Craving-First Thirst

by Claudy Conn

  I put my palm against the invisible wall that kept him on the other side. It wasn’t glass. It was transparent, translucent, and sparkled when I came in contact with it.

  His brows went up. “It has never sparkled when I have touched it.”

  “No? Odd,” I said, and put my palm flat against it. He immediately matched my palm with his own. A blast of sensations swept through me. Hot damn, he felt it, too. I saw the startled look in his blue eyes.

  I swallowed and tried to ignore the fact that I was clenching my thighs.

  “A shield…” I said, trying to get back on point. “But I’ll have to practice…once I enacted a shield around myself for fun and forgot it was there and my best friend, Suse, a human,” I inclined my head at him, “bounced right off it.” I sighed. “I doubt the shield I learned as a kid is as multifaceted as my mom’s was…”

  “Meaning?”

  “Well, the shield my mom constructed around me protected me from danger—any kind of immediate danger, while allowing me to interact with whomever I wished. She had said she would teach that particular skill to me when I got older, as it was complicated. She told me it was a part of my Shama and always available to me, but I needed training in the arts and sciences to connect all the ingredients.” I shrugged. “We never had the chance to go any further.”

  My palm still rested against the wall between us.

  I watched, mesmerized as he moved his pointer finger over my palm. He planted his palm once again over mine, and I swear I heard a growl in his throat. It was so erotic a sound and I felt the wetness make my little panties damned uncomfortable.

  He whispered my name and a shiver swept through me and my body went into hyper-drive. What the hell?

  “Bobbie,” he repeated. “If ye are going to remain here in the evenings, enact the spell before dark sets in.”

  “Okay, I will work on it all day ‘til I get it right.” That seemed a reasonable solution.

  He turned and stared into the jungle at his back a moment before he dropped his hand and asked, thoughtfully, “Do ye have any special kind of magical locomotion available to ye?”

  “What do you mean?” I knew what he meant, but he looked like he was getting ready to leave and I wanted him to stay a bit longer.

  “A vampire has super-speed. An ancient vampire—faster than that. If ye needed to escape. Do ye have any kind of speed?”

  “Well…I jog and never seem to tire,” I offered.

  “That is nae what I mean. Jeremy—for example, has perfected a locomotion known to the Fae as shifting. It is similar to passing through time. He cannae do it over long distances, but it takes a great deal of power and he dinnae like the sensation of being a part of space. He is, as I told ye, an immortal, but he has almost one hundred years on ye, so I am nae sure ye can learn this form of travel quickly enough to matter, lass.”

  “I know about ‘shifting’. Auntie Elle told me a great deal about the Fae, but…I don’t know how it works.”

  “Devin!” Loli called as she pushed away the lush green vegetation and stroked his arm. “You must come now.”

  She couldn’t see me but I could see her, and Devin’s reaction to her. He smiled and took her chin and said, “Why must I coom now?”

  “My father and brother say you must.”

  “Loli, ye are nae being truthful,” he accused. “What could they want me for now?”

  “Come and see then for yourself,” she said as she twirled her black hair around her finger and stared without seeing me. “Who keeps you talking here so much lately?”

  “A friend,” he answered, and turned back to smile at me.

  “I heard you call your friend lass. Your friend is a woman. You are talking to a woman,” she accused hotly.

  “And that, m’dear, is of nae concern to ye.”

  She huffed and folded her arms across her bare middle and her elf-like ears turned red. I felt for her. She was obviously infatuated with him.

  He eyed me and said with a resigned sigh, “I had better go see what the problem is now.”

  “Yup,” I answered, because I suddenly realized that while I felt for her, I also felt a whole lot of jealousy I had no business feeling!

  ~ Ten ~

  JEREMY RETURNED AND DROPPED three leather bound manuscripts on a nearby coffee table in the library and drew my attention to one.

  I smiled. “Did you find anything about my Shama?” I asked. I really hoped he had. I would love to know my family’s origins.

  “No, not yet, but I will. In the meantime, read that.” He pointed to one page in particular. “All of this is packed with information that can help us proceed with your training, but this page has something you will need right away.” He clucked his tongue and added, “I have to go out for a couple of hours as I have a closing I can’t neglect, but don’t worry, I’ll be back long before dark.”

  “I’m not worried. I don’t need a babysitter,” I told him archly.

  He smiled and said, “No, that’s good, because when all is said and done, I think I may.”

  I laughed. I liked him. I watched him leave and curled up in the corner of my favorite leather sofa and stared at the page he had indicated.

  Mrs. Tunny stepped into the room as Jeremy had left both library doors wide open and she cleared her throat.

  I smiled and said, “Hi, and good morning, Mrs. Tunny.”

  “Indeed, miss. It is a lovely morning. I…er…met Mr. Ascot on his way out and he informed me he stayed last evening down the hall from ye and would be staying here for a time.”

  “Yes. I hope it won’t mean more work for you? He thought we would do well to work long evenings for a time and that it would be convenient for him.”

  “No, no, and I am that pleased…very pleased that ye won’t be alone in the evenings,” she said, and actually smiled warmly at me. She eyed me and asked, “Would ye like coffee and some eggs? I’ve made Davis a plate and there is plenty.”

  “Oh, what a doll you are. Yes, yes, I would. Shall I come to the kitchen?” I said.

  “Tch now, lass, I can see Mr. Ascot set ye to working already so I’m happy to bring ye a tray,” she answered and hurried off.

  I spent the rest of the morning, after devouring eggs, toast, and wonderful potatoes, studying Jeremy’s manuscript. He was quite right. That one page he had pointed out was jam-packed with very important spells. One spell in particular caught my interest. I have a good memory. I immediately memorized it, worked it over in my head, and then put the spell to the test—sorta.

  It was a protection spell and in this case, for myself. A personal shield of sorts, a bit different than the one my mother had taught me.

  I grinned as I made my way to the kitchen to try it out on Mrs. Tunny.

  It was nearly lunchtime, and as I came up beside Mrs. Tunny I got a whiff of the banana bread in the oven and said, “Oh, yum…smells so good.”

  She eyed me. “Ye could do with a little meat on yer bones, child. Here sit…” she said, and reached over to steer me to the table.

  I didn’t remove the shield and her hand seemed to stop short of my arm. Surprised but only mildly curious about this, she waved me forward and said, “Sit, go on with ye now, and I’ll put a nice chicken sandwich before ye.”

  I couldn’t help but smile to myself. It had worked!

  Now all I had to do to remove my protection shield was to blink and silently chant—San fhaclair air fad. Apparently it was from an ancient Gaelic language that Jeremy had discovered, loosely meaning terminate.

  Unlike myself, he and his sister knew where they had come from and why. Reading through the beginning of the journal, I discovered that there had been a war in Jeremy’s world, a world called Osmis—Land of the Wizards.

  During the war, Dark fought Light for control. He and his sister had not reached their majority yet, but were old enough to survive on their own. His parents sent them to the Human Realm for their protection when things looked dire. Jeremy wrote in the journal
that his parents were never heard from again and when he came into his full powers, he discovered his realm had been destroyed.

  He and his sister managed and then she met and fell in love with Devin MacLeod.

  I felt a twinge of something I couldn’t name reading this, but brushed the odd sensation away. All things Devin MacLeod were troublesome and confusing to me.

  I looked at Mrs. Tunny, who was covered in flour, and I laughed out loud. “You have as much on you as on the cutting board,” I told her.

  She laughed. “I do, don’t I. ‘Tis m’own fault. I dinnae have the flour tin tightly closed and some of it spilled when I took it down from the cupboard. I’ll go wash up when I’m done.”

  “Mrs. Tunny, I need to purchase a few things, some toiletries and such that I didn’t have time to shop for before I left New York. How do I get into town? Is there a bus or something?”

  “Och aye, child, one way or another we can get ye there, but can ye drive?”

  “Sure,” I said, excited at the notion of venturing out on my own.

  “Well, we have a serviceable SUV in the garage. It is meant for our use…but mostly Davis uses it. Jeff, down at the stables, has a pickup for his needs. The key for the SUV is in the central hall on the key rack near the door. Feel free. Are ye going now?”

  “No, I have a few more things to do,” I told her.

  She gave me a long look. “Well, don’t go too late. Ye need to get back before dark.”

  “I will,” I told her, to hopefully get off the subject. “Can you be honest with me and tell me why you think I need to be worried about the dark?” I had a notion that Mrs. Tunny knew a great deal more than she was letting on.

  “Do ye believe in things beyond yer ken?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said, and looked directly into her eyes. “Yes, I do.”

  “Right then, did Mr. Ascot tell ye about the night his lordship left here…?”

  “Yes, he did,” I said without giving up anything.

  “Did he now? Well, then, I’ll tell ye this. Odd doings that night. Servants lived here in the castle then and one of ‘em…was but a boy then. The lad snuck into the kitchen for a snack and heard someone at the door. He, being a curious lad, took a peek and saw her.”

  “Saw her?” I knew, of course, Mrs. Tunny was referring to Allora.

  “Aye, her ladyship, who the servants were fond of, invited the woman indoors and the lad was stunned by the stranger’s beautiful face, though he said he feared her at the same time. The lad nearly passed out when he watched the beautiful stranger suddenly produce a sword and just as suddenly strike. He said it happened just as his mistress realized what the woman was…but before she had a moment to defend herself.” Mrs. Tunny looked at me hard. “The lad was twelve, so when he told his parents, they couldna believe him. There was no body, no blood, no sign of her ladyship. She simply vanished. The lad’s name was Tom Franks. After that, the family was kept on even after his lordship, unable to deal with his grief, moved abroad.”

  “I see, but what precisely are you telling me now.” I wanted to know what she knew.

  “Tom Franks is a good friend of m’son and friend of Davis’ son. They work at the same corporate firm in London. Aye, so we knew his side of the story directly from him. He was a friend and we know what he saw really happened. He wasn’t a fanciful lad and wouldna make it up. We know there was something…wrong that happened in the castle and then last month, Tom and m’boy, William, were on business in Paris when Tom saw her. He saw her. He saw her ladyship’s murderer in Paris. She looked, even after twenty-two years, exactly the same. We, all of us, already believe in vampires and Tom was sure that night that he was looking on an ancient vampire. Davis and I both believe him.”

  I studied her for a moment and asked, “Have you reason to believe in vampires? Do the villagers all believe in vampires?”

  “Aye, many do and Davis and I have reason. M’husband was killed by one. They wrote it off, but I saw the puncture marks and they couldna hide that he was drained of blood. They said it was a cult with a blood fetish, but I knew. Davis was m’husband’s close friend. He was with me when I had to go to the coroner’s office. He saw what I saw, and he believes. There are stories villagers tell that go back a hundred years…about vampires.” She eyed me. “Do ye think I’m just a superstitious fool?”

  “No. I agree with you. Vampires exist. I don’t just believe it, I know it. I will take precautions,” I told her.

  She sighed. “Garlic won’t work. And that one…that killed her ladyship—she was invited in, don’t ye see. Her ladyship made the mistake of inviting her in. She can come and go at will at MacLeod. So then, Mr. Ascot staying here is all well and fine, but how can he protect ye from an ancient vampire?”

  “We are on it and you don’t have to worry,” I said, and threw my arms around her.

  A minute later I devoured the lunch she set for me and before I left the kitchen, she wrapped a large cookie in a napkin and handed it to me.

  I grinned and waved it at her as I left the kitchen, calling out, “Back to work for me.”

  Whew! Mrs. Tunny and Davis believed in vampires. Well, now that explained a great deal. No wonder they didn’t want me here at night and no wonder they always made certain to get home before dark.

  I spent another hour reading and studying Jeremy’s manuscript, took a call from him saying he was delayed at the closing, and decided to head to town.

  I got the SUV keys from the brass key rack near the front door and hurried out and to the four car garage in the courtyard.

  Inside the neatly kept garage I found three classic beauties from the seventies—a Corvette convertible in blazing red, a silver Jaguar, and a black BMW. I smiled to myself. Devin MacLeod had apparently liked cars back then.

  I walked over to the SUV, a dark green Jaguar F-pace and admired its lines. As it was new, I imagined that Jeremy had purchased it for use at the estate.

  I got inside and realized from the ‘new car’ aroma that it had to have been a recent purchase and wondered if he had installed it for me.

  I set the GPS for the village and started off, but as I backed up the car, I heard Devin say, “Aye, lass, do what ye must, but coom back before nightfall.”

  I turned in the driver’s seat. There he stood, his legs akimbo and his arms folded across his muscular and massive chest. His glorious black hair framed his chiseled handsome face and his blue eyes devastated me with his obvious concern.

  “Hi…don’t worry. I practiced putting my shield in place and yes, I’ll get back as fast as I can.”

  “So ye say, but remember, ye dinnae know the likes of Allora Brently.”

  “I won’t be too long,” I answered, and backed up the SUV.

  I looked in my rearview mirror and saw him still standing on his side of the transparent wall, watching me.

  He looked forlorn. He was a big man, a supernatural. He stood watching me go, and his expression told me a story.

  Hmm. Wheel was on the wrong side, I chuckled to myself as I got the hang of driving on the opposite side of the road. Yup, I was no longer in Kansas.

  Devin MacLeod took over my thoughts. I was drawn to him. I told myself it was because of the circumstances, my grandmother had cast the spell, but…even so, something about him called to me.

  Damn, but I was going to find a way to free him!

  ~ Eleven ~

  I WAS STARVING BY the time I finished my little tour of the main avenue of MacLeod Village. The town was made up of charming little shops with window boxes full of colorful flowers. It was a little river town and some of the stores and one quaint little café was located right on the river.

  I stuffed my bags into the SUV and made up my mind. A seat with a view of the river and a spot of tea and those little cakes. Oh yeah.

  How could I pass that up? I didn’t.

  Inside, the décor that accented the dark beamed ceilings was perfect, just as I always imagined it would be. Tables and c
hairs were set up on the balcony overlooking the quiet river and although it was quite crowded, the hostess found a place for me. It was heaven.

  “I heard someone mention some ruins nearby. Brently, I think they called it. Is it open for tourists?” I asked the waitress who took my order. I wanted to get a feel for what the villagers thought of Brently and just where its location was.

  “Aye, but ye dinnae want to go there,” she answered, and shook her head. “Best go towards Inverness if it’s ruins ye want to tour.”

  “Oh? Why?”

  “Brently Manor is privately owned, and though it has fallen into some disrepair, it isn’t the kind of place ye would want to explore, even if it was allowed.”

  “Oh, is that the only ruins nearby?”

  “Aye, miss…”

  “Bobbie,” I answered.

  She laughed. “What is it for, Bobbie?”

  “Roberta.” I pulled a face.

  “Och now, Roberta is a lovely name.”

  “Bobbie,” I emphasized, and she grinned.

  “Dinnae go to Brently.” She shook her head. “Besides, ‘tisn’t open to the public.”

  “Oh, ok, maybe I’ll just drive by it and take some pictures. Is it far?”

  “Ten minutes or so by car.” She shrugged and then made a show of shivering. “Went there once with m’friends after school, some years ago. Never will again. Ye can smell the evil in that place, ye can.”

  “Oooh, thanks then, I’ll avoid it,” I said to appease her as I made up my mind to visit Brently during the day and soon. Perhaps there was something hidden there that would help me find the right spell to free Devin?

  I lingered over delicious tea, scones, and yes, little sandwiches, when I noticed the overcast sky. Hmm, it was getting late and I didn’t want to drive in what looked like was going to be a downpour, so I headed for the SUV. Although it was already well after six by the time I headed back for the castle, I didn’t think it was really quite dark yet. However, Naomi had taught me that many vamps can roam about as long as there is no direct sunlight. But that wasn’t why I was on edge. I had a nervous sensation in my gut…a foreboding I couldn’t shake.