at home in my bed.
The sound of a ringing phone woke me from my dreamless slumber. My body felt heavy, my limbs felt like bricks had been bound to them to weigh me down. The only time I had ever felt that way was when I had popped some of my roommates’ sleeping pills in college because I hadn’t slept in days and finals were approaching. I never took the things again.
“Hello?” I lifted the phone to my ear and squinted at the sight of the moon. For some reason the light was blinding. Inside of my head was the beginning of a small humming pain.
“Faith,” his voice was the same, monotone and yet full of character.
“Vander?” I asked and then cleared the frog of sleep from my throat.
“Yes, how are you feeling?” He sounded concerned but distracted.
“Okay I guess slight headache but nothing I can’t handle.” I held the phone between my shoulder and ear as I attempted to stretch my limbs,
“Well, you should be ready to return to work.” A pause as though it was almost a question but not really.
“Work, right, sure.” I tried to stifle my yawn but failed.
“Good. I need you at the hub in ten minutes.”
“No problem.” I hung up the phone. The hub meant the castle. As I sat up, I remembered my last moments with Vander. Blood covered his hands as he ripped apart Samiel. I remembered the cold look of indifference that became his mask as Hani’s body was disintegrated in a ray of orange light. I paused for a moment. For a heartbeat, I thought about not going. I could run from him. That thought was gone just as quickly as it came. There was no way I could hide from him; we were bonded now thanks to the witch.
I changed my clothes after a quick shower. Popped an Aleve for the ache at the base of my neck and focused on the castle. That usual gush of wind and equilibrium destroying force planted me on the lawn of the place I no longer felt safe. I entered the doors and took in the empty space. The entire place seemed different, changed. The life somehow drained from the walls. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought the castle itself was in mourning.
“You made it.” Vander appeared at the top of the stairs I’d once failed at conquering in a single attempt.
“Duty calls right.” I shrugged attempting to display my indifference.
“Right.” He paused. “To be honest, I thought you would make a run for it.”
“Why would you think that?” I was actually offended by his assumption. Though I wouldn’t tell him, I’d considered it.
“Your mother did, I assumed she would take you with her.”
“Yeah, well that didn’t really work out that well the last time she attempted that.” I climbed the stairs to meet him.
“Right.”
“So what’s the mission?”
“The mission is that we need to talk.” He turned and walked away. I, of course, followed him.
"Okay. Now we talk." I watched Vander as he moved through the large room that used to belong to Hani. He had removed the dividing wall. The only evidence of its previous owner was the draping sheets of velvet that hung from the walls. "What the hell was that?"
"That was you coming in on the tail end of a long and worn out battle. There is so much about this world that you do not know. So much that you will never understand."
"But Hani, why?"
"She was a tyrant and a backstabber. She murdered my father and the rightful leader of our people. If she had gotten control of Samiel's hoard of misguided vampires, she would have done much more harm than you could have ever imagined. She had to be stopped."
"But she wanted to protect me. She wanted..." I trailed, not knowing where my thoughts were going. I realized that I had no idea what Hani wanted or what she’d planned. Vander provided the truth.
"She wanted you for herself as will every vampire who finds out about you. I'll be honest. So do I." He looked me in the eye and waited for me to process his revelation.
"What exactly does that mean?"
"It means you better watch your back. The secret is obviously out about you. Choose your alliances carefully." He gave me honest advice.
"And what about you?" I looked at him skeptically. "Are you on my side?"
"Of course I am." He stared at me for a moment and then turned his back to me after handing me a small folder.
I left our meeting unsure of whether or not I should trust Vander. I had a folder, a mission to tend to so that didn’t exactly leave me much time to dissect his actions. A group of rogue vampires had surfaced in a suburb near my home.
"Looks like we're working the beat together." Sam appeared with her crimson crown of hair flowing around her face.
"Is that so?"
"Well with Vander now in the big boy seat, someone's gotta play baby sitter to the special one." She smiled brightly and nudged my shoulder.
"Right." I sighed. Sam laid her hand on my shoulder and I focused on home.
ONLY TONIGHT
BY ELIZABETH MILLER
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my parents: their unwavering love and encouragement is the foundation for the creation of this dream. To Bryan, Jackson and Sean who sacrificed their wife and mother to allow me time to live my dream and see it to fruition—thank you. It means more to me than you will ever know. Emily and Howard, my first editors—thank you, with all of my heart, for your support and confidence in me. Lauren McKellar, my real editor. I will be forever grateful for your support, direction and encouragement. When things were dark in my world, you helped me find my way to make Midnight my dream come true. No words can express my gratitude. To those who have taken the journey with me, falling in love with Colin and Charlie – Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your enthusiasm and encouragement keeps me going!!!
Xoxo ~EM
PROLOGUE
FAITH
If it were just a ringing phone, I would answer it. But it’s not. It’s an accusation. One more threat, added to the hundred others. Two days ago my world collapsed. An earthquake shook up my life until it lay in ruins, and now I’m ruined. In the span of twenty-four hours I’ve gone from respected New York City businesswoman, to a spineless swindler. I was a beloved fiancé and now . . . I’m not.
I have nothing.
I’ve lost everything.
The man I loved stole it from me.
Crippled by his deceit, I let the phone ring. The shrill sound echoing off the walls is a reminder of what once was, and what I will never allow myself to have again.
Faith.
The woman I was days ag
o no longer exists. What I believed to be true love is dead and buried. The constant barrage of insults and innuendoes has eaten away at my psyche. Was I too naïve? Were there signs I ignored? The whispered words and screeching shouts are all the same. I was his partner in love and life; I must be his partner in corruption. Everyone believes I knew everything, when truly I knew nothing. My only crime was believing in James.
I won’t make that mistake again.
A city that once hummed with vibrancy is now the brittle, dry gray of the daily news—papers filled with my reported and inescapable scandal. I can’t leave my apartment for fear of retribution, but I can’t live here. The walls are closing in on me with every minute that passes by. Andrew Mitchell, one of the best lawyers in the city, will represent me. A favor called in from the one friend standing by my side. He’s assured me that as long as I stay within the continental United States I can get out of this godforsaken city.
The ringing phone bolsters my resolve. I’m leaving. Tossing clothes into a suitcase, I abandon all reminders of James. I won’t need anything but shorts and flip-flops where I’m going.
Alone.
Two Years Later
KYLE
“You can only run for so long before getting tired. Are you tired, Faith?” It’s easy to see she’s exhausted. A darkness hidden in her eyes is telling a story too painful to share.
“I’d ask how you know my name, but I’m not sure I care to find out,” she says with a sweet, smooth voice that causes my dick to twitch in response to it.
“Come on. You have to be curious.” Resting my elbow on the bar, I wait for her reaction. She’s bent over an ice cooler, grabbing beer for the dude next to me. He’s practically salivating, and it’s not the beer he’s after. I want to kick his ass from here to tomorrow, but I’ll wait to see if he makes a move on her. She’s mine and I’m not afraid to let it be known.
