Dying Forever (Waking Forever Book 3) (30 page)

Bryce took Alison’s hand in hers. “We were busy.”

Alison blushed as the memories of their night together raced through her mind. “That’s an understatement.”

Releasing Alison’s hand, and taking a tentative sip of her tea, Bryce considered Alison for several seconds before speaking. “
The witch from my story - Abitha - she and her coven kidnapped me. They have a natural aversion to vampires and a justified hate for me in particular.”

Alison felt the air forced out of her lungs as
she remembered the dark lake.  Almost immediately, she felt the room began to spin. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

Bryce g
rabbed Alison’s forearm and gently stroked the warm skin in an effort to reassure the clearly shaken woman. “A lot of the myths and legends are true. Witches exist. Their bloodlines go back nearly as far as vampires. They have powers I don’t understand, that unlike my kind don’t seem rooted in any sort of science or physiology.”

Alison blinked several times as her mind stretched to ac
cept even more unimagined truths. “What - what sort of powers?”

Bryce leaned back in the chair. “Too numerous to go into now. But they are a real threat.” The redhead looked down at the table
, picking nervously at the edge of the wooden surface. “We’ll need to do something today - together.”

Alison frowned; Bryce’s foreboding tone turning her stomach sour. “What?”

“We need to go seek counsel from one of the oldest vampires in existence.”

“How old?” Alison managed to ask.

Bryce took the woman’s hand. “She would tell you old enough, but in literal terms -” Attempting to lighten the mood, Bryce began counting on her fingers. “Just shy of four thousand years.” Alison gasped, and Bryce couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t be too impressed. For all her worldliness, she’s as dysfunctional as any of us.”

“What a sad little parade you all are.” Rayven smirked as she stood in the doorway of Coleen’s house, clad in a pair of dark Levis jeans and a slim fitted navy blue Polo shirt.

“Very classy
, Rayven.” Ash rolled her eyes.

Rayven cocked her head to the side. “You should talk
, shifter.”

Emma stepped forward and
, taking Ash’s hand, tried her best to not sound annoyed. “Can we please dispense with the pleasantries and come in, Rayven?”

“Who’s she?” Rayven looked past Emma and Ash to the blonde human standing next to Bryce. “She smells yummy.”
Flicking her tongue across a now extended incisor, Rayven’s onyx colored eyes swirled and took on a light gray color that nearly glowed in the dim light of the entryway.

Bryce stepped in front of Alison. “This is Alison, and she’s with me.”

Rayven continued to devour Alison with her eyes. “Maybe she doesn’t know any better.”

Alison had been relieved when Bryce told her Emma and Ash were meeting them at Coleen’s. She needed as many familiar people in her life right now as possible, though at the moment it was doing very little to alleviate the
awkwardness of having a beautiful vampire looking at her like a high price cut of filet mignon. She knew the remainder of this visit would be unbearable if she assumed the role of hapless human; she needed to stand up for herself now.

Alison took several decisive steps toward Rayven with her hand extended. “Hi
, Rayven. It’s nice to meet you.” The vampire looked perplexed at the upbeat woman and slowly extended her hand. “Rest assured, your reputation precedes you and I most certainly
do
know better.” Releasing Rayven’s hand, Alison stepped back and wrapped her arm around Bryce’s waist, a confident smile spread across her lips.

“She’s awesome
.” Ash muttered to an amused Emma.

Bryce leaned in a
nd kissed Alison on the cheek. “Well played.”

Alison took a deep breath, hoping the entire group couldn’t hear the pounding of her heart. “Thanks. You owe me a very large tumbler of Jameson after this.”

Bryce grinned as they walked into the house and passed an entertained, albeit more subdued, Rayven. “Deal.”

“Emma!” A tall, dark haired man with nearly clear blue eyes
, dressed in a black pair of Hugo Boss slacks, a gun metal gray dress shirt, and a slim fit black Kenneth Cole blazer greeted the group as they entered the foyer of the house.

“Lewis?” Emma’s eyes lit up as she rushed toward the handsome man. The two embraced and Emma leaned back, taking the vampire’s face in her hands. “It’s been decades. I can’t believe you’re here.”

Leaning in, Lewis placed a firm kiss on Emma’s cheek and then, glancing over his shoulder, grinned. “I was summoned by you know who.”

Emma hugged her maker, the surprise and joy of seeing him bringing a broad smile to her face. “And you actually came?”

Laughing, Lewis shook his head as he looked at Emma. “I’m loyal to a fault.”

Emma nodded. “You really are.” Stepping back, she reached for Ash who stood behind her. “Lewis, this is my partner
, Ashley Haines.” Feeling the warmth of Ash’s hand in hers, Emma pulled the woman toward her. “Ash, this is Lewis Thomas. My maker.”

The utter joy radiating from Emma at seeing her maker again made Ash want to hug the man. Not knowing his preference, she settled for a handshake. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s good to finally meet you.”

Lewis’ smile waned as he looked at Emma, then back to Ash. “Ash, forgive my forwardness, but are you -”

“
A shifter? Yes, she is, Lewis.” Coleen appeared from one of the many hallways jutting off from the main entrance. “And whatever that might imply.”

Emma frowned at Coleen. “Coleen has never been keen on details. Ash was turned about a year ago.” Narrowing her eyes at Coleen, Emma continued. “We had known each other prior.”

Nodding, Lewis’ smile returned as he released Ash’s hand. “I see. It’s good to meet you.”

“Why is that a thing?” Alison whispered to Bryce.

Bryce leaned toward Alison and squeezed her hand gently. “The relationship between a shifter and a vampire is considered by some to be taboo.”

“As is one between a human and vampire
, Bryce.” Coleen interjected.

Bryce straightened up. “It couldn’t be helped.”

Coleen looked Alison up and down. “No, I suppose it couldn’t. She
is
lovely.”

In spite of the compliment, or maybe
because
of it, Alison felt squeamish and uncomfortable. Ash turned to her friend. “Ignore her. She’s a broken record when it comes to this. Consider it an initiation of sorts.”

Coleen tisked. “You forget yourself
, Ash.”

Ash chuckled. “No, I just know you
, Coleen.”

Turning her back on
Ash, Coleen walked toward a large archway, leading to an open communal area adorned with overstuffed leather chairs and couches. In the far corner was a large mahogany bar stocked with every imaginable liquor.

“You’ve
all bothered to come, so I suppose I should offer you drinks.”  Coleen’s lack of enthusiasm was evident in her tone as the group followed her into the room.

Lewis stood back. He stepped in front of Bryce and Alison, a warm smile on his face as he extended his hand to the professor. “Lewis Thomas, ma’am. Very nice to meet you.”

The man was beyond attractive. His jaw was well defined, accenting his perfectly formed lips. His piercing blue eyes were framed by long, thick, black lashes, and he exuded a confidence and charm Alison immediately associated with the Antebellum South.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Alison smiled as the man took her hand between both of his.

Lewis glanced at Bryce. “It’s been a long time.”

Bryce winced. “I didn’t make the best first impression. Sorry.”

Lewis released Alison’s hand and put his hand on Bryce’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “We all have a past.”

He looked at Alison and nodded. “Ma’am.” The vampire then turned and joined the others.

Looping her arm through Alison’s, Bryce sighed. “That went better than I would have thought.”

“How do you know him?” Alison was mesmerized by the various stories, overlays
, and back and forths going on amongst the group.

“He didn’t kill me when I had it coming.” The redhead stated casually.

Alison’s eyes widened, but before she could respond, Ash was handing her a glass of Jameson on the rocks. “Oh, thanks.” She took a drink of the spicy, dark liquid and a deep breath, hoping the combination would steady her nerves.

Coleen stepped out from behind the bar and handed Rayven a glass of red wine before clearing her throat. “Though I loathe these sorts of family reunions…” She looked at Alison wit
h contempt. “Such as they are, what with the in-laws and all - I want you to be aware of a grave threat facing each of us.”

Emma interrupted from her seat next to Ash on one of the sofas. “Where are Rachel and Sara?” Though their paths didn’t cross often, Emma appreciated how gracious and considerate the two vampires had been when she and Ash were initially struggling. She hated to think of them being caught off
-guard or worse, ended.

Coleen sighed. “Alas, they are travelling overseas. I have left word for them to contact me when they return.” Rolling her eyes, Coleen poured herself a glass of Glenlivet. “Young love.”

The dark haired vampire sat down in a leather Chesterfield chair nearest the bar. Crossing her legs, she took a deep breath. “It seems the lovely, albeit misguided Bryce has arrived in our fair city with a little baggage in tow. Plainly put, a coven of witches have taken issue with some of our friend’s past indiscretions and now we all may have hell to pay.” She looked out the top of her eyes at Bryce. “Does that about sum it up?”

Bryce nodded and looked around to find six pair
s of eyes looking at her. “Yes.”

Coleen uncrossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees. “Perfect. So, I propose we kill the witches and call it a day.”

Emma shook her head. “You can’t be serious? First, we don’t even know where to find them, and second, why does everything end in a killing or someone being turned when you’re solving a problem, Coleen?”

The woman smirked. “Path of least resistance
, Em.”

Ash, who had been sitting next to Emma on one of the leather sofas, got up. “I don’t want to be a party pooper, but can we
not
talk so openly about murdering people? I am a homicide detective, after all.” She bent down and picked her Appleton rum and coke up from a marble end table. “Can’t we be a little more imaginative than this?” Scanning the room, Ash took a sip of her drink. “I mean, what have we got here, like over four thousand years of intellect? Surely murder or maiming can’t be our only options.”

Alison couldn’t stifle the chuckle and immediately felt the pressure of th
e group’s gaze upon her. “Sorry.”

Coleen got up and walked around to the back of the chai
r Alison occupied. She placed her cool hands on either of Alison’s shoulders. “Don’t apologize. I imagine you could add something to this conversation.”

Alison wasn’t naïve enough to believe Coleen might actually value her input, but rather knew the woman more than likely meant to embarrass her. “I’ll defer to the group’s vast experiences.” It seemed as good an answer as any.

Coleen laughed and applied more pressure to the back of Alison’s shoulders. “Don’t be so modest. I’ve read one of your books and though elementary in their form, I -”

“Stop it
, Coleen.” Lewis interjected from his spot nearest the bar. “There’s nothing gained from embarrassing her; so get off it.” He flashed Alison a reassuring smile. “What is she talking about, Alison?”

Leaning forward, Alison scooted to the edge of her chair
, effectively freeing herself from Coleen’s clutches. She looked at Bryce, who, managing a weak smile, nodded from the chair adjacent to hers. “I’m a professor of American folklore, and I’ve published two books on witches.” She shook her head. “But I’ve never met a witch because my theses are based on the assumption the witches we’re talking about don’t actually exist.”

“Well
, you got that one wrong.” Rayven sniped from across the room.

Alison didn’t like the woman and her patience was wearing thin. “What possible reason would I have had to believe in witches?” Not waiting for Rayven to reply, Alison continued. “I mean, did you believe in vampires before you
were
one?”

Rayven opened her mouth to speak, and then stopped. She looked at Coleen, who
, in spite of her inherent dislike of Alison, wore an amused expression on her face. Looking at Bryce, Rayven’s irritation only grew when the redhead shrugged her shoulders and took Alison’s hand in hers. “She has a point, Ray.”

Feeling more confident, Alison took a drink of her Jameson and then cleared her throat. “I do know the killings on the Southside have drawn attention from the press. In particular a journalist I’ve been
working with is doing a series on folklore and community superstitions and he is using the murders as a central point.” She had never imagined how close Tom’s series was to getting at the truth of the killings.