Visits and Dates
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Celina has always been alone, until the new Master, Javed, draws
her close. But danger and passion are never far away.
After years of struggling alone, Celina—a witchling of immense
power—must find her place in the world of vampires.
But while Javed is building a new nest—the first new one in a
century—and struggling to overcome his own demons, an ancient evil stirs.
Now with Celina in danger, time running out and the demands of a
fledgling nest, can their love possibly overcome every obstacle?
Reader Advisory: This book
contains brief reference to incest.
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Excerpt:
Celina grabbed her aching head. Another headache, just like the
day before, but perhaps it was more violent. Her stomach lurched uncertainly
and she rubbed her belly while it heaved and roiled. It was only four in the
afternoon, too early to head home, but she glanced around the office, looking
vainly for an escape.
“Hey, Celina? Can you cover for me tomorrow? I’m going to call
in sick ‘cause I’ve got a hot date tomorrow night,” Sylvia, her cubicle mate,
whispered to her excitedly.
Celina closed her eyes. Great. Just what I need. “Honestly? Syl,
I don’t know. I’m not feeling so great.” She mumbled a little, knowing what
Sylvia’s reaction would be.
“Have you been to see the doctor yet?”
Celina swivelled in her seat and cast a dark glance at her
workmate. “I’m going to call—” Her words ended abruptly as the lights dimmed
and went out. “Damn… This is like the third time this month. What the hell is
going on?” The heat of the office space swelled as the air conditioning failed.
The cloying scents of a multitude of perfumes and hot sweaty bodies in the
summer wave closed in on her.
Celina’s tummy jostled once more, demanding her attention. She
rose, racing unerringly to the bathroom, making it just in time to empty the
contents violently into the toilet. The clunk of the door somewhere behind
alerted her to the fact that she was no longer alone. She sighed loudly. Sylvia
had followed her, she knew. The sound of wood banging closed reverberated off
the walls. The ensuing echo splintered her thoughts.
“Celina, you have to see the doctor.” There was concern in
Sylvia’s voice and Celina shied away from it.
Celina leaned limply against the wall of the stall, the dim
security lighting flickering in and out. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” She
didn’t want to face it, but the headaches had become an almost everyday
occurrence in the past few months. One she’d tried to ignore, but with little
success. But something had to be wrong. Her stomach quivered at the possible
reasons.
She pushed away from the wall and headed for the sink, turned
the tap and was rewarded by the sound of running water. Celina scooped the
liquid up, washed her face and swilled some around in her mouth, trying to
banish the sour taste. Her knees shook like wet noodles beneath her.
“Okay, I’ll ring in the morning and see how soon I can get in
for an appointment.” A sound from outside caught her hearing, a thudding noise,
as if someone was testing the door. She wouldn’t be able to hide from the
problems for much longer and right now, she really needed some air. “We’d
better get out there.”
“Yeah. Okay.” She heard the concern in Sylvia’s voice. “Will you
be okay to get home?”
They slowly made their way through the door and back into the
office, where the blast of heat and the waft of body essences made her want to
gag again. She struggled through one shallow breath then another.
“I’m planning on going straight home anyway.” Celina shuffled
towards her desk and groped around in the dark, hunting for her phone. She
grasped it in her damp hand and pressed the screen, waiting for it to lighten
sufficiently to see her desk. She spied her bag and opened the desk to find her
keys. “It looks like these are going to be out for a while. Can you…?” She
indicated the light fittings, then towards the office at the end of the row,
hoping Sylvia would understand.
“I’ll go tell the supervisor. You go on. Head home and take some
painkillers.”
With a small nod, which she quickly regretted as a pulse wavered
through her throbbing skull, Celina headed to the emergency stairs. As she
passed desks she saw others grabbing up their items, including laptops. No
doubt they obviously thought the same thing.
Finally she made her way down the fourteen flights of
stairs. On the way she heard many voices, some shrill and others filled with
laughter in the darkness. Here and there she caught glimpses of light, probably
from mobiles, illuminating the gloom.
One foot after another she plodded down the steps, her head
aching viciously and finally, light glowed ahead and a breeze started to clear
the stuffy wooliness from her head.
* * * *
Javed shook his head. The missive he held in his hands filled
him with emotions he hadn’t experienced in hundreds of years. He knew what it
was. It was confusion. The sense of having the carpet jerked out from beneath
him. His hands felt clammy.
“So… That’s your destiny, there in your hands.”
His hand shook and the sound of parchment moving back and forth
filled the air. He held not just his destiny, but also that of so many others.
He glanced at Xavier, his master, and Hope. They were two very
powerful vampires as well as his friends. “I don’t know what to say.”
Hope rose and glided towards him. “You don’t have to say
anything. We will say it all. Your leaving us on one level makes us sad, but
you will be a master in your own right. You’ve earned this.”
Javed wanted to sputter and stop her words, but he couldn’t. The
intent of the letter was clear. On the night of the next full moon, Cressida
would grant him his own nest. He would be elevated to the position of master.
If that wasn’t enough to accept, there was the knowledge that
there hadn’t been a new house in over a century.
There was so much to do. So many decisions to make and all of
them would fall on him. He would need to choose a Yeux Secondes, the human who
would oversee the financial and day-to-day aspects of the nest. He would also
require a second, a guardian who would stand at his side. A fellow warrior, in
whom he could place his trust, one who would help him build a safe haven in their
house. He would need witches to help protect the vampires and followers… Where
the hell do I even start with that?
“You’ll need a house. Somewhere for your people to call home.”
Hope grinned and he saw the lurking humour she couldn’t quell. “I know of an
interior designer, if you want their details?”
He rolled his eyes, remembering the problems she’d had with her
parents before she had been turned and the way she’d arranged for the entire
block of units to be furnished. It had taken her one night to order and arrange
for the delivery of all the furniture. Unlike the immense task her mother had
proposed.
But her smile died away as her own memories must have
surfaced.
“I don’t know about that, but if you’re offering help, then I’ll
accept it. I don’t have a clue where to start.” He moved back to the armchair
and slumped into it. “I don’t usually concern myself with those types of
problem.” He allowed his head to drop into his hands and muttered. “I don’t
think I’m ready yet.”
A soft touch on his shoulder captured
his attention. “Cressida thinks you are. Otherwise she would not have
petitioned the Councillors. Now come on. You need to start planning. We have
one month to arrange your investiture…”
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