by Shah, Karin
This time the word could be accurate, Spirit said, matter-of-factly.
Gideon glanced over his shoulder as he flipped the golden-brown sandwich onto a plate. His face was closed as his eyes flicked to Spirit and then Thalia and back again, but he said nothing.
“Have you been hiding something from me, Spirit?” She might cry if her oldest friend had betrayed her as well.
You were asleep when I returned from the meeting. He hesitated. I’ve been reading your mother’s book.
Thalia let out the breath she’d been holding in a rush and slapped a hand on her forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot the book.”
Gideon placed the plate on the table in front of her. Fragrant steam rose from the sandwich, and she took a bite. It was good. God, she was hungry.
Gideon sat down across from her. “We’ve been busy. There’s no time like the present. Spirit, will you get the book?”
The familiar hit the ground and disappeared into the hall. Thalia downed the rest of the sandwich in several large bites. Her energy was returning. She felt stronger every second.
She looked up from the plate to find Gideon’s eyes fixed on her face. Did she have ketchup on the corners of her mouth? She took a napkin from the holder in the center of the table and dabbed at her mouth. “What?”
“How was the sandwich?”
Thalia couldn’t help but smile. He was so cute. “It was delicious,” she assured him, ignoring the fact that one side had been just the tiniest bit burned. “Perfectly melty.”
Spirit trotted back into the room with the book in his mouth, holding the thick tome by the end of the worn leather strap that bound it.
He put his front paws on the table and set it down next to her.
Thalia pushed her plate out of the way and unfastened the book.
“Is this it?” said Gideon. It seemed likely, but this was her forte, not his. Vampire magic was more a matter of will than words.
They were two-thirds of the way through the heavy book. Thalia had long since passed it to Gideon and he’d leafed through it, periodically sharing with her some passage that might be important. Spirit was napping on the couch in the office. Thalia lifted her pointed chin from where it rested in her palm, yawned, and dragged the book closer so she could see the page Gideon had indicated. She straightened as she read the words before her.
In the new world,
one lake of five shall be the site.
The ancient dead but living
shall attain great power
When the marked one dies
and a sacrifice is made
By one who rose long ago
from the grave.
She paused, her eyes solemn.
“Bad poetry?” Gideon prompted.
She raised an eyebrow. “This has to be it.” A ribbon of hair fell forward, obscuring the page. Thalia tucked it behind her ear. “The notes say this prophecy came to my mother the night before my father died. She says, at first she thought that she was the marked one in the prophecy, but that now she believes I’m the marked one. That I’m the one who dies.”
The stark fear on Thalia’s face ate at his heart. Against his will, his hand came up and covered hers. “Prophecies don’t always come true.”
“Maybe not, but a lot of people are already dead because of this thing. What I don’t understand is why my mother didn’t tell me about the prophecy before she died. Why keep this from me?” She switched gears, uneasy with the intimacy of the conversation. “You could be both the ‘ancient dead but living’ and ‘the one who rose long ago from the grave.’”
“Or only one.”
“The other could be the rogue.”
“Or someone else entirely.” A face flashed into Gideon’s mind’s eye. Rounded cheekbones, accentuated by a straight nose and firm chin, night dark eyes and perfect skin, a stunning beauty by any standards. Was it possible the woman who had turned him was the being mentioned in the first part of the prophecy?
“God, this is frustrating. I hate prophecies.” Thalia had gone back to examining the notes around the prophecy, using one crescent-shaped nail to trace her mother’s words.
His hand fisted at his side. He’d already endangered her through his own loss of control. Now, this. “I think I know who the first vampire might be.”
Thalia’s head came up. “Who?”
He shook his head. He knew he should tell her everything, but could he take the chance she might run from him? Could he take the chance she might try and fight the rogue alone? She seemed to have forgiven him for trying to kill her, but he had no idea how she would react if she knew what he really was.
“Who?” Her voice was urgent and laced with magic. The corner of his mouth rose into a lopsided grin. It seemed she’d regained her full strength. He couldn’t lie to her, she’d see right through him. Perhaps part of the truth?
“I think it’s likely I am the second vampire in the prophecy, so it’s safe to assume that the first vampire is somehow connected to me, but the only other vampire I’ve ever been close to is dead. That leaves the vampire who turned me.”
Thalia nodded. “Seems logical. What was his name?”
“Her.”
Thalia froze for a second and then nodded. “Go on.”
That was the last thing he wanted to do. He rubbed a hand over his tense face. “Her name was Inanna.”
His face was as hard as marble and just as stiff. Thalia could tell the last thing he wanted to was share, and for some reason she was reluctant to push him.
Maybe because you’re afraid of what you might hear? She tried to smile, but her tight muscles twisted her lips into what probably looked like a smirk. “The rogue could be the vampire in the prophecy, but he or she doesn’t need to be linked to you. It’s possible whoever-it-is is merely following the prophecy.”
Gideon’s dark, level gaze told her he thought she was off-base, but he only stood and grabbed her plate, taking it over to the sink, his broad back a wall between them.
Thalia yearned to go to him, but his posture screamed keep out. She sighed and then got to her feet so quickly her chair squeaked, the noise grating on her sensitive nerves. She winced. “I think we need to split up, for a while. I’ll go talk to Mina. Here’s the address of the house Spirit led me to earlier.” Thalia pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of her white shorts, intending to toss it on the cherry wood table. Gideon turned around. Before she could let the paper fall, he was there, his large hand on her slim wrist, pulling her against his chest. “I destroyed your trust this afternoon, but the reason we’re working together still stands.”
Thalia could feel his heart pumping his stolen blood. His voice vibrated inside her chest. She met his gaze. His handsome face was pale, his eyes burning. She placed her free hand on his chest. “Gideon, what happened earlier,”—she shook her head, searching for the proper words—“your body was starving. You didn’t hurt me.”
Gideon closed his eyes and dropped her wrist. “I almost killed you.” His eyes opened and the naked pain in their ebony depths stabbed through her like a dagger.
Her freed hand came up to his smooth cheek. “But you didn’t.”
He turned his cheek into her palm. “Only because you nearly gave me everything you had. You could have died because of me.” His glorious voice shook and something gave way inside her. Some internal defense that could not withstand the stark vulnerability revealed by the emotion in his voice. A vulnerability so at odds with his incredible strength.
Later, Thalia wondered where she got the courage, but she reached up, framed his strong face, drew him down to her, and kissed him. Soothing him in the way women have comforted men since the dawn of time.
It may have begun as innocently as a mother kissing a child’s wound, but it soon spun wildly out of control.
Gideon made a sound deep in his throat and took over, his lips stoking a fire in her that threatened to burn down the final remnants of her emotional barriers. His hands traveled dow
n her back. He must have had some magic she knew nothing about because everywhere his hands touched sparks flared, shimmering through her body like a St. Catherine’s wheel on Cinco De Mayo.
She groaned.
He took it as an invitation, parting her lips with his own and easing his tongue into her mouth. Her knees gave way. He caught her before she fell. She was vaguely aware that her feet were dangling over the hardwood floor, but every fiber of her being was focused on his mouth, his hands, and the feel of his hard chest against her breasts. She’d never known such pleasure. The kiss they’d shared earlier had been earthshaking. This one was earth-shattering.
Nothing existed but the two of them and this moment.
Gideon trailed his mouth down the corner of her lips, along her neck and found her pulse, his mouth like a brand, searing the tender skin of her neck. Her head lolled back, exposing her vulnerable throat. She gasped as he bit lightly, scraping her with his sharp teeth without breaking the skin. A shaft of ecstasy shot through her, pooling between her thighs. His tongue laved her skin, wet and hot, stinging through her flesh and entering her bloodstream like a drug. Dizzy, her hands clutched his shoulders, kneading the muscles beneath his shirt.
“Thalia,” he breathed her name like an incantation.
All she could say was, “Yes.”
He pressed her against the island separating the sink from the table, lifted her up and set her on the black granite countertop. She sighed as he settled into the warm cradle of her thighs and rediscovered her mouth, feeding from her lips as if it were his last meal.
Her hands threaded through his hair, savoring the rough silk feel of it through her fingers. It was too much. She lost herself in his spell.
Chapter 14
Perhaps there was a taste that rivaled the sweetness of her mouth, but if there were, Gideon could not remember it. He knew this was wrong, but the rapture of her embrace was so great he could not break free. The reasons he had fought this seemed like distant memories, her taste, her smell, the heat of her body, that was what mattered.
Her tongue caressed his. He felt his fangs descend, but he did not stop. After thousands of years of hell, he had found heaven and he reveled in the sensations she ignited in his body. He nibbled his way down her neck to her throat. Her skin was so sweet. It didn’t seem possible her blood could be poisonous. He closed his eyes, imagining the joy of taking her blood as he entered her body. He hardened. He had to have her. He pressed himself against the pliant flesh between her legs. Thalia moaned, and he echoed the sound. Gods, how he longed to take her blood. He steeled himself against the urge and returned to the safer, but just as delectable, territory of her mouth. He slipped one hand beneath the hem of her shorts and stroked the satin of her thigh. The other delved beneath the fabric of her T-shirt, exploring the warm skin of her rib cage before abandoning it for the silk-covered mound of her breast. Her nipple met his palm through the weave. She practically shouted into his mouth when his thumb found the firm nub, tormenting it with each sweeping pass.
It was too little.
He yanked the ribbed neckline of her shirt down and nudged the silk aside with his chin. He suckled at her breast. If he’d thought her mouth tasted good, her nipple tasted three times as delicious. She gave a surprised gasp. “Gideon!”
Something in her tone rang a warning bell. He raised his head. No one had ever done this to her. It didn’t seem possible, but there was no mistaking the signs as she trembled in his arms.
She was a virgin.
Even if he could take her without succumbing to the desire to drink her blood as well, what right had he to be her first? That honor belonged to the man with whom she would share her life, and as much as he wished the situation was different, he couldn’t be that man. Stunned to find the prickle of tears in his eyes, he ripped away from her warm grasp.
It took Thalia’s intoxicated brain several seconds to understand the sudden cold that flowed over her as Gideon backed away. “Gideon?”
He shook his head, his eyes bleak. “I’m sorry.”
Thalia slid to the floor and yanked down her shirt, covering her breasts. The fabric of her bra snagged on her peaked nipples, still damp from his mouth. Her face flamed. She‘d essentially thrown herself at him. What had she expected? She blinked to hide the weight of the tears she felt building behind her eyes. She tried to smile, but abandoned the attempt when she felt her chin crumple.
She’d set herself up. Gideon was as far beyond her reach as the moon. If she felt hurt by his rejection, she’d only herself to blame.
She pressed her swollen lips together. Her body ached with unfulfilled desire.
Gideon had turned his back to her. “I think we should go visit Mina Shaw, now.”
Thalia fought to get back to an even footing. All she could think about was getting away. She was too hurt and embarrassed to look at him. “I’ll go get Spirit.”
She left the room before Gideon could respond.
Spirit lifted his sleek head from his paws as she entered the room. Did you find it?
Thalia nodded, but avoided looking directly at him.
Thalia, Spirit said slowly. I’d ask what happened while I was asleep, but I can tell just by looking at you. Your cheeks are whisker-burned, and the neckline of your shirt is stretched out of shape. His voice was gentle. A tear escaped her control, meandering down her cheek.
Spirit jumped down from the sofa and licked her hand. A lot has happened. I know you feel sad and alone, but you can’t let him take advantage of your vulnerability.
Thalia laughed through her tears. “It was the other way around. I practically begged him to make love to me. Believe me, he doesn’t want me.”
Spirit gave her a long, assessing look. “If you say so.”
It was almost two in the morning when they pulled up into Mina Shaw’s narrow driveway, but they were expected.
Mina’s Federal-style brick house dominated its small lot, much as its occupant dominated the witch community. A cluster of winged insects fluttered around the porch light.
Thalia was not looking forward to the coming confrontation. She felt much like the insects throwing themselves at the light, condemned to follow an internal imperative she couldn’t understand. Her stomach lurched. Being the Champion was a tough job, but it was the only thing she knew. It defined her. What would she do if they called for her resignation?
She, Spirit, and Gideon got out of the car. The car doors thumped softly in turn as they slammed shut, muffled by the humid night air. In the distance, a raccoon called to his brothers. Crickets cheeped rhythmically in the garden, and even as late as it was, a low intermittent hum could be heard from the nearby highway.
The centrally located front door opened and a small shape was silhouetted against the light flooding from inside the home.
Thalia swallowed. She felt a powerful urge to run back to the car. To say she wasn’t looking forward to this confrontation was an understatement.
“Come in, dears.” Mina greeted Thalia and Spirit pleasantly, as if they were there for Sunday dinner. She examined Gideon with interest in her shrewd brown eyes as he crossed the threshold. “So this is the vampire, hmm?” Her eyes were surrounded by wrinkles, the whites yellowed, but they were still bright and perceptive. Dressed to the nines as always, she wore a sleeveless sheath dress of lilac linen, covered by a lace jacket of the same color, dyed to match pumps, and amethyst and diamond earrings in her ears.
Mina guided them into her generous living room, redolent with the scent of Murphy’s Oil Soap and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. She took a seat in a leather wingback chair and waved them onto an elegant Victorian-era green velvet sofa, with a knitted afghan draped over the back. The delicate piece of furniture sighed ominously beneath Gideon, but held. “I was surprised when you called me, my dear. I had heard you were searching for Lily’s killer, but I can’t imagine what help I can be.” A chilled pitcher of lemonade sat on a teak sideboard next to a plate of cookies, and as s
he spoke, Mina filled a tall, frosted glass with the beverage, and handed it to Gideon. She then set two cookies on a small plate, placed a napkin beneath it and passed that to Gideon. Looking a bit bemused, Gideon balanced the plate on his knee.
Increasingly tense as Mina performed these small niceties, and consumed by the feeling they might dance around the truth all night, Thalia went on the attack. “I know about the meeting, Mina.”
The other woman paused in the act of filling a second glass, then finished her task and handed it to Thalia. “Heath felt a meeting was called for and so did I. And now that Kimmy’s dead...”
“I can’t believe that you, of all people, are plotting behind my back. You were my mother’s best friend.” Thalia struggled to stay calm, but she felt like she might be ill. Mina had been like a grandmother to her when she’d been growing up. The older woman’s doubts cut her to the bone.
Mina sighed, her eyes full of regret. “The danger that faces us is bigger than any one person. This isn’t personal. I had a vision and I’m obligated to share it with the community.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
Mina’s eyes flicked to Gideon, then back to Thalia. “Let me tell you about my vision. I think it will explain my actions. In the vision, I see you alone in the pitch dark. You have a white candle. It flickers. At times burning brightly and then becoming only a spark. The shadows around you encroach and retreat as the flame grows and shrinks. Behind you looms a monster, covered with the blood of innocents. Bodies litter the ground beneath its feet. It kills you.” Mina closed her eyes, as if this part of the vision pained her. “The candle falls and sets fire to the city, destroying it.”
“I have tried to find some other explanation, but I can only interpret the vision one way. The candle represents your power. The monster is the evil that recent omens have foretold. Probably this rogue you pursue. It will steal your power and use it to consume the world.” She smiled deprecatingly. “Or at least our little corner of it.”
