Ageless

by Cege Smith

  “I built the house there because I was told that it sits on an intersection of great power between this world and the next one. It is a place where the fabric of our reality is thin, and so it is possible to reach through and communicate with those that you need on the other side,” Jeremiah said.

  “What is it you think I need to do?” Violet said, gulping. All of her earlier confidence was gone.

  “You need to draw on the wisdom of your ancestors and ask for the key to deciphering the spells on your skin.”

  “So that I can reverse the curse,” Violet said. “Make it so that you don’t need blood to survive anymore.”

  “Reversing the curse would be of exceptional benefit to me, Jonah, Margo, and our kin,” Jeremiah said. “But by communicating with your ancestors you are also going to be able to fast-track your own knowledge and gain control over the power you have at your fingertips.”

  Chewing on her lower lip, Violet considered his words. “What about Elysa?” she asked.

  “You worry about communicating with your ancestors. Let me worry about Elysa,” Jeremiah said grimly.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Several hours later, they were traveling at over a hundred miles an hour down a deserted two-lane highway in central Florida. The air outside was stuffy from the sultry heat, and Violet found herself wishing for the cool ocean breeze that was fading like a distant memory. Once inside the small sporty car, all conversation between the four passengers had ceased. Margo pushed Jonah into the front seat so that she and Violet occupied the back. Jeremiah turned on a blues station, but otherwise it was dead silent.

  Staring out the window, Violet felt herself nod off several times. She tried to relax and kept reminding herself that there was nothing to be afraid of. She was a witch. Supposedly she had the ability to channel the power of all her ancestors. It would all be fine. She wouldn’t die. About the time her mental cog reached that point, she felt her shoulders tighten up again, and then she felt a warm squeeze of her hand. She looked up and saw Margo smiling at her.

  “I know it’s a long shot, Vi, but if you were able to conjure up that spell to make me human again, I’d probably be the happiest girl in the world,” Margo said in a low voice. She had a dreamy look on her face.

  There were a lot of things that Violet thought she knew about Margo that had obviously a cover story. She was curious about her friend’s past. She wished she had the same faith in herself that everyone else seemed to. “What’s the first thing you would do?” Violet asked, playing along. She turned slightly in her seat, drawing her knees up to rest on the firm cushion. She rested her head on the headrest.

  “I’d probably eat a whole gallon of ice cream to start,” Margo said with a wide grin. “Although I’d probably have to watch it after that. I’ve never had to worry about things like calories, but it would be part of being human.” Margo’s voice caught and her eyes dropped.

  “Ice cream is good,” Violet said, trying to encourage her.

  “You know, I always wanted to get married and have a ton of babies. Then grow old sitting on my front porch with my husband watching sunsets every night and saying thanks for my good fortune.” Margo’s voice trembled. Violet didn’t miss the look that Margo cut toward the front seat. Margo’s hand crept up and she twirled her hair around her fingers.

  “How did you become a vampire, Margo?” Violet had been afraid to ask her friend that question before, but as long as Margo was talking about her past it seemed okay.

  Margo sighed. “My aunt asked me to stay with Elysa after we found out about her husband. I had no idea what she was trying to do; I didn’t know anything like vampires existed.”

  “But Elysa did?”

  “Elysa grew up in small-town Louisiana. I think she had some friends in low places,” Margo said. “Remember, I told you she was the black sheep of the family. She was obsessed with staying young forever. Everybody was so relieved when she settled down with a nice boy that she had grown up with; of course, now I know it was just a cover.”

  “She made it sound like she was a victim of what happened to her,” Violet said, remembering her conversation with Elysa on the train.

  Margo chuckled, “Elysa has never been a victim of anything.”

  “So what happened?”

  “Well, after Elysa turned into a vampire she just went crazy. She came back to the house and attacked me. She left me for dead. Jonah found me. He was trying to control her, and felt guilty about what she did to me, so he tried to make it up to me.”

  “By making you a vampire too?”

  “Jonah was tricked into making Elysa a vampire, Vi. Like I said, the Montrose coven is more exclusive than that.”

  Violet had more questions now, but Margo changed the subject on her.

  “Do you really think it’s possible, Violet? That you could change me back?”

  Violet felt uncomfortable at the longing in Margo’s voice. She had no idea if she could do what Margo wanted. All she had was the word of a thousand-year-old vampire.

  She smiled, though, to cover her uncertainty. “You know, if I can do, of course I’ll make you human again, Margo. What are best friends for?”

  Margo leaned in then and hugged her hard. Violet hoped that she would be able to fulfill that promise. She was surprised when Jeremiah pulled the car off onto a small dirt road and stopped once they were about three car lengths in. There was nothing but trees around them.

  “We walk from here,” Jeremiah said. “No sense giving her warning that we’re coming.”

  “You’re assuming that she doesn’t already know we’re coming,” Jonah said. “I think our snatch and grab at the train was a little too convenient. In the end, she wants Violet here as much as you do, so why put up a fight when she knew you’d bring her here anyway?”

  Violet didn’t like the sound of that at all. She flung the door open and got out, feeling every ache and groan of her muscles as they woke up. Jeremiah unfolded himself from the driver’s seat and she was annoyed at how much pleasure she got from watching him stand and stretch. He caught her look and she could see the ghostly smile on his face. It was like he knew what she was thinking and was mocking her. She turned on her heel and looked in the other direction.

  Then she felt him behind her and she shivered. “All’s you need to focus on is trying to connect with your ancestors. If something happens, Margo will be with you to look after you.”

  “I don’t need to be looked after,” she hissed. She felt herself roughly turned and Jeremiah’s hands clenched on her forearms.

  “Elysa is cunning and devious. She will say or do anything to distract you and make you believe that she is the one telling the truth and that I am lying. You must block everything out but the spirits of your ancestors and convincing them to help you. Will you promise me that you will do that?”

  “Yes,” she said with a sulky tone. She wasn’t a kid anymore. Then she wondered what Elysa would say that would make her doubt Jeremiah, and everything in her head was sent spinning again. She was taking a lot of things on faith, and that completely conflicted with her normal analytical, logical self.

  She heard a low grumble off the side and saw Jonah standing just a few feet away watching them. Margo appeared at Jeremiah’s side and laid her hand on his arm. “Don’t worry, Jeremiah, I’ll take good care of her. You should go.”

  Violet felt his hands relax and she breathed a sigh of relief. Rubbing her arms to get the blood flowing again, she looked anxiously at Jonah. She hoped that Jeremiah’s actions weren’t going to cause another fight. Jonah’s face was unreadable.

  Jeremiah ran a hand through his hair and then popped the trunk of the car. He pulled out two crossbows.

  “So that part’s true, huh?” she said, blushing after she realized she had said it out loud.

  Then Jonah was at her side, leaning down to catch her eyes. “Wood through the heart, beheading, or fire are the only permanent ways to kill a vampire,” he said. For once she couldn’
t sense a joking tone in his voice at all. Jeremiah tossed one of the crossbows into the air and Jonah snatched it easily. Violet was in awe of their grace and speed.

  “We’re about half a mile from the property line, and then it’s another quarter of a mile to the house. Margo, Jonah, and I are going to go first. You and Violet bring up the rear. Don’t stay too close. Let Violet feel her way in. Then cross your fingers that the old ones will see fit to tell her what to do,” Jeremiah said.

  “Why wouldn’t they tell me?” Violet asked.

  “Let’s just say that if you do come into contact with Bruckhart Ward, my guess is that after a thousand years he’s still pretty upset with me,” Jeremiah said. “If you can find Rose, she’ll be your best shot.”

  Flutters overwhelmed her stomach as Violet considered the possibility that she was going to communicate with her long-dead doppelgänger relative. At least she’d know who she was, she thought wryly.

  She felt a touch on her shoulder and looked up into Jonah’s eyes. “Follow your instinct. No matter what Jeremiah says, you are my top priority. I can’t let anything happen to you.” Violet heard the desperation in his voice. These two men were driving her mad. How was she supposed to figure out how to conjure up long dead souls when the two men in front of her were making it impossible to think straight?

  “Thanks, Jonah,” she said with a gentle smile. Then she surprised herself by lifting herself up on her tiptoes and giving him a hug. “Don’t die, okay?”

  His return hug was fierce. “I won’t if you won’t,” he whispered against her neck. Then he pulled away and planted a quick peck on her forehead. The affection was unexpected. She pushed away an invisible piece of hair from her face and tried to pretend like she didn’t notice.

  When she looked up she was dismayed to find that Jeremiah had already moved away from the clearing and was melting into the darkness, Jonah at his heels.

  “Not that I’m against playing the field, but I sure hope you know what you’re doing there, Vi,” Margo said. The men disappeared from view.

  “What do you think I’m doing?” Violet said hotly. She stalked over the open trunk and started digging through the bag, pulling out wooden stakes. She felt silly for more reasons than she could count at that moment.

  Margo pulled her jacket open and put three stakes into an inside pocket. “Really, I could care less what you do with Jeremiah. That man has thought that he’s god’s gift for way too long. But I don’t want to see Jonah get hurt. He’s a good guy, although he clearly suffers from a case of misplaced loyalty.”

  Violet turned and grimaced at the look of concern on Margo’s face. “I’m not trying to play the field. Doesn’t it just figure that I finally meet a guy that I’m interested in and he’s a vampire? And I’m not interested in Jonah like that. He’s a nice guy, but just in a friend kind of way.”

  Margo put up her hands. “Don’t get pissed at me, Vi. I’m just calling it like I see it.”

  Violet wanted to stomp her foot in frustration. She wasn’t doing anything wrong, and she didn’t like what Margo was implying. “We’re friends, Margo. Hell, at this point I don’t even know who I am, or what I’m supposed to do next. “

  “Did you kiss him?” Margo said, deftly changing the subject.

  “Who?” Violet asked warily.

  “You know who,” Margo said with a wink.

  “Shouldn’t we go?” Violet said, slamming the trunk closed.

  “Violet Swanson! You are a terrible liar and we both know it. You did!” Margo exclaimed.

  Violet groaned. “Do we really need to talk about this right now?”

  “We’ve got a mile walk ahead of us. What else do you want to talk about?”

  Violet swung in the direction that Jeremiah and Jonah had gone in and pointed. “We’re going that way, right?”

  “I know where to go, don’t worry,” Margo said, gesturing for Violet to follow her.

  Several minutes later, Violet wasn’t even sure they were on a path. The trees overhead formed a thick canopy, and the moonlight only managed to break through in small patches. She knew that Margo was just a few feet in front of her, but Violet could barely see her. Violet took small steps trying not to stumble over tree roots.

  “If rumors and gossip are to be believed, Jeremiah Montrose is one of the best kissers on the planet,” Margo’s voice drifted back to her.

  Suddenly Violet was glad of the near darkness. There was no worry that Margo would be able to see the sudden flush of her cheeks. Just remembering the cascade of emotions that had swept through her body made her stumble and she had to quickly readjust to catch herself.

  “He was alright,” Violet grumbled. She hated that her body betrayed her. It hummed with the anticipation of being back in his arms again. She was upset that she hadn’t been allowed to tell him goodbye.

  “Speaking from personal experience, Jonah can rock a girl’s socks off,” Margo said offhandedly.

  The brazen comment made Violet stumble again and she cursed. “Geez, Margo. If he’s so awesome why aren’t you dating him?” She almost ran into her friend’s back because Margo had completely stopped.

  “Margo?” Violet stepped around her and saw red streaks on Margo’s face.

  “Violet, I love you, but sometimes you say incredibly insensitive things,” Margo said, wiping her eyes. Then she pushed forward and left Violet standing there speechless.

  Her suspicions confirmed, Violet hurried to catch up with her friend. “If you still have feelings for him, why haven’t you told him?”

  “Now that would be pretty stupid, wouldn’t it?” Margo said. Her feet were hitting the ground so hard that Violet, walking behind her, could feel the tremors.

  “What happened between the two of you? Why did you break up?” The gap between them was growing bigger, and although she was trying to speed up, Violet was afraid she was going to be fall and break a leg.

  “What happened is that I got smart,” Margo said, venom in her voice. “Unlike my cousin, I’m not interested in being a vindictive bitch if I can’t get my way. You move on and make the best of a situation, which in this case was becoming friends.”

  “So he broke up with you,” Violet said carefully “I’m sorry, Margo.” Then she ran into a wall of solidness that she realized was Margo, who had stopped again. Margo turned and her eyes were flashing with anger.

  “No, I broke up with him. I have my pride, Vi. I wasn’t about to live in the shadow of some girl who died nine hundred years before I was even born. And wouldn’t you know it was just my luck that I end up becoming best friends with somebody who looks just like her. I am so pathetic.”

  Rose, Violet thought with great sadness. It suddenly felt like everything in her life at that moment always came back to Rose.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Violet didn’t know what to say to comfort Margo, so instead she kept silent. She wondered what she would do in Margo’s place, and it made sense now why sometimes Margo would be angry watching Jonah trying to get close to Violet. Margo wanted Jonah to be getting close to her. That should have been perfect because Violet wanted Jeremiah, but he was pushing her toward Jonah. It was frustrating.

  They had been walking for about fifteen minutes when she felt a vibration in the air, and she knew something was different. Something had changed. The ground beneath her fell flat and she saw that they were crossing out of the tree line onto a worn path.

  “We just crossed onto Montrose land,” Margo said.

  Violet didn’t know what to expect, but now she had an inkling of what Jeremiah meant when he said that the fabric between realities was thinner there. She felt sensations around her that were reminiscent of the time she spent in that phantom place right after the train accident. “I feel strange,” she said, bringing her hand to her forehead.

  Margo turned to her and frowned. “What do you mean strange?”

  Pausing to catch her breath, Violet felt sensations pressing hard against her and it was making
her lightheaded. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like someone is trying to get my attention.”

  “We’d better hurry,” Margo said breathlessly and grabbed her hand. She pulled Violet forward.

  Now feeling dizzy, Violet started to zigzag, unable to walk straight. Margo grabbed her by the shoulders. “It’s not time for that yet. Tell them to back off, Violet.”

  “Back off,” Violet said in a sing-song voice that was completely unfamiliar to her. Then she saw a figure emerge behind Margo, and her eyes bulged as she wondered if her ancestors were actually manifesting in front of her. Then Jonah’s face became visible. She smiled. “Jonah. Hello, Jonah.”

  “What’s wrong with her?” Jonah asked Margo. His eyes were darting all around them.

  “I think she’s being affected by the spirits on the other side,” Margo said frantically. Then she looked around Jonah. “Where’s Jeremiah?”

  “We are in serious trouble,” Jonah in a terse voice. “We have to get Violet together. We need her help.”

  “Help to do what?” Violet asked, swinging her arms back and forth. Then she raised her hands up in the air and made her fingers dance. “I’ve got big magic. People should be scared of me.” She laughed, even though she had no idea what she was laughing about. Jonah’s expression made her laugh harder. There was a voice in the back of her mind telling her that she was acting like she had lost it, but there was another part of her that was telling her she shouldn’t care.

  “Violet,” Jonah said, gently pulling her arms back down to her sides. “Elysa managed to find a way to harness some kind of magic, and she set a trap for Jeremiah. She’s taken him, and my guess is that if we don’t get in there soon, she will kill him.”

  Violet pouted at the thought. “But Elysa loves him. She won’t hurt him.”

  “Yes, yes she will, Violet. Now come on. Whatever is making you act like this, you need to fight it off. I need your help.”

  Violet felt like she was swimming in his eyes. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself to him. “Your eyes are so pretty, Jonah. I could look at them forever.”