The Amulet Read online

  Thank you, I think. She paused nervously. I have some questions to ask you if that's alright?

  "I know. I have wronged you on so many levels already. It is a long story and we are running short on time. First," he said, "you need to replenish your strength." He walked around behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

  She jumped beneath his touch, but felt the urge to relax. He was in her head, she realized. She tried to force him out using all of her concentration. She felt a strange sensation, like walls had come up around her mind and the urge ceased to exist. She tested them, feeling and memorizing them, for cracks and found there were none. She had done it. A surge of pride and satisfaction swelled in her chest like a peacock.

  "Very good," he told her. "You learn quickly. It often takes years to learn what you just did. Before long, you will be able to maintain it without so much effort." His hands slid down her shoulders to brace her arms at her side. "Relax; this is going to feel strange the first time."

  His words, and the sensual feel of his strong hands, did anything but relax her, but before she had a chance to process what he was telling her, she felt herself dissolving. Her body broke into millions of tiny pieces and she was carried out the window of her home. Her senses were all still aware, but she was no longer solid. She could feel the wind, but it was different. She was a vapor floating on the wind. The city beneath her moving so fast, human eyes would have seen nothing but lights streaking past. She, however, saw everything. Every detail immersed her in overwhelming awe and she tried to drink it in and absorb every flickering light and glistening leaf that flitted by.

  They passed the coffee shop she liked to frequent, where she had spilled her coffee earlier. She saw a few late night party-goers stumbling drunkenly to awaiting taxi cabs, and worse, she could smell them. Their blood was tainted by alcohol and the foul aroma of cigarettes. From one, she picked up another toxin that left her stomach lurching. She did not recognize the scent.

  The walls around her mind crumbled and fell. It was difficult to maintain them, she realized. What is that horrible odor?

  Drugs, probably ecstasy from the look of them. They taint the blood and they taste just as bad as they smell. The cleaner the blood, the better it smells, and tastes. Yours was hard to resist. A little bit of wine just to sweeten it, but clean and healthy. Perfect. Maybe a little too perfect.

  Too perfect?

  I could not stop myself before it was too late. You were very near death. If I had not stopped when I did, you would be dead now. I did what I had to do in order to save you, but you are not the same. I have never lost control of myself like that before.

  His voice was heavy and thick with remorse. Her head was reeling with what he was telling her, trying to understand. She was missing something important, something blatantly obvious, but she just could not wrap her head around it. Something was wrong. Why couldn’t she understand what was happening to her?

  They continued through the party district into the outer skirts of the city. The buildings stretched out and allowed room for yards and gardens. Quaint little houses with cute little picket fences marked the beginning of suburbia. The wind shifted and they drifted with it to descend into a shady park. The sensation began to return to her as she materialized from mist to a solid form. It seemed gravity pulled more heavily on her than it had before. An ache in her stomach brought her attention away from the strangeness of having her body transformed into something inhuman and terrifying.

  She could smell Nevar behind her and was all too aware of his hands upon her. The wind caressed her skin and brought her new smells. The air was filled with a bouquet of aromas. The trees, still moist from the evening rain, the magnolias were rich in bloom and so strong they overpowered almost everything else. One in particular caught her attention. She smelled musk and pheromones. It smelled clean and delicious. Her stomach growled in response.

  Trust your instincts. Let them take over. Be careful, and take only enough to satisfy the hunger. You must be able to stop before you take too much.

  She closed her eyes, focusing on the scent. Its source was only a few yards away, to their left. Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of music playing from a set of earphones. Good. Her approach would not be noticed. She opened her eyes and searched the night for her quarry.

  He was tying a pair of running shoes, propping one leg on the seat of a bench. He was out for a late-night jog to beat the heat of day, no doubt. It was obvious that he kept himself fit. Lean muscular legs supported a strong core, broad shoulders and arms as thick as her legs. She had the distinct feeling that he was all meat and no brain, but he was good-looking enough. She let the scent fill her, focused on her hunger. She felt his heart beating. She wasn't sure how, but it was strong, and so steady. Something in her screamed, now! And before she had a chance to think about what she was doing, she had sprung the short distance between them. She over-powered him easily. He was caught off-guard and she was stronger, much stronger than he was.

  She bent towards his thick neck, finding her mark. Her teeth scored the flesh and the reward was the rich flow of fire. She felt the power flooding into her once more, nothing like when she tasted Nevar's blood, but it satisfied the hunger. She drank deeply of the rich liquid, receiving life.

  Something told her she should stop. She was no longer hungry. She hadn’t noticed that he had stopped struggling. Was he feeling the euphoria that she remembered? She released him, licking the last few drops from his neck. As she did, the wound knitted itself back together leaving no trace that it had ever been there.

  Nevar stepped over to her and helped her up. She could not take her eyes off the young man lying in the grass with his eyes closed. He was very still, but his chest still rose and fell and his heart was as steady as ever. With renewed strength, she was able to bring the walls back up around her mind. "Will he be okay?"

  "Yes, he'll be fine. You did well. You restrained without injuring him and stopped yourself in good time. You will need about a pint a night to sustain your strength, which is a safe amount for them to lose on a limited basis. However, being so new, you will need more to compensate for the change. You will require less as time goes by, barring injury or prolonged exertion."

  He studied the man for a moment with concentrated eyes. "I altered his memory. He will remember nothing and instead assume that he fainted. They usually suffer no ill effects. He will be no worse for wear."

  "You altered his memory? Can I do that, too?"

  "In time, you will be able to, but until you learn, it is best that I do it for you. You may alter more than you mean to before you perfect the technique."

  "Wait, if you can do that to him, that means you could alter anyone's mind, right?"

  "It is hardly common practice, Alyssa. Some vampires have erased entire lives by mistake. Amnesia is a convenient alibi, but again, it is difficult to perfect the technique and very few vampires ever succeed."

  "’Vampires’?" Hearing the word threw her for a loop. "I'm... I'm a... vampire? Part of me was hoping this was all a dream, but it's not, is it?"

  "No. I am truly sorry. I was afraid that you were taking this all entirely too well. I thought it would be best to satisfy your hunger before I explained everything, but we should find somewhere else to talk. I would suggest my place. It is safe there. We should hurry, before he recovers enough to wake up."

  She knew he was right. It was hard enough for her to believe what was happening to what used to be a normal world where vampires were something you only saw in movies. The last thing she wanted was to offer up an explanation to a complete stranger about why she had just knocked him out and forced him to donate a pint.

  You're right. I'll go wherever you want as long as you explain this to me when we get there. And I want my animals, if it isn't too much trouble?

  I can arrange that. Your cat, is she okay around dogs? Besides your own, I mean to say?

  She can hold her own. Why?

  He smiled at her before t
aking her into his arms. It would be easier to show you than to try to explain. I just have to call a friend.

  His smile and his proximity unnerved her. He was too close, too hard against her. He was steel wrapped in satin and she was unable to move even slightly away from his hold on her. Part of her never wanted to.

  You will soon love traveling this way. It really is the safest way to fly. Before he had even finished the thought, she felt the sensation of dissolving again. He chuckled, if it was possible to chuckle in your thoughts. He seemed to pull it off nicely.

  He was wrong. She didn't think she'd ever get used to the sensation of her body falling apart and reassembling itself. She much preferred her car. It might help if you gave me a little warning before you whisk me away into the wind, I might like it better. At the very least, it would shock me less.

  My apologies, the night is short this time of year. And I am a bit behind schedule. I will attempt to give you more notice until you get used to it.

  What do you mean? The night is short? Will I never see sunlight again? Are all the myths and legends true?

  No. Your myths and legends were all based on fact, but over the years they were exaggerated to extremes. Hollywood is mostly to blame for the exaggeration. For example, a stake aimed at my heart is little threat. My heart doesn't beat, so even if a stick could puncture my body, it would not kill me. Our bodies heal incredibly fast, but it takes a lot of energy to do so. We can eat other foods, and it will lessen our hunger, but blood is the only thing that satisfies. I imagine it's because our bodies no longer produce our own.

  Giure Grando, for example, was staked through the heart in Croatia in 1672. He died, officially, in 1656, but was said to have returned from the grave to terrorize his neighbors and sexually harass his widow. When a stake failed to kill him, he was beheaded, which did kill him. He lived a short life as a vampire, but most reports of vampires were cases of mistaken identity and overactive superstitions.

  As for garlic being a deterrent and being nocturnal, these are all myth. These were symptoms of rabies, often carried by wolves and bats, which plagued the 18th century. Many innocent people were accused of being vampires and staked through the heart unnecessarily during that time.

  Sensitivity to light was also a symptom of rabies. Sunlight does not turn us to dust, or burn us, but our vision is so keen that the light of day is nearly blinding. We must wear sunglasses to be out during the day. You still have a shadow and a reflection, as you may have noticed when you dressed. There are so many myths that it would be hard to decipher them all. Most of them are true in basis, but as I said, they have been grossly exaggerated.

  She had been so overwhelmed by what he was telling her, she had forgotten they had been traveling and was only aware of their arrival when gravity began to pull on her previously weightless form. Her gladiator heels touched the pavement of a driveway outside a large mansion. They must have covered a lot of distance. She had never seen anything like this anywhere near the city. She expected to find a vineyard just out of view. He seemed the type to make his own wine, and it seemed he had plenty of time to allow it to age properly.

  "Yes," he said with a light-hearted laugh. "I do, indeed have plenty of time. As do you, I am afraid."

  She had somehow dropped the shields around her thoughts. With a little effort, she again pulled up the walls around her mind. It was easier now that she knew how, but she had to concentrate to keep them in place. It seemed to her that she had more room to think. She was able to divide her attention to several thoughts and she was aware of everything around her all at the same time. Had she been given all this information a few hours ago, before she met Nevar, she would have had a mental break-down.

  There was a sound approaching from the south; it was a car coming from the direction of the city they left behind. She heard the smooth roaring of the engine. It was a sports car, that was for sure. It sounded so much like Charlotte, she was almost certain it was a Ferrari. Charlotte was the name she had given her Ferrari Enzo. She named the car after her grandmother who had passed away before she had caught her big break. True, the car had been for herself, but it was also a tribute to a woman who had inspired her to chase her dreams with all the speed and tenacity of a sports car on the Audubon.

  Are you expecting company?

  Yes. I made you a promise. I intend on keeping my word to you. Despite my short-comings, I am, at least, honest.

  Making sure the walls were still in place, she looked at him, not seeing any short-comings at all. She could see the ripples of muscles beneath his black dress shirt. She had the distinct urge to rip it off him to taste his skin, and she tried to hide it from her eyes, knowing this time, the urges were her own. She was not innocent in the ways of men, but she had always kept her desires on a short leash, never letting them stray far. Now, she was fighting the beast, and despite her new-found strength, it was taking a lot of effort. It must have grown stronger as well.

  The sound of the car had grown steadily stronger, and now, she could smell the acrid scent of exhaust and gasoline. The window was down. She could hear the music playing, thick with bass. Three heartbeats: two fast and frightened, one slower, but it was slower than a human's. The car whipped around a corner and into view down the long drive. It was incredibly fast, but the wide wheel base handled the turns and the speed with ease. There was skill in the driver's hands and feet as it turned and shifted gears fluidly. She had not seen such grace even from professional drivers on car commercials or stunt scenes. Ferrari would have approved. It would have made her heart flutter, but it was still and silent. The thought left her feeling a little depressed.

  "I am sorry," Nevar said beside her.

  It startled her so that she checked that the walls were still up, but found they were securely in place. "Sorry about what?"

  "I could see the sadness in your eyes. Your mind may be guarded, but your features show more than enough. I can never apologize enough."

  "I'm just going to miss a few things, that's all. There is so much about this new me that I would not like to trade back for my old life, but something as simple as a heartbeat, quickened with excitement...," she paused, "I will miss some things."

  "Hopefully this will cheer you up," he said as he waved to the driver.

  The cherry red Ferrari Enzo pulled in to the driveway and slowed to a stop. The driver had shoulder-length blond hair, looking very much the surfer-type, and stunningly blue eyes. He was beyond beautiful. He smelled of new leather and a subtle men's cologne. The scents of Snickers and Zukko lingered about him as well. He opened the door to reveal Zukko sitting happily in his lap. Snickers, who was anything but happy, was crouched in the back of her travel kennel, which looked more like a large designer handbag than a cage.

  Alyssa was so happy to see her white and red Chihuahua jump out of the car. He hesitated for a moment, his tiny body trembling. She kneeled to seem less intimidating, turning her body to one side. The calming signal worked, and he sprinted to her side. “Oh, Zukko! I’m so glad that you’re here. Don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt you.” She picked him up in her left hand and offered her right to the stranger stepping out of the car. “Thank you for bringing them to me…”

  Something in the car caught her eye. Her sunglasses hung from the visor, her emergency hair clip on the stick shift, and an extra pair of shoes she kept hidden in the back. It was her car! Her Charlotte! She looked brand-new again! She had been repaired, washed, waxed, and completely detailed! The leather interior had a high shine as did the rest of the car and she could smell the polish on the leather.

  He took her hand while she ogled the car, bringing her attention back to him. “You’re very welcome,” he replied, kissing her hand in greeting. “I thought I’d bring your car back, as well. Nevar said you much preferred it to his method of travel, and I have to say, I certainly agree with you.”

  “Why, thank you for taking such good care of dear Charlotte for me. I was impressed by your driving, too
. I might have been upset if someone less skilled had been behind the wheel.”

  He gave her a slight bow at her praise. He had a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smirk that spoke of hidden thoughts.

  Nevar stepped forward. “Alyssa, this is a very old friend of mine, Xander Wolfe."

  "Old? Who are you calling old? I'm 200 years younger than you!" His laugh was full and contagious. He had a younger way of speaking, his inflections and rhythm of speech much more modern. He, indeed, was younger, but for the sake of appearances, they both looked to be in their mid- to late twenties.

  "Was it 200 years? Still, you look good for an old wolf."

  "Wait," she said, "Wolf? You mean werewolf? I really am dreaming, aren't I? Or perhaps this is some elaborate prank on some celebrity game show, right?"

  "Whoa, wait a minute, Nevar?" Xander eyed him sternly and stepped protectively to her side, as if afraid she would faint at any moment. "What have you done? I recognize her. Alyssa Thomas, the actress, right?" The question was directed at her, but he did not wait for her to answer. "You changed her? Why?" There was an edge of anger in his voice. A shiver of fear ran down her spine. Xander could be dangerous if he was angry, it seemed.

  "Xander, you know me well enough by now to know that I would never wish this on anyone. As much as I hate to admit it, I lost control of myself. I did what I had to do to save her."

  Xander's stance relaxed slightly, but the edge was still showing in his eyes. She looked up to the sky. The moon was out tonight, but only a little over half-full. So, it was all true. Everything he had told her, all the myths and legends she had been told were just fiction; they were all true. Her head was swimming. It was all happening so fast. Her whole world had been turned upside-down in only a couple of hours.