Shades of Amber (23 page)

Always been a dream of
mine.

-Troy

Chapter 30

It was a little past seven
when I got back to Troy’s. I rang the bell and smoothed my shaking
hands from the top of my champagne corset to the black tulle skirt.
It was ridiculous, but the thought of being around so many of his
acquaintances made me uncomfortable.

What if my dress was too
formal? Would I draw too much attention? Had he invited other
vampires?

Anyone else would’ve rang
again, but I could barely contain myself. I stared at the floor,
following the cracks in the wood to regulate my racing
heart.

“
Jade.” Troy’s voice
drifted over me as his black shoes and trousers came into view. “I
thought that was you.” He moved closer and lifted my
chin.

It took all my strength to
keep from swooning as his leather-clad finger slid down my neck. My
gaze drifted over his dress coat, up his white vest and cravat,
until I spotted the white half mask. “How did you know?”

He moved the mask on top
of his head and smirked. “Great minds think alike, I
guess.”

We stared at each other
until he pulled me into his arms.

“
I’m not sure I believe
you.”

His cool gloves trailed my
back, sending tingles along my skin as he kissed my
neck.

In that moment, it was
easy to forget what Troy was, but no matter how gentle a caress or
tempting the kiss, reality was never far behind.

I removed my hands from
his hair and kissed him one more time. “You should probably return
to your guests.”

“
You’re probably right.”
He chuckled and caught my hand before I could move toward the door.
“Always, so eager for an escape, cher.” He spun me until I landed
with my back at his front.

“
It’s your party,” I
murmured as his fingertips traced the top of my bodice.

“
Sweet Jade, ever ready
with an excuse.” His words caressed my ear. “But you forget I can
read every unedited thought that enters your mind.”

His words were like ice
water to my mood. “I could never forget.”

It wasn’t too hard to
accept this new Troy, but what worried me most was his newfound
insight. The fear that he might use it to steer me to his whim made
me second think everything about our relationship, no matter how
many times I laid out the pros and cons.

For a moment, I closed my
eyes, imaging what might have happened if I’d had the strength to
move away. I might’ve never learned the truth.

“
I would have found you no
matter what.” He turned me slowly. “Nothing would ever keep us
apart because I love you with everything I am, mortal or not.
You’ve had my heart and soul since the moment I found you humming
as you searched for that book.”

I rubbed my hand along my
throat, absently touching the necklace. “I love you; I just wish
you were more contained.”

With his hands clasped
behind his back, he bent until our lips almost touched. “If I love
a bit too hard, hold you a bit too long, then I would hope that in
my absence, you’d crave me—as I have you, all along.”

I leaned closer as he
spoke.

Who was I to dissect his
motives? No one had ever come close to loving me as much as he did,
so how could I let fear destroy my chance at happiness.

When the words faded, I
threw my arms around his neck and gave into my desires. I had
witnessed life without him, and I couldn’t go back. Troy seized my
heart and soul the moment he asked for them.

“
I’m sorry if I seemed
indecisive.”

He wiped the tear from my
cheek. “It’s alright. I’ve always known how you felt; I just needed
you to realize it.”

The first brush of our
lips was slow and delicate, but Troy was a master at turning a
simple kiss into a feverish possession. Instead of running, I gave
it everything I had.

My heart had always wanted
a second chance with the man I loved, and now I had it.

“
Do you think the Phantom
will get the girl this time?”

He adjusted his mask and
helped with mine. “I’ve no doubt.”

Our banter stopped once he
opened the door. In place of mummies and blood dripping fiends,
stood old world icons and storybook legends.

As he introduced me to a
group of celebrities from the 1950s, I studied the portion of his
face exposed by the mask. Would we ever outgrow our likeness to the
Phantom and Christine? If we succeeded in finding the cure, we
might.

Troy pulled me closer,
interrupting my reverie. “Jade, meet Andrew.”

“
Nice to meet you.” I
shook hands with the tall, sandy haired man.

“
And you as
well.”

When the doorbell rang,
Troy smiled. “Excuse us.” The instant he touched my back, a blaze
of fire spread beneath my skin, absorbing all my
attention.

By the time we reached the
door, it took me longer than necessary to recognize my friends. He
waved them in, shaking hands with the guys, while I hugged the
girls. I smiled at the sight of everyone’s costumes. Garrell was a
pinstriped mobster, Amelia had a mask and dress made of peacock
feathers, and Tyler, Graham, and Cricket were
The Three Musketeers
.

It was interesting to see
my two worlds fully entwined—the one with Troy and the one without
him. He sat and talked with us for a little while before leaving to
mingle.

“
So, how are things
going?” Elizabeth’s voice was high and soft to match her good witch
costume.

“
Things are still
different, but then so is he. I find myself trying to raise my
guard toward him, but it’s pretty obvious that my heart still wants
him.”

Faith lowered her red
sequined mask. “So it’s just your heart that wants him?” She aimed
her bow and arrow at my chest.

“
Okay.” I raised my hands.
“Every part of me wants him, but my mind is having a hard time
accepting that I’m not making a mistake.”

Shanika scooted closer.
“What kind of mistake?”

I slid further away when
her blue and black wing poked my arm. “Stay where you are, I
wouldn’t want you to draw any blood with those sharp fairy
appendages.”

She fluffed her skirt and
smiled. “You’re just jealous because I have the sharpest costume
here!”

A few minutes later, they
were talking movies, but my thoughts were elsewhere. It was rare
for me to turn around and not find Troy’s lingering
gaze.

Mariah’s purple butterfly
costume caught my eye for a moment, but then I tapped my foot,
anxious for a lull in the conversation. “What’s wrong with you?”
she asked.

I bit my lip as everyone
looked at me.

Would I admit I was going
to look for Troy?

“
I need the restroom.”
Several girls offered to accompany me, but I declined.

“
Okay. Don’t get lost.”
Kayla said as she plucked lint from her black cat suit.

“
No worries
there.”

When I didn’t spot him on
the first floor, I made my way upstairs. The music was almost too
quiet compared to the noise in the living room. I turned to the
right, following the faint melody like a siren song. Since I hadn’t
received the full tour yet, I could only guess what was at this
end. Perhaps a guest bathroom or bedroom, maybe even a
library.

“
Who throws a party just
to hide from their guests?” I tried to spot him from the doorway,
but it was dark except for a candle on the mantle. “What kind of
game are you playing and how many fire places does this house
have?”

After a moment’s
hesitation, I crossed the threshold. “Troy?” My skin prickled as
cold air whipped through and snuffed the flame. I shifted from foot
to foot. My gold stilettos were two inches too tall and far too
uncomfortable for me to humor him.

“
I refuse to do this
tonight.” I turned on my heel, but something plowed into me before
I could take another step. I rolled to my stomach and crawled
toward the door, but the glow of the hall seemed miles away. I
moved faster, unsure of where he was lurking until his hands
circled my neck.

My vision blurred as I
kicked out. I should’ve screamed more, but I thought I could get
away before he saw or heard me. Circles appeared and faded when his
hands fell away. Then I flew across the room as his foot connected
with my stomach.

Once I landed, I screamed
like a banshee and summoned every self-defense tactic I knew.
Silence and the element of surprise were my best options. My body
and throat ached as I rolled onto my back. Bringing my hands above
my head, I did my best to whimper once and play dead.

His weight pinned me down
as he straddled the layers of tulle at my waist. I expected him to
speak, but he leaned forward until his hot breath touched my
skin.

Gathering my courage, I
clawed and jabbed at his face. My screams filled the room again,
growing louder when I felt the half mask.

This couldn’t be
Troy.

My assailant fell back in
an attempt to protect his face. Which is when I brought my feet up
and slammed my heels into his torso.

He growled, but I crawled
until I felt the heavy leg of a desk and scurried beneath
it.

My thoughts crashed
against each other as I held my aching side. Nothing made
sense.

What were the odds that
one of Troy’s guests would have the same costume?

It couldn’t be Troy. He
wouldn’t try to kill me.

Or was he trying to turn
me into a vampire? If he did try, I would kill him
myself.

Tears streamed down my
face at the idea of losing him.

It had to be someone
else.

The floor creaked as my
assailant got to his feet. I wanted to scream and curse, but
couldn’t do anything to draw his attention.

Why did he come after
me?

The sound of gunfire
brought me back to the room. I closed my eyes in an attempt to
concentrate.

Did he shoot
someone?

Light exploded behind my
eyelids, followed by a cacophony of voices.

“
Jade! Jade! Where are
you?”

I crawled out when I heard
my friends.

“
We were so worried,”
Amelia said as she and Faith dragged me to my feet. I stiffened
when I saw the dark haired cowboy by the door. He nodded and slid a
long gun into the holster at his side.

“
He saved you,” Faith
whispered, hugging me tight.

The rest of my friends and
a bunch of other guests crowded behind him, but I couldn’t spot the
person who mattered most.

“
Where’s Troy?”

Amelia’s face turned
pale.

Hypnotic

What's this
yearning

that my heart
speaks?

When I think of
you

it gets harder to
breathe.

This image of
you...

And me...

Stays in my
mind

like a melody.

Your love is
hypnotic,

Your soul is
unique.

And when we're face to
face...

Cheek to
cheek...

How can I fight these
memories?

You’re in my blood like a
virus.

Yet, I can’t shake or deny
it.

-Jade

Chapter 31

I followed the trail of
crimson as if I was walking to my own death. My knees gave out when
I saw the dark hair and broad back.

It couldn’t be
Troy.

Blood seeped through his
white vest as I rolled him over. I didn’t have to take his pulse to
see that he wasn’t breathing.

Amelia rested her hand on
my shoulder, but neither of us spoke.

It couldn’t be
Troy.

The room fell silent when
I traced the edge of the white mask. My trembling fingers slid to
the chin as I struggled to catch my breath.

Troy might be a threat to
my heart and sanity, but never my life.

I slid the mask over his
hair, devastated by the face underneath.

“
What was he thinking?” I
asked Amelia.

Someone touched my
shoulder before she could summon the words.

The tears stopped when I
saw Troy kneeling beside me. His mask was gone, so there was
nothing to hide the concern on his face.

“
Are you okay?” He ran his
hands over my body twice before squeezing me against his
chest.

“
No. Where were
you?”

“
I had to take a
conference call with my father.”

I extracted myself from
his arms and stood up. “Did you know Chance was on the
loose?”