The Amulet (3 page)

You will soon love traveling this way. It really is the safest way to fly.
Before he had even finished the thought, she felt the sensation of dissolving again. He chuckled, if it was possible to chuckle in your thoughts. He seemed to pull it off nicely.

He was wrong. She didn't think she'd ever get used to the sensation of her body falling apart and reassembling itself. She much preferred her car.
It might help if you gave me a little warning before you whisk me away into the wind, I might like it better. At the very least, it would shock me less.

My apologies, the night is short this time of year. And I am a bit behind schedule. I will attempt to give you more notice until you get used to it.

What do you mean? The night is short? Will I never see sunlight again? Are all the myths and legends true?

No. Your myths and legends were all based on fact, but over the years they were exaggerated to extremes. Hollywood is mostly to blame for the exaggeration. For example, a stake aimed at my heart is little threat. My heart doesn't beat, so even if a stick could puncture my body, it would not kill me. Our bodies heal incredibly fast, but it takes a lot of energy to do so. We can eat other foods, and it will lessen our hunger, but blood is the only thing that satisfies. I imagine it's because our bodies no longer produce our own.

Giure Grando, for example, was staked through the heart in Croatia in 1672. He died, officially, in 1656, but was said to have returned from the grave to terrorize his neighbors and sexually harass his widow. When a stake failed to kill him, he was beheaded, which did kill him. He lived a short life as a vampire, but most reports of vampires were cases of mistaken identity and overactive superstitions.

As for garlic being a deterrent and being nocturnal, these are all myth. These were symptoms of rabies, often carried by wolves and bats, which plagued the 18
th
century. Many innocent people were accused of being vampires and staked through the heart unnecessarily during that time.

Sensitivity to light was also a symptom of rabies. Sunlight does not turn us to dust, or burn us, but our vision is so keen that the light of day is nearly blinding. We must wear sunglasses to be out during the day. You still have a shadow and a reflection, as you may have noticed when you dressed. There are so many myths that it would be hard to decipher them all. Most of them are true in basis, but as I said, they have been grossly exaggerated.

She had been so overwhelmed by what he was telling her, she had forgotten they had been traveling and was only aware of their arrival when gravity began to pull on her previously weightless form. Her gladiator heels touched the pavement of a driveway outside a large mansion. They must have covered a lot of distance. She had never seen anything like this anywhere near the city. She expected to find a vineyard just out of view. He seemed the type to make his own wine, and it seemed he had plenty of time to allow it to age properly.

"Yes," he said with a light-hearted laugh. "I do, indeed have plenty of time. As do you, I am afraid."

She had somehow dropped the shields around her thoughts. With a little effort, she again pulled up the walls around her mind. It was easier now that she knew how, but she had to concentrate to keep them in place. It seemed to her that she had more room to think. She was able to divide her attention to several thoughts and she was aware of everything around her all at the same time. Had she been given all this information a few hours ago, before she met Nevar, she would have had a mental break-down.

There was a sound approaching from the south; it was a car coming from the direction of the city they left behind. She heard the smooth roaring of the engine. It was a sports car, that was for sure. It sounded so much like Charlotte, she was almost certain it was a Ferrari. Charlotte was the name she had given her Ferrari Enzo. She named the car after her grandmother who had passed away before she had caught her big break. True, the car had been for herself, but it was also a tribute to a woman who had inspired her to chase her dreams with all the speed and tenacity of a sports car on the Audubon.

Are you expecting company?

Yes. I made you a promise. I intend on keeping my word to you. Despite my short-comings, I am, at least, honest.

Making sure the walls were still in place, she looked at him, not seeing any short-comings at all. She could see the ripples of muscles beneath his black dress shirt. She had the distinct urge to rip it off him to taste his skin, and she tried to hide it from her eyes, knowing this time, the urges were her own. She was not innocent in the ways of men, but she had always kept her desires on a short leash, never letting them stray far. Now, she was fighting the beast, and despite her new-found strength, it was taking a lot of effort. It must have grown stronger as well.

The sound of the car had grown steadily stronger, and now, she could smell the acrid scent of exhaust and gasoline. The window was down. She could hear the music playing, thick with bass. Three heartbeats: two fast and frightened, one slower, but it was slower than a human's. The car whipped around a corner and into view down the long drive. It was incredibly fast, but the wide wheel base handled the turns and the speed with ease. There was skill in the driver's hands and feet as it turned and shifted gears fluidly. She had not seen such grace even from professional drivers on car commercials or stunt scenes. Ferrari would have approved. It would have made her heart flutter, but it was still and silent. The thought left her feeling a little depressed.

"I am sorry," Nevar said beside her.

It startled her so that she checked that the walls were still up, but found they were securely in place. "Sorry about what?"

"I could see the sadness in your eyes. Your mind may be guarded, but your features show more than enough. I can never apologize enough."

"I'm just going to miss a few things, that's all. There is so much about this new me that I would not like to trade back for my old life, but something as simple as a heartbeat, quickened with excitement...," she paused, "I will miss some things."

"Hopefully this will cheer you up," he said as he waved to the driver.

The cherry red Ferrari Enzo pulled in to the driveway and slowed to a stop. The driver had shoulder-length blond hair, looking very much the surfer-type, and stunningly blue eyes. He was beyond beautiful. He smelled of new leather and a subtle men's cologne. The scents of Snickers and Zukko lingered about him as well. He opened the door to reveal Zukko sitting happily in his lap. Snickers, who was anything but happy, was crouched in the back of her travel kennel, which looked more like a large designer handbag than a cage.

Alyssa was so happy to see her white and red Chihuahua jump out of the car. He hesitated for a moment, his tiny body trembling. She kneeled to seem less intimidating, turning her body to one side. The calming signal worked, and he sprinted to her side. “Oh, Zukko! I’m so glad that you’re here. Don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt you.” She picked him up in her left hand and offered her right to the stranger stepping out of the car. “Thank you for bringing them to me…”

Something in the car caught her eye. Her sunglasses hung from the visor, her emergency hair clip on the stick shift, and an extra pair of shoes she kept hidden in the back. It was
her
car! Her Charlotte!  She looked brand-new again! She had been repaired, washed, waxed, and completely detailed! The leather interior had a high shine as did the rest of the car and she could smell the polish on the leather.

He took her hand while she ogled the car, bringing her attention back to him.
“You’re very welcome,” he replied, kissing her hand in greeting. “I thought I’d bring your car back, as well. Nevar said you much preferred it to his method of travel, and I have to say, I certainly agree with you.”

“
Why, thank you for taking such good care of dear Charlotte for me. I was impressed by your driving, too. I might have been upset if someone less skilled had been behind the wheel.”

He gave her a slight bow at her praise. He had a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smirk that spoke of hidden thoughts.

Nevar stepped forward. “Alyssa, this is a very old friend of mine, Xander Wolfe."

"Old? Who are you calling old? I'm 200 years younger than you!" His laugh was full and contagious. He had a younger way of speaking, his inflections and rhythm of speech much more modern. He, indeed, was younger, but for the sake of appearances, they both looked to be in their mid- to late twenties.

"Was it 200 years? Still, you look good for an old wolf."

"Wait," she said, "Wolf? You mean werewolf? I really am dreaming, aren't I? Or perhaps this is some elaborate prank on some celebrity game show, right?"

"Whoa, wait a minute, Nevar?" Xander eyed him sternly and stepped protectively to her side, as if afraid she would faint at any moment. "What have you done? I recognize her. Alyssa Thomas, the actress, right?" The question was directed at her, but he did not wait for her to answer. "You changed her? Why?" There was an edge of anger in his voice. A shiver of fear ran down her spine. Xander could be dangerous if he was angry, it seemed.

"Xander, you know me well enough by now to know that I would never wish this on anyone. As much as I hate to admit it, I lost control of myself. I did what I had to do to save her."

Xander's stance relaxed slightly, but the edge was still showing in his eyes. She looked up to the sky. The moon was out tonight, but only a little over half-full. So, it was all true. Everything he had told her, all the myths and legends she had been told were just fiction; they were all true. Her head was swimming. It was all happening so fast. Her whole world had been turned upside-down in only a couple of hours.

"Alyssa," It was Xander. "You need to sit down. Your body is still adjusting to the transformation. You need to take it easy for a day or two. You've already exerted yourself too much." Without waiting for a response, he picked her up as if she were no more than a paperweight, and proceeded towards the manor.

Nevar grabbed Snickers' travel bag, a begrudging feline voicing protest inside, and opened the door for them, with Zukko trailing at their heels. Something like disgust, or maybe jealousy, marked Nevar's face as they passed him. She felt her walls slipping, but she was no longer able to sustain them. She would just have to guard her thoughts.

It
’s okay,
he said to her.
You can let your guard down. Your thoughts are your own, and you are safe here.

The voice was Xander's. He was in her head. She wanted her walls, wanted to have a simple thought without someone commenting on it. She wanted something to be her own. "Please, stay out of my head. There are things that I do not wish to share with the class."

"As you wish, milady."

He walked her through an enormous foyer hung with an ornate chandelier. The d
écor could have passed for a palace. Intricate moldings on the walls and large oil paintings on canvas dotted the walls. He carried her through a hall and past a heavy oak door. She had to admit, she was impressed.

"Xander, you can put her down, now." His tone was friendly, but Alyssa got the feeling it was more like an order than a request. Nevar's eyes met hers for the briefest of seconds and then he looked away as though he had caught himself. Xander placed her gently on an over-stuffed leather couch in what appeared to be a massive study. She felt like she was an invalid. Feeling helpless was not her style.

"Don't worry, Alyssa," Xander told her. "I know an independent spirit like yourself isn't used to this, but trust me, you'll recover quickly. Nevar should have told you that holding shields around your mind would deplete your energy too quickly, being so newly made."

Her mind seemed to be an open book to them, and they could not seem to tear their eyes off the pages. It occurred to her that perhaps it was not possible for them to stay out of her mind. Perhaps her thoughts were as loud to them as if she had spoken aloud. "Am I right?" It would be a good test.

"Yes." Nevar answered.
We can hear you just as you can hear us. Of course, we only lower our shields when we want you to hear us. As you said, some things are best left unsaid.

“
Okay, I think I get the picture. You can keep your thoughts to yourselves. Just pretend you can’t hear mine.” She had no desire to know what went on inside a man’s head, let alone two. Even though she was certain that these two probably had very interesting minds compared to her normal crowd. “So, just how long will it be before I can have my privacy back?”

Xander sat in an armchair across from her.
“That’s a good question. You’re the first vamp I’ve ever known to even pull it off the first night. It could be a couple of days, but it may take much longer. Most don’t develop the ability until they are at least a few years old.”

“
Years?” She exclaimed. “I couldn’t stand that! Why would it take so long?”

“
I think the best answer to that is clarity of thought, or rather, a lack thereof. Have you noticed that some of your thoughts have taken you a while to process?” Nevar had a pained look on his face again. “Like what I am and what you are because of me? It took you until our arrival here to fully process it.”

It was true, she noticed. It had come to her in bits and pieces. She had only seen the broad picture of it all outside. She should have fainted in her penthouse when she was attacked, but instead, she was overwhelmed by her heightened senses. She wondered now if Nevar had coaxed her into willingness. She had managed to shield her thoughts for a while
… but it was when her shields had been up that she had started to see the pieces to the puzzle. “Nevar?”