Nick snorted at her joke and finished his milkshake. “Now to you. How is it that someone so charming and intelligent is single? What dickhead let you go?”
Nicole frowned. “There isn’t much to tell. My parents are Aussie but my grandmother is Greek. She set me up with my first serious boyfriend. I was with him till the night before graduation when I found out he had been cheating on me and even had a two-month-old baby with the other woman.”
Nicole sipped her coffee, taking a moment. “Ever since then, I focused on my career, moving on and burying myself in work. It would be sad if I didn’t love what I do so much.”
“Mrs. Davies said you study Psychology?”
Nicole nodded.
“Tell me about that,” Nick said, adjusting his seat and studying her carefully.
“Well I suppose you could say I have always wanted to help people with their problems. I think being any sort of medical practitioner is amazing,” she offered, gesturing quickly to Nick. “But they mainly focus on the body, where I have always been fascinated by the mind. The examples I have read about which fuels the debate over the mind’s power over the body is unbelievable. Mind over matter, as they say, turns out to actually be true. For the most part, western medicine and scientists are only just starting to catch up to what the eastern mystics have known for over two and a half thousand years.”
“And that is?”
“That it’s not our brain that gives rise to our consciousness, instead it’s our consciousness, or mind, that creates everything that seems so real to us.”
Nick winced. “Ok, look I know it would be a lot more dashing if I knew what you meant, but…”
Nicole grinned. “I’m not boring you? You really want to know?”
“I wouldn’t ask otherwise.”
“Ok,” Nicole said, pulling out her phone. “Come here.”
Nick got up and sat in a chair next to her. He put as little space as possible between them but enough so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. To his surprise and delight, when she had found whatever it was she was looking for, she leaned against him, eager to show what was on the screen of her phone.
“This should help,” she said, handing him the phone. “It’s only short, but it is to the point.”
He read.
We are all co-creators and fellow shareholders in the universe. We have collectively created our circumstances through the medium of our own individual minds and under the dominion of the Universal Mind. And the play is woven so cleverly that we do not realize we are taking unreality for reality. We are lost in the world of our five senses and know of no other reality. We have performed the ultimate conjuring trick – we have deluded ourselves. Like the images formed frame by frame in celluloid upon a movie film and projected onto a screen, our life’s destiny in the world is projected from within us. But we take the image on the screen as real and do not perceive the inward source. There is no without. What we see doesn’t exist, what we don’t see really does exist.
From The Secret of The Creative Vacuum by John Davidson
“That help?” she asked.
Nick took a deep breath. “Uh… Not in the slightest.”
They both laughed in unison.
“Ok,” Nicole began. “What it is saying is that the mind is an untapped resource. We believe what we see and that’s all. There are so many things going on that people are just unaware of. I find a lot of the people and patients I talk to have come to me and said that if their psychologist helped them in any way, it was by letting them know they had the power to heal themselves. Most people don’t know humans have that power. I honestly believe that we know very little of what goes on in the world, but also of what goes on inside us, which I find a much more interesting topic. Western society like I said is only just starting to catch up on things like meditation, the power of positive thinking, animal spirits, and such.”
“Animal spirits?” Nick asked, his interest piqued.
“Native Americans believe that an animal spirit, like a wolf or an eagle, descends upon everyone at birth. It determines their personality. Its job is to keep the person safe, strong and wise as to excel in matters of attributes given to that animal.”
Nicole finished her mocha and looked to Nick who stared back at her. “I can’t believe you need to know all of this to be a psychologist.”
“I believe I should learn as much as I can about all cultures and beliefs, even the things bordering on the supernatural. I think it would be hypocritical of me to dismiss anything. Besides, I’m a bit of a geek at heart and I find all of it fascinating.”
“I find you fascinating.”
Nicole turned to him. She gave a hint of a smile as she rolled her eyes and waved his statement away with a hand.
The sounds around Nick went quiet except for one noise pounding in his ears. A quick thump thump sound. Nicole didn’t seem to hear it. Nick moved his gaze from the side of her face to her throat, where he could’ve sworn he saw a vein flare. Yes! There! The smell of strawberry lip-gloss and peppermint shampoo swelled around him as the vein flared again. Nick’s mouth moistened as he continued to stare, unmoving otherwise, at her neck as the thumping continued and he realised it was her heartbeat. In his mind, Nick saw himself moving closer to her, smelling her even more deeply than he already could, letting her intoxicating scent overwhelm him as he moved his lips to her neck. He could see them interlocking their fingers, grazing her neck with his mouth and the tip of his tongue, and Nicole letting him. Closing her eyes, letting him taste her, really taste her, even as the urge to bite her supple flesh grew…
“Well, fancy seeing you two here!”
Nick was awoken from his fantasy sharply. He blinked several times, unsure of what the hell he had just seen. He had no idea why he would fantasise about eating Nicole. In other ways, most definitely, but actually wanting to consume her? And the fact that he was so turned on, he was glad his legs were underneath a table. The animal spirits that she had talked about, that had to be it. He had gotten caught up in her intelligence, her stories about the animal spirits, and with his family history, he had put two and two together and gotten fifty. It was a dream. That must be it.
“Hello Mr. Miller,” Nicole greeted unenthusiastically.
“I’ve told you before, Nicky. Call me Trent.” Miller grinned at Jason who had come up behind him.
Nick groaned inside. Just my luck, he thought.
“And I have told you before that I would call you Trent when you stop calling me Nicky,” she replied smoothly.
Miller turned his head slowly and deliberately to Nick.
“You two know each other?” Nicole asked, eyeing one then the other.
“We’ve met,” Nick stated, curling the fingers of his right hand down the edge of the table.
“Oh, that’s right,” Nicole said breezily. “I forgot. Young Mr. Slade here put you on your arse last week in…touch football, was it?” Nicole gave a deep, poignant sigh.
Miller laughed, but Nick could see it was false. “Well, we should be going. Enjoy your beverages, kids.”
Jason and Miller took off behind Nicole and Nick watched them go. Miller turned around and walked backwards as he stared back at him, shaking his head slowly, mouthing the words, “You’re a dead man.”
“What a dick,” Nicole said, not even seeing the exchange. “We better be going”
“Really?” Nick asked, not trying to hide the disappointment.
“Yep. I don’t have the dinner to go to, but I do have to study.”
They both got up and Nicole bent down to pick up her bag. She looked at the table leg where Nick had been sitting. “Hmm, didn’t think these tables were as old and worn as that,” she said, almost to herself as she turned and began to walk.
Nick looked back at the leg. Four deep greaves in the table ran several centimetres in and to the edge, just in front of where Nick sat. Nick had not noticed them when she had called him over to view her phone, and then as if a lightning bolt h
it him he looked at his own fingers. Did I..? His fingertips looked perfectly normal. Relax man, relax, he thought to himself. He quickly caught up to Nicole, shaking the memory of scraping the edge of the table in fury when Miller had appeared. Stop it. You don’t have claws.
*
By the time Nicole pulled up to Alex’s apartment, it was well after sunset.
“Thanks so much for everything,” Nick said.
“You can thank me by telling me the truth,” Nicole said.
“I’m sorry?”
“Do you really think I’m that dumb? I study the mind. Body language is a part of it. I saw the way you looked at Miller. That bruise wasn’t from a door was it?”
Nick breathed out slowly. “No.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” she asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“It’s not exactly something one wants to admit to a girl.”
“Oh, come on. I thought you were better than that macho bullshit. This is serious. You have to talk to someone about it, so why not me?”
“Because…” We both want you. Macho bullshit is the sole reason, Nick thought. “It’s not a really big deal. It was an argument. I’m fine, really.”
“Nick…” she said softly, touching his bruised chin with just her fingertips. Nick was perfectly still, trying not to concentrate too much on the warm feeling he had from her slightest touch. “He has heaps of enemies and for good reason. You don’t know what he is like, what he is capable of. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Nick leaned across and aimed for her lips, he couldn’t help himself. He was inches away when it looked like she was coming forward to meet him but all his lips met were the tips of her fingers. “Too complicated,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, that was totally crazy,” he said, leaning back. He felt his cheeks warming with the blood that was rushing to his face. Dammit! What’d I have to go and do that for?
“No,” she smiled, “It’s fine. It’s actually flattering, but technically you’re a student and I’m staff, so....”
Nick held up a hand. “I totally get that.”
“Look, even though it’s not exactly within the rules, we’ll be friends, yeah?”
“Of course.” Nick nodded. Yeah, because friends is just as good when you’re falling for someone. He was in the dreaded friend zone. Again. Fan-fucking-tastic.
She gently moved his chin to one side and planted yet another rather slow kiss on his cheek, twice. She even added a tiny ‘mwah’, which to Nick, sounded like a little moan. She had no idea how much it drove him crazy to feel those soft lips. Or maybe she did, which was why she held his face away from hers so he wouldn’t be tempted again. But he couldn’t help but wonder, why was she so affectionate with him?
“Look, as long as we are talking about honesty, there’s something you deserve to know,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“My dinner didn’t get cancelled. I called and said I wasn’t feeling well.”
Nick didn’t know what to say, what he was supposed to do with that information. He merely said as seriously as he could, “Thank-you.”
“Anytime,” she replied with a smile. “Well…maybe not anytime.”
Nick put his hand on the door handle. “Can I get your number?” he asked. “As a friend, you know?”
“Sure. I’ll message you when I get home.”
“Did you want mine then?”
“I already have it. I put it in my phone from the forms you gave me for Mrs. Davies.”
“That is…very unprofessional of you,” he said, sounding very much impressed.
“What are you going to do? Tell on me?”
“Nope, but you will have to buy me a coffee to ensure my silence,” he replied with a grin.
“Sneaky!” Nicole placed the tip of her tongue on the roof of her mouth, looking at him.
“Can’t blame me,” he said as he stepped out of the car and leaned into the window. “How else am I going to make sure I get to see you again?”
Nicole started the car and turned to him. “Just ask.”
She drove off and beeped him.
Just then, a huge roar erupted behind Nick. He turned to see a gleaming red Maserati turn into the driveway. The driver shut off the engine and stepped out. A tall, broad and tanned man stepped out and walked forward.
“You must be Nick.” The man’s voice was surprisingly deep. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand. “My name is—”
“Dante! Nick!” Alex ran outside, clearly shocked to see both of them standing together.
Nick turned to face the man again. So this was Dante.
“Hey, hun,” Alex said, addressing Nick. “Everything ok? You’re a little later than usual.”
“Sorry, I lost track of time. Was chatting with a girl, you know?”
“Well, we can surely forgive that,” Dante said.
Alex laughed nervously. Nick did nothing. He was unsure why Alex appeared so uncomfortable and decided it must be because Dante was here. Nick guessed he was her boyfriend, and he seemed pleasant enough. But something about him was vaguely disturbing. Something he couldn’t quite get his finger on. Strangely, his close proximity to Dante was making him tense, so much so that he had to take two steps back just to feel more or less ok.
“Well, we’d better be going,” Alex said. “There’s plenty of food in the fridge, and mum’s upstairs. She raided the video shop and has heaps of R-rated action movies for you guys to watch. I swear, you would think she was a bloke given how much violence and gore she likes.”
She hugged Nick and almost jogged to the passenger side of the Maserati.
“Nice to finally meet you, Nick,” Dante said, holding out his hand again. Out of pure politeness, Nick shook it. In an instant, his hand was enclosed in an icy grip. The chill ran up his arm and through his body.
“Take care,” Dante said with a smile, letting go of him.
Nick was breathing heavily and turned around so neither Alex nor Dante could see his reaction. What was that? Nick didn’t know, but he was having a hard time catching his breath. He looked down at his trembling hand. What I do know is that I never want to touch that guy ever again.
Chapter 13
A New Dawn
Even for an immortal, there are times when eyes needed a minute to adjust right after waking. Melina had awoken in the same room for over a century, and yet again she felt disoriented, confused. Frustrated. And it was happening with increasing regularity.
The noises were getting louder, worse. For weeks she had been experiencing flashes of sounds, bits and pieces of words and phrases, the beginnings and endings of sentences. They came and went sporadically while she was awake, moving about in the mansion. At first they were merely whispers, as if floating on the breeze, and then they were gone. So fleeting and quiet, she had to pause to make sure she had truly heard something. But over two hundred and fifty years on the planet had taught her to trust herself and be aware of everything.
Even for a vampire, hearing voices you could not place was not a welcome characteristic, and so Melina sought out Sydney’s vampire doctor. After seven hundred years, Varis Lintuly believed he had seen it all. Several members of the wider vampire community believed it too and sought out his experience for all manner of cures for the few ailments that could befall the race.
He found nothing wrong with Melina.
Normal people might begin to panic at this stage, worrying they were truly going mad, but Melina was not normal. There was more to this. The sounds, as they were, made no sense. The way they came to her did. As a vampire with the particular gift of communicating with animals, she recognised that the manner in which the sounds appeared to her was similar to when birds, dogs, cats, rats, horses and so on would share conversations with her. She heard the same hum and soft crackle of, for want of a better word, magic. Yet instead of peaceful, she felt constrained and vulnerable, as if the noises were attacking her.
However, she was Melina Garcia, member of the Kent vampire family and flashes of noise wouldn’t undo her. She did not know where they came from, but she did know what they were. Cries for help.
She lifted the lid on her coffin and stepped out, suddenly aware that all members of her adopted family still resided in theirs, curiously still asleep. Even Julian, who made it a habit of always being there to hold her hand as they moved along to the crypt’s elevator, as if she were a two-year-old that might fall.
Melina yanked open the top of his coffin, revealing what she already knew but could not fathom. Julian lay there, presumably like the rest of his family, as good as a corpse, cold, still and beautiful. The way all vampires looked while the sun was up. Melina felt a strange twinge of unease in her stomach, a very human emotion of anxiety. She rushed to the crypt wall where a tiny gap existed and stopped still. A barely visible ray of orange had filtered through the gap, leaving a perfect circle of light on the floor. Melina could not believe it.
She scrunched her eyes as a flash and another partial scream blazed through her brain. Without thinking, she rushed back to her coffin and replaced the lid, sobbing before she could even stop herself. Something was wrong with her and her situation had turned from intriguing and frustrating to desperate. She had to find the cause of these sounds, she had to find what was so powerful that could do the impossible—awaken a vampire during daylight.
*
The streets of Sydney in the CBD during the day were a fairly safe place to be, all things considered. And surrounded by office buildings and retail outlets along with pubs and clubs, the area offered a great many chances for people to come to your aid if anything did happen to go wrong. At two o’clock in the morning, however, with only scatterings of people about and only a few establishments open, the danger was significantly higher. Unless you were a vampire.
Lauren approached the Coffinail club with ease. She hadn’t been here before, but she’d followed the faint scent of decay from over fifty meters away until she faced the structure. It looked like a run-down apartment building, two storeys with a set of iron stairs descending under the pavement into darkness. Lauren looked left to right. The streets of Newtown had scatterings of drunks and junkies filling them and not much else at this hour. For Lauren, this really was the dregs of the city.
Day Dreamer (Undeadly Secrets Book 2) Page 9
