Anything but unwelcome.
She smiled against his lips and raised her hand to place her fingertips against his cheek. He hummed and withdrew just far enough that they could watch each other. “Good morning.”
“I would have preferred to let you sleep, but I have business to attend to. I did not want to let you awaken alone. The sun rises soon, and, despite that, much is about to be set in motion.”
“What is it that your scheme, vampire?”
“Let us speak of it after breakfast.” He kissed her forehead. She shot him a glance at his dismissal, and he smiled. “Do you not wish to enjoy a hot bath and warm food?”
That did sound wonderful, she had to admit.
He nuzzled her, his lips tracing over her throat. “Unless you prefer to linger.”
She nudged him in the chest. “You are terrible.”
“Was this ever a question?” He supported his weight on his elbow to run his fingers through her hair. “Come. Before I give in to my temptation and spend the rest of the day here with you, teaching you all the pleasures of the flesh.”
Her cheeks bloomed in warmth at his threat, and she refused to let her mind wander down the road of what that could entail. He kissed her one last time and climbed from the bed, dressed in his silk shirt and trousers. She couldn’t help but watch him. He moved gracefully for a man his size. She was staring, and he caught her doing just that.
“Wicked creature.” He grinned playfully. “I will make a sinner of you yet.”
She realized her shyness over climbing out from under the sheets naked was utterly childish. He had seen her in such a state. He had done things to her. Yet she knew she was blushing when she slipped out from under the covers. “I have never claimed to not be a sinner.”
“Perhaps. Tell me, Maxine, have you ever killed a man?”
“You know I have.”
“I ask if you have ever stopped a heart, not killed by your more spectacular means.” He walked to a dresser nearby and pulled from it a black silk robe. He handed it to her, and she was happy to put it on. Namely, because his gaze on her was becoming heated, and she knew if he threw her back to the bed, she would not tell him no.
“No, I haven’t. I came close once. I was in Rome. A man attempted to rob me and to rape me. I tore out his soul before he could. I had a knife, and I was very near to stabbing him before it became a moot point.” The robe was comically oversized for her, and they both laughed at how silly she looked wearing something sized for him. She did her best to roll up the sleeves and tie the band around the waist. She continued to talk. “I would consider him dead because of me, even though it was not by my own hands that he ceased to breathe. He still died from atrophy and starvation because of what I did.”
“He is dead because he is a criminal. What you did was not wrong.” He stroked her hair gently, his fingers then trailing over her jawline. She shut her eyes at the sensation. “What I do and what you have done to protect yourself are very different things. You are no sinner.”
“I have lain with a demon, have I not?”
“You show him mercy and love.” He traced a finger over her cheek. “Those are not sins.”
“I have enjoyed it. I think that is the difference.” When she opened her eyes to smile up at him, he was standing there formally clothed in a vest, tie, and coat. She blinked. “How…?”
He grinned. “I am capable of many wonders. That was nothing.”
Magic. He could transport himself without effort. He could turn into bats. He was thousands of years old. But she was amazed at his ability to apparate clothing from thin air. She shook her head, feeling like a fool.
“Nothing of the sort.”
Yes, right. That. The mind-reading. He drew her into his arms and pulled her flush against his chest. The world once more folded around them, and she clung to him to keep from toppling over when they reappeared. “That is quite an awful and unsettling sensation.”
“You will adjust to it in time.”
The early morning sun was streaming in through a window. She squinted at the sudden change in light. He had made good on his promises, and she smiled. “Thank you.”
“I am a creature of my word,” he responded and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “And what I received in return is a far, far more valuable gift than sparing the lives of innocents I care nothing for—your trust.”
Trust. She pulled him closer and kissed him. He valued her trust, and not his conquest of her. For that, she could not have been more grateful. He broke away after a moment and pulled her into his arms.
Someday, she would learn he could hear her thoughts.
Today was not that day.
“It was not conquest. You do not belong to me like the spoils of a campaign. I am an ancient and fearsome tyrant. I know the difference.” He tilted her head up to look at him, and she tried to avoid meeting his gaze. “Look at me.”
She finally gave in. “You have said frequently that I am yours. What is that, if not the battle cry of the invading force?”
He smirked as she used his own words against him. “You are mine, Maxine. Make no mistake. But you asked me once what I would give you in return for all that I demand of you. I gave you my heart, and you have given me yours. You gave me your body last night, and I gave you mine in return. Did I not repay you adequately? If not, I am happy to make amends.” He purred as he lowered his lips to her ear, nipping at the lobe.
She slapped at his chest and took a step away. “Terrible.”
He laughed and bowed. “Hello. I am pleased to meet you.”
She shook her head and turned away, mostly to hide her smile. “Tell me, if I were to refuse you—what would you do?”
Hands settled on her shoulders. “I would not force you, if that is your concern.”
“Would you kill me? If I wanted to lie with another instead—”
He growled. One arm banded around her, yanking her against his chest. The other hand slipped between the folds of the silk robe to press against her bare lower back, his fingers splayed wide. “I would demand to know what they could give you that I cannot.”
She gasped but found herself slinging an arm behind his neck as he caressed her, his hand wandering over her body. “What if I—”
“No. None shall have you but me. None shall taste you but my lips or the grave. I am a jealous and covetous thing, my darling Maxine. Do not tempt my wrath. Are you curious for another?”
“I am testing the edges of the chains you have me wear.”
“You wear no chains. Yet.” He growled into her shoulder, pulling the robe away to kiss her there. “Someday, you will. And you will beg me for more.”
She shuddered and shut her eyes. He was all-consuming, and she hungered for it. If he would have her now, she would happily agree.
But he sighed heavily and released her, stepping away. “We do not have time for this, I fear. I have much to do. Come, I have brought you here to bathe.”
She blinked at his sudden absence, disappointed. She looked to him, and he was walking to a large metal tub that looked as though it had been recently installed. There was no need for such things in a public library, after all.
Copper tubes ran up from the floor to spigots that poured over the edge. Following him, she reached out to touch the pipes. He gently nudged her hand away. “One of them is quite hot. Do not scald yourself.” He turned the valves, and she watched as water poured into the tub. Placing her hand under it, she discovered he was right—hot running water.
“How?”
“I have had such marvels in my possession for a long time. What I do is not magic, Miss Parker. It is science not yet understood by the modern mortal. Although I believe this particular amenity is starting to enter usage.”
She sat on the edge of the tub and swirled her hand in the water. She had not enjoyed a hot bath in a long time. She was eager for it. When the level was high enough, he turned off the spigots and walked to the door. “There is clothing on the table f
or you here. I will be outside. Breakfast will be ready soon.”
She was mildly surprised—and a little disappointed—that he did not stay.
He grinned wickedly. “It would defeat the purpose of your bath if I did.” He left the room then, shutting the door behind him.
Terrible.
“I know.” He called from the other side. “You needn’t continue to remind me.”
She laughed.
The bath and the food had been wonderful. She felt more put together than she had since the whole ordeal began. The clothing he had given her was lovely. He had even provided her more comfortable shoes and a proper coat.
He was oddly thoughtful.
Now they stood on a balcony overlooking the city. It had not existed before, but neither did most of the building she had walked through to arrive here. It was twisting together with a memory of his past, or a dream of his present. Otherwise, she doubted the library would have copper-fed bathtubs or luxurious bedrooms.
“I am afraid I must leave you here for the day. I will return once the sun has set. My work will be finished by then.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles. Then he turned her hand over and placed a second kiss at the sensitive spot in the center of her palm. It made her shiver. “Then my night will belong to you.”
“I will ask you again, what do you scheme, vampire?” She stepped closer. “What has become of the hunters?”
He smirked. “I scheme much.”
“Begin at the top, then.”
“Well, for starters, Bella is now a succubus.” He grinned.
“What?” she exclaimed, wide-eyed in shock. “How?”
He arched an eyebrow then hummed. “Ah, yes. For a moment I thought you were asking me to describe the process in detail. Then I remembered how uneducated you likely are as to the ways of demons. She has become such a thing willingly, I assure you.” He raised a hand to trace his sharp-nailed fingers through her hair, and she shivered again at the sensation of them against her scalp. “You are not the only one to give your heart to the shadows. Incubi and succubae turn those they mate with. She has pledged herself to Mordecai.”
“It’s hard to believe.”
“I would prove it to you, but she is busy at the moment.” There was a dark gleam in his eyes at his words, and it made her nervous.
“What have you done?”
He smiled thinly. “You shall see soon enough. It shall be the final test you will need to endure.”
“Why must you seek to break my love for you? Why must you pile the stones upon it and see at what point it might shatter?”
“Because I have suffered the loss of too many fragile gifts, my love. I would rather watch it break of my own accord than…to live in the lie of willing ignorance. I cannot do it again, no matter how tempting it might be to pretend, even for a time, to be less than what I am.”
She wound her hand into his and laced her fingers through his stronger ones. She leaned her head against his chest and shut her eyes. “You wish to torture Alfonzo. You wish for me to see the depths of your depravity to one man and see if I can love you regardless.”
“Yes.”
She sighed heavily. “I worry about what you plot for him. I can only begin to imagine the reaches of your imagination.”
“Would you like to sample my creativity?” He leaned down and placed a kiss against her cheek, wandering to her ear, his voice becoming a low and gravelly rumble. “I can be quite ingenious indeed.”
“Come to me once the sun has set, and we shall see.” She lifted her head to his ear and nipped the lobe.
He growled. “Dangerous game, temping a predator such as I.” He straightened, and there was a heat in his eyes that made her stomach twist. “And if I were a weaker, younger vampire, I would fall for your secret ploy.”
“What ploy? You are the one who plays games, not I.”
“Mm. I do not believe you. You wish to distract me from my tasks this day. I fear that I cannot allow you to sway me.” He kissed her forehead. “I will see you when the sun drops beneath the horizon. You are free to wander my home, for it is yours now as well. But if you feel the need to wander the city, I insist you take an escort.”
She sighed. She had no desire to set foot in the city and see more of the devastation she had caused, even indirectly. “You have spoken of Bella and Alfonzo. What of Eddie?”
“I spoke to him last night while you slept. I wish for him to leave this place alive. I have no desire to harm him. If he refuses to leave, as he has, then he will meet his death. Such is my compassion, and such is my cruelty.” Vlad stepped away from her. “Enjoy your day, my dear Miss Parker.”
He bowed even as he exploded into a swarm of black bats and flew up into the sky and away.
Shaking her head, she shut her eyes and leaned against the bannister of the balcony and fought the urge to cry. All she could do was pray for Alfonzo, but she knew it would do no good. A far more tangible god was now seeking him with only wrath in his heart.
20
To say that Eddie was shocked when the sun came up was to put it mildly. Still, he knew the monsters hadn’t retreated. Not permanently. Whatever was happening, he had the sinking sensation that it was only temporary. “Miss Parker, I don’t know what you did…” Then Eddie snickered to himself as he realized exactly what Miss Parker probably gave the vampire in exchange. “But I’m thankful.”
He sighed. His humor crumpled like a flower in a hailstorm. His thoughts returned to Bella. Poor Bella. Cringing, he bit back the tears that threatened to fall. What the vampire had told him couldn’t be true…could it?
His hopes of making progress in the sunlight were dashed when he realized there were many people who were taking the opportunity to flee the city. They needed help gathering their things onto carts or horses or tying things into better stacks to carry with them. He wished he could do more.
But no matter how many people he helped, he was plagued by regret. He should have noticed that Bella was missing! He should have seen through that vampire’s disguise. Was he to blame for this? Even in part?
Yeah. Yeah, he probably was.
Maybe he should have gone with Al to stop Dracula. But he couldn’t stand the thought of abandoning Bella. Only to then learn that the damn fuckin’ vampire illusionist had lied! Of course he lied, you gullible piece of cow shit. What else was he going to do? Pave the street and put up road signs? Come on…He knew how to play us, that’s all.
But maybe, just maybe, a few more people might make it out of the city alive. A few more innocents might survive this chaos and bloodshed. So, he did all that he could, whenever he could, for whomever he could.
If he wasn’t in this to save lives, then this whole thing lost its meaning. Then it became about hate…and revenge. He shook his head. He looked up to Al like a father. But to see him so bullheadedly attached to destroying Dracula above everything else was wrong. And if there was one thing Eddie had learned over his years—it was to trust his instincts.
And his instincts told him this was all going to end very badly for everybody.
He could be sure Al was doing a hell of a lot better than he was.
He hoped.
Maxine could not exactly say she approved of the renovations Vlad had made to the public library. It was a magnificent building when she had visited it before, and now it was as the rest of the city had become—a twisted nightmare of its former self. Not to mention, it was quite easily ten times the size of the original, much of it connecting in nonsensical ways.
Magic.
She shook her head. It was still much to absorb, even for her. She stopped to look up at a huge portrait. It took up nearly the whole wall, and it towered over her. It was, of course, of Vlad. But it was a face she had only seen in her dreams—a man with long white hair and a cold, cruel, impassive expression. She reached out to place her bare hand on the oil painting and sensed a little of the creature who had painted it. They had four arms. She pull
ed her hand away and shuddered. She did not want to linger in the memories of a creature that was not human. There was no telling what that might do to her.
Vlad had not given her gloves to wear. She wondered why. Perhaps he wishes you to live free of that constraint? Or perhaps he wishes it to serve as a warning to others. Once more, the answer is likely both. She shook her head and tucked her hands into the pockets of the coat she had been given. It was warm, comfortable, and fit her wonderfully.
Her fingers touched something unexpected. Something hard and rectangular. Blinking, she pulled it out of her pocket and looked down at it. A small paper box tied with a red ribbon. What on Earth? She pulled the ribbon off and opened it, not knowing what to expect inside. An eye, maybe. A finger.
She laughed. Hard. Leaning her back up against the wall, she smiled down into the box and couldn’t help but feel…she wasn’t quite sure what the word was. Perhaps it was love.
It was a small box of chocolates. Six of them, arranged in a row. By the looks of things, they were expensive. Vlad Tepes Dracula—warlord and tyrant, demigod and Vampire King, the creature who had plagued humanity and sent a third of the city of Boston to its death—had given her chocolates.
What an utterly confusing mess her life had become.
Plucking one of the treats from the box, she looked down at it. She didn’t remember the last time she had eaten chocolate. She had certainly never been gifted any. Even her clients, when they did give her gifts, preferred to give her things they thought were far more “thematically appropriate.” Crystals, books on the occult, tarot decks, incense, things of that nature. Never anything like this.
She ate the confection with a smile. It was as good as she would have expected. Perhaps better. Dracula had left her to wander the halls of his home with its twisted architecture and depictions of torture. He had left her to see to the downfall of the hunter Alfonzo Van Helsing who had come to stop him. Not merely his death, but his utter destruction.
Curse of Dracula Page 19
