The Illusion (Book Two in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Reunion Is Such Sweet Sorrow

He was right. It was a long drive, an eight hour drive. I fell asleep halfway through. Only the tingle of magic woke me up.

“Where are we?” I said.

“We just crossed into Vampire Domain.”

I looked out the window and stared out. There was heavy fog stretching out and I couldn’t see anything.

“Is this normal?” I asked.

Luke nodded. “It’s a block. It’s to keep you from knowing where you are and how you got there.”

“How much longer?”

“Can’t you tell?”

I thought about it. Something had settled over me, drawing me forward. Michael was close, very, very close.

“Minutes.”

Luke nodded again. “I took the liberty of packing a few things in here.” He handed me a small bag. “Hairbrush, make up, tooth brush.”

“How am I supposed to brush my teeth?”

He held up a water bottle. “Use your imagination.”

I brushed the knots out of my hair and used the compact mirror in the bag to reapply my eyeliner and lip gloss. By the time I’d put it all back in the bag, the car had come to a stop.

“Ready?”

I sent my feelers out, stretching out along the bond. Michael was right outside the car. I suddenly felt very, very nervous. I was able to control my heartbeat, Luke having taught me a few things since I’d seen Michael last.

I finally nodded. Luke got out first, leaving me alone in the car. I heard him greet whoever was out there and then come around to my side. He opened my door and stuck in a hand. I took it and he helped me out.

I saw a vast green field in front of me, the driveway we’d just driven up stretching out and into the fog.

I suddenly felt Michael’s emotions flood through the bond. Before I could feel any of them I shoved them back behind a wall. I looked at Luke and he nodded. I took a deep breath and turned around.

My eyes automatically locked onto Michael’s. They were the same, a crystal blue that twinkled even though there was no light. The emotions shoved against the wall I put up and it crumbed worse than a wall made of sand at the beach.

Happiness, joy, love, desire…they all flooded into me. I couldn’t control my heart beat anymore and it raced.

When Luke closed the door it brought me back. I blinked and looked away from Michael. Luke still had a hold of my hand and I squeezed it, hard.

He led me around the car and stopped a few feet from our welcoming party.

There were two people other than Michael. One was a woman and the other was a man. The man was taller but the woman seemed to have more presence. Her face looked stern. Her hair was in brown waves and stopped at the middle of her back. The man had short red hair and his features were just as stern as hers. Both of them watched me keenly as I walked around the trunk of the car.

“Georgiana, this is Epson and Claire.”

Epson stepped forward and extended his hand. I took it and I felt a tingle travel up my hand and to my arm. The tingles traveled up my skin wrapping around my arm and passed my elbow, shoulder blade, and continued up my neck. Then it stopped.

Epson frowned and his eyes traveled to my neck. He released my hand and turned to Claire. They both had brown eyes I noticed. Claire turned to me suddenly. “You are not what we expected.”