Eye of the Beholder Read online

  After a quick shower and several stretches to work out the kinks in my shoulders, I carefully wrapped up Cassius’s sword. I was more than happy to give him that piece of his story back. I appreciated a man who could remember his warrior years with a sense of satisfaction, if not pride. I slid the wrapped sword into a box and left my house, making sure to lock up and set the alarm. After attaching the box to my motorcycle, I slipped on my helmet and sped off into the night.

  Instead of heading toward the duchess’s manor, I drove toward Cassius’s newly bought West Hollywood condo. He’d moved in several nights’ past, leaving the duchess’s coven house. I’d managed one peek inside during the move before he’d taken me to La Rose. It was snazzy and modern with dozens of windows overlooking the streets below, since he was on the second floor. Housed in a Mediterranean-style building, it had two bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace and dining area, along with a freaking oak front door and skylights and enough bells and whistles to make even me envious. While I enjoyed my simple home and though his condo was nothing to the duchess’s mansion, it wasn’t anything to sniff at. The modernness of it all somehow suited him. He was certainly a man who was flexible enough to change with the times. He had to be.

  Though he spent much of his time at the duchess’s mansion, I understood his need for his own space to decompress. I was flattered he’d invited me over. And me being me, I planned to poke at him a bit.

  I parked in the driveway and he buzzed me in. I raced up the stairs—I always tried to ignore elevators—and panted slightly as I knocked at his door. Excitement bubbled as I waited. He didn’t keep me standing there for long and soon opened the door with a soft smile I was growing accustomed to.

  I held up the box with a huge grin. “Surprise.”

  His eyes brightened as he took the box before gesturing me inside. I looked around, nodding at the elegant but functional décor. He guided me to the living room and sat down on the couch, the box in his lap. I took off my jacket and sat next to him.

  “Thank you.” He opened the box and folded back the bubble wrap. He grinned wider, and naked pleasure showed in his eyes. He closed his fingers over the hilt and pulled it out. The box fell to the floor as he held up the sword. He gazed at the Latin etchings on the blade and the supple leather on the grip. He stood and moved away from furniture before swinging the blade around a few times. He was silent but I knew I had a winner.

  After a few impressive, confident moves, he lowered the blade and looked at me. “It’s wonderful. You are truly an artist and deserve your name.”

  I shrugged off the praise, though I preened inside. “Always glad to have a satisfied customer.”

  Cassius grinned again and my cock twitched. I squeezed my legs together and glanced away, coughing slightly.

  “The price is what we agreed on,” I said. “I had most of the needed material and equipment.”

  Cassius nodded and took out his phone and tapped a few buttons. I smiled in amusement.

  “The rest of the money is in your account,” he said.

  I took out my own phone to check. It wasn’t that I doubted him; it was simple habit. Everything checked out. I grabbed the box and pulled out the custom sheath.

  “Here.”

  He eagerly took it and sheathed the blade, eyes skimming over every inch. “You always impress me with what you can do.”

  He returned to his seat and set the sword tenderly on the table.

  “Now comes the fun part,” I said and snickered.

  He eyed me. “What are you talking about?”

  “I wondered if you’d indulge me for a minute.” I then pulled out a box set of DVDs from my bag and held them up so he could see.

  He read the cover and frowned. “What is that?”

  “You’ll see.”

  A couple of hours later, I sprawled on the couch next to Cassius and struggled to keep from laughing at his pained expression. He looked like he was cringing from the screech of nails on a chalkboard. Roman soldiers fought on screen as I forced him to watch another episode of HBO’s canceled show, Rome.

  Halfway through the episode, when he pinched the bridge of his nose and pursed his lips, I couldn’t contain myself and burst out laughing. He threw me a dirty look.

  Taking pity on him, I grabbed the remote and turned off the DVD. “Have I tortured you enough?”

  “I’d rather have hot pokers in my eyes than watch any more.”

  I laughed again. “Ouch. Don’t hold back, tell me how you really feel.”

  He rolled his eyes and flopped back on the couch, laying his head against the back of it. I enjoyed seeing him in a more informal setting. He felt more real.

  “They never get the sword fighting right,” he said absently.

  “Tell me what it was really like. You knew some emperors, right?”

  “A few. As much as a soldier could know his emperor, anyway. It’s not as exciting as TV makes it seem, I promise you that. It was often cold, disgusting, and harsh. The sick lined the streets, lying in shit, and the wealthy stuffed their faces while their citizens starved. And the smell. Gods the smell.”

  I blinked at the bitterness in his tone. “Oh.”

  He shrugged and shook his head. “Never mind that. It had its good moments as well.”

  After an awkward pause, I asked, “Was Caligula as crazy as history paints him?”

  Cassius snorted. “How would I know? I was in the army by then and off fighting their wars. He lasted, what, four years? I suspect he was having fun at the senators’ expense, showing them what a man with absolute power could do. Making a point, you know?” He shrugged again. “Or he could have been loony tunes. We’ll never know.”

  I laughed. “Loony tunes?”

  Cassius turned his head and smiled warmly at me. “I’ve heard you use that before. Seemed appropriate.”

  I laughed harder. “Have you even watched an episode of Looney Tunes?”

  “Yes, in fact. I found it… odd.”

  “You are something else.”

  “Glad you noticed.”

  I smiled and lay back as well. Our thighs were almost touching, and the thought made me warm all over. His face was so close, his blue eyes bright and focused on my face, his hair slightly mussed. His relaxed state had me imagining jumping him and mashing my mouth against his. Down, boy.

  “Got another question for you.”

  “I highly doubt you only have one.”

  I grinned. “Jesus Christ. Real or not?”

  A deep, heartfelt groan issued from him, and he grew limp as if all the strength had gone out of his body. “Et tu, Vulcan? Et tu?”

  A giggle escaped me before I slapped a hand over my mouth.

  He eyed me sourly though his eyes gleamed. “Everyone wants to know about Jesus bleeding Christ.” He grumbled a bit and said nothing more.

  I poked his shoulder.

  He grunted.

  I poked again.

  He scowled at the ceiling.

  I then proceeded to tap repeatedly on his shoulder, putting effort into being irritating. He turned that scowl on me. I rested my head on his shoulder and gave him a sunny smile while batting my eyelashes.

  He broke and laughed.

  “Please,” I pleaded. “Give me something. Anything. What’s the point of having an ancient vampire for a friend if I can’t use you to answer those burning questions?”

  Our noses almost touched and his eyes gleamed red around the edges. I lifted my head off his shoulder and sat straighter, putting distance between us. He frowned, the soft smile he’d been wearing fading away. I was sorry for that, but I needed to keep some barrier between us. He could be my friend, nothing more. And even that was more than I’d bargained for.

  He glanced away again and sighed. “My first birth was during the reign of Tiberius, and I hardly knew much of what was going on at that end of the world. I was too busy hunting for food for my three younger sisters.”

  That was the first truly intimate detail he’
d ever told me of his life. I stared at him, my brow raised high. “Your parents?”

  With troubled eyes he just shook his head.

  I winced. “Sorry. Forget I asked.”

  He patted my leg. “Never fear asking me anything. By all accounts, Jesus of Nazareth did exist. That’s honestly all I know on the subject. Survival was my main focus.”

  “Sounds about right.”

  An awkward silence fell and I wondered if I should call it a night. Then Cassius abruptly stood and grabbed his shoes.

  “Come with me.”

  I stood and grabbed my jacket. “Where are we going?”

  “Come.”

  I followed with a frown. “I’m not a dog.”

  He locked the front door and turned to me before patting his thigh and making kissing sounds with his lips. “Come on, boy. Come on.”

  I glared. “Oh, you are so paying for that, vampire. One day when you least expect it, I’m getting my revenge.”

  He snorted, clearly unconcerned. He opened the two-car garage, led me to his silver Jaguar, and opened the passenger door. I hesitated. This would be the first time I’d been in a car other than a limo since Dain’s death and it twisted my gut.

  “What is wrong?”

  I swallowed hard and stared at the car. “You know how Dain died?”

  “Yes,” he said quietly after a pause. “Her Grace told me.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “Trust me. You will be safe.”

  I forced myself to look at him. He appeared sincere and concerned. I blew out a breath. I had to jump back on the horse eventually, didn’t I? I walked forward stiffly and got in. He gently touched my shoulder before shutting the door and walking around to the driver’s side.

  I put on my seat belt and dug my fingertips into my jeans. He drove rather sedately considering this car was made for speed. Although, he didn’t have much choice since traffic was as horrendous at two in the morning as it was at two in the afternoon. LA truly never slept.

  “Aren’t you the one who said the louder the car, the bigger dick?” I said, trying to distract myself.

  He chuckled. “It was a gift from Her Grace.”

  “Quite the gift.”

  We headed down Santa Monica Boulevard and then veered off when the beach came into view. He headed north a ways, and I wondered if he was taking me to Malibu. I forced myself to relax into the seat and enjoy the few stars gleaming in the sky. As we continued on our drive, I realized I didn’t need to force myself to do anything. Maybe it was the company. I glanced at Cassius’s profile. Yeah, it was definitely the company. I felt safe with him. Stupid or not, it was the truth.

  We drove in comfortable silence. The crisp wind in my hair felt great and when we hit an open stretch of road, Cassius really let the Jaguar go. My heart jumped in my throat, and he must have noticed something because he reached over and squeezed my hand. Though he kept his eyes on the road, the simple act of comfort calmed me. I turned my hand over and gripped his in return.

  There was no mistaking the small smile that played over his mouth.

  We entered one of the more restricted beaches in Malibu, and the ease and familiarity of his entry let me know at least one of the houses was owned by the coven. He must have checked a tide chart because it was low tide when we walked down. Any other time we’d be out of luck since the beach would have been nothing but water.

  The sky was clear and the sound of waves rolling in was soothing. A faint wind blew and I smiled as all the tension remaining from the car trip slipped away. Even in October it was beach weather here. I followed Cassius until he stopped and then sat, heedless of the sand. He kicked off his shoes and tugged off his socks before leaning back on his hands and peering up at me with an expectant expression.

  What the hell? I didn’t go to the beach enough.

  I plopped down and yanked off my own boots and socks, then wiggled my toes in the sand. The dim light from the stars and moon shone off rocks and boulders, throwing even darker shadows around us. My eyes adjusted to the night, and I decided to really not care about the sand and lay out on my back. For a moment I forgot I was hanging out in a secluded beach, at night, with a predator.

  I glanced at his profile. His eyes gleamed eerily, reminding me he could see in the dark like wolves and cats. He also sat as still as a statue, his very presence quiet. Creepy.

  What was I doing here?

  “I don’t think you stop and enjoy the moment enough,” he said.

  I jerked. His voice cut through the near silence of the night. The noise of the city was muted and easily ignored all the way out here.

  “I’d argue if it wasn’t true.”

  More silence. Then, “You don’t talk about yourself much.”

  “Not much to say.”

  He frowned and squinted. “I don’t think that’s true.”

  I grunted and looked away. “Your life is far more adventurous and entertaining than mine could ever be. Wouldn’t compare.”

  “This isn’t a competition. Tell me something. One thing I don’t know.”

  I squinted, wondering if I should play along. Then I sighed. Fair was fair. He’d told me a lot and what had I given in return? Just a sword. Nothing personal, for good reason.

  I looked at him. He stared at me, waiting.

  “I was on the streets when I met Dain and tried to pick his pocket.”

  He grinned. “And how did that work out for you?”

  I snorted. “He gave me a good smack. He should have turned me in to the cops or beat me bloody, you know? Nope. He decided to feed me and talked to me like I had a brain in my head. He gave me options. I thought he was okay, and I figured I could steal from him if things got bad. Never happened. He didn’t have the creep vibe, you know?”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “I’ve always liked working with my hands and creating things. Believe it or not, I used to do some mean origami. He taught me a few things, and when I showed interest and aptitude, he announced I was his apprentice and trained me. That was that.”

  Those were good memories. The best. The first good memories I’d ever made.

  “Dain did right by you.”

  I swallowed hard and managed to smile. “Yeah, he did. He saw something. What it was, I have no idea.”

  “I do.”

  I rolled my eyes even as my stomach flipped.

  “Why were you on the streets?”

  My stomach knotted this time, and I barely managed to play it off. I wagged a finger in his face. “Uh-uh. Nope. Not going there. Not now, anyway.”

  Cassius frowned but didn’t push. I was pathetically grateful for that. I honestly feared that if he pushed, I might spill all that ugliness all over him. Then he’d push me away because why wouldn’t he?

  “I only wish to say one thing,” he said. “We all have a past. We all have demons. Do you think I fought battles and lived for centuries without gaining a few?”

  I shook my head.

  “I’ve killed countless, Vulcan,” he said quietly, his voice like granite. Red tinged his gleaming eyes.

  I swallowed hard.

  “Whatever you have to say won’t affect our friendship. That I promise you. You can trust me.”

  I opened my mouth, not sure what to say, when a scream cut through the air. We froze for a second before Cassius leapt to his feet and streaked away. I cursed and followed as fast as I could, racing toward the screams.

  Damn he could move! But what were we rushing into?

  I ran on the wet sand and quickly approached the sobbing woman curled up on the ground. I dropped to my knees next to her. I heard scuffling nearby along with growls and grunts but couldn’t see much beyond dark shadows. Then the silhouettes of two men came into view and the moon gleamed off their blades. The way they moved proved they were well-trained. Slayers. Shit.

  Cassius fought one, red eyes gleaming in the night, and it bothered me that he was playing with the slayer. If he was serious about i
t, his opponent would be dead.

  “Are you all right?” I asked the woman. I touched her shoulder and she flinched. “Easy.”

  “He-he t-tried to….”

  “It’s okay. Let’s just—”

  My instinct for danger saved me. Quick as a snake, she twisted and flashed a knife at my throat. I felt the air pulse against my skin as the blade flew by. I fell back and activated both of my cuff blades. She pounced on me, trying to stab my face.

  I snarled and slashed out with my hand. I caught her across the cheek, and she shrieked and scrambled away. We both climbed to our feet and eyed each other, panting.

  “You’re not a vamp,” she said in an accusing tone.

  “Never said I was.”

  “You’re with a vamp. So you’re just a damn thrall.”

  My jaw clenched. “I’m no one’s fucking thrall, bitch.” I launched myself at her.

  I’d say we were equally matched as we blocked and jabbed with efficient strokes that would have killed those with lesser skills. She caught my arm and while the jacket deflected the blade, I still winced at the impact. I would be nothing but bruises soon. I tried to wrestle the blade away from her, but she used speed instead of strength, slipping under my defenses. I caught the dagger heading for my eyeball with a cuff blade, and for a moment we struggled, pitting our strengths against each other. Then I used my other cuff blade to swipe at her belly. She had no choice but to hop back. I used the momentary distraction and slipped under her guard. I knocked the knife out of her hand and punched her in the face. Blood spurted from her nose as she collapsed on the sand, disoriented. I retracted my cuff blades.

  Damn slayers.

  “You traitor,” she said, slurring her words. Her eyes rolled in their sockets, trying to pin me with her glare. “Allying with those monsters.”

  “Let me guess.” I shoved her onto her back and bent over her face. “You’re an Ashwood, aren’t you?”

  She spat blood at me. I flinched and straightened, scowling.

  “Vulcan.”

  I looked over my shoulder. Cassius approached with another vampire. Each dragged along an unconscious human. The flash of concern in Cassius’s eyes quickly turned to satisfaction when he saw the woman, now unconscious.