Night's Illusion

by Amanda Ashley

  “The threshold, combined with whatever spell he’s using, is keeping us out. But I don’t think it’s warded to keep you in, so you’ll have to come to us.” Mara gestured for Cassie to join her.

  “No, I’m not leaving Johnny.”

  “We won’t. Now come here.”

  Reluctantly, Cassie crossed the threshold and stood beside Logan.

  She shivered as Mara’s power coalesced around them.

  Eyes narrowed, Mara focused on the shackles connected to the chain in the wall. Power thrummed through the air, sending shivers down Cassie’s spine. There was an audible crack as the shackles broke in half.

  Giovanni struggled to his feet, then staggered toward the door. Pain ripped through him like shards of glass when he stepped across the threshold.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Mara said. “Logan, bring Cassie.”

  With a nod, Logan wrapped his arms around her.

  Mara glanced at Giovanni. “You look like hell. Are you ready?”

  “More than ready.”

  She winked at him as she slipped her arm around his waist.

  In moments, the four of them materialized in Mara’s living room.

  Giovanni sank down on the sofa, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

  Cassie stared at Johnny. The skin around his neck was red and blistered, as was the skin on his wrists. She couldn’t imagine the pain he was in.

  With a low groan, he opened his eyes and glanced at Mara and Logan. “I owe you one,” he said. “Both of you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Mara sat beside him and offered him her arm. “Drink. You’ll feel better.”

  Nodding, he bent his head to her wrist. Her blood was ancient. In an instant, it flooded him with strength and preternatural power, and he lost himself in the warmth of it. He felt Mara’s power move through him, healing the blistered skin on his neck, easing the pain of the silver burns on his wrists, healing the gashes in his arms and chest.

  Cassie watched in amazement as his wounds healed. She could see the strength flowing into him as he drank. And drank. The blisters on his skin disappeared, the red fading from pink to nothing. The scars on his wrists also disappeared. How was that possible? He had told her silver left nasty scars.

  “Enough,” Mara said.

  Giovanni clutched her arm tighter, wanting more. Wanting it all.

  “Enough!”

  Reluctantly, he released her. “Sorry,” he muttered, embarrassed by his need, his lack of control.

  She smiled at him. “No need to be sorry.” She well knew the power of her blood on those of her kind. “Cassie, why don’t you go run some water in the tub? I’m sure Giovanni would like to get cleaned up. Logan, see if you can find him something to wear.”

  Nodding, Cassie left the room.

  Logan followed her.

  “I can’t believe you found us,” Giovanni said, a note of wonder in his voice. “Even when I told Cassie to try to contact you, I didn’t think it would work. I felt the wards around the place. They were incredibly strong, and not all his.” He shook his head. “How did you get through them?”

  Mara tilted her head to the side, her expression a trifle smug. And then she grinned. “To tell you the truth, I have no idea.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. I think my powers have grown stronger because I’ve tasted Logan’s blood, and yours, and that of other vampires. And that of witches, too, now and then, though their blood is vile. Over time, I think drinking from others of our kind has somehow magnified my own power, making it even stronger. As for how I was able to respond to Cassie, I have no idea. It shouldn’t have been possible.” She shrugged. “Perhaps it’s because she’s mortal. She drank from you and you’ve tasted both of us.”

  Giovanni grunted softly. It was as good an explanation as any. He smiled when he heard Cassie’s footsteps in the hallway.

  She smiled tentatively. “The tub’s almost full.”

  Giovanni stood, stretching his back and shoulders. Crossing the room, he took Cassie in his arms and kissed her. “I told you,” he said, jerking his chin toward Mara. “There’s always hope.”

  * * *

  Mara’s bathroom was the size of a master bedroom. It held a stall shower big enough for three, as well as an oval tub. Both had gold faucets.

  Giovanni took a quick shower, rinsing the dried blood from his chest and arms before he sank into the bathtub. He lingered there until the water grew cool, then, wearing his briefs and a pair of Logan’s gray sweatpants that he found on the bed, he strolled into the living room. Mara and Logan sat on the sofa with their heads together. “Where’s Cassie?”

  “She fell asleep on the sofa while you were getting cleaned up,” Mara said. “Logan put her to bed in the guest room.”

  Giovanni didn’t like the sound of that.

  Mara grinned as a muscle throbbed in Giovanni’s jaw. “Relax. He put her to bed. He didn’t take her to bed.”

  “A subtle difference.” Giovanni dropped into an overstuffed chair and stretched his legs out in front of him.

  “How are you feeling?” Logan asked.

  “I’m all right. There’s nothing like a little ancient blood to cure what ails you, as well you know.”

  Logan nodded. “It’s like the Fountain of Youth.”

  Mara grinned at her husband.

  “I want him, Mara,” Giovanni said. “I want to tear him apart.”

  “You’ll have to get in line,” Logan muttered.

  “That line forms behind me,” Giovanni said. “If I can’t take him down, then you two can have a try at him. Dammit! He drank from Cassie. For that alone, I’m going to rip out his heart and shove it down his throat.”

  “You’ll have to find him first,” Logan remarked.

  “Yeah. I never should have let Mara break the link between him and me.”

  Mara looked thoughtful. “So, Alric drank from Cassie.”

  “Didn’t I just say that?” Giovanni snapped. And then he frowned. “I wonder . . . ?”

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked.

  “I think so.”

  Logan frowned. “Wait a minute.” He glanced from one to the other. “Are you suggesting that one of you could drink from Cassie and somehow track Alric?”

  “I’ve already taken Cassie’s blood since Alric bit her,” Giovanni said. “I drank from her before you rescued us.”

  “Why didn’t you say so before?” Mara asked. “Have you tried to locate Alric?”

  “No. I had other things on my mind.”

  “Well, it’s worth a try, don’t you think? Unless you’ve got a better idea.”

  Giovanni shook his head. Closing his eyes, he summoned Alric’s image. Concentrating, he tried to connect the blood bond he shared with Cassie to the one Alric had with her. “Nothing,” he muttered after several moments.

  “Maybe if you drink from her again it would strengthen the bond,” Logan suggested.

  Giovanni grunted softly. “Maybe.” Although he was afraid he might have to take more blood than she could spare to accomplish it. “This isn’t getting us anywhere,” he said, getting to his feet. “I think I’ll turn in while there’s still a few hours of daylight left.”

  “We’ll get him,” Mara said.

  “One way or another,” Logan added.

  Giovanni nodded, praying they were right.

  He found Cassie in the guest room, sound asleep, her cheek pillowed on her hand, her hair spread over her shoulder like a river of sun-kissed silk. After removing his sweatpants, he slid under the covers and gathered her in his arms, sighed as her familiar scent enveloped him.

  Closing his eyes, he whispered, “He won’t get his hands on you again,” as he surrendered to the Dark Sleep.

  * * *

  Alric swore every vile oath he knew in several languages as he stared at the open door. He didn’t have to go inside to know the woman and the priest were gone, or that Mara had once again thwarted him. How? How ha
d she found this place? He had warded it himself, using his own powers and that of a Black Witch, and yet Mara had breached both.

  He swore again, hating her for making him feel incompetent. He was a Master Vampire. He had caused pain and suffering throughout the world. Others of his kind feared him, mortals trembled in his presence. And yet Mara and the priest viewed him with nothing but contempt.

  Filled with rage, he transported himself to the next town where he vented his anger and frustration on the first mortal who had the misfortune to cross his path.

  Chapter 40

  Cassie woke with a start. The room was pitch-black and for a moment, she thought she was still trapped in that dreadful place, at Alric’s mercy. Then she realized the windows were covered with blackout curtains, the bed beneath her soft and warm, and Johnny rested beside her.

  The clock on the bedside table read 12:35 P.M. Cassie frowned as she realized she’d been asleep since late yesterday afternoon. Why had Johnny let her sleep so long? Not that she was complaining. After the events of yesterday, she had been exhausted mentally and physically.

  Rolling onto her side, Cassie spent several minutes just looking at him, her heart swelling with love for the amazing man who had turned her life upside down and showed her a world she had never dreamed existed. Yes, there was fear and danger and pain in that world, but also wonder and laughter and the most amazing man she had ever known. He had taught her the meaning of love, given her renewed purpose, made her feel that anything was possible.

  If she had never met Johnny, she would still be schlepping drinks at the Winchester Lounge, living in that squalid apartment, with no real hope of a better future. Now, she had a man who loved her and a chance of achieving her dream of becoming a hairstylist and maybe one day owning her own salon. It might not be as grand an ambition as finding a cure for cancer or saving the world, but it was something she had dreamed of ever since she was a little girl. She remembered the day when her mother—sober for a change—had taken her to the beauty shop with her. Cassie had been fascinated as she watched a pretty young woman cut and style her mother’s hair, transforming a thick mass of unruly dishwater blond curls into gentle golden-blond waves.

  Slipping quietly out of bed, Cassie tiptoed into the bathroom to shower and dress, then padded into the living room. The drapes were drawn against the sun’s light, the house as quiet as a tomb.

  An unfortunate choice of words, she thought, yet totally apropos, as three vampires rested within its walls.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since Alric had abducted her. Wondering what the chances were of finding food in Mara’s house, she wandered into the kitchen. There was a note on the refrigerator.

  Cassie, there’s food in the fridge and the cupboard.

  Make yourself at home.

  Cassie grinned. Whatever else Mara might be, she was a thoughtful hostess. Rummaging through the cupboards, she found a jar of instant coffee, strawberry jam, and a loaf of bread. The refrigerator yielded butter, eggs, and bacon, as well as sandwich makings.

  She quickly fixed something to eat, then sat at the kitchen table, gazing out the sliding glass door. The backyard was lush and green, the hill thick with pine trees. Her wedding day had come and gone, she thought morosely, and wondered if anyone had notified Mara’s family or the minister at the church.

  She liked the women she had met at the shower. None of them seemed to regret being changed, not even the ones who hadn’t had a choice in the matter. Frowning, she wondered what the circumstances had been that caused their husbands to turn them. She was curious to know what they missed the most, and if the ones who had made the decision to be turned would make the same choice again. So many questions she needed answers to before she reached the age when her own choice would have to be made.

  So many questions—most importantly, where was Alric? Just his name sent an icy chill down her spine.

  And no answers, she thought, as she tidied up the kitchen.

  In the living room, Cassie drew back the heavy drapes from the balcony door. Hours until nightfall. What was she going to do until then?

  She perused the bookshelves. Numerous volumes on ancient history and Egypt. Current novels. Books on evolution, geology, physics, reincarnation, ghosts and ghost towns, science, numerology. The variety was astounding.

  She thumbed through a book on ancient Egypt, wondering how much of its history Mara had seen firsthand. Returning the book to the shelf, Cassie reached for the latest novel by C. S. Harris, who was one of her favorite authors.

  Carrying the book out onto the balcony, she sat in one of the deck chairs and lost herself in the latest adventures of Viscount Devlin, one of her favorite literary heroes.

  * * *

  “Enjoying the book?”

  Cassie glanced up, startled, at the sound of Mara’s voice. “Yes, very much.”

  Mara stepped onto the deck, pulled a chair into the shade and sat down across from her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better.” Closing the book, Cassie set it on the wrought-iron table beside her chair. “Can I ask you something?”

  “If you like.”

  “Johnny told me silver left scars on vampire flesh, yet when he drank from you, the burns healed without a trace.”

  “Ordinarily, it does leave a nasty reminder. But my blood is old and powerful, as is his. The combination is potent. I wasn’t sure it would erase the scars, but I knew it would heal his body and ease his pain.”

  “I’m glad you’re his friend. It hurt me to watch him suffer.”

  “You do love him, don’t you?”

  “Yes, very much. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever known.”

  “He has his moments,” Mara said, smiling. “The family sends its regrets over the postponement of your wedding. Are you going to reschedule it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The vampire arched one delicate brow. “Have you changed your mind?”

  “No. But I think I’d like to wait until this trouble with Alric is settled one way or another.”

  “I see. Well, I guess I can’t blame you.” Mara stared out over the balcony. “I should have destroyed him years ago.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “I guess maybe I felt a little guilty for killing his woman,” Mara replied with a shrug. “Not that she didn’t deserve it. She betrayed both of us. I tried to tell him the truth but he wouldn’t listen. If he would put his hatred aside for five minutes and remember what actually happened, he would be thanking me.”

  “What did happen?”

  “I first met Alric in Transylvania hundreds of years ago. It was a chance encounter. We hunted together one night and then parted. I ran into him again decades later in Istanbul. He was madly in love with some exotic dancer he’d met. I warned him not to trust her. There was something off about Calidora, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. Alric and I had rented a small house. He must have told her where we rested during the day, most likely while sharing her bed. As it turned out, the love of his life gave our location to a hunter who just happened to be her husband. Alric took off like the coward he is while I dispatched the hunter. I found Calidora waiting for her husband outside.”

  Cassie swallowed. “And you killed her?”

  “Indeed. With a great deal of pleasure.”

  “And that’s what this feud is all about?”

  “More or less. He also has some minor issues with Giovanni. Speak of the devil,” she murmured, “and he appears.”

  Cassie glanced up as Johnny stepped outside, felt her insides melt when he smiled at her. Hard to believe he had been bruised and battered only hours before.

  Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. “Looks like you had a good night’s sleep, love.”

  She nodded, conscious of Mara watching them, a slight smile curving her lips.

  “I’ll leave you two young lovers alone,” Mara said. “I think I hear Logan calling my name.” Rising, she glanced from
Giovanni to Cassie, her expression inscrutable. “Be good to each other.”

  Cassie stared after the vampire. She was a fascinating woman, even if she was a little scary. What would it be like, to be that old, to have such power?

  “Everything okay?” Johnny asked, taking Mara’s chair.

  “She was telling me about Alric and why he’s so angry.”

  “Ah. I heard you tell Mara that you don’t want to set a new date for the wedding.”

  “Then you must have heard my answer.”

  “I guess I can’t blame you.”

  “But you’re disappointed?”

  “A little.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “But I understand. As long as the trouble with Alric is the only reason.”

  She glanced down at the ring on her finger. “What else would it be?”

  “I don’t know.” His gaze searched hers. “You tell me.”

  “It’s all just happened so fast,” she said, the words pouring out of her. “I was terrified when Alric took me to that place and then he bit me and I was so afraid he was going to turn me and then I saw what he’d done to you, how he’d hurt you, and I thought he was going to kill you and . . .” Unable to help herself, she burst into tears.

  “Cassie, Cassie.” He lifted her from her chair onto his lap and held her tight, one hand stroking her back while she sobbed. What had he done to her? Every tear she shed was like acid in his soul. “Cassie,” he begged, “please don’t cry.”

  “I . . . I can’t help it.”

  “I know.” Resting his chin on the top of her head, he stared into the distance. He could erase her memories, starting from the night they’d met, with no more than a thought. She would forget him, forget every fear, everything Alric had done to her.

  He looked up when he sensed Mara standing in the doorway.

  She shook her head at him. Don’t do anything rash, Giovanni, she warned. Once erased, you cannot replace her memories, and they’re not all bad. Be sure before you do something you’ll regret.

  Meeting her gaze, he nodded that he understood.

  When Cassie’s sobs subsided, he dried her eyes with a towel that had been thrown over the back of a chair.