Ariana looked up at them all. “He’s gone. He left me. Michael… Michael went back to Heaven.”
Abe picked her up in his arms, trying to take her pain away. He didn’t know how she was feeling; he had never experienced losing someone he loved, much less the same one twice. All he could do was imagine what his world would be like without her in it. That imagined pain was bad enough to bring tears to his eyes. So he just sat there, cradling her in his arms, rocking her gently.
Rainey poked her head through the door, too. “What’s going on now?”
“Michael caught a midnight train to Heaven,” Becky answered.
Ariana broke down again. Abe got up and carried her out of the room and back to his chambers. He laid her down on his king-size bed and held her close as she cried.
§ § §
Julia could tell that Michael’s spell had been broken, and she threw the spell book that she was putting on a shelf in her temporary place of residence across the room. Pages flew everywhere, and the book left a dent in the wall it had hit.
All her plans had fallen apart, but she still had one contact on her side that no one knew about.
She was forced to stay in the underground city that her other vampire friends had built over a century ago, a far cry from her lush chambers in the Eternal Palace. This is where she’d sent Max the night before, when she released him from his cell. She’d seen him when she arrived at this shit hole and warned him that it wasn’t a good time to talk. Now was an even worse time, but as she left her room to find him she reminded herself of her own motto, “Don’t get mad, get even.”
Julia smiled to herself as her next plot to take Abe down twisted and grew in her mind.
CHAPTER 33
Ariana woke up sometime in the middle of the night, curled up in Abe’s arms. She looked around and didn’t recognize her surroundings; he must have brought her to his room. She really didn’t remember anything after she’d told them all that Michael was gone for good. Thinking about it still made her chest ache.
Abe was out cold and she didn’t want to wake him, so she did the only thing that had been on her to do list and prayed the guy was still asleep.
She whispered, “Take me to Lance’s dream.”
The blackness that overcame her wasn’t scary anymore. And there it was, his heartbeat.
Lance had his back to her, but she knew it was him. Those broad shoulders gave it away. That was the advantage of being in the construction business, you got a nice body out of it. Michael’s had been nice, as well, but he had been a few inches shorter than Lance.
He looked like he was buying flowers at a local florist in town and she wondered if he was just being nice to Janie or if he had hurt her feelings and was trying to make it up to her. Ariana sat down on a bench beside the flower stand and wondered why Lance chose to bring the heat into his dream. It was his dream after all, he could make it a few degrees cooler if he wanted.
After he paid for the flowers, Lance turned and locked eyes with Ariana. “Oh, no. I’m not going crazy, too. Go away, Ariana.”
“She told you, then? I told her not to, because I knew how you would react. That’s why you bought flowers, isn’t it? You said something stupid, didn’t you? Lance Harmon, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You’d better make it up to her, and not just with a bouquet of flowers that cost ten dollars.”
“This isn’t happening. You’re not real. I don’t know what happened to you, but I know witches and vampires don’t exist and you’re just in my dream because I feel guilty about saying all that stuff to Janie.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I am here and we do exist. I even got to see Michael for a while. We just said our good byes a few hours ago, and now he’s back in Heaven, where he belongs. I don’t blame you for his death, Lance. He doesn’t, either. I hope you know that. And quit giving Janie a hard time over me. I know she misses me. If you love her, you need to help her through all of this. I could prove to you that I am real. I would love for you all to come and live on the island with me. You’ll have to leave everything behind, though, so think very carefully. And if you decide you want to go back, we’ll simply erase your memory of the island and everyone on it. Think about it. I’ll be in touch with you again. I mean it, Lance. You be nice to Janie or I will come in person to whoop your ass and I’ve got some major powers now. You don’t want to hurt my best friend, believe me.” Ariana smiled and hugged Lance, who still hadn’t worked out how to shut his open mouth. “See you soon. Tell Janie I said hi.”
Ariana willed her mind back into her body. Abe was looking at her when she opened her eyes.
“You’re so beautiful when you’re asleep.”
Ariana smiled. “It just so happens I wasn’t asleep, I was dream walking.”
Abe put on a hurt expression and grabbed his chest, as if in pain. “I didn’t see you in my dream. You chose to be in someone else’s dream instead of mine?”
“I had to visit a friend. Michael’s best friend, actually. Lance is dating my best friend, Janie, and he’s giving her shit about believing I’m alive and well, so I had to go chew him up awhile.”
“How did he take that?” Abe asked, smiling.
“I left him with his mouth hanging open. He never did get to say much.”
“I know how the poor guy feels, then.”
Ariana poked him in the ribs and he jumped and laughed. She looked shocked and then a grin spread on her face. “I didn’t know it was possible for a vampire to be ticklish.”
Abe started laughing and jumped out of bed, holding his hands out to keep her away from him. “Oh, no. No, no, Ariana. Oh, God, you found my only weakness. Well, besides you, that is.”
She finally got past his barrier, dug her fingers in his ribs and started wiggling them. Abe was squealing and laughing as she chased him all over his living quarters.
He stopped suddenly, grabbed her arms gently and pulled her to him, tucking her arms underneath his and trapping her in place.
Ariana grinned playfully. “I’m not ticklish, Abe, so you don’t have an advantage over me this time.”
Abe smiled mischievously, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, but I do.” He bent his head and whispered in her ear. “I bet I can make you squirm.”
He took her earlobe gently between his teeth and sucked lightly. A moan came out of Ariana’s throat that made his stomach warm and tingly. He knew he was headed in the right direction. He started a trail of soft kisses down her neck, along her jugular vein. He ran his tongue along it and then blew on the damp trail.
Ariana started wiggling and breathing hard as Abe smiled and moved to the other ear. He repeated the process, until Ariana’s moans grew louder. He kissed his way along her jaw line and over her cheeks, and then over her closed eyelids.
Abe didn’t know how much longer he could stand it himself, her sighs and moans were driving him crazy and the smell of her blood was the sweetest thing he had ever smelled in his very long life. When she managed to squirm out of his grip so she could touch him, too, he let her go and smiled.
“Just remember, you get me and I’ll get you back.”
Ariana was still trying to catch her breath. “You play dirty.”
Abe looked shocked. “And you don’t? I’ll have you know that being tickled is very painful and aggravating and… and irritating. So there. I didn’t play any dirtier than you.”
He grinned as he tucked a strand of hair that had come loose from her pony tail behind her ear, and bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. “You need to get some rest before our date tonight… unless you’re going to stand me up.”
“If I said I’d go, I’ll go.” Ariana crossed her arms over her chest.
“You said you would if nothing major happened. It sort of did. I want you to know that I would totally understand if you wanted to put it off for a while.”
“No, I’m fine. I feel better since I slept. I feel like Michael’s soul is at rest now, so I can’t feel bad about it. He is where
he belongs. I will miss him and I will always love him but I am not going to mourn over him any longer. I am where he wanted me to be, right now. Happy.”
Abe looked in her eyes. “Stay with me tonight. Just sleep next to me and let me hold you. I promise I will behave. Stay with me.” He bent and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “Please?”
“Okay, as long as you call Rainey and Becky and let them know that I’m okay.”
“I already did, when I knew for sure you were asleep earlier, but I will call them again if you want me to. They are asleep at this time of the night, though.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost sunrise. I think Rainey has her first class at ten and Becky goes to work at one.”
“What about my shift? I’m supposed to get in touch with someone – Tiff, I think – to find out when and where I’m supposed to work.”
Abe laughed. “No one has told you, huh?”
“Told me what?”
“You being a maid was just a front so Julia wouldn’t find out the real reason you were here. When I got on my knees and declared my love to you in the Code Red parking lot all that changed. You don’t have to work,” Abe said, still grinning. His grin dimmed when he realized Ariana wasn’t smiling. “What’s wrong? I thought you would be thrilled.”
“Well, I’m not. I’m not staying here for free. I will earn my keep, just like everyone else. I don’t care what I have to do. I won’t have people talk behind my back because I’m the High Vampire’s girlfriend and he takes care of me. I will call that Shaman guy if you don’t want me to be a maid here.” Ariana’s tone turned thoughtful. “I’ll just need a vehicle to get about until I have enough money to buy my own.”
“If you want to work at the clinic, I won’t stop you. But there’s no way the High Vampire’s girlfriend will have a job that is only a little better than a peasant would have. I never liked the ‘maid’ idea before, and I don’t like it any more now.”
“Fine, I will call the Shaman. Could I borrow your cell phone?”
“Damn, I keep forgetting. Yes, of course you can. What’s mine is yours. When we go out tonight I must remember to get you a phone. I wouldn’t want you to get stranded somewhere on the island, alone and unable to reach me. I lied to you earlier, just a tiny little white lie. There are lions and tigers out there, but no bears; I didn’t lie about the bears. As long as you’re with me, you are safe. Animals know that we are the more dominant creature and they keep away. However, that doesn’t stop them from attacking humans or witches, if they get the chance. I didn’t mean to lie to you, honestly, I didn’t, but I did think the line from the Wizard of Oz was clever of me. I was trying to impress you. Did it work?”
“Well, you did get a kiss out of it.”
Abe got into bed and patted the spot beside him. “Come here and let me hold you. I’ve been waiting for you for centuries.”
Ariana rolled her eyes but laid down beside him, letting his arms envelop her. He stroked her back and began singing quietly in a low voice. Damn, he was good. She could’ve listened to him all day, but it wasn’t too long after she closed her eyes that she was dreaming her own dreams.
CHAPTER 34
Rainey walked down the beach and hoped she would get to finish the conversation with her mysterious dream man this time. She was in luck – Kade was sitting in the same spot she’d seen him before. She looked forward to going to sleep more and more, since he’d made his first appearance.
“Hello, beautiful. Was the phone call very important?” Kade flashed his perfect smile at her.
“It was, I’m afraid, but nothing that we couldn’t handle. I think we got rid of the problem. Are your visions of the island still upsetting?”
“They are still pretty bad. I’m afraid I might have to find this place and give your kind a hand. I think I could be of some assistance.” Kade closed the distance between him and Rainey. “Would it be so bad if the island had another occupant?”
Rainey blushed. “I think that would be a great idea. The thing is, if you decide to leave later, your memories of the island will be erased from your mind. It’s for our protection. Everything you own, everyone you love, you’ll have to leave behind. Could you live with that?”
“I have a few loose ends to tie up and then I think I can disappear. And I would do almost anything for you. What was the problem that you fixed?”
“Uh, two bad… people on the island got shipped off. One got away and the other got kicked out. We are pretty sure they’re not coming back, though. There were new spells put in place to keep them out.”
“Sounds interesting. What can your people do?” Kade asked as he wrapped a strand of her hair around his index finger.
“All sorts of different things. There is a new girl who I think will be able to do anything she wants, once she gets the hang of it. She’s already come a long way and she hasn’t even been here a full week. She is the first Pure Natural Witch I’ve ever met.”
Kade looked up to the sky. “Damn! I’ve gotta go, but same time, same place tomorrow?”
Rainey was captivated by his perfect smile. “Yes, definitely,” she said as he disappeared.
She woke up and noticed that her alarm clock had been going off for thirty minutes. She jumped out of bed, rushing through her morning routine so she wouldn’t be late for class. She put her hair up in a clippie as she ran out the door, down the hall, and took a left into her classroom. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone today. The only guy she cared about wasn’t on the island yet, but she hoped he would be soon.
§ § §
When Ariana woke, Abe was gone. There was a note beside her on his pillow.
Ariana,
I hope you slept well, my love. I had to run a few errands and if I’m not back by the time you retreat to your room, I want you to know I thought about you every waking minute. My cell phone is on the bar, so you can call the Shaman if you’re still interested.
I’ll pick you up at nine o’clock. I have a few places I would like to show you before dinner tonight. I set up an appointment for you at the spa, so pamper yourself.
I got Becky off work so you can have a girls’ day together. The bill’s on me, have fun. I suggest The Plateau for a good place to have lunch. I wouldn’t know, but I’ve heard it’s superb. My credit card is beside my cell.
Eternally Yours,
Abe Lincoln
P.S. That’s really not my last name, I just thought it would give you a laugh. It’s really Cambridge. Have a good day.
Ariana hugged the note to her chest, tears in her eyes. He was so sweet to her. She would have to think of something good to repay him for being so nice.
She got out of bed and picked up his cell phone and credit card off the bar. She slipped her flip flops on and went back to her room.
When she walked in, she could hear the shower running. She stuck her head through the door to let Becky know they had a good day already planned for them. What she didn’t expect was to find two people in the shower.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry, Becky, I’ll just… wait out here.” She hadn’t seen who was in the shower with Becky, but she heard a very familiar laugh.
“I’ll be out in a sec, Ariana. You ready to go have some fun?” Becky asked.
Ariana didn’t want to have a conversation with Becky while she was in the shower, especially when she shared it with a guy, so she just shut the bathroom door and went to her closet to find something to wear for the day.
She rushed to get dressed, just in case Becky’s friend was quick out of the shower; she didn’t fancy getting caught in her underwear. A few moments later she realized Becky’s male friend had already seen her in less.
“Hello, Jonah.” Ariana averted her eyes and blushed as she put her hair up in a ponytail.
“You… uh… ever gonna wear what I bought for you, Ariana?”
“No, I haven’t even looked at it. You can take it back or give it to Becky, we must be quite close in dress sizes.” She
put on her flats.
“You’re not still mad at me for how I acted the first time we met, are you?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t hold grudges; I just don’t have any room for anything else in my closet.”
Jonah smiled slyly. “I don’t want to give away too many of my cousin’s secrets, but I think you should consider getting a bigger closet.”
“Fine, I’ll keep the damn thing. But don’t expect me to wear it.”
“Thank you for accepting my gift. It’s Abe’s favorite color. Just sayin’.”
Becky walked out of the bathroom towel-drying her hair. “There’s no need to fix my hair, is there? I think Abe planned for us to have our hair done, too.”
“Facials, pedicures, manicures, hair, make-up, the whole nine yards,” Jonah said.
Both girls look stunned and asked at the same time. “How do you know?”
“Abe called me earlier. We’ve got a double date tonight. You girls go have fun.” He planted a smacker on Becky’s lips and walked out the door barefoot and shirtless.
“You ready, Becky?”
“Yup. You ready, Ariana?”
“Yup. Let’s go, girl.”
CHAPTER 35
Abe walked in security controls with a stack of papers he had to go through before his date with Ariana. He had gotten way behind on the boring side of his job since he’d first seen her, and didn’t need anyone questioning whether he was capable of running this fine island. He hated doing paperwork, though; money, bitches and gripes, one guy’s dog shit in another guy’s yard and he wanted to sue him for it. What? There were no lawsuits here. The way Abe saw it, if you weren’t able to get along happily with everyone else on the island, there was a simple solution: one little spell and poof – all your bad memories would dissipate in an instant and you could go be happy somewhere else.
If vampires could have gotten headaches, Abe was sure he would have one and he hadn’t even started to go through the thicker files yet.
“Hey, Mark,” Abe said to the guard sitting behind the monitors.
Eternal Island (Book 1 in the Eternal Series) Page 19
