SovereignsChoice Read Free Page A

you’ll just
have to forgo that particular pleasure. And I’ll treat you with more
respect when you start treating me with more respect. This is my place
of business—don’t come in here and insult my intelligence.” I may not like
running this stupid shop but I know my stuff cold and I’ll be damned if I let
him say otherwise.
    To my surprise, Aiden James suddenly stops
looking scary and vampiric and nods a little stiffly. He takes a deep breath
and his next words genuinely surprise me. “Very well, I will admit that it was
rude of me to disparage your knowledge.”
    “Thank you,” I say, nodding.
    “I can see you know what you’re talking
about. You’ve saved me from a very costly error, Ms…”
    “Emma,” I say grudgingly. “Emma Krist.” I
wonder how he can be out in the daylight. The gold-and-onyx ring on his right
hand catches my eye again, must be magic. Heavy-duty magic to pull off
something like this. A vampire with access to high-level sorcery—great. My
little bottle of magical mace would probably bother him as much as a gnat
bothers an elephant. Slowly I release my grip on it and place both hands on the
counter.
    “Very well, Ms. Krist, you’ve earned my
respect.” He looks at me speculatively. “ And my interest. Forgive me for
being rude, I’m very preoccupied just now.” He puts out his hand in a
conciliatory gesture. “We are well met on this Sacrifice Eve.”
    I don’t really want to shake his hand but I
don’t see that I have much choice. Reluctantly I hold out my hand. “Well met,
indeed,” I say, giving the ritual response. Or that’s what I start to say as
his hand closes over mine.
    But as the vampire’s much larger hand
engulfs my own, I feel a strange tingle that runs down my arm and gives me a
most uncomfortable jolt. My heart starts to hammer and I jerk my hand away from
him. What the hell…?
    Aiden James must have felt it as well,
because he looks from his hand to my face and back again, as if trying to
figure out what just happened. Well if he finds out, I wish he’d let me know.
I’ve never felt such power from anyone before, not even my Aunt Cassandra and
she’s a senior witch and the mistress of our coven.
    The vampire studies me, his gray eyes
narrowed. “You know,” he says at last. “I think I’ve changed my mind.”
    “About…about what?” I ask, wishing my voice
didn’t sound quite so breathless.
    “About this. All this.” He waves one hand negligently
at the packets of dried herbs strewn over the countertop. “I don’t think I need
to make this potion after all.”
    “You don’t?” I look at him uncertainly. He
was so intent on his list, so insistent about the ingredients. What changed his
mind?
    “No.” He shakes his head, then cocks an
eyebrow at me. “I assume I’ll see you at the Sacrifice Ceremony tonight?”
    “Of-of course,” I stutter, feeling stupid.
My hand is still tingling from his touch—along with other parts of my body.
What happened? Who is he really? Then I realize what he’s asking. “Not that… I
mean, I won’t probably be around afterward,” I say quickly, feeling my cheeks
heat up. “For the uh, celebration. The after party, whatever you want to call
it.”
    “The orgy,” he says and there is a spark of
heat far back in his gray eyes that makes me tingle all over again. “You don’t
intend to participate?”
    “Uh, no. Not at all.” I shake my head firmly.
“I don’t… I’m not…not like most witches. Besides, I have to be back here early
tomorrow.” I pat the counter, indicating my place behind it.
    James looks at me speculatively. “I see.”
    “So I might see you there but I won’t… I
can’t…”
    “I understand.” He nods, cutting me off.
    Suddenly I feel stupid. It’s not as if he
was propositioning me. Someone who looks like him? Please. He can have anyone
he wants and I’m sure once he catches sight of my lovely cousins I’ll be the
last witch on his mind.
    I clear my throat