William (Echoes of Ossiria #1)

by Vivian Lane

  She nodded her head in time to the beat of the music, earning a small approving smile.

  I walked over to her and started positioning her arms. “Your arms are to be held high, like this, but with your shoulders down and back. Now, you will always place them this way with your partner.” I placed her left hand on my shoulder and clasped her right out to the side. “This hand that’s out from the body always points in the direction you’ll go, so to start, you will step your right foot to the side, then bring your left to meet it, and take a tiny step with the right again. This puts your left foot ready to repeat the process. All to the one-two-three. Your partner will either start you to the side, or lead you forward. It’s important to match your partner’s steps so you don’t mash anyone’s toes. Now, let’s begin.”

  She stared at my feet.

  I tapped the bottom of her chin. “Head up! Look at me, or over my shoulder, but never down at the floor.” She immediately obeyed, and kicked my boot with the toe of her shoe. “Oi! Watch the leather!”

  “Sorry!” She stepped on my other foot.

  This wasn’t working. I changed tactics. “Relax. Focus on how I’m moving as I lead you. You can feel where I want you to go.”

  She nodded and took a breath. “Okay…” She relaxed her arms so she wasn’t fighting me anymore. Step, step, step… Step, step, step…

  “Now, you’ve got the hang of it. You notice how the rhythm naturally encourages you to step on the ball of your foot, not heel-toe. That’s where your weight should be for every dance, like you’re stepping on clouds.” I said. “Ready for a twirl?”

  “Not yet! How does the dance end?”

  “With the twirl.”

  “Oh. You mentioned before, another kind of dance?”

  “The Viennese Waltz, but you don’t want to do that, yet.”

  “I don’t?”

  “It’s double the speed of this one, with turns,” I said, grinning, then laughed when her eyes bugged out in horror. “We’ll get to that tomorrow. I’m going to show you the turn now.”

  By the end of the hour, she was enjoying herself. I was a good teacher when I wanted to be, like once upon a time when I taught a young Annabelle to dance.

  ****

  “Harder!” I yelled.

  “I’m trying!”

  “What was that?” The girl actually raised her voice at me. So there was a little spunk deep down inside.

  “Yes, sir!” Catherine said.

  I had her punching a padded dummy over and over with boxing gloves on. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to hit anything, Miss Mitchell. The day will come when you have to. Now, commit!”

  But this wasn’t working.

  “Stop, stop! I have an idea.” I left the room and came back a minute later, and taped a piece of paper to the bag. She recognized exactly who the face I’d drawn was supposed to be. “Go ahead, girl. It’ll be our little secret. God knows, I haven’t slugged ‘im nearly as much as I’ve wanted to.”

  She hit the face and made the bag sway a fraction.

  “Good! Harder!” A right, a right, and a left. She kept hitting the face. “There’s where you’ve been hiding your fire… Over to the mat, now. Let’s work on somethin’ different.” I pulled the gloves off her hands, then handed her a padded Bo staff. She quirked her brow. “Bo staff. Easier to start with than a sword.” I held one identical to it. “Show me what ya got.”

  “Huh?”

  Come on, don’t be dense, kid. “Follow your instincts. Come at me.”

  “Sir…”

  “Attack me, Miss Mitchell, or you’ll be cleaning the kitchen floor with your tongue.”

  She gulped, then edged forward to hesitantly tap my arm with the stick.

  I looked at the staff, then at her, arching a brow, then knocked her down. “Take this seriously, will you?” Catherine got up, rubbing her arm and pouting. “Aww, does poor little Cate have a bruise?”

  “Don’t call me that,” she muttered. Ooo, touched a nerve.

  “You say something, Catie?”

  “No, sir.” She kept her eyes on the floor.

  I circled her. “I think you did, little Cate… You gonna hit me, or stare at your bloody toes all day?” I started poking her with the Bo, hard enough to be annoying. “Hit me, hit me, hit me, hit me…”

  “No,” she ground out.

  “No? You don’t get to say ‘no’ to anything, sweetheart. Well, I’m sure you’ll say it plenty to Tallis when he rips into your sweet cunny, but—”

  Catherine pivoted and brought the staff up between my legs. I groaned in pain and doubled over, but didn’t fall, and limped around the room while she kept a wide berth.

  “Good hit,” I wheezed. Should’ve worn a cup.

  “I—”

  “One, I told you to hit me, and two, always fight dirty if it lets you live another day. Some punk on the street isn’t going to stick to official boxing rules, and neither will a demon. Continue, Miss Mitchell.”

  “Are you…?” She waved her hand in the direction of my body.

  I nodded. Wasn’t the hardest I’d been hit in the bollocks. “Three, learn to fight through pain. It’s hardly the worst hit I’ve ever gotten. Come on, now. We’ll do somethin’ easy. I swing this way, you block it.”

  Slowly, I pivoted the staff at different angles so she could meet them. Soon, she got into the rhythm of it.

  The game stopped when she managed to hit my nose. “Oh! Sorry!”

  I sniffed, but kept going. “Don’ worry ‘bout it. No blood, no foul. It proves you’re getting better at reading.” I grinned.

  Catherine smiled back.

  A chocolate truffle was left on her pillow that night as a reward, accompanied by a note.

  Have to respect a woman that goes for the family jewels.

  William

  Chapter Four

  The next day

  I brought Catherine into the infirmary, Alicia jogging behind. “By the gods, what happened?”

  “That French whore we took in a month ago got hungry. I don’t think she took too much, but the girl passed out anyway.” I laid her on a bed. “Buggerin’ hell… Tallis is going to be fit to be tied when he sees fang marks on her neck that aren’t his! This is why I don’t. Take. Humans!”

  “So have them magicked away. It’s not that hard. It’s not like she was claimed, so he’ll never know.” Ever calm, like I needed her to be.

  “I’ll deal with it later. Get someone to bring some juice and bread while I try to wake her up.”

  Alicia teleported away.

  I pressed a gauze pad against the bite marks on the girl’s neck. My mouth was watering at the scent of fresh blood in the air. It’d been a long time since I’d fed from a live source, rarely leaving the mansion to hunt. We didn’t need that kind of attention.

  Catherine’s eyes fluttered open. “What…?”

  “Stay still. You’ve lost a bit of blood.”

  “She bit me…”

  “She’s dead. Catherine…how long does your…?”

  Her brow scrunched in confusion. “Huh?”

  “How long does your cycle last?”

  “Three or four days,” she murmured absently, her eyes closed.

  “You’re going to be kept away from the others, then, for your safety.”

  “Okay… William?”

  It was the first time she’d addressed me by name. “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  Alicia came bustling back in with her arms loaded with sugary foods. I rolled my eyes at her and left her to get the girl back on her feet. I needed to go have a talk with the other demons. Clients were not snacks.

  By week three, Catherine had mastered the waltz, the Viennese version was passable, and she could carry out a decent tango. Alicia taught her the tango.

  The day of the incident, I ordered Catherine to bed with the books and wouldn’t let her get back to fight training without having the wound healed by a bit of magic.

 
“How does it look?” she asked, once the witch was done.

  I tilted her head to the side to put her neck in the light, running my fingertips over the formerly blemished skin. “Good as new.” She shivered.

  She could also walk gracefully in various heights of heels, identify a hundred different types of demons by picture, carry out perfect table manners, write the perfect thank you note, and run five miles. Mrs. Crumb deemed her previous knowledge in history and literature suitable for conversation. Alicia was satisfied with her ability to run figures.

  Only three more weeks until Tallis came back to get a progress report.

  I gave Catherine a new book to study: The History of the Most Feared Vampire Clans of All Time. “This is the most accurate version in written form.”

  “Alright…”

  “It includes the clan you’ll be born into, Catherine.”

  Her mouth formed an “o” as the light bulb turned on above her head. “Tallis is in here?” she asked, patting the book.

  “Among many others. You’ll get the same stories from him, although they’ll be a lot more colorful than the truth, the pompous git.”

  She nodded. “Will there be a test?”

  I shook my head. “Nah, this one’s for your own good. You should, uh…you should have the truth.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Thank you, sir.”

  “William. You’ve been here long enough, and you’re more respectful than Alicia. It’s William.” I turned away and selected a Bo off the wall. “So, ready to earn today’s bruises?”

  “If you’re ready to earn yours,” she countered.

  I laughed. “Just as long as you stay away from the knackers, love.”

  ****

  The next day, I sent her out with Alicia. They were gone until after dark.

  I was boggled by the amount of bags and boxes being carried in by the servants in Alicia’s wake. “Bloody hell, woman, did you buy out all of sodding London in one day?”

  She gave me that look that said she thought I was being very stupid. “A new wardrobe can hardly be built in a day, William, though we did come close.”

  “Where is Catherine, anyway? You didn’t lose her…”

  “No, I didn’t lose her! I told her to wait outside to make her entrance once the boys finish carrying everything in.” She flipped her hair off her shoulders and picked up her bags to take to her suite.

  “Alicia… How’d she do?”

  She paused on the stairs. “They swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. She’s a natural.”

  The lady in question came through the front door as Alicia disappeared upstairs. I turned toward the sound of her footsteps.

  “Hi,” she said shyly, wiggling her fingers to wave.

  Wow. Wow, she actually was a pretty little thing. We might make a good companion out of her, yet.

  I could hardly believe she was the same girl I saw at supper the night before. Her hair was in glossy waves instead of a French braid, and she wore snug jeans with a violet scoopneck sweater instead of the usual baggy attire. A knee-length black wool coat topped the ensemble.

  I glimpsed a tiny sliver of taut fair skin between the sweater and jeans as she walked closer. Her lips were glossed rosy pink. I’d never noticed their beautiful shape before.

  “Cat got your tongue?” Catherine asked. Then she ducked her head and headed for the stairs. “I’ll just…” she muttered.

  I snapped out of it and grabbed her arm. “No. Don’t. I mean, you don’t have to run off. You look lovely.”

  “You’re not merely saying that?” she asked. “Alicia’s taste is a lot more overt than mine—”

  “Catherine. I mean it. You can even put on a bloody fashion show, if you like.” I hoped she would like.

  There was that pretty blush I was used to seeing. “I believe you. Thanks.”

  I let go of her arm and guided her into the parlor to sit. “You enjoyed being out today? Alicia can be a bit much in large doses.”

  Catherine nodded. “It was nice once I figured out the salon wasn’t going to do something scary. And she’s a pretty good shopping buddy despite running me around until my feet fell off. London’s a beautiful city. I’m glad I’ve seen it at least once.”

  “Good, good… And you got a dress?”

  “Yes. It’s being tailored. We actually agreed on it, if you can believe it,” she said, chuckling.

  “It must be special, then. Have you eaten?” They missed supper.

  “Yes, we stopped at a restaurant before heading back. I was pleasantly surprised, since I’d heard English food…lacked.”

  “Mocking my heritage now, are we?”

  “Depends on if that offends you,” she teased back.

  “And if it did?”

  “Then, I’d apologize, or take my punishment like a good girl, depending on your preference.”

  Flirtatiousness? My eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in scrutiny. “You don’t fear me anymore, do you?”

  “Should I?” she said mildly.

  “Always. I’m still a vampire.”

  “True, but if you were going to eat me, you already would have,” she countered. “You’re not like Tallis.”

  “Maybe not, but you read the book.” I waited for her nod. “I’m a bad man.”

  “But miles apart from him.”

  “Romanticizing my exploits, love?”

  She shook her head. “No, but none of us are defined by one action. We’re the sum of all our decisions. I do want to know…”

  “Yes?”

  “Why suddenly go under the radar?”

  “Why do you want to know that?” I snapped.

  “I…I only want to understand.” Her voice was soft, timid. “I kinda like you, when you’re not yelling at me.” She dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry for being too nosy.”

  Fuck. Now I felt like an asshole. “Catherine…maybe another time. Turn in early. You’ve had a long day.”

  “Of course. Goodnight, William.”

  I flopped into the chair at my private desk and flipped the switch to turn the monitors on. Instantly, cameras showed views of every bit of the house and surrounding grounds.

  Alicia was in the business office tabulating expenses. The cook and my assistant were washing dishes from dinner. One of the girls was in the library, a couple others in the TV room…interesting…openly flirting. I didn’t know that species included same-sex relations.

  Catherine was just reaching her room.

  I watched her set her bag aside and hang up her coat in the armoire. Her recent purchases were scattered about the room, and she set about removing the tags and putting the clothes away where they belonged. She was quite the little organization queen. I wasn’t surprised—she approached everything with methodical efficiency, practically to the point of being anal-retentive. I wondered if she’d freak if I mixed up all her stuff. A chuckle escaped as I imagined it.

  “Well, now…”

  While I’d been musing, Catherine had finished putting things away and was now changing her clothes. I normally shut the feed off to preserve her privacy, but tonight I was curious to see if Alicia changed all the girl wore.

  I was evil, after all.

  She pulled off the sweater and hung it up, revealing a plum lace bra. I approved of the color against her fair skin. Would there be matching bottoms? The jeans shimmied down her hips, confirming my assumption. She wore bikini knickers in the same lace.

  It was the most I’d ever seen of her body, let alone the newly-improved version due to the exercise regimen I put her on. She had tone and curves in all the right places, places I wouldn’t mind exploring. My cock seemed to agree, as it was well on its way to full hardness. I unfastened my jeans and slipped my hand in to relieve some of the pressure.

  Catherine picked up a set of pajamas and walked into the bathroom, cutting off my show by closing the door. My sensitive ears picked up the sound of water in the bath a second later, though, so I let my ima
gination fill in the gaps.

  I found many women attractive, of course, and fighters had always gotten me hard, but raging lust had been reserved for my maker. She entranced me with her beauty from the moment I laid eyes on her, and captured my devotion soon after. It hadn’t occurred to me until now that the night she left changed all that. Guess a bloke took it to heart when his beloved betrayed him when he needed her most.

  Strange I was so turned on by a human woman now.

  The water rippled from behind the thin bathroom door as Catherine lowered her body into the water. I imagined her creamy skin would pink with the heat, bubbles hiding her pert breasts from view. Already knew she liked citrus-scented soap, like orange blossoms. Fatigued from a long day on her feet, she’d sink down to chin level in the water, closing her eyes in bliss as the warmth soothed her aching muscles. It would be the perfect moment for me to slip in unnoticed and join her, catching her foot when she jumped in surprise and kneading the pressure point in the arch. She’d be instant putty in my hands, and then I’d show her just how useful it was for a vampire to not need to breathe…

  I came suddenly, spurting all over my hand and belly.

  “Think you were a soddin’ adolescent…”

  That’s it, mate…it’s been too long since you’ve had a bit o’ rough and tumble.

  I could go into town, find some chit for a fuck and feed…

  Making up my mind, I changed clothes and headed out.

  Chapter Five

  Of all the places, on all the nights, I had to run into a demon hunter…

  I had gone to a interspecies bar that was a guaranteed location to get laid, only to discover it was demon-clearing-night for a do-gooder.

  A fucking paladin.

  Barely got to finish my ale before the asshole started tearing up the joint.

  Wanker.

  Uninterested in landing back on their radar, I snuck out the back while no one was looking and drove home.

  Inside, I stomped straight to the kitchen to raid the liquor cabinet.