Illusion (3 page)

He rubbed a single finger across his chin.  “Stefan is a rarity even by today’s standards.  Imagine seeing him during a time when beauty and intelligence was scarce.  Solveig was lucky to have such a child, almost blessed when you factor in his invaluable ability.”

“His maker
was
lucky?”  The thought slipped out before I could stop it.  I vaguely recalled Stefan’s words, explaining that his maker had been killed by the Council.  I waited to see if my father would own up to Solveig’s demise.

His expression became devoid of any expression, as flat as a mirror.  “It is not my story to tell, Josephine.  As his mate, you will share everything.  I am sure Stefan will tell you when the time is right.”

Eyeing my father briefly, I wasn’t surprised that he had chosen to divert my question.  I abruptly changed the subject.  “Since I’m his mate, I’m going need to change to be with him.  I can't let him go,” I whispered.  The thought of losing him was suddenly excruciating.

“You are half-vampire, Josephine.  You are immortal with some human frailties.  You can still die a human death, however you are more indestructible.  You will no longer age and you can stay by his side while still appearing human.  It is your choice now if you want to have him change you or remain as you are.”

Stunned into silence, I could only stare at him.  What do you say when you find out you’re immortal and would always look 28?  My mind flooded with questions that my father couldn’t answer, leaving my head spinning.  What did this mean for Stefan and me?  Would he still want to change me? How am I going to explain this to Georgia and Anna?  My stomach clenched as I thought of losing the only two friends I had, only to gain the love of what I’d just discovered to be my immortal life.

My father picked up a cell phone and typed a message into the keypad.  He placed the phone back on the table beside of him and smiled at me again.  “You have many things to consider, Josephine.  Do not worry yourself with the fine print.  Look at all you have gained.”  His eyes flickered to the doorway behind me, nodding.  “Come in, Stefan.  My daughter is ready to leave.  I assume you have accommodations?”

Stefan blurred to my side, kneeling at my feet.  I couldn't refrain from running my fingers through his golden hair and caressing his stubbled cheek, finally rubbing my thumb across his lower lip.  He smiled the first genuine smile since I awoke, his face glowing as if lit from within.  “Yes.”

“Good.”  His eyes flickered from Stefan to focus on me.  “We will talk soon.  It was a pleasure to speak with you, my dear.”

We were being dismissed.  I stood and reached for Stefan’s hand, linking our fingers together.  I had only taken a few steps when I turned to face my father again.  He sat motionless, his eyes somberly watching us.

“Before I go, I have one more question, Kian.  My mother.  Who is she?  And where is she?”  I asked, my words coming out in a rush.  My eyes searched my father’s face, surprised when his expression reflected the shock of my unexpected question.

“Your mother is gone.  She left me 28 years ago,” Kian replied.  His eyes drifted to his hands in his lap before meeting mine again.  “She chose to leave us, Josephine.  She chose to abandon her child and the husband she swore she loved above all others.  I do not wish to speak of her.”

I swallowed roughly, glancing up at Stefan.  His face was unreadable, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he considered Kian’s words.  His right eyebrow quirked, confirming my suspicions.  He knew something wasn’t right with my father’s story.

“I deserve to know her name, Kian.  You owe me that much,” I retorted quietly.

His hands squeezed the arms of the chair and his lips became a thin line.  Anger lined his expressive face and his sparkling green eyes flashed with rage.  “I will not speak her name.  Do not ask me again.  We will talk soon.”

Stefan lightly squeezed my hand, giving me a non-verbal queue that it was time to leave.  I stared at my father for another few seconds before letting Stefan tug me towards the elevator.  Stepping inside, I met my father’s gaze as the doors closed.  His face was an unyielding mask as the door separated us.

“That was unwise, Josephine.  I understand that you are new to this world and the protocol that goes along with it.  Angering a Board member can have unpleasant ramifications.”
  Stefan’s mental voice brushed softly into my thoughts as the elevator began its descent.

“You sound like you’re reciting a passage from a rule book, Stefan.  I deserve to know who my mother is, Stefan.  He owes me that much, don’t you think?”

“What I think and what Kian thinks are very likely two different things, vackra.  He makes the rules and it is my job to enforce them.  He is not a human that can easily be manipulated and controlled, Josephine.  He has ordered the deaths of many of my kind without a second thought or a moment of remorse.”
Stefan turned slightly to face me.  He ran the back of his fingers across my cheekbone and looked at me with regret
.  “You have questions that need answers.  We will find them.  Together.”

The elevator doors opened into the garage area, effectively ending our non-verbal conversation.  Walking side by side, we headed through the room to a large door.  Stefan paused and pulled his sunglasses from his pocket and swiftly placed them on, covering his eyes.  He opened the door and we were met by brisk air, sunshine and traffic.  The air was filled with the smells of the city: car exhaust, asphalt and the aroma of different foods, spilling out from neighboring restaurants.

My mind was flooded with visions and emotions of the people that passed by us on the street.  Slamming my mental shields into place, I inhaled a shaky breath.  Being in the presence of vampires had caused me to lower my guard since they were mysterious voids to me.  It was another advantage of being in a relationship with a vampire.  I didn’t have to buffer my mind from unwanted intrusions.

“Stefan!  Josephine!”

We turned in unison to see Nigel approaching us.  He wasn’t as tall as Stefan, but was more solidly built than him.  Nigel’s long, tousled light brown hair was shining in the sunlight and his kind, hazel eyes were covered with sunglasses.  He inclined his head as he stopped to stand in front of us.

“I have your car waiting for you with your luggage inside.  Is there anything else I can do to be of assistance?” Nigel questioned.

“That should do, Nigel.  Thank you,” Stefan answered, extending his hand to him.  Nigel shook Stefan’s hand and his sunglass covered eyes focused on me.

“Josephine, it was a pleasure meeting you.  We will see each other again under better circumstances, I hope.”

I glanced up at Stefan, and he nodded in response.  Nigel led us to the silver Mercedes sedan and opened the door for me.  I sank into the leather seat and Nigel leaned down slightly as he reached to shut the door for me.  He paused for a moment before he quietly spoke.  “I loved your mother.  She was nearly as beautiful as you, Josephine.”

“My mother?  You know who my mother is?”  My voice came out like a strangled shriek as I grabbed at Nigel’s arm.

“Later.”  Nigel gently pulled his arm away from my grasp and closed the door.  My eyes were locked on his face as we pulled away from the carriage house.

“Stefan?  You have to go back.  I have to talk to him!”  I was frantic to go back to find out the information Nigel had about my mother.

“Soon, Josephine.  I promise that you will find out everything.  You must be patient.” Stefan drove quietly through the heavy traffic.  He dodged and changed lanes frequently, heading down West 28th Street towards Chelsea.  Stefan turned and we drove into underground parking, pulling into an assigned parking space.  He gracefully unfolded his large frame from the car, stopping long enough to pull our bag from the trunk.  He made his way around to my door, opening it gallantly for me.

“Where are we?” I asked as I pulled myself from the car, slamming the door behind me.  Stefan pressed a button on the key fob and the car alarm chirped twice.

Stefan was silent as he turned, heading towards the elevator.  He punched a code into the keypad by the elevator and the doors separated quietly.  He stepped inside, jerking his head backwards for me to join him.  Sighing heavily, I followed and moved to stand beside him.  He reached a long arm over to press ‘8’ on the panel and the doors closed and the elevator quietly began moving, a small ding chiming as it passed each floor.  It rocked to a stop on the eighth floor, the doors opening to plush carpeting and beige walls.

He exited the elevator to the right and I trailed behind him as he sauntered down the short hallway to 8B, pulling a key out of his pocket, unlocking the door and opening it.  He stood in the doorway, a smirk settling over his handsome face.

“Are you going to come inside our home or would you like to meet our neighbor?”

I jumped in surprise at his casual mention of referring to this apartment as ours.  Faltering for a second, I finally was able to get my feet to cooperate and move.  “
Our
neighbor?  Whose apartment is this?”

Stepping inside the spacious living room, I took in my surroundings.  The entire living room and kitchen was a wall of windows, offering a fantastic view of the nearby Gallery district and the Highline.  The furniture was modern and sleek, the apartment decorated in neutral shades of cream and beige, accented with bright splashes of red and turquoise.  A giant fireplace with built in bookshelves lined one wall.

“This is my apartment, which is now yours as well.  It is something more for us to discuss later, yes?  Stefan asked as he shut and locked the door behind him.  He turned to face me with a smirk.  ”Would you like the grand tour now?”

Pursing my lips, I ran my fingers through my hair.  “By all means.  Lead the way.”

Stefan walked through the living room and kitchen which led into a hallway.  I should have been paying attention to the house, but I was more interested in staring at the muscles in his broad shoulders and his taut ass as I followed closely behind him.

“Eye fucking me already, Josephine?”  He tossed a leer over his shoulder.  “This is the office.”  He motioned to a room on my right.  “Guest bathroom, laundry room.  And finally, this is our bedroom.”

He stalked into the spacious room, dropping our suitcase on the dresser.  Plopping down on the king size bed, I braced my arms behind me and watched as Stefan crossed the room and flicked a switch on the wall.  Chocolate brown motorized curtains closed across the wall of windows, darkening the bedroom.  He blurred to my side and lounged on the bed beside me, propping his head on one of his large hands.  I relaxed my arms and lay back on the bed, staring up at his handsome face.  He stretched across to kiss me gently before reluctantly lifting himself from the bed.

“You need to eat.  Shower and I will order food for you,” he murmured.  He stood and lingered in the doorway for a moment.  “The bathroom is fully stocked.  Come and find me when you are finished.”

He disappeared down the hallway.  With a tired groan, I got to my feet and wandered into the master bathroom, removing my wrinkled blouse and letting my jeans pool around my feet.  I turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature before stepping in.  I made short work of washing my hair and body, relieved to finally wash the grime of the last two days away.  It was tempting to stand under the streams of hot water until it ran cold, but tension and fatigue were slowly creeping up on me, making my vision blurry and my eyelids heavy.

Stepping out of the shower and quickly toweling off, I grabbed a comb off the vanity and ran in through my long hair.  I glanced at my reflection in the large mirror and the realization that this face would be staring back at me in 20 years hit me like a ton of bricks.  No more worry about laugh lines, crow’s feet and sagging skin.  That revelation was quickly tempered by knowing that in a few years I’d have no more Anna or Georgia in my life as my friends.  They’d never understand why Stefan and I didn’t age.  Hell, I didn’t understand it and I was living it.

Tearing my eyes away from the mirror, I walked into the bedroom and slumped down on the bed.  Sighing, I fell back and closed my eyes against the hot tears that were stinging my eyes.  I just wanted to lay here for a moment and get myself together.  Just a few moments of peace to get the scramble of my mind back in order.  The quietness and darkness of the room had other plans for me, and I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

“Pad Thai with Shrimp or Pad Sew with Chicken?  I was unsure of which you would prefer so I ordered both.”

Stefan didn’t look up from his laptop as I padded into the kitchen wearing one of his dress shirts as a nightgown.  He was seated on a swivel bar stool at the counter, his fingers flying over the keyboard, making me wonder how the computer could keep up with the speed of his keystrokes.  He glanced at me over the screen, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his handsome face broke into a wide smile.

“Pad Thai.”  I opened the takeout container and unwrapped the wooden chopsticks.  Walking around the island, I sat down beside of him on a matching stool.  “Thanks.”

“Anything for you, vackra,” he said.  He swiveled in his seat to face me.  He was shirtless, only wearing black silk sleep pants.  My eyes had a mind of their own as they traced across his broad chest, following the long expanse of his finely muscled arms.  How was I lucky enough to wake up to this for the rest of my life?