Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness) (32 page)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Silvie took form in a suite that overlooked the Las Vegas strip. It was 4 a.m. here and the street below hurried with life. She took in a breath and relaxed, the scent of sandalwood settling in her lungs.

She had been here numerous times, which probably classified her as a stalker. Then again, Gannon was never home when she visited so it wasn’t as if she were spying on him. She had to admit the thought had crossed her mind. The vampire was yummy and completely off limits.

Rule number one: a priestess is to remain chaste.

She fell back on the black leather sofa. The room was simply decorated. Rustic wood furnishings, a colorful hand woven rug covered the dark hardwood floors. There were no pictures on the walls, only a large mirror that hung over the fireplace and an enormous flat screen that loomed in front of her. The place could use a woman’s touch.

She shrugged out of her heavy robe, tossed it beside her and leaned back. It felt wonderful to be rid of the stifling garment. She stretched, enjoying the freedom of movement, confined only by her jeans and tank top.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her head back into the leather cushion and welcomed the silence.

Home had become chaotic. Everyone had a million questions for her all about what their future holds. She was not a damn fortuneteller. She was a seer, a high priestess and the heir to the Shaman, although most of her tribe was not privy to that last item on her responsibility list. They assumed the Shaman would elect reincarnation again, as he had for the last thirteen thousand years.

Damn, everyone was in for the shock of the century. Her uncle, the Shaman was retiring. He would finally move on to the next place and he had selected her to be his heir. Upon his death all of his knowledge, power, and memories, would be passed to her. Their magic would combine and, well, she did not know much after that. She had asked him what was to become of her and, like always, he shared little. He had said he had been waiting for her, accumulating strength and building his magic knowing that one day he would gift it to her. She was destined to be the most powerful witch the world had ever seen.

Oh, yay, that is exactly what I want
.

Silvie groaned. She wanted nothing to do with his plans, but Fate had already cast her for the role, and she was in way too deep to get out.

She needed a break. She needed to unwind and release her stress. She needed to just be…herself. Silvie. A normal twenty-four year old who liked to shop, dance, and lay out in the sun with a tiny umbrella in her drink.

This suite had become her sanctuary. She had cast a spell to whisk her away to the place she would find peace and it had brought her to Gannon’s home.

She had only met him once, but the man certainly left an impression. The instant their eyes had met, he tripped over a line of chairs, disrupting Dimitri and Kerstyn’s wedding. They had talked that night, enjoyed a few drinks and danced to a song or two.

Okay, seven. It had been seven songs.

And at the end of the night, they went their separate ways. She had not seen him for almost two months even though she came here at least once a week. Silvie knew she should stop, that it was not right to roam around a stranger’s home. But, for some unexplainable reason, this was the one place she could go without her uncle summoning her. It could be time for her training or lesson, but if she were here he left her alone.

Silvie heard a gun cock. Her eyelids flipped open. She had not sensed Gannon’s presence, but he had picked up on hers.

He rounded the corner, pistol drawn.

Silvie scrambled to her feet. Her heart plummeted to the floor.

“Holy shit,” he exclaimed, dropping his hand.

“I–I’m sorry.”
Busted.
Fire spread through her cheeks and she wished she were anywhere but here. “I’ll go.”

“No. Wait,” Gannon called as she began to fade. He dropped the clip from the gun and set the pieces on the side table. He could not get the weapon out of his hand fast enough.

Silvie released a heavy sigh and took form once more. She sat on the couch, head in her hands, her hair spilled forward, hiding her face. She was too embarrassed to look at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you said that,” Gannon said. He removed his thick, black, leather jacket and draped it over the back of a recliner.

Silvie peeked up at him and stifled a moan. The vampire was even more devastatingly sexy than she remembered. His black hair framed a strong jaw line. His hazel eyes appeared to be more green than brown at the moment. And all that muscle, god, she could swoon. His shirt hugged his torso and showed off every hard line.

“You here on business?” he asked.

Silvie considered lying about her reason for coming. She had seen enough of Gannon’s and his boss, Gabriel’s, future to play out that scenario.

“I needed to get away,” she admitted.

“And you came here,” he added, his brow furrowed with confusion.

“I did a spell and it brought me here.”

“Did you know this was my place?” he asked, suddenly worried she could have arrived at any random person’s house.

“I saw you leaving.”
The first night I had come here
, she thought.

He nodded and removed his gun hostler, setting it in the seat of the recliner.

“So, why are you here?”

Silvie brushed her hair over her shoulder and finally met his gaze. Gannon’s steps stuttered as he came to the couch. God, she was stunning. Her pale skin was flawless and her dark eyes sparkled like diamonds. Her red lips were thin but perfectly kissable.

“I was searching for a safe place to escape to and, well, here I am.”

His heart kicked into gear, heat spreading through his chest. He told himself her appearance was most likely an accident, but a man could wish.

“Drama?”

“Yeah, I suppose you heard of the peace meeting the Shaman had called.”

She held her breath as he lowered down onto the couch. Could he have managed to sit any further away?

“We caught some mumbles about that. How’d it go?”

“As well as to be expected,” Silvie sighed. She grabbed her cloak and placed it in her lap.
Maybe he will move closer now
, she thought. Then frowned.
No. He needed to stay exactly where he was.
“I should not have come here.”

“I’m glad you did.” Gannon bit his tongue. The woman had just got done saying she came here to escape drama. He did not need to add to it. But damn, he couldn’t think of anything other than kissing those luscious red lips.

She smiled and he nearly launched himself across the sofa.

“Well, I’ve been here too long and you need to pack.”

Gannon’s brow wrinkled. Pack? Why did he need to pack? Where was he going?

“Oh, shit,” he exclaimed, then slapped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry.”

Silvie waved her hand dismissively. “Like I care.”

“How did you know that Gabriel and I are leaving?”

She tapped her temple. “I’m a seer, remember? The two of you are heading out to Colorado to check up on that woman in the photo.”

Gannon rubbed his palms over his knees. Gabriel had found the picture of a beautiful young woman hanging in the empty cell of a slave warehouse. She had been the next victim on the vampire’s list. Having been a bleeder and slave during his mortal life, Gabriel had become obsessed with finding and protecting the woman.

“I’m going to get out of here. It was nice seeing you and thanks for letting me chill at your place, even though you didn’t know I was here,” she said, crimson creeping into her cheeks.

“You can come by any time. I don’t mind.” The words came out in a rush.

“Thanks.”

Silvie stood and shook out her cloak. Gannon moved to help her slip the heavy garment back on. Their fingers brushed, a light caress that made his skin tingle and her eyes flicker.

Her breath seized in her lungs as images of the future hit her like a bullet to the brain. The scene was clear, the colors, sounds, tastes and textures bombarded her senses. Silvie saw herself here, in Gannon’s home. She was lying before the fireplace. Flames jumped and excitedly devoured something…red? Gannon was beside her, his finger stroking her face, her neck, her breasts, and then lower. Their clothes lay scattered about the room, completely forgotten. His mouth came down on hers as he shifted, settling himself between her legs.

The vision released her and Silvie stumbled back, falling to the couch once more. Her heart slammed in her chest, her lungs burned for oxygen.

Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god,
she chanted, rocking back and forth, clutching her robe to her chest.

“No. That can’t happen. It can’t.”

“Are you okay?” Gannon asked, falling to his knees before her. She continued to stare at the floor, her eyes unfocused as she swayed. “Silvie,” he said as gently as he could. She did not respond. He called to her again, but still, nothing.

Gannon brushed her hair away from her face. The contact slapped her out of her shock. She flinched and scrambled away from him.

Her eyes were wide and wild. She slowly backed away from him. She looked terrified. What had she seen? What could have caused this reaction?

“Silvie, are you—”

She was gone before he finished.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Another growl, a matching snarl, the sound of kissing metal grew louder as Eva rushed down the stairs. Covering her ears with her hands, she used her shoulder to shove open the door to the gym.

Hadrian’s head whipped around. His black eyes were wild as they narrowed on her. She choked on a scream as Falcon swung his blade. The king’s gaze never wavered, he did not blink, nor did he wince when the razor’s edge of the Falcon’s sword sliced a perfect line from the corner of his eye to the tip of his chin. Blood welled and ran down his cheek to drip from his jaw. The tiny crimson droplets landed on his smooth bare chest.

“Oh–my–god,” Eva gasped. She pulled free the towel she had hastily fastened over her bikini and rushed forward.

Hadrian stood rooted to the stone floor, unable to tear his eyes from Eva or find his voice.

If they were alone, he would lay her down on the mats and take great pleasure in untying the straps of her top, freeing her ample breasts. He would trail kisses down her flat belly. Using his teeth he would drag the bottoms over her hips and down her shapely legs, leaving her beautiful golden skin bare to him.

He stifled a groan, cleared his throat, and thanked every Roman god he had once worshipped, that he was wearing loose workout shorts.

“Please,” he said, his voice rougher than he wanted. “This is nothing. No need to worry.”

Her steps slowed, but she continued to come towards him. Hadrian nonchalantly wiped his face with the palm of his hand, smearing the blood, revealing perfectly flawlessly pale skin.

“No need to worry,” he repeated, “Thank you for your concern.”

Falcon sheathed his weapon. “My king, I apologize.”

Hadrian shook his head. “No harm done. It was my fault, I lost focus.”

Eva inwardly groaned. She had caused his distraction by barging through the door.

“I’m sorry about interrupting your sparing match. Here,” she held her towel out to Hadrian, “you can wipe off the blood.”

He gave her a grateful nod and took her offering. He rubbed the cloth across his chest, his muscles flexing.

“Well, carry on,” she said.

Turning on her heel, she slipped out the door and sprinted back up the stairs to the pool. It was a miracle she did not stub her bare toes.

Eva cursed and grabbed the second towel she had brought down with her, intending to use it for her hair. She stomped back over to the hot tub and sank into the water, resuming her seat, using the new towel as a pillow.

“That wasn’t embarrassing at all,” she sighed.

What had she been thinking? She was practically naked and had charged down to investigate what sounded like a fight. She should have known better than to barge into a vampire-sparing match. She could have easily become a target or worse, a victim. And what if it had not been Hadrian and Falcon? The castle was beginning to fill with their Clan members. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the coronation ceremony, which was tomorrow night.

Tomorrow would be her last night at Palatio Nocte and her last night with Hadrian.

It had been three days since their return of Estonia. For three days they had barely spoken. Only spying glimpses of each other in the great hall and library. She had hoped Hadrian would come to her room at night. He never did. Maybe he was worried about what his Clan thought. How would the nobles react if they learned their king had been sleeping with a witch-shifter half-breed?

Eva shook her head. She could not imagine Hadrian caring about what the nobles had to say.

Last night, she had gone to his room. She had waited for him, but he never came. She awoke late this afternoon, curled in his bed. Irritated beyond belief, she had stormed to her room, changed, and literally beat the sand out of a punching bag. To relax, she decided to take a dip in the hot tub and here she was.

She had not been surprised to find Hadrian and Falcon together. Ever since they had returned, the two of them spent every moment together. She knew they had been preparing for the coronation and training for the fight Hadrian would have with some guy named Jefferson. Eva reluctantly admitted she was jealous of their bromance.

She smiled to herself as she poked at a cluster of floating bubbles. Bromance was one of her new favorite slang words. She had recently picked it up, knowing she would be out in the “normal” world soon; she doubled her efforts to modernize.

Her smile faded as her thoughts turned serious. She still had yet to decide where she was going to go. With Silvie’s help, she had gotten in contact with her uncle. He had offered for her to come live with him. He had a small apartment in Tallinn that they could share. She had been surprised to learn that he had not married in the past nine years. He was such a nice, genuine man. When they had spoken, she could hear the loneliness and hope in his voice.

Her other option was returning to Florida. Her uncle had agreed to move with her. He was a well-known martial arts instructor and he could easily open another studio. She would work for him and go back to school. If she studied hard, she was confident she could make it into medical school and finally become a pediatrician. She did have all the time in the world. Literally. Thanks to Hadrian, she would live forever. Eva knew she would need a really good job and to learn how to invest successfully if she were going to live comfortably throughout eternity.

She slipped further beneath the water, submerging her shoulders.

The honest truth was, she did not want to leave.

“Damn it.”

“Damn what?”

Eva shivered despite the hot water. His voice was unmistakable and she cursed her body for instantly responding.

“I was just thinking out loud,” she said. “Did anyone teach you it isn’t polite to eavesdrop?”

Hadrian smiled as he came to stand beside the in-ground hot tub. Eva craned her neck back. The vampire towered over her normally. He was good foot and some inches taller than her. But from here, he looked like a giant—A very sexy giant, who wore nothing but shorts and running shoes.

“Sorry for busting in on you guys like that.”

“I’m glad you did.” He slipped his shoes and socks off.

Oh, no. Was he planning on getting in the water?

“Why?” she asked.

“You distracted me.”

Eva held her breath as he stepped in. He was so close.

“Isn’t th–that a bad thing?” she stammered.

He shrugged. “You have the power to distract me.”

His velvet voice turned her heart over. She silently cursed.

“Noted,” she said. “I’ll be sure to stand in the back when you face your challenger.”

Hadrian reclined back, his arms spanning over the tiled edged of the tub. He looked like a Roman god at his bath and Eva found it impossible to look away.

“I’m sorry, we have not had much time together—”

“It’s fine, I understand. You are a popular guy and I know you have a lot to do.”

“I would like us to talk.”

“We are talking now.”

He gave a stiff nod. “Falcon told me the priestess gave you a letter from your mother.”

Eva sighed, the air easing out of her lungs as her muscles relaxed. She had not noticed the tension that had tightened her shoulders.

“It was a letter my mom had written to my uncle.”

“Your uncle, the man you lived with in Rio de Janeiro?”

“Yeah, she wanted advice.” Eva idly pushed the bubbles around, forming shapes and designs. “She had asked him if she should tell me I was part witch. She did not want me to feel…like a freak.  Being a human-shifter half-breed was already rare. A witch-shifter combination was unheard of.”

When Eva had read the words she could feel her mother’s terror. Everyday her mom had watched her, wondering and worrying if her daughter would experience the change. If so, would she survive? It was a miracle the two of them had even lived through the birth. If it had not been for Jenna, a skilled healer and witch, they would have died.

Eva was amazed by how she had not noticed the stress her mother was in. Growing up, she had been completely oblivious.

“You have been speaking with your uncle.”

It was not a question, but a statement and Eva nodded. Before leaving Estonia she had asked Silvie to get her in contact with her uncle. She still had yet to see him, but hearing his voice over the phone was wonderful.

“He has been able to answer a lot of my questions. My mother never wanted me to worry about the change, especially since she did not know if it was even a possibility.” Eva’s hands began to tremble. “You must know there was no way my father was unaware of my mom being a witch.”

“Yes. It was one of the most troubling pieces of your story.”

“Well, he didn’t know about me until we moved back to Brazil. The informants he keeps in Rio told him about the Shaw witches that were in the city. He came, recognized my mother and realized I was his daughter.”

Hadrian nodded. The story sounded plausible. Shifters could sense their own kind and, if Arsenio had gotten close enough to Eva, he would have felt their blood bond.

“My uncle doesn’t know why the alpha came for me. Maybe he was afraid of him taking me to the Shaw.”

“It is forbidden for shifters to mate with others outside their pack. Generally, exceptions are made of humans since offspring, if conceived, has a very low chance of living.”

“What would’ve happened if the found out?”

He shrugged. “He could have been stripped of his title and banished. If banished, he would not survive long. He has many enemies.”

Eva shifted, bringing her legs up onto the seat.  The tops of her knees stuck out of the water. “My uncle had wanted to go after me.”

Hadrian’s gaze grew sharp. “Why didn’t he?”

“He would’ve needed the permission of the Shaman to engage in a dispute with the shifters.”

“He was denied.”

Eva slowly nodded. God, her life would have been so different if she had remained with her uncle. They would have moved back to the Shaw compound in Estonia and lived quiet, peaceful lives.

But I would have never met Hadrian
, she thought.

Despite their roller coaster of a relationship, if it could even be called a relationship, she would not have traded it for “normal.” She loved him even though she knew it was foolish. Yes, she sensed he had some feelings for her, but he still wanted her to leave. Did he still think he was protecting her?

She sighed and wrapped her hands about her knees. She did not know his motives and she probably never would. Silvie had made a good argument, stating it would be better for Hadrian if she stayed. Presenting Eva as his mate would make for a smoother transition back into his Clan. But the fact remained that he had not asked her stay and was practically shoving her out the door.

Silvie’s words circled through her head again.
Don’t over think this. That is what Hadrian will do. Allow your emotions and instincts to guide you. They are never wrong.
Well, she was doing a terrible job at not overthinking this. And how could she possibly follow her emotions and instincts when they were as messy as a kitchen junk drawer.

“Eva?”

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and turned her gaze to him. “What?”

“Are you going to go live with your uncle?”

“I think so.”

His arms dropped into the water. The muscles of his arms and chest flexed. Was he clenching his hands?

“That’s good. You should be with family. You belong with them.”

“And not with you,” she finished his thought.

Why did his words make her feel as if a knife had just been plunged into her heart?

Mine
, her instincts whispered.
No, not mine. He will never be mine. He won’t allow himself to be mine.

She felt her tears rising. She had to leave. She could not cry in front of him.

Eva pushed herself to her feet and snatched the towel. She was about to step out, but his fingers circled her wrists. She did not turn to him. She could not look at him. Not now.

“I’ve got a date with a book,” she said, proud her voice did not tremble.  “And Falcon will probably need you soon.”

“Falcon is nursing a few injuries and…I asked him to give us some time.”

“Well, I hope he is okay and I know your time is valuable so I won’t keep you.”

She tried to pull free, but he would not let her go. Eva sighed.

“What is it Hadrian?”