Eternal Island (Book 1 in the Eternal Series) (44 page)

Then he began singing. The lyrics were simple, and yet spoke volumes. No one could doubt the love and sheer happiness Abe felt as he sang loud and clear, his eyes locked on Ariana’s the whole time. And he meant every single word. He wouldn’t survive a single day without her, a single night without holding her close. As he danced with his wife, he felt like the luckiest man on Earth. Indeed, his love for her was meant to be. It was uncanny, as if the song had been written especially for them.

Ariana looked around the dance floor and saw that her parents were dancing, too, and so were Jonah and Lidia. She was suddenly worried about Becky and what she may be thinking, but she gave a sigh of relief when she located her laughing and dancing with some guy – Travis, according to her thoughts.

Abe put his finger under her chin and pulled her gaze back to his as he continued the song. His voice soared as he neared the end and he vowed to never let her go.

Ariana couldn’t help but think how lucky she was. Sure, she had lost a love, but what she’d gained was so much more. She loved Michael but it wasn’t deep love, not like this. Her best friend was here and, best of all, her parents were here. She couldn’t ask for anything more. She laid her head on his chest as they danced and he sang to her in front of everybody. A week ago she would have fainted, but now… now she was stronger. She felt as though she could do anything.

Abe finished the song, took her hand and kissed it softly.

“I love you, Ariana Cambridge.”

“Late delivery! Late delivery!” Rainey came running with two identical round boxes wrapped in silver, with black satin bows on top. She skidded to a stop in front of Abe and Ariana and shoved the boxes into their hands. “A last minute gift for each of you. Phew! I never thought they’d get here.”

She turned to the crowds and yelled “Are you all ready?” A lot of muted shuffling rippled through the audience, and soon all eyes had settled on the happy couple.

Abe and Ariana looked at each other, confused. “Together?” Abe asked.

Ariana took hold of the end of the ribbon on her box and counted. “One, two… three.”

They pulled the ribbons and the lids sprang open. Rainey took a cautious step back.

“I don’t believe this,” Abe said, his face a mask of horror.

Ariana was in fits of giggles.

“Put it on! Put it on!” Rainey started chanting. The crowds joined in. “Put it on! Put it on.”

Abe stared at Ariana, and then at the chanting people.

“Put it on!” Ariana joined in. “Put it on!”

Abe shrugged, tossed the box over his shoulder and shoved the shimmery bright blue wig on his head. Then he turned and beamed at everyone.

“Here, let me help you with yours,” Rainey said, taking Ariana’s out of her hands and clipping it under her veil.

Abe took Ariana in his arms and hugged her tight, then whispered in her ear. “So… Do you still love me? Even with bright blue hair?”

“I love you forever, Abe Cambridge. Blue, black or rainbow.”

“I’m gonna murder Rainey. Do you mind?”

“Why bother? Looks like you started a trend.”

Abe turned around to see a shimmery blue wig on every head in the audience, Michael and Ariana’s parents included.

“See? I did say you would start a trend,” Rainey laughed, a little breathless and still keeping out of Abe’s easy reach.

Abe smiled at Rainey. “Well, thank you, Rainey. You were right, it seems.” He glanced over her shoulder, then back to her quickly. “You know, I was wondering what gift to get for you, and I had to contact this buddy of mine for ideas… I told him I was getting married, and he said he wouldn’t miss it for the world, and he’d bring your gift in person.”

Rainey felt a light tap on her shoulder.

“I told you I’d be back.”

She froze, then slowly turned around and stood face to face with Armadéus.

Rainey’s heart dropped as he smiled at her. “Déus?” How would she pick up the broken pieces of her heart when he left this time?

E
TERNAL
I
MMORTALITY – A
S
NEAK
P
EEK

Chapter One

She absolutely could not believe this was happening to her. Breathe Rainey, breathe, she told herself. This had been a wonderful day and was turning out to be a great night as well, until now.

Everyone’s gazes had shifted their focus from the wedded couple’s sparkly blue wigs to her. And one particular person, well… vampire,
hot
vampire at that, was waiting for a response. He looked so expectant, but what was she supposed to say or do? Bend over and kiss his feet and tell him how many nights’ sleep she had lost since he’d been gone, but that’s okay, let’s hug and make up? I think not!

Armadéus Baros stood before her, flashing that melt-your-heart smile. It had been seven long years since she had heard his voice, smelled his one-of-a-kind hypnotic fragrance, or ogled that beautiful body of his.

How did she not see him coming? Rainey was a very gifted psychic witch. For God’s sake, she was even a teacher here, at the palace for the witches and the gifted on the island, and she was Abe’s, the current High Vampire of Eternal Island’s, personal psychic. Visions of the future were her speciality. The last two caused two weeks of utter chaos, chaos which she’d thought long gone and forgotten. And now… Déus…

Rainey kept her composure as she made eye contact with him. He had liquefied every ounce of her heart in just the few short seconds they’d stood there, but Rainey gritted her teeth and quickly constructed a brick wall, a concrete wall around that, razor wire around the concrete with a quicksand moat circling her already shattered heart. There was no way he was getting in this time.

She smiled graciously at Déus, then turned to Abe and Ariana with a not so amiable look on her face. Abe’s smile turned grim.

“I am very happy for both of you, but if you will excuse me, I have a prior engagement that cannot be put off any longer.” Rainey smiled at the shocked couple, turned on her heel and started to walk away. She pulled the blue wig off her hair and let it drop in the dust behind her.

Armadéus rushed to catch up and grabbed her arm gently. Rainey jerked her arm out of his hold. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them slowly and stared straight at him. “Do not attempt… to ever touch me again.” She smiled a small, fake smile. “Have a good time at the party. I hope your flight back, to wherever you came from, goes smoothly.” She walked off without another word or glance back.

Déus lifted his eyebrows and scratched his temple as he ran the last couple of minutes through his head again, and then once more. The guests started to murmur and break into chatter. Soft music began to play again in the background. It seemed like the rest of the wedding crowd had decided to simply ignore Rainey’s brief scene and continue their enjoyment.

Abe cleared his throat. “Ariana, this is a long time friend of mine, Armadéus Baros. Déus, this is my…” he smiled as he looked into her gorgeous green eyes, “…wife, and your Queen.”

Armadéus snapped back to reality. He’d thought Rainey would be waiting for him with open arms, but she was giving him the cold shoulder, and he didn’t like the feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach or in his chest, watching her dance now, smiling, with another guy. He rubbed at the left side of his chest absentmindedly.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. How rude of me…”

Ariana held up her index finger to him and Abe smiled knowingly. “It is very nice to meet you, Armadéus, but if you want to be in my good graces, you will lose the ‘Your Highness’ bull crap. Ariana is just fine.”

He smiled as he kissed her hand. “Forgive me, Ariana. I was raised with manners.” He nodded towards the dance floor but didn’t take his eyes away from his company. He didn’t want Rainey to know he was enquiring about her if she was watching him, and he was sure she was. He could feel her eyes burning a hole in the side of his head. “What’s with her?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, brother. I thought she would be pleased to see you, or I wouldn’t have bothered tracking you down. I’ll probably get a chewing from her later, I expect.”

Ariana nudged him with her elbow. “You, husband, are going to be busy later.”

Abe and Déus laughed. “Yes, I am. I’ll have to turn my phone off and we’ll switch rooms so she won’t be able to find me. How does that sound?”

She shrugged. “Or I could just immobilize her and paralyze her vocal chords until we are finished, say… maybe till Wednesday or Thursday?”

Déus laughed nervously. “Are you a witch?”

“Only the most powerful witch in the whole freaking world,” came Jonah’s voice from behind Déus. They hugged briefly and smiled at each other. “It’s been too long this time, Déus.”

“I know, I know,” he said as he nodded. “I just needed to get away for a while. I think I’m done, though. How’s everything been here?”

“Oh, other than Abe falling in love,” Jonah walked closer and whispered conspiratorially. “Me falling in love… Abe finding out he has a daughter and is about to become a grand-pappy, Ariana here being a super witch – watch out, buddy, she can read minds – and her killing Max and Julia as easily as if it were toddlers’ play, you didn’t miss anything. The first seven years of your absence were quite boring.”

His eyes followed Ariana and Abe, who had silently excused themselves and were slow dancing once again in a tight embrace, on the dance floor.

Déus looked as though he was finding it hard to take it all in. “You fell in love? Man, we are going to have to sit down and have a drink sometime soon, so you can explain all this in detail.”

His eyes were still sweeping the dance floor. He let them droop back to the floor and a sigh escaped his lips when he spotted Rainey dancing with some guy. A warlock, he must have been; he didn’t get a vamp vibe off him. He could take him, he thought, and then puzzled over his thinking. Why would he want to? Rainey had been a good friend, a friend with benefits, before he left. But judging by the way she’d reacted earlier, it felt almost like she hated him now. Why? That had him confused. She couldn’t be mad that he’d left, she knew him and understood his need to get away, didn’t she? “Listen, Jonah, can I catch up with you later? I’ve got to ask Rainey something.”

“Yeah, sure. How long you staying?”

Déus’ eyes didn’t stray from Rainey as he answered. “I’m not sure just yet. Probably a week or so.”

He started walking in Rainey’s direction. She was laughing at something her dance partner had said. Déus tapped the guy on the shoulder. “Can I cut in?”

Rainey’s laugh instantly faded. “Say no, Clive.”

Clive smiled at her, thinking she was playing around. He turned to Déus. “The lady says no, man, I’m sorry. Better luck with one of them, over there.” Clive pointed to a bunch of girls in too much make-up and too little clothing. The no-challenge-there type.

Déus, however, liked a challenge. And his challenge tonight would obviously be Rainey.

He took a breath and hesitated for a few seconds. This would enrage her further, he was certain, but hey, he liked her when she was angry; the make-up sex was the best. Déus picked Clive up, did a one-eighty turn, then set him on his feet. “Run along,” he said to the guy as he elongated his fangs. Clive took off for the palace, no doubt to change his underpants.

Déus turned back to Rainey. She had grown into a beautiful woman since he had seen her last. He loved her sweet smile and her cute face, but she was mad right now. Not just irritated, but bull-raging pissed. “Rainey, I can see you’re upset. I just want to talk to you.”

“I’ve got nothing to say to you, and you’ve got nothing to say that I want to hear. Aaaaahh!”

She grabbed her head as a sharp pain went through it. She could hear a voice in her mind and it was getting louder, but she still couldn’t make out what was being said.

“RAINEY… HELP… ME!”
A familiar voice shouted in her mind. But it couldn’t be… he didn’t exist. Julia had admitted to being Kade while intruding in her dreams. There was no way he could be talking to her now. Julia was dead, and not even she could come back from dust and ashes.

“Rainey? Are you okay?” Déus asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.

She opened her tear-filled eyes and backed away from him. “Stay away from me, Armadéus.”

Damn, she was pissed, Déus thought. She never used his full first name. He had to find out what was wrong with her, though. She had taken off, running for the palace. That would never be a problem. He could catch up with her in no time. But unless he could work out what exactly was happening, catching up with her wouldn’t do him any good; she would just scream at him some more to leave her alone. He spun around, looking for Abe or Jonah.

§ § §

Rainey ran straight for her lair and didn’t stop until she had to, to secure the door lock. She ran for her bed, and in her bridesmaid dress, heels and fixed hair, she fell upon the duvet and cried. She cried for the broken pieces of her heart that Déus had left behind and she cried for the strong love she felt for an imaginary man.

She wasn’t aware she had fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes to a dream that was all too familiar, with Mackie’s Restaurant present in the distance, the ocean to her left and her staring up into a gray sky, she knew what she would see when she looked down the sandy beach, and it broke her heart to know that this was just a dream and it wouldn’t really be him. On shaky legs, she walked toward Kade anyway.

When he spotted her, he started running toward her, too. His face was a mask of sheer panic. His neck and wrists were covered in fang marks, some healed and some still fresh and unsealed. Trickles of dried blood snaked down and under the collar of a dirty, torn shirt that barely covered his bruised chest.

“You’re not real, Kade. Why are you torturing me like this?” she pleaded.

He still looked scared, but seemed a little calmer now that she was there, with him. “A woman vampire kidnapped me after the second time I dream walked to you, Rainey. She has been using my mind to get to you. I haven’t seen her in a few days, but all her vampire buddies are about to drain me dry. For some reason, she doesn’t have control over my mind any longer, so I came to warn you as soon as I could. Are you okay, Rainey? Please tell me you are okay. Are you safe? I didn’t have the energy to dream walk until now. I’m sorry I took so long.”