Desire the Night

Murmuring softly in what Gideon assumed was Apache, Kusuma Ila waved the eagle feather over the bowl, drawing the smoke toward Kay. Gradually, the old woman’s chanting grew louder, stronger. This went on for several minutes.

Gideon stood near Kay’s head. His hands clenched into fists as the old witch’s power filled the room. He could feel it pushing against him, moving over his skin like an invisible hand. It didn’t hurt, but it made the hair on his arms stand at attention.

With a sharp cry, Kusuma Ila dropped the feather on the table, then clapped her hands together three times.

Gideon swore in amazement when Kay blinked, gasped, and then sat up, her expression bemused as she glanced around. “What happened?” She looked up at Gideon. “Where are we?”

Taking her hand in his, he gave it a squeeze. “I’ll tell you all about it later. Kusuma Ila, thank you. What can I give you in return?”

“The wand of the witch who enchanted your woman.”

“That might not be so easy to obtain. If I can’t get her wand, would you settle for a broom?”

Kusuma Ila lifted one brow, apparently not amused by his reference to witches and their ubiquitous brooms. “It is the wand or nothing.”

“And if I can’t get it?”

“Do not worry,” Kusuma Ila said with a wave of her hand. “If you cannot, you cannot. No harm will befall you, or your woman.”

“I’ll do my best to get it,” Gideon promised.

“That is all I ask. Yadalanh, nightwalker.”

“Until we meet again, old one,” Gideon replied.

He took Kay to his lair in New York.

“So,” she said when they were safely curled up on the sofa in his apartment. “What happened? Who was that old woman? How did I get there? And why can’t I remember?”

“Slow down, darlin’. One question at a time. Verah managed to get inside Victor’s house. I saw her coming out. Apparently she put some sort of spell on you. It left you like a … I don’t know, like a zombie, I guess. You didn’t talk. You didn’t blink. I took you to my lair in Phoenix, then went looking for a witch to see if she could break the spell. And she did.”

Kay digested what he had told her, her brow furrowed thoughtfully. “All I remember is going to sleep at Victor’s, and then waking up in that old woman’s house.”

She frowned. All hell must be breaking loose back home. Victor was probably furious. Her father, too. They were no doubt scouring the countryside looking for her. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if they found her. For a moment, the thought frightened her, and then anger took over. If anyone should be furious, it was her! She had been kidnapped, thrown in a trunk, and locked in a cellar. Enough was enough.

“Kiya? Are you all right?”

“What? Oh, of course. How on earth did you find a witch?”

“The Yellow Pages,” Gideon said, laughing.

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope. Just looked under ‘Witches,’ and there she was. The only one in the book.”

“That’s amazing. I never knew witches advertised.” Kay shook her head. “After our experience with Verah, I’m surprised you went looking for another one.”

“You were under a witch’s spell. I didn’t know any other way to break it.”

“So,” she asked after a moment, “where’s Verah now?”

“Your future father-in-law has her.”

“I feel sorry for her, then. Victor’s father hates witches even more than he hates vampires.”

“How the devil can you feel sorry for her?” Gideon shook his head in disbelief. “Verah would have killed you in a heartbeat and dragged me back to her torture chamber if she’d had the chance. I hope to hell he kills her. That’s the only way you’ll ever be safe.”

“Hey!” she admonished as his eyes went red, “don’t go all vampire on me, okay?”

He took several deep breaths. “Sorry.” Gathering her into his arms, Gideon kissed her cheek. “I proposed to you a while back. And if I remember correctly, you said yes. You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

With a sigh, she snuggled against him. “No way.”

“So, what do you say, Wolfie? Should we go find a justice of the peace and tie the knot?”

“I say the sooner, the better, Vampy.” She refused to think about her parents. No doubt they would be angry and upset. Well, turnabout was fair play. Besides, she was too excited at the prospect of marrying Gideon to worry about the consequences now.

“Tomorrow night?” he asked.

“Tomorrow night sounds perfect.” She glanced at her wrinkled blue dress, noting the grease spot on the hem, then burst out laughing. “But first I need something to wear.”

* * *

Chapter 24

Kay wandered through Gideon’s apartment, too restless to sit still, too excited at the thought of becoming his wife to think about anything else. Mrs. Gideon Marquet. Kiya Marie Marquet. She giggled, thinking that if she was still in high school, she would be drawing red hearts around her name and Gideon’s on her notebook.

Around noon, hunger drove her into the den. Earlier, she had found a note advising her that he had gone shopping while she slept, and that she would find bread and doughnuts in the den, milk and sandwich makings in the refrigerator.

Now, she stood in front of the small refrigerator, reluctant to open the door. What if it was also filled with bags of fresh blood? She wasn’t really squeamish; she killed rabbits and deer on a regular basis, but dining on blood in bags? It was just too creepy. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, relieved that the only items in the fridge were a quart of milk, a package of cheese, and three kinds of deli meat.

She ate three doughnuts—two chocolate, and one chocolate buttermilk—as well as a ham and cheese sandwich, then washed it all down with milk straight from the carton, since Gideon didn’t keep any dishes or glassware in the apartment.

Time and again, she tiptoed into the bedroom just to look at him. He was gorgeous, like an enchanted prince condemned to live only by night. She grinned as her imagination took flight. He was the prince and she was the princess; only, in her fairy tale, it was the kiss of the princess that brought the prince to life.

The day dragged on. And on. She switched on the TV, flipped through the channels, and turned it off.

Finally, about four o’clock, she went into the bedroom and crawled into bed beside Gideon. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. And fell asleep, content at last.