Dark Awakenings (Danse Macabre Book 2)

by Christina Quinn

  It took me almost a full hour to gain the courage to put on that black lingerie. I was practically crying as I dressed. The fabric was so soft and expensive. You’re an expensive whore. Frowning I tugged up the stockings and stared at the collar. There was no lead connected to it, but there was an O-ring. As I held back my hair and fastened the collar the difference between the sickness in the pit of my stomach now and the butterflies I first felt when Aleksi collared me was poignant.

  Still I grabbed my purse from the dresser in the other room and tried my hardest to cover the bruise—to hide that terrified expression and split lip behind shadow, liner and lipstick. After arranging my flat hair to hide my breasts as best as I could I slowly exited the bathroom. On my way out of the room I paused by the door and looked at the floor where the shoes were usually left. There weren’t shoes waiting there for me. Laughter bubbled up my throat as I exited into the hall way. Licking my dry painted lips I nervously wrapped my hands across my chest to cover myself as I made my way through the tangle of ornate French baroque halls.

  That angry darkness seemed to follow me all the way to the Hall of Mirrors. Waiting outside of those massive doors were Nikolai and Elizabeta. She was dressed immaculately as always, but she wasn’t smiling. In fact she seemed somewhat sad as she looked me over. She wore a black shrug and a pale blue cocktail dress that shimmered with crystals in the dim light. Nikolai wore a black jacket over a black button down shirt that had the first few buttons opened. At his wrists were tiny pewter cufflinks of the Dracul crest, and in his hands was a leather lead.

  “He’s in a mood.” Elizabeta sighed. “Whatever you do, don’t try to cover yourself—that’ll only make him angrier. If you do as he says he will probably be lenient. I tried to explain that it wasn’t your fault, but he seems convinced otherwise and refuses to listen to logic.” Pursing her lips she reached out to brush the tears from my cheek. “Shh, don’t—” Her words faded into nothingness as she noticed the bruise at my cheek. She visibly flinched and the line of her lips twisted for a moment. “Don’t cry.” She finished after some time passed. “Niki will hold your lead, but remember don’t provoke him. Niki can’t protect you from Vlad… I can’t even protect you anymore, Autumn.” She sighed and dipped into the room.

  Nikolai and I stared at each other in silence and for the first time ever in front of him I felt… inconsequential. My pulse was a million and a half beats per second as I stood there, shivering in the chilly hallway. He even looked a little uncomfortable, that newly vivid gaze glanced from that crude leather lead in his hands to my eyes. Was he thinking of all the times he walked me from the door of the apartment to the bedroom? Was he thinking of the times he kept me tethered to his thigh? How I swooned at his every touch and glance, during that time that the simplest order from his lips made my body quake, and that cleft at the apex of my thighs syrupy sweet for him.

  “It helps to keep your eyes on the floor.” Nikolai warbled out with that nervous laugh… that Aleksi laugh. He shook his head as he stepped around me and clicked the lead in place. “I feel guilty now about wanting you on lead again… if I’m honest… really honest…” He trailed off and smoothed my hair over my shoulders. “I’d rather be naked and at your feet. I’d rather let you take your rage, and indignation out on my body than to see you like this.” The offer made me swallow even as I dropped to my knees before him.

  “I might just take you up on that offer… if I survive.” I half murmured it. I didn’t expect him to actually hear it, but damn those new vampiric senses of his. He trailed his fingers over my jaw, and tilted my chin to look up at him.

  “You have no idea how happy that would make me…” He chuckled nervously and then shook his head. “C’mon, remember just focus on the floor… it’ll be easy to tune out the room.”

  When he finished I dropped to all fours and followed him as he opened the door and the hushed murmur of the room beyond washed over me. There were a lot of people in the room, a lot of people who commented on me as I passed. You’re just a collection of holes and a pulse to them. Focus on the floor. I stared at the glossy tile.

  “No wonder he kept her all to himself. I wouldn’t want to share that either.” Some unknown voice commented as we passed. Shutting my eyes tight I continued forward until Nikolai stopped. Usually I enjoyed being on the lead. Usually it was freeing to give up control, but not in that room. I couldn’t shake the sensation that I was on display for the taking. You’re being melodramatic. You’re wearing Vlad’s color. You’re naked because you were mouthy.

  With a ragged breath I knelt beside Nikolai, with my eyes still shut I pressed my face against his shin. All of the rage and anger I felt for him was tempered by the fact that he was all I had in that moment. It was heartbreaking to think that the only person I wanted to be next to I couldn’t be… truthfully I would have rather had Evan lead me, to wear his color. But Evan had no color, and wasn’t in a position of power. And Aleksi was right, Evan’s not the type, and he can’t keep you safe either. My shoulders sagged with resignation as I felt my nipples pucker and harden from the cold. I shivered and Nikolai’s hand reached down and pet my hair; the familiarity of the gesture sent a chill down my spine. Then I felt those hands again, one on each shoulder and the soft trailing of those thumbs. My shoulders shrugged against the sensation.

  “Friends, progeny, Council members and Patriarchs.” Vlad’s voice seemed to boom from all around me. “Division has festered among our ranks since I took to torpor over a century ago. I’m telling you now that I will once again take up the mantle of Uniter and crush this dissention. Those who have aided Gregory di Rimini are given the courtesy of warning. If you continue to aid the traitor you will share his fate. If you contribute to his capture and give us the whereabouts of any Sun Cross members I will spare you. I am not without mercy. But I am far from soft, until this issue is resolved, strict tradition will be enforced. You have no one to thank for it but yourselves for allowing this region to fall into such disarray. That being said, my mercy does have its limitssss.” The s was hissed and suddenly the sound of bats filled the room and almost drowned out the dying screams which echoed off of the mirrors. I cracked my eyes.

  Before me was an almost literal sea of vampires. The entire hall was filled and on top of the hall being filled there were a handful of monitors showing the front of the room where I knelt and the others stood. Leslie was also half naked, but she didn’t seem fazed by it at all. Her chin was raised and a smile spread her lips as she watched the mass of bats literally chew down several vampires in the crowd to nothing but bones. There was a vacant space between two flanking lines of vampires. I was guessing that was where Vlad was standing… but where did he go? My question was answered as that mass of bats squealed and swirled in that open space… slowly they turned to mist which turned back into Vlad in his all black suit with his black shirt and black tie. There was blood around his mouth which he wiped away tracing a finger over his lips. He then proceeded to adjust his cuffs. My stomach turned and I shut my eyes again.

  “Those bones before you are the bones of those who conspired the final death of Aleksi Mik—” He swallowed and stopped. “My son and heir.” He growled. “And I know there are others out there. And I say this to you not as a threat but a promise: there isn’t a corner of the world dark enough for you to hide in. By attacking my heir you have forfeited mercy. In closing, being raised to Council is a privilege not a right. If you feel slighted by being passed over, feel free to bring your grievances to me. I’ll alleviate them in the swiftest most permanent manner possible.” The room plummeted into silence as the unspoken hung heavily in the air. Either you followed his rules, abided by Council or you died. Part of me was comforted by the strong hand he was going to take… the other part was terrified. He blamed me for a lot of this, was I safe? No.

  After a few moments of uncomfortable silence someone started clapping, and then the room erupted in cheers, shouts and a chorus of applause. But that darkness that
lurked through the room was far from pleased. I could have danced with the shadow’s lurking rage as I heard those footsteps near me.

  “Bring her to my room.” Vlad commented coldly and then walked on. I swallowed and pressed my face to Nikolai’s leg.

  Minutes later I was in a room I hadn’t been in before, behind tall golden doors. The walls were red silk patterned with black dragons that had golden claws, it was the same dragon tattooed in the middle of Nikolai’s chest. My hands moved to cover myself as I knelt at Nikolai’s feet again. I kept having to fight to keep my hands on my knees. Vlad was seated in a large black leather wing back chair with that scorchingly blue gaze fixed on me. His attention made me feel uneasy.

  “Take her off the lead.” The simple command from Vlad’s lips made me want to cower. Usually an order would make my insides melt, but my veins were ice water. You’re afraid he’ll find out. I chewed on my bottom lip. You don’t even fully grasp what happened when you fed Nikolai.

  Nikolai obeyed the command, but his fingers lingered on the metal. His hands were trembling—I guess he did have less of a reason to trust Vlad than I did. I glanced up at him. The hesitant fear was clear on his face; that playful kittenish mouth twisted in a hard grim line.

  “I was going to mark you tonight. I was going to place you firmly under my protection; raise you to a safe and untouchable level. But I can’t. Not because I don’t want to but because there’s another’s mark there…and a very curious bond.” Vlad spoke as he lounged in the chair. Somehow he seemed more intimidating in this intimate setting than he had in front of about a thousand vampires. Even as I stared at him in fear, my mind wandered. I could recall the feeling of him beneath me as I straddled his torpid body, and the feeling of him inside of Maria. My teeth set into my bottom lip as I pressed my thighs together. Wow, really? You’re aroused by the thought of him now. Are you just going to forget that he forced you to parade mostly naked in front of pretty much everyone you know? I released my bottom lip and fidgeted. Miss Manners had a point. What was happening to me? You’re being even more idiotic than normal because you’re still grieving. Tricking your mind into feeling his touch when you’re stressed isn’t helping you get over him any sooner either. “Do you know what you did?” The question fell from his succulent mouth with empty tonality. I shook my head no. “Would you care to take a guess?” With his words I opened my mouth and took a handful of slow shaky breaths.

  “I…” My gaze flitted up to Nikolai and then back to Vlad. “I bound Nikolai to me.”

  “Smart girl. Now I have one other question for you. Was it intentional?”

  “N-no. He…he was frenzied and… I thought if I used m-my… my t-t-telekinesis I could control him but…” I shifted uneasily and swallowed shaking my head. “He… I looked into his eyes and…and I felt… like I was pulled away from myself by it and… I only tried to get away but…” You sound like a blithering idiot. “I know it sounds stupid, but—”

  “No, you make perfect sense. He ensnared you. That’s the name for it, ensnaring. It’s an…evolutionary left over from when vampires had to trick their prey into feeding. Most can do it with only a look, some of the strongest can do it with a thought. But no matter how powerful you are, you should not have been able to break a frenzied vampire’s snare—let alone bind the vampire to you. Part of me is admittedly amused, having this power means we are unstoppable. Come, sit in my lap. Nikolai can join us at your feet.” He smiled at me, with a grin that was almost sickeningly charming. I moved to stand and he wagged his finger. “I want both of you to crawl to me.”

  The memory of the hard slap was all too vivid in that moment as I forced myself to crawl across the black marble tile. Just like that, the thread of hesitation in me made the fear bubble to the surface again killing all of the errant arousal. He could kill us both and probably not even bat an eye. I remembered when it was Aleksi I had a similar thought about, but as dangerous as it was to prostrate yourself at the foot of something that viewed you as food; there was a difference. Vlad seemed like he couldn’t be bothered to care. We were pieces in a puzzle or a chess game. We might not have been pawns exactly, but no one cries when chess pieces are removed from the board—except maybe the King and Queen.

  Still I climbed into his lap and didn’t protest when his hand slid to my thigh to trap me there. I crossed my legs and stared straight ahead. He arranged my hair over my shoulders like I was a doll, those rough gnarled hands scrapped my skin.

  “You’re a very delicate creature, like a little bird. It’s so odd to see my Maria’s features on another, but you are far more delicate than she was.” Coarse fingers traced across my jaw drawing my attention back to his face. “I didn’t intend on bruising you. The slap was meant as little more than a warning.” My eyes refused to meet his, instead my gaze focused on his mouth as he spoke. “I brought you here because you need to understand that I am not the enemy. Elizabeta thinks you need to be treated with kid gloves because you’re the Seer. Whereas it is true that Maria was treated like a prized possession until she angered Flavian, you’re not Maria and I’m not Flavian. We… all vampires and all those connected to vampires are in terrible danger because of what Nikolai allowed to happen. I need to return things back to how they should have been from the beginning. Council and the Patriarchs were supposed to be first amongst equals. A return to tradition enforces this, which means you will be forced to near nudity—like all other humans—at Crimson Hill. This is not because I wish to see your nude body, though it is a spectacular sight, this is to reaffirm where we all stand in the grand scope of things.” I swallowed and held my tongue. Oh I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually form the words. Instead I settled for grabbing a handful of Nikolai’s hair, he hissed softly and pressed his lips to the back of my calf.

  “May I go?” My voice barely registered to my ears, but it prompted him to relinquish his hold on me.

  “Of course, I have said my piece. Take Nikolai with you. He’s more your fledgling than mine now.”

  “But I thought he marked me?” My brows knit in confusion as I slid from Vlad’s lap. He shifted in the chair and took a steady breath.

  “Nikolai is too fresh to mark anyone.”

  “Evan?” My head twitched to the side. You’re just being obtuse now.

  “No.” I turned and watched him shake his head. After his head stilled that too blue gaze fell to Nikolai for a moment and then returned to me. What he was saying didn’t sink in at first. It’s like you’re being intentionally dense.

  “But he’s…” I choked on my words.

  “Yes, he’s very dead. His mark, however, is still there. If anyone asks that mark is Nikolai’s, their energy is similar enough and no one will think twice about my Blood being able to do something extraordinary. And you don’t have to worry about those who can tell the difference. I think the only two that can are Elizabeta and myself… maybe Colette but…” Sadness washed over his face for a moment. “I never do anything without good reason, Autumn.” That was abrupt. “Go.” He waved me off and I left the room. Nikolai followed me with eager footsteps.

  Reaching behind my neck I unfastened that rough leather collar with a soft sigh. My arms wrapped around my naked breasts, shielding them from the frigid air of the halls. Pausing I turned and looked at Nikolai. As much as I pitied him, I wasn’t ready to forgive him; and I certainly wasn’t ready to take him back as a lover.

  “Niki—”

  “I know.” He laughed nervously and pulled me in for a tight hug. “But I’m optimistic.” He kissed my forehead and stepped away from me. His lips were cold, that brush of icy flesh made me break out in a little tremor that lingered even after he took a few steps away from me.

  “You should feed.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” He purred happily.

  “I’m not your Mistress, Niki.”

  “Maybe not in the way I want you to be, but in some way it is an undeniable truth.”

  “Touché.�
�� Running my fingers through my hair I started walking again, he followed me. When I passed the door to my room, I could feel his question before he asked it.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Evan’s room.”

  “You’re still…” His voice faded and he swallowed.

  “I know. But…Evan makes me feel safe.”

  “And Garrett?”

  “I’ve known Garrett for years.”

  “So you’re rebounding by fucking them?” Oh, someone’s jealous! My stocking clad feet stopped outside of Evan’s room.

  “Maybe… I don’t know.” I shrugged before I opened the door.

  Inside, Garrett was twisting out of his jeans at the foot of the bed. The second his eyes fell on me those verdant orbs lit up like fireworks. He practically tripped over himself to get to my side, his movements were graceless—someone was a little drunk.

  “Angel Face! I knew it! I told Evan you’d be back but he didn’t believe me.” Garrett swooped down on me and scooped me into his warm arms in a bridal carry. “Jeeze you’re colder than vampire dick.” He half chortled at his own joke as he rubbed my arms.

  “Y-yup.” I melted against Garrett’s bare chest, but I could feel Nikolai’s sadness. Don’t! Make him leave! “Would you mind if…”

  “You don’t even need to ask it, Angel Face. The more the merrier, Nik. Evan and I don’t mind sharing. Though you might have to fight for a spot next to Autumn.” Garrett was bright and jovial as always, his voice held that friendly tone it always did.

  Nikolai stood frozen in the doorway, shifting nervously. Those sad blue eyes raised to mine. No! He killed Aleksi! Oh you never liked him! Swallowing I nodded a little and Nikolai took a step into the room and closed the door behind him.