The Amulet Page 6

  She knew the only clothes she had were the ones she wore the night before, but she didn't remember where she had placed them. Looking around the room, she found them carefully laid out for her. She got up and walked across the room, finding each movement easier and more graceful than she'd ever been on a runway.

  She dressed with purpose, not knowing or caring whether Nevar was standing audience or not. After carefully arranging her ensemble to perfection, she shook out her hair. She wanted a shower and clean clothes, though to be honest, she didn't feel dirty in the slightest. Filth must be a human syndrome. Vampires didn't need to sweat, and her skin was not oily, but the sensation of the water over her skin would make her feel normal again. She missed her scented bath oils and floral soaps.

  She turned, looking for Nevar, but she was alone in the room. Walking out into the sitting room, she saw him. He was staring into the fireplace, seeming very deep in thought. He must not have heard her approach because she saw the shiver that ran down his spine when he saw her. It was as much evidence as if he had jumped out of his skin. She opened the walls around her mind just enough to reach out to him. I didn't mean to frighten you. It was an odd sensation to her. She was testing the limits of her powers again, stretching new muscles.

  The smile on his face was undeniable. He was surprised and impressed at her progress. "Your wonders never cease," he paused for a moment before continuing on. "There is much to do and plans to be made. Your life has taken a drastic turn, and it's my fault. I'm determined to see I do what I can to ease this transition for you, but I fear I'm failing you."

  "You have not failed me," she was quick to reassure him. "There isn't much about this that's easy to accept, but I've yet to run screaming in the other direction or haul off and punch you, so I think you've been pretty successful considering."

  Nevar laughed, looking into the fire. When he turned back to her, his expression was much brighter. "Don't forget, though, you did get close to taking a shot at me."

  "Give me a little credit. As new as I am, it's a miracle I had the clarity of mind to think things through at all."

  "Touché. Very true. Shall we go?"

  "Mais oui," she replied.

  "Tu parles Français?"

  "Not fluently, but I took three years in school. I always wanted to go to Paris."

  "There's no reason you can't," he said. He moved in closer to her, wrapping his arms about her waist. "Hold on tight," he said. "I was being gentle with you before."

  Before she had time to protest, he had dissolved them both into mist. This time, they traveled so fast, even her keener eyes had a hard time processing what they were seeing. She wanted to cling to him, but in this form, she wasn't sure quite how. They seemed to be entwined in ways humans could only dream about. She could sense his mind, though at the moment, he did not let her into it. Though his body was not there to hold, his presence was unmistakable. She stretched her mind out, feeling the extent of her being and managed to weave herself in and around what was Nevar.

  She was so busy exploring this form that she did not notice they had arrived until she felt her body taking form. She, again, noticed how heavy she felt in this body and longed for the weightlessness of the mist. No sooner had her body materialized then the sweet aroma overtook her and her mouth watered with desire. Her eyes instantly found the source. He was tall and rugged, had she been human still, he would have made her knees tremble. He seemed almost too beautiful to be human. A towel was wrapped firmly around his waist and his shimmering body was well-muscled.

  The clean scent of his skin drove her nearly mad with thirst. She reached out with her mind, groping until she found his unguarded thoughts. He was proud, arrogant even. His vanity was obscene. It made her skin crawl. She felt as though she were touching something particularly dirty as she read his thoughts, His mind was like intricately woven yarn and she twisted his thoughts like threads between her fingers.

  He saw her then. Her smile enticed him. His physical reaction was evident. He shifted uncomfortably, though he could not hide his arousal. She approached him slowly. She pulled on the threads in his mind, urging him closer. His musky scent grew stronger as his desire increased, but her desire was not for the man but for the pulsing in his chest. Her fingers reached to stroke his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heart. He leaned down to her, willingly offering himself to her whim. She found his neck and punctured the skin.

  His thoughts flared with pain, but only for a second. Soon, the euphoria set in, and he relaxed under her embrace. She felt the hot liquid fill her mouth and dance upon her tongue. It was rich and satisfying, filled with life. The fire consumed her, filling her, driving her mad. She wanted more and drank deeply.

  Alyssa, stop.

  Nevar's voice in her head was enough to draw her out of her trance and she closed the wound on his neck. She pulled the strings in his mind, and he suddenly remembered he had somewhere to be. He left her without saying a word and only a faint memory that she had ever existed.

  "You're getting a little too daring," Nevar told her. "It's not safe to change their thoughts the way you did."

  "I don't know why, but I knew what I was doing. I did it right, didn't I? He'll be a little less arrogant, maybe, but he should be himself otherwise."

  "I am not one to alter personalities, but you managed to distort his memories in an acceptable manner." He turned from her and walked a few paces away.

  "I'm sorry, Nevar," she apologized. "I didn't think I was harming him. His mind sickened me."

  "It's the risk you take when you reach into the minds of others. You didn't hurt him. You probably did him a favor, but it's not something you should make a habit of doing." He sighed, as if resigning himself. The walls around his mind came down. He had seen his mind as well, and he shared her disgust, but then, he had seen it all too many times. It was all still so new to her, but therein lies the danger. Had she pulled the wrong threads, even slightly, an entire lifetime could have been lost, regardless of its quality.

  "I do not wish to sound cross with you, but it is not our place to interfere with their lives. Look what happened when I interfered with yours. It never ends well." He stepped closer and brushed her cheek with the flesh of his fingertips. He did not want her to feel like a scolded child; she was anything but. His respect for the lives of humans was enormous. It was no wonder in all his years that she had been the only slip of his control.

  The walls snapped shut once more and she wondered what thoughts he was so desperate to keep hidden. "I understand, Nevar. I shouldn't have tried to change him." She bit her lip. Despite his thoughts to the contrary, she did feel like a scolded child. He had told her already about the dangers of altering memories, and yet, she had done it anyway.

  Perhaps her clarity of thought wasn't quite as clear as she thought. The newness of what she was had not yet worn off. She, like her arrogant prey, had been overly confident in her abilities and that was dangerous. Her head hung in embarrassment and she could not meet Nevar's gaze. She was ashamed that she had judged the crimes of another, but was guilty of the same.

  His eyes softened as he looked at her. He gave her a gentle smile and then he motioned for her to come closer. Eager to appease him, she obliged. "Since you are so eager to test what you can do, it's high time you learned this properly, before you try on your own."

  "What do I need to learn?" Her curiosity was piqued.

  "You must learn to transform. You've probably heard stories and seen the movies in which our kind can change into bats and you've seen me change into mist to travel faster. As far as changing into an animal form goes, it varies greatly from one vampire to another. The reason is not known, although it is generally accepted that the personality of the vampire determines their animal form. There are a few that believe the transformation represents what attributes are most needed at the time of change."

  "I thought changing into a bat was a myth. So, humans got a few things right, after all."

  He chuckled,
and a mischievous gleam shone in his eyes. He held out his arms and then closed his eyes. She watched intently as his body shrank and twisted. His color grew darker and his hair reformed over him. He was as black as night from his head to his feet. He shrank out of his clothes and they fell to the floor. Nevar flapped his wings and flew to her shoulder, his wingtips brushing her face as he landed. He turned on her shoulder, his clawed feet just barely scratching her shoulder. He was the most beautiful raven she had ever seen.

  Nevar is not my real name. It's something of a nom de plume. It was given to me by Xander when he saw me change. My real name is Nicholas Guile, but I prefer Nevar, if you don't mind. I left my name behind when I left my old life.

  The raven dipped his head and stretched out his wings once more. He flew from her shoulder, tossing a few strands of hair back with the force of his wings. She expected him to land, but instead, his body twisted and re-formed, stretching out flesh and the feathers retreating. Then, he stood there, his back to her. He was beautiful naked, even the scar etched across his shoulder blade added to his beauty, rather than subtracting from it. She caught herself staring and turned away, embarrassed, but was tempted to keep looking.

  "You are a shy one, or else a rare modest soul among your generation," he spoke from behind her.

  "I..., ah," she stammered, "a little of both, I suppose. I could never do nude modeling. People assumed my standards were above it, but that was only part of it." She was still a little breathless after seeing him in his rawest form. The picture of his strong legs, perfect butt, and rippling back sent a shiver down her spine and an ache in her that cried out to be satisfied. Once again, she fought to reign in the beast. She wasn't sure how long she could win this fight, eventually, the beast would win the war.

  His hands surprised her as they lighted upon her shoulders. She jumped and he laughed quietly. "It's lesson time."

  She took a deep breath, a rather unnecessary gesture, but effective in calming her and bringing the beast back under once more. "I'm ready. Tell me what I need to do."

  "No transforming tonight," he said. "At least not an animal form. Tonight, you learn to travel on your own."

  She was a little disappointed. Mist seemed like something of a let-down after Nevar's transformation, but it made more sense. If she could travel unaided, it would give her more freedom, and at least she knew what she would be turning into, not to mention she wouldn't lose her clothes in the process. She thought of being naked in front of Nevar with his strong hands on her bare skin. The beast reared its ugly head again and she shook her head to clear it.

  "Alyssa? Are you ready?"

  "Yes, sorry, Nevar. I'm just trying to clear my thoughts. There's still a little lingering chaos in my mind." It was a good lie, she thought. The fact was, her mind was all too clear.

  "That's not uncommon," he told her, seemingly unaware of her fib. "Now, when your mind is clear, think of where you want to go. See it in your mind and focus on it. When you've got a clear picture of it, then you can use your mind to make yourself lighter than air. I'll be here to help guide you."

  The first place that she thought of was home, her penthouse, her soft bed and the view from her balcony. She thought of the plush rugs draped on the floors and the way she relished how they felt beneath her bare feet.

  You're lighter than air...

  She wasn't sure if she heard it, or if she imagined it. Her eyes closed and she stretched her mind, willing herself to float above the air, but the weightless sensation never came.

  Let it come. Do not force it.

  She relaxed into herself. She tried to picture herself as a cloud, floating up and riding the winds, and looking down on the world. The destination was easy. She could have pointed out the building from a plane, her keener vision could have pinpointed the exact suite. it was the tallest building around, and the only one with an Olympic size swimming pool on top.

  Open your eyes, Alyssa.

  She did. She was weightless. Her senses were as aware as ever, but there was no substance to her being. The city lights shone like stars beneath her. She could feel Nevar's presence behind her still. She spotted the building she was looking for. She was unsure of how to descend towards it, but she focused on her destination, rather than the journey. She felt she was getting heavier. That was it! To ascend, she must be lighter than air, and to descend, she must slowly weigh herself down. She did no want to become solid too quickly, but she felt herself gather from vapor into mist, and finally into almost a thick cloud, laden with moisture. Her balcony came into view and she directed them towards it.

  When they hovered just above it, she drew herself up and returned to her fully solid form. The feeling of gravity weighing heavily on her was lessened by the fact that she was expecting and controlling it. It was really easier than she had imagined it. It probably required very little thought once the process was mastered. She picked up the faint scent of new leather and men's cologne. She recognized it as Xander instantly. She was amazed that even two days later his scent still lingered in the air and even more so that she picked up on it.

  Alyssa found her way to her balcony door, which was locked. Ugh, and she didn't have her keys. She had seen Nevar slip through doors before. She should be able to as well. She didn't need to ascend, just hover. She was light. Her form was fading. She wasn't sure if it was happening as she thought it, or if she thought it as it was happening. She dissolved into mist and found the cracks in the doorframe. Once on the other side, she gathered herself and let gravity pull her once more as her body solidified. She unlocked the door for Nevar and stood back to let him enter. He seemed proud as he looked at her.

  "You catch on very quickly," he said. "I would be afraid to cross you."

  "Why is that?" She didn't understand how he had gone from complimenting her to being afraid of her.

  "If you learn this quickly, you could be very dangerous. It takes most vampires a decade or two to transform, and you are not even a week made. You could be very dangerous, indeed. Your demeanor seems to suggest otherwise, although, I saw the flash of anger in you before when I was on the receiving end. I would prefer not to be your target."

  "I have no desire to bring harm to you, Nevar."

  He averted his eyes, as if he could not bear to look at her. "You have plenty of reason to want to harm me, whether you intend to or not. I destroyed any chance of a normal life for you. I have cut short your career. What's worse, you will have to watch as everyone you have ever loved grows old and dies, while you remain, unchanged and unable to die. I have lived it. It might have been better for you to have passed on instead of choosing this life." He paused for a moment, then turned back to look at her again. "Why did you drink from me?"

  His eyes were soft, but demanded answers. The question was simple enough, but the answer was much more complex. She had been in a haze when he gave her the choice. She wasn't afraid of death, she just wasn't ready to go. "Self-preservation," she said. "There was so much left that I wanted to do. I suppose it wasn't my time yet, at least, I didn't want it to be time." She paused a moment before adding, "You could have just let me die if you felt so badly about turning me."

  "I would have felt worse if I had been the cause of your death. Given my options, I took the lesser sin of turning you. I feel badly that I lost control of myself. I know what I have put you through already, and your road has barely begun. Having you with me is a pleasure, one I feel guilty for, but a pleasure nonetheless. Each accomplishment of yours sends a thrill through me like I have never felt before. I have been alone for so long, I had forgotten the simple pleasure of conversation."

  She was flattered by his words. Who was this man, this vampire? So charismatic, and eloquent that he made her knees weak, even in this new, stronger body. She opened her mouth to say something when she heard her cell phone ringing. It was on her bedside table, where she had left it on the charger. She walked over to check the caller ID. It read "Jessie T Foxx", her agent. With a nervous look at Nevar,
she touched the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"

  "Alyssa! Oh thank God! I've been calling all day! Where have you been? I was about to file a missing persons report on you! I've been out of my mind all day!"

  "Jessie, calm down. I didn't want the press to know where I was. I spent the night in the country with a friend of mine. Now, what's going on that you were calling me for?"

  "A night in the country? A friend of yours? You know I don't believe that. I don't care who you're sleeping with, but I'd better not see it on the front page of the tabloids!"

  "It's not like that, Jessie. Now please, tell me why you called?"

  "Oh! You are not going to believe this! You've heard that Penelope is expecting, haven't you?"

  She hadn't, of course. It must have been announced while she was at Nevar's. "No, I must have missed that."

  "Well, she was supposed to star in Harris' new movie in a couple of months, but now she won't be able to because there's no way she can hide her growing belly. She decided to back out of the cast and now they want you to take her place!"

  Excitement shot through her but before she opened her mouth to let out a squeal of joy, a wave of shock rolled over her like a dark cloud. How the hell was she going to be able to star in a movie when she couldn't even stand to look at the sun without sunglasses on? They would certainly understand or explain away never seeing her eat, although possibly giving her a reputation as having an eating disorder, but the sunlight was more problematic. Harris' movie was supposed to be set in the Bahamas, which would explain why a pregnancy was impossible to hide. There just wasn't enough wardrobe.

  "He wants me? As the lead?"

  "You got it! Just say the word and I'll get right on it. You'll be on set by the end of the month. He wants you to do a screen test first, as a formality, you know, but it's just so they have something to use in the DVD/Blu-Ray bonus features."

  She was awe-struck, but also terrified. Had she gotten this call yesterday, there would not have been even the slightest hesitation. As things stood now, however, she had to pause for thought. "I'd like to think it over, Jess. I had thought maybe I would prefer to play the antagonist role in my next film, but I'm very tempted. Just give me until tomorrow evening. I'll let you know then what I decide."