The Fallen King idwma-8

by Rhiannon Frater

  “I won’t,” he promised, and followed.

  * * *

  Alert to the possibility of other vampires still in pursuit of Vanora, Armando kept within a few feet of her car at all times. Quick scans of the night revealed a calm, sleeping world. Trees swayed in the frigid winter air as nocturnal animals scampered through the dry grass lining pastures. It would be another hour or so before Vanora reached the Houston city limits. He had exhausted much of his blood power fighting Nelly, much to his disgust. In the past, he could have fought hundreds of supernaturals without waning. He cursed his years away from human blood and wondered how long it would take for him to fully recover.

  Loud music poured out of the small car below him. Shifting about in the air, he could see Vanora tapping her fingers on the steering wheel and occasionally sipping the coffee she had purchased at a gas station. He was gazing at her when he saw her eyes fluttering close and the car slipped off the road onto the shoulder. Instantly, Armando dropped downward. The car skidded to a stop a few feet from a large pecan tree.

  Both angry, frightened, and worried, Armando grabbed the car door handle and jerked it open.

  Vanora cried out in fright, twisting about in the seat.

  “It’s just me,” Armando said guiltily. He hadn’t meant to frighten her, and had acted on impulse. The frightened expression in her lavender eyes instantly made him regret his hastiness.

  “The door was locked,” she stuttered.

  “I’ll pay to have it repaired,” he answered simply. “You frightened me.” He tried very hard not to sound peeved.

  “Yeah, well…” She yawned, covering her mouth quickly with one hand.

  Reaching into the car, Armando shoved the gearshift into park. “I’ll drive.”

  Yawning, Vanora nodded and slid from the car. She was a little shaky on her feet and he placed an arm about her shoulders. Though she tensed, Vanora did not pull away. With a slight smile upon his lips, he guided her to the passenger side. Tilting her head, she regarded his face thoughtfully.

  “You’re not telling me everything, are you?” It was an accusation he couldn’t truly deny.

  “No, but do I ever?” He gave her his most charming smile. Delight filled him when she blushed. He was completely smitten with her and though he had tried very hard to not begrudge her the right to build a life away from the darkness of the vampire world, he had missed her. The look on her face sent the thrill of foolish hope through him before his pragmatic mind swept it away. Whatever embers of their love remained between them, he knew Vanora would ignore. She was involved with someone else, after all.

  Once she was settled into the passenger seat, he buckled her in despite his internal vow not to infringe upon her. The heat of her body radiated out into the cold air, warming him. She smelled delicious. He had drawn too close to her, for she turned her face away.

  “Are we still being followed?” she asked.

  “Not anymore. I took care of them.” He withdrew from her warmth and stood beside the car.

  “Who are they?”

  “We’ll talk about it later.” Armando shut the door and hurried around to the driver’s seat. Once settled in, he pulled the car back onto the highway.

  Exhausted, Vanora tilted her head against the headrest, staring at him through her white lashes. “Why not now?”

  “You need to sleep.” Exhaustion bruised her eyes. Besides, conversation was his enemy. She wanted to discuss what was happening and he was limited by the power of Aeron’s edict.

  “I don’t want to sleep.” Fear lined her words.

  With concern, Armando traced his fingers over her cheek and chin. “Sleep, Vanora. I’m here. I’ll take care of you.”

  “But I don’t trust you,” she muttered, turning her face away from him.

  The words stung, but they weren’t unexpected. She was powerful, even if her full potential was yet to be realized. Armando knew she could sense his deception, but there was no way to assuage her fears. “Perhaps not in all things, but in this you must trust me.”

  “Because of Roman…”

  “Yes.”

  “Because he might die.”

  “Yes.”

  Vanora swept her fingers along her heavily-lidded eyes. Her voice was thick with drowsiness. He wished he could make her sleep, but she would sense what he was doing and resist. Instead, he offered her comfort, taking her warm hand in his own.

  “Sleep, Vanora,” he said.

  To his surprise, she didn’t argue, but closed her lavender eyes and faded away into the world of dreams.

  It was a relief when she fell into a deep slumber. There was so much he wanted to tell her, yet couldn’t. Frustration ate at him. Vanora was not the type of person to meekly fall in step. She would demand answers that he could not give her even though he desperately wanted to. It was difficult to even know if what he was doing was right anymore. He wanted the Socolis away from Houston and safe before Aeron arrived, yet was that even possible?

  Vanora awoke with a start, gasping.

  “Are you okay?” Armando asked worriedly.

  Rapidly blinking her eyes, she dragged her purse onto her lap and pulled out her glasses.

  “Vanora?” Armando

  “I’m okay,” she answered, adjusting her glasses on her face.

  “You’re wearing your glasses.” He suspected she had lost her vision yet again. He knew that her power could blind her, but what did it mean now? Had she experienced some sort of prophetic dream?

  “I have nightmares, and sometimes afterward my vision is...off.” She shoved her trembling fingers into her white hair to massage her scalp. It was obvious she was in some discomfort.

  Armando boldly slipped his hand beneath her thick white hair to rub her neck. Her skin was flushed and warm beneath the coolness of his fingers. The tension in her muscles spoke of nightmares. Slowly, the rigidity of her posture dissipated under his touch.

  “Did you just have another nightmare?” For a moment he feared she was dreaming of Aeron. But wouldn’t she say something? Perhaps not. Time and the distance they had placed between them had taken its toll. The night she had left Houston he had never dreamed that even his slightest touch might be an intrusion upon her. After they had made love, he’d honestly thought she would be his to hold and caress. Now each time he touched her, he feared she’d recoil. With dread, he realized if she was dreaming of Aeron, she would not tell him.

  Vanora gave him a slight nod, acknowledging the truth.

  “About what?” His voice sounded stringent and he hated that fact.

  “Darkness consuming me.” Sliding her gaze toward him, he could see the fear in her lavender eyes.

  “I won’t let that happen.” It was a vow. A sacred vow.

  When she pulled away from him and pressed herself against the door, the pain of her rejection drew a desperate sound from his throat. Anger flashed through him. Not at her, but his nature, his curse, his role in Aeron’s plans, and his helplessness.

  “Armando, what aren’t you telling me?”

  Concentrating on the road, Armando floundered in his thoughts to form an answer. What could he say without infringing on Aeron’s edict? He considered changing the subject of their possible impending deaths to how much he loved her, would do anything to save her, and how she must trust him. Yet, he knew she would be angry with him if he tried to speak of anything other than the threat against her family.

  “Well?” Her voice was demanding and annoyed.

  “Tell me about your other dreams.” Armando inwardly winced, awaiting her wrath.

  “They’re not important.”

  The defensiveness in her voice frightened him. “You’re keeping something from me.” What if she was dreaming of Aeron? What if she knew more than she was sharing with him? He dared to look at her though his eyes felt like fire.

  Vanora graced him with a cocky smile. “Then I guess we’re even.”

  “This isn’t a game, Vanora. This world is very dangerous.
” Now he was angry with her, but how was that fair? They were both keeping secrets, yet their lives depended on them trusting one another.

  “I know that! Why do you think I ran away? I know what you really are. What my brother and sister really are. Remember, I saw it!”

  Vanora still feared him. He could sense it to the core of his being. That night haunted him. It had been both glorious and terrible. With frustration, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel. If only he had taken her away that night and never allowed her to see what was in the ballroom.

  “Armando, you can’t be angry at me for being afraid of you! Of them! Of what they did! I thought you weren’t like…like…”

  “Like the one who made Roman?” Armando laughed bitterly. “Vanora, we are monsters with human faces and human hearts. The worst sort of hell, don’t you think?”

  “What happened that night...what they did…it haunts me. Terrifies me.”

  Watching the road, Armando tried not to see the young woman trembling at his side. He didn’t want to see her fear, her pain, and her sadness. “The hunger is a power so overwhelming it crushes us into slaves.”

  “And nothing can defeat it?” Her voice was hoarse with pain and more.

  Armando dared to touch her, but she withdrew. “No, Vanora. Not even love.”

  They both fell silent.

  Armando concentrated on the road.

  Vanora gazed at anything other than him.

  The road stretched out endlessly in the illumination of the headlights. The tall trees lining the road sank back into pastures as open fields took their place. Buildings drifted out of the night to vanish once again. They were alone in the darkness.

  * * *

  Armando bought Vanora breakfast at a drive-thru. Her hands had yet to stop trembling and she looked a bit ragged. He suspected she hadn’t eaten in some time, so he turned off the highway. After he ordered, she giggled beside him.

  “What is it?”

  “A vampire going through a drive-thru just seems weird,” she answered, shrugging.

  They had spoken much to each other in the last hour. They had mostly watched the darkened world speed past the car windows. Vanora had put on music for a while, but then turned it off after a bit. She was restless and anxious.

  Once back on the road, he had to cajole her into eating. Finally, she obeyed, though she had to be very dramatic about it. When she stuffed a huge bite in her mouth, it had made him smile. He liked it when they ignored all the unspoken things between them and pretended to just be friends. But it never lasted too long. They would fall back into awkwardness.

  Without realizing what he was doing until he had already tucked her hair behind her ear and saw a flash of discomfort in her eyes, he understood that perhaps there was no way to avoid the unspoken things.

  “I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

  “Do what?” Armando couldn’t help but play it coy with her. It was difficult not to demonstrate his affection toward her and he felt a bit peevish about it.

  “I came back for Roman. Not you.”

  “I know. You’re seeing someone.” How he hated Dan. He hated him with a vengeance. It grieved him to no end that a man that did not fully understand how wonderful Vanora was had her affections. Armando knew Dan didn’t see her strength, her intelligence, her loyalty, or her power. All the stupid mortal saw was a supposedly virginal future bride. But he also knew that their romance was doomed. Vanora would lose yet another person she loved to the darkness. No matter how much he despised Dan, he loved Vanora and he dreaded seeing her wounded yet again.

  Vanora looked away with annoyance. She nibbled on her breakfast to keep herself occupied most likely. After a few minutes, she said, “What if it’s too late? What if he won’t listen?”

  It took Armando a moment to realize she was not talking about Dan, but changing the subject of their conversation entirely. “If there is one thing about your brother that I know for certain, it’s that he loves you more than his own life. He’ll listen to you.”

  “And not Alisha?”

  “Alisha fights with Carlotta all the time. Roman tends to listen to his fiancée more than his sister.”

  “I still can’t believe he’s marrying her. “ Vanora discarded the last of her sandwich and crumpled up the white paper bag.

  Armando still couldn’t believe Roman was so enamored with Carlotta. Yet, the couple was obviously smitten with one another. It was best that Vanora realize that all was not the same as when she had left. “In your absence, he’s become…different. But he still loves you.”

  Armando’s fingers flexed on the steering wheel. There was so much more he wanted to say to Vanora, but didn’t dare to speak.

  “I have no regrets about leaving.” A bit of defiance was in her words.

  “I know. It was the right thing to do. At the time. Just like it’s now time for you to return and hopefully convince your brother to do the right thing before it’s too late.”

  “Run away?”

  “Or prepare to fight a war.”

  “A war.” Vanora appeared to ponder the words. “A war against who?”

  “The older vampires.”

  “Give me names. Descriptions.” Vanora glared at him.

  Armando remained silent. He concentrated on the road leading them back to the Socoli Mansion. They were closer now. Almost there. Which was a good thing, for he was exhausted and the rising sun was sapping away the last of his strength.

  “Well?”

  “Just convince him to leave, Vanora.”

  “God, you’re so annoying.”

  “Yet, you adore me.” Armando couldn’t resist needling her just a bit. It had been tiresome trying so hard to behave and keep his mission in the forefront of his mind. During the drive he had wanted to pour his heart out to her, swear his eternal love, convince her to run away with him, yet he knew he couldn’t. She needed to save Roman and Alisha. She needed to escape. This was not the time to be a lovesick puppy in her presence.

  “I wouldn’t say I adore you...” she answered, rolling her eyes.

  “Love with a fiery passion?” Armando suggested. His control over his emotions and tongue was slipping as the sun rose.

  To his surprise, she seemed more amused than peeved by his words. “Do you really want me to push you out of the car?”

  Armando just grinned, noting her lack of a true answer. Then he grew somber at the sight just ahead. “The gates are open. The lack of security needs to stop.”

  “Will a gate really stop a vampire?” Vanora sounded doubtful.

  “No, but it may slow down a vampire’s mortal minions.”

  “But not the vampire. So if a vampire wants to kill my brother, leaving a gate open isn’t going to do much.”

  “You sound like Roman. Fatalistic. Is this a Socoli trait?” The last thing he wanted to hear from her was despair or defeat. Vanora was strong and a fighter. She couldn’t give up before the fight had really begun.

  “I’m not fatalistic. I’m here to save my brother. I will save my brother.”

  The resolve in her tone alleviated some of his worry, but Armando was too exhausted to continue the conversation. It would have to wait until later. Pulling the car up to the front of the house, he sensed the sun was hovering on the horizon. He had to sleep and soon. There was no other choice than to take refuge in the mansion. After he parked, he slumped forward, resting his head against the steering wheel. The impending sunrise was stealing away his strength and he just wanted to sleep.

  “Armando, you can’t go to sleep yet.”

  Armando didn’t realize he was starting to drift off until Vanora shook him.

  “It’s difficult to function once the sun cracks the horizon.”

  Armando could feel the sun rising. Luckily, they were shielded by the imposing mansion from the first rays of daylight. They had barely made it on time. Vanora stroked his hair, an old familiar sensation he’d wondered if he’d ever feel again. It comforted him, yet ma
de his passion for her rise. He wished he could crawl into her bed and hold her close as he slept through the day.

  “C’mon. Get out. We’re here. And when you get up, you’re going to tell me everything. I mean it. I want to know everything that you know.”

  On impulse, he kissed her hand, relishing the taste of her skin. “When I awaken...” He stopped himself from continuing, realizing he wasn’t answering her question, but promising to make love to her.

  “Get out before you fall asleep and I have to drag you.”

  In a haze, Armando climbed from the car, helped her collect her things, and trudged to the main entrance in her wake. When she held out her hand, he laid the keys in her outstretched hand. It was then he noted she was wearing the birthday gifts he had given her. Maybe he was delirious in his sleep-deprived state, but he took it as a sign that she still loved him.

  “What?” Vanora narrowed her eyes.

  “It’s just good to see you home,” Armando lied, flashing a brighter smile at her.

  “For now.” She unlocked the door, and shoved it open.

  Vanora hesitated in the foyer.

  It wounded Armando to know she was still so afraid of the vampires. “They’re asleep. Roman, Carlotta, Alisha...a few others...” The luggage slipped from his grip as he sagged against the wall. He didn’t want her to fear the others or himself. He wanted her to see he was still Armando DeLeon, a man who loved her, and not just a vampire. “I’ve missed you.”

  “You need to sleep. I’ll help you to a guest room.”

  Disoriented, Armando rubbed his weary eyes. “I got you home...”

  “You’re nearly asleep on your feet.” Vanora slid her arm around his waist, and he leaned heavily against her. “This isn’t good! I can’t carry you.”

  Fingers tracing her cheek, Armando lowered his face. “I always dream of you.” Every day, when he closed his eyes, he always saw her face. Perhaps just one little kiss. Would it be wrong to taste her lips one more time? Moving to kiss her, he saw in her eyes that she would allow it. The love that he had hoped still burned in her heart was raging in her eyes. In that moment, he realized one little kiss would not be enough. It would never be enough. “I can’t.”