Free Spark of Magic by Trista Ann Michaels Page B

frustration when the rock turned into something other than what she wanted it to. With a chuckle, he leaned against the tree, watching the sunlight play across her face. The pink sundress accentuated her trim waist and firm breasts. The color even brought out her tan and highlighted the blonde in her hair.
    Her beauty sometimes left him breathless, incapable of coherent speech. He’d expected the physical bond to be strong but not the emotional one. He never expected he might actually be able to fall in love with his chosen wife but damned if he wasn’t halfway there. He loved her spunk. It was no doubt she was a handful.
    “Try it this way,” Darien explained and for the first time Nicholas noticed the white streak down the side of his hair and smiled slightly.
    For Rebecca, he imagined, so she could tell them apart. Not a bad idea really, just unusual for Darien. Normally Darien couldn’t care less if people were able to tell them apart. Their family and closest friends could and those were all that mattered.
    Rebecca tried again, this time turning the rock into a turtle. “Oh for the love of god,” she grumbled, making Nicholas chuckle.
    “Poor thing,” Vincent purred from his spot on the tree branch several feet off the ground. “I haven’t seen magic that bad since… Well I can’t remember ever seeing magic that bad.”
    “Give her time. Remember, she hasn’t had any formal training. She’ll get the hang of it.”
    “Mmmm,” Vincent murmured then flicked his tail. “Let’s just hope it’s before the Dominion Ball. Are you sure presenting her there is a good idea, Nicholas?”
    “Sebastian will be there.”
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    “I’m sure he’s already aware of her existence and the fact that you’ve joined with her.”
    “I am too but he can’t get to her here, it’s protected. We also can’t keep her here forever. The ball is the best place to bring her out and challenge Sebastian.”
    Vincent jumped from his perch to the branch closest to Nicholas’ shoulder. “Make sure you know what you’re doing, Nicholas. Watch your back and keep your eyes open. Something isn’t right with Sebastian. It goes beyond evil. There’s something we’re not aware of. I can feel it in every bone of my body.”
    * * * * *
    Sebastian paced the cold stones of Jullian’s castle in Romania, careful to keep his feet in the shadows and not let them hit the part of the floor bathed in the last remains of the evening sunset. He’d kept his vampire transformation hidden for over three hundred years, blaming black magic for his immortality. It wasn’t unusual for warlocks to use such spells. Even those pain-in-the-ass twins Nicholas and Darien had dabbled in the black arts—all in the effort to hide Rebecca.
    But he had his own methods and sooner or later he’d find her. He needed her family’s seat. Once that last seat was filled by Vlad, vampires would once again control the council and in turn everything else, including the mortal world.
    “What’s got you in such a snit? You’re pacing a worn spot in my floor.”
    Sebastian turned to stare at his friend Jullian as he entered the room. Jullian’s long black hair draped around his shoulders, his blue eyes intelligent and dark. Jullian was a strong asset. Despite the fact he kept out of council business he still held a huge amount of influence, if for no other reason than most of the council feared him.
    So did he at times.
    “Just anxious to get started. I’m hungry.”
    Jullian nodded and handed him a glass of warm blood. “This will tide you over.”
    Lifting the glass, Sebastian inhaled the spicy scent of warm blood. He hissed, for a moment allowing the hunger to flow through him. His fangs formed and he curled his lip, running his tongue over the sharp edges of his vampire teeth. Lifting the glass he drank the blood, letting its warmth sooth his lust, calm his hunger. Later tonight he and Jullian would feed, calming his blood lust for a few weeks until it would