by L M Adams
“A quickening?”
“Yes, it’s being transported to Vayrá to reconnect with the land, power, and your soul for a moment, at least. It is a blessing only that can be bestowed by one of the Vampyré. I felt something there with you, something profound and beautiful and yet terrifying.” His voice holds awe, he whispers as if speaking too loudly will break the magic that he feels.
“So, a Vampyré blessed you?”
“I don’t know, I guess, maybe. I’ve done nothing to deserve this. I haven’t been truly devoted to the teachings and faith of the Blood King… in a century at least. All I know, is it happened with you, because of your power, and whatever you did to me, and I will belong to you forever.”
He takes a deep breath, I can tell he wants to say something more. I stay silent letting him open up in his own time.
“The Blood King lay naked upon the black sand of Vayrá pondering the world and quieting his desire to have a son…” I can tell he’s reciting something he’s read many times. “…. for no Vampyré has ever begot a child. A woman, more beautiful than any he’d ever seen with white as milk skin and hair so long and deep red you could not find where the blood ocean ended and her hair began, visited the land of the Vampyré. She finds him and thinks him worthy of the gift of her body. She cries out above him as she lowered herself upon him, for it is known this woman would not lie beneath any man. He found love beneath the woman riding him as he lay upon the beach of black sand and the ocean of blood crashing upon his body. The Blood King stood and carried her to the deep blood ocean….”
“You will not lie beneath me, but here in the ocean of blood we will be equal as I give you my seed.”
“….. As the Blood King empties himself into the woman, she promises…”
“I will beget you a son of life and of death and he shall walk the worlds until the end of time.”
“… She bites him deep, drinking the blood of a King and giving him the power of creation. So the vampire was born for the Vampyré could beget upon a human woman in the lands of Vayrá. With this new power the King held, the bloodline of the King flows with the echoes of time, contained within the Blood Lords, his direct descendants.”
I sit up in shock. “Am I pregnant?!”
“No Jae.”
“How do you know!?!” It is impossible for me to have a child before my time, I know, but I didn’t know I could carry us to another dimension of reality. An unplanned pregnancy pales in comparison to what I’ve just done.
“The reason we can’t have children after we become full blood vampires is because our souls are apart from our body, we are dead. Dead, soulless creatures are not supposed to breathe new life into the world. Vampyré are the only ones able to have children, living breathing vampires with their souls. I’m not a Vampyré. I’m still a vampire even if I’ve been quickened. The only way I could have had a child is before I met my first death before my soul was sent to Vayrá.”
“I could have a child after my second death and I return to Vayrá, if somehow am able to acquire a human woman that’s compatible. All human women aren’t able to carry full term. Not to mention the Vampyré cannot walk the earthly plains. There hasn’t been a new pureblood line sent from Vayrá in thousands of years the conduit between the two plains is broken. It only accepts souls of new vampires now.”
I nod my head thinking. “How would the Vampyré get human women?”
He clears his throat. “The Blood Lord would bring human women to Vayrá. They were cared for and loved and named Red Maidens.”
“The Vampyré used them as broodmares?!”
I’m outraged on behalf of these poor human women, I know what it is to be treated like nothing more than a man’s vessel to have a child. It’s the way things are back home with the Kindred.
“Yes Jae, the strong use the weak. This is life, no matter how unfair. But as with all things, it can be done with kindness. The arrangement was mutually beneficial. These women never aged or died, at least while in Vayrá. Most chose to stay after they’d had their child. But none of the children born by Red Maidens were ever as strong as the first, the son given to us by our Blood King and Queen.”
His description of the Blood Queen rings a bell. Another legend I’d heard before. About the birth of the incubi and succubae.
“It was Lilith?” I whisper. “The first Succubus, she who refused to yield to Adam. And so she was cast out of Eden for daring to be powerful and beautiful and having desires of her own, beyond pleasing him. So God created Eve to be less, to be a help-mate to Adam but Eve was easily seduced and tricked for she was not her own woman and had not the power of Lilith. So the damnation of man began and Lilith was hated by all for leaving Adam. Lilith, she is your Blood Queen?”
They say Lilith ate babies and tricked and killed men. I don’t believe the eating babies part. When things go wrong men have a need to find someone to blame. So, when they decided to write of Lilith, she was always this horrible demonic creature with no heart, soul or empathy. God’s first daughter made in perfection and the world hates her so.
“I believe so, which is why my kind is so attracted to your kind. We see a succubus or an incubus so very rarely. Even the Madame has only met one other and she has walked the earth for centuries. You are my first, half blood or not. Tell no one about this Jae. Never lay with another vampire, not without me there. Vampires would kill to have you. If they knew that, although you are a half blood, you have the powers of a full blood, they would stop at nothing to possess you.” He squeezes me lightly.
“I will kill anyone that dares to try and take you from me.” He kisses my forehead. “Do you understand?”
I nod my head in agreement slowly. His possessiveness not bothering me one bit.
What happened should not be possible. I’d do anything to get into the archives back home and research this.
There is something that keeps bothering me, some detail that is very important. I feel like my subconscious has already figured it out but I can’t bring it into focus.
I sigh, putting it from my mind. I cannot deal with this right now. As long as no one finds out that I can do such a thing, I should be safe. Jack isn’t going to tell anyone, I know that.
“We need to clean up,” I feel normal again, and very well fed.
I hope the blood comes out of the sheets. Is it cold water I’m supposed to use?
His body tenses beside me and in a flash he’s out of the bed. His face is completely vamped out, fangs down, eyes changed, hissing at the door.
“What is it?” I jump from the bed and grab my knife. Then I smell it; honey, shea butter and honey.
The bedroom door opens.
Oh, goddess above no. I pray as I see the six-foot-six, dark skinned man with long dreadlocks looking back at me. Death in his eyes. It cannot be.
It cannot be.
Chapter Twelve
The thorn under your skin
Jack tenses to attack.
“Jack no!” I scream.
He turns his head to look at me. I shake my head no again, pleading with him. I watch as he brings himself under control with effort. His eyes go back to a cobalt blue, lighter than I’ve ever seen them. Not the graphite blue-black I’d seen him with when we first met. I don’t think that is normal, but then a lot of things aren’t normal tonight. He takes a deep, steadying breath and turns to stand behind me a little to my left.
I look to the man still standing in my door. Disgust written plainly on his face. He’s more pure supernatural than anyone else I’ve ever met, and also Kindred daemon. Hell, he’s more demigod than daemon. He’s a child of Apedemak, one of the old gods of Egypt, one of the many old gods that sleep now.
He has a smattering of human blood in him, however, which makes him qualify as daemon, a mutt, a mix blood. Although he tries to pretend he’s not human at all.
No one knows how he came about. He just showed up one day and began training with the rest of us. Like a fish to water he took to being
a Reaper. He grew from a feral boy into a beast of man over time. He’d never qualify as cute, but he is handsome. No softness in his features, strong square jaw covered in a close-cut, neatly trimmed, beard and mustache.
Wide nose, high forehead, covered in beautiful, even, very dark, brown skin. His black hair twisted in small dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail at his nape. He never wears his locks free.
Lips supple and soft. His eyes are the same golden color of Arabian sand I remember them to be, filled with the promise of death.
“If you are here to bring me back, then kill me, and if you’re here to kill me, then get on with it, Beast.” I say with a bravado I don’t really feel, standing on legs, steady with determination to not let my fear show.
I’m covered in black sand; blood with Jack and my own essence mixed together is running from between my thighs. I’m sure I look oh so classy.
His hand is still on the doorknob. I watch as it melts, bends and crushes under the pressure from his hand alone. I feel a wave of intense heat from him, carrying the scent of sunshine. If sunshine has a smell, it pours from him. He takes his time looking at me, slowly, up and down. Like he can’t decide if he wants to kill me or fuck me, the way he’s always looked at me.
“I see you’ve decided to live as a bloodsucker.” He slurs his words and shifts his eyes to stare at Jack. They are actually beginning to glow.
“I should kill you both where you stand for the dishonor you’ve shown, Jaevia.” His voice is full of heat and death.
“Not if I kill you first.” Jack’s voice is back to that growl, filled with his own promise of death.
I don’t know which of them would win if they fought, only that I would lose. I take a breath, holding out my arm to signal Jack to stay out of it, not taking my eyes from the beast.
“Why are you here?” I ask softly, slowly and sternly, I need to know the answer because his response will shape my next reaction, it is a moment that will shift my destiny. Most people never notice when these moments come about, I think I’ve had far too many experiences with them not to notice.
The Beast slowly brings his burning eyes back to me. My breath hitches seeing the heat of that stare. Jack moves up closer behind me placing his hand on my shoulder. That small movement, that small touch, is enough to teeter the beast over the edge of self-control. He stomps forward and grabs Jack by the throat, pushing him back away from me, lifting him into the air and through the wall near my dresser. The plaster wall stands no chance.
The beast turns back to me and grabs my bloody, wet hair; yanking my head back I see Jack from the corner of my eye moving forward to attack.
“Jack, No! Stop! As your Mistress, I order you to stop!” My voice is high and loud with the push of my power behind it. Jack drops to his knees with a thud beside us.
My eyes snap back to the beast, he looks down at me, my head yanked back harshly.
“Did you take him within your mouth?” He asks low.
“No,” I whisper.
Then his lips are on mine, kissing me roughly. I don’t want to like it. But my body melts under this man. He kisses me deep, tongue in my mouth, pouring the liquid burning of his anger into me. He pulls back breaking the kiss, but not letting go of my hair. I sway on my feet from the power of him.
“What was our agreement, Jaevia?” He demands low.
“That doesn’t matter anymore.” I watch fire dance in the beast’s eyes.
“Jaevia, your presence is requested in the living room. Come naked or dressed. Your choice. Be sure to bring your friend with you.” He slurs the word friend, releases me and is gone back through the door before I can think.
I stumble back to the bed, sitting down before I fall.
“Mistress.” Hearing Jack’s strangled voice, I turn. He’s still on his knees, anger shaking through him. The smell of burning chocolate and cinnamon coming from him in waves. I’d forgotten he was here that quickly.
“I’m sorry Jack, so sorry. You’re free to move as you wish.”
He stands up from his knees.
“Who was that?”
His voice is calm but his blue graphite eyes blaze blue, the deep blue of the ocean, color so sharp and deep I feel I could swim in the depths of them, my heart thumps slowly in the chest.
Oh, yes vampire, very powerful vampire, he is perfect for us. I can smell ice harsh and old, the smell of time, of eternity swirls in the room. The feel of coldness across my skin. I want to be warm, what is warm? I can’t remember what it is to be warm anymore. All I can think of is falling into his arms like I’m adrift in a stormy sea and the only safe harbor is him.
He’s using that vampiric hypnotism. As soon as something deep inside of me realizes it. I’m able to drag my own thoughts to the surface again. I know my eyes blaze purple, I feel my own power rush forward. Not vampire powers, lust, sex and all the sensual delights any man has ever felt, and my ability to give a man or woman true physical bliss.
I hold within me the ability to give a vampire the beautiful dance, the perfect blend of pain and pleasure. I stand up slowly. I watch Jack’s nose flare, breathing me in, tasting my power. There is a pull in my gut, my body feels caught in the tide as Jack pulls his power back into himself.
“Jack, relax…. it’s ok.”
“Who was that?” He demands again. His voice is deep and primal, on the edge of dangerous.
Sudden movements would not be advisable right now. He is using his own power on himself, trying to cool his own anger. What I’d felt is only been the bare surface of its depths. So powerful, my succubus hums with glee. We could feed off him for an eternity.
“His name is Lucien, my ex-fiancé. He’s Kindred and a he’s a Reaper.” I answer quietly, looking to him.
Jack sighs and looks away. I watch as thoughts play across his beautiful features. He’s closed himself so far off you wouldn’t even know he was a vampire. His breathing is normal his eye color is a little off, but nothing a person who isn’t looking would notice. They are the perfect hunters; able to assume the mask of their prey.
I should have never taken him, or slept with him, or seduced the seven, or taken us to Vayrá. I should have left Baltimore long ago. But no, I just had to wait around to drag everyone else down with me.
Hindsight is so twenty-twenty. Lucien must be here to take me back to the Kindred. There is no other reason. I can’t keep Jack; he has to go, there is no other way.
“Jack, go back to Madame Valentine or elsewhere if you chose. There are gems in my bag under the bed you can sell if you need to. I give them to you freely. Hurry please and be as quiet as you can. I need a shower, then I’ll go down to distract him. You can easily make the jump to the ground from the window.”
“Why not come with me, Jae? We both can go, with no problem. I can protect us and take care of us.” Jack says still without turning to look at me.
“I can’t. I don’t know where Peter is or Minx. I need to get them both out of this. Please don’t argue, there is no time.”
He grabs my arms so fast I hadn’t even seen him move. I stay perfectly still as his hands squeeze my arms so hard they hurt.
“In what place and time do you think I would leave you? For it is not here and it is not now. Have you forgotten the promise you’ve made to me so quickly?”
His voice was filled with anger and hatred. Something tells me it’s not all for Lucien, some of that hatred has my name written all over it, and it’s delicious.
His features molded with a mixture of anger and a hint of insecurity.
I can understand why. A man that was my fiancé at one time has just kissed me deeply as I made Jack kneel beside us.
Goddess above, how fucked up is that? I’m such a shit. I close my eyes trying to figure out what to do. I don’t want to lose Jack, not when I’ve just found him. I’m honest enough with myself to admit that at least, we’ve made a connection. I feel it beat in time with my heart. It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything.
Like a desperate woman clinging to the tattered ends of her dreams, I let me lie to myself. Maybe I can talk Lucien into letting me go. I grab onto that hope with both hands.
“What did you promise me?!” He shouts angrily.
“I will never send you away.”
Although those words may very well bring damnation to us both, I will find a way. I got away from the Kindred before, I can do it again. But the cost will not come cheaply.
He nods his head. “Come, we shall shower together and then face your past together.” His syntax is archaic again, reminding me this creature has walked the earth for a hundred and fifty years.
The shower is large enough to fit us both. We clean off the traces of Vayrá quickly. I watch as the black sand and blood rinses down the drain. We switch places under the hot water pouring down on us.
I just washed my damn hair. Well, Jack washed it, but still, twice in one night is overkill. It’s going to dry out.
We go back to my room. I pull on black lace panties and a bra, then my tight leather pants and a pair of black socks. I slam my feet into my boots and buckle them quickly. I strap on my blade still tinged with Jack’s blood and finally pull on a tight plain black T-shirt.
I put leave-in conditioner in my hair which is already curling into small ringlets as it air dries. I snatch it back into a tight ponytail and turn on the glamour to hide my horns once more.
Jack puts on a pair of leather pants, different from the ones he had on earlier. These are thicker and not as tight. He puts on a black tank top that hugs his glowing white skin tightly. He slips his feet into a pair of leather biker boots with heavy soles and silver buckles on the back. His leather pants bunch around them. He makes anything look good. He’s just a gorgeous man. I walk over to him.
“Thank you for everything.” I pull him down to kiss me softly and he wraps his arms around me.
