19 . LILITH

  I wake up in Sebastian’s arms.

  “Good morning, Cherie. How did you sleep?”

  “Like the dead.”

  His laugh resonates through his body and I snuggle into him.

  “Ahhh. I could get used to that,” he sighs.

  “So could I. Did you mean what you said before I went to sleep, Bast?”

  “When I said that I love you? Yes, Lily. I love you. Does it bother you that I love you?” he asks.

  “I don’t know what to think about it. We’ve always loved each other in a sister-brother kind of way.”

  “You know that’s not what I mean when I say I love you, Lilith Goodwill. I mean I love you the way I love no other woman. I will not be seeing any other women. I don’t desire other women any more. I just see you, your face, your eyes, your lips, your smile.”

  I turn around and take his face in my hands and gently kiss him. Before long we are tangled in each others arms and the gentle kiss has turned into a desperate need to touch every inch of each other’s bodies. But I just can’t take the next step. I pull away.

  “What’s wrong, dearest?”

  “Nothing, I want to slow things down a bit,” I pant.

  “Slow or fast, I think we are headed in the same direction and I can wait until you’re ready,” he says, understanding clear in his voice.

  “I’m really confused right now. My body really wants you.” He laughs deeply. “But if I’m true to myself, I haven’t wanted to get involved with anyone. I’m trying to figure out who I am. I want to concentrate on work.”

  “How can you say you don’t know who you are by now? I don’t understand, Lily?”

  “I have been so busy learning to be a vampire or pretending to be something I wasn’t, that I missed the real me. I’m working on that now.”

  “I think you are too serious.”

  “Dammit, Sebastian,” I say as I struggle to get out of bed.

  “Wait, wait, Cherie. I can respect your search for your identity. I just think you have a better grasp on it than you think.”

  I un-wrinkle my forehead and look at Sebastian, trying to make sure he is serious. He looks serious. Most of all he has a tender look in his eyes. I’m not sure I know how I feel and I want to be sure before I go further.

  In a blur he is up and back again with a flat, square, turquoise-blue, box with a big white bow.

  “Happy Birthday, Cherie.”

  Every woman knows this box is from Tiffany’s.

  I get up on my knees and take the box hesitantly. This is by far the most expensive gift Sebastian has ever given me. He has given me jewelry before but always earrings or little trinkets. I unwrap it and slowly open the lid and stare at a stunning emerald necklace and matching earrings. The necklace is old fashioned in a swag style. Just the style jewelry that was current when I was young. It is made up of little diamond flowers and drop down pear shaped emeralds the size of my thumbnail. The earrings are diamond flowers with huge emeralds hanging down.

  “Sebastian, I’m speechless. This is so beautiful. It’s too much.”

  “It’s nothing compared to you. Let’s put it on you and see what it looks like.”

  “No, I mean it. It’s too much. We’re not even going together. This isn’t right.”

  I know Sebastian can afford this. He has tons of money, mostly from his family and then shrewd management, but I feel suddenly shy at being the recipient of such a large gift from a man. You can take the girl out of the 1930s, but you can’t take the 1930s out of the girl.

  “Lily, you can’t be serious. What about last night? This morning? I love you.”

  “I’m not ready for this big a commitment, Bast. This is huge in my book.”

  “Lily, it’s just a necklace and earrings.”

  “All the more reason for me not accept it. It is huge to me, but not to you.”

  “I wanted to give you something special to show you how I feel.”

  “It’s too much too soon, Sebastian.”

  “Lily, for God’s sake, why are you being so damn stubborn? Just take the damn gift.”

  “Sebastian, I think it’s time for you to go.”

  “Helena and Julian will be here soon to celebrate your birthday. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Then it’s time for you to get the hell out of my bed.” I get up and walk to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. Sebastian pounds on the door.

  “You’re just being stubborn. I’ve never told a woman I love you before and look what happens. Fuck!” He gives the door one last hit and then I hear him leave and enter the guest bathroom. He turns on the shower so I do the same. If everyone is coming over I want to be dressed before they get here.

  I dress in a black wool turtleneck sweater dress and some wool tights. Black is a good color with my pale skin and strawberry blonde hair. I jab on some mascara and the requisite black eyeliner in anger. I add some dark, eggplant lipstick to match my fingernails and slip into pumps.

  While I am getting ready, I think about Sebastian. Waking up in his arms felt so safe and comfortable. Not to mention how much I wanted him. His scent, how can he smell so great? It was so much more than I had imagined. The emotional warmth of being held and cherished still fills me up. Why did he have to ruin it with that outrageously expensive gift? It must have cost a fortune. Does he think he can buy me off like one of his women? Does he really think I’m that easy? I fume. I leave my bedroom seconds before the doorbell rings. Sebastian is already in the living room. He gets the door before I can, glaring at me, obviously still in a hot French temper.

  I am ready to face Julian, Helena and Andrew.

  I walk into the living room with my head held high. Pretending the whole exchange hasn’t happened.

  Julian and Helena act like they don’t notice the chill in the air. Helena is much too engrossed in a discussion on ancient Tibet to be believable though. I would have blushed if I could blush. Sebastian sits in one of the chairs and I sit across the room from him.

  “Good morning,” Helena says. Andrew serves coffee and tea, fortunately he knows where everything is in my apartment too. “How did you sleep?”

  “Very well thank you.”

  “I bet,” she says quietly.

  “Quite,” I say huffily.

  “Happy Birthday, Lily. We have a small gift for you.” Helena brings me a small box wrapped in silver paper with a bright pink ribbon. I unwrap the paper and open the box to find an iPhone.

  “We’ve paid the bill for the next two years for you as part of your present too. You can do all sorts of things on it. Julian was playing with it in the store forever.” Helena smirks at him.

  There is a swoosh of warm air and I look over in anticipation of Aidan.

  “Is this where we give our gifts to the birthday girl?” Aidan says with a smile.

  His grin gets bigger when he notices the tension between Sebastian and me. Sebastian stiffens.

  “How did you know it was my birthday, Aidan?” I ask smiling my most winning smile at him in hopes of pissing off Sebastian even more. Aidan grins mischievously at me.

  “A little bird told me. Here open your present.”

  He hands me a large black box with a red ribbon.

  I open the box and pull out a new iPad. The Apple Store must have had a banger of a day. I look up and he smiles down at me.

  “Put the ear buds in and turn it on Lilith.”

  I do what he says. I notice there is a picture of him on the screen, yum! In the next instant I am infused with sound. The quality is amazing, sending impulses of electrical sensations through my nerve endings. I feel like the band is in the same room. I’m lost in the moment until Sebastian clears his throat loudly and I realize there are other people in the room. I scowl at Bast. Aidan looks pissed that his moment has been interrupted I quickly take the ear buds out before Aidan zaps Sebastian.

  “Aidan, that is amazing! How did you get such high quality recordings? I’ve never heard anything like that before.”

  “A little djinn magick here and there.” He winks. “Anything you put on there will sound that good. Plus you will never have a bill for downloading books.”

  “That’s amazing! Bast, do you want to hear?”

  “No! I do not want to hear it, Lily.”

  “I would like to hear it, Lily,” Julian says.

  I get up and take the iPad over to Julian. He puts the ear buds in and soon his face is transformed.

  “This is amazing, Aidan,” Julian says. I think he is a big fan of Aidan’s already.

  “Thank you, Julian.”

  Julian is soon busy playing with the iPad and downloading books. Helena has been studying Aidan from across the room. I can tell she is trying not to like him for Sebastian’s sake but she can’t help herself.

  “Aidan, I’ve been looking through many spells, trying to find one that Indio and Iris could use against you. I think I may have found something that could be a powerful defense,” Helena says.

  “What do you think you’ve found?” he asks, his attention focused solely on Helena.

  “It’s a divining spell specifically for finding a jinni. It only works if you have a true name. It may be how they know you are in the city. The spell will tell them where the jinni is when they cast the spell.”

  “I would kill them straight out now but they have put up too many protective spells,” he says through clenched teeth. “It will have to be during an incantation if it is misspoken or, the gods forbid it get so far, during the binding itself.”

  “Have you found out how they are restraining the vampires yet?” Sebastian asks Helena.

  “No, but believe me, I’m looking.”

  “Will the sisters be at the club tonight?” Julian asks.

  “I don’t know, possibly. They know it’s Lily’s birthday and we will all be there so that might draw them out,” Sebastian says.

  “I would love to observe those hags in action but I think it might be a good idea to stay out of sight around them. I don’t know if they would recognize me for what I am and if they did, I don’t want them to know I have anything to do with you. But, I’m going to be listening in tonight. I’ll be with you floating in the ether if they turn up at the club,” Aidan says

  “Delightful, we will be one big happy family,” Sebastian mumbles but everyone hears him.

  Aidan grins. I think anything that ruins Sebastian’s plans makes Aidan’s day.

  I look down to hide my grin. Aidan’s smile is infectious. He smiles at me with his ocean-colored eyes. I stand up and walk over to Aidan. He’s wearing jeans and a retro tee-shirt, his hair hangs over one eye and he looks scrumptious. I take his hand.

  “Thank you for my birthday present,” I say. “I know how much you’re risking for us. I’m grateful.”

  “You are very welcome on both accounts. Could I speak to you privately for a minute?”

  “Yes, of course,”

  I look over at my family and tell them, “I’ll be a moment.”

  At my last word I feel a great warm wind envelop me. It feels like I’m caught in a whirlwind, I’m being pushed and pulled at the same time. It isn’t painful, just a little uncomfortable and before I can get my bearings it’s over and I’m standing in a modern, beautifully appointed apartment, still holding Aidan’s warm, dry hand. He takes me over to an elegant couch and sits down with me.

  “Would you like anything to drink? Can I get you anything at all?”

  “No, thank you. Did we just do what I think we just did?”

  Aidan laughs loudly and is more relaxed than I have ever seen him.

  “Yes, we just transmanifested.”

  He pulls my hand to his lips and kisses it, sending a rush through my body.

  “How was it for you?” he asks with a sly smile. “I’ve never taken anyone with me willingly before.”

  How was what, I think to myself, the hootchie twirl you just gave me kissing my hand or the transmanifesting? I decide to answer for both.

  “It was amazing, so warm and magickal.”

  “I was hoping you liked it. There are so many things I would like to share with you.”

  “Is this where you live?”

  “For now. I don’t sleep so it’s more a place to collect myself when I’m tired of the outside world. Before I met you, everywhere I went seemed like a prison. Everything felt like I had done it before and there was nothing to look forward to. Lilith, you make my days and nights bearable. I’m not sure why. But there is something about you.”

  He takes his hand and lets his fingers run down the side of my face. I close my eyes.

  “Oh, Aidan…”

  “Dance with me. I won’t be able to dance with you tonight.”

  He points at his stereo and the room is filled with music that has a slow hypnotic beat and he takes my hand and lifts me off the couch. Before I know it I am in his arms. His arms are strong and his sculpted chest radiates heat. He puts his chin next to my cheek and I can’t help smelling him. He smells like the wind and cinnamon and sunlight. He looks down at me for a long time as if he is debating something. I stand on my tippy toes and kiss him tenderly on the cheek. He blushes but then smiles. Then he leans down and kisses me on the lips. Tentatively at first and then with more conviction. My mind whirls like we are still flying in the warm winds that brought us here. His whole energy seems to wrap around me. We stand locked this way for too long. I finally pull away. It takes all my will power to pull away from him.

  “I shouldn’t, Aidan. I sorta kissed Sebastian and then we fought and it’s all a mess.”

  “Do you love him?”

  “I’ve known him for seventy-six years.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  “I have loved him for a long time,” I answer.

  “Do you love him the way he loves you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Okay.” He nods. “But don’t expect me to play nicely.”

  This is going to complicate things.

  “You look beautiful today by the way.”

  “Thank you. So do you.” I couldn’t help smiling at him. “Do you think you can take me back soon before they freak out too much at this disappearing act?”

  “You mean Sebastian.”

  “Yes Bast. He’s going to go mental.”

  “I do like dicking with him, but I suppose if I want to be able to come over and play again I had better play by the rules. Let’s finish our dance first.”

  We dance cheek to cheek again. I press my body into his radiating heat and lose myself in it. Forgetting about everything and everyone. His warmth is tinged with the excitement of his powers and not knowing what might happen next. I wrap my arms tighter around him and he responds. For once, since I had died, I feel warm. I bask in his scent and heat. I am losing myself in him and I know this is a dangerous feeling. But this is not something I want to let go of. He kisses me gently on the lips. Then I respond and we kiss passionately. Slowly he pulls away.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” I’m not sure I’m ready but it’s time to go back. Sebastian will be crawling the walls by now.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for you to leave me,” he says kissing me once more. “But I guess we must go. Hold tight to my hand, love.”

  And with no warning we whirl through the warm winds again, tossing and turning and then it is over and I stand in my living room looking at the shocked faces of Julian, Helena, Andrew and Sebastian. Sebastian recovers first.

  “Where the hell did you take her, fire boy?”

  “It’s okay, Bast.”

  “The hell it is, Lily!”

  “I’ll be leaving now. Lilith, love, see you soon.”

  And Aidan winks at me as he leaves. Sebastian is fit to be tied. He has been pacing and is at my side in a millisecond, touching me everywhere, checking to see if I have been hurt.

  “Where did he take you, what did he do?”

  “He took me to his apartment. I’m not sure where in the city it is, I didn’t look out the window.”

  “What did you do? You were gone twenty minutes.”

  “You know, just talked. Then he asked me to dance, because he can’t dance with me tonight.”

  “Bastard, I knew it. Did he kiss you? Lily, did he kiss you?”

  “He might have kissed me a little,” I mumble.

  “Did you kiss him back?”

  “What kind of question is that?”

  “Did you hit him?”

  “No. I told him I kind of have something started with you.” Sebastian encircles me again with his strong sure arms, appeased that I declared our quasi-relationship, and I swallow my feelings of guilt.

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Cherie.”

  Now I feel major guilt pangs ‘cause I’m so not sorry. I am a bit confused but so far that is all. Bad Lily!

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, Sebastian…”

  He pulls back from me and gives me a dirty look.

  “You’re still angry with me?”

  “Sebastian, I will not be bought. That kind present would have implied that in my time and I can’t help but feel like that’s what it means. When I tried to explain you got angry. So, yes I’m still angry.” He doesn’t have anything to say to this. He looks angry at first then guilty. Maybe my feelings finally resonate with him.

  “Here, sit down. You haven’t even had your coffee yet. You must be thirsty. Speaking of thirsty… it’s time for you to eat. You need to feed tonight,” Helena intervenes.

  “Yes, I’m kinda unfocused today. I should have fed yesterday.”

  “I need to feed too, Lily, we can hunt together tonight before we go into the club,” Julian offers.

  “That sounds like fun, I never get to hunt with you any more, Jules. It’s been years.”

  “I haven’t had to teach you anything in years, young one,” Julian says.

  “Maybe you can show me how you mojo your victims to come to you tonight?”

  “We’ll see.”

  Sebastian keeps an especially close eye on me. His possessiveness is a bit annoying. I feel the need for some hand sanitizer and reach for some of the calming elixir.