Magical Tendencies (11 page)

Von looked down at me and then back up at Solomon, "I would have a word with my
wife
, if you do not mind."

Solomon looked down at me to make sure that I agreed. I didn't know what to say, I didn't feel very safe with either one of them right now.

"Do you feel well, Celeste?" He looked down at me with those beautiful blue-green eyes. They sparkled at me of their own accord. Was he trying to charm me?

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, Solomon. No ill effects. But no memories either. What do you think that means?" I looked up at him, as if Von wasn't even in the room.

"It means that Solomon has lost." Von sneered at Solomon, "Now get out."

Solomon looked down at me again as he searched my eyes quizzically. "This is very odd. All of your memories returned the last times. All of them." He looked down at me with something I hadn't seen from him this whole night—hope, "What could be different?"

"It's me." Von stated simply, "I am here—a new factor in the equation. Did you think that I would have nothing to say about what happens to Celeste or what happens to our marriage?"

"But we have not renewed our vows."

"A minor setback. We can renew them today, this minute, if you would like." Von stepped closer to me, an intense look in his eyes.

"How incredibly romantic, Von. Pledge your eternal love to each other in the middle of a one bedroom apartment with less than 700 square feet. You have the world at your fingertips and you could give her everything and you offer to renew your vows of love in a box." Solomon laughed loudly, boisterously. He had a point.

My eyes flicked over to Von. He was looking down at me like Solomon didn't exist. I felt myself gulp reflexively. Von just made me nervous. What did I ever see in him?

"You do not have your memories because you saw me first. You need my kiss to restore your memories."

"WHAT!?" Solomon snapped off to the side of me, "What does he mean? When did he meet you first?"

Staring at Von, I knew what he was talking about, "In the dream." My voice trailed off. Tilting my head I looked up at Von and looked into his deep, dark eyes. His eyes were hypnotic and gorgeous. There was definitely something behind those eyes that I couldn't read but I understood. He was the man in the dream.

"A dream?" Solomon shook his head. "Dammit! He can get to you in your dreams?! That is fighting unfairly, Edwards, even for you."

"It doesn't matter how we met—she called to me in her dream and I answered. And now I am the one that can return all of her memories. The memories of how much she has loved me, what we meant to each other, what the kingdom is like and why she must return to the throne as soon as possible. She must reign." He kept his amazing eyes on me, never breaking eye contact.

I sighed as I continued to melt into the onyx depths of his pupils.

Von leaned in automatically and I could see Solomon tense up in my peripheral vision. "Kiss me." Von's breath skimmed across my cheek, warming my stomach and freezing my mind.

"I don't feel comfortable with this," Solomon protested.

"Then leave," was the retort.

Staring into the dark depths of Von's rich hazel eyes, I was positive that I was looking into a scrying bowl. I could see the past, present and the future in the rich pools and I wasn't afraid. No matter how fearful Solomon was, it felt like an answer to a long, drawn out question.

Keeping eye contact, I leaned up on my toes and gently brushed my lips against Von's. Von made no move to make more contact. I suspected it was because Solomon was in the room. That wasn't going to stop me, though, because I was the one in charge here even though Von acted like he was. I pushed against his lips with the tiniest amount of pressure, opening my lips ever-so-slightly and brushing my tongue across his lips. He shut his eyes but didn't make a sound. His hands slowly worked their ways to my hips and held me gently in place as I continued to explore his lips. My tongue finally worked its way into his mouth, meeting no resistance. Our tongues met. A warmth spread through me and then the room went black.

18

Solomon

Watching him kiss her tore through me like a hurricane. I was instantly enraged that she would even consider touching him after everything that she had been through. Three years! Three years that she had been lost to him and he didn't leave his precious little conference room to look for her once. She was nothing to him and he was the biggest idiot on the face of the earth. Now he wanders through the door unexpectedly and she's kissing him!

My fists wanted to reach out and strangle him right then and there. I fought the urge so strongly that I had to keep my hands locked at my sides in fists. Every muscle in my body fought me as well, preparing to lunge at Von Edwards' throat. He deserved to lose Celeste. He didn't deserve her and never had.

I looked down at my hands. I never deserved her either. A sigh escaped my lips, causing my mind to relax. My whole life had been a nightmare—a long string of battles, struggles for power, manipulation and death. My hands were covered in the blood of anyone that stood between me and my goals. I was a killer and she deserved much better. I shook my head, letting it hang in the sign of resignation that I felt. I was beaten and I knew it. Von would take her back and I would only have the memories of the few precious kisses that I had stolen from her in her moments of lost memory. But they were magical moments, every single one.

Could memories keep me going for the rest of my life? I guessed I would find out.

Squaring my shoulders, I looked on as Von wrapped his arms around Celeste's waist and began calling her name. Her body had gone limp. I knew what was coming but I still couldn't avoid asking the question that escaped my lips, "WHAT have you DONE to her?!"

My body shook with anger as I swept to her side, my hands trying to find a place to hold her as she slowly floated down in Von's grasp. "Not on the floor you idiot! The couch!"

Von nodded as he looked down at her questioningly. He had no idea what he was in for. Poor schmuck. He thought everything was going to be wonderful and that he would have his queen back. HA! He was going to be surprised by what he found.

Von stared down at her quiet face, features as beautiful as if she were sleeping—a perfect angel.

"I have questions." He said simply as he brushed her hair out of her face.

Crossing my arms and setting my feet apart, I armed myself mentally with every bit of information that could protect her. Everything that I could do to save her—I was no longer determined to kill anyone in my way because she was the only thing that I saw. I nodded sharply, my head making a snap when it came back into place.

"
Where
has she been?" His voice sounded angry, frustrated.

"Everywhere, nowhere. Oregon, California, Washington, Florida, Texas, Italy, Paloma, London, Devonshire. She tends to like Oregon—she loves the beaches here." I looked out the patio window. She deserved a view of the ocean—she loved it so much.

"What do you want to get out of this, Solomon? Power? You couldn't possibly care for her much less love her. You're a freakin' vampire for damn's sake!" His voice spiked on the word
vampire.
Hmmm, that has always been his sticking point.

I was accustomed to what people thought of vampires. It never bothered me that Von would think less of me than most. I could feel a smirk on my lips—I loved making Von miserable.

"Who said I didn't care about her?"

Von shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair as he sat on the edge of the couch next to Celeste. My eyes darted to hers.

"Her eyes are different." I pointed out.

"Yes, I know." He shook his head sadly, "We've been apart for far too long."

"What does that mean?" I really wanted to know—her new eye color, although it was beautiful because it was a part of her, just seemed to be off. It was like she was a completely different person with those rich, chocolate brown eyes. Deep pools of mystery that both piqued my interest and made me wonder where the true Celeste had fled.

Von stiffened and glared at me. It was probably meant to send fear into me but I found myself chuckling instead. He looked furious at that.

"Our magic together is what made her eyes that color."

"I have to tell you something. Her eyes were lavender before you were coupled." I shook my head. There was nothing special about Von—he was a warrior like I was, a mighty warlock in his own right and a strong military strategist but he was not the general the I was and he never would be. He could never best me in a fight and I liked knowing that.

I could tell from the expression on his face that he was trying to think of when I had met Celeste. It was so long ago that it felt like we had been in each other's lives forever.

"No, you met her after our first encounter. Our first… kiss is what sent her eyes to lavender… Before that they were brown. Chocolate, deep, beautifully rich." His eyes hazed over and he looked lost in thought.

Hmmm, so her eyes were the color of earth before they had met. The color of brown that was fertile and perfect—ready to bring forth flowers and the budding beauty of spring. I looked down at her again. She was still asleep, her chest rising and falling just a tad faster than was normal. I could tell—I knew her body too well.

"Something is wrong." I took a step closer.

Von looked down at her, eyebrows pushing together tightly, "What?" He looked up at me with sincere concern in his eyes.

"She has never stayed under this long before." I shook my head.

Von's body stiffened, and his jaw clenched. It was a good look for him if there ever was one. That meant I had annoyed him.
YES!

"You have… kissed her!" He began to take a step from the couch, pushing up at the same time, leaning forward ever so slightly. He looked like a crouched tiger ready to strike.

"You don't play the jealous lover too well, Von," I waved his motions off. "Of course I have kissed her. She asked me to." I smirked at him as he leaned back with utter shock in his eyes.

"She
asked
you to kiss her?" His voice was soft and he looked down at her quickly as if she had struck him. My body instantly reacted, wanting to protect her—stand between his angry looks and her. Von's body shook by the tiniest margin but my vampiric eyes could see the difference. He was fuming with anger. Well, he couldn't harm her with me around.

I was basically her only protection for three years. Every time that I had found her trouble was already knocking at her door. This time it was a demon behind a diner. The other times were random vampires, demons and warlocks—everyone out to take a dent out of Celeste's future. I was the one that was always there for her in her time of need—not Von.

"You know, Von, I would normally grill you about where you have been and destroy you because you never lifted a finger to protect Celeste. The whole time that you were sitting around doing nothing, Celeste was in mortal danger. The fact that you never lifted a finger to protect your own lover does not surprise me, but the fact that it is Celeste that has suffered for it just rubs me the wrong way." My body began to get more and more tense with each sentence. "You do not deserve her." I spit that last bit out. My hate for Von was seething through my countenance and I couldn't help but want to spring on him and tear him apart. The fact that Celeste wouldn't want it was the only reason that Von was still breathing.

Von's eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at her and he spoke almost to himself, "I never thought… it just never seemed… she never said… "

I shook my head and turned to look out the patio window. Movement down in the parking lot caught my eye. It was a quick dart of shadows that was making a path to Celeste's stairwell. Turning to the front door I closed the distance and grabbed a hold of the handle. "And now we have company." I said as I opened the door.

In the entryway stood Jackson, the captain of the guard, under my orders to protect Celeste. He looked at me, striking his fist against his chest in his military salute. He was giving a report on the security of the area after he made a broad sweep of her apartment complex.

"The perimeter is clear, sir. I doubt that there will be any problems with demons tonight, but I have stationed my men around the area just in case." I nodded back at him just as he flicked his eyes around the room, noticing that Von was sitting on the couch next to Celeste. "I see that Von Edwards is here," he lifted his chin over towards the couch but never addressed him directly.

"Yes." There was no reason to say more.

"Should I double the guard?" he asked, with a tiny twinkle in his eyes. He hated Von Edwards just as much as I did… maybe a bit more. Jackson had always had a huge crush on Celeste although I had no idea if I should be concerned. Jackson was hardly ever the type to be up for competition with me or Von and it just seemed wrong to picture the two of them together. I shrugged off the thought.

"No, I believe that with your men, myself and Von Edwards, we should be just fine without any other help."

"Yes sir, I will stay alert." Jackson bowed slightly, turned sharply and walked away. My men were the best there was—a force to be reckoned with. I preferred it that way.

Turning back to Von, I grabbed a chair from the dining area and moved it closer to Celeste's position on the couch. Von watched me dubiously with every move that I made. Something like the fox waiting beneath the bush for the hunting dogs to make chase. And I definitely would chase him down if he ever did anything to hurt Celeste. He would
pay.

My eyes flicked to Celeste's and then finally rested back on Von. "I don't care where you have been, Von. Your absence has been an absolute vacation for me, but I would prefer that you would stay out of my way as I woo Celeste." I liked throwing that in. He would absolutely be fuming in a constant turmoil for the next month from that one statement.
Torture… yes!

Von's back went rigid at the word 'woo'. Ahh, I should have video recorded the experience because it was definitely worth reliving.