by Emma Night
No, he was sure Bettina had saved their lives.
Amee twisted her hands nervously and looked up at Ross with large, frightened yes. He wasn’t sure how much the girl knew but he was willing to wager it was enough to make her deathly afraid. She had run from that house with him, her bare feet soon to shreds and she had kept right on going.
“Should we knock?” Amee seemed to share his fears that they were walking into a trap. But what choice did they have?
Ross didn’t answer. He raised his fist and rapped in the code Bettina had told him. He stared at Amee, who fidgeted. She gripped the hem of the little black dress she was wearing, twisting it anxiously in her hands.
A few minutes later the door opened. A normal looking woman stood there. She was likely around thirty, with an oval shaped face. She was dressed in a colorful tunic with black leggings. Her chestnut colored hair was arranged perfectly atop her head even though it was the middle of the night. Nothing was strange about her except for those blue eyes. Eyes that Ross now knew were not human.
She made no attempt to hide what she was. Ross realized just how brainwashed, manipulated, he truly had been. Whatever Svetlana had done to him had kept him completely ignorant of what she truly was for almost a year. He shivered to think he had slept with her. Had she fed from him? She would have just erased his memories after. He wanted to retch at the thought of servicing her.
When Bettina revealed all to him it was obvious that he had been ill used. He saw Svetlana as Bettina saw her. A wicked creature, completely devoid of morals. She was filled with greed and hatred not only for humans but also for most of her own kind. She wanted to turn him back into a vampire, give him back his life as the prince of vampires, and use him to enslave the world. That had been her ambition. He would rather die than help her achieve it.
Bettina had given him knowledge that spanned the centuries she had been alive. She had transferred everything to him and ow it was up to him to live with that burden. He knew of a war, a war between mortals and vampires, and other species, that was old as time itself. He knew about his former lives. As a prince. How ironic it had been, after a mortal had killed him that he should materialize in the body of a mortal one hundred years later.
“Come in!” The woman ushered them inside quickly, shutting the door behind them. Ross’ attention snapped back to the present. He could not help that he had been born with the spirit and blood of something old and ancient. He wondered just why it was that Amee should be so special. Bettina said her blood was abnormally strong…
The woman said nothing, but silently took Amee’s hand and led her through the dark house. She brought them into a small room, like an office. There was a huge book case on the far side of the wall.
Ross eyed it in suspicion but then the woman lifted up the ornate rug that covered the hardwood floor. Beneath was a trap door. She pulled it open, revealing a sharply descending set of stairs. A light glowed from below, illuminating everything from the fourth step down.
Amee hesitated. Ross reached out and took her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. She seemed to calm at his touch.
“Shall we go down?”
“The tunnel and the rooms down there are reinforced with steel,” the female said. Her eyes glowed in the dark and Ross’ heart beat faster just looking at them. There was no pretense, no hiding what the woman truly was. “It will cut off our communication to the outside world. Anything we say will be private. There is no mind, no matter how sharp, that can penetrate layers of steel and concrete. You will be safe down there. Hidden away from all those who seek you.”
“All those?” Amee asked, her voice quivering. “I thought it was just one.”
“Oh believe me. Svetlana has a large enough following that it will not be just her. Hurry; let’s go below where we are safe. I’ll lock the door and there are others along the passage for protection. We can speak freely when we are safe.”
“Is this the only exit?” Ross asked. Suddenly it was important to him to know exactly what their options were for escape from an underground world.
“No. There are several in other places. The tunnels go on for miles. There are eight rooms down there. Believe me, you are not the first couple we have sheltered.”
“Oh… we’re not a couple…” Amee stammered before she snapped her mouth shut.
Ross almost laughed. Cleary, after speaking, she had realized that it mattered little whether they were a couple or not. What was most important was that they survived. Ross released Amee’s hand. He began to descend the steep stairs. She followed after him, taking care. From down below he could see just how torn up her feet were. She must be in extreme pain yet she voiced no complaint and refused to limp even a little. Ross realized that the woman’s beautiful exterior hid an iron resolve.
Finally his feet touched ground with a dull thud. He realized that the tunnel was indeed reinforced with metal. Amee touched down right after him. She gazed at him with her guileless green eyes. He was finally able to really look at her for the first time that night. Her face was delicately shaped, an oval with green eyes, finely arching brows, a gently rounded jawline, full lips and a delicate nose with just the hint of a curve at the base. Her body was lush with full breasts and rounded curves. The dress showed off her gorgeous legs to devastating effect. Her sandy hair spilled down her back in gorgeous waves.
Ross turned away and started down the tunnel. He felt wretched for the fact that he was actually more than a little bit excited about what he was going to have to do. He tried to tell himself it wasn’t his fault. The woman was so beautiful, so sweet and innocent; it would tempt even a saint to sin.
“Right this way,” the woman said, taking the lead.
Amee sent Ross a look and he forced a smile to reassure her everything would be alright. They followed the woman through the first set of doors. She locked it after them, the resounding thud of the steel bar dropping into place reinforcing the fact that they were beyond the point of return.
Chapter 10
“You will be safe down here,” a man said, emerging from the shadows alongside the edge of the tunnel. He was huge and heavily muscled, well over six feet tall. His shoulders were broad and ended in a defined waist. He was dressed in modern clothing as well. Jeans and a faded calico sweater that seemed to have been designed to look that way. His face indicated that he would likely be the same age as the woman, around thirtyish. His blonde hair fell scruffily over his forehead, his blue eyes utterly charming in a face that looked to have been chiseled from granite.
Amee gasped and then felt foolish. He had tried to make noise, shuffling his feet, so as not to alarm her, she realized, yet he had startled her all the same. “I’m glad,” she whispered. “I can’t thank you enough!”
“Oh no dear, it is our pleasure! We’ve sheltered vampires before but never people. It is our pleasure to be of service.”
Ross glanced at Amee and she tried to force a smile she didn’t feel. She was happy to be alive and she tried to tell herself that was all that mattered at the moment. Not the fact that she might never see her family again. That she would be forever changed by her knowledge of what had happened.
Ross and Amee were led to a huge room that was set up very much like an ordinary living room- except that it was likely miles underground. There were two elegant leather couches, a huge, overstuffed easy chair, a TV mounted to the wall and an electric fireplace. A woven rug covered the hardwood floor. The walls were dry walled and painted a light grey. There was a coffee table with four mugs of steaming hot chocolate set out.
The woman motioned for them to sit and Amee and Ross did. The couch was soft and comfortable despite its designer look. Amee let her weary body sink down. She tripped the mug of hot chocolate and found it was still warm. “How did you know we were coming? This is still hot!”
“Our senses are very strong. That and Bettina came to us weeks ago and gave us the date the transition would take place. She asked us for he
lp and we could not disagree.”
“Your Majesty,” the male vampire whispered. He bowed from the waist.
Amee looked at Ross in time to see how flustered he was. “Please sit…” he said awkwardly. The two vampires looked at each and did as he asked, taking a seat on the sofa across from them. They picked up their mugs and sipped at their hot chocolate as though they were a gathering of friends. They looked to be quite young. Amee wondered how old they actually were.
“I… uh… I was wondering if I might call my parents in the morning. To assure them I’m safe.”
The woman nodded slowly. “Yes I suppose that you should. We try and attract minimal attention to ourselves. It would not look good at all if you were to have disappeared. Especially since you were taken by a vampire. If she was seen…”
“Yes. We will give you a phone to call in the morning,” the man affirmed. His gentle smile lit up his handsome face and Amee found herself instantly drawn to him. The woman was equally gentle. Amee wondered if the two vampires were a couple. They certainly made a handsome match.
“I don’t fully understand what’s happening…” Ross said. “Or what will happen. Now that I know everything about the Prince and about the species, what role am I to play? I was saved from the transition by Bettina, and Amee along with me, but I don’t know where I can go from here. How can I re-enter society and be safe? Knowing what I know now. Knowing who I truly am?”
The male shook his head. “First, introductions. To be polite. This is Carolina and I am Nataro. I am afraid that I have no easy answers to your questions. Bettina came to us, frantically. We scarce had time to prepare for tonight. We could only hope that both of you would make it out safely. I don’t know what we will do now. At least while Svetlana lives. If I may be frank your majesty…”
“Goodness sakes man, call me Ross,” Ross demanded gently. “It’s strange to hear a title spoken like that, especially when it’s directed at me.”
Nataro nodded. He glanced at Carolina for a moment and she gave him an easy smile that made her even more radiant. “You have little power right now, in your human form. To be able to do anything, fight any battles, face whatever lies ahead, you would have to be transformed into a vampire.”
“Which you cannot do without a virgin sacrifice?”
“Of course not,” Nataro scoffed. I may transition you just by feeding every night and being at my full strength. You would take my blood, not the blood of an offering. We would both survive. Svetlana… what she had planned was purely evil. We all knew of her- propensities for killing mortals.”
Amee swallowed hard. She looked at her hands. “What about me?” She finally asked, looking up.
Carolina and Nataro faced each other for a second. They looked uncomfortable. “Bettina told us about your blood, how unusually strong it is,” Carolina admitted. “She said it called out to her unlike the blood of a normal mortal. I don’t know anything more than that.”
“Can you find out? I have the same questions as Ross. It makes me afraid to think of what my life will be like now.” Amee blinked away tears.
“Yes. We will do our best.”
“I agree. Now… you have both been through a terrible ordeal. I have left food in your bedroom. There’s water and tea, coffee, wine… whatever you would like. Just let us know.”
“You left food for us? In our bedroom?” Amee almost choked on the word our.
Nataro and Carolina looked at each other again. They actually had the grace to look embarrassed. “It’s of the utmost importance that you go through with this,” Carolina said quietly.
Nataro looked at Ross. “Do you both agree that this would be best? To keep Amee from as much danger as possible? We believe that perhaps Svetlana would not focus on her at all if she were not a virgin. We think that after losing her control over your, Ross, that she would be solely focused on getting you back.”
“I will not do anything that Amee doesn’t want me to do,” Ross said firmly. She glanced at him but he seemed too uncomfortable to look at her. He stared instead, at their hosts.
“It’s your choice Amee. Obviously.” Carolina said.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if she could just deflower herself but Amee bit that back. Clearly if that were the case someone would be quick enough to mention it. She glanced back at Ross. His jaw was set in a firm line. She found him handsome. More so than any other man she had ever seen. Perhaps it was because he was a man. She had just graduated. She was used to much younger men. Ross was probably over thirty.
Strangely enough the thought sent a shiver of desire coursing through her. Amee was a little shocked to discover that she didn’t hate the thought of Ross touching her. She wasn’t sure about anything else but the idea of his kisses, his caresses was not undesirable. Perhaps it was the fact that he had pretty much saved her life that drew her to him.
“Yes. I want to go through with it,” Amee whispered. Her voice wavered and she sounded very unsure, even to her own ears. “If you think it will put me out of danger… I have no desire to be back there and my blood drained away by that cold, evil witch.”
Carolina actually laughed, though she struggled not to. “Oh my. That is probably the most accurate description I have ever heard of Svetlana in a long time.”
“Please, let us know if you need anything. This is between you and Ross. We will respect your decision Amee, whatever it may ultimately be. We will do our best to protect you both. And to figure out why it was you in particular Svetlana chose.”
“Thank you.”
“Our bedroom is down the hallway. First door on the right. You leave this area and go back into the tunnel. You will venture further, away from the direction we came. Go through the steel door and our room is the first one on the right hand side.”
Amee’s head actually hurt just thinking about those directions. If she and Ross had to escape from here there was no way they could do it. Certainly not as easily as they had from Svetlana’s. Amee realized just how fortunate they were that Svetlana had obviously wanted to blend in with society and had taken a large house with rooms above ground. The underground chamber Bettina mentioned seemed to be reserved for Svetlana’s more sinister purposes, not her everyday living. Amee imagined it was nothing at all like the place they were in now. She shivered, very glad to be underground with Carolina and Nataro and not with Svetlana.
“May I have a sample of your blood?” Carolina asked gently. She looked pointedly at Amee and she winced.
“Yes… is it so you can find out why it was me they wanted?”
“Yes.” Carolina stood and approached Amee slowly, as though she didn’t want to frighten her. She sat down next to Amee on the soft leather couch. “Just hold out your wrist. I’ll only take a small portion.”
“You’re going to drink it?”
“Yes. Believe it or not it will tell me much that way.”
“Oh… um… alright,” Amee stammered. She squirmed as she held out her arm. Carolina took it in her cold hands, raising it to her even colder lips. It was like the sensation of a wet ice cube on her skin. The vampire’s tongue snaked out and her fangs sunk in. Amee gasped but she didn’t pull away. The effect of Carolina swallowing her blood was painful but it was something else as well- something almost… erotic.
Carolina released her wrist, sighing as she closed her eyes. Her tongue snaked over the wound. The skin knit back together, the wound effectively closed.
“One other thing,” Carolina said. She spat in her hand and rubbed the saliva on Amee’s injured feet.
Amee gasped. She had almost forgotten how ripped up her skin was from all the running barefoot. She watched, in shock, as the skin knit back together. Her feet were dirty but they were no longer painful. They were completely healed.
“How did you do that?” Amee gasped. She stared at her wrist. It looked as though nothing had happened.
Carolina licked her lips. Her eyes glowed an even brighte
r blue than before. “It’s our saliva. It has healing properties. It’s how we close the wound after we drink. We wouldn’t want people going around with gaping bite marks on their necks and wrists. Scientists would soon be looking for a very strange snake that struck its victims in the night… or not as it were. I know they would hunt us down.”
Her voice was sad and Amee’s stomach clenched painfully. She didn’t like the prospect of hiding away here, underground, for even a few days. Clearly, for Carolina, this was her reality.
“Does my blood taste strange to you?”
Carolina nodded slowly. “It does. Bettina was right. It is very strong.”
“Do you think Bettina’s dead?” Amee asked. Carolina’s eyes took on a new sadness. Ross’ head whipped around. There was sadness on his face as well.
“I think it’s likely,” Carolina finally whispered.
Chapter 11
Ross perched on the edge of the lush king bed, watching as Amee paced nervously around the room. She hadn’t touched the food that had been laid out. The tray still sat, untouched, on the dresser. Two candles burned on either nightstand beside the bed and one on the dresser beside the untouched dinner.
Amee had opted instead for a glass of wine which she nursed as she took slow, measured steps around the bedroom.
“I think maybe if we got to know each other a little… it would make things less awkward…” Ross mumbled.
Turning, Amee’s beautiful green eyes came to rest on his face. She smiled just a little and Ross realized how much he would like to see her happy. “Maybe that’s a good idea.” She sat down on the bed. Leaning against the headboard she pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly. The effect was a little stunning considering she was wearing a dress and the black lace of her panties were exposed.
