I didn"t have to wonder long. After the gang left, I hurried up to my room, where yet another fabulous dress waited for me. This one was white and cut toga style. Maybe tonight"s guy was a traditionalist. The one-shoulder design made a bra impossible so the overall effect was pretty interesting. I"m well-endowed and perky. When Jerry is himself, he"s pretty fond of the "girls." He"d have loved me in this.
I wasn"t so crazy about looking like an escapee from Olympus.
Quick research made me wonder if there was a G.o.d any better than Apollo up there. Mom had started with her best shot in my opinion. But it would be interesting to see her next attempt. I was almost in a good mood as I headed downstairs. This date would be a piece of cake. I"d found out something on the Internet that was a deal breaker as far as future dates were concerned. Jerry was as good as fixed.
The same limo and driver picked me up and this time I paid close attention to where we were going. It had taken me too long to find my way back last night. I"d finally had to resort to flying overhead and trying to spot Jer"s neighborhood. It was not something I wanted to make a habit of. While shifting into a bird or bat wasn"t supposed to mess with your clothes, I always thought they were a little worse for wear after the whole thing. Sorry, but these dresses my mother sent me were just too fine to risk even a wrinkle and G.o.d forbid I lose one of my designer shoes.
We arrived at the same town house so maybe Mom had rented it for the duration. I walked in and the same servant took my purse and wrap. Mom had sent along a satin cape lined with gold this time. Even though I didn"t feel the cold, it was a nice accessory on a chilly night. Once again, a fire blazed in the fireplace. This time the man waited for me. He played a small instrument, an odd-shaped guitar. The name came to me in a flash. It was a lute. Okay, that was definitely an Olympus thing. I couldn"t deny the music was hauntingly beautiful. He looked up and smiled, obviously reading my mind, and set it aside.
"Good evening, Gloriana. I see you wore traditional dress. You look enchanting." He stepped forward and took my hand, kissing the back of it.
Another beautiful man, this one with dark hair that fell onto his forehead. His sapphire eyes gleamed as he studied me. He was in the traditional toga himself, a short one to show off his muscled legs. Yum.
"Good evening. You know my name. May I ask yours?" I eased my hand from his grasp. He was normal temperature. Well, for a human. Still warmer than a vampire. Were they human on Olympus? Of course not. But he was doing a good imitation. He smelled wonderful, like old money. What? Where had that come from?
He laughed. "How delightful. My name is Hermes. And besides music, money is one of my favorite things. Though actually I prefer gold." He walked over to a small table and opened a lacquered box. A rope of gold glimmered inside and he lifted it out and admired it for a moment. "This would look exquisite on you. Here." He slipped it over my head and adjusted it until it nestled between my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Lovely. You were made to wear gold. It matches your hair. I like your earrings. Eighteen carat?"
"Yes." I"d checked them out when I"d found them tucked in my gift box tonight. Mom was being very generous. You knew I wasn"t going to toss her presents in her face, didn"t you? This necklace wasn"t going back either if I could help it. It felt like several ounces of treasure.
"I see you appreciate value. I like that in a woman." He grinned and picked up his lute again. "Your mother tells me you also appreciate music. Shall I play for you?"
"I"d like that." What in the h.e.l.l had my mother done? Was she snooping into my past? Yes, I"d had a fling with rock star Israel Caine. And his music was one of the things I"d loved about him. Still loved. Would always love about him. But our affair was over. I could love his music and realize I was meant to be with Jerry. That had been a tough decision but the right one. I sat on the silk sofa in front of the fire while Hermes tuned his instrument. I doubted he"d break out into a rock song. I prepared to be bored.
Uh-oh. I was not bored. He sang in a deep and seductive voice of love. A love that could last forever. Oh, Jerry. A love that would span the test of time. I swayed to his perfect strumming, closing my eyes as his voice wound a spell around my heart and thoughts of Jerry drifted away. I knew this was magic and tried to fight it. But he was so talented and I"ve always been a sucker for a great song. I still have an Israel Caine shrine in my living room, though it"s tinier than it used to be. It made Jerry insanely jealous. Or used to. Now? He probably...
Forget history. I lay back on that silk sofa and just imagined listening to that exquisite music every day. Even when the lute went silent, the song played in my head.
"Gloriana, look at me. We are meant to be together. Your mother tells me you run your own business." Hermes sat beside me, his hip hard against mine. "You have no idea how s.e.xy I find a woman who enjoys commercial endeavors. We could do such great things in Olympus." He toyed with the gold chain, his fingers brushing the curve of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s before he let it drop. "I can see us cornering the jewel market. How would you like to be the premier jewelry distributor to all the G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses on the mountain? Believe me, the men and women there are insatiable when it comes to adornment."
I took a moment to imagine bathing in jewels, becoming the spokesmodel for fabulous accessories. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds. Wait a minute. I wasn"t really into such things. Or hadn"t been. Of course that was because I"d made my peace with owning CZ studs and pa.s.sing them off as diamonds long ago.
"You wear fakes?" Hermes shook his head. "Poor Gloriana. You should never have been brought so low, the daughter of such an exalted figure. Your mother must weep each night over your plight."
Now he"d made a serious misstep. My mother weep over me? Ha! She"d forgotten me for centuries. Then she"d chosen a harsh way of showing an interest. Had she come to me and asked for a sit-down? Showered me with presents and then begged me to forgive her? h.e.l.l no. She"d poisoned my lover and threatened to keep him locked in a past that didn"t include me.
I shoved him aside then jumped up, seriously p.i.s.sed. "Sorry, Hermes, but the last thing I want to do is make my mother proud. The b.i.t.c.h has done nothing but hurt me. Your music is beautiful and you give great gifts." I should toss the necklace in his face. Or not.
"That little trinket is just the beginning, Gloriana." His smile never wavered he was so confident that his bribery was the way to my heart.
"Did you forget to mention something, Hermes?" I played with the gold between my b.r.e.a.s.t.s and saw him lick his lips. "I did a little Internet search before I came tonight. Aren"t you...married?"
"Of course. What has that to do with us?" He pulled me into his arms. "It"s a political alliance. You poor thing, stuck here on Earth where it is so provincial." He stroked my hair, paralyzing me when I tried to break away. "We are free to love where we wish on Olympus, dear girl. My wife has her own lovers. I have mine."
"I"m not interested in being a member of your harem." I turned my face, his kiss landing on my cheek.
"This hard-to-get ploy is wearing thin, Gloriana." His voice hardened and he grabbed my chin. "Kiss me and let"s get on with it."
"This isn"t a ploy." His arm was like an iron band around me and I realized he was determined to seal this deal even if he had to use force. I swallowed and let my fangs show, hoping they"d disgust him and make him change his mind. If anything, his hand on my chin pinched harder and his eyes narrowed.
"Vampire. No wonder your mother is so desperate to bring you home."
"This is my home. Earth. Not some mountain where powerful ent.i.ties marry their relatives and seem to have no morals." My voice shook and I was relieved when he let me step back. I had a feeling the fangs had done that for me.
"I told you. Our marriages are political alliances. Certainly nothing a mundane like you would understand." He looked me up and down. "You would be transformed in Olympus, Gloriana. Beautiful, your teeth perfect. I can"t understand this determination to cling to a lifestyle that is so limiting."
"No, I suppose a G.o.d would never understand where a mere creature like me is coming from." I headed for the door. "Nothing you can say will make me want to live in Olympus. I"m satisfied with my little shop. I"ve been making a living and that"s enough for me. Thanks a heap." I threw him a kiss then froze. His glare meant I"d crossed a line.
"I offer you everything, give you something very valuable and all I get is a "Thanks a heap"?" He stomped over to where I stood. I couldn"t move or, trust me, I would have been so out of there. I"d recently discovered I could dematerialize. But that was a no go around these Olympus characters.
I didn"t like the way he was looking me over. If he thought he"d bought and paid for something with his necklace, he could think again. Too bad I couldn"t move my arms and legs. But my mouth still worked.
"Take your stupid necklace back. I don"t know where you got the idea that I could be seduced by jewelry, but I"m not that easy." I lifted my chin. Nice that I had control of my head at least.
"Hermes, get away from my daughter." Her voice fell like chips of ice into the room. "Gloriana, you will keep the necklace. As payment for putting up with bad manners."
"If you"ve been listening, you know your daughter has very harsh thoughts about you. Do you really want to defend her?" Hermes put his hands on his hips. I noticed for the first time all the rings he wore. Amazing that he could play the lute so well; the weight of those gold rings must have made it difficult.
"She has her reasons for hating me right now. We will work through them. But you are treating her like a common wh.o.r.e and I won"t have it." She stomped her foot and Hermes"s lyre burst into flames.
"You will regret that." He snapped his fingers and my necklace vanished.
"And you will regret that." My mother flung lightning at him, making the hem of his toga smolder.
"You have just made a powerful enemy. Both of you." He turned on his heel then disappeared, leaving a trail of smoke behind him.
"Spoiled brat." My mother frowned after him then turned to me. "I"m sorry about that, Gloriana. I"ll buy you another necklace."
"Forget the necklace!" I"d had it with her dates and manipulations. Obviously this candidate of hers had been hard for her to control. Maybe this was the time to put a stop to her plan. "Surely you can see that I"m not right for your G.o.ds. And they are married! I"m not interested in the weird love affairs going on up there. Forget this, Mother, and let me be happy with the man of my own choosing." I put a hand on her arm. "Jerry isn"t so bad once you get to know him. Look past his fangs to the strong man who took care of me for over four hundred years. I wouldn"t be here today if it wasn"t for him."
"How you constantly defend him!" She shrugged off my hand. "I swear he has brainwashed you. Is it this way with all vampires and their makers? Is it?"
"No. I don"t know." I thought about it. "No, of course not. Many vampires go their separate ways and never see their sires again. Jerry and I stay connected because we love each other."
"And yet you recently had a tryst with a singer, that Israel Caine fellow." She made a very unladylike sound. "Another vampire."
"Yes. I was lonely after Jerry left, and Ray is a dear friend. We agreed it won"t happen again." I sat down. If I was going to hear a rehash of all my mistakes, this was going to take a while.
"And you had an affair with your former bodyguard. A"-she shuddered-"shape-shifter, one Rafael Valdez. That was the reason Jeremiah Campbell left Texas for his ancestral home in the first place."
"Yes, Mother." I stared down at my shoes. Tonight"s were a beautiful gold leather sandal with a rhinestone buckle. "Rafe and I are the best of friends. I"ve known him for years. But he knows we"re done as far as being lovers goes. I chose Jerry."
"Interesting." She tapped her perfect chin. Tonight she wore a burgundy silk pantsuit with a pink satin and lace camisole underneath. The entire outfit was surprisingly s.e.xy and I wondered if she was meeting a lover of her own later. "So when or if your Jeremiah suddenly remembers everything, he"ll have a lot of your transgressions to get past, won"t he, Gloriana?"
"Yes. But he told me, before your stunt with Mara and the knife, that he"d decided to forgive me." I got up, tired of looking up at her or down at my shoes, no matter how pretty. "Of course he doesn"t know about Ray. At least how far it went."
She smiled. "Are you sure you want him to remember everything, Gloriana? It might be in your best interests to start fresh."
"You"ve been listening to my conversations, haven"t you?" Now I was mad. "Stop it. Right now. I don"t need you b.u.t.ting into my business. It"s bad enough I have this dating thing to deal with without the thought that you"re listening in to every word I say."
"But I have so much to catch up on. Can you blame me?" She touched one of the gold loops dangling from my ears. "I need to know your tastes, your desires. To help me find the perfect man for you, of course. And I will find him. Every misstep brings me closer to the right choice. And, seriously, Gloriana, think about this. Living with a man who has "forgiven" you can be h.e.l.l on earth. Do you really want to be your Jeremiah"s charity case?" With that she vanished, just like Hermes had done.
"Thanks a heap, Mother." I grabbed my wrap and my purse and walked outside. At least she"d left the limo for me this time. Old Hermes had certainly screwed up, dissing me. I had the feeling there were going to be a few lightning bolts tossed around Olympus later. The thought had me smiling as we tooled through the quiet streets back toward the Campbell town house.
But her last words had wiped the smile off my face. I couldn"t deny I"d worried about that very thing. That Jerry would never forget how I"d betrayed him. That he"d never trust me again. And, if he found out I"d been with Ray...? I"d have to start with a clean slate and confess everything if we were ever to have a life together. I couldn"t live in fear that my latest indiscretion would come out. But could I do it? Confessing that I"d slept with Ray might just be the final nail in the coffin for my relationship with Jerry.
I glanced at my watch and calculated the time before sunrise and how long it would take me to drive to Campbell Castle. It was almost a relief to realize I would have to wait until the next night to leave Edinburgh. Maybe I was a coward, but facing Jerry and his harridan of a mother was more than I could take right now.
I finally mastered the stick shift on Jerry"s Jag and actually enjoyed the drive to the castle. Still, it made me remember how much he"d appreciated taking the winding roads in the hills around Austin in his powerful sports car back in Texas. Tears p.r.i.c.ked my eyelids and I had to slow down once to get myself under control. He had to get his memories back. No way could he stay stuck back in the sixteenth century, afraid of the machines he"d loved so much.
I parked and grabbed my suitcase, sure that the excellent security had spotted me long before I got to the door. Of course it swung open before I could ring the bell. Jerry"s mother stood in the doorway, her stare telling me all I needed to know. She"d read minds, done something to figure out that this was all my fault. I was number one on her s.h.i.t list.
"Gloriana. Do come in." She called for a servant and my bag was collected. Mag"s smile was brittle as she led the way into the living room. "Jeremiah is out riding. The doctor is with him. You should have heard Bartholomew"s complaints. You"d think a true Scot could still sit a horse." She nodded toward Angus. "It"s a good thing my husband was wise enough to send for two of the beasts."
"Yes, of course. I think Jerry should have someone with him at all times. He continues to have spells when he"s weak." I didn"t want to sit yet. Not sure of the dynamics here. No sign of Cait. I"d have given anything for her friendly face. Angus was on his feet, his chivalry too ingrained to let him stay seated when a woman entered the room. Now he settled back into his recliner. The TV was on as usual, a muted soccer game.
"Never thought I"d see the day when the lad had to have a keeper with him." Angus picked up a goblet of blood and took a deep swallow. "He is still weak, Gloriana. And we know now "tis your doing." He set the gla.s.s down with a crack. "What says your b.i.t.c.h of a mum? Is she willing to reverse the spell?"
"I-I- What have you heard?" I sank down on a chair. Mag moved to stand in front of me.
"No one betrayed your trust, girl. Our Caitie would die before she let a confidence slip. But I could always read her." Mag threw back her long dark hair and put her hands on the armrests, effectively trapping me there. "She"s mortified that I found out your secret. That your own mother poisoned our son." Mag"s eyes blazed and her fangs were down.
"Then you know that I would never hurt Jeremiah! She did it without my knowledge. An interfering mother. Can you relate to that, Mag?" I concentrated and managed to dematerialize, popping up on the other side of the room.
Mag and Angus gasped, Jerry"s mom crossing herself as she whirled around to face me again. "Witchcraft! How did you hide this so well all these years?"
"It"s not witchcraft! My mother is from Olympus. I inherited some of her powers but I didn"t realize it until recently." I put out my hands. "You don"t know what else I can do. Trust me, you don"t want to test me."
Mag"s eyes narrowed. "Threatening me now?" She advanced to within a foot of me. "Think about this, Gloriana. I believe you hope to get Jeremiah back into your bed." She glanced at Angus. "G.o.d knows I have no wish to see this happen, but if it will help him gain his memory back, we are willing to have you here, to work with you."
"Aye, we will. But stop this nonsense. Threats." Angus was on his feet now, advancing to stand next to Mag. He put his hand on his wife"s shoulder. "If your mother did this, then we need to know how to appease her. How to get her to take this spell off of our son. What can we do, Gloriana? Or what can you do to get Jeremiah back to himself?"
I took a steadying breath. Sorry, but the dematerializing thing was new and took a lot out of me. It was always a surprise that I could actually pull it off.
"First, quit threatening me." I stomped around Mag and sat again. As usual I felt like a poor relation compared to Jerry"s mother in her designer originals in a tiny size. My own outfit had been stuffed in my suitcase way too long. My black pants could have used a wash and my sweater was pilling under the arms. I was all in black. I guess I"d been thinking I could hide if I needed to. Blend into the night. Stupid. I was a strong woman with powers. No hiding for me. I threw back my own hair, which had at least been washed and was cooperating for once.
"We"re upset, Gloriana." Angus practically pushed Mag onto the sofa and sat beside her. "Bear with us. Any idea what we can do to appease your mother?"
"I"m working on it. But she can hear everything. Don"t disrespect her or she"ll never lift this spell she"s got him under." I looked significantly at the ceiling.
Mag crossed herself again and reached for a Bible on the table next to her.
"She"s not from h.e.l.l, even if sometimes she does things that make her seem that way. She"s a mother like you, Mag, trying to do the best for her child." I sighed when I saw Mag fire up again.
"And Jeremiah"s not good enough for you? Is that what she"s saying?" She started to get up but Angus held her back with a beefy hand on her knee.
"Now, darlin", what do you think Gloriana"s got to say about her mum"s opinion? Has Jeremiah ever had any say over yours?" He shook his head. "So what do we do now, my dear? Is there anything Mag and I can do to help this situation?"
I felt the air stir and had a very bad feeling that I knew what was coming. My good hair started rising and, sure enough, a figure appeared in front of Angus"s recliner. She smiled and then settled into the leather seat.
"How delightful of you to offer, Laird." My mother crossed her legs and leaned forward. "Wouldn"t it be perfect if we could work together to get our children back where they belong?"
I closed my eyes and wished I had Mag"s Bible. I wasn"t sure if I"d use it for fervent prayer or to throw it at the woman who"d claimed she"d given birth to me. This could not end well.
Eight.
"If you are going to work together, Mother"-I managed a smile-"perhaps you"d better introduce yourself." I waited. At last I"d get a name out of her.
"Call me Olympia for now. I"m traveling incognito." She gave me a cold smile like, "Nice try." "I know you are Magdalena and Angus Campbell, Laird and Lady Campbell." She rose and held out her hand. "Forgive me for just dropping in like this, uninvited. Obviously I"ve been listening for a while, but I"m concerned about my daughter."
"Forgive you?" Angus was on his feet, Mag by his side. "You are torturing our son. Fix him, woman. Right now. Then take your blasted daughter and get the h.e.l.l out of my house!"
"Oh, my. Not exactly the cordial welcome I"d hoped for." Mother glanced at me. "And this is the family you wish to join, Daughter?" She raised her hand and I knew what was coming.
I lunged, grabbing her hand before she could follow through. "Don"t you dare throw lightning in here!"
"What?" Mag hauled Angus around to the back of the couch, closer to the door.
"She tosses lightning bolts when she"s mad. It"ll sting like a b.i.t.c.h and could burn this place down."
My mother shrugged me off. "She"s right. I"m usually greeted with more respect."
"You poisoned our son. Surely you understand if we are less than cordial." Mag glanced at me. "Did you ask your mother to take away Jeremiah"s memories, Gloriana? So he"d forget that you betrayed him?"
My mother hissed and pointed a red-painted fingernail at Mag, freezing her where she stood, mouth agape. "You dare! I"ll have you know my daughter has wept over your son"s memory loss, begged me to restore him. She doesn"t care if he tosses her aside for her s.l.u.ttish ways as long as he comes back to this century."
I stared at her. Didn"t care for the "s.l.u.ttish" comment but the rest of that speech had been pretty nice, actually maternal.
"Gloriana and I are working on a cure for your son. Be patient. There is hope that his memories will come back." She flicked her wrist and Mag came alive again only to cross herself and mutter about witches while she clutched Angus.
If I didn"t resent the fact that it was obvious my mother was still determined to go on with her ridiculous dating game, I might have been cheered by the sight of Mag Campbell scared of someone.
Jerry and Bart chose that moment to barrel into the room smelling of horse and cold air. I wanted to rush to Jerry and kiss his smile, obviously put there by a ride on a fast horse through familiar land. But my mother"s hand on my arm stopped me even before Jerry"s smile vanished at the sight of his parents holding on to the back of the sofa like it was a battle shield.
"What"s going on here? Gloriana, who is this?" He stepped farther into the room.
"My mother, Jerry. Olympia." I grimaced at the fake name, pretty sure Zeus wouldn"t approve.
Before any of us could stop him Jerry strode forward until he was within a foot of her. "So you"re the one who spelled Mara into stabbing me. Proud of yourself?"