by K. M. Liss
“Cool.” I dip my hand in the water and swish it around. I don't really want to go back and face the brutal reality in London.
“Cali, come here and give your friend Gabriel a hug...” I stand and he pulls me to him, hugging me tightly. He takes a handful of my hair and kisses it, and then starts kissing my face in a passionate frenzy. His breathing is growing heavy and noisy and he growls against my ear.
“I really want you babe.”
“No, Gabriel, you can't.”
“Why not?”
“Nico is possessive of me.”
“But what do you want?”
“You know how I feel about him. He's an obsession.”
“Just one more kiss then. It'll keep me happy for a while I suppose,” He says in a resigned tone of voice.
I touch my lips against his.
“There.”
He laughs at my meagre oral offering.
“No, I need much more than that.” He takes my face between his hands and starts kissing me again, very thoroughly, like before. I have to admit he turns me on, quite a lot. Why this should be when I've just had hours of passionate hyper-sex with Nico is a mystery. I am obviously embracing the sexually liberated vampire lifestyle very enthusiastically. I wrap my arms around his neck and indulge myself for a minute. His hands slip down the back of my jeans, squeezing my ass and I allow him his small liberty.
“We'll be so good together honey, can't you feel it? He breathes against my mouth.
“Get your hands off her brother,” Nico demands loudly next to us and we break apart instantly with more than a little embarrassment. Nico glares at us both with furious eyes.
“It was only a kiss. Don't get so angry,” I raise my voice at him.
“Calista, you are a becoming quite the temptress, but you belong to me. Do you understand?”
“I do? You told me I am young and would have many partners. We're not mated are we, for crissakes?” I try to reason with him.
“Yes we are. In the initial stages. Circumstantially.” I stare in shock and confusion.
“I'm leaving. You can sort out your relationship privately.” Gabriel gives me a deeply frustrated look and returns to his room.
I face Nico with my heart in my mouth.
“So, we are mated are we, My Lord Nico? It would have been nice to have been asked first. Or should I be the one to ask you?”
“I am your guardian for life. I am also now your lover. We have a very strong affection for each other. I hesitate to call it love at this point, but perhaps that is what it is. How can you deny we are mated under these circumstances?”
“I want and need you more than anything in my life. I would do anything for you. But you are so possessive of me in every way. What does it matter if I kiss Gabriel, or anyone? You know I want you most of all. I always will. You are the one I have deep feelings for.”
“There is no room for any other between us. Can you not see that? Besides, it would hurt me too much. How would you feel if I had taken Sofia to our room this morning and you found us together, hmmm?”
“I would be incredibly upset, obviously.” I hang my head in realisation. I know he is right. He tips my chin up and kisses me softly.
“Exactly. Cali, my love, our situation has changed now. We are together, in all ways. I asked if you wanted all of me... And this is what it means. I've given myself to you. But it's what you really want, isn't it?”
My heart sings with joy. Suddenly I know with certainty that I don't want to get together with Gabriel or anyone else. My stupid immaturity allowed me to be carried away for a moment. No one is more perfect for me than this God-like creature who cares for me so much.
“Nico, I love you with all my heart and every breath in my body.”
“And you, My Lady, are the love of my life.”
I hug him tightly and revel in our closeness.
“You know, I'm suddenly really hungry.”
“As am I. Let us walk together.”
We set off along the lane and into the town hand in hand, stopping from time to time to indulge our affection enthusiastically. We enter the town gate and make our way towards the main square. It is not market day, but busy all the same with people shopping, sitting outside the café, and getting on with their human lives. I spot a young girl sitting on a moped talking on her phone. I signal at Nico that I am going to strike and execute my bite speedily, pulling her into a shop doorway for a moment. She hangs limply in my arms as I feed. I stare lustfully at Nico standing beside us, on guard and shielding us from view. I finish and we place her on the floor of the shop doorway, phone in hand. I wonder what our victims think when they come round. There is no physical evidence of our feed as the puncture marks heal within seconds, but it must be odd to have no memory of how you happened to be on the floor. Nico finds his meal shortly afterwards and I shield him from view, the woman trapped between us. We position her on a bench opposite, with her shopping bag at her side. I pat her hand as if she is feeling ill, as someone walks by. They don't take much notice. In fact nobody ever does.
My eye catches something unusual, three men and a very large dog approach us from directly across the square. I stare in shock and recognition.
This cannot be?
Raffaele and two other men stride towards us. His hair is tied back and he is dressed in modern clothing but there is no mistaking it is him.
“Nico... look!” I shriek in alarm. “Raff.” He turns in an instant and we start to run. But where to? They can follow us so easily and they have their hound to chase our scent.
“Take my hand,” Nico orders. I place it in his as he takes off at top speed, dragging me along in his blurred wake. We arrive at the Villa Aldo and alert the others. Savio calls his manager on his two way radio and requests he brings reinforcements from the fields immediately as we have trespassers at the villa. All six of us stand and wait at the door for our unwelcome visitors to arrive. We watch as they appear, walking confidently towards us, so calmly, stopping a few feet away.
“Well if it ain't Raffaele Carlos Andreas Ristoria himself. Enjoying your holiday, are you?” I taunt him pointedly.
“Now that I have found the object I am seeking, I am finding it most enjoyable, thank you,” he replies sarcastically. “These are my distant relations, Vincenzo... and Sabato.” He gestures to the left and right. They both smirk evilly in my direction. “So, how shall we proceed from this delicate point?” He picks trivially at his pointed nails as if completely unruffled by our hostile situation.
“How about you turn around and go back to whatever hole you crawled from a hundred years ago?” I suggest provocatively.
“Calista My Lady, your humour is always so beautifully refreshing.” He blows me a kiss from his hand. “But, let us see if you remain so humorous while we tear your companions apart in front of you,” He sniggers at his own sick mind.
I feel much braver as five more people gather around us.
“Who? You and these two idiots and your cute pet pooch?” The dog snarls, baring massive drooling fangs and flashes deep yellow eyes at us.
I don't believe it! A fucking vampire dog?
Savio's estate manager Alfredo, raises a shotgun and aims it at Raffaele, ordering him off the property.
“Signor, Si è violazione di domicilio, lasciare.”
“For God's sake shoot him. He's a murderer,” I urge loudly in frustration.
Why the fuck are they letting him go?
Nico squeezes my arm and gives me a warning look.
Raffaele backs off with a low theatrical bow.
“Until later Calista. We shall meet again. Sooner than you imagine, I hope.”
“We're leaving in an hour, so don't bother to call back with your riff raff, Raff.”
His maniacal laughter echoes loudly as they walk away.
“You and Savio should come to London with us,” I suggest to Messia who is standing at my side as we watch them retreat.
I don't want them here
all alone and vulnerable, just in case Raff turns really nasty.
“No, we have friends in the next town. We will stay there for a few weeks,” Messia reassures me.
“I'm so sorry to drag you into this ancient family feud.”
“Calista, we are Gianni too. It is not your problem alone,” Savio adds.
“Oh, I didn't know that.”
“It has been three centuries since Nico turned us. I am of your family. I knew your father, but sadly, I never met your mother,” he continues quietly.
“You must both be extra vigilant in the meantime. Send your contact details to us in London, won't you,” Gabriel requests urgently.
I take Nico aside.
“Nico, why didn't Alfredo shoot him?”
“The gun isn't loaded. It's a visual deterrent, that's all. And even if it was, Alfredo is human. He doesn't know who Raff is, or who we are. Why would he shoot an unarmed man? Look, I am going to gather up all our things very quickly and we are going to leave immediately. Stay here with everyone else.”
He disappears inside to collect our belongings and the car keys.
A minute later I feel my feet leave the ground and my world turns black as something hits me hard on the back of the head.
Chapter 11
I come around groggily. The back of my head is throbbing like hell. I can't see well as my vision is blurred. I try to move and I sway around, swinging, like I'm drunk. I hear Sofia sob next to me and force myself to focus. Once my vision starts to come back I wish it hadn't.
Much to my distress, I seem to be hanging upside down by one ankle from the rafters of an old barn roof. I am completely naked, as is Sofia to one side and Gabriel to my other. He is still unconscious it seems as his arms are flopping heavily downwards. As my vision improves, I notice Raffaele sitting on a chair watching us.
“Let us down this instant,” I command with an authority I really don't feel.
“Oh no, no, no... I haven't had my fun yet.”
“You call this fun? You are such a headcase.”
“No I am a true vampire. We have no conscience. Anything goes.”
“Let them leave Raff, I will do whatever you want, I promise.”
“I think not.”
“Why?”
“I don't wish to damage you unduly, my fair one, but they are expendable and it will be most entertaining to dispatch them.”
I need to keep him talking. To delay whatever may be coming, for all our sakes.
“Where is Nico?”
“Sadly for you, he is dead.”
“You fucking liar.” I feel sick with fear and horror.
He tut-tuts at me.
“Unfortunately for him, he resisted too much. I had to behead him.”
My stomach churns and my heart feels like it is about to break into a million pieces. I want to cry and scream my lungs out. But it can't be true. I summon my courage again.
“Show me his head,” I demand forcefully. I pray to dear God, that he is lying like the scum he is. My life might as well be over otherwise. I couldn't bear it.
“You may not have noticed, but you are in no position to demand anything young lady. You can believe whatever you like, but it is such a torturous state of mind, is it not?” He laughs loudly at my obvious distress.
He motions to Sabato and Vincenzo to let Sofia and Gabriel down. They are then handcuffed and tied to posts in the barn. Gabriel is now just about conscious and they both look truly horrified at our predicament.
“They can watch this wonderful, deeply ironic delight I have planned for you.”
He stands and approaches me. He licks my bare stomach and I shudder all over. He hands me a short but wide stick. It looks more like part of a tree branch, with a chain attached to its flat end and a sharp pointed tip at the other. I think it is a fence post.
Oh no, it's a stake.
I stare at it in chilled and shocking realisation at what he intends to do.
“Put this inside yourself.”
“Go fuck yourself with it, creep.”
“Do it. Believe me you don't want my cousins to do it for you.”
I try to insert it but it is far too wide and rough, still covered with bark.
“It obviously won't fit. Give me a smaller one.”
He reaches up as if to take it but instead takes my hand and places it over it and pushes my hand down hard with a massive force. I screech with pain. I have never felt anything like it, ever. A burning, scraping, acute stab, like a dozen red hot knives cutting inside of me.
Gabriel and Sofia shout something at him but my pain shuts off my hearing.
Raffaele guffaws with laughter. “What a perfectly snug fit My Lady.” The other two snigger loudly in obvious delight at my crushing pain.
I stare at him from my restrained upside down position with thoughts of nothing but extreme hatred in my mind, and feelings of utter agony in my helpless body. “You fucking bastard. I hope you burn in the hell of all hells forever.” His face darkens evilly and I wish I'd kept quiet.
He raises his hand and with one finger pushes it further inside me with a quick hard downwards jab and I almost blackout from the pain. He loops more chains to it and wraps them all round my body, fastening them tightly 'round my neck. Then he unceremoniously drops me down and forces me to walk over to his chair and pushes me into it. I cry out from the depths of my miserable torture. He ties my hands to the back of the chair and then binds my legs and my feet together. I can hardly breathe with the pain of the stake inside me and the chains digging in so tightly around me.
What a vile disgusting demon he is, staking a female vampire sexually like this.
I cannot move an inch. I just concentrate on staying conscious, by breathing steadily, as the barn seems to be swimming before my eyes.
“Bring her,” He motions to Sofia. She is unchained and brought to my feet and Raffaele stands above us. Gabriel is now very conscious and desperately struggling to escape, fruitlessly.
“Let her go, for God's sake...! Take me...!” He screams at Raffaele, pleading for her life.
Raffaele is unperturbed at this show of high emotion and ignores him completely.
“Give me your hand my dear, sweet Sofia,” He orders in his charming and cultured voice. She holds up a trembling small hand and a split second later he slices it clean off with a razor sharp sword. My mouth drops open in horror and her eyes dim as she passes out in shock in front of me. He picks up her severed hand, licking the blood from her wrist and places it on my leg. “Mmmm, what a fine sweet taste.” He smacks his lips loudly and then licks his sword clean. I heave in revulsion and disgust, spewing my bloody meal on the floor next to me.
There is suddenly a commotion which I do my best to take in, as the barn door is smashed open violently. My heart leaps to see Nico, very much alive and with a small band of men at his side. Teo is amongst them as well. Nico is armed with a broad sword and approaches Raffaele swiftly. Raffaele appears stunned, white faced and worried, which is so very unusual for him. I can't help but revel in this sudden turn of events.
“Ah Nico, is it time for the final retribution, mon bête noire? To the death!” He exclaims, recovering his poise with a flourish of his sword. Nico attacks with the skills of a master swordsman but Raffaele parries his strokes and is soon on the offensive himself, driving Nico back with an evil grin on his face.
"Give it up Nico, you fool. You know you haven't a chance against me. I will take you apart, piece by piece. And then have my way with the lovely Lady Calista. Oh, the things I want to do to her..."
Nico's eyes rage with fire and a resolve I have never seen before comes over his face.
"Like hell you will Raff. I'm through toying with you. En guard!"
Nico surges forward with a furious assault and within only a few moments of very one sided fighting, Raffaele is on the floor, disarmed, with Nico's foot on his chest and his sword tip at his jugular.
“Dispatch me with honour,” Raffaele demands
with obvious fear showing in his eyes. He exposes his neck by tipping his head backwards for the ritual beheading.
I am so going to enjoy this, despite my intense discomfort.
Nico looks at Sofia, lying in a pool of her blood. And then at me chained, in agony, brutally sexually abused.
“You deserve so much worse than death... You are sick of mind and lower in rank than a rat in the sewer.” He spits on him. “This is for Lord Aule.” He cuts off one of his hands cleanly. Raffaele screams out wild obscenities in abject pain. “This, for my Lady Melissa,” he cuts off the other. Raffaele groans, half mad with pain. Then he cuts off his feet with one strike each. “And that is for what you have done here to Sofia and Calista.” He stands proudly above him while Raffaele lies helpless and bleeding out on the floor from all four gaping wounds. “Take him to the swine and throw him in their swill. Don't forget his other tasty parts, pigs are always so hungry,” He calls out to his men throwing a cold smile at him.
The others drag him away by his hair, moaning his last sounds on this earth.
In the meantime, Teo and Savio have jointly finished off Vincenzo, after a long struggle, with an axe to the skull. But Sabato managed to escape with a burst of energy, throwing off his would-be captors, who were intent on piercing him with a blade through the heart. He took off at high speed through the door and out towards the farmyard beyond. I watch as Messia kills their massive vampire Rottweiler, which is tethered to a post, by beheading it with Raffaele's sword.
Nico rushes to Sofia's side. She is looking so ill and pale and completely still. He licks her wound to stop further blood loss.
“She's still alive.” He releases Gabriel to care for her while he untangles me. I am so in pain I can't bear him to move me. I whimper beneath his touch.
“Nico... What....?” I try to ask desperately.
“No, not now. Ssshhh. We'll talk later.”
He lays me gently on the floor and carefully removes the chains. I don't think I can bear the pain of the stake coming out. I shake my head at him and stare with wide frightened eyes.
“No, please don't touch it...”
“It has to come out. You know it does. Relax as much as you can. I will try to do it as quickly and as painlessly as possible.”
