Christopher had the good sense to look sheepish while Giovanni took the compliment in stride, inflating his ego. “You’re rather sexy and intriguing yourself, Sophie.” Gio added with a mischievous grin. “I’ve personally never met someone part of this world so innocent. It’s rather – refreshing.” He picked up his phone and began dialing a number.
Sophie felt heat rise up the back of her neck and color her cheek. The vampire had a way with words.
“Who are you calling?” Christopher asked in an agitated tone.
“The council. We need to find out more about the attack on your sister. Like I said, we take death very seriously. I’ll have some representatives from local law enforcement meet us at Sophie’s house,” as an afterthought, “if that is agreeable with you, my dear?”
Sophie felt the heat grow. He was so comfortable with those terms of endearment, and the way he spoke reminded her of Old English. He made her uncomfortable, in a good way. She shrugged. “I guess that’s okay. The address is…”
“We all know where you live, we just never knew you existed. Your mother did an admirable job of protecting you.” He said this with a light of admiration in his eyes. “Yes, Nicolai, I need you to gather the available members of the council and send them to the Waters’ house.” As abruptly as he started the conversation he ended it by closing the phone. “Now, another thing that troubles me, Christopher, is how you decided to look for Sophie since you’re not a resident of Mystery?”
Chapter Four
“What do you mean?” Christopher feigned innocence.
Perhaps it was for Sophie’s benefit, but Gio saw right through his façade. He'd come face to face with a few nephilim in his time and they weren't the angels people thought they were. "Please don’t play stupid with me. I know all the supernaturals in this town, hazard of the job. And you, Christopher, are not on any of my lists." It was his way of keeping track of the supernaturals in this town and had been extremely effective over the years. There hadn't been an angel hybrid in town for over thirty years. "Are you connected to someone I know? Is that why you were able to find Sophie, how you knew her mother had passed?”
“I doubt it. I don’t get along with vampires. Emery, my sister’s new friend, told me to find Sophie." Christopher unlatched his seat belt and turned narrowed eyes on Giovanni. "Are you done interrogating me?”
“Yes.” Sophie answered quickly. This entire situation was making her uncomfortable and she was ready to move things along.
“Not yet.” Gio interjected. “How did you know to look for her at my club?”
It was a good question, Sophie thought. She had never been there before.
“Giovanni’s is the most popular supernatural hangout in town, right?” Christopher answered his question with a question of his own.
Gio hated it when people did that. “One of them, yes. But Sophie has never been to my club,” Gio tossed a look to Sophie, “have you?”
“No.” Was he reading her thoughts? She wanted to ask, but instead kept quiet. Adding to the conversation was only going to make it run longer.
“We have our ways.” Christopher stated, crossing his arms over his chest. His body language made it clear he wasn't interested in continuing this conversation either.
“I’m afraid that’s not good enough.” Gio stated coldly, un-clicking his own seat belt, readying for a fight that might just break out when they exited the vehicle.
Christopher turned to face him again. “Who died and made you king?”
“Prince, actually. My father would be the vampire king, but he often defers to me in matters of politics.” Gio leaned forward, their faces were only inches apart, just as Sophie pulled into her driveway. “And I won’t stop asking until I’m satisfied with the answers.”
Sophie unbuckled her own seat belt and tried to process what she was hearing. A vampire prince? Holy cow! An extremely sexy vampire prince that seemed very protective of her and her family. So he really was the Mancuso prince. It was strange, but comforting, that a stranger would put himself on the line to protect her. Especially now that she was sure she’d be finding herself in dangerous situations. He’d be a good friend to have if all this actually turned out to be real.
Christopher rolled his eyes. “I paid a witch to find her.”
“You really do underestimate me, don’t you?” Gio steepled his fingers in front
of his kissable lips and Sophie’s breath caught in her throat, what she'd give to be one of those fingers pressed against his lips. Holy hell, get it together, Sophie! She told herself. It was so difficult. Even his mannerisms were old school. She had a real weak spot for the long forgotten age-of-the-gentleman. As long as that gentleman was a strong, handsome hunk, which this one was. Another reason why she was able to continue to fool herself that she was dreaming. His old-school mannerisms made her wonder how old he really was. It was clear he was older than he looked. No twenty something man acted like him. At least none she'd ever met. “A locator spell would require a personal item of the person you’re desiring to find.” Giovanni's smooth voice sliced into her thoughts like a sharpened blade into a perfectly cooked turkey breast. What was wrong with her? She must have been hungry, when was the last time I ate? She wondered briefly, her thoughts distracting her from the tense situation. Or, it could be because Giovanni looked tasty enough to eat. She licked her lips as she imagined what he would taste like. Feel like. She felt herself getting lost in the image of them in an intimate embrace. Get it together, Sophie!
It was Christopher that pulled her from her thoughts again. Giovanni was proving to be a terrible distraction. “Not if I was looking for a power instead of a person. I asked the witch, Esmie I think her name was, to find me a witch with powerful healing abilities. She found me you.” Christopher smiled at Sophie, who felt the heat of a blush color her cheeks because of her guilty thoughts of the vampire. After a pause he turned to Giovanni, “does that satisfy your interest?”
“I’m satisfied. Let’s see if we can find Chelsea and hopefully help your sister.” Sophie got out of the car and headed toward the house leaving both men behind in the vehicle. She’d had enough of the posturing and her raging hormones. She needed space between her and the sex-on-a-stick vampire.
Gio watched Sophie as her curvy form disappeared behind the door of her house. He wasn't satisfied with Christopher's answers. He knew he was leaving important details out of the conversation. He'd have to wait to get those answers because there was an innocent life on the line after a vampire attack.
"Shall we?" he asked Christopher as he got out of the car. He didn't really care about the angel's answer. He was more interested in following Sophie and spending more time with her. Being in the close confines of the car for the last thirty minutes only made his desire for her grow and her spunky attitude made her more appealing. She was so different from the other women he knew. Those women all threw themselves at him, and this one fought her attraction which was admirable, impressive, and a little intoxicating. Her unique attitude made him desire her even more. The men followed her into the house without another word.
Sophie wasn’t expecting a full house so quickly after Giovanni called Nicolai and felt a little overwhelmed as she was introduced to everyone. She learned there were nine council members, each representing a different species that made Mystery Springs their home. Captain Logan Carter represented the humans. She was sure she recognized him from before, but she was a child the last time she saw him. In the version she remembered he was at least ten years younger. The crinkled skin around his light blue eyes held less wrinkles, and his side burns weren’t salted with grey hair. Despite the obvious increase in age, he still looked strong and solid as he stood leaning against the wall by the fireplace in the living room, arms pulled across his chest, taking in the scene with suspicious eyes.
The only memory she had of him was kind. He’d given her an ice cream treat right before he entered her mother’s greenhouse in the back yard. Closing the doo
r behind him, shutting her out of the conversation. She was too young to be curious back than and too preoccupied with her vanilla and chocolate treat to really care. All this supernatural chaos was going on around her and she was too blind to even see it happening.
A frail, elderly woman who walked with a cane named Mariah represented the witches. Sophie was surprised that she recognized Mariah as well. Not as a witch, but as someone who came over to the house to visit with Chelsea, her father, and mother from time to time. Mariah always made Sophie feel a little nervous so she avoided those visits like the plague. Always coming up with some excuse to study in her room or go visit a friend. Today Mariah wore her grey hair in pigtail braids which seemed to be her second favorite hair style. Other times Sophie had seen Mariah she was wearing her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head. The skin on her bones looked thinner than normal and seemed to hang a little looser off her bones. Sophie couldn’t help but wonder if her mother’s death was the reason for Mariah advancing frailty.
Sophie didn’t recognize the female with long silver hair, steely gray eyes, and pale skin named Anastacia, or Stacia as she preferred to be called. There was a slight blue tint to her skin that Sophie learned was common among Jinn, also known as genies. She fought the urge to ask where Stacia’s lamp was or if she lived in a golden vessel waiting for a master to rub the surface and ask for three wishes. It seemed highly implausible that the legend was true since there didn’t seem to be anyone there with her. Stacia wore black slacks that fit her curvy, form perfect. Her hair hung loose and fell to just above her waist. It was thin and wispy, nothing like the image of Barbara Eden from ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ which had been her go-to expectation of what genie’s were supposed to look like.
A strong-looking, tall man with dangerous eyes and sandy brown, sun-kissed hair named Luke was a pack alpha and represented his wolves. There was something primal about his stare. His eyes reminded her of a wolf, and she couldn’t help but wonder how close the animal was to the surface with the full moon only a week away. He offered her a stiff nod as he was introduced to her, but kept his distance across the room assuming a similar pose to Logan’s.
Possibly the most beautiful woman Sophie had ever seen with sparkling blonde hair, intense violet eyes, and golden skin represented the Fairy or Fae population. Her face was symmetrical and heart shaped. The beauty she possessed seemed false somehow, forced, perhaps with magic to appear perfect. It was slightly unnerving to look at her. Her name was Bella.
A tall girl with wavy chocolate brown hair and blue-green eyes the color of the sea hidden behind fifties-styled glasses shook Sophie’s hand, and almost broke it in the process. She was introduced as Harmony, and she represented the Amazons. The woman was tall and all muscle. She reminded Sophie of the female athletes at school only she wasn’t dressed like an athlete. She wore white slacks, and a white and black top with a sequined heart on the front.
After that the introductions got a little dangerous. A brindle colored mastiff barreled out of the kitchen barking happily. He bolted toward Sophie, and as he jumped into the air he transformed into a tri-colored Pomeranian that looked like one she knew as a child. It licked her face and wagged its pom-pom tail with excitement. The pup’s tongue tickled and made Sophie giggle as Gio snatched the tiny fur ball out of her arms and said, “Sophie meet Eric who represents the skin walkers otherwise known as shape-shifters. He put the Pomeranian on the floor and within seconds the black, white, and golden furred animal turned into a red headed man. A fully naked man! She only saw a glimpse of his back side as Gio covered the man up with her grandmother’s colorful afghan from the couch.
“Sophie and I have met before. When she was younger I was her babysitter a few times.” The familiar man with peach skin and countless freckles smiled – freckles Sophie used to count as a child. He was right. She did know Eric, and gave him a bear hug before he went off to change into some clothes. His entrance left a sour look on Giovanni’s face, but Sophie couldn’t understand why.
It was then that a woman with skin the color of a mocha latte coffee, black hair, dark eyes and curves that went on for days introduced herself with a slight Spanish lilt as AnnaBella or AB and advised her she represented the elves. If the look on her face was any indication, she didn’t want to be there, and her obvious impatience made Sophie nervous.
Giovanni ended the introductions with a grand bow, “and we’ve already met. I sit on the council for the vampires in my father’s place.”
Sophie couldn’t help but be taken aback by his formal bow. She took a moment to take the man in. He wore black stone-washed jeans that hugged his legs and waist but looked comfortable. A dark t-shirt that emphasized his lean muscles, and a black leather jacket that screamed sophistication and sex all at once. His stormy eyes locked onto hers and she felt her world shift in a way that she never experienced before. It was like he was a beacon on a dark stormy night and she was lost at sea until this moment when she really connected with him, really looked into those eyes. His soul called to her. Do vampires have souls? She wondered. If they did, his was calling to hers, and they were connected. In that moment, she knew things would be different for her. How was the only question left.
He took a spot next to Sophie. Chelsea and her father stood on the other side and Sophie suddenly felt boxed in between unwanted and unneeded protection. Giovanni's nearness made her heart race and pulse quicken. How the hell did he have such an effect on her? Unsure how to feel about the desire she was feeling for a man she never met before tonight she slid closer to Chelsea to put some distance between them. She may be pissed at Chelsea, but she didn’t trust herself with him.
Giovanni's lips twitched upward as she slid even further away, but not far enough. He’d never let her slip too far away again. This time his soft leather jacket caressed the rough cotton fabric of her green hoodie. It was the first time she became aware of how under dressed she was.
Giovanni was going to enjoy this chase. He was a predator by nature, a creature who took what he wanted, and in this moment he wanted Sophie. The more she ran, the more he would pursue. She had to know her actions were stimulating his interest. He leaned toward her an inch further so he could feel the heat of her body through her clothes. She was so warm; so full of life and so innocence.
“Why are we here?” Harmony asked the question on everyone's mind.
“My sister, she was mortally wounded by a vampire,” Christopher shot a leveled glance at Giovanni who didn’t flinch, only nodded his approval for Christopher to go on.
“If she isn’t healed by magical means she’ll die and be transformed into one of those…creatures.” He spit the last word like he'd taken a bite of something bitter.
It amazed Sophie how Giovanni took the insults in stride. She was more hot tempered and found herself getting upset for him. She looked at Gio and he offered a quick smile and almost undetectable wink which he shared with her alone. Aside from the skipped beat her heart took at the wink, she felt a moment of comfort. If he wasn’t worried, she shouldn’t be, but that moment went away and was replaced with a nagging feeling that something wasn't right. Something about all of this was unsettling.
“Unfortunately, our healer died. Sophie will inherit her mother’s gift, but she has no idea how to use it.” Mariah spoke softly, sadly. "She was raised as a human."
It was the first time Sophie realized what was really being placed on her head. She wasn’t just another witch, she was the witch doctor. Now she understood why her mother insisted she live as human as possible because when she died her life would be forever changed. She also began to understand why her mother insisted she stop caring for other people and start living for herself.
“Can we call someone else?” Christopher looked hopeless and sad. There was more to this story, Sophie could feel it. She was positive she saw guilt slide behind his blue eyes. But she didn’t say anything.
“I can put a call out to other witch covens in nearby towns to see if they c
an spare their own healer, but you must understand, there aren’t many left.” Mariah gave Sophie a stern look. “I told your mother you should be trained from the moment you exhibited the ability to heal, but she defied that instruction and now we’re left to suffer while you learn to harness your gift.”
A vision of Sophie when she was a child popped into her mind. She found a wounded bird in the backyard and picked it up. Within minutes tears fell from her six year old eyes as she felt the pain the bird was in. One of those tears fell on the bird’s head and slowly he started feeling better. She focused all the love she had to give on the bird and a golden glow surrounded her hands and the bird one minute, and the next the bird was flying away. Her mother ran to her and held the startled young Sophie in her arms. Telling her it would be okay and in time she would teach her to use the gift, but for now she needed to be a little girl, to grow up and live a normal life. Tears stung adult Sophie’s eyes as the memory faded. Her mother cast a spell on her in that moment. A spell that locked her powers and memories up tight.
“Mariah, this is not the …” Sophie’s father started, but Sophie interrupted him.