Finding Lily

by Emma Shade

  Indigo Casino jutted in to the night air with blue lights streaming up the elongated building. Close to Freemont Street, it boasted the party mentality. The elegant interior held slick lines, marble floors, and a huge blown glass chandelier in the entrance of the lobby. Bright blue walls extended the room, leading unsuspecting customers to the large gambling area.

  Paige, who’d yet to speak more than two words since our argument, strolled a few feet in front of me. She’d dyed her hair a dark brown and once she decided to come back to the room, and it looked so strange on her that I laughed. It washed her out with her pale skin and slight freckles. Thank goodness our hair color was only temporary.

  As we made our way through Indigo, her eyes roamed the area, inspecting every nook and cranny. Not leaving a single detail untouched.

  “Paige,” I began, but she stopped me with a hand in the air.

  “Don’t apologize. I don’t want to hear it. We’re fine. I just needed to cool off.”

  I huffed, “Okay, but I am sorry.”

  She headed towards the cashiers stand, pulling out her black American Express. “Just forget it.”

  “When do I get a black AMEX?” I asked, eyeing the credit card with longing. “Do you know how many pairs of shoes I could buy with that thing?

  Paige spoke to the cashier with a low voice, instructing her how much cash she needed.

  “Not until we know you’re going to stay for good.” She shrugged, signed a receipt, and handed back to the lady behind the glass partition.

  “And who said I won’t?”

  Paige looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

  After a huge wad of cash slid through the partition, the lady smiled at us both. “Have a wonderful day, Ms. Starter.”

  Shaking my head, we strolled towards the tables. “Did you really have to use Starter? And your first name is Blaze? Seriously.”

  She chuckled. “Great alias, huh? So glad I got to pick this one. Last time I got Henrietta. I mean, come on. Even though there is absolutely nothing wrong with the name, I don’t look like a Henrietta.”

  “So your real name is Paige? Or...”

  “Yes, my real name is Paige. Don’t know why Jeremy didn’t want me to use a fake name on your assignment. But, to each their own. I’m loving your new name, by the way.” Her lips held a devious grin.

  I scoffed, “Really? Because you picked it? Miya Butreaks. Seriously? Of all the names you could have picked, you went with the one that one.”

  She cackled, slapping me on the shoulder. “Hilarious! I know, I know. My witty personality knows no bounds.”

  I muttered under my breath, “Witty. That’s not my first thought on your personality.”

  “Hey, I could’ve picked something much worse. I almost went with Annie Rektshon.” Paige laughed again and headed towards the blackjack table.

  Shaking my head, I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. This was going to be the longest assignment in history.

  After standing for an hour observing Paige play blackjack, my eyes roamed the slot machines again. They acted like my own little personal poison. I sucked at blackjack, poker, and every other card game. Slots are easy. You put your money in, hit the button, and you instantly knew if you win or lose. Well, okay, the colorful machine usually told you if you won. I can’t understand half the payouts anyway.

  “Hey, beautiful,” a man with a southern accent said from beside me, “you enjoy watchin’ the card game?”

  I turned my head slightly to the side to see a tall blonde man, dressed in an expensive suit, smirking at me. His dark brown eyes were a stark contrast to his blonde hair that curled about his ears. The guy was good looking. Very. He had bedroom eyes. You know the kind. Penetrating in that downright sexy way, as if they’d see right into your soul. Along with sharp cheekbones and a square masculine jaw, the man could have any girl he wanted. But, unfortunately for him, I wasn’t in the market for a man.

  “I suck at it,” I replied with a shrug.

  “Would you like me to teach you how to play?” he said, staring down at me with a smile.

  “I know how to play, but the cards are never in my favor. So learning to play isn’t my problem.”

  “It’s all in what cards you choose to play or not.” He held out his hand. “I’m Jamison.”

  I stared at his hand, wondering whether or not to shake his hand. Jamison seemed kind enough. “I’m Lil...Miya. Nice to meet you.”

  My hand met his and I barely held back a gasp of surprise. Jamison was a vampire. His hand lingered on mine after the hand shake and he lifted it to his mouth, pressing his lips against the back of it.

  “Lil Miya? Is that a cute nickname?” he murmured and dropped my hand, brown eyes twinkling.

  Glancing to the right, I noticed Paige’s gaze on us. I shook my head with a chuckle. “Sort of. Just Miya will be fine.”

  “Miya, that’s a unique name. I like it though. So whataya say?”

  The corner of my eyes landing on Paige’s frown, I nodded. “Sure. Lead the way.”

  Jamison put his hand on my lower back and led me to the blackjack table adjacent to the one Paige played at. He pulled out my chair like a gentleman and I took a seat. Taking the seat next to me, his thigh rubbed against mine and I slowly moved my leg away. He exchanged a large amount of money for chips, and handed me half the stack.

  “Jamison, you don’t have to buy me chips. I can get my own.”

  His hand tucked my hair behind my ear, and I jerked. “Let me do something nice for you. It’s the least I can do.”

  Even though the nice suit fit him like a glove, I could see Jamison dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, and a hat. Confused about another man being around me, I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. Especially sitting next to one that looked like Jamison. Southern gentleman aren’t mean, are they? Of course, any vampire could’ve been an enemy if they knew who I was. But, for now I pushed any warnings out of my mind for once and decided to have a good time. I smiled in anticipation as he explained the different options of betting, folding, etc.

  As the dealer distributed the cards, Jamison said, “Where are you from, Miya?”

  “Indianapolis.” I cleared my throat as soon as I caught my mistake. Shit. “Well, I was born there, but moved to San Diego when I was in elementary school.”

  His eyebrows went up, and he smirked. “Born in the Midwest. Raised in Cali. Nice. I’m from Kentucky, but I live in Vegas now. Love the weather, but miss the green rollin’ hills from home.”

  “Yeah, I don’t remember much from the Midwest. Cali girl through and through,” I replied, folding the cards.

  “You just don’t strike me as a California girl. Not nearly tan enough. Then again, that could just be a stereotype.”

  I started to panic, because I couldn’t lie worth a shit most of the time. This guy hadn’t known me, but I felt uncomfortable as I spouted out fib after fib. They were bound to catch up with me.

  Paige suddenly slipped in the seat next to me. “Who’s your new friend, Miya?”

  “This is Jamison,” I pointed to him and then back to her, making introductions, “and this is...uh...Blaze.”

  Jamison reached across me to shake Paige’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m teachin’ your friend here how to play.”

  “Good luck. I’ve been trying to do that for the past two days,” Paige replied with an elaborate eye roll.

  Suspicion blazed behind Paige’s eyes. I knew that look. She hadn’t trusted Jamison. I was sure only because he was a vampire. So what? Surely the guy just decided to hit on me, or even worse, was looking for a warm meal. Neither was ideal, but I’d take the flirting over the second option any day.

  “I’ve been known for teachin’ a girl a thing or two.” He winked at me. “I’m sure Miya will pick it up easily.”

  My cheeks flamed with embarrassment. I had read between the lines on the double-entendre. A mischievous grin exploded on Jamison’s face.

  “What are you doing in Indigo, Jamiso
n?” Paige asked, tapping her cards.

  “A few of my friends drew me out of the house. You’d think they would’ve been following me, but they wanted chase a couple of women down. The girls are most likely just wanting drink until they drop and flirt with guys.”

  I glanced at Jamison. First, because of the drink until they drop comment, but more than anything, I wondered if he knew we were conjurers. I guarantee he had. But, what was he doing talking to us? That hadn’t make sense at all. Vampires hated who we are. However, here he was flirting with me.

  Paige gave a counterfeit smile. “Where are your friends at now? Surely they haven’t left you all alone tonight.”

  The dealer dealt a blackjack, and Jamison uttered a curse under his breath. He smiled at us as the dealer distributed the cards again. “I’m sure they’re around someplace. I’d love for them to meet you two lovely ladies.”

  I wasn’t able to take it anymore. This wondering. It hadn’t made any sense that he would be here, fraternizing with the enemy. I leaned my forearm on his shoulder, and he grinned at me for the gesture. Leaning my chin closer to my arm, I whispered on a low breath, “So why would a group of vampires want to hang out with two conjurers?”

  Jamison stiffened. Turning his head slowly in my direction, he whispered, “Just because I’m a vampire, doesn’t mean I hate your kind. Can’t a guy just flirt for the fun of it? I find you attractive, because you’re beautiful, not because of what you are. Something told me to talk to you. Is that so wrong?”

  I jerked back with my mouth gaping open. “Sorry, it’s just that...”

  He shrugged. “I know our history. But, let’s just have a good time tonight. Two people enjoyin’ each other’s company. Okay?”

  “Jamison, I appreciate your flirting, but I’m not going to date or sleep with you. I just got out of a crazy situation. I’d like to at least be friends, but just know nothing is going to happen between us.”

  Jamison’s brown eyes sparkled as he smirked. With a wink, the twang of his voice slid out like butter as he said, “Of course. Nothin’ wrong with a little harmless flirtin’ though. Right, darlin’?”

  I bobbed my head because I wasn’t sure how to reply and placed my bet instead. Even though it could be possible that Jamison acted out of kindness, I hadn’t trusted it. After hundreds of years of hate, why would this man want to be friends? Maybe I had over reacted. Maybe Jamison felt the same way I had about the whole mess. Not everyone believed in hating something they didn’t understand.

  The next round of cards were distributed, and I got an instant blackjack. Jamison smiled with earnest and celebrated with me. In the middle of my enthusiasm, he snapped a picture with his cell phone, grinning from ear to ear. He held up his phone and showed me the picture. “To remember this moment. Your smile is brighter than all the lights in Vegas.”

  Despite the fact it felt weird to hang out with another man, it was nice to get complimented. Though nothing would come out of this harmless flirting, I missed it.

  We stayed at the table, playing cards until the wee hours of the morning. Paige and I had made small talk most of the night. Jamison, on the other hand, asked most of the questions. I had actually broke even to my surprise. Jamison was a great teacher. Either that or he was extremely lucky. Probably a little bit of both.

  At the end of the night, Jamison kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you for givin’ me a night to remember. I’m sure I’ll be seein’ you around, Miya.”

  “Thanks for teaching me blackjack, Jamison. It was fun,” I replied, smiling as we said goodbye.

  After watching him leave the casino, Paige stormed up to me. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?”

  “Paige, not now. Or should I say Blaze? So a guy wanted to flirt and have a good time. Just because he’s a vampire doesn’t mean anything. We, of all people, should know that by now.”

  “I don’t trust him. He seemed shady.”

  I glared at her, and retorted, “You don’t trust anyone.”

  She shrugged in response and stood in line for our ride back to our hotel.

  After we loaded into the taxi, Paige sat in the plastic covered seat with her arms crossed, glaring at me. The worst part of this evening? I hadn’t drank enough booze to put me in an alcohol induced coma. That either meant nightmares of Sam’s death, premonitions, or worse...Blake in my dreams. I kept him away so far, even with my training from Paige, but lately he pushed harder to enter them. Tonight would be no exception.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  BLAKE

  Checking my email at Revive, I growled in frustration at a few sitting in the inbox from my family. Their demands had increased as of late. It was getting old. I’d given up that life and had no plans to return. Luckily, Ashton was generous enough to let me use the office computer whenever I needed to check anything. Of course I could check emails on my phone, but sometimes a laptop was a godsend. Plus, it was easier to delete the emails from my persistent family.

  Trashing the messages with a grunt, I stared at the screen in thought. I missed Lily. Her smile, her laughter, and even though I wasn’t sure where we stood, I hadn’t given up hope that maybe we’d be able to work things out. Sure, when Sam was hurt, I’d shut down and buried my emotions so deep that it would’ve taken an oil drill to find them, but I learned from my mistake. I should’ve been there for her. I should’ve held her when she cried. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, right? No going back to change the past, but I’d hoped for a better future.

  Ding. The computer announced a new email in the club’s general mailbox. The icon taunted me, blinking in rapid succession. Ding. Another reminder chimed. I was torn. Ashton allowed me to use the office out of trust and it would’ve crossed the lines to read the club’s emails.

  That being said, curiosity was an evil thing. I clicked the icon. Chewing on my nails and bouncing my leg, I waited for the email program to load.

  An untitled email sat in the inbox taunting me and I opened it, glancing back at the door to the office. What it revealed had lodged my heart into my throat. My wildest dreams hadn’t prepared me for what I saw. I blinked a few times just to be sure I wasn’t seeing things. Staring back at me from the screen was a picture of Lily.

  I instantly sent the email to my phone and saved the picture. I tried to retrace the email and sent a reply only to receive an undeliverable message. Who in the hell was Jamison and what was he doing with Lily?

  “Everything okay, Blake?” Gary, Ashton’s main guard, asked from the doorway, and I jolted.

  Unsure of Gary’s intentions, I eyed him from the leather desk chair and folded my hands behind my head. He had met my stare head on without blinking. “Do you know other ways to trace an email?”

  He shrugged. “I have several programs I can run it through. Why?”

  Smirking, I turned the laptop around to show Gary Lily’s picture. The only sign of surprise was Gary’s quick blink as he edged towards the laptop to get a better look.

  “We’ll search the database and run the email. Then we’ll tell Ashton.”

  I frowned but had no arguments with that logic. If I figured out where this email came from, I’d jump on a plane before Ashton blinked. I chuckled. “Sounds good to me.”

  *****

  ASHTON

  “Sam, good job on protecting yourself,” I said, collecting myself from the floor with a grin.

  We trained for combat and protection, but Sam knew more about martial arts than I ever imagined. The man was a surprise and knocked me on my ass more than once. This type of training was crucial to our survival, especially if a war brewed between the supernatural communities.

  Not only had Conrad Steele scarred Sam and Liliana emotionally, he subsequently started something we’d never be able to take back. Upon his passing, Con had somehow mailed a letter, including a picture of Lily, to the master vampire. It included everything. Her sketchy powers, who her father was, and that she was part conjurer. Although I’m not sure how quickly news of his death spread,
he’d had somebody working below him who was instructed to set the act in motion. Even in death, he still plagued us. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever be free of his sinister acts.

  Even though I was the leader over the United States, one man ranked above us all. And now that man knew about Liliana. That phone call from him hadn’t been a pleasant one. I’d been able to stall the meeting for now, by claiming that she was my match, but it wouldn’t be delayed for long. Because, even though I wanted to keep this quiet, it was only a matter of time until it spread like wildfire. The master vampire felt too duty bound not to tell the other leaders. With Liliana out there on her own, it petrified me to my bones. It would be just a matter of time until the leader of the conjurers, whoever that may be, discovered Liliana.

  “I like kicking your ass.” Sam replied, pulling me out of my thoughts, and jumping up and down like a boxing champion. “This vampire speed and reaction is pretty cool.”

  “Don’t get used to it, Sam. I have some special abilities up my sleeve, but haven’t used them yet. We’ll see how well you do after those come out to play.”

  He pouted with arms crossed. “When will my abilities come out? It’s not fair. I’d love to have some Jedi mind tricks.”

  “Eventually you’ll discover them. Half of the time they come out as you get older, but some will show up when you need them the most,” I answered and walked over to the mini fridge, taking out a dark glass bottle filled with blood.

  As the cold liquid trailed down my throat, my mind reflected where I’d gone wrong. Liliana, even though she’d disappeared into thin air, still held my heart and soul in her hands. I’d get her back no matter what. She was the only cure to the madness that took ahold of me. The monster inside me reared its ugly head upon her absence. At each passing day without her, it clawed to be free. I was determined not go stark raving mad.

  “You’re thinking about Lily aren’t you,” Sam stated with a soft voice. “Your eyes get this far away look in them when you do. I miss her too, Ashton.”

  I chugged the rest of the bottle, wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand, and glanced at Sam. I could’ve sworn he read minds. I cleared my throat, and after grabbing two bottles from the fridge, I tossed him one. Chuckling at the sour face he made when taking a swallow, I replied, “Yeah. I love that woman more life itself. We’ve got to find her soon. Times running out. Especially now. In all likelihood, the leaders in every country know who she is. Not only that, but it’s crucial we locate her before I blow a fucking gasket.”