Free The Amulet by Lisa Phillips

pulled the strings in his mind, and he suddenly remembered he had somewhere to be. He left her without saying a word and only a faint memory that she had ever existed.
    "You're getting a little too daring," Nevar told her. "It's not safe to change their thoughts the way you did."
    "I don't know why, but I knew what I was doing. I did it right, didn't I? He'll be a little less arrogant, maybe, but he should be himself otherwise."
    "I am not one to alter personalities, but you managed to distort his memories in an acceptable manner." He turned from her and walked a few paces away.
    "I'm sorry, Nevar," she apologized. "I didn't think I was harming him. His mind sickened me."
    "It's the risk you take when you reach into the minds of others. You didn't hurt him. You probably did him a favor, but it's not something you should make a habit of doing." He sighed, as if resigning himself. The walls around his mind came down. He had seen his mind as well, and he shared her disgust, but then, he had seen it all too many times. It was all still so new to her, but therein lies the danger. Had she pulled the wrong threads, even slightly, an entire lifetime could have been lost, regardless of its quality.
    "I do not wish to sound cross with you, but it is not our place to interfere with their lives. Look what happened when I interfered with yours. It never ends well." He stepped closer and brushed her cheek with the flesh of his fingertips. He did not want her to feel like a scolded child; she was anything but. His respect for the lives of humans was enormous. It was no wonder in all his years that she had been the only slip of his control.
    The walls snapped shut once more and she wondered what thoughts he was so desperate to keep hidden. "I understand, Nevar. I shouldn't have tried to change him." She bit her lip. Despite his thoughts to the contrary, she did feel like a scolded child. He had told her already about the dangers of altering memories, and yet, she had done it anyway.
    Perhaps her clarity of thought wasn't quite as clear as she thought. The newness of what she was had not yet worn off. She, like her arrogant prey, had been overly confident in her abilities and that was dangerous. Her head hung in embarrassment and she could not meet Nevar's gaze. She was ashamed that she had judged the crimes of another, but was guilty of the same.
    His eyes softened as he looked at her. He gave her a gentle smile and then he motioned for her to come closer. Eager to appease him, she obliged. "Since you are so eager to test what you can do, it's high time you learned this properly, before you try on your own."
    "What do I need to learn?" Her curiosity was piqued.
    "You must learn to transform. You've probably heard stories and seen the movies in which our kind can change into bats and you've seen me change into mist to travel faster. As far as changing into an animal form goes, it varies greatly from one vampire to another. The reason is not known, although it is generally accepted that the personality of the vampire determines their animal form. There are a few that believe the transformation represents what attributes are most needed at the time of change."
    "I thought changing into a bat was a myth. So, humans got a few things right, after all."
    He chuckled, and a mischievous gleam shone in his eyes. He held out his arms and then closed his eyes. She watched intently as his body shrank and twisted. His color grew darker and his hair reformed over him. He was as black as night from his head to his feet. He shrank out of his clothes and they fell to the floor. Nevar flapped his wings and flew to her shoulder, his wingtips brushing her face as he landed. He turned on her shoulder, his clawed feet just barely scratching her shoulder. He was the most beautiful raven she had ever seen.
    Nevar is not my real name. It's something of a nom de plume. It was given to me by Xander when he saw me change. My real name is Nicholas Guile, but I prefer