Dark

by Erika Phillips

  A big smile spread across Christian's face when he saw her standing there. The red sweater hugged Jazmine’s curves and accentuated her womanly figure. At that moment, he could feel himself getting aroused at the sight of her. He needed to control himself though, they had a lot of work to do today and he could not let his desire get in the way.

  "So, you ready to begin?" she asked him a slight purr in her voice.

  "Yep, let's get started. Why don't you come over and sit on the couch," he pointed in the direction of the couch.

  Images of last evening's events played in her memory. Her face blushed as she thought about their encounter. Jazmine followed his command and walked over to the sofa. She sat down and Christian sat next to her.

  "Now close your eyes," he commanded in a soft voice. "I want you to picture a different place in your mind. You need to recreate every detail of this place. What it looks like, smells like, feels like. It needs to feel real to you."

  Jazmine closed her eyes and thought of the one place that made her feel happy. It was a place she could no longer visit. In her mind, she was back in New Orleans and she was on the beach. The warm water of the Gulf lapped against the shoreline and she could feel the warm sand in between her toes. The sun shone warmly on her face. She lavished in the feel of the sun's rays.

  "You've got a good picture of this place?" he asked.

  "Yes," she sighed wishing she were there.

  "Now, I want you to open your eyes and project that image around you in this room. We are no longer in the library. You need to show me what you are seeing and make me believe we are there together," Christian told her.

  Jazmine sat there not sure how to proceed. "How am I supposed to make you see what's in my mind?" she asked confused.

  "This is where you need to invade my mind as I've done to you," he responded urging her on.

  "But...I can't do that. I don't--"

  "Yes, you can. You have the ability to do more than you could ever realize. You first have to believe you can and then imagine yourself stepping into my thoughts." Christian reached out and grabbed her hand for reassurance.

  Jazmine took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. In her mind, she envisioned herself inside of Christian's thoughts. She saw Christian standing in the quiet darkness. He looked gorgeous in his jeans that hung low on his hips. He was not wearing a shirt and his chest glistened against the black void. His smile made her knees weak as she approached him. She could see him stretch out his hand towards her, beckoning her closer to him. She placed her hand in his outstretched hand.

  She was not sure how it happened, but she knew she had successfully entered his mind. The space they were in was void of any thoughts or memories.

  "Now, help me see the places you want me to see," he told her.

  Jazmine brought the image forth in her mind and attempted to project it forward, to fill the void around him. Ever so slowly, the blackness disappeared and was replaced with the image of the beach on the Gulf of Mexico. She could smell the salt in the air and feel the cool breeze on her face. The wind gently whipped through Christian's hair.

  Christian gazed at Jazmine and spoke softly, "Open your eyes."

  Jazmine did what she was told. As she opened her eyes, she was astounded to see the water lapping on the beach’s edge before her. She looked down and wiggled her toes, the sand sliding between them. She laughed to herself, giddy that she had done it. She looked over at Christian to see if he was still standing next to her, she smiled at him, her eyes twinkled with laughter.

  She was about to take off in a run towards the water when she noticed the image start to waver. It became cloudy, less clear. Then, it disappeared completely, and they were once again in the library. A sense of hopelessness washed over her. She had failed.

  Christian sat, facing her on the sofa. He smiled at her, proud of what she had accomplished. Jazmine was puzzled by the look on his face. "Why are you smiling? I couldn’t do it." Her voice held a ring of defeat.

  "You did way better than I did my first time," he smiled at her, proud of what she had done. "The first time I tried, I wasn't even able to see any image when I opened my eyes. You don't realize how hard this is. In time, and with more practice, you'll be able to do more than you can ever imagine."

  Jazmine smiled; she was encouraged by Christian's words. "When do we try again? I mean, I can go again. Right now, in fact!" she exclaimed excitedly, ready to keep trying.

  "Slow down there. We have time, no need to rush things," he responded.

  "But you see, we don't have time. Luciana is coming! I can feel it. She is getting closer and I fear she'll find me soon," Jazmine replied, panic taking over.

  "Jazmine, I'll never let that happen. Luciana will not hurt you." Christian took her cold hand in his warm palm.

  "Christian, this is not your fight. I must do this alone. I can't allow you to fight her for me. Luciana and the Lamia have no issues with you. I don't want you to get killed because of me," she pleaded with him.

  "I can handle myself," he replied a little wounded that she didn't think he was strong enough to fight a vampire. "Your kind does not scare me." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He saw the pain in her face at his comment.

  Jazmine felt like she had been punched in the stomach. ‘Your kind' the words hung between them creating a distance that hadn't been there before. She pulled her hand back as if she had touched a hot poker. Christian started to speak, and she cut him off.

  "Don't! You've said everything I need to hear. Now I truly know what you think of me. I'm so sorry you have to be in my presence. My guess is that they told you to do whatever you needed to get me to trust you. I'm not sure what you all have planned for me, but I want no part of whatever it is. I heard you talking to your friend the other day. I can promise you that whatever destiny you think I'm here to fulfill, you are all sadly mistaken," she spat out and stood up. She turned around and sprinted from the room. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes and she felt foolish for ever having feelings for Christian.

  Christian sat there stationary. He tried to take it back, but he knew there was nothing he could say to change what had come out of his mouth. He needed to show her what she meant to him. He needed to let her see his soul. He had to let her in and see the things he had tried to hide for years. He never thought he would ever love another again. But the moment he laid eyes on her he was enamored, and he knew instantly she was his destiny. And he was not about to lose her.

  Jazmine raced back to her room and started to throw her clothes in her bag. She could not stay here knowing what Christian thought of her. She was so mad at herself for falling for a mortal man and even worse, a warlock. She zipped up her duffle bag and went to the door. When she opened the door, Christian was standing in the way blocking her from leaving.

  "Get out of my way!" she yelled and tried to shove past him. Christian stood still like an impassable boulder. He did not budge an inch as she pushed and shoved at him.

  "Stop," he roared as he grabbed her arms and pinned them down. "We need to talk."

  "I've nothing to say to you!" she screamed at him.

  "Well, I've something I need to show you," he replied his voice softer and calmer.

  Jazmine was taken back by what he said. Show me? She could not understand how showing her anything would change how she felt. But she knew Christian was not moving and there was no way she could physically move him.

  He forcefully took her hand and led her back into the bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed and she sat next to him. "If after what you see you still want to leave, then I'll let you go," he informed her.

  Christian took her hand and placed it on his chest. He closed his eyes and told her to close hers as well. Jazmine could feel his heartbeat underneath the palm of her hand. It was beating so fast she thought it might explode.

  When she closed her eyes she could see Christian standing before her, he motioned for her to follow him into the darkness that lay befo
re them. Jazmine followed him unsure where they were headed. When she finally saw light, she knew they were no longer in her room. He had transported them back to a time long ago when he was no more than twelve years old.

  Young Christian sat at a table eating his breakfast. A young woman, who looked about thirty years old stood in the kitchen. Jazmine could hear her humming a soft tune to herself as she washed dishes. The woman turned around and smiled sweetly at Christian. Love shining brightly in her eyes for her son.

  "Are you all finished? We need to get to the baker this morning. I need a loaf of bread for this evening's meal, Christian," she smiled warmly at him.

  "Almost done, Ma," he replied, he sat on a chair inhaling the rest of his meal.

  "Well, finish quickly. We have much to do today." His mother turned back around to finish cleaning up when the door to the house suddenly flung open.

  A tall man barreled into their home with several townsmen around him all holding pitchforks. The man in the front held the crowd back as they looked angry and ready to kill.

  "Ms. Towne, you have been accused of witchcraft and we are here to imprison you until the time where you will be tried for your crimes," the man informed her.

  Her eyes grew wide, fear overtook her as she rushed over to shield her son. "Please don't--I have done nothing wrong!"

  "Mistress, that is not for me to decide. Have you or have you not had an argument with Mr. Perkins? And did you not wish pestilence upon his land?"

  "Yes, I did get angry with him for raising a hand to Christian when he was playing in his fields. But I was upset, and I didn't mean what I said," she tried to explain.

  “Then, please tell me why his crops are now suddenly failing to thrive?” he questioned.

  The woman stared at him with a blank expression, not sure what to say or how to respond to this accusation. She started to open her mouth to speak, but the man would hear none of it. He stopped her before any words came out and ordered his men to take her to jail.

  They grabbed her by the arms as she kicked and screamed, trying to break free. The man turned back and looked at Christian as they took his mother out the door. He smiled at him and Christian could see the light gleam off the long incisors in his mouth. Christian had never seen a man have such long, sharp teeth. He did not know it then but later found out that this man was a vampire who had hidden among the people of Salem.

  Jazmine dropped her hand from Christian's chest and opened her eyes. He sat there staring at her, trying to read her thoughts. She was unyielding and gave him nothing. Jazmine looked upon his face; now she understood. To him, vampires destroyed his world. They took away the only thing he ever loved and left him motherless. She felt a pang of pity in her for the little boy inside of him.

  Jazmine took her hand and placed it upon his cheek. She searched his eyes trying to search for any emotion from him. His face was like stone. But his eyes gave him away. She could see the years of pain and anguish that lingered. She moved in closer to place her lips upon his in a gentle kiss. Her lips lightly grazed his, her mouth speaking the words she could not say.

  Christian's body relaxed as she kissed him. He felt raw and vulnerable for the first time in a long time. He had promised to never let his guard down again, to protect himself. But with Jazmine, he wanted her to see that side of him. He needed to bare his soul to her to break all the barriers between them. For a vampire and warlock to be together was unheard of and many people would do anything to keep them apart. Their union meant more than Jazmine could ever fathom. That was a secret that Christian held locked away until the moment was right. She needed to love him on her own, not because of a prophecy that some wanted to see fulfilled.

  Christian kissed her back, a burning need to fuck her hard pulsated through his body. He tried to control himself but it was no use. The kiss turned more demanding as he sunk his teeth into her lip, drawing blood.

  Jazmine pulled back and swept a finger across her mouth and noted the taste of her own blood in her mouth. She smiled wickedly at him. So he wants it rough, huh? Jazmine licked her lip and her fangs descended. She tugged at his shirt and ripped it off his torso. She pushed him back onto the bed and stripped off her sweater. She was aroused by him and wanted to consume him. She yanked off her leggings and pulled off her panties and bra.

  Jazmine stood in front of him naked. Her body primed to devour his. She placed one hand on the bed and then crawled up towards him, her body straddled over his. Christian lay underneath her. She yanked at the button on his pants ripping them off. She placed a fingernail at the base of his belly button and pressed it into his skin. A small drop of blood seeped from the cut she made. She lowered her mouth to catch the morsel, her finger continued to trail down to the edge of his jeans stopping to cup his penis.

  She heard his intake of breath as she dug the other hand’s nails into the skin on his hip. Christian said nothing but lay there enjoying the pain she inflicted. She massaged his balls in her hand as her mouth continued to make its way towards his penis. She bit at him and left small marks upon his soft skin as she made her way to his cock.

  Jazmine placed her mouth around his engorged penis and sucked, her teeth grazing lightly. She could tell he was enjoying her attention as his breathing started to quicken and become shallower. She could feel him come close to his release when she abruptly stopped. Jazmine looked up at him knowing he was in agony and needed to come.

  Christian was not a selfish man. He had become so lost in the moment that he’d forgotten that he intended to be the aggressor. The minute she stopped licking, he grabbed Jazmine by the waist and flipped her onto her back. Now it was his turn. She wanted to play dirty and he was going to give her what she wanted.

  Christian gazed at her naked body underneath him. He admired the strong, long lines of her torso and legs. Her taut stomach moved up and down as she breathed heavily, her desire for him evident. Christian took a finger and placed it in her mouth, she sucked on it and lightly bit the tip. Blood trickled out and he took the bleeding finger and trailed it along her collarbone down towards her breasts. He circled each nipple then dragged his finger farther down past her hard stomach and to her clean-shaven pussy.

  He placed the finger inside of her, her body already wet, ready to accept him. Christian placed his mouth on her erect nipple, he enclosed it within his lips and sucked and tugged hard. He heard her cry out with a mixture of pleasure and pain in her voice as he sucked harder, his finger sliding in and out of her. Her body rocked in time with his hand. He whispered into her ear, "Where do you keep the toys? I know you have something."

  Jazmine gave him a knowing smile. She could not hide anything from him. It frightened her, the way he could read her thoughts. She pointed to the nightstand next to the bed. Christian slid his finger out of her and leaned over to open the drawer. He fished around until he found what he was looking for. He pulled the dildo out and held it up to her. It was pink and it was about six inches in circumference, similar in size to Christian.

  He twisted the bottom, and the thing took on a life of its own. It hummed as it pulsated in his hand. He chuckled at it and then placed it just at the entrance of her wet pussy. He circled it around her clit and watched her wiggle and squirm as the dildo went to work massaging her.

  Jasmine enjoyed the sensation as the device worked her slit. Christian took his free hand and grabbed one of her fingers. He placed it in his mouth and sucked. He slowly pulled it out of his mouth and drug it down his chest and stopped just above his right nipple. He pressed the finger into his flesh, her nail slicing through his skin. Blood flowed from the wound.

  Jazmine saw the bright red substance and she went mad with lust. The dildo's constant pressure on her had her on the edge of an orgasm and when she saw the blood dripping from his chest her primal instincts kicked in. The sweet smell of the substance made her almost feral and she needed to suck him. She pulled her body up towards his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her tongue flicked out and licke
d the blood.

  The moment she tasted him her body convulsed. Christian withdrew the dildo and rammed himself hard into her pussy. Sliding in effortlessly as her body expanded to accommodate his stiff rod. At the same time, she clasped her mouth around the cut and sucked, the blood seeping into her mouth. He rode her hard as she clung to him, her mouth never leaving his chest.

  He pumped her back and forth, the climax building in them both until they came. Her walls contracting around his cock squeezing him. Christian collapsed on top of her, spent and tired. A mixture of emotions coursed through Jazmine as she lay there beneath him. She languished in the feel of his body on top of her, not wanting him to leave. Feeling safe in his arms, something she had not felt since Thane.

  She felt loved and she loved him in return. Jazmine knew that he felt the same way and with that came a moment of peace and comfort. Jazmine felt that she was invincible and for the first time truly believed she was where she was meant to be with Christian. Jazmine could not explain it but it was as if the universe wanted them together.

  Chapter Nine

  Christian rolled over and lay next to Jazmine, his heart rate finally slowing down, his breathing starting to steady. Neither spoke for a few minutes, they just enjoyed the closeness of each other. Jazmine rolled over onto her side and lay there looking at Christian.

  "Okay, out with it," he chuckled as he could feel the heat of her stare on him.

  "I just...I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what that vampire did to your mother. We are all not like that, you know," she replied ashamed of her own kind.

  Christian rolled over to face her. "I know. I wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for what I said back there. Since meeting you I have realized that not all vampires are alike, and I should never have said that. I actually have learned a lot from being with you and the thought of losing you really scares me," Christian looked at her his expression tender.