"That is not funny! To tell you the truth, it"s just plain ol" creepy." I didn"t bother to tell him that I had that gift as well. I had made every effort to push that ability down deep. It had never been something I could come to terms with.
"I do not need my power to know what you are thinking. You wear your feelings on your sleeve." He was smiling at me, and I saw little dimples near the corners of his mouth. Just my luck-sarcastic and adorable.
We didn"t have a whole lot of time before the sun would come up. For some reason, I wanted to make the most of it. I didn"t care what information he had about the Keeper of the Hounds. All I cared about was how good my body felt near him.
Pallo took my arm in his and walked me towards the entrance of his theme park. The people buying tickets all gawked at him like he was a movie star. I knew he was hot, but this was ridiculous. I half expected paparazzi to leap out of the bushes at us.
Pallo led me through a set of large iron gates set up to look like the entrance to a cemetery. Once inside, I was. .h.i.t with the sights and sounds of the amus.e.m.e.nt park. The smell of cotton candy was around me. I took a deep breath. I could hear music coming from all directions. The sounds of the rides were like white noise.
In the center of the midway there was a large carousel. In the place of wooden horses were carved b.o.o.bries. These were giant water birds that were on the verge of extinction. They looked like a strange cross between a dragon and a bird. Huge talons sprung forth from the carved wood. Scales covered the creature"s legs. The b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the b.o.o.bries were covered in feathers. Thick necks pointed the way to a bird-like head. A shiny gla.s.s red eye stared out at me from each one. The carousel was full of children laughing as they went up and down. The children held tight to the pole, perched on the backs of the black creatures. Each one had been carved with such love and patience that it looked almost lifelike. b.o.o.bries had been numerous across the lands at one time, but now their numbers had dwindled to the low twenties. People had feared them when they stopped being satisfied with s.n.a.t.c.hing farm animals and started s.n.a.t.c.hing the farmers instead. Who could blame them? It had been a nightmare to keep out of the news. The tabloids had picked up the story. It made the front page twice, then some pop star"s newest love interest sold more issues, so they quit running it.
We walked further into the crowd of people. Visitors to the park were huddling around to get their pictures taken with the employees that worked there. A few vampire employees were really playing the part. They had on long black capes with red inner lining. Tiny lines of blood ran down their chins. People were waiting to have a chance to stand next to one and have it pretend to be sinking its fangs into them. Flocks of girls in their late teens and early twenties cl.u.s.tered around the vamps. They couldn"t have had more than a yard of fabric between them covering their bodies.
"You guys have groupies?"
"It is not easy to keep all of my vampires happy with blood stored in the cooler from blood banks. They do enjoy something a bit fresher from time to time."
I was shocked. "You mean you kill people here?"
He laughed at me and stopped walking. "Death is not a prerequisite to a vampire"s feeding. It can be a side effect if one is not careful, but, no, we do not kill anyone here. They volunteer to let us feed off of them. That is all."
"You mean you"ve been feeding off of them too?"
"Would you rather I did not? I would die if I stopped feeding from the living." He bent and kissed my forehead. "It"s not as if they get nothing from it."
His words. .h.i.t me hard. "You have s.e.x with all of these girls?"
"Some, yes, but not all. Even I could not have s.e.x with all of them." His tone told me he was mocking me.
"Get away from me." I pushed him back from me. "G.o.d, you"re a pig." I was so angry with myself. Here I was, supposed to be doing my job, and instead I was acting like arm candy for a womanizing dead guy. I was ticked. More than that, I was jealous. I had no reason to be. He didn"t owe me an explanation. I wasn"t married to the guy. I wasn"t even his girlfriend. I was acting like a fool.
"Why the h.e.l.l did you want to give me the tour? Where you hoping to lure me into a dark corner and get a little blood from me? I"m only here tonight because someone I care about asked me to come. I didn"t want to be here, and I don"t want to be around you or your funky mojo either."
I put my head down and walked as fast as I could. A vision flashed in my head. I saw Pallo bend down on one knee holding a woman"s hand in his. Her back was to me, her hair was black and long, the ends curled up slightly. A slight breeze was blowing it enough for me to see her tiny, slightly curved ears. She wore a flowing white gown. It was made from so much material that it hid the shape of her body. Instead of looking plain and frumpy, it made me want to see what was underneath. It made me want to touch her--to feel if she was as real and as beautiful as she looked My essence floated behind her while Pallo sat on bended knee before her. His skin was bronzed. His hair was longer than now. The sunlight had bleached bits and pieces of his dark brown hair to blonde. He was beautiful. He looked sun kissed and alive. My essence moved around to see the woman he was looking at so intently. My eyes met hers, and I felt myself being pulled into them. No longer a spectator--I blinked. There before me was Pallo, on his knee holding my hand.
"Say yes. Say you will spend the rest of my life with me," he said desperately.
I walked into what felt like a brick wall, and the vision left me. I tried to pull it back, but it was gone. I looked up and was staring at the center of Pallo"s chest. I hadn"t realized he had moved. The vision had sucked me in, it felt so real. It felt like it was my own. I had never had a vision spontaneously hit me. They only hit me when I came into contact with a person. I had not been touching Pallo when that flashed before me, but it had felt so real. I had just met the man, and already I was seriously hoping for marriage. G.o.d, I needed to get laid! I looked up at Pallo and stepped away from him. He caught hold of my arm and pulled me to him.
"How do you do that?" I wanted to know how he seemed to know when it was okay to touch me, and that I wouldn"t strike him.
"What?" he said, grinning down at me. "I was not always the monster you see before you." I was going to apologize, but he kept going. "I was once just a man. I had a different life before this. I had a good life."
I didn"t see a monster standing before me now. I saw a gorgeous, tall man with penetrating dark brown eyes that seemed interested only in me.
"Tell me about your life before you became one of the undead?" I asked.
"Well, I do prefer the word immortal, but..."
This time I interrupted him. "Yeah, and I prefer Gwen, but you keep calling me Gwyneth."
"Ah, touche!" He looked happy as he stood with me, the summer breeze blowing warm air at our backs. I could tell it had been a long time since he had been happy, but I didn"t know why. I took his hand in mine, and this pleased him.
"Answer one question for me, and I want the truth. Can you do that?" I asked.
"Can I do what--tell the truth, or answer your question?" he was making an attempt at a joke and I knew it.
"Pallo."
"I"m sorry. What is it you would like to ask me?" I felt his fingers curl around mine--they were so cold that I brought my other hand around to try to warm him.
"Why do I feel like I"ve known you forever?"
"I must admit, I do tend to have that affect on the opposite s.e.x."
"Please, Pallo."
He gave me a small smirk and turned to continue our tour of the park. He was not going to answer my question, even though I was betting that he knew the answer to it. h.e.l.l, he was probably the reason for it. He was probably leaking some weird vamp mojo all over, making me want him, for all I knew.
He stopped walking and turned his head to me. "No vampire tricks here, Gwyneth." He bent and pressed his lips to mine. I yanked back as fast as I could, watching his face go from stunned to hurt.
"Am I truly that horrible?"
My jaw dropped. Who the h.e.l.l was this guy? He"d already gotten me to hold his hand and I"d known him less than forty eight hours. Normally, it took three dates and some sweet-talking to get that much out of me. He was good, I"d give him that.
"I"m sorry, but I have to go!" I said and started back the way we had come. "Thank you for the tour, Mr. Pallo." I felt overwhelmed by his presence and wanted to push him away from me as fast as I could.
Wasting no time, I jogged away, searching for the park exit. I could feel Pallo staring at me from behind, looking through my soul. I kept wishing he would stop and just let me go. After running this through my head several hundred times, I no longer felt his penetrating gaze on me any more. I didn"t dare turn to see if he was still standing there.
I kept heading the direction I thought the exit would be, but couldn"t find one. I was getting further and further away from the midway. The crowds were lighter. I hadn"t remembered walking this far with Pallo during my tour, but then again my concentration had been more on his firm b.u.t.t than the walk itself. The hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on end. That couldn"t be a good sign. I looked around, trying to spot the carousel at the entrance to the park. There was nothing that looked even remotely similar to that anywhere around me. I saw an entrance to what was labeled the Enchanted Forest and one to House of h.e.l.l. I was drawn to the Enchanted Forest entrance, but as I neared it, I stopped. A small sign that I hadn"t noticed read "temporarily closed for maintenance." I could have sworn that that hadn"t been there just seconds before, but I was having one of those nights.
I started towards the House of h.e.l.l, moving into the turnstile when the call of my name caught my attention. I turned and found Pallo standing close. He was the stealthiest s...o...b.. I"d ever met, but I was suddenly happy to see him.
"You are smiling," he said softly.
I hadn"t realized I was. "Yes, you caught me, I"m happy to see you." This seemed to bring him nothing but delight, because he glided up to me quickly and wrapped me in his arms.
"Not nearly as glad as I am to see you."
My heart melted. I guess two hundred plus years will give a guy the ability to smooth talk with the best of them. "Come," he said, setting me down and pulling me towards the Enchanted Forest. The gates creaked loudly as he pushed them open and gently pulled me through them. He led me down tree-lined, stone pathway. The dark closed in, making me nervous.
"You"re not afraid of the dark, are you?" he said in a teasing tone.
"Maybe, but in truth, I"m walking with one the darkness" scariest creatures, am I not?" The moment I said it I regretted it. He let go of my hand and turned away from me.
"I am a fool."
"No, Pallo. No, I am. I shouldn"t have said that. It was insensitive of me. I thought we were joking around ... I"m sorry ... I...."
He faced me. "I am still a monster to you, am I not?" He looked like an angel standing before me, but I knew better. I knew what he really was, and I was sure he was as deadly as the Devil himself, when need be. That should have made me run from him, but I didn"t. I stood my ground.
"What do you want me to say? What will make it all right? You are what you are, Pallo. I can"t change that, can I?"
He looked at the ground. "No, you cannot change that. Nothing can change what I am."
I took a step towards him, but he backed away. I found myself getting angry with him. "You have some nerve, you know!" He looked up, a little shocked by my tone. "You get defensive for me stating the obvious, and immediately a.s.sume that I can"t see past it. Hey, thanks for thinking the best of me!" I poked his chest. "You used your little vampire tricks on me and got me to fall head over heels in lo--" I stopped just short of the word love.
He perked up. "I have used no tricks on you Gwyneth."
I could tell that he was being honest with me. "So, what does that mean?"
"It means that you do not see me as I see myself." He bent and stopped just short of brushing his lips past me.
I could feel my desire to be close to him growing. I could vividly picture the kiss we had shared in my dream. I didn"t want to miss out on what could be the greatest thing in my life. I bent forward and planted my full lips onto his. He stumbled backwards and lost his footing. My hand came to my mouth as a little "Oh" escaped my lips. I looked down at him in amazement.
He started laughing. "Only you.... Only you!" he said, rising in an effortless motion.
My eyes widened. I couldn"t believe my kissing him caught him so off guard that I knocked him flat on his a.s.s. I giggled. Pallo laughed as well, and the sound of his voice made me melt. This time he pulled me close to him, and brought his lips down onto mine. I felt his tongue makes its way into my mouth. It was cool and tasted sweet. I let my tongue circle his for a moment, drawing small sounds of pleasure from him as he wrapped his arms tighter around my body. Our heads dipped back and forth as our tongues dove in and out of each other"s mouths, each exploring the other. I could find no traces of fangs anywhere. His mouth was as kissable as the next guy"s--probably more so.
Pallo pulled slowly away. A tiny sound of disappointment escaped from my lips and he chuckled. "Come, I have something for you."
I looked at him as he took hold of my hand. He was so gentle with me. I knew that he had to be making every effort to be that way. From all the reading I had done on vamps, they possessed enormous strength. He could have crushed my hand in an instant if he had wanted to. I looked at him as he pulled me down the twisting stone path, deeper into the Enchanted Forest.
"What do you have for me?"
"Ah, I will show you, but first you must tell me what the one thing you want most in the world is."
It was such a strange request that it caught me by surprise. I shrugged and said, "A repeat performance?"
He laughed and pulled me into his body, lifted me from the ground, and spun me in a circle. "You may have as many of those as you would like, but try to be serious for a moment. What is the one wish that you have always had?"
I thought about what he had asked. My mind raced, and then it hit me. "To meet others like me."
Pallo"s eyes lit up. He extended his hand and brushed back a large tree limb to expose another sign. "Welcome to the land of Faerie" was spelled out in gold lettering. I froze. He touched my arm, sliding behind me slowly, moving my hair aside to expose my neck to him. Kissing my neck, he whispered, "This is for you."
"But how?"
"Shhh. Do not question it, Gwyneth, just trust in me when I tell you that I created this for you."
I believed. d.a.m.n it, I believed every word he said, and I knew why. It was because I had fallen for him. I didn"t question how he created this before he even knew me, I didn"t question anything. He had me now, and I"m sure he knew it. He eased my body forward and we crossed the threshold to Faerie Land. The sun beat down on us. I screamed and tried to push Pallo back out. He only laughed and stood his ground. He didn"t burst into flames. That was a huge relief.
"It is not earthly sunlight. It will not harm me."
I let out a breath I hadn"t realized I"d been holding. "I thought, I thought...."
"I was slightly concerned that you would want to see me turn to ashes."
I gave him a stern look. "That isn"t funny and you know it."
His laugh bellowed forth at me and was contagious. I laughed along with him until my ribs hurt. "Oh, my silly Pallo, whatever shall I do with you?"
Pallo stopped laughing and looked at me. I didn"t think the man could get any paler, but he managed it somehow. His eyes widened. "What did you just say?"
I shrugged. "What?"
He walked around me, staring at me from every angle. I turned to follow his gaze. "Okay, this is just creepy."
"Yes, Gwyneth, even I will agree with you on that one."
"Pallo?"
He shook his head and reached for my hand. "Some habits cannot be broken by even the worst of circ.u.mstances."
I took his hand and looked at him, puzzled. I wanted to ask him about that statement but he directed us down a small path. Little cottages lined a cobblestone walkway. Each cottage"s chimney had smoke bellowing out of it, giving it that cozy appearance. Along the pathway, older faerie men and women were in the process of conducting their daily lives. All of the fairies I saw looked nothing like me. The tallest was maybe four foot high. Some women were sitting together working on a quilt, and others were knitting. Two older faerie men pa.s.sed us riding in a wagon being pulled by two brown Kelpies. I had only ever seen Kelpies in a book before, so I reached my hand out to touch one. They looked very similar to a domestic horse, and probably had could have pa.s.sed for one unless someone noticed their eyes. Their eyes were bright green and had a wondrous glow-in-the-dark quality to them. When my hand brushed the soft coat of the Kelpie, its color went from brown to gray. I drew my hand back quickly, unsure if I had caused that. The smaller of the two men on the wagon chuckled.
"Don"t you worry none "bout him, he does that when he likes someone." His voice was lower than I would have expected from someone his size. I saw that he had a small amount of facial hair. I looked to Pallo and let my mind ponder the fact that I had always been told that fairies were tall, slim, had long hair, and no facial hair. Pallo, being the champ-vamp that he was, answered me before I could ask the question.
"There are many forms of fairies here." He looked so pleased with himself for bringing me here. He knew that I would enjoy this. He took my hand and led me further down the path. We came upon a small stone bridge with a small stream running below it.
"I suppose you even managed to hire a few trolls to jump out from under the bridge at park guests?" I looked up and noticed the wind moving his brown semi-curls from his chiseled face.
He gave me a mischievous grin. "Not all the creatures in the park are employees." I could hear the truth to his words, but couldn"t make sense of them.
"My dear Gwyneth, for reasons unto myself I created a portal here to the faerie realm. I offer them safe pa.s.sage and in return, they allow guests to walk among them." He held my hand tighter as he told me this.
The cool touch of his skin comforted me. I stared at him a minute and knew that this place was as close to daylight as he would ever be able to get with me. I wanted this moment to last forever. As silly as it sounds, I envisioned the two of us growing old and raising a family together. Nothing like just meeting a guy, and instantly hooking a ball and chain around his leg--great, now I was clinging and desperate for a husband.
I was. .h.i.t with another vision. This one did not feel like it had ever taken place. It felt like I was bearing witness to someone"s deepest desire. Not just any someone, but me. I pictured Pallo placing his hand on my lower stomach. It was big and round. My shirt was pulled high, exposing it to him. His face slid down and he rubbed his cheek against my swelling belly. He kissed it, and I knew that this life in me was ours. I was so in love with him and with the idea of starting our family. I was giddy.
I stopped for a moment and raised up, giving him a surprise peck on the cheek. I felt the vision slide from my head and into his. I tried mentally blocking it from going, but it was too late. He pulled back from me quickly. A look of shock ripped through his devilish good looks. Before he was able to respond to me, Caradoc appeared out of thin air beside us.
"Master, your services are needed immediately."
Pallo nodded. "Thank you. And Caradoc, there is no need to call me master."
"Sorry," he said, stepping back, giving Pallo and me more privacy.
I was so embarra.s.sed I wanted to crawl under a rock and die. "I"m sorry. That was too much, I know. I bet you"re going to find this hard to believe, but I"m not trying to snag a husband and--"
He put a finger to my lips. "You"ve done nothing wrong. I must see to this minor detail. Would you like me to have Caradoc stay with you?" He motioned to Caradoc and he stepped forward. Caradoc looked a little uneasy about being volunteered to baby-sit me. Who could blame the guy? I had already d.a.m.n near staked him once tonight.
"No, I"m fine. Go ahead. I can find my way back to the main house." I felt something sink in the pit of my stomach. He took my hand to his lips.
"I shall be thinking of you, Gwyneth," he said.
I watched them head toward the entrance of the Faerie Land. The irony of two studs walking in a place called Faerie Land struck me. I let out a laugh. It echoed and came back to me louder. I turned around. Bushes lined the stone path on the other side of the bridge. I was almost positive that laughter was coming from there. I stopped and listened hard for a moment. Then I heard it again. It was my voice echoing back at me. I started across the bridge to investigate.
Something seized my right ankle and pulled me off of my feet. My shoulders. .h.i.t the ground first, then the back of my head. Something big and hairy grew close. My eyes widened as I made out the faint shape of pointy green ears under the piles upon piles of ratty long hair that covered the beast like a sheepdog. The dark greenish creature reeked of stagnant water and started to pull me towards it. I caught a glimpse of its beady yellow eyes under a veil of hair and realized I was staring into the face of a troll. It snarled at me and s.n.a.t.c.hed at my neck. I did what any normal girl would do. I kicked that thing as hard as I could. My foot struck its upper arm, bounding off like I"d kicked a steel wall. Pain shot up my leg. I was pretty sure I"d just broken my toes, but at that moment I had bigger issues to worry about.