attracting love. There are spells to attract money and spells to summon the spirits of the dead."
Cara shivered. "Have you ever done that? Summon the dead? It doesn't sound like a very good idea to me."
"No, I've never tried anything like that." Not yet, he thought. Alone in his room, he had tried several complicated spells, pleased when each had turned out perfectly. He definitely had the gift. One day, he hoped to be as powerful a warlock as his father had been, and if that meant dabbling in the Dark Arts, then so be it.
Dinner arrived and they spoke of trivial things. Later, after Anton paid the check, they left the restaurant.
"Where to now?" he asked. "Movies? A drive? A walk? Bowling?"
Cara glanced over her shoulder. Di Giorgio nodded at her from a discreet distance away.
"Or we could go dancing at The Nocturne," Anton suggested.
Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. Vince might be at The Nocturne.
"Well?" he asked, "what will it be?"
"Dancing sounds good," she said, especially if she found a way to dance with Vince.
She could scarcely contain her excitement as they made their way down the stairs to the club's entrance.
The dark, sensual beat of the music seemed to close around Cara as she followed Anton to a vacant table in the back. A man smiled at her, his hooded eyes dark with lust. She recoiled when she saw his fangs and then laughed self-consciously as she reminded herself that no matter how real they looked, they were fake.
She didn't know what it was that she found so appealing about this place. The people frightened her, the music made her think of dark, intimate acts.
She was disappointed when she didn't see Vince in the crowd.
Anton asked her to dance and even though she didn't want to be in his arms, she could hardly refuse, since she had been so enthusiastic about coming here.
The first song ended and the second one began. Anton was relating a story about something that had happened at the bookstore when one of the couples dancing nearby caught Cara's attention. Could it be? It was!
"What's wrong?" Anton asked.
"My parents are here!"
"What? Where?"
"Over there."
Roshan twirled her mother around just then and caught Cara staring.
"Well, hello," Brenna said, smiling, "What a nice surprise."
"I didn't know you two came here," Cara said.
"You seemed to like it, so we thought we'd give it a try," her father said. "We were just going to get a drink. Would you care to join us?"
Cara glanced at Anton. He was staring at her father through narrowed eyes, almost as if he hated him, yet that was ridiculous. The two had only met once before.
"Anton?"
With a shrug, he said, "It's up to you."
"Sure, we'd love to join you," Cara said, wondering at Anton's strange behavior.
Moments later, the four of them were seated at a large booth in the back.
"What are you drinking, Mom?" Cara asked when their drinks arrived. At home, her parents never indulged in anything stronger than a glass of red wine.
"It's a club specialty," her mother replied.
"It looks like a Bloody Mary," Anton remarked.
"It's very similar," her mother said.
They talked of the weather and the upcoming election. Roshan ordered another round of drinks, though both Brenna and Cara declined.
Her parents danced together again. Cara watched them, thinking how well they looked together. They moved effortlessly, almost as if they were floating. Her father, clad in his usual black attire, looked as though he belonged there. Without even trying, he looked more like a vampire than any of the wanna-be vampires with their long black cloaks and fake fangs. Her mother, clad in a flowing yellow and orange striped skirt and white blouse, looked like she should be dancing in a sunlit field of wildflowers.
At midnight, Cara asked Anton to take her home.
"So early? You're not going to turn into a pumpkin on me, are you?"
"No," Cara said, grinning. "I'm just tired."
"Very well." Rising, he bid a cool good night to her
Cara shivered. "Have you ever done that? Summon the dead? It doesn't sound like a very good idea to me."
"No, I've never tried anything like that." Not yet, he thought. Alone in his room, he had tried several complicated spells, pleased when each had turned out perfectly. He definitely had the gift. One day, he hoped to be as powerful a warlock as his father had been, and if that meant dabbling in the Dark Arts, then so be it.
Dinner arrived and they spoke of trivial things. Later, after Anton paid the check, they left the restaurant.
"Where to now?" he asked. "Movies? A drive? A walk? Bowling?"
Cara glanced over her shoulder. Di Giorgio nodded at her from a discreet distance away.
"Or we could go dancing at The Nocturne," Anton suggested.
Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. Vince might be at The Nocturne.
"Well?" he asked, "what will it be?"
"Dancing sounds good," she said, especially if she found a way to dance with Vince.
She could scarcely contain her excitement as they made their way down the stairs to the club's entrance.
The dark, sensual beat of the music seemed to close around Cara as she followed Anton to a vacant table in the back. A man smiled at her, his hooded eyes dark with lust. She recoiled when she saw his fangs and then laughed self-consciously as she reminded herself that no matter how real they looked, they were fake.
She didn't know what it was that she found so appealing about this place. The people frightened her, the music made her think of dark, intimate acts.
She was disappointed when she didn't see Vince in the crowd.
Anton asked her to dance and even though she didn't want to be in his arms, she could hardly refuse, since she had been so enthusiastic about coming here.
The first song ended and the second one began. Anton was relating a story about something that had happened at the bookstore when one of the couples dancing nearby caught Cara's attention. Could it be? It was!
"What's wrong?" Anton asked.
"My parents are here!"
"What? Where?"
"Over there."
Roshan twirled her mother around just then and caught Cara staring.
"Well, hello," Brenna said, smiling, "What a nice surprise."
"I didn't know you two came here," Cara said.
"You seemed to like it, so we thought we'd give it a try," her father said. "We were just going to get a drink. Would you care to join us?"
Cara glanced at Anton. He was staring at her father through narrowed eyes, almost as if he hated him, yet that was ridiculous. The two had only met once before.
"Anton?"
With a shrug, he said, "It's up to you."
"Sure, we'd love to join you," Cara said, wondering at Anton's strange behavior.
Moments later, the four of them were seated at a large booth in the back.
"What are you drinking, Mom?" Cara asked when their drinks arrived. At home, her parents never indulged in anything stronger than a glass of red wine.
"It's a club specialty," her mother replied.
"It looks like a Bloody Mary," Anton remarked.
"It's very similar," her mother said.
They talked of the weather and the upcoming election. Roshan ordered another round of drinks, though both Brenna and Cara declined.
Her parents danced together again. Cara watched them, thinking how well they looked together. They moved effortlessly, almost as if they were floating. Her father, clad in his usual black attire, looked as though he belonged there. Without even trying, he looked more like a vampire than any of the wanna-be vampires with their long black cloaks and fake fangs. Her mother, clad in a flowing yellow and orange striped skirt and white blouse, looked like she should be dancing in a sunlit field of wildflowers.
At midnight, Cara asked Anton to take her home.
"So early? You're not going to turn into a pumpkin on me, are you?"
"No," Cara said, grinning. "I'm just tired."
"Very well." Rising, he bid a cool good night to her
Similar Books
