by Nicki Ruth
Davina’s heart raced. “Do you know where he is? Is he all right?”
“Um, well,” Lexi said with an upward inflection in her voice.
Something was wrong. “Lexi, you must tell me! Alexios is beside himself with worry!”
“I know. Oh, it’s such a mess. I lost him. I had to get us away from those dreadful demons at the party. I was able to harness some energy from the Cyrillion stone you gave me, but I didn't have enough power to stabilize a portal for our escape, so we ended up in different places. Now, I can't seem to find him.” Lexi sounded panicked.
Davina’s mouth went dry. Marius was sent through a magical portal to some unknown place? “Oh no, Lexi. No. You have to find him! Alexios would be furious.”
“Please don’t tell him. He’ll kill me!” Lexi said.
Davina bit her lip, knowing Lexi was probably correct. “Lexi, where are you? Tell me you’re safe at least.”
“I am. And I’m working on finding Marius, I promise. But I’m not back to full power yet. Did you find out more about your inheritance? I don't know what will happen, but you need to remain with Alexios and trust him. I’m going to stay away until I find Marius. I’ll try to contact you again when I’ve made more progress. Take care!”
“No, wait! Lexi!”
But the small portal shrank and closed. Davina stared at the spot where it had been. Marius was lost through a magical portal? Why was Lexi even at the party?
And above all, how was she going to tell Alexios?
∞∞∞
Alexios frowned, watching Jason stare stonily out the window overlooking the city skyline. He couldn't access Jason’s mind. Well, he could, but something kept him from tapping into his consciousness and rendering Jason asleep. Jason’s mind was different. There was something else there, turning. Alexios had sensed it as soon as he entered Jason’s mind. The effects of the Dāmming was, as expected, reducing Jason’s vampiric side, but was it also allowing Jason’s other side, once suppressed, to emerge?
When Alexios had found Jason dying aboard the ship where the others had been slaughtered, he knew immediately Jason was not fully human. Jason’s blood tasted divine, unlike anything he had ever tasted before. But when he had gifted Jason, whatever he sensed disappeared.
“I know what you’re trying to do!” Jason turned to Alexios, eyes blazing. But his eyes were changed. They were bright yellow with flecks of green at the edges. Alexios stared in surprise. “I can’t believe you would put me to sleep after all that has happened. We all need to be looking for Marius. I don’t deserve to be locked away!” Jason said icily, his shoulders tense.
Alexios couldn’t believe the changes in his youngest. Even his aura was different. There were still hints of vampire there, but the other presence was increasing. Alexios opened his mouth to answer when Davina came rushing in.
“Oh!” She came to an abrupt halt with raised eyebrows. “I thought I sensed something . . .” She trailed off, glancing warily at Alexios.
He shrugged and cleared his throat. “You’re right, Jason. I’m sorry.” He stepped toward him as Jason shook with anger. “But to lose you, too, would surely cripple me,” he said, cupping Jason’s face.
Jason faltered, and his eyes softened. They stared at each other for a minute before Jason looked away. “I don't want to be put to sleep. I want to find Marius. I want us all to be together and safe. Father, don't do this.”
Alexios sighed and squeezed his shoulders. “Fine. I won't. But I need to know where you are at all times. No more running off doing what you want.”
Jason’s face brightened at that, and he grinned. “I won’t.”
Alexios gave him a hard look and nodded. Jason threw his arms around his sire in a hug before bounding out the room.
Davina rounded on Alexios and gave him a quizzical look. “You surprise me. I didn't think you would change your mind about that so easily.”
“I didn’t,” Alexios grimaced. “I’m unable to access his mind. Something has changed.”
She nodded. “Jason is different now. I came because I sensed another aura. Jason is not all vampire, is he?”
Alexios looked at her for a while before he spoke again. “No. He has ancestry of another species, but I don't know what. I don't think he knows, either. So this remains between us until I can learn more.” Alexios pondered this then shook his head. “It appears that not only is the Dāmming causing his vampiric side to recede, it’s allowing this other part to emerge.
“Unfortunately, I cannot dwell on the hidden mysteries of my youngest. I just received word from Councilor Trakkian that none of his patrols in the other imperial states have detected Marius. I worry he may have been taken by the bulcrags, but Trakkian assures me that infrared scans of their home planet picked up nothing.”
Alexios suddenly threw the chair before him across the room. He refused to believe Marius was lost to him.
Davina took a step back, then said shakily, “Alexios. I have something to tell you, but you must promise me to remain calm.” She paused. “It's about Marius.”
∞∞∞
Amelagar was at the limit of his patience. He was certain his bastard sireling had something to do with the girl’s disappearance since he couldn't detect either of them. The final preparations for the Zharoil were almost done. He just needed the girl. Alexios was so self-righteous with indignation; Amelagar regretted not draining him years ago. His one impulsive decision was now becoming a pain in his ass!
Where had Alexios spirited her away to? If only he’d made a sire bond with Alexios then he would be able to find the whelp anywhere. Well, that would be one of the first orders of business once he obtained the Zharoil: remaking the very fabric of Damurian bonds. He would have all pledge allegiance to and bond with him. Dissent would not be tolerated. No vampire would elude him. In return, he’ll reward his most loyal, and return his race to their revered status.
Amelagar thought of his options then grinned wickedly. If he couldn't find them, well, he would present his thespians with one act they couldn’t refuse.
Chapter 32
Davina massaged Alexios’ shoulders as he slumped over, head in his hands, taking deep, even breaths. He had not taken Lexi’s information well at all. She had stayed well out of his way while he raged. Energy had spiraled throughout the room, toppling over shelves and cracking the glass window. She was thankful the Dāmming had diminished his gifts, otherwise the room, even the building, would have suffered much worse.
“I know you worry, but she’ll find him. There are ways to trace a person’s energy through portals,” she said gently into his ear as her hand moved across his back.
As if coming out of a daze, he turned to her, eyes burning red with emotion. She stared back, hands still soothing him. He closed his eyes and opened them again, then pulled her onto his lap. Davina felt his agitation and fear through their connection, the two emotions tangling viciously with each other, threatening to overwhelm and choke him. She stroked the back of his neck and leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. He trembled at the soft touch.
She pulled back to see surprise on his face, soon replaced by the fierce intensity she had come to adore. He made a deep, strangled sound in his throat and pulled her against his chest, crushing his lips to hers. A satisfied purr escaped her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, securing him against her chest as he ravaged her mouth. Like a whirlwind, he lay waste to the harnesses that restrained her passion. He tore through her defenses, ripping forth her burning desire for him. She surrendered to the storm, to him, and all his unspoken need. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue marked her.
His hands moved quickly over her, shredding her clothes from her body. Davina pawed at him, tugging at his pants. He repositioned her on his lap, never once breaking from their searing kiss. She pierced her tongue, flooding his mouth with her blood, and his moan reverberated through his body as he became more frenzied against her. Davina mewled in response, urging him on. His wa
rm hands slipped between her legs and she threw her head back, savoring his touch as his fingers explored her, stroked her.
By the gods, Alexios! He made her feel so good, knew just what she wanted. Torrents of pleasure slithered up her spine, rendering her limbs languid in his arms. His lips sucked at the thin skin at her neck, and she gasped as he breached her, slipping a finger into her heat. Her body responded immediately riding his hand, seeking to be filled fully.
“I need you,” she panted. “Now.”
He growled savagely, nipping her breast with his fangs. A jolt of lightning ignited her, and her body jerked.
“Please, now,” she demanded breathlessly, gripping his shoulders as his tongue and fingers rocketed her to meteoric ecstasy where she was robbed of thought and breath.
Alexios grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head backward. His fangs struck into her neck as he thrust his rigid length deep into her with one firm stroke. She cried out in blissful surprise at the dual penetration. He was slick and thick, sliding into her, filling her deliciously, building incredible friction.
Alexios took her hard and rough, slamming into her at a furious pace. In and out he pounded without missing a stroke. She held on, her claws sinking into his back and giving back as much as he took. He adjusted his angle, inching up above her, rotating his hips and thrusting against her in all the right places, making her cry out. Davina moaned as he drove her to her peak, and soon she felt tingling pinpricks of pleasure spiraling to her impending climax. Alexios’ fangs were still buried in her neck, taking her both ways with a multitude of unbridled, euphoric explosions. He gripped her hips tightly, claws breaking skin, his thrusts harder and deeper.
“Yes, I’m so . . . close!” she panted breathlessly.
He too was close to finding release. Alexios tipped his head back with a groan and made eye contact with Davina, his mouth and fangs smeared with her blood, some escaping his reddened lips. His eyes were red and unfocused, hazy with lust and want. He growled loudly again, and she bit her lower lip, trying to stifle another lusty moan as she gazed at the magnificence of him. He was wild and unabashed, honed restraint long gone as he continued his relentless drive into her. She was completely in his thrall, hooked on the delirium he fed to her. She adored this frenzied side of her vampire guardian.
Davina arched back as she erupted, bursts of light glittering across her eyelids. Alexios kept thrusting through her orgasm, then gasped, jerking still as his warmth pumped into her. After a few moments, he slumped over her, breathing hard, completely spent. They held each other close, coming down from their euphoria.
Davina smiled, savoring their shared moment. She resumed caressing his shoulders and back as he shuddered against her. He murmured into her neck, yet she said nothing, allowing him to regain himself. Davina smiled in lightheaded amusement. She enjoyed Alexios, the feel of him against her and within her. He had engulfed her totally, submerging her into his warm abyss, one that offered her safe haven. This is what she needed, what she craved, and she felt flickers of excitement at what lay ahead for them. She laughed softly to herself.
“What’s funny?” Alexios murmured groggily.
“To think, we could have been having this kind of fun all this time, but you had been trying so hard to deny me.”
Davina tilted her head and grinned at the dazed Alexios, who flushed and smiled into their embrace. Once this turmoil with his sire and Marius was done, they would be able to explore all that was between them.
∞∞∞
Alexios held Davina, savoring her soothing touch. He had lost control and took her hard, but from the look on her face and the incredible sounds she had made, she had taken delight in it. He didn't want to let her go, didn't want to separate from her, but he had preparations to make for his sire and for Marius.
He sighed and reluctantly eased from her hold. She smiled, her bright, golden eyes peering at him. She wiped something from his chin with her finger, which she then put into his mouth. He tasted her delicious blood. He couldn’t help but smile; he really had lost control, he thought as he looked at her still-bloodied neck. He leaned forward and flicked his tongue over her skin, lapping up the remnants of her blood.
“Drink,” he said in a voice he didn’t recognize as his own.
She nodded and pierced his neck. Alexios loved the little purring sounds she made as she drank. He felt that sublime satisfaction vampires experienced providing their sacred essence to those they loved. Alexios knew he was selfish in demanding that Davina feed from him only, but he couldn't bear to think of her fangs in another or having anyone else taste her sweetness. She was his; he knew it in the core of his being, had known it ever since he first laid eyes on her all those years ago. Knowing fate had brought them together gave him hope that he could truly lay claim to her. But she was his queen and the queen of a nation; she was not his to have alone.
Davina released his neck, licking her lips. She raised her eyebrows. “I feel your anxiety. What are you thinking?”
“Of you. Of what this all means, you being here with me,” he replied softly, caressing her face.
“I don’t know what it means, but I like where it's going.” Davina grinned, then laughed at his surprised expression.
Alexios, feeling relaxed and sated, laughed too.
∞∞∞
Davina heard it before she felt it—screams of terror and a searing pain that sliced across her chest. She jerked awake clutching her chest. It was dark, but she gradually recognized the room she had been staying in for the past couple of days. She didn’t sense any other presence, but the cries sounded again. Her heart raced, and her claws unsheathed themselves.
She jumped out of bed and ran to find Alexios, sensing him further down the hall. Shouts of pain and pleading grew louder, yet they sounded far away, like an echo lost on the wind. She charged into Alexios’ room, and he sprang upright. He had fallen asleep on a sofa, covered with maps and books. She panted in front of him, doubling over as another searing pain tore a cry from her.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Lurching to his feet, he caught her as she fell over. He looked over her for an injury, eyes now filled with concern.
“Don't you hear it? Are they dying?” she asked wildly looking about the room. She grimaced. “I feel them, their pain.”
“I don’t hear anything. Who’s dying?” Alexios gripped her shoulders, almost shaking her. “Take a deep breath and sit down.” He guided her to the sofa, sweeping its contents to the floor to make room.
Fear and adrenaline coursed through her, causing her head to throb. Davina took in several gulps of air to still her heaving chest, closing her eyes.
You should enjoy the sounds of their suffering, bathing in their blood, my child, a voice whispered to her. But their weakness is yours and causes you to share their pain. Come, end the pain, and let us join in the chorus of despair.
She had heard that voice not so long ago—the dark specter that dwelled within her, haunting her.
“No, I’m not a monster!” she cried out, shaking her head.
Her outburst startled Alexios. “Of course you’re not a monster,” he said, hugging her gently.
She pulled away from him and rose shakily to her feet. “Something is happening.” She turned to him. “Many vampires are dying right now. I feel them!”
Alexios looked at her quizzically. “You feel them? How?”
“I don’t know. I just do. Something is happening. Their . . .” Davina trailed off as a thought came to her. She remembered the dancing, crimson lights connected to her by thin threads. Did she feel their pain through those threads? She frowned. She was bonded to all the crimson lights she had seen—the people of Damurios.
Panic swelled within her. Many were fading. No! Another stabbing pain struck her side, and she stumbled, but Alexios was there to hold her.
“Davina, tell me what is happening!”
“Father, what’s wrong?” Jason approached from the doorway, but his presen
ce made the hairs on her neck stand on end. She looked up at Jason and jerked back. His aura was a huge frame around him, and he seemed to be glowing with such magnificence it seemed to swallow the room.
“What’s wrong?” Jason frowned, stepping closer.
She stepped back from him. Alexios only looked at her with heavy disquiet in his eyes. Did he not notice Jason’s aura?
“OK, let’s get you back to bed and figure out what’s to be done,” Alexios said. He took her gently by the shoulders and ushered her to the hall when a buzzer chimed. He nodded at Jason to answer.
“Alexios, wait,” Davina pleaded. “Something terrible is happening to them. I can't explain how I know. I just do!”
Alexios nodded. “We’ll find out what’s happening, I assure you . . .”
“Father!” Jason yelled. “Brandr says Tairos District is under attack. He thinks it could be the work of your sire.”
“Tell Brandr to get back here now!” Alexios barked.
Jason relayed the message into the thin communication device by his ear.
A moment later, Brandr shimmered into the room. “It’s bad. Bulcrags and mercenaries in Tairos. Even the city’s squadron is no match. They’re sending reinforcements from an imperial substation now.”
“I have to go there!” Davina cried. Alexios stiffened, but this was something she needed to do. Their cries called out to her. They needed her.
“If Amelagar is behind this, we cannot go there blindly—on his terms, his playing field,” Brandr said, glaring at Davina. “We need to have a plan.”
Alexios shook his head. “Brandr is right. We cannot rush in without a strategy. Maybe this is what he wants us to do. Tairos has a sizable force from the empire; they should be able to keep him at bay for some time.”
“I understand,” Davina said. “We do need a plan. You come up with one and meet me there.” With that she shimmered from the room, but not before she saw Alexios’ startled face.
