I'm walking through the city and the sky looks strange. It seems red but it isn't sunrise or sunset. I don't recognize the area I am walking through. The buildings are tall and nondescript. People are walking past and they don't seem to see me. I come to a break in the buildings, turning my head I see Jasmine standing in the middle of a stream. I walk toward her and the world changes around me. Before me Jasmine stands in the stream still. On the far side of the stream I see a meadow and in the distance a small town. Behind me is a shining city bustling with activity, the sidewalk I am on stops at the stream. To either side of the sidewalk the land is blasted. A wasteland of death on this side of the stream, except for the shining city behind me.
I walk the rest of the way to Jasmine, why is she standing in the stream? I reach her and she lifts her head to smile radiantly at me. I reach out to caress her face and she places her palm flush with mine before I can. Mildly annoying but I'll let it slide. I look up from our hands and she turns her smile on Leonidas who has appeared on the other side of the stream.
He puts his hand up and she places her palm flush to his. I try to move my hand to pull her to me but I can't move. Jasmine turns her face to the sky and screams in pain, tears flowing down her face. I try to move, my muscles don't respond. I growl in frustration, my eyes meet Leonidas's and he smirks at me.
Jasmine's scream fades and she turns tear-filled eyes to me, "Good-bye Mikael."
Her hand leaves mine and she steps to Leonidas. He pulls her into his arms, his smug face turned to watch me. I can finally move and then I am falling, the ground beneath me gone as I watch them disappear. I hit the ground hard and I jump up, what is this place? It looks like ruins of some sort. How did I get here? I turn a slow circle taking in the details, verdant greenery everywhere, once stately and modern buildings falling to pieces. I see a sidewalk leading out of this place into a huge grassy meadow. I follow the sidewalk to its end outside the city where it stops at a small stream, just like the one Jasmine stood in... I look up and in the distance I see a small town.
My eyes fly open as I sit straight up in the bed. My bedding is destroyed from my thrashing, blanket and sheet somehow on either side of the bed. I realize I am breathing hard, as if I had run for miles. I focus on my breathing, slowing it and calming myself.
That dream was so real. And Jasmine appeared to me as she is now, not as she was when we were wed. A shame, I really liked that form. But this dream. It felt too real. I know that the wizard was able to occasionally see into the future, is the power I stole from him trying to warn me of impending trouble?
Is Jasmine really thinking about being with that gang banger Leonidas Knight? I think back over the dream, after she crossed the stream to him was when the dream went to hell... That's it! It's warning me that my life will never be the same if I let her go now. I have to woo her, she can't be allowed to choose him over me. She would be a fool to choose him anyway. Helping her see that should be cake and I love cake.
* * *
Much later I pull up to Jasmine's trailer. I put the window down and while I smell the remnants of the party had by the trailer up front recently, I can tell Jasmine isn't here. If I want to talk to her tonight I'll have to go to the club. Club Amnesia. I hate that she works there. The place is awful and the people there are trash. I can't tell her that, I think as I look around the place she chooses to live. Backing out of her driveway I point the car toward the club. I don't know if I can bring myself to wait inside. I think I'll just wait near the back, if I park down the street no one will notice me or bother me. It is only a couple hours or so till she gets done there. The only benefit I see to that place is the ready access to blood she has from patrons requesting private sessions.
I wonder if she pays off the owner to not watch when she gives a private session? Or maybe the bouncer? I know they aren't supposed to touch the girls, but maybe this place is less rule following than I imagine?
I pull into a lot down the street from the club. It is mostly deserted but I park in a less well lit corner away from the building. Checking the time I see that it is nearly two, I won't have to wait as long as I thought I would. She should be getting off work any time now. Getting out of the car I check the air but I don't smell Leonidas or any of his gang bangers in the vicinity. My hands in my pockets I stroll toward the club. I get to the last lamp post before the back door and I lean against it to wait. Jasmine always comes out this way and seeing me will comfort her, knowing she doesn't need to concern herself about anyone attacking her.
I have only waited ten minutes or so when the back door opens and Jasmine steps out. I smile at her though her attire, sexy as it is, makes me cringe that she would wear it in public. The cutoff shorts with fishnet stockings and heeled combat boots are bad enough, but pairing it with a distressed tank top and that ratty backpack we took from the kid her first night as a vampire is just too much.
I step away from the light pole as she walks toward me, her hands clutching the straps of her backpack, probably ashamed to have me see her like this. I want her to be at ease so I step forward as she draws near and spread my arms for a hug, "Jasmine, I've missed you."
She smiles a small smile and hugs me. Wrapping my arms around her feels so good, so right. I love having her here, now if I can just convince her to stay here. Better yet to move back to the house. I release her and she steps back. "Mind if I walk you home? Or we can drive if you prefer."
She studies my face for long minutes, I wish I knew what she was thinking. She nods and says, "You can walk me home, I enjoy the night air."
I step to the side and thread my arm through hers as we walk toward her place. "So how was work?"
She tenses, "It was good. I made a thousand dollars tonight even though it was kind of slow."
I lift a brow, "Kind of slow? The parking lot looked full."
She shrugs and takes her arm out of mine, "Yeah, that is kind of slow. We usually have them parked all around the block. Tonight it looks like they pretty well fit in the parking lot."
I nod and slip my hands into my pocket with a frown. "You seem stand-offish tonight, everything ok?"
She sighs, "I'm fine. But I never want to be touched right after I get off work. I spend my time in there dancing and letting strangers drool over me, by the end of the night I need some space for just me."
"I see. You know, you could always come live at the house. You wouldn't have to work and you could take whatever you have saved up to invest. It might be good for you to relax for a few years. Let me take care of you. Here," I stop and pull out the bank card I have carried in my wallet for some time now, "I created an account for you. Use it as you will, I have it set up so that money is wired to it monthly. There is plenty in there to take care of you so that you don't have to work."
Holding the card out to her I watch as she shakes her head no, saying, "I can't take your money. I don't want you giving me money thinking that will buy me. That isn't how this works Mikael."
I take her hand and press the card into it, "I promise, this money is yours. When we wed I was given a sizable estate to hold in trust for you. I can promise you that the money going in that account is from that original estate. I kept it for you because you always hated asking me for money. But the laws in that time forbade you having full control of your own money. So take the money. I will finish transferring all of that into the account and then sever the connection with my accounts. Ok?"
She studies my face. Sighing she nods, "Ok. If you swear this money is from an estate you had solely because of me and you will sever the payment set up once it is all transferred in, fine."
I release her hand, leaving the card. She slips it into a pocket. Pulling out the envelope with the pin number in it I hand that over as well. It goes in another pocket. We start walking again and I ask, "How did your date with Leonidas go?"
I hope for a report of dullness and her refusal to see him again but she smiles, "It went well. I don't think you really want to hear about that though. Anything exciting happening at the house? How are Chloe and Scarlett?"
I shrug, "They are well. I think they miss having you there. Morhall is quiet and peaceful. Possibly a little boring without you there. I miss your presence in the house."
"I'm not coming back Mikael. I need to be on my own, to live as I please without the interference of anyone. I spent too long, too many lifetimes trapped in marriages that kept me from being me. I will not be tied to any one person now."
"I suppose I do understand that. I feel relieved to be honest, that you aren't rushing into anything with Leonidas. He is not a good person."
"Why? Because he murders people? We do the same thing. I murdered someone the first night after I became a vampire. And more since then. I can assure you, that is not weighing on my conscience even a little bit. I almost feel like I could thank him for killing my husband and setting me free."
Frowning I look over at her, she has a smile on her face when she talks about him. I don't like it. I need to find a way to change her opinion of him. Maybe I can tie the guy she killed that first night to Leonidas in some way. She hated him for involving kids. It bears looking into. "I was thinking, we haven't been out on a date in centuries. May I take you out one night this week?"
Her face scrunches in concentration, she is adorable. She looks up at me, "I have Sunday night off, would that work for you?"
"You don't have Wednesday off this week?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.
She raises a brow at me, "I traded with a girl that wanted Wednesday off. What's with the suspicion Mikael? Shouldn't you just be pleased that I will go out with you at all?"
Ooops. Well that backfired. "Of course I am! I am disappointed that I won't get to take you out sooner than Sunday night. I understand of course, duty calls. I would like to point out that you could just leave the job."
She rolls her eyes at me, the brat! "Mikael, I like my job. I like the girls I work with. I like doing something society deems inappropriate. Honestly, I am wondering about tattoos right now. Do they stick now that I am immortal?"
I shrug, "For a few years. Ten at most. After that they are so faded as to be non-existent or just completely gone. Sunday night? That gives me time to plan something really grand. I'll send something fancy over for you, I want you to feel like the princess you are. You are going to have a great time."
She laughs, "You're like a kid let loose in a candy store. I'm looking forward to it, I haven't felt like a princess in... Ever. It'll be nice to feel like a princess, even if it is only for a night."