Love and Blood (Evening Bower Book 2)

by Sherry Rentschler

  Cady found them hugging. Her face told them they were out of time.

  “You should come in and be with her. You too, Dra. I will be downstairs.” Cady shook her head and left them.

  For an agonizing second the two vampires stared at each other, then Am pulled the orb from the book. It let go with an odd pop. The book he thrust at Dra, but he fisted his treasure.

  “Now I have something to give her hope.” His green eyes flashed as he pushed into their room and closed the door behind him.

  “You lose, angel boy,” Dra sneered as she and Reaper disappeared in mist.

  Amber light illuminated the master bedroom. Am hated electricity and the harsh artificial nature of it. One by one, he turned off the lamps and opened the double doors to the balcony. Storm clouds threatened out over the water. The lightning show was preferable to any lightbulb. He lit one lantern and set it next to Rhea’s bed, then knelt beside her.

  “Rhea, my heart, my rose, you must wake up. I have something to show you.” He twirled the orb in his fingers where Rhea could see it.

  Rhea turned her head and stared, “An orb? Am, is it alive?”

  “Yes, m’ange, it is. This one you used during the battle at the old house. I was afraid the orb Rico used last night was this one but I am happy to be wrong. We can reach Rico, my love. We can call him.”

  Rhea clutched for his hand. Her fingers trembled with excitement.

  Amor-el dropped his hand and leaned over the bed. “Cady said you might not survive the night and Drahomira said some angel is coming for you. I don’t know what is true or what must happen, but I know you can’t leave me. If stones and herbs, if transfusions are not enough, there is a final choice, my love. Do you have the Aglyre?”

  Her fingers floated up to the chain buried under covers. She nodded, but her mouth turned down. “No, Am. We cannot stop Death. There is no magic, no luck or stone that can prevent what happens to us all.”

  “Yes, chérie, you are right. But Death comes in many forms. I saw you as one death when you were the phoenix. There are others. I am one of those. So is Dra.”

  “You know I love you. I do not want to leave you.” The silence between them dragged on, but Am waited patiently for her decision.

  When he couldn’t take another moment, he bent and kissed her mouth, hungry, anxious, lusting. One kiss led to another, each longer and more aching than the last. He wanted to dream. He dared flickers of hope. Finally, his rose answered his kiss with a prick of her tongue on his fangs. Her blood tantalized his senses even without the fire. When he pulled away and studied her face, he understood. Now was the moment he hoped and dreaded.

  He locked the bedroom door and knelt by the bed.

  “You know what this means, Rhea? You will give up all that you are and have been for another immortality, one less certain and not written in your book? I must know you understand.”

  She nodded. “My time wanes quickly. I do want this however much I am afraid. What will happen to my fire? Will it disappear for good? Will I be phoenix no more?

  With one hand, Amor-el caressed her beautiful hair. With the other, he stroked her pale cheek and admired her smooth porcelain skin. Even cold and on the brink of death, she was pure life and fire. His heart ached.

  “I have never known another like you, my Rhea. I do not know what will happen with your fire. I am not certain I can do this thing, but I must try. I can’t risk losing you. I may yet fail you even though we try and I am afraid. Your fire is the unknown, and I wonder what it will do. I wonder if I can bring you across the void or if ultimately you have enough fire to reject me. What I do know is that I must try and to hell with the consequences. Will you have me without my knowing?”

  Rhea struggled to sit up. He slid into the bed next to her and pulled her up and into his arms. Her cinnamon perfume filled his senses. Briefly, he wondered if death would steal the tantalizing scent which flamed his need of her. He prayed to whatever gods watched over her to help him do the most heinous act of his existence – kill this creature he adored.

  “I will,” she whispered and showed him the Aglyre.

  “Then you must pull it apart. Inside is a distilled drop of nectar from the dracunculus vulgaris, otherwise known as the Voodoo Lily. It is highly toxic. I will have to take most of your blood first, and then you must swallow the poison. Your body will fade quickly. Just before your death is unreachable, I will feed you my blood. We have done this before, my love, only this time, I will be taking death from you and giving you my night to take its place.” He leaned her against his arm. “Do you understand?

  Rhea nodded. His face was unreadable, and she forced herself to ask, “will it be painful?”

  He shook his head. “Paralyzing, but no pain. Trust me now.”

  Suddenly his eyes flickered, and the predator within him took over. His arms tightened around her, and he bared his fangs. Rhea shuddered. She knew this look, had seen this transformation before, in battle. She knew how hunger clouded his vision and she had witnessed the carnage he wrought when his vampire nature overtook him. What she never knew was how terrifying it was to have that look, that desire focused on her.

  As he lowered himself to her neck, she clutched the Aglyre tight to her chest. When his tongue teased her skin, she quivered, and her weak heart raced with fear and desire. His hand caressed her and willed her to feel desire and temptation as he did. The moment his lips teased her flesh and she moaned, he pierced her artery.

  Immediately, her body stiffened, and her instincts flooded her with panic. Am whispered to her, moving his hand gently over her body, seducing with every touch. She writhed, first with fear and then with a terrible wantonness.

  Blood. She felt her insides flowing away, and her remaining heartfire surged to life. The heat bloomed and burned through her blood. Amor-el groaned as the searing heat of her filled him. The bite though painful at first, devolved into a passionate embrace. Rhea’s back arched involuntarily as her desire for him unfolded. He pulled her closer and filled her mind with images of their every intimacy.

  Through her thoughts blazed images of her history, of her emergence, of the destruction of a civilization. Dreams and nightmares fought and danced as her images and his flashed through fire and longing. Pictures of his life, of his death, sharpened and faded. Blood may be the last hope, but tonight it was also the only truth. Love and blood, their’s alone. Blood the last truth. Slowly he felt her understanding.

  Despite her acceptance, her survival instincts were sharp. Suddenly she feared her decision and screamed. Her body flailed against him. The shift in her intentions came too late because he increased his pull to her body. Her heartfire flickered again, and she collapsed in his embrace. Rhea feared that his vampire nature was too strong and his urge to kill, too hard to overcome. She waited for him to give her death but at the moment of her ultimate surrender, he ceased his pulling.

  “Take the Aglyre now, my Rhea,” he said with a voice blood-thickened.

  With her last bit of strength, she pulled the obsidian key apart and put the large half to her lips. A small bit of liquid trickled over her tongue and tasted like clover before a burning acid numbed her.

  With one pained gasp, she lost control of her body. The last thing she remembered clearly was the green of her beloved’s eyes and his blood-touched lips kissing her.

  Night wrapped Rhea to her breast. For a breath of time, Rhea floated between past and future, neither alive nor dead. Then she felt the surge of delicious warmth rushing by and wanted to surrender to the new heat. Amor-el pulled her to him and urged her to drink from the wound in his chest. She tasted her fire in him, and his blood brought his power into her. Her blood came back to her, thicker and hotter. With every swallow, he renewed her and remade her. She clutched at him as if she were a greedy child to be nurtured and he did as his tears fell on her eyes.

  Quietly, tenderly, he set her limp body back against the pillows, though her cheeks were ruddy with unexpected color, her eyes clo
sed and she did not respond to him. Dread overtook him, and he gagged blood, afraid he failed her. Once again he knelt by the bed and clutched her hand.

  “I love you, my rose,” he whispered and lay his head on the coverlet.

  Hours passed. The clock chimed eleven thirty and Rhea remained motionless. He heard no heartbeat nor felt any breath from her. With his hands clutching her small fingers, he prayed to his mother and begged Rhea to open her eyes. His beautiful rose remained a corpse.

  When he couldn’t stand the horror a second longer, he fled the suite and discovered Dra and Cady waiting in the hall. He shook his head when their hopeful glances searched him. Cady covered her face. Her sobs stabbed him. Dra stared at him.

  “I failed,” he said and his eyes, still ablaze from his actions, darkened with despair.

  “We all failed,” Dra snarled and left. She chose the outdoors where she felt free and where she could wallow alone in misery and shock. Rhea’s death augmented her reasons for despising emotions and disbelieving in love. Nothing but pain and loss.

  Never again.

  HE DID NOT recall how he made it back to her bedside. The first night he ever met his Rhea, she looked like this, pale and yet so beautiful it hurt him to stare at her. That night, he drank from her, but she survived, and he found a new life, a new love. Tonight, his taking brought death.

  And maybe hate.

  He stood on the balcony and breathed the night, wondering how painful it would be to face eternity without her. His thoughts blackened into possible suicide when he jerked at a soft sound. Slowly he moved to the end of the bed and watched as Rhea opened her eyes and whispered a request.

  Immediately he ran to her personal chest and searched through her things. When he found what she wanted, he delivered and waited.

  Am wondered as he stared at his rose if anything would make a difference. What happened next defied description.

  Is there ever such a silence as Death’s footfall on the edge of time? Does Death curse when he leaves empty handed or does the soul give away a small piece in penance for trouncing him?

  Rhea screamed, and at that moment he thought she would kill him.

  Gone were the brilliant orange fires that defined his phoenix. No longer would she have the heat of the sun to warm her. Instead, he witnessed a miracle. In those eyes that searched for him, he saw the blue of a midnight moon illuminated by—

  Blue flames dancing in her irises!

  Rhea struggled to sit up, and he did not assist her. No, she must find her new footing alone. Her body tingled. Everything appeared brighter and more vivid. She hesitated, uncertain what to do next.

  “Am, did it work? Have I changed?” she whispered, fearful yet excited.

  Amor-el stretched out his hand, palm up, fingers beckoning her.

  “Walk to me, Rhea. Nothing will ever stop you again. Our Night, our new forever begins now. Come to me my blue rose. Show me your new power, my carakahzi.

  VISERIEL ARRIVED AT midnight, bathed in golden light, his sword drawn in preparation of his duties. Drahomira greeted him by tossing her glickris at him. Again. It was like a game to her.

  The archangel easily escaped the attack but greeted it with his usual aplomb and nonchalance. His reactions infuriated Drahomira who screamed at him.

  “Peace, Mira. Why such vitriol?” he queried.

  “You’ve got balls I didn’t know you had. Smiling though you know I hate you for what you are going to do. Peace? You bring misery. This is not loving. This is punishment. One day I will pay you back.

  “Why do you continue to hate me, when I hold you to my heart? Child of darkness, I am here to say farewell and well done.”

  Dra froze. “What the hell does that mean, well done?”

  “Do you remember when we met upon the battlefield? I called you the Ancient One’s protector, and said you were bound to Rhea by blood because she saved your life?”

  “So?”

  “When last we met I charged you with a message. You delivered, and now I bid thee farewell.”

  “What of Rhea?”

  “She is beyond me now as I believe you intended. I pray you will be well, dark one, Queen of the Night. Our contract is ended though my love for the Ancient One, as for you, is eternal.”

  His light overcame her, and she raised her hands over her eyes. When she could see again, Viseriel disappeared.

  “What did he mean by that?” she muttered and hissed when a horrific scream came from the mansion. She raced back, afraid she was too late and discovered Cooke, Franklin, and Cady huddled together at the base of the stairs.

  “Rhea?” Dra whispered.

  Before anyone answered, Am appeared at the top of the stairs, his face unreadable. He motioned for Dra to come up.

  “Crap on toast,” she said as she climbed the stairs. Every step filled her with dread. Then she smelled it, the blood, and the taste of death on the air.

  When they got to the suite, he motioned for her to go inside. The room remained dark, and blood hung heavy in the air despite the open balcony doors.

  “What is it?” Dra whispered as Am followed her in. “Where is she?”

  “Here, my friend,” a velvety smooth and familiar voice answered.

  Rhea stepped into the bedroom from outside on the balcony. She moved with the same grace as ever, and Dra stared. She never believed in miracles. Such things were the lies told to the hopeless and the failed.

  Here was a miracle. She was alive.

  Amor-el walked to Rhea’s side and eased his arm around her waist.

  “Okay, how did you do it? If you tell me magic, I will hurt you.”

  “No magic, my friend,” Rhea said gently and glided to Dra. She took the redhead’s hand, and Dra felt her raw strength.

  Green eyes blazed neon, and she stared into Rhea’s face. Dra beheld the beautiful blue eyes of her friend. But gone was the violet-blue with irises of orange and yellow flames. Staring back at her were bright iridescent eyes filled with deadly blue fires.

  “Dra, meet your new sister in night, my dark beloved.”

  Rhea’s new fangs glinted in the dark. Dra, who hated emotions, eschewed love and most any cuddly touching, laughed and hugged Rhea. Her relief was palpable.

  “By the Beng, so this is what he meant,” giggled Dra as she recounted Viseriel’s visit.

  “That’s not the best part, Dra,” Am said and crossed his arms smug with pleasure. “That scream you heard was Rhea. When the blood exchange ended, and nothing happened, I believed she was dying. She asked me to retrieve the jasper dragon stone from her private chest. I knew she was born with this particular rock. I slipped it into her hand and would have left her, but suddenly she screamed and rose straight up from the bed awash in fire. I thought she was going to kill me. Remarkably her flames prismed and turned blue. I did not burn.

  “Dra, close your eyes and listen. Tell me what you hear.”

  Rhea watched the two of them as they tuned in to every sound around them.

  Dra whispered, “A heartbeat. Not a vampire?”

  “I am a vampire, Dra, but I think the sound you hear is not a normal heart but my heartfire, the thing that gives me life. My fire is still there but cold and dark. I am at a loss to explain it. All I know is after the exchange, my body surged, and I felt as though I was burning from the inside out. I screamed because I thought the fire would consume me. Then as quickly as I felt the heat, the fire turned cold.”

  “ So it won’t hurt me?” Dra poked her skin.

  “I think it will if I wish it.” Rhea opened her hand, and an elegant blue flame danced in her palm. Dra picked up a piece of paper from the nightstand and stuck it in the fire. It turned to ash.

  “Cold fire.” Dra shook her head, amazed. “Sister, even married to the night, you are one scary phoenix.”

  Rhea’s face shifted. Anger caused her eyes to dance, and the new blue flames ignited. “And that is what I hope the fairies think,” Rhea whispered.

  A knock on the
door brought them back to the moment.

  “We have to tell the others, my love,” Rhea sighed and reached for Am’s hand. “Will they understand or will they fear what I have become?”

  “Honey, they were all ready to make a deal with the devil for you as long as you lived. I’m the one they should fear, remember?” Dra winked and dramatically hissed as she bared her fangs.

  “I can do that too now,” Rhea said, and she demonstrated.

  Am ran his hand over his face and shook his head, but he swelled with pride.

  “What about food?” whispered Dra as they left the room.

  Rhea’s eyes widened, “Oh I hope I won’t miss those popovers too terribly.”

  “I still don’t understand why this angel person you keep telling me about didn’t bring this death you all feared.” Am stopped them at the top of the stairs.

  “He said to me ‘if her body is unchanged,’ but her body did change. He understood what needed to happen and counted on us to do what she required. Then he released her.” Dra shrugged. “I don’t think he was too disappointed.”

  Rhea hung her head. “I feel such sorrow because I know I will not see him again. I was light and walked beside him bathed in that divinity. I cannot do so again. He will not be summoned for me because my soul is lost, just as he could not save you, Dra. Sadly, we are shadows to him now.”

  Dra snorted, “You tell him that the next time he pops up to torment me. I don’t believe for a second that angel boy can stay away.”

  “Time will tell, I suppose. Love and blood are things we worship most, fear the most, and want the most. One may exist without the other but only when they join together do we know strength and power. He always knew this, I think. I understand.” Rhea lifted her head.

  “Well let’s show our family their new mistress,” Am said, and together they went downstairs.

  JUST BEFORE DAWN, the girls arrived home accompanied by Seth and Steel. Tiptoeing across the porch and into the kitchen, they hushed each other and dissolved into giggles when they attempted a raid on the fridge. Like deer caught in headlights, they froze when Cooke flipped on the lights.