Tessa Clarins hated going out
in public. She hated the way other
people looked at her. The rude
stares. The pity glances. But today she was braving her way into the
magic shop.
Again.
This was Tessa’s fourth trip
to The Chakra Circle. Luckily the shop
was located close to home. Tessa lived
in Old Town Orange, a quaint neighborhood in Southern California. Of course she rarely enjoyed its historic
charm, as she rarely poked her nose out the door.
But there was something about
The Chakra Circle that drew her to it in person and kept her coming back. Otherwise, she would have bought what she
needed on the Internet. Tessa did most
of her shopping online. She also worked
at home as a freelance book editor. In
this day and age, it was easy to be a recluse.
But she was tired of it. Tessa desperately wanted to be normal, to
look normal, to have a normal life.
She entered the magic shop and
the little bell above the door chimed.
The old man who owned the store glanced up and greeted her with a
smile. He was behind the counter,
rearranging things in the front display case.
Tessa returned his smile. Hers was much weaker than his, but it was the
best she could do. She hadn’t smiled for
real since her face had caught fire.
She was glad the old man never got
in her business. Apparently he sensed
that she wanted to be left alone. But it
was obvious, she supposed, by the way she behaved.
Eager to shop, she headed for
the books section, hoping to uncover something she’d missed on her previous
visits. Or maybe there was a new book in
stock.
Tessa loved books and she was
certain that she would find the key to her survival in a book, and she was
certain that she would find it here.
Why else would she be drawn to
this store? Why else would she feel
compelled to keep coming back?
So far none of the other books
she’d purchased from this store had helped, and neither had the supplies, but
she was determined to keep trying.
She searched and searched, but
there wasn’t anything she hadn’t seen before.
Nothing new, either.
Disappointed, she headed for the door.
Then the old man approached
her, stopping her before she could leave.
“I apologize for intruding, but are you working on a glamour spell?”
Damn. So much for him not getting into her
business. He could obviously tell from
her previous purchases what she was after.
“Yes, but I’m not a witch or anything.”
“Have you considered hiring a
magic practitioner to help you?”
“I don’t want anyone else to
cast the spell.” She wasn’t comfortable
letting a stranger control her destiny.
Tessa wanted to be in charge of her own life.
“Why don’t you let me read
your cards and see what they say?”
A Tarot Card reading? “How is that going to help?”
“You can ask the cards if there is a
spell that’s meant to work for you and how to go about finding it.”
She was intrigued, but nervous,
too. The spell she sought was extremely
powerful. The idea was to “glamour”
those around her and make them “see” her as normal. Basically, the spell would hide her scars,
metaphysically speaking, and if it worked, she would see herself as healed,
too.
“I’ve never had a reading
before,” she said.
“It’ll be painless, I
promise.”
“How much will it cost?”
“Fifty-dollars.”
That wasn’t cheap, not by her
standards, but maybe it was the reason she’d been drawn to this store. “Okay.
I’ll give it a try.”
He closed the shop, putting one
of those old-fashioned clock signs on the door that showed what time it would
reopen.
He brought her into the back
room, where she sat across from him at a tidy desk.
Before they got started, he
said, “My name is Darrin.”
“I’m Tessa.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” She studied his attractively aged face. She figured him for around seventy. With his longish white hair and naturally
tanned skin, he looked as if he had some Native American blood in him. She hadn’t seen any Native goods in the
store, though. He obviously wasn’t
touting himself as a New Age shaman or trying to sell his heritage. Somehow that made him seem more trustworthy.
He told her to shuffle the
cards and soon the reading was underway.
He explained the cards that
came up and what they meant. But
unfortunately, they didn’t direct her to a spell. In fact, the result in that regard was
negative. A glamour spell wasn’t in
Tessa’s future.
Her eyes turned misty. “But I want people to see me the way I used
to look. I want to see myself that way,
too.”
She could tell that he felt
badly for her. That made it worse. Now she really wanted to cry.
“Don’t be sad,” he said. “There are other types of magic you can use.”
She sat more upright. “Like what?”
“Hold on and I’ll show
you.”
He left and returned with three
pieces of jewelry: a necklace, a
bracelet, and a ring. “Each of these holds the power to grant wishes.”
Tessa frowned. He was trying to sell her a talisman? Maybe he wasn’t as trustworthy as she
thought. Fifty dollars for a useless
reading and now this?
“They’re antique pieces,” he
said.
She squinted at him. “How much are they?”
”They’re not for sale. But I can loan you one of them.” He leaned toward her. “I only loan them to people who are worthy of
their magic, and I think you are.”
Still suspicious, she asked,
“What’s the catch?”
“Your wish will only last for
two weeks. But I guarantee that it will
come true. All you have to do is choose
the one you want and wear it for the next two weeks, around the clock, day and
night. Then return it to me when your
wish ends.”
She thought the necklace was
eye catching. The pendant hanging from
the chain boasted a gothic-style cross with a ruby in the center. All of the pieces had crosses worked into the
designs.
“Are the wishes only granted
to women?” she asked since it was women’s jewelry.
“I have other pieces that are
for men. So, are you interested, Tessa?”
Her heart pounded in her throat. “Yes.”
“It’s only for two weeks,” he
reminded her.
“I know.” But if the magic was genuine, she would take
whatever she could get for however long she could get it. She desperately longed to be normal, to be
pretty, like she was before, even if it was only temporary. She even went as far as to confide in him,
making certain that he understood how important it was to her. “I’ve been this way since my sixteenth
birthday. While I was blowing out the
candles on my cake, I got too close and my hat caught fire. It was this silly thing I’d made myself, with
all sorts of fancy things streaming from it.
I didn’t know it was flammable and when it caught fire, the side of my
face ignited, as well. No one ever looked
at me the same way again.”
“Go ahead,” he said
softly. “Make your selection.”
Anxious, she pointed to the
necklace.
As Darrin lifted the pendant
and put it around her neck, a reddish mist came out of the ruby and drifted to
the corner of the room, where it remained.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Just part of the magic.” He brought her a mirror, proving how quickly
her wish had come true.
She gazed into the glass and
saw the reflection of a lovely young woman.
Herself, without the scars!
Chapter Two
Tessa knew instantly when she
left the shop that she was normal, not just to herself, but to others. People passed her on the street without casting
curious, pitiful, or rude glances. She
blended in. She was just like everyone
else.
She wasn’t going to waste time. If she had only two weeks, she was going to
make the best of it.
She rearranged her work
schedule so she could take a vacation and enjoy her newfound normalcy. Since she loved anything connected to Old
Hollywood, she decided to reserve a room at the Beverly Hills Hotel, spending
the next fourteen days living like an old-time movie star. She even booked limousine service so she
could arrive in style. She shopped, too,
buying clothes that complemented the pendant.
Her credit card bill would be astronomical when this was over, but it
was worth it.
She rode to Beverly Hills in a
long black Lincoln Continental, with the windows rolled down and the wind
rushing through her pale blonde hair.
She couldn’t believe how pretty she felt. Every moment was an awakening, an adventure,
a short-lived dream come true. A wish,
she thought, as the pendant shone in the sun.
After she checked into her room,
she flopped onto the canopy-draped bed and sighed. She was in the main building, and her
accommodations featured classic wood furnishings and a luxurious marble
bathroom.
Tessa smiled to herself. She was going to order room service for lunch
and dine at the famed Polo Lounge for dinner.
Then she would strut into Bar Nineteen 12, named in honor of when the
hotel first opened, and sip cocktails until she got wonderfully tipsy.
Heavens, this was
exciting. So exciting, she had plans to
get her cherry popped. Yes, sir. She was going to find a man at this hotel and
have a glamorous affair.
At twenty-five, Tessa was still
a virgin. But that was about to
change. This was her moment, and she was
going to live it as if there was no tomorrow, enjoying every illicit turn it
took.
###
At dinnertime Tessa dressed to
the nines, putting on a sleek black dress that plunged deliciously low in
front, showcasing the antique pendant.
She slipped on a pair of classic black pumps and gazed at herself in a
full-length mirror. She’d styled her
hair in a deliberately sensual way and done her makeup with a touch of naughty
flair, making her eyes smoky and her lips glossy.
Tessa was downright hot. She twirled around, then lifted her dress and
looked at her pussy. She wasn’t wearing
panties and she’d shaved herself smooth for the occasion.
Imagining the affair she was
going to have, she rubbed her clit. She
actually stood there, getting off in front of the mirror.
She used to shun mirrors and
now she was masturbating like a little tart.
She kept her eyes open and watched herself come. She even licked her fingers afterward.
Needing to cool off, she went
into the bathroom and splashed a bit of water on her face. She washed her hands, too, but the naughty
feeling remained. Wouldn’t it be wild if
she got fucked tonight, if it happened right away? Giddy with the thought, she relished the
creaminess between her thighs.
Ready to greet the Polo Lounge,
she headed for the restaurant. It was
everything she imagined it would be. She
ordered a glorious meal and savored every bite, including a decadent dessert.
By the time she entered Bar
Nineteen 12, she was all aglow. The bar
offered indoor and outdoor settings. She
chose to sit on the patio because it presented a view of the garden. Scattered amongst its lush beauty were the
bungalows, the most luxurious and costly accommodations at the hotel. Clark Cable and Carole Lombard used to frolic
in the bungalows. Liz Taylor frequented
them, as well, with six out of her eight husbands. The celebrities who stayed in the bungalows
were endless. Tessa couldn’t afford to
rent one, but she was fascinated by their golden-age history. She loved everything about this hotel. She especially loved that Greta Garbo used to
live here.
Feeling cheeky, she ordered a
cocktail named after Garbo. The sinfully
rich concoction consisted of Crème de Menthe, orange juice, grenadine, French
vermouth, and brandy. Tessa used to
liken herself to Garbo because the actress had uttered the famous phrase, “I
want to be left alone,” in an Oscar-winning movie, and later became a reclusive
woman. All Tessa had wanted up to this
point was to be left alone, too.
But now, during these two
magical weeks . . .
She glanced around the patio,
wanting people to notice her. And sure
enough, someone did. A man seated at a
corner table watched her with an intrigued and interested expression.
He looked to be in his
mid-to-late thirties, and with his sleek brown hair and a square-cut jaw, he was
stunningly handsome and powerfully debonair.
Trim, stately, and attired in a black suit, he had an Old Hollywood
vibe.
Goodness, she thought, could he
be any more perfect for the part? She
raised her glass to him, flirting shamelessly.
He smiled slightly and raised his, too.
Flushed with excitement, she moistened her lips.
What would he think if he knew
what she’d done in front of the mirror?
Would it turn him on? Would it
make him eager to fuck her? He already
looked as if he intended to sweep her off her feet.
Tessa squeezed her thighs
together. She wanted to come for this
man and come hard.
He stood up, and her pulse
zoomed straight to her pussy. He was
walking toward her, with his drink in his hand.
He approached her and asked,
“May I join you?”
She nodded, and he sat across
from her. He placed his glass on the
table, and she noticed that it was full, almost as if it were a prop, as if he
wasn’t going to actually drink from it.
That struck her as odd.
“My name is Anthony Dumont,”
he said. “And you’re Tessa.”
She widened her eyes. Odd indeed.
“How do you know my name? Do you
work for the hotel?”
“No. But I was born the year it opened.”
Eyes still wide, she gaped at
him. “It opened in 1912.”
“I know.” His smile turned feral. “I’m a vampire, Tessa.”
She clutched her Greta
Garbo. He was crazy. “That’s impossible.”
“No more impossible than the
magic pendant you’re wearing.”
She moved her hand to her
necklace and wondered what the shopkeeper had gotten her into. “Did Darrin send you here? Did he tell you to approach me?”
Anthony shook his head. “I’m connected to the pendant. In fact, its magic comes from me. I’m the one who granted your wish.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m not a regular
vampire. I was, but then a genie saved
me from being staked and turned me into gen-vamp, a hybrid of the two species.”
She couldn’t imagine his story
being true. Magic or not, it was much too
strange. “If you’re actually who you say
you are, why didn’t Darrin tell me about you?”
“Because it wasn’t his place
to tell you. In order for the wish to
continue, you have to allow me to feed from you for the next two weeks, and you
have to give me your permission, face to face, like we are now.”
“Feed from me?” She touched the side of her neck. “You mean drink my blood?”
“Yes.” As if to prove his identity, he blinked and
changed the color of his eyes. They went
from being a soft shade of brown to a vibrant shade of red, possessing the same
shimmering qualities as the ruby in the necklace.
She felt faint. This was starting to seem much too real. “I need to go to my room and lie down.”
“No, Tessa. You need to give me permission to feed.”
Her mind was twirling like an
out-of-control top. She didn’t care if it
wasn’t Darrin’s place to tell her, he still should have warned her about this blood-hungry
hybrid. At least she would have been
prepared for the demands he was making.
Fighting another bout of
dizziness, she ran the outside of her glass across her forehead, trying to cool
her skin. “If I refuse, will I go back to looking the way I did before? Right here and now?”
“Not right this second. I’ll give you a few hours so you can check
out of the hotel and no one sees that you look different from the way you did
when you arrived.”
Her heart dropped to her
stomach. She didn’t want to go back to
being scarred, not this soon. “Do you
know what I look like? Did you see me
before I made the wish?”
“No. I was inside the pendant, and I could hear
you talking to Darrin and making your wish, but I couldn’t see you.”
This was getting weirder by the
minute. “What do you mean? You were inside the pendant?”
“That’s my genie bottle, so to
speak. I left the pendant as soon as
your wish was granted.”
Oh, Lord. The mist from the ruby was him? Overwhelmed, she asked, “Are there gen-vamps
inside of the bracelet and ring, too?”
He nodded. “My brother is inside the bracelet, and our
maker, the vampire who turned us into vampires, lives in the ring. Like me, they feed on the women for whom they
grant wishes. Then we go back into our
homes and wait until Darrin puts us on loan again.”
“How exactly does Darrin fit
into this? Why is he in charge of you
and who receives the wishes?”
“He’s in charge because he
owns the jewelry. Technically, we belong
to him.”
“How did Darrin acquire you?”
“While researching genie magic,
he discovered the existence of gen-vamps. Then he spent years searching for gen-vamp
jewelry, with the purpose of using our magic to help people. Darrin is a decent man.”
Tessa wasn’t sure if anyone
related to this was decent. “How many gen-vamps
does he own?”
“Six. It’s a small number, considering that there
are thousands of us out there.”
“If Darrin is so wonderful, why
doesn’t he just release you?”
He can’t. Jewelry owners don’t have that kind of power.”
“Why are the wishes you grant
so short?”
“Hybrids aren’t strong enough
to fulfill lifelong wishes. Being a
mixed-breed lessens the magic.”
She glanced at his untouched
cocktail. She’d been right about it
being a prop. He apparently didn’t drink
anything but blood.
“May I go to your room with
you?” he asked, prodding her for permission.
She winced. Earlier she’d been fantasizing about sleeping
with him, not becoming his meal. It
wasn’t fair that she’d been thrown a curveball.
He persisted. “Tessa, my darling, it’s time to pay the
piper or give up the wish.”
“Stop rushing me. And I’m not your darling.”
He smiled. “You have a cute temper.”
She frowned and swigged her
Garbo. She wasn’t feeling the slightest
bit cute. But she wasn’t ready to return
to her ugly self, either.
Another patron walked by, and Anthony
quickly switched his eyes back to brown, looking mortal again. Tessa drained the rest of her drink.
“I can’t kill you or turn you
into what I am,” he said. “I could have
when I was a regular vampire, but I’m not capable of those things anymore.”
She stalled for time. “How long were you a regular vampire?”
“Only a few months. I barely got my fangs wet.”
Did that mean that he’d never
turned or killed anyone? “Can you drink
too much and make me weak?”
“Yes, but I won’t.”
“Will being bit by you hurt?”
“A little. But I’ve been told that it can be pleasurable,
too.”
Her skin went warm. “You mean sexually?”
He lifted his brows. “Do you want it to be sexual?”
She shifted in her seat. “No.”
“That’s good. Because it isn’t.”
A wave of disappointment came
over her, but she willed it away. She
wasn’t going to start fantasizing about him again. It was bad enough that she found him so
damned attractive.
“What kind of pleasure is it?”
she asked.
“It creates a euphoric
sensation, like being happily drunk or drugged.”
“How many times will you have
to feed?”
“Once a night.”
“And how long will the
feedings themselves last?”
“Just a few minutes.”
She continued to question
him. “Are you going to go back into the
pendant in-between feedings?”
“Actually, I’m free to roam while
your wish is in progress. I plan on renting
a bungalow.”
Surprised, she glanced at the
garden view. “You have money for
that? The bungalows are terribly
expensive.”
“I can conjure necessities for
myself. Besides, I have a fondness for
this hotel. I remember it in its heyday.”
“That must have been
thrilling.”
“It was.” But clearly he wasn’t in the mood to keep
talking about it. “Come now, Tessa. No more dragging your feet. Let me drink from you. Let me taste your human warmth.”
God help her.
Unable to give up her wish, she
invited him to her room, praying for the strength to endure his bloodsucking
bite.
4 comments:
Wow Sherri your writing is incredible another book I am going to have to pick up
Crystal
Thanks, Crystal! I just sent the copy you won on Delilah's blog! Look for the gift invitation in your email!
I'm hooked! Love the start, will be getting this ASAP!
Thank you, Virginia Lady! So glad you love the start! Thank you for your support. :)
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