No sooner had I started down the stairs which led to the grand hall, than several pairs of eyes followed by progress. Stares burned into my skin, but I noticed no one, my eyes were searching for just one man.
Robert was sprawled in a large chair near the fire, his hands full of a newly transformed vampire called Emily. Jealousy pierced my heart, but I refused to give in to my emotions, and instead looked towards a vampire called Louis who was lounging on the bottom step, lazily but hungrily watching my movements, desire stamped on his face. Louis was, as his name suggested, French.
"Bonjour, mademoiselle," he said bowing low.
"Bonjour, Louis," I laughed, as he grasped my hand in his, lowering his mouth to kiss my hand.
"You are very beautiful tonight, mademoiselle...maybe too beautiful, huh?” His eyes shifted in the direction of Robert. I followed his gaze, and almost gasped from the piercing ray of rage that radiated from Robert’s eyes. Robert's hands were still full of Emily, who sat facing him on his lap, her legs twisted around his body, but his eyes were full of me, and he was not happy!
I turned back to Louis and said, "Please excuse me, Louis, I wish to move closer to the fire."
Louis chuckled, "Of course, ma petite...I also have no wish to die tonight, huh? He bowed lower over my hand, and whispered, "Lord Robert...is um, a little put out...do not make him too angry, mademoiselle." I smiled towards Louis, but my eyes never once left Robert’s. Mesmerized by his angry stare, and bound by the fierceness in his eyes, I moved closer towards him, but it was more than that, I felt transfixed by him, by his desire for me.
I stopped in the middle of the great hall and continued to watch him. He smiled, but it was twisted and angry, and I knew that he was going to do something to punish me. A chill ran up and down my spine, and I knew that I had been stupid to test Robert’s love for me. I had angered him, and someone was going to suffer.
I watched, stunned, as his fangs grew and his head flung back, then snapped forward and then proceeded to rip Emily's throat out. Shrieks of excitement circled the great hall as Robert held her limp body high above him with outstretched hands, his mouth and front smeared and swamped with dripping blood.
A sigh of relief escaped my throat in a soft hiss as he threw her body on the huge table; I thought he intended to let her heal, how wrong I was! Like a flash of lightening, he threw one of the long but thin logs that were stacked beside the fire. His aim was straight and true, piercing Emily's heart with a sickening thud, and so ended her newly transformed vampire life.
I did not vomit and I did not move, I just stood quietly, waiting for him to reach my side. I drowned out the sound of the evil nest of vipers surrounding me, their cheers at the death of one of their own sickening and cruel.
He reached my side in a flash, his presence consumed me, and his whisper caused me to shake.
"You see how easily I can take away all that I have given you, my love." Grabbing my waist, he swung me around in a circle, his laughter and the laughter of the other vampires around him echoed around my head without gaiety, and I knew in that moment that he would most definitely kill me if I ever abused his trust.
Chapter Four
Robert’s eyes shifted rapidly around the crowd of vampires, his eyes shone with excitement and malice. He looked down at me, a cruel and spiteful smile playing around his soft and gorgeous lips.
Letting go of my hand, he jumped gracefully onto the huge table, which still housed the dead body of Emily. He walked over to her body, and casually, with no emotion or regret, kicked her body from the table. The crowd of vampires once more laughed and shrieked, and I felt disgust for their depravity overwhelm me.
Robert lifted his hand to hush the crowd.
"My friends...shh, my friends..." he waited patiently for the crowd to quiet, and when he had their attention, he continued, "My friends, I have a treat for you." He smiled down at them, and if I had any doubt before, his presence, and their reaction to him, confirmed that he was their king, and the leader of them all.
"Tonight we will have a live dinner.” I gasped in horror, but the other vampires cheered and heckled in glee. I was not sure what he meant by 'a live dinner' and I was sure that I really did not want to know.
"We also have a treat for our newly transformed vampire, Gwen.” Robert’s face shone evilly, his laughter, spite, and anger, radiating towards me in waves. He had, I knew, decided to punish me for my earlier outburst in the bedchamber.
"Gwen will have the honor of making her first kill.” His red eyes shone into mine, and I know that he saw the horror I felt at his words. Clapping his hands in what resembled childish glee, he shouted over the crowd of crazed animals, "BRING IN THE FEAST!"
All heads, including mine, turned towards the curtain that hid the entrance to the kitchens at the far end of the great hall. Four naked people walked from the entrance, I could see from the glazed and faraway expressions on their face that they had been bewitched.
I did not recognise three of them, but the fourth I did, it was my maid, Anne, and I knew without being told, that she was the one that Robert had decided I would feed from until she was starved of blood and her heart stopped beating.
I watched the four of them make their way to the table. The excitement of the other vampires faded from my mind, because all I could see and hear were the four innocent people climbing onto the table. The sight of the four of them, artfully arranging themselves in preparation for their own deaths, was truly hideous and revolting!
Robert jumped from the table, landing beside me. I could tell from the sardonic quirk of his mouth that he could tell that I felt disgusted by what I was witnessing. My compassion, the one thing he had always told me he loved best about me, was the one emotion that he was now using against me. For the first time I was seeing the man who slaughtered Tom's family so heartlessly, and it was a man that I hated!
I wanted to run away and definitely did not want to take Anne's life. Feeding from a human was one thing, but stealing life from the innocent was not my idea of fun. I thought it barbaric and cruel. However, I knew that if I refused to do as Robert commanded then he would become angrier, and whilst he was in a rage like this, I was not sure that if I disobeyed him, I would or would not be lying on the floor in a heap like Emily.
I felt his gaze searing into my flesh as he waited to see how I would react. I also felt the crowd’s eyes on me; they were all waiting to see how I would take this command. It was a test. A test I really did not want to partake in, but I knew that I would need to perform it, before I gained their trust.
I am certain that Robert saw the emotions play across my face, he knew how I was feeling, but he would not give in, it was my turn to submit.
"Come, my love," he whispered, "Our feast awaits..."
A solitary tear made its way down my cheek as I looked up at him. He lifted his hand and gently wiped the tear away with his thumb, and then whilst his eyes burnt into mine, his tongue darted out, licking the salty proof of my compassion. Leading me closer to the table, he said, “Your tears are mine, your life is mine, you are mine...never forget that!"
Shaking my hand from his grip, I walked towards Anne. I wanted to get this finished as quickly as possible. I knew the others would play with their victims for hours, teasing, and torturing them, but I just could not do that.
Looking into Anne's guileless, innocent eyes, tears once again fell from my eyes. Leaning forward, I gently swept the hair from her face and neck.
"I'm so sorry, please forgive me," I whispered. Her answering smile, I knew, would become a bittersweet memory for many years to come.
My fangs sunk deep into her jugular. The taste of her blood, although in truth exquisite; would always be remembered as bitter. I drank deeply, willing her to die quickly.
Her body became limp in my arms, her skin cold to the touch. I heard the soft fluttering of her heart, attempting to pump a substance that no longer flowed so freely through her body. THUMP...THUMP...Then, nothing.
I pulled my fangs from her neck, and looked into her pale lifeless face. I knew the other vampires would think I was pathetic, but not caring what they thought, I once again gently stroked her hair into place. This time I covered the evidence of the puncture wounds I had made whilst taking her young innocent life. I did not care what they thought anymore. I wished I had resisted, even if that had meant Robert’s wrath.
I sensed Robert move behind me, and I gently lay Anne back on the table. I closed her eyes with my fingertips, and then turned towards Robert.
"It needed to be done, my love...you needed to let go." His voice had returned to a soft and gentle tone, his face shone with empathy for my pain.
"Did it?" I said, my voice ringing angrily in my ears. "Don't you have enough followers, enough murderers...any of these," I swung my arms around to indicate the vampires surrounding us, "Would kill for you...but that's not enough is it? You collect souls, Robert. However, I assure you of this; no matter how many people you order me to kill, you will never own my soul... NOT NOW, NOT EVER!"
I yanked my arm from his hand, and although I heard some of the vampires gasp, I was unconcerned. Anger returned to his face, but I was beyond worrying about that, and hissed, "Kill me if you wish, Robert, torture me, hate me...I don't care, but you will never succeed in ordering me to kill an innocent person ever again!"
I pushed through the crowd, ignoring their stares, grins, and hissing voices. I probably would be dead by this time tomorrow, without ever laying eyes on my son. My son, whom I now knew, more than ever, would not be able to remain here, reared by animals, only to become a beast. Well if I die, so be it, but if I lived, I would make sure, one way or another, to save my son from the destiny Robert had predicted for him.
Chapter Five
Lying on my bed, I heard sounds of merriment from the great hall float on the air, and I felt sickened by the cause of the merriment. I had been so angry when I had reached my bedchamber that I had not even bothered to get undressed, and instead flung myself face down on the bed, my fist occasionally hitting the bed covering in rage.
I knew that Robert would soon seek me out, his anger threatening and lethal, but I had resigned myself to whatever fate befell me. I was not angry with Robert, I was angry with myself. Angry, that I had allowed myself to murder Anne.
I must have fallen asleep, because I awoke to find the candle had burnt itself out, and the air was still with silence. Instantly, I knew that Robert had entered the room, his aroma, his presence, surrounded me. I sat up in bed, looking for him in the darkness.
"Are you looking for me, by any chance?" His voice echoed just inches from my ear, causing me to jump.
"No...No, I wasn't...I heard a noise, that was all." His chuckle sent shivers down my spine. The sound indicated he was in a good mood, but with Robert, I could never be too sure.
"Are you afraid of me, Gwen?" he whispered.
"No! No, I'm not,” I stammered, then continued, "I'm not a mouse to your cat, Robert, if you want to hurt or kill me, then just do so!" Again, he chuckled, and then suddenly, without warning, he thrust me back on the bed, his body on top of mine, his hands holding mine down.
"You have no idea what you do to me do you, Gwen? I could have killed you tonight, and I would have done so, if it had been anyone else."
My eyes had grown accustomed to the dark and I could now see his gaze, his eyes intense, circled by an amber light.
"If you loved me you wouldn't have made me kill Anne," I spat out.
"I did not make you kill Anne, you made that decision yourself. You could have said no, but you did not."
He was right, I could have said no! His words repeated inside my head repeatedly, whipping me with their harshness.
"You're right...I killed her..."
Pain sliced through me, shaking my body with its force.
"I KILLED HER!" I screamed out with an inner rage directed only at myself.
Roberts hold on me tightened, the more I screamed, the tighter he held. Finally, my sobs and anger subsided and I felt numb and limp from the guilt that coursed through my body. I had taken a life!
"I'm sorry, Gwen, but you needed to know your own strength, to know how far you can go. In future you will take more lives, I'm sure of it, but there will be justified reasons."
I shook my head, knowing I would never take another life. Robert chuckled, "I promise that one day you will, but this memory will prepare you for the future."
"I don't believe you, Robert! Yes, I think you thought I needed to take a life, but you were also punishing me...I know you were." His eyes shone with love, but I heard the catch in his voices as he said, "You know me too well, my love." He then paused for a moment. I knew him well enough to know that he was contemplating his next words carefully.
"I was jealous! I saw you gliding down the stairway. Every eye taking in your perfection and that damned Louis talking to you with lust in his gaze!"
Pouncing to a standing position, with anger in his stance, he turned from me and started pacing.
"I wanted to kill him!" he growled in a low menacing voice, "But of course, I could not, I wanted to kill you, but of course I would never do such a thing. My heart twisted in my chest and so I took Emily to appease my anger..."
He stood at the foot of the bed and I could feel rage radiating from him.
"But that wasn't enough," he whispered, anguish in his voice, "And so I goaded you into taking the life of Anne! I knew it was going to hurt you. I knew it, but I wanted to punish you."
Roberts head dropped to his chest and his next words were a whispered plea, "Will you forgive me, Gwen, and will you still love me?"
His words pierced my heart. How could I love a man who had so little regard for life? Nevertheless, I did. I opened my arms to him, and my gesture needed no words. I loved him, and nothing would change that.
My mouth sought his in hunger. Robert gasped as I bit into his full lips, his blood trickling into both of our mouths, his bite piercing my tongue, our blood and tongues mingled in mind-numbing pleasure. We joined, a perfect union, sharing love, our bodies moving in a timeless rhythm, sharing our blood with bittersweet bites of passion.
"I love you, Gwen." Robert whispered. His hands tangled in my hair, my head resting lazily on his chest, both sleepy from our lovemaking.
"I love you too,” I replied, "very much!" I added.
I was on the verge of falling asleep, my thoughts wandering, drifting in and out of reality, when suddenly, I said aloud, "If you love me so much, why still deny me my son?" I knew I had made a mistake as soon as the words slipped from my mouth. Robert pushed me abruptly from him.
"So we're back to this, are we?"
"I'm sorry, Robert...I did not mean...I really should not have… I did not mean to say that..."
"So why say it? Did you say you loved me to try to persuade me? Did you, Gwen?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Robert...I love you, you know I do!"
His face suddenly looked old, his eyes were old as time and held so many secrets, but suddenly they shone near to the surface, and I think, for the first time I saw the real Robert.
He sat at the foot of the bed. His head drooped into his hands.
"I love you, Gwen," he said, his voice so low that I needed to lean further towards him to ensure I heard him clearly.
"I love you; I have not loved like this for a very long time...in fact centuries upon centuries." He had paused, but I waited for him to resume his mumbling, I did not want to interrupt him and stop the words I so wanted to hear.
"I made the wrong choice once before, Gwen. A choice that I should not have made and it changed both of our lives forever. I betrayed someone I loved, and in doing so I changed everything forever!"
A strangled sob arose up through his throat, the sound akin to an animal in agony.
"I see Henry's destiny, Gwen. I see it clearly, and he will be strong, and I cannot fail him, I cannot put love before duty again. I will not!" Finally, his eyes rose to
meet mine. His sorrow reached out to me.
"So you see, Gwen, no matter how much I love you, you ask me the one thing I cannot give you...I'm sorry, but I cannot, not now, not ever!"
I turned from him. His words told me he would never relent, no matter what I did, he was never going to change his mind, and I knew, likewise, I was never going to give in or change my mind. It was then that I knew that at some time in the future we would become enemies, because I could never forsake my son, and I knew, neither could Robert!
I was so weak compared to him, but I knew that one day I would fight him, and I knew that tomorrow I would start that fight. Robert did not know, he expected me to simply accept his command, but this time, he was mistaken.
I opened my arms to him, and we embraced, my words of comfort echoing around the bedchamber. However, my mind did not hear the words of comfort, although I uttered them. My mind was already processing and planning how I was going to get my son back.
Chapter Six
For week upon week, I tried to figure out the best way to see my son, but all of my ideas proved to be fruitless. The one thing I knew for sure was that he was housed in the south tower, but I quickly realised that there was not any way to get into the tower except by direct access through Matilda's bedchamber.
Vampire - Child of Destiny (Vampire Series Book 2) Page 2
