Immortals And Melodies (Blood And Guitars #2) (24 page)

I closed my eyes, feeling the moon’s silver rays against my skin, even
through
the window’s glass. I took a deep breath and silently asked the moon to grant me the power to make my husband a vampire. Usually, when I ask for an ability, I feel an almost physical confirmation that it has taken hold. This time, I didn’t feel anything. I took my time, repeating my request over and over in my mind. Antonio had said in the past that it was normal not to feel differently during a ritual, but this was a first for me. It was both confusing and unnerving. I focused in on Trey, feeling his presence with me across the room. I let the sound of his heartbeat fill my ears and made my request one last time. When I opened my eyes, I glanced at the moon again before drinking the blood from my glass. The life-giving liquid slid down my throat, burning away my doubt. I returned the empty glass to Antonio, feeling more like myself. I gave Trey a confident nod as I joined the group again.
Malena’s
jaw was clenched. She’s never a pleasant person to be around, but this seemed excessive, even for her.

“This concludes tonight’s full moon ritual,” Antonio said. “I’m leaving town tomorrow for the West Coast, but drinks are on me tonight at Club Sanguin for those of you who want to come.”

“I have plans,” Malena said curtly, and she picked up her purse and went to the door, disappearing into the hallway of the hotel.

Mark smiled at me apologetically. “Call me?” he said. “When, you know, you have time.”

“I will,” I promised.

Trey and I said our goodbyes and made our way back down to the hotel parking lot. A few minutes later, we were headed for the beach house.

“So that’s it?” Trey asked from the driver’s seat. “That’s a ritual?” He sounded more than just a little bit relieved.

“Were you expecting séances and animal sacrifices?” I said with a grin.

“I’m not sure, exactly.” He let out a breath of air and smiled at me. He turned his attention back to the road. “What will happen when we go on tour and can’t go to Antonio’s rituals?”

“We’ll have our own,” I said simply.

“Where? The tour bus?”

“Exactly.”

He shook his head in disbelief, but he was smiling again. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

Chapter 31

Trey

TONIGHT I WOULD DIE and be reborn as something entirely new.

I’d been anticipating this night since I learned that my girlfriend was a vampire. In the time since, one of my best friends had been killed by blood-thirsty vampires, and I survived several vampire attacks myself. Against all odds, I was standing here on the beach tonight, alive and breathing. A light wind whistled as it moved through the palm fronds nearby. A pair of bamboo
tiki
torches stood guard on either side of the back steps to the beach house, their flames dancing in the breeze. The ocean, which normally had a calming effect on my spirit, was dark and menacing tonight. A storm was brewing.

I’d called my mom earlier tonight to tell her that I love her. I planned on surviving the change. In fact, I planned on being around for a very long time, but I couldn’t shake the little voice in the back of my mind that kept whispering that this could be my last night on earth. I’d also called O’Shea. I’d given him a lame excuse about needing a few days off to recharge my batteries. He hadn’t been thrilled about me calling off rehearsals until next week, but, in the end, he’d come around and agreed that a few days off would be good for us all. He promised to call Neon to let him know what was going on for me.

If everything went as planned and I survived the change, would I really be able to continue with the band as normal? Aurora insisted that she would help me learn to hide my true nature from everyone around me, but would I be as good at it as she was with me? Would the guys figure out that I was different somehow? Would the fans? I tried to push my doubts aside, and focus, instead, on the fact that Aurora would be coming with me. I could do anything, if she was by my side. At least, I had to believe that.

A seagull squawked overhead, and I looked up, watching it fly by the light of the full moon.

“There you are,” Aurora said from behind me. I turned, and she walked into my arms. I held her for a moment, wondering if it would feel different the next time.

“It’s time,” she said softly. “Are you ready?”

I took a deep breath and gave her a determined nod. “Yes.”

Aurora took my hand and led me back to the beach house. We climbed the steps together, and I opened the back door, holding it for her. She walked inside, and when I stepped in behind her, the lights were dimmed, and the smell of jasmine filled the air. I only recognized the scent because it was Aurora’s favorite flower. She had one growing in her house, and I found it fitting since it only bloomed at night. When we reached the bedroom, flames from a dozen jasmine scented candles flickered throughout the room, and a fire was blazing in the double-sided fireplace. The curtains that dressed the window facing the ocean had been tied back, giving the enormous silver moon a perfect view into the room.

Aurora stepped close, resting her hands on my shoulders. “I was hoping maybe it would distract you from-”

“Dying?” I asked. I’d meant it as a joke, but I immediately regretted it. “It’s perfect,” I added, smiling at her. “If this were my last night on earth, I’d want it to be just like this with the most beautiful woman in the world, a private place on the beach, and the ocean crashing outside the window. What more could a guy want?” I started unbuttoning my shirt.

“This isn’t your last night on earth,” she said, frowning at me. “I know how hard this must be hard for you,” she added, watching me intently as I dropped my shirt to the floor. “When Antonio changed me, I wasn’t sure I had anything left to live for. I was trying to start over, but that’s not the case for you. Your life was perfect until I came along.”

“Hey,” I said, touching her cheek softly. “My life might be taking some unexpected detours, but I could never regret falling in love with you.” Just to prove it, I pulled her up against me and kissed her long and hard. She pulled back, and I opened my eyes.
I stared into the face of a vampire, fangs and all. But she was my vampire. And I was about to be hers. “If anything’s going to distract me tonight, it’s you.” I said. I stared at her shamelessly while shadows from the fire danced on her face. She kissed the center of my chest, and right on cue, my heart shifted into overdrive. I guessed that might make the whole process a little easier. Faster.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, and she bent again and kissed me. My heart wasn’t the only thing racing now. My mind reeled, and I wondered whether it had been a good idea to ask Aurora not to give me details about what would be happening tonight. All I knew was that part of the experience would be enjoyable, and part of it, not so much. She’d promised to guide me as we went but ….

“Relax,” she whispered in my ear and I could hear the smile in her voice.

“Right,” I said sarcastically as I lay back on the bed. “I think my heart is going to explode. Would that help?”

She smiled. “I’m pretty sure that would be less effective.”

“If you’re sure.”

Aurora laughed and then kissed me on the mouth again. My chest was rising and falling rapidly with my breathing and I tried to prepare myself for what was to come. Then, I felt her lips on my throat, and I was suddenly aware of the way my heart was pounding in my ears. It was time.

“It’s okay. I’m ready.” I clawed at the sheets, taking a handful of the bedding in each hand and gripping it tightly to brace myself as I closed my eyes.

“Okay.” The feel of her warm breath on my skin sent chills down my spine.

“I love you,” I added. I wasn’t sure why, but I needed to say it one more time.

“I love you, too,” she whispered, her lips brushing against my neck.

Then Aurora bit down, her fangs piercing the tender skin of my throat. I froze, unwilling to let myself flinch or jerk away. It only hurt for an instant before the pain ebbed away. I relaxed, easing my grip on the bedding. I lost all sense of time while she drank from me. It was like I was floating on an endless sea. It was probably the adrenaline or endorphins or whatever, but I felt incredible. This was apparently the good part. If it was like this every time a vampire drank from a human, then I couldn’t see the harm in that. I kept my eyes shut and let Aurora do her thing. I don’t know how long it continued. It could have been thirty seconds or three hours, but when Aurora pulled back and I opened my eyes, the room was spinning. I was weightless. This had to be what it felt like to float around in space.

Aurora ran her tongue along my neck, probably to stop the bleeding and heal the wound. “Trey?” she asked. “Are you still with me?”

“Yeah,” I said slowly, blinking until everything came into focus. “That was … amazing.” She smiled, and I could see the relief on her face. “Admit it, I taste even better than you imagined.”

She laughed her musical laugh and leaned her forehead against mine. “Now, it’s your turn.”

I nodded, feeling the effects of the blood loss more and more with each passing second. The ocean breeze coming in from the window danced across me, drying the sheen of sweat from my skin. I was only somewhat aware of her lying down on the bed next to me, resting on her side. She bit her own wrist and lowered it to my open mouth.

She spoke only one word.

“Drink.”

It might have seemed weird if I wasn’t feeling so whacked out, but I didn’t hesitate to obey. She held her wrist to my lips, and I drank the warm liquid flowing there. The sweetness of Aurora’s blood awakened my taste buds, and I drank freely. It was unlike anything I’d ever tasted. I was lost in the act of drinking, and I wondered if my blood had tasted this good to Aurora. If it were true, I didn’t know how she’d resisted the urge to feed from me sooner. After just a few seconds, I started to feel a change. It started off as a general tingling on the surface of my entire body. My skin was suddenly hypersensitive, and I swear I could distinguish between the parts of my body that the moon’s rays shone down on and the parts that were hidden in shadow. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew when to let go of Aurora’s wrist. She healed it and then turned her attention back to me.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Strange,” I answered truthfully. The tingling sensation was stronger now, and it was spreading below the surface so that my insides were tingling as well.

“Remember what we talked about. You need to ask for the ability to read people’s thoughts,” she said, running her hand up and down my chest softly.

I’d put a lot of thought into which ability I wanted to try first. This one made the most sense considering that I was going to have a lot to hide from the people I spend the most time with. I did as she suggested, repeating the phrase in my mind several times.
Grant me the ability to read people’s thoughts.

“Your body is adjusting to the vampire blood.”

She didn’t have to say it. This was going to be the hard part. Even as she spoke, I felt the tingling turn into more of a burning sensation on the surface. It was like the tips of my nerves were being seared with a hot iron. My muscles bunched, throwing themselves into spasm. I squeezed my eyes closed and fought the urge to cry out. Aurora was sitting up next to me now. I could only tell because when she spoke, her voice came from above me and not from my side.

“Be strong, Trey,” she urged, holding my hand. “This is the worst part. It will be over soon.”

I clenched my jaw tightly, trying to breathe through the pain that had become more of a stabbing pain now, starting in my lungs. It was like a thousand bees were using their stingers to slowly puncture my lungs over and over. I tried for a second to hold my breath and see if that would minimize the pain, but it only exaggerated it. My heart throbbed with every beat. I’d been joking about my heart exploding earlier, but now I wondered if it might actually happen. I couldn’t fathom how it could keep beating while taking this kind of abuse.