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The group of four females eventually tire. They make their way back to the horseshoe seating arrangement in the back corner where an overzealous waiter meets them to take their refreshment order. The minute he leaves the table, she turns to her friends, and they begin laughing. They won’t find the rest of their evening as enjoyable as it’s been up to this point.
I stalk forward, intent on catching the pesky witch by surprise, but her eyes suddenly shift, opening wide as she realizes exactly who I am.
Chapter2
Willow
I takea sip of wine after a long swim in the pool and outdoor shower, fascinated as the bright orb of the sun begins to descend over the Gulf of Naples. This far south the colorful mass falls fast into the darkening arm of the Tyrrhenian Sea that surrounds the Campania region in the southwest portion of Italy. Sipping a wine from one of the local vineyards and watching it from our balcony high above the vastness of the turquoise blue never grows old.
Darkness will approach quickly, and the breeze from the sea will cool the city which has become heat sutured by the beating sun of the day. I set my glass on the small wrought iron table and pat myself dry with the cashmere towel, watching the sun from my balcony, before tucking it around my waist and heading inside through the French doors to get ready for the night.
The porcelain tile feels cool against the bottoms of my feet as I make my way across the dark green flooring of the shared living space with leather couches and recliners in the large open concept space. The adjacent kitchen is pristine with all the amenities four woman who are crazy enough to live together could have hoped to find. I pad past my friend’s rooms and down the hall to my bedroom at the very end of the house.
The lights of the boats on the sea are visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. They’re just beginning to twinkle, making me thankful that I spent the extra rent for the larger bedroom of the house and that I declined the afternoon shopping spree with friends in exchange for an afternoon of solitude soaking up the beauty of the Italian Coast.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall spurs me into action because after a day of voracious shopping my friends are bound to be hungry. It’s not likely they will wait for the likes of me if I’m late for the early dinner planned in town.
I know the rules of the academy. No using your witchy powers outside the academy walls unless it’s an emergency. A small smile breaks over my face because the last few months have been all about breaking the rules. A twist of my hand dresses me in lacy dainties while another twist causes the fitted blue skirt and white fitted bodice to float through the air. I step into the five-inch silver heels and lace the ankle straps with another twist of my wrist.
I glance in the mirror and grin, satisfied with the results and with our decision to part ways with the coven in search for a freedom that until recently was never ours to enjoy. Life is short, and living under the thumb of the head witches of the academy was never going to change. Get up each day, go to class, learn about the evil vampires, how to make more potions and drum up hexes and all the other mundane stuff that a witch must do. All in the name of protecting ourselves from monsters who would like nothing but to watch us burn at the stake.
I pull out the blow dryer and smooth the jet-black hair into a sheen, letting it curl slightly as it rests on my shoulders before putting the silver hoops with the hex sign in the middle on for the evening. Pure silver, a gift from my mother long, long ago. My cell buzzes on the counter. I read the message and smile. My zealous friends have no patience for waiting, not when it comes to a planned night of fun in the city. My heels click across the tile floor as I gather a few belongings and toss them into my purse, before one last twist of my hand takes me downtown city center.
A woman walking at a good pace almost jumps out of her skin as she looks up in surprise. “I’m so sorry,” she says, momentarily confused.
I laugh. “No apologies necessary. You never know when someone is just going to appear out of thin air around these parts.” She adjusts her purse, gives me another puzzled look, but then keeps moving. I really should refrain from such childish parlor tricks, but once in a while it’s nice to slip into witch mode, especially on a night out with your friends.
The greeter lets me through the red ropes the minute I flash my VIP card, one of the many amenities of renting our house from owners of the club. My friends are already at the bar as I walk in, settled into the very back table that allows us to see all the comings and goings of the club with easy access to the dance floor.
They raise their half empty glasses to me as I get to the table, and Belinda slides out and lets me into the horseshoe shaped booth. “Slide into the middle.” She grins at me as I slide into the booth. “Easier for the handsome men to come by and pick me up for a dance.”
I roll my eyes at our vivacious friend, who’s always got one man or another on her mind, until one shows any kind of interest. Then she tucks tail and runs for the hills. No doubt from all the mindless drivel the head witches at the academy have been drumming into our heads for years upon years. Imagine my surprise when I signed up for college and learned the other sex weren’t after our spells and magic at all but something much more fun and sinful.
I put down my purse and get comfortable in between my friends, and an attentive server stops by to find out my drink of choice. A tall, dark man in a suit saunters into the club, prowling with the grace of a panther on the track of his prey. I drag my eyes away before he locks those dark souled eyes on me because I know exactly who and what he is. Master Campania. A pureblooded vampire, one of the most powerful vampire masters of all. I don’t even chance a glance up because nothing good ever comes of running into one of them, especially with no safety of the coven and head witches to protect us.
The over six foot in height dark vampire blends into the crowd, and my attention reverts back to my friends who are talking a mile a minute about their day. They’ve barely had time to fill me in on all their day’s excitement while out shopping for bargains before a popular song comes over the loudspeakers of the club. Belinda grabs my hand and pulls me off of the sofa. Our other two friends follow us to the dance floor, and we all meld with another group of women clearly out for a good time too.
The feel of eyes watching me from across the room causes my skin to heat. I inhale deeply, keeping my focus on the music and friends in front of me. I already know intuitively that it’s the dark vampire master causing my blood to race. It takes effort not to let my eyes be drawn to the tall dark-haired male sitting in the shadows of the corner who should know better than to toy with a witch. He may blend into the club just like all the other humans, but I would know one of our lifelong enemies from anywhere after all the pictures the head witches loved to share. Master Campania, the pureblooded vampire who rules the entire southern region of Italy, and any vampire who originated in this area no matter where they roam or settle afterward reports directly up to him. A powerful beast who could have any female he wants, but yet his eyes haven’t left me for more than a few seconds since walking into the club.
The heat of his eyes stops warming my skin for a moment. I venture a peek, but quickly avert my gaze before his attention turns back to me. I don’t have to look up to know when his eyes rake over me, because I can feel the intensity of their heat on my exposed skin. It sends tingles of desire down the length of my spine and straight to my core.
I may not want to admit it, but every traitorous bone in my body is putting on a show just for him. Every step of the dance feels as though it’s in slow motion and under intense scrutiny from the powerful and well-dressed beast. His eyes don’t leave me for a second; instead, heating my body and spurring my energy, and my nipples pebble against the thin material of the bodice that hugs my skin so closely. I close my eyes, slowly turning away from his six-foot-four frame as the song comes to an end, and my friends and I head back to our table.
The young man who stops at our table is attentive and quick to fill our drinks. I’ve barely taken a small sip when the heat of the master vampire’s eyes draws me toward him again. This time, the magnetic intensity is undeniable and too strong for even me to resist. His mind is racing with thoughts, though, and if they were pure thoughts, perhaps I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.
Instead, all my psychic powers can focus on is the thoughts racing through his head.The evil little seductress will pay for toying with me but not until the vampires get what we want from her.
My head snaps up, and my eyes meet his. He stalks forward as though he owns the club and isn’t just a paying patron like the rest of us, or someone I can send back to the dark nether regions he rose from in a blink of an eye and a wave of my wand.
I take a deep breath and summon every bit of force that comes with my power, readying myself to do battle with the formidable beast.
Chapter3
Campania
The witch’sbright green and purple eyes begin to swirl as she raises her right hand. I don’t need more than those two clues to realize she’s recognized me or that I have very little time to intercept before she unleashes whatever hex is in store for me.
I raise my hand and stop walking, hoping to buy myself time. I could sear the witch with the heat of my eyes right where she stands, but that won’t get me closer to what I need. Instead, I try connecting since most witches are telepathic on some level or another.I don’t mean you any harm, but I do need information.
