Blood and Guitars Read online

  Blood and Guitars

  Heather Jensen

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2011 by Heather Jensen

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  The characters and event portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter 1

  I needed blood….

  That was the only thing on my mind as I walked the streets in the dark. The hour was fast approaching. I could feel it in my bones. The moon hung high, her pale silver glow illuminating the city below, radiating as far as the eye could see.

  It was almost midnight now, and my Brood would soon be meeting in the top of an abandoned warehouse six blocks down. This night would most likely be just as all the other full-moon meets were. If I were late, I would have to suffer through one of Antonio’s lectures. Admittedly, the thought didn’t exactly make me want to rush right out the door. It wasn’t that I didn’t respect Antonio. He was my maker after all, the man who had given me a new life when my old one was shattered, but as much as he tried he could never replace what I had lost.

  I sighed, wondering just how late I could be without causing a full blown argument. The night air was crisp but comfortable as I moved down the street. This month’s meeting place just so happened to be within walking distance and I was going to take advantage of it, but first I needed a drink. I took a deep breath, letting the dark fill my senses, enveloping me as I walked.

  One block.

  Two.

  I smelled the human male before I caught sight of him. I followed his scent, capturing the taste of it on my tongue. It led me around the back of a building and into a parking lot. The unsuspecting man turned when he saw me approaching. I could see the relief on his face when he found a harmless-looking young woman in heels behind him and not some maniac thug. I was counting on him to make that mistake.

  “Excuse me,” I said, calling out to him.

  His footsteps paused and he turned around to face me. “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so,” I said innocently. “I parked my car on this street a few hours ago and now that it’s dark I can’t tell where I’m at. I seem to have lost my car.” I feigned embarrassment and reached into his mind, finding almost no resistance there.

  “You really should be more careful,” he said kindly. “It’s probably not the best idea for a young lady like you to be wandering about in the dark.”

  His guard down, I quickly made my move. I pulled him toward me so fast that he couldn’t react before I gently but deliberately sank my teeth into his neck. He tensed only for a second, and then his muscles relaxed as the venom in my bite numbed his senses and he enjoyed the relaxing images as I projected them into his mind. The rich life-giving liquid burned down my throat. My heart began to race as my already heightened senses shifted into overdrive, a welcomed effect of ingesting the blood. I sent soothing images to his mind as I drank my fill, which took less than a minute. Satiated, I ran my tongue across the two tiny puncture wounds my teeth had left on the skin of his throat, and they disappeared almost instantly. I stepped back, licking any trace of blood from my lips as I straightened my jacket and gazed at the man expectantly. He shook his head and then his eyes came back into focus and he gazed at me with questioning eyes.

  “I think you’re right,” I said, continuing with my earlier act. “The next parking lot down does look familiar. I’m sure that’s where my car is. Thanks a lot for your help.”

  “Uh … yeah. No problem.” He rubbed his neck instinctively, although he had no memory of what had just happened.

  I smiled sweetly before I walked past him. Wanting to make sure I hadn’t completely befuddled him, I glanced over my shoulder to see the man shaking his head again before he unlocked his vehicle and slipped inside, no worse for the wear.

  I smiled as I walked, invigorated. The fresh blood would not only sustain me for the rest of the week, it had revitalized me, burning life into me from the inside out. My senses were sharper than they’d been in days, and my spirits lifted as a direct result. It made the idea of being around some of my Brood a little more bearable as I set off in the direction of the abandoned warehouse.

  Even a human could have heard Antonio’s groan as I strolled into the room. He wore a black button-up shirt and expensive jeans with black boots and his dark hair was absent of the salt and pepper grey that you would normally find on someone of his age. He was almost seventy years old, but looked half that.

  “Aurora, you’re late. Again.”

  I rolled my eyes at him, half-smiling as I took a seat at the table. Antonio was infamous for stating the obvious. “Nothing gets by you,” I added. I looked out of the large window that was directly across the table from me, giving me an unobstructed view of the full moon in all her glory. I crossed my legs and glanced around absently at the others sitting around the table. Ours was a small Brood, but we were nothing if not diverse.

  To my left sat Malena, the first Antonio had changed. She was blunt and cold with shoulder brown hair. Her black eyes reminded me of lightning: sharp and penetrating. Even the sound of her name had a certain malicious quality. I’d learned early on that Malena’s weapon of choice was intimidation. I met her gaze without hesitation, determined to remind her that it wouldn’t work on me.

  Mark, the resident nice guy, sat on my right. He wore black rimmed glasses, though I had never figured out why, (his vampiric vision was far better than 20/20) and worked at the county hospital. He spent a lot of energy just trying to be accepted by other vampires. As strange as it probably seemed, I was closer to him than anyone. Mark and I had developed a friendship over the last year or so. We were proof that opposites sometimes attract, considering we’d bonded over his inability to fit in with the crowd and my refusal to do the same. We were outsiders, and as far as I was concerned it was better that way.

  I looked up to find Malena eyeing me curiously.

  “How are things with you and that delicious blond I saw you with a few weeks ago?” she asked.

  Oh, how I hate small talk. “Nonexistent,” I said dryly. I’d met the vamp she was referring to at a club and found out he loved art. Before the night was over he’d talked me into taking him to The Waking Moon to show him my work. He’d purchased a painting and I hadn’t heard from him since. There had never been anything romantic about it.

  “That bad, huh?” Malena shook her head in pity. “So, what did you do with him?” She raised an eyebrow, a hopeful smile tugging at the edges of her mouth.

  I almost laughed. “Do you really want my leftovers?” Okay, so I hadn’t gone out with the guy, but Malena didn’t have to know that.

  “I think it’s pretty obvious that Aurora doesn’t want to discuss her personal life with you,” Mark said to her.

  I gave him a grateful smile, and saw that he looked almost as surprised by his comment to Malena as I was.

  “We have a lot to discuss,” Antonio finally said. “First of all, there have been reports of two new rogue vampires in the area.”

  “Two more?” Mark asked.
<
br />   Antonio nodded gravely. “The Emissary is working to investigate why new fledglings are being created so carelessly.” Last full moon Antonio had informed us that a fledgling vampire had been found with no memory of who had created him and no knowledge of what he now was. Vampires are never careless, and so as crazy as it seemed, it was most likely that someone was trying to cause trouble and using newly created fledglings to do it. “The Emissary wants me to pass this information on to you so you can be on the watch for others,” Antonio continued. “If you do encounter a rogue fledgling, they must be reported immediately so the Synod can assign them to a brood and they can be properly taught our ways. That said, the next full moon will be a lunar eclipse, so we’ll be celebrating with the Synod and holding a ritual at an undisclosed location.”

  “Is it that time already?” Mark leaned forward in his seat.

  I raised an eyebrow at him and he sat back again.

  “Listen up,” Antonio urged. His expression was even more stern than usual. “I expect you all to be on your best behavior at the event. You’ve all attended a ritual like this before so there’s no excuse for screwing it up. The Elders of the Synod demand respect. Some of them have reigned as leaders for almost 400 years, long before Florida ever existed as a state.”

  I sighed, completely bored already. We all knew that the Elders of the Synod had come from Europe a long time ago. Did it really matter exactly how long ago? If Antonio went on like this we could be here all night and I definitely had better things to do. It wasn’t that the Synod didn’t interest me, but Antonio had an innate ability to make even the end of the world sound dull.

  “Consider this an opportunity to learn from those who have lived for so long,” he continued mechanically. This is also another opportunity to impress the Elders of the Synod before you’ll face them at your ten-year mark. I will be in contact with each of you before the next full moon so there won’t be any questions.”

  “So, the location is a secret?” Malena asked.

  “That’s the idea,” Antonio said. “I think that’s all we need to discuss for now. We can move on to the Moon Rights.”

  Mark wasn’t the only one who sat up a little straighter in his seat now. Antonio rose from his chair and walked across the room where a small table was set up. A silver cloth made of silk was covering the table and its contents, which I had smelled before entering the room. This was the real reason we were meeting tonight: to ask the moon for the privilege of exercising control over specific vampire ability until it became full again and the process would begin anew.

  Antonio lifted the silk from the center and pulled it directly up, revealing the wine glasses underneath. They were filled with the life-sustaining liquid that resembled red wine, the one thing all vampires depend on for survival. He called Malena’s name first. She gave me a haughty smile and rose from her seat to join Antonio next to the table. He handed her a wine glass full of blood and she took it in both hands. She gazed out at the moon through the large window and then closed her eyes. The room was silent as Malena spent a moment in meditation. Eyes still closed, she raised the cup to her lips and drank until it was empty. She looked up at Antonio who nodded his approval and then she returned to her seat in silence. Antonio called Mark’s name next and he did just as Malena had.

  I came after Mark, walking slowly to the front of the room and taking the glass from Antonio as he offered it to me. I could feel the warmth of the liquid through the glass as I gazed out at the full moon and the silver light that surrounded her. I burned the image of her into my mind and closed my eyes, still seeing the circled orb as if it were imprinted on the insides of my eyelids. I took a deep breath to center myself and focus my energy before forming a phrase in my mind.

  Grant me the ability to read the minds of those around me. Allow me to effectively block my own thoughts from others. Silently I repeated the phrase over and over for the space of one minute until a familiar bliss whisked the words away from the front of my mind. Without opening my eyes, I raised the glass to my lips and drank. The blood was not fresh, direct from the source, and as a result it didn’t burn as intensely as it ran down my throat, but I relished the taste of it nonetheless. I opened my eyes and nodded respectfully to Antonio as he took the empty glass from my hands. I returned to my seat as Antonio covered up the empty glasses with the silk once again before turning to face all of us.

  “I’ll be in touch with more details about our meeting with the Synod,” he said in a fatherly tone. “As always, you know where to find me if you need.” I stood to leave with the others when Antonio sternly spoke my name. Malena rolled her eyes at me and left the room. Mark paused in the doorway, his eyes questioning me. I could only shrug.

  “I’ll wait for you outside,” I heard him think.

  I hesitated briefly and then nodded to him before slumping back down into my chair.

  “Do you believe you made a wise choice tonight?” Antonio asked when we were alone. “Focusing on the ability to block your thoughts?”

  “I can block my own thoughts just fine.” I hadn’t meant to speak so bluntly, but Antonio didn’t react. Besides, it was true. My moon given ability was a unique control over my own mind. I was quite capable of blocking my thoughts from others regardless of what ability I chose to focus on for the month. This was something Antonio was well aware of, and it certainly drove him crazy at times that he couldn’t tell what I was thinking. All vampires are given the ability to project images or thoughts into someone else’s mind. It’s a necessary skill that allows us to feed from humans without causing them distress or pain. Now reading the minds of others was a different story all together. I couldn’t do that without choosing the ability specifically. I didn’t want to admit it but Antonio was right. I hated not knowing what everyone around me was thinking, even if it was only on a basic level.

  Antonio caught my gaze and held it before he spoke again. “I know you don’t like feeling vulnerable but choosing to cycle through the abilities and strengthen your control over each would be a much wiser choice than merely concentrating on one or two of them. Only then will the Synod grant you simultaneous use of them all when you reach your ten year mark as a vampire.” I had to make an effort not to sigh. “I know that day seems a long time away,” he added.

  “It’s not that. I just don’t see it changing anything.” I stood up and walked to the door. This time he didn’t stop me.

  “You know he’s just worried about you,” Mark said when I caught up with him on the sidewalk.

  “Don’t you start, too,” I smacked him on the arm. “It’s not like you don’t do the same thing. Taking advantage of the ability to heal makes you a much more effective doctor, even if it is your moon given talent to begin with.”

  Mark shrugged. “Touché.”

  I couldn’t help but smile as we began walking up the street toward my place. Mark had been crushing on me since the first moment I met him. It wasn’t something he hid from me. He enjoyed harassing me about the men I dated, and telling me all of the ways he wouldn’t mess up if I would only go out with him instead. His little antics didn’t bother me (in fact there were times when it was even a little flattering despite the fact that he was not at all my type). I figured as long as we could be friends then I could handle his whole being in love with me thing. It was just something we’d agreed to disagree about.

  I fished my keys from my purse and we climbed into my car. The drive to my art studio, The Waking Moon, on Cleveland didn’t take long because there were hardly any cars on the road. Just one advantage of nocturnal life. I parked in the back and unlocked the door. As I walked inside, the familiar scents of paint, varnish and mineral spirits reached my nose. I picked up the notes that Kacie (the girl I pay to run the place during the day) had left for me on the desk in the back and glanced over them while Mark walked into the showroom to look around. We’d sold several paintings so far this week.

  “My favorite one is gone,” Mark called out to me from around
the corner. “It must have sold.”

  I smiled and put the notes back on the desk before joining him. He stared somberly at an empty spot in the northeast corner of the showroom.

  “I told you it would go fast.” I smiled at the pathetic expression he wore. “And I also told you I could do another for you if you procrastinated.”

  “It was probably a human who bought it,” he stated simply. “I’ll never understand their fascination with night and the moon. It’s not as if they have any good reason to be interested like our kind.”

  He was referring to the theme that most of my art had in common: the night. Most of the paintings I did contained at least one element of the night in them such as the moon, the stars, the rich colors and deep shadows that the daylight concealed and only night could reveal.

  “As long as my paintings sell, I don’t have to understand it.” I said simply in response to his observation. “Besides, I do sell to vampires on occasion.”

  Mark raised an amused eyebrow at me and then shrugged in agreement. He followed me up the stairs to the open loft area that sits above the gallery where I do all of my painting. I walked over to the three paintings that I’d recently finished, realizing with a sigh that I was a few short of the number I liked to keep on hand in the showroom. I’d have to put in some extra time and get caught up. I had several others pieces here waiting to be varnished, but I couldn’t complain. Business was good.

  “I like this one.” Mark gestured to one in particular that I’d only finished varnishing last night.

  “Me too,” I admitted. And I did. It was a dark scene showing a close-up of a walkway made of large flat stones, green moss growing in the cracks. A puddle of crystal clear water from a recent rainfall had gathered in the middle of the largest stone. The moon’s pale reflection shone on the surface of the still water there.