by Nikki Landis
That was quite true after Dmitri’s sudden appearance two days prior. ‘We both require the energy exchange.’
‘Blood for blood, need for need.’
Yes, but I wasn’t callously thinking of being intimate with the vampire. He was part of my Cosan. My protector. Being with him was no hardship. I cared for Damian.
Silence. He stopped moving as that last thought trickled through our connection.
‘Vampires are incapable of love. The feelings you seek . . . we do not reciprocate.’
The tightness of his voice and the deepening timbre in my head proved Damian was fighting his own feelings. Vampire or not, he wasn’t the typical bloodsucker. Bonding to me and my bloodline had begun changing him. The others were experiencing these same sensations.
Ryder and Gabe embraced that transformation.
Kayde and Damian fought against it.
Four different men but each was a vital part of our group.
‘You can try to deny it Damian, but you know I’m right.’
He didn’t respond and I didn’t say anything else about it. Damian would come around when he was ready, just as Kayde would also do. Resistance was inherent in both of their stubborn natures, but all four men were bonded to me in ways that defied logic.
The Howe bloodline was strong and powerful. They would each find their place with time.
Resisting the urge to groan aloud, I fought against more waves of torturous agony. Dmitri had nearly ripped my throat apart. I could feel the flesh was raw and jagged without actually touching my neck. Closing my eyes made no difference in the dark dungeon cell but I felt a sense of calm settle on the surface of my skin as they slid shut.
‘That should help.’
‘Thanks, Damian. It’s hard to concentrate with that level of pain.’
‘I know. I’m sorry he hurt you, but Dmitri will pay. I swear it.’
I didn’t respond because I fought against the urge to destroy both Roman and Dmitri and killing Damian’s brother seemed wrong no matter how vicious he’d been.
‘He’s no longer my brother,’ Damian hissed, his tone angry. ‘Your feelings are irrelevant in this matter.’
Always the ruthless vampire.
‘Won’t you tell me why you hate each other?’
‘It’s an old feud. My brother betrayed me at a time when I was most vulnerable. His treachery can never be forgiven.’
It was this precise second in time that the memory of my bonding with Dmitri and the vision I witnessed resurfaced. Liquid crimson splashed across my vision as I brought the vision to the surface of my mind . . .
Damian stood in shackles before the vampire council. A defiant sneer dominated his face as he turned to face the panel who would decide his ultimate fate.
“You’ve disgraced the Rockcastle name.”
“No more than my brother.”
“You’ll regret this choice of defiance,” the council threatened.
“I don’t regret anything. You’ll see.”
“This council hereby strips you of your title, your lands, and your heritage. From this day forward, you are no longer recognized by your brethren. You’re banished . . .”
The vision appeared and faded as Damian’s loud roar pierced the air and drowned the sounds of scurrying rats along with several whimpers in the nearby cells. The other prisoners had remained mostly silent since our arrival, but I sensed quite a few lost and tortured beings.
‘Dmitri caused my banishment.’
Why did I feel like he was leaving something out? ‘You aren’t telling me everything,’ I accused.
‘No, and it’s for your safety. I don’t trust these walls to keep secrets. Roman has probably spelled this dungeon for his purposes.’
I’d already thought of that. ‘Isn’t that why we’re speaking like this?’
The silence stretched before us for several minutes as I reined in my temper. If Damian didn’t start talking soon . . .
‘Isn’t it always a woman that causes problems between two brothers? In this particular case, more tragically than I care to discuss.’
‘What woman? Another vampire?’ Instinctively I knew she wasn’t a human. Dmitri and Damian were far too angry for a mere human to cause such a strong reaction.
‘Yes, a ruthless bitch that nearly destroyed us both.’
I tried to stay impartial as I listened to the hatred and bitterness in his tone. This occurred long before Damian ever met me. ‘Is she still out there?’
‘Vega is never far. She enjoys toying with me and Dmitri. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was leading this rebellion with him. Her greed is endless.’
‘Why did the council exile you?’
‘They didn’t believe I wasn’t involved in the uprising.’
‘What uprising?’
‘The one I refused to take part in. The reason I fled Romania and entered the U.S.’
‘And found my ancestors,’ I added, knowing instantly it was true.
‘Yes.’
Did one of my ancestors save him?
‘In a way. I was indebted and agreed to join the Cosan once it formed.’
Now it made sense why Damian was a member of my Cosan and not happy about it in the beginning.
‘Don’t you want to clear your name? We’re here.’
‘The vampire council didn’t take kindly to my interference in the past.’
‘So? When has that ever stopped you?’
He chuckled and I loved the deep sound as it echoed in the room. ‘Good point.’
What about his brother? He was dangerous in more ways than one.
‘Dmitri mentioned blood scrying. He said we no longer had secrets from one another.’
Damian hissed his displeasure. ‘He wanted to intimidate and manipulate your thoughts. He wasn’t able to connect to your mind, but he had full access to your Howe bloodline. Some of your abilities may manifest within him as well as the rest of your Cosan.’
I knew that was possible. My bond with each of my immortals was unpredictable. None of us knew which traits would be shared. ‘Surely I’m more bonded to you than him.’
‘I can’t be certain of that.’ He was as unhappy with that response as I was.
Silence stretched between us again as the minutes continued their morbid countdown. I didn’t bring up the timeline again and neither did Damian although I could tell he was concerned.
Fading in and out of consciousness, my body weakened further without food or water to replenish all I had lost. My thoughts wandered and the gloom of the dungeon disappeared.
Scenes from my childhood and memories of my parents surfaced. Like photographs in a scrapbook they flowed seamlessly one into another. Tears filled my eyes and spilled over as the loss of the two people I loved most in the world fell heavily within my frantic and deteriorating mind and combined with my erratically beating heart.
‘Cassie, come back to me.’
My heart skipped beats, slowing down then pounding faster, only to repeat the process. Delirious and weak, I felt the lifeforce within my body – my very essence – reach out to me from beyond the veil. Imprisoned within the fade, the lost portion of my soul was desperately trying to connect with the remainder here on earth.
‘Cassie!’
Crying out in anguish, I felt every inch of my skin rebel against the separation. My soul longed to reunite with its severed portion as my physical body fought against my consciousness. I felt like I was being ripped in two as I fought the restraints. Screams launched from throat as my spirit wailed at the torment.
“Cassie!”
“Damian!”
‘Return to me!’ His order was obeyed without my control.
Breaking out into a sweat, I felt my mind and body balance, my severed soul grasping in the darkness for home. More tears slipped down my cheeks as my head thrashed from side to side. “Damian,” I whispered, finally returning to the present. How long had he been calling my name?
Was I losing my grasp on r
eality?
“Fuck, precious, this is a big problem.” He didn’t ask if I was alright. We both knew I wasn’t.
“I agree,” I admitted, sighing softly. “If only I could figure out a way to set us free.”
After speaking so long in each other’s heads, I think both of us were becoming weary of our surroundings. Hearing his voice aloud was more calming than I would have thought possible. “Oh, Damian,” I whimpered. “I don’t know if I can make it.”
His loud growl of rage was interrupted.
“You know,” an unfamiliar deep voice called out. “It’s only going to get worse.”
Chapter 2
Damian stilled. I could sense the tension in the room as it went up several notches.
“Who are you?” he asked coldly, the question accusatory and more like a threat than curiosity.
“Someone in the same deplorable position as the two of you.”
‘I don’t believe him.’
‘Well, he is in a cell.’
‘That doesn’t mean shit.’
‘You think he flew in here for vacation?’
“What you do want?” Damian shifted next to me as if on high alert. “What do you offer?”
“The gifts of a necromancer. Together, we can free ourselves of this prison.”
Damian snorted in my head. ‘Sure.’
“Why would we need the help of a necromancer?” Any means of escaping this cell was a possibility I would pursue. Even if Damian didn’t like it. I ignored his grumbling in my head as a result of that thought.
“Well, precious, we’re dealing with death and souls. Monsters. That’s my specialty.”
Damian hissed as I heard his displeasure. ‘That’s my nickname for you.’
‘Jealous?’ I asked while contemplating the necromancer’s words.
“Don’t test my patience,” Damian spoke aloud, low and harsh.
I think that statement was aimed toward us both. “What’s your name?”
The necromancer was almost suspiciously happy to answer. “My family name is Von Rügen. You may call me Vincent,” he replied with a smugness I found slightly comical.
‘He’s puffed up like a proud peacock strutting his feathers. I bet he has a small dick.’
Shocked but amused, I had to choke back a giggle. ‘What a thing to say.’
‘What? It’s just an observation.’
‘Uh huh.’
“You’re able to speak without words,” Vincent guessed correctly. “Interesting.”
Damian growled at the necromancer. “It’s none of your concern.”
“True, let us focus on the task at hand. You want to escape and so do I. The solution is easy. We help one another.”
‘Do you think he can help us?’
‘Maybe, but I want to know what he wants in return.’
‘You don’t think he just wants to escape this hellhole?’
“Well?” Vincent asked, his voice booming across the damp cell. “Time is wasting. The guards make their rounds in minutes.”
“What do you want in return?”
“A chance to flee this dirty and endless cage. Perhaps I can accompany you and offer my skills full time.”
‘Fuck no. He’s not going anywhere near you.’
‘That’s a little possessive. Good thing it’s not your choice.’
A mighty roar filled the cell as Damian’s anger tainted the air.
Ignoring his outburst, I accepted Vincent’s offer. “We’ll do it. What's the plan?”
“Simple. Tempt the guard into your cell and kill him. I’ll take care of the rest.”
‘Precious, when we get out of here, you’re in trouble.’
Slightly amused, I didn’t hesitate to reply. ‘Don’t tempt me with a good time, bloodsucker.’
‘Good thing I enjoy the thought of holding you down and having my way.’
A shiver ran through my spine. I didn’t mind the idea either.
“We’re both restrained. How do we kill him if we aren’t free?”
“You’ll think of something. I have no doubt of that,” Vincent replied as I heard the amusement in his tone.
‘There’s a way but I’m not sure that it won’t harm you.’
And I was just now finding this out? ‘Tell me.’
‘You’re a powerful witch, pet. Surely you can think of a spell that would siphon enough energy from me to break Roman’s hold over you.’
I wasn’t sure. It was tricky. That was two spells to perform when I was already weakened far beyond my normal capacity. Siphoning was dangerous. You can kill the host and there was always the possibility that you wouldn’t be able to control the power taken in. Once I had the energy, I’d have to fight against Roman’s magic to free us both.
‘I’m a part of your Cosan. You can do this, Cassie.’
“It’s awful quiet over there,” Vincent observed.
“Shut up, necromancer,” Damian hissed, obviously disliking anything the man had to say.
‘You could be a little nicer.’
‘No, time to focus. Do you have a spell that could work?’
Yes, I did. I was already considering using it on Roman so this would be great practice. ‘Give me full access to your mind.’
Grumbling, Damian dropped whatever barrier normally existed between us. I didn’t realize how much he held back until there was nothing stopping our exchange. Free thoughts drifted back and forth across the nonexistent barrier. Visions of his dark past swirled in my mind and I was overcome by the sudden vicious anger that clawed and scratched below my skin.
‘Do you always feel your emotions so strongly?’
‘What if I do? I am able to control them.’
Searching through his mind, I meant to look for the source of his power but ended up in a large pool of blood. Swimming in the depths was a vision of me naked, calling to him seductively. He fell on his knees and embraced me, his lips pressing to mine with such passion that I think I might have let out a low moan in reality. Was this a fantasy?
‘Damian.’
‘I fantasize about you often, precious.’
Damn, that was hot as hell.
He chuckled aloud, incredibly pleased with my reaction.
‘How often?’ I couldn’t resist asking.
‘Daily.’
“I can hear the guards. You don’t have much time.”
Vincent’s voice reminded me to focus.
“Siphon deep, siphon strong, give me strength to carry on.”
Damian sucked in a breath and hissed as a trickle of his strength began to flow directly into my body. The vampire’s blood was incredibly potent, but his essence was even more powerful. My neck began to itch as the skin repaired and healed at an alarmingly fast rate. The weakness and cramps left my muscles replaced by a feeling of vitality that was euphoric in nature. My libido rose as heat pooled in my core. My thighs clenched together as my body reacted to the fiery lust in my veins.
My ancestors, this man was literally everything I could ever want.
His strength, virility, and sexual need flooded my system. I had to stop, or I’d be longing to touch myself soon. The pleasure was already increasing as my body spasmed, my need flooding the room with pheromones so strong I knew I’d jump Damian and grab his cock the first second I was free.
He hissed again next to me and cried out, his own body left with a burning ache that increased his thirst and desires, throbbing all the way down to his erection. I knew because everything I felt, he felt and vice versa. We were nearly combustive.
“Damian,” I moaned aloud. “I have to stop.”
‘Fuck me, precious. I’ve never been so turned on in my life.’
‘Later, my sexy vampire. Focus on fighting Roman’s hold. I need to break through his shields.’
A burst of pleasure exploded in my brain. It wasn’t the siphon. This was Damian’s response to my words. He was incredibly pleased with the possessive way I called him mine.
If I had more
time, I would have deepened our connection and explored the full access to his mind, but I didn’t. The guard banged on the door and laughed as if torturing other beings was his greatest pleasure. Pissed, I focused on breaking the hold over me and Damian. Pushing every ounce of strength, energy, and power I could beyond my shields, I began to unravel Roman’s spell. Interconnected threads formed a tight web as I plucked them apart one by one and exposed their weakness.
As it turned out, he failed to weave anything complicated. If Dmitri hadn’t practically drained me within moments of death, I would have been free much earlier. With a loud cry, I shattered the last threads of the spell and singed them with violet flames. Damian and I burst free of our bonds, each of us rising to our feet with a fierce display of strength.
Screaming, I hoped to trick the guard into entering.
He laughed outside the door.
‘Maybe I should lure him another way.’
When my thoughts turned to enticing him with my body, Damian snarled. ‘No, don’t even think about it.’
‘We need to get him into this room. Quick.’
‘I realize that, precious. I’ve got this.’ He spoke aloud, taunting with his words. “Hey asshole, did you suck Roman’s dick to get that position? Or just bend over and let him slam into you?”
Damn, that was messed up.
Damian reached for my hand and squeezed. ‘It won’t be long.’
“Shut the fuck up, vampire.”
‘Roman left only witches to watch over us. Sloppy.’
‘I can’t believe you’re saying that stuff.’
“Have a lot of experience kissing ass? Let me guess. You’re the weakest witch in his coven.”
Yelling, the guard banged on the door again. “I said quiet down, or I’ll make you.”
“You? I doubt it. You’re not a threat.”
The guard must have had enough. He turned the key in the lock and yanked the door open, rushing into the room as Damian ripped into the side of his neck. Feasting on the witch’s blood, he drained the man dry and tossed his body to the ground. The only sound I heard was a strangled cry in the darkness as the guard realized he was going to die.
