“Because I’m not a witch.”
She locked onto that like a kink in the chain. How could she be a witch if he wasn't one? She allowed herself to toy with the thought for a moment. “What are you? A wizard? Warlock?”
He chuckled. “Technically, all three are the same thing. But to answer your question, no. It’s true, I come from a witch family, but I’m a guardian.”
“What the heck is a guardian?” Sophie asked incredulously. This entire situation was getting more far-fetched by the minute.
A corner of his lip twitched upward, slightly at her inquisitive nature. “I work magic with the dead.” He stated simply the smallest amount of twinkle played in his green eyes and for a moment Sophie saw her father again, like he used to be before her mother’s illness.
It didn’t matter though, because what he was saying was ridiculous. “What does that mean?” Her voice raised two octaves. She was in a family of lunatics.
“Your father works with the spirit realm primarily.” Chelsea said pointedly, reminding her of a professor.
“The spirit realm and the un-dead.” He clarified.
“Like in – ghosts, vampires, and zombies?”
He nodded, “pretty much.”
“And have you talked to her?” Sophie couldn’t believe she was humoring their delusions, but the idea of being able to talk to her mother after she was gone was too enticing of an idea to simply ignore. She’d give anything to have one more minute with her.
He lowered his head and shook it. “No, she’s moved on beyond the veil. I’ve no way to communicate with her because her soul is out of my reach.”
“Convenient.” Sophie snapped.
“Enough, Sophie.” Chelsea snapped back. “You have much to learn. There are limitations to what magic can and can’t do. Your father feels enough pain without you having to add to it.”
“Whatever!” Sophie whirled around, anger getting the best of her. How dare Chelsea bark at her? She knew she was allowing her emotions to get the best of her, but what kind of teacher lashes out at you when you ask questions? The anger she'd been holding back seemed to explode outward. She couldn’t help her actions any more than she could help believing her family was two sentences away from the funny farm. She knew before the words left her mouth she was going to regret it, and maybe even hate herself for saying it, but she got a sudden case of diarrhea of the mouth and couldn't stop the words from flowing. “It appears you’ve got all the answers. Looks like I’m stuck here getting a third rate bachelor’s degree with little chance of being accepted into a secondary medical school because I’ve got some unknown witch responsibilities which can only be taken care of here. Case closed, it is what it is.”
Neither Chelsea nor her father had the decency to look her in the eyes. Her father simply said, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Your mother didn’t want this future for you so soon.”
Sophie couldn’t muster a response. She simply shook her head and bit back the tears that were threatening to fall. She knew her face was an open book revealing the gamut of emotions; hurt, sadness, loss, anger, fear. It didn’t dawn on her that disbelief wasn’t part of the storm of emotions assaulting her mind and body. When it did hit her, dread sunk in. She needed to get out of there, away from the house her mother died in, the house she was raised in surrounded by lies, the people that she loved who were currently trying to steal her future out from underneath her. “Unbelievable!” She grabbed her purse and keys by the door and slammed the front door as she left them both behind her in the house of tragedy that enveloped her entire life. She didn’t know where she was going, she just knew she needed to escape.
Chapter Two
Giovanni Mancuso eyed the nightclub with careful scrutiny from his VIP perch on the second floor. Pride filled him. It paid to own the place. It was college night, and the DJ was playing heavy beats which kept the dance floor hopping with countless bodies gyrating to the music. It was like watching an orgy of clothed beings in the midst of public foreplay. The thrall of intense exertion kept the bartenders and serving girls busy quenching the customers’ thirsts with alcoholic drinks which actually achieved the opposite desired effect. But with each drink they consumed the freer their inhibitions became and that was when the predators struck like thieves in the night. For the most part, it was a symbiotic relationship; werewolves craved lust, vampire’s desired blood, witches energy, fairies caused mischief, and the willing prey received passion or some other gift in return. It'd worked that way in Mystery Springs for the past two centuries. The best part of the equation was very few got hurt.
He ran a clean club, and managed to keep Death and his minions away from his property. It was something of which he was proud. He'd met Thanatos and his ‘reapers’ before in battle and later they became friends. He had no desire to revert back to their previous relationship status. If he was honest with himself he'd have to admit fear played a big part in his desire to steer clear, although he’d never confess that out loud. It was a powerful motivator, fear. Besides, who in their right mind didn't feel a little dread at the idea of death? He'd lived almost two hundred years and he still felt it. Those who didn't want to admit it were lying to themselves. Death was the unknown equalizer.
He wasn't happy with his fear, but he learned the strength it gave a person when used correctly and he'd mastered the manipulation that was needed to make one be fearful of him. Supernatural, preternatural, and humans alike feared him, just as he felt fear for death. He’d built quite a reputation to make sure terror kept the people in line. It also helped that he hailed from royalty. The Mancuso vampires were powerful and very few challenged that power. Those that did faced the wrath of the council which had solid treaties in place with the humans, werewolves, witches, Amazons, fairies, elves, skin walkers, Jinn and Mancuso vampires for decades. It was an important part of their world and helped them keep their supernatural identities hidden from the humans. This kept all supernatural and human beings safe.
One person who didn't feel apprehension around him was his consort and he loved that she wasn't afraid of his company. Her loyalty was unmatched and her devotion was that of a protective mother cub. She slithered up to his side, her strawberry and cream scent had been a constant comfort to him ever since he named her his consort. She was technically a child of a human and fairy union. Something frowned upon in Mystery. Mixing supernaturals with humans was expressly forbidden. However, Marissa was the product of a rape. A dark fairy attacked her human mother. The attending elf physician at the hospital the night of the attack and the werewolf detective who was brought in to investigate recognized the situation for what it was. Jacob the elf kept a close eye on Marissa’s mother and when her pregnancy proved their suspicions she was brought into the supernatural world for protection. Marissa’s mother died in childbirth, a common, unfortunate side effect to breeding with supernaturals.
There had been rare cases where the human mother survives, but it wasn’t pleasant or advisable. Wendy, Marissa's mother, knew the risk and begged Gregor, Gio's father to take her in if she didn't make it.
Wendy's case wasn't rare and the inevitable happened. Marissa was taken into the Mancuso family and raised with the expectation that she would someday become a member of the vampire clan-an honor typically bestowed upon only a few every generation. When she turned eighteen she became the rare exception and refused the offer - she wanted to live as a human. Knowing Marissa intimately, and now loving her as a sister, Gio suspected she wanted to have a human child before she was changed. Unfortunately, that path wasn’t an option for her.
Gregor sentenced Marissa to death. She'd be in the underworld right now, but Gio spoke for her and requested her as his consort. Now she stood at his side, loyal to the end. She was his friendly companion, fed him when he was hungry, and protected him from humans during the day. In return he kept her young, strong, healthy and safe from other predators without changing her DNA by making her a vampire. Over time they’d grown to be best of friend
s. That was twenty years ago and neither one of them looked a day over 25.
“Are you hungry, Gio?” she purred as she ran her fingers down his arm. She was always willing and so remarkably giving but he wasn’t in the mood at the moment.
He shrugged her hand off his arm and continued to watch the dance floor. Someone caught his attention and he wasn’t sure what to make of the girl with long black hair as dark as night. “Not now, Marissa. Perhaps you’d like to go dance.” He suggested.
“I’d love to dance. Come with me.” She urged by pulling his hand toward her.
“In a minute. Go start without me and I’ll join you later.” He didn’t need to look at her to know she was sulking as she sauntered away. He could smell her hurt and knew she would be a great temptation on the dance floor. Hurt and pain fed so many supernatural.
“Jeremiah, go with her to keep her company.” He instructed his second in command who eased out of the shadows without a word and followed Marissa down the stairs. Happy his consort was safe he refocused on the captivating girl. He was drawn to her but had no earthly idea why. She was far from his type.
He’d also never seen her before, but there was something familiar about her. Something that took his breath away, if he needed to breath, which he didn’t, other than to make humans think he was one of them. It was an automatic response he did to blend in and in that moment he realized his automatic response had failed him. He’d stopped breathing as he watched the slender but curvy petite girl weave within the crowd. She called to him like a beacon on a foggy night in a storm-tossed ocean. It was the oddest feeling.
She had a drink in her hand, but was barely touching it, almost like she ordered it for show and had no intentions of finishing it. He found himself thankful that was the case. He'd seen so many lost souls travel further down the rabbit hole with mind altering substances liked alcohol and narcotics. It was a hazard of the job, lifestyle, and unfortunately, the dark world he lived in.
She was wearing a pair of faded, and strategically torn jeans with a green hoodie. It was her attire that first caught his attention. Most of the girls in his club wore skin tight, tiny dresses that left little to the imagination. The others, who wore pants, looked like they’d been poured into them. Almost all of them wore heels. This girl wore tennis shoes. Her midnight black hair was pulled up into a ponytail high on her head and bangs fell softly onto her face covering up a larger than average forehead. She looked so out of place he found himself wondering what her story was. He wanted her to look his way but she hadn’t yet. So she couldn’t be compelled easily, which intrigued him even more. Not all vampires were as skilled in compelling creatures as he was and very few could resist his urges when he focused on them. He’d never met a human that could, which intrigued him further, indicating she was a supernatural. He needed to know what kind of creature she was.
Without even thinking the command, his feet began walking, stepping down the metal stairs. His eyes never leaving her figure begging for her to look his way, a silent prayer that played on his lips because his desire was so strong. Each step brought him closer to the throng of people on the dance floor. Body odor, heavy perfume, sadness, happiness, agony all assaulted his nose. Emotions had scents and the miserable smell of pain was strong. He looked around, curious to find its source while he continued his trek toward his target. As he got closer, the agony got heavier and he realized the pain came from her when her emerald green eyes locked onto his grey ones. He froze, like a cat caught stalking its prey, worried the tiniest movement would scare her. Only she wasn’t prey, there was something more about her. The air seemed to sizzle around her and the closer he got he felt the electric pull like a magnet that found its metal of choice. She seemed as enraptured by his gaze as he was with hers which pleased him more than he expected or was comfortable with.
“You decided to join me after all.” Marissa snuggled up against Gio’s chest as she moved her hips to the music, rocking back and forth as though the heavy beats were a lullaby. Her happy strawberry and cream scent seemed to chase away the pain he felt from the strangely intoxicating girl. Usually, he'd be enthusiastic about wrapping himself up in her happiness, but at the moment his desire was darker, he wanted to wrap the strange girl in pain in his arms and provide her some comfort. How odd? He was not a selfish man, but he wasn't a masochist either. He looked down at Marissa's blonde tumble of curls for only a moment to unhinge her body from his. Unable to release himself from the brunette's unnerving pull.
“Marissa, dance with Jeremiah.” He smiled easily as he pushed a gentle wave of compulsion toward her. Her blue eyes danced as she giggled, nodded, and ran into Jeremiah’s eagerly awaiting arms. Gio suspected Jeremiah wanted more from his consort, but his bulky size and average looks didn't make Marissa swoon his direction. The attraction simply wasn't there.
The attraction was, however, present between the dark haired girl and himself. When Gio looked up to find the green-eyed vixen she’d disappeared into the crowd. Shit! Most likely she saw Marissa clinging to me. Frustration meshed with his thoughts as he searched the dance floor for the girl. From this vantage point it was far more difficult to see, even with his above average height, so he focused on her scent. He wasn’t a wolf so his sense of smell wasn’t as strong, but it was hard to miss the pain that vibrated off her in pulsating waves. That mixed with the sweetness of honey, her underlying, natural scent which he identified as hers, made locating her a little easier than he expected.
She was by the bar. The crowd seemed to part for him like the sea did for Moses as he made his way towards her. Of course he knew the tales from the bible, he was human at one time in his life, despite the creature he was now. He held beliefs once, even though now those beliefs were suspended and far from being unlocked anytime soon. He had one belief at the moment, he had to know the girl. He didn’t understand the pull she had on him. It was unsettling, but undeniable. He wondered if it was the pain she felt that attracted him, but somehow, underneath his musing, he knew that wasn’t the case. People in pain came into his nightclub every night and none of them made him want to be near them. He had no desire to touch them or soothe away their pain. No one but this strange girl intrigued him this deeply.
He was only a few feet away now and she hadn’t noticed his approach. He stopped for a moment to look at her. Her face was red and blotchy under the slight tan of her olive skin. She was wearing glasses, fifties-style glasses. How had he not noticed them before when their eyes met?
She hugged her purse closer to her body as Tucker, a regular patron, made a move toward her. The monster inside Gio’s mind snarled as the sandy haired, playboy werewolf offered to buy her another drink. She smiled and told him, “No thanks, I’m getting ready to leave.”
“How about a dance then?” he tried his not-so-smooth moves on her again and Gio felt his demon claw under his skin. If Tucker wasn't careful Gio was going to hurt his old friend. What the hell was happening? Gio knew he had more self-restraint than this.
She shook her head and gave him a weak smile, “no, I really need to leave soon.” Her voice was almost melodic, like she was singing a verse with every sentence. It reminded him of another time. A time when he was human, before he was made into the creature he was now. So many things seemed familiar about her, but nothing that he easily recognized. Her voice, the scent of honey, her eyes - those soulful orbs that latched onto his with a ferocity that made him need to protect her. In all his years of life he’d never felt this hooked by a woman that didn’t even know his name, or he hers for that matter. He was acting like a jealous school boy for the Gods’ sake!
He decided to reign his emotions in before he approached her. He didn't want to scare the poor girl. He realized he wanted to seduce her.
“She’s otherwise occupied, my friend.” Another man Gio wasn’t familiar with pulled the brunette’s arm toward him. "I need you."
“Ouch! Excuse me?” She turned and glared at the man.
Gio didn’t rec
ognize him, but his scent told him he was nephilim, which was odd since angel half-breeds weren’t local to Mystery Springs. He didn’t have time to think about how a nephilim in Mystery would shake things up because the cupid-looking man pulled the spunky brunette toward the exit of the club without another word. The way she was fighting against him made Gio believe he was taking her against her will – not in his club.
He followed the human angel out of the club despite the danger the nephilim posed to his life. Angels had a special firelight sword that killed most supernatural beings including vampires. They were one of the most effective killers of vampires which was why many nephilim were hunters. It was also why he waved the bouncers of the club off when they began to follow him. He wasn’t interested in risking the lives of his men over this endeavor. Besides, alone he could be stealthy. But as a group they would be far more obvious, especially to a hunter if that was what the angel-boy was.
When they were outside of the club in the alley the girl managed to yank her arm free. Good for her, Gio thought. He was thankful she wasn't weak in the face of danger.