Chapter One
PART ONE: Glitter and Spells on the Road to Hell
CHAPTER ONE
I'd given in again.
I woke up beside the warm, muscular body of Cedric Becker, a body I'd become intimately familiar with over the last year and a half. I was pretty sure that I'd memorized every inch of his perfect flesh in that time.
I found myself curling up on his chest and tracing his muscles with my index finger. Cedric sighed in his sleep, smiling peacefully.
He's gorgeous, I thought. Part of me wanted to linger in his arms, but I couldn't.
It's just sex, I reminded myself. We're not in a relationship. I don't do relationships. He's just really good in bed, so I keep coming back to him.
I was very firm on that rule. I had fallen in love exactly once and would never do it again. I knew better.
Tyson Wilcox had been one of a kind. He was absolutely beautiful, with smooth brown skin, dreadlocks, a dazzling smile, and the most stunning eyes I'd ever seen. He was on Bishop High School's football team, hung out with the idiots from the popular crowd, and was so not someone I would have normally associated with, but fate brought us together... And lycanthrope hunters tore us apart.
The kicker? Ty wasn't a lycanthrope. He was delightfully mortal, with no knowledge of the supernatural. He was an innocent, but that didn't matter to the redneck who shot him.
That's why you can't fall in love, I reminded myself. It will only end in tragedy. Even mortals aren't safe around you.
I slipped out of Cedric's bed and headed to the shower. He had started keeping some of my favorite products on hand just in case I spent the night. His daughter, Melanie, had moved out to live with her boyfriend, Lionel White, five months ago and I had been sleeping over more and more often ever since. It was sweet of Cedric to make sure I had access to the luxurious items I kept in my own home whenever I crashed at his place, but it didn't mean that we were dating. He was just thoughtful like that.
As the hot water beat against my flesh, I cleared my mind of the many thoughts that were trying to overwhelm me. I washed away the previous night and the memories of my lost beloved and everything else that was trying to stress me out and focused on the soothing scents of the vanilla and honey body wash and the lavender shampoo and conditioner.
I felt a little bit better as I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in the luxurious, fluffy red and gold bathrobe Cedric reserved just for me. Upon opening the door, I immediately smelled bacon and smiled as I realized that Cedric was awake and cooking breakfast. He had more than enough money to pay people to do that like I did, but Cedric loved cooking. I couldn't deny that, for reasons I couldn't understand, Cedric's home cooking tasted better than meals prepared by even the most gifted of chefs.
I changed into fresh clothes before heading down to the dining room. Cedric was just setting out two plates when I arrived. The bacon, pancakes with every topping you can imagine, hash browns, and scrambled eggs were appealing, but it was the coffee that made me smile.
"Hello, Beautiful," I greeted the perfectly brewed French vanilla coffee. I inhaled its scent before taking a sip, then smiled at Cedric. "And good morning, Handsome," I said to him.
"Good morning, Chad," he replied with a content smile on his face. His eyes always lit up when he was happy, making him even more gorgeous. "Did you sleep well?"
"Like a baby wearing designer diapers," I replied. "You really tired me out last night," I added with a smirk.
"Likewise," he admitted. He sat beside me and started eating.
He's even cute when he shoves food into his mouth, I thought. I shook my head. Stop that, Chad! Yes, Cedric is possibly the sexiest man in Salem, but you're getting too personal.
"So, what's on your agenda for the day?" Cedric asked me.
"Let's see," I began. "I've got a business meeting at ten, lunch with Danika at noon, and some E.V.S. business after that... My father has demanded my presence at dinner with him, Heather, Auntie Karen, and Uncle Jeffrey, so I suppose I should attend... Basically, it's a normal day. What about you?"
"I'm teaching at ten and one, but I'm free in the evening," Cedric replied. He was a very beloved professor at the local university. Everyone wanted to attend Professor Becker's history lectures.
A slight chill moved through me suddenly. I tensed, trying to figure out what I was sensing. Cedric sensed the change in my mood.
"What's wrong, Chad?" He asked softly.
"I'm not sure yet," I admitted. "Give me a moment."
I focused on the energy I had tapped into. Suddenly, I was seeing something other than what was physically in front of me. The girl whose face appeared in my mind look terrified.
"Please," she whispered. "Please."
"Please what?" I demanded. "I haven't got all day, girl."
Her dark eyes looked incredibly sad as she gazed into mine. "Help," she replied. "Please help."
"I need more details," I pointed out.
"I can't breathe... Please help."
I sighed. This girl was either dead or dying, but with how little she was telling me, there wasn't much I could do about it.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Vitti," she whispered. "Aria Vitti."
I was suddenly much more focused. "Aria, where are you?" I asked.
"Cold," she replied. "Dark... Lost..."
"I hate to break it to you, but you've probably been dead for a long time," I informed her. "What year is it?"
"Not dead," she whispered. "Not yet."
"Look, sometimes, spirits don't realize-"
"Not dead. Please... Help."
"Okay," I said, forcing myself not to snap at the confused spirit. "Tell me how to help."
"Leonardo," she replied. "Find Leonardo."
"Who is Leonardo?"
"Mio fratello... My brother."
"Aria, chances are that Leonardo is long-dead, too. The majority of the Vitti line died out centuries ago."
"No... Ascoltami! Listen to me... We are alive, Chad... But not for long."
I froze. "You know my name," I said.
"Si! I know who you are. It's why I came to you... I will die, Chad. And Leo will follow... Unless you find us. Salvaci... Save us."
In my mind, a boy's face appeared. His features were strong and Italian, and I could tell he'd have grown up to be gorgeous if he had survived, but just like Aria, he looked like a young teenager. I could feel his energy, and there was no denying that he was a Vitti.
"Salvaci," Aria whispered again.
I snapped out of the vision and realized that Cedric was kneeling in front of me and holding onto my hands. "Chad, you're freezing... What just happened?" He asked me. The concern in his eyes made me melt, but I quickly pulled myself back together.
"I need to consult the warlock archives," I replied.
"Can I help?"
"Not this time... It's Vitti family business." I sighed before adding, "It's times like this that I wish the sanctuary hadn't been destroyed."
Erica Vitti's historical property on the edge of Salem had been completely obliterated by an evil Power That Be who was trying to kill Joey Collins at the time. The sanctuary was the base of operations for the Salem Shadows. I'd had it rebuilt, of course, but everything that had been inside was destroyed, including all of Erica's personal records, journals, Books of Shadows, and other belongings.
Erica's descendant, my girl Cierra Denton, had memorized a lot of it, and she'd recreated as much as she could, but we'd still lost a lot of irreplaceable history that day. The Vitti line was one of the oldest and most respected warlock lines in history. Its members possessed incredible power and rare psychic gifts. Although the line had started in Italy, it had been based in Salem for several centuries. Everyone thought it died out when Erica's children were murderer and she later died, but as it turned out, Erica had strategically reproduced again in secret. Her surviving children remained hidden and safe, and it wasn't until Cierra's identity came out that we knew what had happened.
And then, of course, Rikki had come along. Rikki Henley was discovered by the Saunders warlocks in New York long before the rest of us knew she existed. The same evil Power That Be who destroyed the sanctuary convinced her that Cierra was trying to steal her destiny from her. Rikki did a lot of very bad things, but she was misguided, not evil. Still, she sided with the bastards who killed Tyson, so she and I didn't exactly get off on the best of terms. She finally came to her senses and switched sides after the warlocks tried to sacrifice her to resurrect Erica, but that's a story for another book.
"Chad," Cedric called softly. "You went away on me again."
"I'm sorry," I replied. "I just have a lot on my mind. Don't worry, Cedric. I'll be fine... But I'm going to need to get going."
Cedric nodded before giving me a quick kiss. I wanted to stay in his arms, but I couldn't do that. There were Vitti descendants in need, and my soul is the guardian of the line. I had to figure out who Aria and Leonardo were and help them.
"Be safe, Chad," Cedric said softly.
"Have a good day educating the future leaders of Salem," I replied. Cedric walked me to the door and opened it for me as I left the house.
I hurried to my corporate office building, ignoring the employees as I rushed into my personal office on the top floor. I opened up the safe that only responded to my blood and pulled out the Vitti register. Cierra and I had compiled a list of every known member of the Vitti family two decades ago, and now I was grateful for it.
I read through the list, searching for Aria and Leonardo Vitti. I had no luck with the Vittis of Salem, but as I reached the ones from Italy, I came across an entry that made a chill go down my spine.
"Aria and Leonardo Vitti... Fraternal twins. Vanished in 1310 at the age of thirteen after their parents, Giancarlo and Gina, were murdered," I read aloud. "Aria was clairvoyant and a telepath... Leonardo could time travel and manipulate and read energy." I paused as I considered that.
They should be long-dead, but if Leonardo could time travel, maybe they had vanished because he got lost in time and had taken his sister along for the ride. Aria had insisted they were still alive... Maybe she wasn't just a confused spirit. Maybe Cierra, Rikki, and Danika weren't the only Vitti descendants who were still alive after all.
I called my secretary into my office. Rico Reyes had been the secretary of my high school chapter of the E.V.S, and just as I'd trusted him then, I now trusted him to handle my business matters with discretion. When Kelly and I graduated from Bishop High School, we named Rico, who was a year younger than us, as the next President of the club. As an adult, he did an excellent job of keeping things running smoothly at my company when I could not. He was also nice to look at, but that's not why I hired him... Okay, it's not the only reason that I hired him.
"What do you need, Chad?" He asked me. Unlike my father, I really prefer not to be addressed as Mr. Ko unless absolutely necessary. My underlings call me Sir, but Rico was a friend, so he was allowed to use my name unless the rest of the staff was around.
"Fill in for me at the meeting and take meticulous notes," I said.
"I always do."
That was true. His meeting minutes had been brutally honest in high school, and that hadn't changed now that we were adults. Rico was nothing if not efficient and attentive to detail.
"I have to take care of some E.V.S. business later... If I can't attend the meeting, I'll send Kelly in my place," I decided.
Technically, Kelly Lodge had no right to stand in for me at E.V.S. meetings since she was not a member of the Ko family, but I trusted her more than most of my family and knew she'd handle things the way I told her to. Kelly was extremely loyal to me.
"Chad, is something going on?" Rico asked in concern.
"I'm not sure yet," I replied. "I'm meeting Danika for lunch, which I will not postpone, and I'll try to figure out what else I need to shift around after that."
"Alright... Let me know what you need and I'll make it happen."
"Thanks, Rico. I'm going to spend the morning doing some research. I'll be in touch after lunch." I dismissed him with a wave of my hand.
Diving into research was something I generally left up to Cierra and Danika, but today, I knew I needed to do it myself. Whatever was going on, it was big, and I sensed that Aria and Leonardo were running out of time.
~*~
I made it to Rockafeller's precisely on time. The fancy bar had a rich history and was known to be haunted, but the infamous Lady in Blue had never bothered me, nor had any of the other spirits.
Danika was already waiting for me. My daughter's face lit up with a smile as she spotted me. "Hey, Dad!" She said, wrapping her arms around me.
"Hey, Dani," I replied as I led her inside. I waited until we were seated before I asked, "So, why was it so urgent for us to meet up?"
"Well..." Danika began. She hesitated before taking off her gloves. My eyes immediately fell on the dazzling ring on her finger. I grabbed her hand in surprise and focused on the details.
"Colorless... Oval.. Excellent choice for your finger shape," I said as I examined it. "Two carat... Nice... Set in white gold." I nodded with approval. "Justin has excellent taste in both jewelry and life partners. I assume you accepted?"
"I did," Danika confirmed with a bright smile.
"Good girl. That one's a keeper!" I smiled before hugging her. "Congratulations, Dani! Have you told anyone else yet?"
"You're the first, Dad. I'll tell Mom and Alex next, then all of my aunts, uncles, and grandparents."
"So, spill the tea, Dani! Tell me everything!"
"Justin took me to Salem Willows Park at midnight, after a late dinner. We were just walking together and enjoying the night near the water when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him," Danika replied. "Dad, it was so romantic!"
She was gushing, and I gushed right along with her. "Have you decided on a date, or a venue, or anything?" I asked.
"Not yet... I was sort of hoping that you'd help with that stuff," she replied softly.
"Danika, it would be my honor," I replied. "Your wedding will be the social event of the century!" I hugged her again, this time tighter. "My little girl is getting married! I will pull out all of the stops."
She smiled as she said, "I'm glad you're excited. I was worried you'd be upset."
"Justin has proven more than once that his priority is taking care of you. He's an ideal partner and I couldn't be happier for you." I grinned before adding, "At least you know that Kelly won't be a mother-in-law from Hell. She adores you."
"Kelly's already like a second mom to me," Danika replied. She paused suddenly and got a knowing look in her eyes. "Dad... What's going on? You're worried about something."
"It's not important, Dani. Let's enjoy your good news," I insisted.
"Dad-"
"Danika, you just got engaged. Everything else can wait until after lunch."
She sighed. "Alright," she agreed.
We relaxed after that, making pleasant small talk about the wedding until we finished eating. I was genuinely happy for my daughter, but I could tell that she wanted to press me for details about what else was on my mind.
"So... Lunch is over," she said with wide, curious eyes.
I sighed before nodding. "I need to look into a family matter, Danika... As in your family," I replied.
"Is it about Mom or Aunt Rikki?" She asked, knowing which side of the family I was citing.
"Neither."
"I don't understand, Dad... We're the only ones left."
"It's complicated. Until I know more, I can't say anything else. I promise I'll tell you three as soon as I figure this out."
"Maybe we can help..."
"Not yet. I'm not convinced this isn't a trap, and I won't risk the three of you. I'm going to spend the afternoon looking into things. I will probably miss the E.V.S. meeting, but Kel can fill in for me... I'll try to make the family dinner."
"Okay... Call me if you need anything," she replied with obvious concern.
"Don't worry so much, Dani. Your skin is as flawless as your mother's and I refuse to let you get wrinkles. I'll be fine." I kissed the top of her head. "Go on. We can talk more later."
"I love you, Dad," she said as she hugged me again.
"I love you, too," I replied softly. I rarely said those words to anyone, but Danika was an exception.
I went back to my house, needing privacy to figure everything out. I closed my eyes and meditated, tapping into my soul's destiny as the Vitti guardian while I searched for Aria's energy.
Suddenly, I hit a block with enough force to nearly knock me unconscious. She's definitely alive, I realized. Someone is going to great lengths to hide Aria Vitti.
I shifted my focus to Leonardo. He wasn't exactly easy to find, but at least the block around him didn't knock me unconscious. I focused on his energy and finally saw a glimpse of something...
The bridge was familiar, but the clock tower was even more so. "Big Ben," I said as I opened my eyes. "And Tower Bridge... Leonardo Vitti is in London."
I took a moment to process that before smiling to myself. "Alright," I said, "I guess I'm going on a trip!"
