about getting felt up by Shaun. “I
got bored and was wandering
around in the French Quarter and
found a Voodoo shop.”
“You simply happened upon it?”
The man asked.
“No. A photographer
recommended I check it out.”
“Who was the photographer?”
“Harold something. He had a
shop on Royal Street, but he’s not
there anymore. I met his son
though.”
“Based on the suggestion of a
complete stranger you walked into
a Voodoo shop.” The elder didn’t
hide his disbelief.
“It was a tourist trap kind of
place. It’s not like I went to a
witch’s house or anything.”
“Continue.” He waved me on.
“The witch said she had just the
thing for me, and she put the paste
on my forehead. She called it
Seduction’s Kiss.”
“Again, you allowed a woman
you didn’t know to put a paste on
you?” Instead of disbelief, his
expression had become one of
disapproval.
“I was young and stupid. Is that
what you want to hear?”
“No. I don’t want to hear
anything but the true story.”
“Yes, I allowed it. I thought it
was just a touristy thing.”
“What happened next?”
“I went out on Halloween night
with a guy who turned out to be a
vampire stripper.”
The elder raised an eyebrow. “A
vampire stripper?”
Arabella laughed, and the man
gave her a stern glare.
“I apologize, Abe.” She bowed
her head. Evidently he was the
leader.
“Yes. And he introduced me to
more vampires, and I ended up
being dragged back to their nest in
a body bag. As did my friends.”
“And what did they do to you at
their nest?” Arabella appeared more
interested now. I guess I was
entertaining her.
“The leader tried to drain me,
but I was saved by a Pteron.” I
smiled thinking of Owen.
“A Pteron happened to find
you?” Abe raised an eyebrow.
“It turns out he’d noticed me
previously, although he hadn’t
shown it.”
“So you’d met the Pteron
before?” Arabella asked.
“Unofficially.” I started to sweat.
I felt like I was standing under hot
lights.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Abe
questioned. “I told you we needed
the full story.”
“I didn’t think that mattered.”
“The whole truth means the
whole truth, not the things you
think are important.” Abe leaned
back in his chair.
“Well, then I was also felt up by
the roommate of my friend’s ex. Is
that important?”
He nodded. “Maybe to your
state of mind.”
“I don’t want to be this.” I
gestured to myself. “I want to be
human. I want to go back to my
normal life.” I’d had enough of the
interrogation. I needed to know if I
had a chance of convincing them to
help.
“But with Owen.” Roland
grunted.
“Who’s Owen?” Arabella asked.
“Her Pteron savior. Whom she
professes to love.” Roland’s voice
dripped with sarcasm.
“Something else she failed to
mention.” Arabella tapped her nails
on her armrest.
“I hadn’t gotten that far.”
“You had. You were telling us
you wanted to go back to your
normal life.”
“Why don’t you want the gift?”
Another male elder addressed me.
“Doesn’t immortality and power
appeal to you?”
I shook my head. “Love and
happiness appeal more.”
“Love of this Pteron?” Abe
questioned.
“Yes, and my family.”
“But does this Pteron even love
you?” Arabella asked with a hint of
a smile. “Maybe he finds you
amusing, a fun distraction. Is he
worthy of your love?”
“Yes.” I didn’t hesitate. I knew
his feelings were genuine, and he
was definitely worthy. “He loves
me, and I love him.”
“How do you know he loves
you?” Arabella leaned forward.
“Because he’s waiting for me in
the valley. He came all the way
here for me.”
“Are you sure? Maybe he had
other reasons to desire entry to our
home.” Arabella caught Abe’s eye.
“He didn’t. I’m tired of people
trying to convince me of everyone
else’s ulterior motives. Some people
actually do things because they
care.”
“Like Violet?” Roland turned to
me. “You still think that’s why she’s
here?”
“That doesn’t really matter.
She’s here. She brought me here. In
the end that’s what matters.”
“Is it?” Roland’s eyes were cold
as he leaned in close to whisper in
my ear. “What if the Elders won’t
help you because of her?”’
I let out a deep breath. I could
handle this. “The Elders’ decision to
help me or not will have little to do
with Violet.”
“Correct. You do have intelligent
things to say when you stop asking
questions.” Arabella beamed at me.
I jumped at the opening. “Can
you stop the change? Can you make
me human again?”
“They won’t destroy the
essence. They can’t.” Roland turned
his back to me.
“You are both right.” Abe caught
my eye. “We can stop the change,
but we must not destroy the
essence.”
“Then what will you do?” Violet
asked calmly.
“That depends.” Abe kept his
eyes on mine.
“Depends?”
“On how much Daisy and what
was the Pteron’s name?” He waved
his hand again.
“Owen,” I quickly supplied.
“Owen. On how much Daisy and
Owen value their love.”
“What do you mean?” I asked
nervously.
“I don’t remember my human
life well, but I remember love.” Abe
leaned back and broke eye contact.
“I will know the real thing when I
see it.”
“It’s real.” I stepped toward the
elders. “It’s completely real.”
“I’m sure you think so, but I’ll
have to see you together.”
“I’ll get him.” Violet nodded.
“Wait, you’re leaving already?” I
wanted her to get Owen for me, but
I felt nervous about being left
alone.
“I’m here.” Roland smirked.
“Why would it matter if she left?”
“Because you don’t want me to
stop the change. You aren’t on my
side.” I stomped my foot.
“I’m always on your side.” His
expression didn’t change.
“I won’t be long, if permission to
bring the Pteron is granted.” Violet
bowed slightly.
“Permission granted.” Abe
nodded. “But use haste.”
“I will.” Violet hurried out of the
room.
“I would like to talk to the girl
alone.” Arabella stood up. “Come
with me.”
“Now?” I’d been hoping to wait
for Owen. I couldn’t wait to see him
and prove we were truly in love.
They’d have to see it. It was so
strong anyone would be able to.
“Yes, what other time would I
mean? You really should stop
asking questions.” She flipped her
long blond hair off her shoulder.
“Okay.”
I followed the tall woman, she
was well over six-feet, away from
the chairs. She walked outside into
a courtyard area.
“Have you thought things out?
Are you sure you know what you’re
doing?” She stopped in front of a
stone fountain situated between
two Japanese maple trees.
“I don’t want to change.”
“But why? And do you
understand what you’ll be giving
up?” She sat on the edge of the
fountain. “Although you did not
initially consent to become an
Allure, you should be fully informed
before you decide to forgo your
gift.”
“No offense, but being an Allure
doesn’t excite me as much as it
seems to excite everyone else.”
“Sit,” she ordered.
“Ok.” I sat down next to her,
leaving plenty of space.
She nodded in approval. “Has
anyone explained the power?’
“The manipulation?” It wasn’t a
good ability to have. “Yes.”
“There’s more than that. So
much more than that. So many
secrets left to share with you.” Her
eyes twinkled.
“I don’t want to know the
secrets.”
“Yes you do.” She leaned toward
me. “I can tell. It’s in your eyes, in
the way you hold yourself. You’re
desperate to know more, to fully
change, but you’re scared.”
I shook my head. “I’m not giving
up my humanity.”
“Why? Because of a Pteron who
will forget you? For your family
you’ve barely mentioned? What
reasons?” She crossed her legs.
“For those and more. I have my
whole life left to live.” I stood up.
“My whole life.”
“And being an Allure will be
more than a life. It will be an
eternity. You can live any life you
want over and over,” she jumped to
her feet.
“It doesn’t count if I’m not
human. It doesn’t count at all.”
Nothing she could tell me would
change my mind.
“Why not? What is it about
being human that makes it
different?” She leaned back on her
hands.
“Everything.”
“Like?” She twirled hair around
her perfectly manicured finger.
“Being able to feel. What’s the
point of experiencing anything if
you can’t feel it?” I’d never thought
about the importance of emotion
before I started to change, but now
it was everything. I realized I would
be nothing but a shell of myself
without it. No one would be.
“You can still feel things. You
can still feel the adrenaline rush
when you jump out of a plane. You
can still feel the heat of the sun
when you lie on the beach. You can
smell the intoxicating scents of
exotic cuisines. You can feel the
wind, hear the birds.” She stood
and twirled around like a child.
“But that isn’t emotion. That’s
not what I mean.”
“The surge from manipulating
replaces your need for emotions. I
promise. Who needs their own joy,
when you can use it?” She smiled
broadly. “It’s better that way. You
can choose what emotions you
touch and experience. The power
and control is in your hands.”
“It matters to me. I want to feel
joy and love. I even want to feel
pain if it’s for the right reasons.
That’s what being human means,
and that’s who I am.”
She shifted her weight from one
high heeled clad foot to the other.
“Sex is still sex when it’s with your
maker, or the one you make.” She
ran her teeth over her lip. “In case
that’s what’s holding you back.”
Had she been listening to a
word I said? Did she really think it
was all about sex? Even if it was,
which it wasn’t, she was wrong.
“Physically, but not emotionally.”
“With your maker it’s emotional.
It’s one of the few exceptions.”
“I don’t have a maker.” And
everyone knew it. That’s what
made my situation so strange and
made me wonder if they really
would ever welcome me into the
fold as an Allure.
“Not technically, but you share
the bond with Roland. It will work
the same way.” She stepped toward
me. “He knows it. Why do you think
he’s being so pushy?”
“That has nothing to do with it,
and either way, I don’t want to
have sex or be with anyone but
Owen.”
“Why?” She seemed genuinely
curious.
“Because I love him.”
“Why? And is that love truly
stronger than your desire for
immortality?” She sat back down in
the same spot she’d been in. I
hoped she didn’t ask me to sit,
because I couldn’t. I had too many
nerves coursing through me to sit
down.
“Yes. I have no desire to live
forever. None.”
“Everyone does to some
degree.”
“I don’t. I don’t want to die now.
I want to live a long life and grow
old. With Owen. I want to have
children and grandchildren and
watch them grow older.” Having
kids wasn’t something I planned to
do soon, but it was still something I
wanted someday.
“Why?” She leaned in. “Do you
say that because it’s what you think
you’re supposed to say?”
“No, it’s what I know. What I
feel.”
“But your feelings are just that.
Feelings. They are fleeting and
easily changed.” She glanced
behind her into the pool of the
fountain. She smiled, and I realized
she was checking her reflection.
“I don’t want to live forever, and
I don’t want to live if I can’t feel.”
She turned back around. “You’re
going to change your mind.”
“I’m not.” I crossed my arms.
The action reminded me I was
standing in a simple white robe.
Why was I wearing this while