Nights master, p.28
Nights Master, page 28
part #3 of Children of The Night Series
“Most likely,” Rafe said.
When Cagin dropped her arm, Pearl backed away from Rafe, but there was no place for her to go. When her back hit the wall, she let out a high-pitched squeal, like a rabbit caught in the jaws of a lion. She glared at Rafe, her expression one of mingled fear and defiance when he pulled her into his arms. Knowing it was useless to fight, she squeezed her eyes shut as he bent his head to her neck. And then, like Edna, she went limp in his arms.
And, like Edna, she took one drink of his blood and wanted more.
When it was done, Rafe helped both women to their feet.
For a minute, they looked at each other as if they were strangers, and then they joined hands.
“I don’t guess I need to tell you what happens next,” Rafe said, glancing from one to the other. “If you don’t want what I’ve given you, the sun will put an end to it. If you decide to accept it, I wish you well in your new life. Oh,” he said, glancing at the bodies behind the table, “you might want to clean up the mess.”
“Wait!”
Rafe looked at Pearl, one brow raised.
“Travis,” she said.
“What about him?”
“If I bring him across, what will it do to him?”
“I imagine he’ll be the same arrogant ass as a Vampire that he was as a hunter,” Rafe said with a shrug. “Just keep him the hell away from me.”
With their heads together and their arms around each other, Edna and Pearl staggered to the far side of the room. Clad in bulky sweaters, jeans, and comfortable shoes, they were the most unlikely-looking Vampires I had ever seen. I couldn’t help wondering how they would fare in their new life, and if being Undead would have any effect on their wardrobe. I laughed when I heard Pearl say this would be the best Halloween ever.
Rafe looked at me, and then he held out his hand, a question in his dark eyes.
I looked at Edna and Pearl. I looked at the bodies on the floor. I thought about what it would mean if I went with him. I thought how dreary my life would be without him. And because I loved him, because I couldn’t imagine a future without him in it, I put my hand in his and we left the building.
Susie and Cagin followed us outside.
“Well,” Cagin said with a wicked grin, “that was worth the price of admission. Now what do we do?”
Rafe looked at me and smiled. “Now,” he said, “I’m taking my bride home. How about you?”
Cagin looked at Susie. “What do you say, beautiful? Do you wanna get married?”
Susie smiled at him. “I think I’d like that.”
“Thanks for your help,” Rafe said, glancing at Susie and Cagin. “And keep in touch.”
“Will do,” Cagin replied.
Susie and I hugged, then Cagin took her arm and they disappeared into the darkness.
Rafe lifted me into his arms. “Told you they’d wind up together,” he said, and the next thing I knew, we were at Rafe’s house, in Rafe’s bed.
It was where I wanted to be, where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
“No regrets?” he asked. “You’re sure this time?”
“I’m sure. I just wish…”
“What do you wish, love?”
“That we could get married, really married.”
“Means that much to you, does it?”
“I know it’s silly. It’s just a piece of paper, but…”
He put his fingers to my lips. “If it’s that important to you, then we’ll do it.”
“How? It’s against the law. No minister is going to marry us.”
Rafe grinned at me. “Hey, you’re forgetting who you’re talking to.”
I batted my eyelashes at him. “Don’t tell me. You’re going to arrange a little Vampire hocus pocus.”
“Something like that,” he said. “But first…” He drew me into his arms and kissed me and, as always when Rafe touched me, I forgot everything else. The past few days, Edna and Pearl, my close call with death, none of it mattered now. Rafe’s kisses were like liquid fire, heating my blood, melting my bones, leaving me breathless with wanting, trembling with desire.
Our clothing disappeared as if by magic, and then we were lying side by side in a delicious tangle of arms and legs and deep, wet kisses. When he rose over me, I was more than ready. I felt the welcome prick of his fangs at my throat as his body melded with mine, and then there was only pleasure, endless sensual pleasure, and Rafe’s voice whispering that he loved me.
I was getting married. I didn’t know where, I didn’t know who would perform the ceremony. Rafe said I shouldn’t worry about anything but buying a wedding gown, and I took him at his word. I chose a floor-length dress with a square neck and long, tapered sleeves. My veil was also floor-length, as delicate and beautiful as butterfly wings.
Susie and Cagin had agreed to act as best man and maid of honor.
It was near midnight when Rafe and I arrived at the place where we would exchange our vows. I was surprised when he pulled up in front of a church. It was a lovely old place, surrounded by tall trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. The fragrant scent of evergreens and flowers filled the air.
A priest was waiting for us inside the doors. He was of medium height with warm hazel eyes. His hair was black and wavy, laced with silver at his temples. And he was a Vampire. A very old Vampire. Power radiated off him like heat from a fire.
Rafe introduced him as Father Giovani Lanzoni.
“This is indeed a happy occasion for me,” the priest said with a smile. “Many years ago, I officiated at the marriage of Rafe’s grandparents and, more recently, at the marriage of his mother and father. And now this.” He beamed at us. “Truly, a happy day.”
I smiled back at him, momentarily saddened to think that I would never have children, never see them marry or have children of their own. Just then, Rafe squeezed my hand, and I wondered if the same thoughts were running through his mind.
A few minutes later, Father Lanzoni directed me to a room where I could change into my wedding gown.
I grew increasingly nervous as the minutes passed. I wished my parents could be there, but it just seemed easier this way. Getting married at night, while uncommon, wasn’t all that unusual. However, if my parents had been invited, they would have expected a reception with food and drink. And then there was my father, who photographed every occasion, large or small. Trying to explain why the groom and my maid of honor didn’t eat or drink and why they didn’t show up in the wedding photos was just more than I could handle.
My heart skipped a beat when I heard a knock at the door.
“Are you ready?” Susie called.
“Yes, come in.”
“Oh,” she murmured, “you look beautiful!”
“Thank you. So do you.” She wore a long green dress that flattered every curve, and a pair of white gloves. I stared at the mirror as Susie came to stand beside me. I was there, as plain as day. There was no image of Susie. “Does it bother you?” I asked. “Having no reflection?”
“It was kind of freaky at first,” she said with a shrug. “It made me feel like I didn’t really exist, but I’m getting used to it, like everything else. Come on, your bridegroom is waiting.”
I picked up the bouquet Rafe had given me, a single red rose surrounded by a froth of white roses and baby’s breath, and followed Susie out of the room.
The chapel was filled with old-world charm. The altar and the pews were carved from oak. Shafts of silver moonlight shone through the stained glass window above the altar. The carpet was a deep blue. A sad-faced Madonna stood in one corner, her arm outstretched.
Rafe was waiting for me at the altar. He had always been the most handsome of men, but now, clad in a black tux that complemented his dark good looks and emphasized his broad shoulders, he was devastating. My insides melted like hot wax when he smiled at me. Cagin stood beside him.
It wasn’t until I was following Susie down the aisle that I realized there were other people in the chapel. Rafe’s grandparents sat together, holding hands. Brenna wore a long-sleeved white blouse and a bright yellow skirt. Her only jewelry was the amber and jet necklace at her throat. Roshan wore a black suit that made him look dark and a trifle mysterious.
I didn’t recognize the other three people in the room, although I knew the man had to be Rafe’s father, Vince. There was no mistaking the resemblance between them. They both had the same thick black hair, the same straight brows, fine straight nose, and full, sensuous lips. The only apparent difference was the color of their eyes—Rafe’s were black while his father’s were dark brown. I assumed one of the women was his mother, Cara, but which one? The lovely blonde with the beautiful blue eyes and flawless skin who sat at his right, or the stunningly gorgeous creature on his left? I couldn’t help staring at her. Her skin was like smooth porcelain, her hair was thick and black and fell over her shoulders in rippling waves. She wore an elegant emerald green dress that exactly matched the color of her extraordinary eyes. Her only adornment was a heart-shaped ruby pendant. She, too, was a Vampire.
It was amazing. All the Vampires looked to be in the prime of life. If I hadn’t known that Roshan and Brenna were Rafe’s grandparents, I would have thought that everyone in the room was the same age, for none of them looked older than thirty, and yet I knew Roshan had been a Vampire for hundreds of years.
My nervousness ratcheted up another notch. What if his parents didn’t like me? What if they hated mortals? That seemed unlikely, since his grandfather and his father had married mortal women. Still, I couldn’t help feeling out of place.
All my worrisome thoughts vanished when Rafe took my hand in his. His voice whispered through my mind. I love you now, forever and for always. For a single crystal moment in time, I saw only Rafe, his eyes dark with love and desire, his lips curved in a smile that was for me alone. His hand held mine, warm and firm and reassuring. He loved me and nothing else mattered.
“Shall we begin?” Father Lanzoni asked. His gaze moved over those sitting in the pews and then rested briefly on my face and then Rafe’s. “My children,” he said, his voice low and yet filled with authority. “You have come here this night seeking a blessing on your marriage, and I commend you for it. The secret of a long and happy marriage rests with the two of you. Always remember to put your loved one first and your own wants second. Treat your spouse as you would be treated. Remember how you feel this night, and I promise you that the love you have for one another will grow stronger with each passing day.
“I will pronounce the words that bind you together legally, but the true joining must take place in your own hearts, your own souls.
“Katherine McKenna, do you promise to love and cherish Raphael Cordova, here present, for as long as you shall live?”
For as long as you live. A few short years, I thought, when he might live for thousands. With a sigh, I murmured, “I do.”
“Raphael Cordova, do you promise to love and cherish Katherine McKenna, here present, for as long as you shall live?”
Rafe gazed deep into my eyes, and I saw forever waiting for me there. “I do.”
“Then, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Slowly, deliberately, Rafe drew me into his arms. My heart raced with anticipation as he lowered his head and claimed my lips with his. Sensual pleasure washed through me as he deepened the kiss, his tongue dueling with mine in a heady foretaste of what was to come when we were alone.
I was breathless when we parted, and a little embarrassed when we turned to face his parents and grandparents, all of whom were beaming at us. Susie was grinning. Cagin gave Rafe a thumbs-up.
Father Lanzoni cleared his throat. “May I present Mr. and Mrs. Raphael Cordova,” he said, a smile in his voice. “I suggest congratulations be swift so that the newlyweds can find a room.”
My cheeks grew hot as laughter erupted through the chapel, and then we were surrounded by Rafe’s family.
The blond woman drew me into her arms and kissed me on both cheeks. “Welcome, daughter. I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet earlier.”
“Yes, me, too.”
“My turn,” said a deep male voice, and the next thing I knew, Rafe’s father was giving me a bear hug that threatened to crack my ribs. “If he doesn’t treat you right, darlin’, you come and see me.”
Roshan and Brenna hugged me in turn, and then Rafe’s mother took me aside. “Don’t be intimidated by us,” she said with a kindly smile. “And don’t let Rafe force you into anything you aren’t ready for, if you know what I mean.”
“He already knows I don’t want to be a Vampire.”
Cara nodded. “It should be your decision, of course.”
“Are you ever sorry that you asked Mr. Cordova to bring you across?”
“No. Oh, there were times, in the beginning, when I missed being able to enjoy a summer day or a good meal, but they were small sacrifices to make when compared to what I gained.” She took both of my hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. “I wish you every happiness. If you ever have any questions you don’t want to ask Rafe, please call me. I hope we can be good friends.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Cordova, I’d like that.”
“Please, call me Cara.”
“Thank you, Cara.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Rafe said, coming up behind us. Slipping his arm around my waist, he kissed me soundly. “From now on, she’s all mine.”
“Raphael, aren’t you going to introduce me?”
The question came from the black-haired woman who had been sitting beside Rafe’s father.
“Of course,” Rafe said, smiling. “Mara, this is Kathy. Kathy, this is Mara. You’ve heard me speak of her.”
I could only stare at the creature before me. This, then, was the queen of the Vampires, the woman who had bestowed the Dark Gift on Rafe’s father.
“I’m pleased to meet you at last,” Mara said.
I nodded, still too stunned to speak. She hardly looked a day over twenty-five, yet she had lived for thousands of years. It was mind-boggling to think of all she must have seen in her lifetime. What had it been like for her to watch the whole world change, to see everyone she had ever known pass away while she remained forever the same? I had a million questions I would have liked to ask her, but of course, this wasn’t the time or the place.
A faint smile curved her lips, and then I heard her voice in my mind, soft and low, like a welcome breeze on a summer day. When you tire of being a mortal, call me and I will bring you across. It will be quick and painless.
Startled, I blurted, “Why would you want to do that?”
Rafe frowned at me. “Do what?”
Mara turned her gaze on Rafe. “I was merely telling her that if she decided to join us, I would bring her across.” Looking at me again, she answered my question. “As for why I would do it, you might say I have a certain fondness for my godson and his father. As my fledgling, you will not be bound by the Dark Sleep.” Her gaze burned into mine. “Think about it.”
She bid Rafe’s family good night, kissed Father Lanzoni on the cheek, squeezed my hand, and vanished from our sight. The priest wished us well, and then he, too, simply disappeared.
Cagin swore softly, then muttered, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
Susie laughed, and after giving me a hug and promising to call soon, she and Cagin left to pick up Susie’s kids.
With their parting, I was the only human left in the group. Of course, technically, Cagin wasn’t human, either. I wondered if Rafe’s family looked at me and, subconsciously, thought of me as prey. Were they all as happy to be creatures of the night as they appeared to be? Except for the blood thing, their lives didn’t seem much different than anyone else’s.
“Are you ready to go?” Rafe asked.
I nodded, and after another round of hugs and kisses, we left the chapel. There were more good-byes as his family followed us outside, and then Rafe and I were alone in his car.
“You’re very quiet,” he said after a time.
“I’m sorry, I’m just a bit overwhelmed by it all, I guess.”
“You were uncomfortable with my family.”
“No,” I said quickly, though in truth, I had felt like a newborn lamb among ravenous wolves.
“No?” He glanced at me, one brow lifted.
“Well, maybe a little,” I conceded. “Can you blame me?”
“No, love.”
“What will our life be like, Rafe? Will we celebrate Christmas and Easter and birthdays?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll have to call my parents and let them know about the wedding,” I said, thinking aloud. “Maybe we can go and visit them in a month or so.”
“If you wish.”
“Don’t you want to?”
“Of course.”
I wondered if he would feel as awkward with my parents as I had felt with his. My parents would expect us to stay with them, to have breakfast and lunch and dinner with them. How would I explain it when Rafe didn’t eat? One wall in the family dining room was mirrored. What would they think when Rafe sat at the table and cast no reflection in the glass?
“I think the easiest thing to do would be to tell them the truth, don’t you?” Rafe remarked.
I shook my head in exasperation. There was no point in telling him to stay out of my head. One day I was going to have to learn how to build that wall!
“I guess you’re right,” I said. “I can’t imagine what they’ll think, though.” With a sigh, I rested my head on Rafe’s shoulder. I’d worry about it later, I thought. Now, all I wanted was to be alone with my husband.
Rafe pulled into his driveway, then came around to open my door. Lifting me into his arms, he carried me into the house. When we crossed the threshold, dozens of candles sprang to life.
“Oh, Rafe,” I murmured, “it’s beautiful.”
There were bouquets of roses and daisies everywhere. Dark red rose petals covered the floor of the entryway, releasing their fragrance as Rafe stepped on them.
He carried me into the bedroom. There were more flowers there. The covers on the bed were turned down, the sheets were covered with hundreds of white rose petals. Candles lit the room with a warm golden glow. Soft romantic music played in the background. A bottle of red wine and two crystal glasses waited in a white wicker basket on the nightstand.
