Chains of Darkness by Caris Roane

balanced her brand-new shoes on top of his expensive footwear, and he pulled her tight against his side, there was nothing for it but to slide her arm around his neck and hold on.
    But for just a moment, as his gaze caught and held, she felt a powerful sensation of really being in trouble with this man. She didn’t know what it was, but something about Lucian just got to her, as though on a deep level his soul spoke to hers and she was listening.
    He cleared his throat and looked away. “It might be easier if you closed your eyes.”
    She agreed. “Eyes closed. Fly at will.”
    She felt the shift to altered flight and what followed, as he began flying them through solid stone, felt like soft hands barely reaching for her and touching her. She made use of telepathy. Just tell me when we’ve arrived.
    Will do.
    As promised, the flight didn’t take long at all.
    He landed her in a space that reminded her of a large hotel foyer with a number of people coming and going, all dressed up. The walls were decorated with extraordinary walls of crystals, all in huge swathes of different colors, violet, light blue, sea green. She could hardly take it in, it was so beautiful.
    Off to the left a long counter made of exquisite burl wood served as an information center, guiding visitors to the various venues in Rumy’s extensive club complex. At least a dozen women and men served behind the counter answering questions.
    “This is amazing,” she said, stepping off his foot. “I had no idea.”
    “I thought it might surprise you.”
    “To say the least.” She glanced down and saw that the floor held an opalescent shimmer. She had no idea what kind of stone it was, but again the design stunned her. She had to do a quick mental realignment: This wasn’t just a frightening vampire culture, but an entire civilization.
    She glanced at Lucian once more, taking him in and feeling vulnerable yet again. In the back of her mind, she wondered if maybe this had been Rumy’s plan all along, to get her to see Lucian and his world in a different light. Rumy had made no secret of the fact that he thought her power could benefit their world, and he wanted her to stay and help their cause.
    “Everything okay?” he asked, frowning.
    She shook her head, blinked some more. “I’m overwhelmed.” The next moment the music started up, though at a distance, with a strong bass beat, very bluesy and sexy.
    “I think you’ll like this.” He held out his arm. She slid hers around his elbow, once more having the weird feeling they were on a date, yet not on a date.
    She took a deep breath, hoping to stay centered as he led her down a long hall that turned to the left for a couple dozen yards then opened up into an enormous cavern. On the other side of the vast space, the band was on stage, wearing silver-studded black leather outfits, cut to display muscular arms and chests.
    The audience sat at small, linen-covered tables; female wait staff in skimpy black-and-white costumes moved quickly, serving drinks and appetizers. Each of the tables had a single candle, giving the club a romantic appearance.
    The hostess greeted Lucian with a broad smile. “So glad to have you back, boss.” Everyone seemed to call him by that name.
    Yet again, she wondered about him.
    The hostess was ready to take them to VIP seating, but he quietly asked for one of the more private booths near the back. “My friend here is rather shy and I’m trying to keep a low profile.”
    She nodded knowingly. “Of course.” She led them down a short flight of stairs. Carved out of a shelf of rock was a row of relatively private booths. Scooting to the center, Claire realized that the design created a layer of privacy that she really appreciated.
    Once more, she was grateful. And again, the man was considerate.
    *   *   *
     
    Lucian ordered Glenlivet neat, while Claire chose a mojito with sage and honey, her favorite drink.
    He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done