Nights in White Satin
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end
Letters I've written, never meaning to send
Beauty I've always missed with these eyes before
Just what the truth is I can't say anymore
'Cause I'll love you
Yes I'll love you
Oh! How I'll love you!
Gazing at people, some hand in hand
Just what I'm going through they can't understand
Some try to tell me thoughts they cannot defend
Just what you want to be, you will be in the end
And I'll love you
Yes I'll love you
Oh! How I'll love you!
Oh! How I'll love you!
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end
Letters I've written, never meaning to send
Beauty I've always missed with these eyes before
Just what the truth is I can't say anymore
'Cause I'll love you
Yes I'll love you
Oh! How I'll love you!
Oh! How I'll love you!
And I'll love you
Yes I'll love you
Oh! How I'll love you!
Oh! How I'll love you!
Breath deep the gathering gloom
Watch lights fade from every room
Exeter people look back and lament
Another day's useless energy spent
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for love and has none
Young mother picks up and suckles her son
Senior citizens wish THEY were young
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colors from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But WE decide which is right
And which IS an illusion
"A CAB?" I asked Asher in astonishment. "Jean-Claude sent us a *cab*?!"
Asher sighed and looked down, then back up at me. "He does not know we
are coming," he stated flatly.
"WHAT?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Then how did you find
out about Anita? If he didn't send for you..," I trailed off. Technically,
Asher was still Jean-Claude's second-in-command. But this could be taken as
an act of aggression if it wasn't handled right...especially since Anita's
condition left Jean-Claude weakened.
"A mutual...acquaintance informed me of what had happened to Anita.
They feared that it was causing Jean-Claude some difficulty in maintaining
his control. I intend to ask him why HE didn't call me, but he may not be
thinking very clearly right now. So, it *could* have been merely an
oversight," Asher told me. "Do not fear, Tamara. I will proceed cautiously."
"Well, did you at least call ahead and let SOMEBODY know that we're
coming?" I asked.
"Oui. I told the acquaintance to expect us. But I don't believe they
passed the information on to Jean-Claude yet," he replied.
At least the cab was a minivan...plenty of room for the four of us and
our luggage. Asher left his travel coffin on board the plane. Since he had
rooms here, he wouldn't be needing it.
Once we had everything and everyone loaded, Asher gave the driver
directions to Circus of the Damned.
The cabbie seemed awfully nervous and kept glancing in his rearview
mirror. If he hadn't already suspected what Asher was, our destination had
been a definite indication. We just didn't *look* like tourists.
Particularly not Tim.
The cab driver was really spooked when we pulled up in front of the
Circus. The fanged clowns *were* a bit creepy in my opinion. He seemed
visibly relieved that Asher didn't ask him to carry the luggage inside.
Asher paid the fare as well as a sizable tip, then the cabbie practically
fled the parking lot.
We waited by the luggage as Asher went inside, presumably to clear the
way. He came back out followed by a couple of vamps. They both grinned at
our group, flashing fangs. New dead, I was guessing. One was sniggering a
bit as he eyed Tim, with his pink hair and cupid costume. Asher let us know
that they would be guarding our stuff while we presented ourselves to
Jean-Claude. I had a feeling he wasn't entirely sure of our welcome.
Kimmy insisted that Tim shift before we went in. He looked ready to
argue, so I gave him a meaningful glare. He paled and swallowed hard, then
did as he was told. Soon he stood there in his man-bear form. Kimmy had
used some kind of stretch fabric to make the costume so it would survive the
shape shifting. A fine coat of cotton-candy pink fur covered Tim from head
to toe. Kimmy giggled and added the coup de grace to the costume, a pink
plastic heart-shaped barrette for his chin fur.
We followed Asher in through the front doors, through the crowds and
into one of the tents. The place had that distinctive carnival midway stink
to it with some slight variations. There was the musk of several
lycanthropes in furred form instead of the more familiar livestock smells,
and the underlying metallic tang of blood replaced the sweet scent of sawdust
and wood chips.
No one even spared Tim a second glance. Considering the sensory
overload of the show displays and some of what was wandering around the
place, I could understand Tim's failure to draw attention.
I actually had to give Kimmy's arm a light tug when she got distracted
by one of the show barkers. The bronzed young lycanthrope *was* quite the
eye candy...well-muscled and in a skimpy outfit designed to draw attention to
the fact that he was very well endowed. (Let's hear it for spandex and
sequins!) She kept looking back at him as I pulled her along with us.
Inside the tent were some stacks of supplies for the food vendors and a
door marked "AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY." Asher opened the door and ushered us
through. We found ourselves in a small storage room that didn't store
anything. A bare bulb dangled on a cord from the ceiling. Two other doors,
one a non-descript grey metal, the other a heavy wood, led out. Asher went
to the wooden one and led us through it and down the winding, oddly spaced
stone steps beyond it.
At the bottom, we stopped at a heavy oak door bound with iron. It
looked like something straight out of Dungeons & Dragons. Rather than open
it like the others, Asher knocked. A tall vampire with crimson hair and the
greenest eyes I'd ever seen answered the knock. He recognized Asher, sparing
the rest of us only a glance. His statement was a mixture of relief,
surprise, and apprehension. I'd never seen a vampire look so agitated.
"Damien, I heard of Anita's condition. I came to offer Jean-Claude any
help I could," Asher addressed the redhead. "May my people and I enter?" It
seemed like awfully formal behavior, considering how close Asher and
Jean-Claude were.
Damien nodded and stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. Asher
offered me his arm. I took it, placing my fingers over the pulse in his
wrist. I knew he wanted a show of solidarity and to send the message of my
importance to him. The gesture gave me his protection and allowed me the
freedom and authority to deal directly with anyone necessary. Kimmy followed
behind with Tim looming in his role as bodyguard.
As we passed him, Asher stopped briefly and placed a hand on Damien's
shoulder. I caught the slight flinch from the other vampire and knew in that
moment that he feared Asher. "How are you holding up, mon ami?" Asher
whispered.
Damien relaxed, but only a little. "I am fighting very hard to
maintain control of myself, Asher," came his low reply. "I have no wish to
be returned to that box." I remembered Asher telling me that Damien had a
very strong bond to Anita and had gone feral once during a prolonged absence
on her part. Asher and Jean-Claude had been forced to "box" Damien up. No
wonder he was afraid of Asher.
Asher nodded his understanding, and we continued into the room.
There was quite a crowd gathered. Power rode the air like the prelude
to a lightning strike. The majority of them *had* to be lycanthropes of some
kind or another. The only ones I recognized were Stephen and Vivian, who sat
cuddled together on the couch. I was mildly surprised that Jason wasn't
there.
A petite blonde vampire was ensconced in one of the armchairs like she
owned the place. There was an arrogance about her that made me dislike her
instantly. There was something else as well, I couldn't put my finger on it,
but something not quite *right* about her.
"Gretchen," Asher acknowledged her presence with a neutral voice.
Gretchen? I had heard things about *her* that made my tension level climb a
few notches. This did NOT look good.
"Asher," her voice dripped icicles. She gave my master a look that
most women reserved for their rivals for someone's affections. Nope,
definitely not good.
Then I spotted the portrait over the fireplace. Asher, Jean-Claude,
and Julianna...my predecessor.
Other than the clothes, Jean-Claude looked like...well, Jean-Claude.
Darkly beautiful in an almost surreal way.
Asher's image was breathtaking. My heart ached to see him unmarked and
looking so happy. At that moment, I would've given anything to restore that
look to his face...to erase the pain and betrayal along with the scars, but
more than anything, to give him the happiness he deserved. Even in the
painting, his gaze was mesmerizing, the eyes seeming to follow and find you
regardless of where you were standing. The knowing smile combined with the
mustache and Vandyke beard were EXTREMELY sexy. My body gave a little quiver
just thinking about it.
Julianna was exquisitely beautiful and delicate. Her hair was a few
shades darker than my own. Her eyes were a rich brown and held the promise
of laughter. Her smile was both sweet and impish. I felt like I was a
peasant comparing myself to a princess. I wondered yet again, why Asher
found me attractive.
He had apparently picked up on my self-doubts. 'It is true that your
beauty and Julianna'a are not the same, Tamara. But you *are* beautiful.
And I love you...never doubt that, ma rose d'acier,' he told me through the
marks.
I changed the subject. 'Why'd you lose the face fuzz?'
He gave a mental chuckle. 'If it pleases you that much, I shall grow
it back,' he replied.
'It *is* rather sexy looking,' I hinted. He sent me an image of a
little trick he used to do with that beard, and I barely managed to keep from
blushing. And I thought he was versatile with his *tongue*!
My breath caught in my throat as a wave of power peaked in the room.
"What was THAT?" Kimmy asked.
A small dark-haired man with green-gold eyes answered. "Jean-Claude
and some others are trying out a theory of his that might enable them to
revive Anita."
"Micah, are you saying that Jean-Claude brought Anita *here*? Why?"
Asher asked him. Micah, huh. So *this* was the Nimir-Raj I'd heard about.
He almost looked like a girl. Good camouflage if he was as powerful as
rumors had him. Of course, Anita *looked* pretty harmless, herself...if you
didn't know better.
"Yes. Her coma is a psychic one. The doctors at the hospital were
unable to explain it or treat it," Micah replied. "So Jean-Claude brought
her here, where the power that needed to be called to help her wouldn't cause
so many problems." He had a good point. If that power surge we'd just felt
had been loosed in a hospital setting, all hell would have broken loose.
"I am going to see just exactly what they are trying to do," Asher
stated firmly. "That burst tasted very much like Anita's necromancy to me."
He left through a part> in the cloth that was draped over the walls...or
formed the walls, I wasn't sure which.
A few moments later, we heard a woman's blood-curdling scream. I felt
a pang of regretful alarm from Asher. I nearly *flew* to where I sensed him
to be.
I arrived just in time to see an unconscious, nude woman collapse into
his arms. Two male voices cried out simultaneously. "Kylie!" "Princess!"
I looked past Asher and the woman into the room and saw a tall, dark-haired,
bearded vampire I didn't recognize.
Jason was there as well. His gaze was fixed on the young woman Asher
was supporting, his eyes filled with fearful worry. I knew love when I saw
it. "Kylie?" he repeated. "Come on Little Red, answer me!"
Looking beyond them further into the room, I made out Jean-Claude's and
Richard's shadowy forms next to a bed. Richard had no shirt on and
Jean-Claude's clothes seemed to be uncharacteristically disarrayed. They
were arguing...what else is new? Anita lay comatose on the bed. An older
woman was shining a pen light into her unresponsive eyes and checking vital
signs. At least they'd kept a medical person on hand. I guessed that
whatever they had tried to do hadn't worked.
I returned my attention to Asher and Kylie. He had lifted her in his
arms. Her head drooped forward and rested against his chest just below his
shoulder. Her curly red hair hung down, obscuring her face. Asilver
heart-shaped locket peeked out from under the trailing edge of her hair. A
couple of what looked like power-bead bracelets rode one of her wrists. I
recognized the aplle green of jade and the golden irridescence of tiger-eye.
Luck and courage, if I remembered right. Blood dripped from the same
dangling hand. Should have added hematite for strength to the mix.
What the hell had we walked in on?
Asher was looking at her with tender concern bordering on adoration.
My heart contracted with the pain of the sudden knowledge that he wanted
*her*, maybe even loved her, from what I was picking up from him. I looked a
little closer at her form as he carried her into the room. I still couldn't
see her face. Her body looked about ten years younger than mine, at *least*.
Natural redhead, too. Well proportioned. Slender. I could see why he
would prefer her.
Asher stopped in front of the strange vampire. The space between them
fairly crackled with unspoken hostility as they glared at each other over the
woman's body. you could almost *smell* the testosterone level skyrocket.
Asher *knew* this guy. And, apparently they did NOT like each other. The
other vamp took the unconscious woman from Asher's arms and stepped back a
few paces. Neither broke the eye contact.
Asher's statement had changed from one of animosity to his more
familiar "come hither" stare, complete with a cute, sexy little smile and a.
I think he even *winked* at the other vampire. The stranger's glare grew
even harder, if possible, with a touch of disgust creeping into it. Asher's
features softened to wistfulness and a small sigh escaped his lips.
'Ooookay...wonder what all *that* was about,' I thought.
'It's a long story, sister,' a strange woman's voice answered in my
head. In my head? What *was* going on here? HAD they managed to reach
Anita? No, she was still out of it. The voice *did* sound vaguely
familiar...like I *should* recognize it...though why I was hearing it in my
*head* was beyond me.
Asher actually jumped a little, like he'd been caught doing something
he shouldn't have been. 'Julianna,' his mental tone made it a statement.
JULIANNA? But that was impossible! His former servant had been burned
at the stake over two centuries ago. She couldn't possibly be talking to
*me*...NOW. I flashed back on the look Asher had given the redheaded woman
now being held by the other vampire. Surely he hadn't mistaken *her* for
Julianna...she looked even less like the woman in the painting than I did.
'I've been curious to meet the woman Chardonneret chose as his new
servant,' the voice spoke again. 'I approve of his choice. I believe you
will be good for him...He deserves some happiness. By the way, Mrs. Lowery,
you look good in my sapphires. They suit you.' That last comment was
accompanied by a warm alto chuckle that held the same wry humor that the eyes
of Julianna's image in the painting promised. *Could* I really be talking to
Julianna?
'Well, Kylie calls me Jules, but I once inhabited Julianna's form as I
now inhabit Kylie's, although she was not my original host. We were hoping
that the news Asher had taken a new servant would mean he would relinquish
his bond with *us*,' she told me. 'But it seems that won't happen.'
'Bond with you? Just exactly what *kind* of bond with you? How long
has *this* been going on?' I asked, a faint twinge of jealousy in my mental
voice. I sensed that Asher was a bit amused by that and clamped down on the
emotion immediately. 'Don't push it, fang-boy,' I warned him. That got
another laugh from Jules.
'We were first reunited with Chardonneret around six months ago,' she
replied. Six months ago...about a month before Asher took control of Orlando
and made me his servant. 'Kylie told him of Anita's plight when he entered
her dreams at the start of this evening,' Jules continued.
"You shared a dream with her?" I rounded on Asher angrily. "Was THAT
why you shut me out when you rose tonight?"
"Oui," he answered me, his face a neutral mask. But the marks were wide
open at the moment. I *knew* he was delighted that I was jealous and
exhibiting possessiveness over him. The urge to slap that careful mask off
his face was almost overwhelming. Instead, I turned back to see what was
going on.
Jason had grabbed a blanket and draped it over Kylie's shivering form.
Her tremors weren't lessening, though. The medical woman ('Dr. Lillian,'
Jules' voice provided her name) came over and checked her out.
"She's responding to Anita's power like she would to a severe case of
hypothermia," the doctor pronounced. "Ramses, hand her over to Jason to
hold. His body heat will help her. Jason, remove your shirt first, then
hold her next to your skin." They did as the doctor instructed. Even
unconscious, Kylie burrowed her face into Jason's chest. Ramses rearranged
the blanket to drape around both of them, sealing Jason's lycanthropic heat
in. Yet, still she trembled.
I was beginning to get a headache from the noise level in the room.
Richard and Jean-Claude were bickering over who's fault all this was and
whether or not it was even worth trying again to reach Anita. Asher and
Ramses (at least I assumed the rich masculine voice with the slight
Arabic-sounding accent belonged to him) were both trying to get Kylie to
respond to them, asking over and over if she could hear them and was she all
right. I was beginning to realize that Ramses must be Kylie's master.
'Actually, they prefer the term *partners* to master & servant,' Jules
told me. 'She's bound to Chardonneret as well, because of me.' She sounded
apologetic about that, though whether she was sorry for me or for Kylie I
wasn't sure.
'She has *two* masters? I didn't think that was possible,' I stated.
"Too many too many too many too many," Kylie was repeating in a small,
painfully desperate sounding voice . "Please make them stop, PLEASE!"
"Too many what?" I asked.
'Voices,' Jules answered. 'Kylie used our abilities as an absorber of
magic to draw from Anita's necromancy and the power of the triumverate to
blast down the shielding that was holding Anita prisoner inside herself.
Now, not only does she *hear* Ramses, Asher and myself, but Richard and
Jean-Claude as well.'
'Good Lord!' I exclaimed silently. 'Having THOSE two inside one's head
would be enough to drive *anyone* bug shit...the way they always carry on at
each other!'
Jules decided to make use of the conference call telepathy that was
going on. 'Asher, Ramses, be quiet please,' she said. I saw from their
expressions that they'd heard her. Their voices stilled. 'Kylie will be fine
once the necromancy wears off. She just needs warmth and quiet right
now...Jean-Claude! Richard! Stop it right this minute!'
They both brought their heads up and looked in our direction. Richard
looked puzzled. "Who...?" Jean-Claude looked stunned. "Julianna?" Both had
been so wrapped up in their little tiff that they'd been oblivious to all
that had been going on around them.
'Yes, mon etelon noir. It is me. Now be quiet.'
Now that she had their attention, Jules continued. 'Kylie cannot handle all
of your voices at once. She needs quiet, so that she can focus on recovering
from this experiment. Your arguing on where to place blame serves no purpose
and does neither Anita nor Kylie...nor yourselves any good. So stop it!'
I felt a tingling heat from Asher's mental presence that usually
presaged his anger. He was angry with Jean-Claude.
"You!" he seethed. "You just *have* to meddle with others, Jean-Claude.
You called Kylie here and endangered her for a plan that might not even
work...you *know* Anita's magic doesn't always respond they way you'd expect
it to! What if Raina had decided to pop up and play with the new 'toy'? Did
you think of *that*? No, all you thought of was your own selfish desires.
And apparently you had no *intention* of calling me to at least let me know
what had happened and what you were planning if you weren't going to ask for
my help."
"Miss Everett was never in any danger, mon ami. Her chosen master was
here to aide her," Jean-Claude sounded tired but also a bit angry.
Asher wasn't about to quit, though. "And what if the magi had *not* been
able to get here tonight. Would you still have gone ahead with this, with
neither of us here as support for Kylie? Knowing that there might be a chance
that she *couldn't* handle this?"
"Oui," Jean-Claude was definitely mad now. "I intend no harm to Miss
Everett, but I will try everything possible to bring Anita back...no matter
the cost! We *cannot* loose her, Asher. If we are not prepared when the
council comes, we are ALL done for...Kylie included." I thought I heard a
touch of fear and desperation in his words.
"You *should* have called me, mon ami," Asher said, his tone a bit
calmer.
Jean-Claude sullenly muttered something in French and Asher's temper
flared again. Soon they were right up in each other's face, their wild
gesticulations almost as hard to follow as their rapid-fire French.
'Oh, Chardonerret, don't *you* start now!' Jules sounded exasperated. I
doubted he had even heard her. I could sense that they were both mainly
venting and wouldn't bring this to blows or a challenge. I decided to try to
do my best to ignore their little lovers' spat.
Ramses strode towards Asher and Jean-Claude. There was grace and power
to his movements...a terrible beauty, like watching a massive thunderstorm
that builds rapidly readying to unleash its fury. I found it hard to tear my
gaze away from him, so I didn't really try to. It was a mesmerizing view.
At first, I thought he was going to try to seperate them, but he stopped a
few feet short of them. He stooped and gathered up a bundle of green velvet
then walked back over to Jason and Kylie. "Help me get what's salvagable of
this back on her, Jason," he told the werewolf.
"It will help her retain some heat."
Jason lowered Kylie's feet to the floor and supported her weight with
his hands under her arms. Ramses stooped down with the bundle of cloth and
lifted her feet into part of it, one at a time. As he stood, I saw that it
was a long skirt with satin trim.
I stepped over to them. "May I help?" I asked.
Jason nodded, but Ramses turned to look at me like he was studying me
under a microscope. For the second time since we'd arrived, my breath caught
in my throat. He had the most gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. I was close
enough now that I could detect a spicy scent, like herbs with an undertone of
myrrh. It evoked a mental image of the desert just after twilight, when the
sands are still warm, but the air has begun to cool.
"Who are you?" he asked me. I was too caught up in his eyes and scent
to answer.
Jason giggled at me and answered him for me. "She's Asher's new
servant, Tamara."
A gentle smile curved Ramses' lips as humorous pity crept into his eyes.
If it had only been the smile, I think I would've melted where I stood.
But, the pity brought me to my senses. I'd a feeling that Ramses didn't have
a very high opinion of my master. I wondered briefly if Asher's flirting had
been just to goad Kylie's partner or was he genuinely attracted to the
man...I knew I was.
'Oh, he's attracted, all right,' Jules supplied. 'It drove him crazy
that Ramses always rebuffed his advances, even before our death.'
"If you could hold Kylie's hair out of the way, while I see if this
thing can be saved," he agreed to my offer of help. I did as he requested.
Gathering her hair back into a loose twist, I held it with one hand, using
the other to remove the scrunchie from my own hair. I secured the twist with
it in a kind of loose bun. It was then that I noticed a tattoo of twining
rose stems starting just below her ear and following a scar down and part-way
around her throat. The tattoo ended in red and yellow roses just a little
above the locket. The ends of the stems were camouflaging fang punctures.
Two fresh puncture marks trickled a thin line of blood just to the side of
the tattoo. Having designed a few tattoos for commissions in the past, I
could appreciate the craftsmanship of her body art.
Kylie's eyes were open, but unfocused. She looked like she was still in
some sort of shock to me. The scrap of green velvet that Ramses was trying
to position over her bare breasts looked like it had been shredded. "That
looks like it's beyond repair," I stated. "She can use my blouse until you
can get her changed into something warmer," I offered, and began removing the
black silk blouse I had on under a black velvet and rayon jumper-dress. It
left my bra slightly exposed under my arms, but it was black, too, so no
biggie. Ramses accepted the loan without comment and began pulling the
blouse over Kylie's head, working her arms into the sleeves.
"Won't you be cold?" Jason asked.
"I *like* the cold," I said. "Besides, it seems kind of *hot* in here
to me." I gave a flick of my eyes in Ramses' direction. He ignored it.
'Is it because I'm Asher's servant?' I asked Jules about Ramses'
unresponsiveness.
'No, sweetie, it's not that and it's not YOU,' she answered. 'He hasn't
*been* with ANYONE in over a millenium.'
'You're *joking*! He's that drop-dead gorgeous and he hasn't had sex in
a thousand years?'
'Nope.'
'Damn,' I thought, amazed.
Asher and Jean-Claude were still going at it. I had learned just enough
French from Asher to tell that it had degenerated to name-calling. Jason had
picked Kylie back up into a carrying position, and Ramses had wrapped the
blanket back around her. It was obvious that the arguing was distressing her.
The storm burst. Ramses drew himself up and, in a voice like the Crack
of Doom, shouted, "ENOUGH!" and the psychic blast emanating from it knocked
the other two vampires off their feet.
I tried my best to stifle a giggle. They had landed with Asher sprawled
on top of Jean-Claude. I caught a quick image from him, and knew he was
fighting the sudden urge to steal a quick kiss from the Master of the City.
Talk about rapid mood swings!
Jason had headed for the door with Kylie, when she stopped him. She was
still shaking pretty bad. I hoped for her sake that the magic wore off soon.
"You...you...you said...they...wo...woul...woouldn'...comme...comeback,"
she managed to stutter out between chattering teeth.
"What wouldn't come back?" I asked.
"Th...th...the...s...s...scarrrss," she chattered.
"They didn't come back, Belle," Asher said as he picked himself up in
one fluid motion. (HOW did vamps DO that?) "What you saw was only a
glamour."
WHAT?
"B..bb...but...w..why?"
"To protect you, cherie," he answered. He was facing us now without a
single mark on his face. Even the cut I had given him was faded away.