House of Shadows

by Morgan Hawke

  Rowan jerked her eyes firmly up to his face. This was no time to let her libido get out of hand. “I thought that you wanted my magic?”

  Draugar dropped his eyes and unfastened the cuff to his other sleeve. He began rolling it up. “Of course I want your magic, but only at my command.” He glanced up at her. “If you attempt to use it without my permission, you will discover that it will cause you a great deal of discomfort.”

  Rowan’s hands fisted at her sides. “What have you done to me?”

  “At the moment your magic is contained. I’m sure you’ve noticed the bracelets?” Absently, he tapped a finger on the top of Rudolf’s head. Rudolf abruptly collapsed into a sitting position.

  Rowan closed a hand around the bracelet on her left wrist. She could feel her pulse racing under her fingers. “Is that what they do, block my abilities?”

  “Among other things.”

  Rowan felt her breath hitch in fear. Oh my gods, he took my magic! Panic began to close around her heart and a cold sweat broke out on her lower back. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She had to stay clear-headed. Don’t panic.

  He raised a brow and frowned. “There is no need to be so distressed. They do not take your powers. You still have access to all your senses and abilities. You simply cannot use them without my express command.”

  Rowan felt the pressure around her heart relax. Mother of us all, was I that easy to read? She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Then what the hell are they?”

  “They are devices for control of your body.” He smiled. “As long as you don’t try to cast any outward form of magic or attempt to escape, you’ll be fine.” He stepped around Rudolf and walked onto the rug, right through the barrier as though it wasn’t there, and continued purposefully toward her.

  Rowan backed away in a hurry. He continued across the rug toward her until her back pressed against the barrier behind her. He reached for her and she ducked under his hand, scooting to the left. His hand closed tight around her upper arm. She jerked her arm and his fingers dug in painfully. “Ow, shit.” I am definitely going to have more bruises...

  His brows shot up and he abruptly loosened his fingers but kept a firm hold. “Forgive me, I have not dealt with someone purely human in a long time. I forget how fragile you are.”

  Why does everyone call me fragile? Rowan ground her teeth. “You could try asking me for what you want, instead of just dragging me around.”

  “Indeed?” He smiled. “Very well then, I want you to remove your clothes.”

  Rowan’s mouth fell open. Me and my big mouth! She closed it with a snap. “What for?”

  He tilted his head to one side and raised a brow in challenge. “I need to set the binding spell. It requires bare skin.”

  “Oh.” She flinched. Now I have to do what he asked or make a liar out of myself... She swallowed. “Uh, all right.”

  Draugar blinked at her and his expression went carefully blank.

  Rowan’s brows shot up. Well, damn, I think I surprised him. Rowan tugged on her arm. “You’re going to have to let my arm go so I can strip.” To Rowan’s amazement, he released her. Rowan took a deep breath and unbuckled her belt. She frowned at Draugar. “You don’t have to stare. You have a barrier up, it’s not as if I’m going anywhere.”

  He blinked then shook his head with a wry smile. “Of course.” He turned to one side, presenting his cool profile.

  Rowan rolled her eyes then turned her back on him. She opened her jeans and yanked her black T-shirt out of her waistband. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. She took a breath, yanked the shirt over her head, revealing her pink satin bra. She dropped the T-shirt on the rug. First I’m doing favors for vampires and now this. Rowan began to tug her jeans down. How do I get myself into these messes?

  “Out of curiosity, does this mean that you will comply with all my requests?”

  Rowan froze with her jeans around her hips. Piss and firewater, what a question! She peeled her jeans from her legs and dropped them on her shirt. “That is not something I can promise.”

  “Honesty?” He snorted. “How very unexpected.”

  “I’m one of the good-guys; I’m supposed to be honest. It’s in the rules.” Rowan stuck her thumbs under the waistband of her pink panties. She really, really did not want to take off her underwear. “Um, how much skin do you need?”

  “All of it.”

  Rowan swallowed. “All of it?” Her voice came out in an embarrassed squeak.

  “Lovely as your lingerie is, I require full nudity.”

  Rowan looked over her shoulder. Draugar was standing with his feet apart, facing her. His head was tilted to the side with his brow was raised and a tight smile curved his lips. He still wore his dress pants but his shirt was a small crumpled pile of white silk on the floor. His arms were folded comfortably across his milk-pale and naked chest.

  Rowan glared at him. He’s staring again! She turned her head away in a huff. “Fine, all of it, whatever... And quit staring at me!”

  Draugar’s laughter boomed out.

  Rowan flinched. He’s laughing at me? Rowan squeezed her eyes shut then opened them and sighed. Well, duh! He’s going to be doing bad things to my nude body in a minute or two. She struggled with the catch of her bra in the center of her back. This is so fucked up. I should be fighting this guy tooth and nail. She shook her head and dropped her bra on top of her clothes. Oh yeah, like I can fight something as strong as that without getting myself seriously maimed or killed. She pulled her panties down and stepped out of them. She dropped her panties on her clothes. Defiantly, she pulled her hip-length hair over her shoulders to cover her naked breasts and crossed her arms. Now what do I do?

  “Come here.” His voice was soft and dangerous.

  Rowan turned around. He looked at her from head to toe and his face was serious. His head tilted and he frowned. She bit her lip, gathered the shreds of her courage and took a few steps toward him.

  “Halt.”

  Rowan was jerked to a sudden stop by the bands around her ankles. “Shit,” she hissed softly and teetered, off balance on her frozen feet.

  He abruptly spat out a phrase she didn’t understand. Her wrists were suddenly jerked out to the sides by the bracelets until her arms were stretched to their limits. “Ow, shit!” She gasped and pulled, twisting her wrists in the bracelets, but couldn’t slide her hands free. “Son of a bitch!”

  “Don’t struggle, you will only harm yourself.”

  Draugar then said something else.

  Rowan felt her feet abruptly dragged shoulder-width apart by the stone rings around her ankles and her knees buckled, tipping her forward. “Damn it!” The bracelets dug into her wrists, holding her upright. She fought to regain her balance.

  Draugar closed the distance between them in two long strides. He reached out with both hands and gently pushed her hair over her shoulders to fall loose down her back. He stared down the length of her nude body. His eyes focused below her face.

  Rowan felt the heat of a humiliated blush warm her cheeks. He’s staring at my breasts. His hand closed on her shoulders and she flinched. His eyes flicked up to hers, then darted back downward. His fingers skimmed down to her full breasts, then lightly brushed her nipples. To her complete mortification, Rowan felt a jolt of sensual heat. Her nipples tightened and peaked. Rowan jerked away from him and pulled at the unmoving bracelets. This is so, not happening to me...

  His silver eyes looked up into hers. A smile curved his lips. “Very nice.”

  Rowan’s temper suddenly flared hot. Fear and humiliation were swept aside. “Just set your damned spell, you sick bastard, then leave me the fuck alone!”

  Draugar chuckled and pulled his hands away. He walked behind her. Rowan strained her neck to follow him with her eyes. He cupped the sides of her head in his hands then turned her to face forward. She felt his hands slide under her hair then down to encircle her throat. She swallowed hard and felt her skin bre
ak out in a cold sweat. Was he going to kill her for her outburst of temper?

  “Your skin is too cool and your pulse is too fast,” he noted. “You’re frightened.” His comment sounded like an accusation.

  Rowan snorted. Well, duh...

  “There is no need to be so afraid.”

  Rowan barked out a short laugh. “Let’s see, I’ve been kidnapped and I’m about to have a nasty spell put on me. What have I got to be nervous about?” She clamped her jaw tight and cringed. When will I learn to shut up? She sighed. Either he was going to kill her for her mouth or he wasn’t.

  “The spell isn’t painful.” His voice was soft as a kiss in her ear. “Parts of it will prove quite pleasant.”

  Yeah right, pleasant for whom? She felt his hands move to her shoulders then his fingers skimmed down her spine. Shivers followed the trail of his fingers, making the small hairs on her body stand up.

  “The spell merely accesses your abilities for my own use.”

  Rowan blinked. Was that supposed to make me feel better? His fingers stopped at the base of her spine and she felt his palms splay across her hips at the top of her buttocks.

  “Now that is interesting.”

  Rowan turned her head to look at him. His brows were drawn down in thought. “What?”

  Draugar looked at her and a smile played at his lips. “It seems that the source of your magic is sexual.”

  Rowan felt her temper spike sharply in reaction to her fear. “I could have told you that, if you had bothered to ask.”

  Draugar’s head tilted slightly. “Indeed?” He sighed softly. “As it is, this poses a bit of a problem.”

  “What problem?” Rowan felt hope pulse through her. Anything that causes him a problem has to be good for me...

  Draugar shook his head with a small smile. “Nothing too difficult. Your magic needs sex--or more precisely, orgasm--to regenerate.” He shrugged then began to walk in a circle around her. “That is simple enough to provide for, unlike Rudolf, who needs to eat human flesh about once a month.”

  “Rudolf eats people?” Rowan stared the hunched sorcerer on the floor. “You’re kidding, right?” It looked like parts of him had flaked off onto the floor around him. He seemed to be quietly disintegrating right before her eyes.

  “Unfortunately, no.” Draugar sighed and walked around to stand before her. “Here in the United States, police procedure is quite sophisticated. Hiding the evidence of his kills has become something of a challenge.” Draugar shook his head. “He was very careless on his last hunt. The police officers accompanying us tonight had traced him here. I was forced to take control of them.”

  “Gee, I feel so bad for you,” Rowan said dryly.

  Draugar snorted. “Yes, well, providing for your sexual appetite will be simplistic compared to providing for Rudolf’s needs.”

  Primitive female fear spiked in her belly and Rowan swallowed. I don’t think I like where this conversation is going...

  Draugar smiled. “I just can’t decide if I should find you a lover...” His smile broadened. “Or if I should take care of your needs myself.”

  Rowan felt a second cold sweat break out across her skin. “I really don’t think that would be a good idea.” Rowan was pleased to discover that her voice only shook a little. What frightened her more was the warmth building in her belly. She’d been using her power off and on around Klaus since this morning, then she’d fought off Rudolf’s spell and then she’d nearly killed herself trying to escape Draugar... Altogether, she had used a huge chunk of magic. At the moment, her body’s appetite was still under control, but if it got hungry enough, it wouldn’t care where it got its satisfaction.

  Draugar nodded. “You are probably right, given how your magic will be feeding from mine. I have no idea just how much power you’ll take.”

  Rowan frowned. I didn’t take all that much power from the vampire, but then he drank my blood, too. Maybe they balanced themselves out?

  Draugar glanced at Rudolf. “Poor Rudolf is nearly gone...” He walked over to Rowan and cupped her face in his palms.

  Rowan took a frightened breath. “What are you doing?”

  Draugar smiled and his gray eyes became solid, flat discs of beaten silver. “I’m transferring his burden to you.”

  Rowan felt her heart trying to climb up into her throat. “I don’t want it.” She tried to jerk her head from his hands.

  “Just a few moments more and we will be done.” His eyes dropped to her mouth. His silvery power crackled around them, lifting her long red hair in a shimmering wind of power. Suddenly it surrounded, coalesced and soaked into Draugar's body. Holding her head still, he leaned close, and then his mouth pressed against hers in a kiss.

  Rowan’s eyes opened wide and she gasped in surprise. His tongue surged in to possess her and his rumbling arcane magic thrust deep into her throat, pouring into her. His tongue leisurely explored her mouth while his silver essence burrowed deep and swelled, filling her body.

  She felt his magic entwine with her power, possessing her more intimately than sex. Her body unconsciously responded with a wet roil of ecstatic sensuality and she moaned. Moisture dampened her thighs and her nipples rose to hard, aching points. Rowan’s eyes closed and tension built at a murderous rate as though she was about to climax. Her spine arched and she came up on her toes shuddering and writhing in her bonds.

  Draugar tightened his hold on her head and angled his mouth, then locked his lips tightly to hers. He inhaled sharply and stole her breath.

  Rowan’s breath rushed out of her and she felt his power leaving her body in a shattering release that felt like orgasm.

  With his lips locked firmly on hers, he wrapped his arm around her and held her tightly against his unyielding and cool body, keeping her locked to his mouth with one palm on the back of her skull. He swallowed her ecstatic screams.

  Suddenly Rowan felt his retreating power pull on her magic. Interlocked with his, her power began to rush out of her mouth. He was unraveling her soul from within. Oh Gods, he’s taking my magic! She whimpered and struggled in terrified reaction. She felt a chill, and shivered. She was getting colder while his body began to radiate heat. He’s killing me!

  The world faded to a muted and colorless gray. The world began to retreat. She stopped struggling and closed her eyes. So, this is death... Without her magic, she just didn’t care anymore.

  * * *

  Rowan blinked and stared at the ceiling. She was lying on the floor; she could feel the rug under her back. What happened? I thought I was dead? She shifted and discovered that her wrists and ankles were pinned by the stone bracelets to the floor. She could feel a tiny trickle of power within her, but she felt hollow. A huge something was definitely missing.

  It’s gone, he took it all; everything that makes me a witch. Tears started in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. He took everything that makes me...me. Her breath hitched on a soft sob. She turned her face into her arm.

  “Your power is not gone, I have it. It will be returned momentarily.”

  Rowan lifted her head as far as her wrists would allow. Draugar was at the very edge of the rug where something very dead had crumpled in on itself in a small untidy heap of flaked ash.

  Is that Rudolph? She watched. Draugar tapped the heap with his finger and it abruptly collapsed into a pile of fine gray ash. Rowan blinked. I did not just see that happen...

  Draugar turned and strode over to her. In a single smooth motion he knelt at her side. “This is the last of the spell.” He held his palms out over her head.

  Rowan cringed away from his hands. “Don’t destroy my mind.”

  Draugar gave her a fleeting smile. “That would be foolish of me. Your intelligence is what makes you valuable.”

  She blinked up at him. “What are you going to do?”

  He frowned in concentration. “This will be swift and painless.” He spoke again in a guttural tongue, his words harsh with grunts and growls.

  Rowan felt a
cool breath of magic brush through her hair. She bit her lip. Painless, right, sure...

  Draugar threw a long leg over her and came down on his knees, straddling her hips. He arched over her, his hands pressed into the floor on either side of her shoulders. His silver eyes became bright, glowing with incandescent power. He smiled and settled his hips against hers.

  Rowan gasped. Through the thin cloth of his trousers, she could feel that he was fully and heavily erect against the unprotected juncture of her thighs, the entrance of her body. Her nipples jerked to sudden attention and Rowan bit back a moan. Her body warmed, then roared to ravenous life under him, empty of power and literally starving to be filled. Oh shit, oh shit...

  She arched up under him, helpless against her soul’s overwhelming need. Her mouth opened and she cried out.

  He dropped full length on top of her and his mouth took hers in a devouring kiss. Her hips rolled under him, begging for him to take her, starving for the thick hardness riding at the aching, hungry nether-mouth to her body.

  She felt his hands move over her and the soft wind of power following his palms. His hands slid down her shoulders to caress her breasts. She writhed under his palms. A moan escaped her lips and he swallowed it. His hands moved down to her waist then to her hips. He reached under her to cup the cheeks of her ass, lifting her against the delicious hardness that he denied her. The soft breeze wound around her body, caressing her like a soft cloth being drawn against her flesh then abruptly dissipated.

  Suddenly heat exploded low in her belly. She gasped. The sensation crested with orgasmic bliss then uncurled like a great purring cat, spreading sensuously throughout her limbs. Rowan gave out a sudden sob of relief. Her magic was back.

  “There,” Draugar said softly. “It is done.”

  Rowan blinked up at him, her feelings caught between elation and fear. “Now what?”

  Draugar raised a brow and a smile curved his lips. “Now you and your power are mine.” He snapped his fingers.

  Rowan felt her wrists and ankles released. Warily, she watched Draugar withdraw from on top of her body. He rose to his feet. Rowan refused to move, struggling with her feelings of both relief that he hadn’t taken her blatant invitation and a stab of disappointment. Gods...He kills people for fun and I almost begged him to fuck me.