Read Online Flight from Hell by Yasmine Galenorn - Free Book Online Page B

the curb and killed and turned
him
. Not surprisingly, their marriage did
not
survive.”
    â€œGood going. Ever think it might be a no-brainer
not
to screw over someone with magical powers? Because you had to know he’d keep them after he was turned.” I facepalmed. “Dude, what
were
you thinking?”
    Alex gave me a schoolboy grin. “Obviously, I wasn’t. Glory was . . . she was glorious. She was busty and smelled like vanilla. I wanted her, more than you can imagine. I had no clue that she might turn her husband to get back at him.”
    â€œBut Julian was a sorcerer.
Danger, danger, Will Robinson.
Didn’t it register as a bad idea?”
    He grinned, shrugging. “What can I say? I was younger, and stupid. I wanted Glory. That was her name—Gloriana. Julian was always too busy for her, and she was alone a lot. It didn’t take much to reel her in. Hell, I didn’t even have to use any glamour. She was a sex fiend and he wasn’t up to the task, if you get my meaning. As I said,
she’s
the one who asked me to turn her. I was pretty free and easy then, so I didn’t think twice.”
    There wasn’t much we could say to that. The whole mess had been over two hundred years ago. Trouble was, fallout had a long half-life, especially among the undead.
    â€œTell us everything you know about Julian.” I settled in beside Camille.
    â€œHe’s a sorcerer, and a vampire. I told Bette about Glory, and about Julian, but long after the fact. In fact, I think I finally came clean about them right before we were ready to head for the United States.” He flashed Bette a smile and she nodded.
    â€œThat sounds right.”
    I glanced over at the Melusine, who grinned. “You were Australian, too?”
    â€œNo, honey. I’m from Greece, originally. I was traveling the world when I met lover-boy, here. I was visiting Sydney when we got involved. The Great Depression hit, and the whole area crashed, so we decided to strike out. We took a steamer to Ellis Island in 1933. Alex rode in a coffin and I pretended he was my dead nephew and that we were headed to meet family in America.” She cackled.
    â€œSo when did you last see Julian? And what makes you think he followed you here?” Delilah had her notebook out again.
    â€œLet’s see . . . I last saw him in, I believe, 1825? 1830? He was hunting me down at that point. That’s when I decided to make myself scarce. I went on a world tour, the best I could, and ended up in Africa. I returned to Sydney in the early 1900s and that’s when I met Bette. We were together for . . . how long was it?” He turned to her, a fond smile creasing his face.
    She snickered. “We met on January seventh, 1914. We were together till 1939.”
    â€œSo, when did you figure out Julian was over here?”
    Alex shrugged. “Rumor mill has it that he’d touched down on American soil last year, in December. I’ve been lying low, trying to figure out if he really is here, but I guess we can lay that theory to rest as accurate. Bette, you should have said something to me the minute she told you about him.”
    â€œI’m sorry—I didn’t even think of
that
Julian.” The Melusine looked chagrined, her cockiness drained out of her.
    â€œNever mind. It’s not your fault.” Alex frowned, dropped into the chair next to me, and rested his elbows on his knees. “Julian is preying on Shimmer to get back at me. That would account for her shift in moods. Not only is he a vampire, but a sorcerer, and he can pack a powerful punch with that glamour. He’s probably charmed her.”
    â€œCharming a dragon isn’t easy, but in her mood, with her reduced abilities, it’s possible. And a blue dragon would be far more susceptible to emotional magical attacks than others. If he’s started up an underground club here, and if, indeed, he is