Real Vampires Know Hips Happen (18 page)

“Is that really how you want this to play out? Make me your prisoner? Have me resent you every day for eternity?” I knelt in front of her and touched her knee. “If you leave Jerry alone, I promise I’ll try to be the daughter you want. But here, on Earth. We can start to build a relationship.”

“But you’ll be a vampire.” She shuddered but covered my hand. “Gloriana, I don’t want that for you.”

“I’d say you lost the right to run my life the minute you left me in the Storm God’s harem.” I sighed but didn’t move. “But, you see, I’m willing to forget that and get to know you, be a daughter to you, if you do this for me. Now, can you give Jerry his memory back?”

“I don’t know.” She winced when I stood and glared at her.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Really. This isn’t the first time I’ve used that potion. Usually, the victim suffers for a while but the results are fairly temporary. After a few days, maybe less, the person starts remembering things. No one has been more surprised than I’ve been when your man still didn’t remember you this long after the attack. I’d hoped I would have persuaded you to leave before his memory came back, of course.” She looked into the fire, her shoulders slumped. “I had no idea that you would be so stubborn.”

I shook my head. “You’d better figure something out, Mother. Because if you can’t give me some hope, we’re done.”

She jumped to her feet, all business now. “No, don’t say that. I’ll work on it. Consult with a few of the experts on Olympus. I got that potion from a sorcerer.” She watched me pace the room. “I’ll check on it. But I’ve still got a situation tonight. You need to change clothes, though you do look very pretty in that blue sweater. Olympus likes a more formal look, it shows respect. There’s a very interesting man waiting for you. He isn’t someone you want to cross.”

“You are kidding me. You still want me to go on one of your dates? I thought we had settled this.” I stopped in front of her.

“You don’t understand, Gloriana. I had already set this up. Deals were made, promises must be kept.” She bit her bottom lip and actually looked worried. “I have certain powers and these gods want what I can give them. If I just cancel at the last minute, I have to pay anyway. It will make
me look weak if you don’t show up.” She grabbed my shoulders. “Weakness is very bad in Olympus. The others seize on it and soon you are living in a hovel with no one speaking to you but a Cyclops looking for a cheap thrill.”

“Well, that would be terrible.” I grinned. “But no more than you deserve.”

“Stop it. I’m serious.” She waved her hand and I was wearing that exquisite black dress complete with pearls and Louboutin heels. I looked killer, I had to admit. “Now play along. Pretend you are tempted. Maybe you will be. This man is more your type, similar to your Jeremiah, actually.” Her smile was brilliant, like she hoped I’d fall for this god and skip off to Olympus and a happily ever after.

“Dream on. I will meet this guy and try not to run screaming from the room for at least five minutes. That’s all I’m promising. You promise to work on that cure.” I stared into her eyes. “Are we clear?”

“Of course. The limo will take you to your assignation.” She pulled out a lipstick and slicked it over my lips. “He will love you. This one is crazy about feisty women. And, don’t worry. I’m sure I can find someone somewhere who will know what to do about poor Jeremiah.” She dropped the lipstick back into her purse. “Of course this is the first time the potion was used on a vampire. Maybe that is the problem. Hmm. I’m going to have to check on that.” Then she disappeared.

Which left me to go downstairs to face yet another date with destiny. And I still didn’t know my mother’s name. Maybe I could wring it out of Mr. Wonderful Number Three. That put a smile on my face. It was good to have a purpose and I did love that little black dress. But pearls? I glanced up at the night sky as I walked to the limo. The least my mother owed me was a diamond drop. I laughed when I felt a tingle around my neck. Sure enough, I now wore a one-carat beauty on a platinum chain. Bull’s-eye. Now if she could fix Jerry, we’d be all good.

I heard the rumble of thunder, and lightning struck a
nearby tree, a reminder that I didn’t run this show. Of course not, that would be too easy. And now I had to face a god who liked feisty women? The limo raced toward the distillery nearby. Interesting. A date in a whiskey-making establishment. What if the god got drunk and out of control? With that unsettling thought I rifled through my stylish new purse, relieved to see my cell phone. But would it do any good? Who do you call when a god crosses the line?

Thunder boomed again. Oh. She’d certainly handled Hermes when he’d tried to push me around. Well, hopefully I wouldn’t have to worry about that with this god. One look and he’d probably take off. Feisty, yes. Fangs, no. I could only hope anyway. But what did my mother have that these gods wanted? I needed to know. I scrolled through my contacts in my phone and saw that she’d added her own number. Olympus 19. So I texted her.

“What is your name?”

No answer. Which told me a lot. That meant if I looked her up on the Internet I’d find her and her area of expertise. The driver had called her “Your Highness.” Which meant she was pretty big in the hierarchy. One of Zeus’s daughters?

Thunder boomed again. I had a feeling I was getting close. I put the phone away as the limo slowed. Showtime. This was the last date and I had a feeling it was going to be a challenge. A man my mother thought was like Jerry? Had to be the God of War, whose name I couldn’t remember at the moment. As I stepped out of the car, my stomach clenched. Playing house with a Highland warrior was one thing, but turning down the God of War? For the first time, I was afraid.

Nine

I
knew the minute I saw him that this guy was going to be a challenge. For one thing, he wore a helmet, short body armor and carried a shield. On a date? I had to admit he was cute with his short curly beard and mustache but I could feel his power from the doorway. I was going to have to be very careful. He’d laid his spear on the table in front of him. But I had no doubt he’d pick it up if he thought I’d brought surly friends or if I acted the least bit like the angry vampire I wanted to be.

We were in the large hall in the distillery that I guess was used when they hosted dinners that featured some of their whiskeys. Someone had laid out a feast on the long banquet table. What part of my being a vampire didn’t he get? Or maybe he’d decided to torture me. It was working, the delicious smells making my mouth water.

I managed a smile. “Nice plume.” It was bright red and looked positively jaunty waving in the air when he nodded.

“Are you mocking me?” His eyes narrowed.

Oops. No sense of humor. “No, seriously. Love red and I’ll bet it makes it easy for the troops to spot you in the
middle of a battle.” I was babbling but he had a dangerous glint in his eyes. “I’m Gloriana.”

“Of course.” He marched around the table like he was about to inspect the troops. I backed up a little, intimidated. “Please, join me. You’re right of course. It’s important for a leader to be easily seen when he’s leading men into combat.” He held out a chair to the right of the seat that looked a lot like a throne at the head of the table. “Will you have a whiskey? I’ve been assured that it’s some of Scotland’s finest.”

“Umm. Sure. Thank you.” I was glad Bart had told us a little wouldn’t hurt. I was desperate for a numbing agent. How was I going to let this guy down easily? He gave me a sharp look. Damned mind reader.

“You aren’t interested in coming to Olympus?” He set the shield aside but kept on his gleaming silver helmet. Beautiful but ridiculous to wear to a dinner party. He nodded and slipped it off, ruffling his light brown hair until the curls looked like they’d been professionally styled. “Is that better?”

“It’s rude to read my mind, but, yes, it makes you look less, um, intimidating. You could lose the body armor too. I promise, I won’t attack you.” I smiled again and picked up the glass he’d set in front of me. The amber liquid smelled delicious and I took a cautious sip. It was potent but went down smoothly. Jerry would have called it a treat.

“No, I’m sure you won’t.” He slid the armor off over his head. “That would be very foolish of you.” He leaned the metal against the wall. “I know you have powers, my dear, but nothing compared to what I bring to the table.” He sat and stared at me like he was thinking about a demonstration. What? Knocking me against the wall? He smiled and picked up his whiskey.

“Hey, I come in peace.” I took another sip of the whiskey, aggravated when my teeth clattered against the glass. “I’m sorry if my mother led you to believe I was interested in a,
uh, relationship. But I’m not an Olympus kind of girl. I’m perfectly happy with my life here on Earth.”

“But you haven’t had a chance to see what we enjoy there. It can be paradise compared to your simple life.” He leaned against the table, his hip close to my left arm. He wore a short tunic that showed off his muscular thighs, a strong warrior even without all the trappings.

“What’s your name? I did a little research so I know there are several gods up there who specialize in, um, war.” I sipped again, very aware of his proximity. He smelled masculine, with an odd blend of some ancient musk that made me want to explore where it came from. Uh-oh. Powers. He’d gone from intimidation to seduction in a heartbeat. I could see it in his dark eyes. I leaned back in my chair to put some distance between us.

“There may be others who dabble in war craft, but they bow to me as their leader. I am Mars.” He popped himself on the chest with a fist, so hard it had to have hurt. He didn’t even wince. “I’m Roman. Not Greek like so many on Olympus. And I am the one who invented any strategy worth using and most weapons worth having. Some claim I shouldn’t be there. Your mother, though…Never mind. Tonight is about us.” He leaned down until his face was inches from mine. “Would you like to see my…spear?”

“No! I mean I’m sure it’s a fine weapon.” I pointed to the steel resting on the table even though I knew he had another weapon on his mind. My face felt hot and it wasn’t from the whiskey. No subtlety here. And if he and my mother had been lovers, how creepy was that?

“You have no idea. Men from the earthly plane can’t compare to a god and his gifts.” He brushed my hair back behind my shoulders then gestured at the food in front of me. “What do you think of the feast on the table?”

“Feast?” My voice squeaked. The subject change left me reeling. I dragged my eyes from his—they were a deep brown, the color of dark chocolate—and glanced at the roasted pig with the apple in its mouth, the bowls of steaming
vegetables and piles of fresh fruits. The smells had been hitting me since I’d walked into the room; now I let myself inhale, my stomach growling.

“I had the staff here prepare this for us. What do you think?” He pulled a grape off a bunch and popped it into his mouth.

“Are you mocking
me
now? Didn’t my mother tell you I’m vampire? I can’t eat food. I only drink”—I let him see my fangs—“blood.”

“I know. Your mother felt it wise to disclose the facts to me. On Olympus you soon learn not to make me angry. I have a nasty temper when crossed.” He tore off a hunk of meat. Then he held it dripping near my lips, his palm cupped beneath it to keep from soiling my dress. “Taste, Gloriana. I have the power to keep you well. You can eat to your heart’s content tonight and none of this will harm you. You could dine this sumptuously every night if you returned to the mountain with me.”

“You’re kidding me.” The bite was so…close.

“I don’t kid.” He popped the meat into my mouth.

Oh, wow. Moist, tender and delicious. I actually moaned when I finally swallowed.

“This isn’t going to get me to change my mind.” I felt I had to say it, even while I was reaching for a roll and butter.

“Gloriana, just relax and enjoy. I swear you won’t become ill from this. Trust my magic.” He slid back into his chair and filled a plate with any number of delicacies then placed it in front of me with a smile.

Trust. Not easy when I’d had bad reactions from eating before. But as I sipped fine whiskey, devoured roasted pork, cheesy potatoes and an array of ripe fruit that I’d never tasted before, I never felt a twinge. I admit it was a little bit of Heaven. Finally I reluctantly blotted my lips with a napkin, set down my knife and fork and pushed back from the table, so full I was afraid my zipper wouldn’t hold.

“All right. I’ll admit you have some pretty amazing magic.” I smiled while keeping my distance. He hadn’t
eaten, just watched me pig out with an interest that was beginning to unnerve me.

“You have barely seen any of my magic.” He touched my hand. “I’ve enjoyed watching you eat with such enthusiasm. In Olympus such banquets are commonplace. Boring.”

“Not to me.” I eased my hand away to gesture at the table. “This was a miracle, Mars. Thank you. I have just enjoyed the first truly delicious and satisfying meal I’ve had in hundreds of years.” It was no more than the truth. I’d gotten to eat fairly recently thanks to a drug I’d tested. Too bad it had had nasty side effects. I’d also wasted the opportunity on a pretty sad excuse for a meal cooked by someone who should have been banned from a kitchen.