by Kailin Gow
Kalina forced the thoughts out of her mind as she changed into athletic clothing – cargo shorts and a tank top with a long-sleeved cardigan. She swept up her long dark hair into a ponytail, feeling relief from the heat as her heavy tresses no longer cluttered her face and neck. As she walked out of the room, she found Stuart staring at her, his gaze at once mournful and loving.
“The look suits you,” he said. “You look beautiful like this. Simple – natural. It’s your confidence, I think. Ever since your vampire blood started acting up – it’s like you’re a whole new person. There’s just this…power that shines out from you, Kalina.”
“If I have more confidence,” Kalina said with a smile, linking her arms with his, “it’s in no small part because of you, Stuart. If you hadn’t helped me get through all the chaos that I’ve been dealing with…I’d be a pretty non-beautiful corpse by now.”
Stuart stopped suddenly, pulling his hand away. His smile faded into a wistful frown.
“What is it?” Kalina reached out to touch him, but he jerked from her. “What’s wrong, Stuart?”
His face contorted into a bitter laugh. “I can’t do this anymore, Kal.”
“Do what?”
“If we get through this, I’m…I think it’s best if I go away. Go somewhere away from you.”
“Why?” Kalina asked automatically, but her heart had already begun to sink.
“You know why,” he said. “Being with you – but not with you…it’s torture for me. And I’m not sure how long I can take it. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe, but after that…I need to start my own life. And I can’t do that if I’m torturing myself watching you with someone else.”
“I’m sorry,” said Kalina softly. “I mean…whatever you decide, whatever you want…it’s your call.” It was the most she could do for him. “I’ll respect that.”
“I shouldn’t have brought it up right now…” Stuart looked embarrassed. “But I thought it was important that you know. How I feel. I’m not going to try to change your mind or anything – I know I won’t be able to win you back. But I just thought…” He sighed. “Anyway, listen – when you find Jaegar, be careful, okay? Underneath the Life’s Blood, there’s a wonderful man who loves you. I don’t want my jealousy to get in the way of the truth. He’s my brother – and your friend. And he does care for you…as much as I do.”
“I’ll do what it takes to get him out of this safely,” said Kalina. “I know you’re worried about him too.”
“But we’ll have to stay safe.”
Kalina’s eyes grew large. “I’m worried about you, Stuart. Maybe it’s better if you stay here, let me handle Jaegar on my own.”
“No,” said Stuart. “Absolutely not. I’m going with you.”
“But Stuart, if I go…I’ll do whatever it takes to get him to drink from me. To lure him in. Whatever it takes. Even…”
She saw Stuart’s eyes flash with recognition. She could see that he remembered their passionate chemistry – how she had tried to seduce him when he had been turned by Life’s Blood. “I know what you are saying,” said Stuart. “You did that with me when I was the Dark Knight – I remember that. One of my…fonder memories.”
“That’s what I mean, Stuart. Maybe it’s better if you don’t come along – if you don’t take the risk.”
Stuart shook his head. “Jaegar will know you’re trying to remove the influence of Life’s Blood on him – if he’s dangerous, he might resist you, or else drain you to death before the blood starts to work on him…”
Stuart and Kalina set off at sunrise. Stuart led Kalina away from the settled towns and into a beautiful wood filled with bright colorful tropical flowers. The smell of jasmine and honeysuckle was overwhelming; Kalina closed her eyes and breathed in the intoxicating perfumes.
“This place is beautiful,” she said. “Really special.”
Stuart smiled softly. “I know,” he said. “Jaegar and I used to come here all the time when I was younger. We both found this place a real paradise. It was gorgeous – peaceful. A place to get away from all the chaos and terror of being a vampire. A place where we could just sit and think. Plus, there’s a village out here that knows us. We’ve got a special place in their folklore – they recognize us as vampires, but they’re not afraid. We bring gold, jewels, valuables…and in return…”
Stuart’s voice trailed off as they came upon a small village of treehouses in the depths of the jungle.
“A bit off the beaten tourist track,” Stuart said.
It was more modernized than the village Kalina had seen in Mongolia, she noted – satellites seemed to perch atop nearly all of the wooden tree-houses – but it was nevertheless a world away from the luxurious resorts on the coast.
“Stuart!” A beautiful Hawaiian girl ran up to them. “Do you remember me?” She smiled shyly. “I was only a young girl when you came the last time…” She looked at him with dark, pleading eyes. “You came for my sister. She still remembers you…” Her eyes grew lusty. “I am older now. Old enough.”
Kalina couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy as the woman wrapped her arms around Stuart’s neck and Stuart seemed to flush with pleasure.
“Don’t be silly,” another woman said. “He’s not here to see you – they’re probably here for the dark handsome one.”
Kalina paused. “You mean Jaegar?”
At the sound of his name, Jaegar emerged from the jungle depths, a pale young girl wrapped around him. His shirt was unbuttoned, baring his tanned chest, and his hair was long and wild. Kalina couldn’t tell by looking at him whether the Life’s Blood had worn off – but whatever it was, he was attractive enough to make her heart stop.
He laughed mischievously. “Looking for me, Kalina? I guess you’ve found me then. With some help from brother dearest.” He kissed the girl’s hand. “You go back to the others, darling,” he said as she scampered back to the group. “I’ve got some catching up to do.”
Before Kalina could protest or react, Jaegar had rushed over to her, grabbed her firmly by the waist, and began running with her in tow – a run that turned into flight.
“Jaegar, wait…” But it was too late. They were flying over the trees now, and Stuart was only a dot in the distance.
Chapter 10
The wind rushed through Kalina's hair as Jaegar flew swiftly over the tree-tops. The clear heron-blue of the sky seemed to stretch out on all sides, a vast expanse that seemed to seamlessly melt with the vaguely darker blue of the seaside. Kalina wanted to struggle; her mind told her that Jaegar could be dangerous, that Life's Blood could still be coursing through him, but somehow she could not bring herself to resist. The deliciously sweaty feeling of her body against his, the warmth of his touch, the electric shocks that shuddered up and down her spine, reveling in every single moment of their contact – how could she do anything but let her body go limp in his tight and powerful embrace. She closed her eyes, feeling his smooth skin against hers, feeling her blood begin to race at the very intoxicating smell of him. At that moment she was in heaven, she thought – near him, dizzy with desire and with the height, wanting only for him to take mastery of her, to command her, to take control of her body and make it an instrument for their shared pleasure.
Slowly they began to descend, and it was with a moan of surprise that Kalina felt her feet lightly brushing the earth.
“There,” Jaegar said slowly, smiling that arrogant smile at her – the one that always made her melt. The flying had barely even broken a sweat upon his brow; he looked as cool and collected as ever as he leaned his long body against a tree-trunk. “Now, I think we should pick up where we left off...we got awfully close, after all...”
She could not resist his words. Glamoring itself could not have acted more powerfully on her than the sound of his voice, honey-sweet and yet prickly with danger. Her heart began to race; Jaegar smiled and she knew he could hear her pulse; her body betrayed her as it revealed what it truly wanted
. It was always like this, Kalina thought. No sooner did she get close to Jaeger than this unmistakable chemistry began to consume them, to take her over, until her thoughts vanished and she could feel only the white heat, hear only the white noise, of her desire; nothing else mattered but her obsession. She ached for him; she wanted him as she had never wanted anything, wanted to push his beautiful body against the sand and the tree-bark and unleash all her longing upon him.
They pushed each other down onto the sand, ignoring the roughness of the shore, the bruising on their skin. Jaegar crushed Kalina's mouth against his own, kissing her furiously as he pressed her shoulders into the earth. No, Kalina thought, this has to be the real Jaegar. He tasted like the real Jaegar. His tender and tantalizing touch, his fingers that traveled up and down her stomach, down below the arch of her breasts, up and down the inner length of her thigh – that was the touch of the familiar Jaegar she knew and loved so well.
All the same, best not to take any chances. She would make Jaegar drink from her – one way or the other, just to be sure. She kissed Jaegar back furiously, allowing the sensation of his kiss to overwhelm her. The two of them laughed as she teasingly pried open his lips with her tongue, her nimble fingers deftly unbuttoning his shirt. She traced the tip of her tongue along his collarbones, enjoying his shiver of pleasure as he moaned aloud. His passion – her passion – the two of them combined in powerful ecstasy.
“What are you doing?” Jaegar asked between mouthfuls of kisses as she untied a scarf from around her neck, lightly draping it over his eyes.
Keep focused on the mission, Kalina. “Nothing,” she said playfully, tying the scarf behind his head. “I just figured I'd take away your sight for a while. So you can focus on the...other senses.”
Jaegar laughed and let her blindfold him. “I'm looking forward to what you have planned, my dear...”
Kalina kept kissing his neck and arms and shoulders, surreptitiously biting into her own wrist. She lightly opened his lips with her fingers, moaning with delight as he closed his mouth around each of her fingers in turn.
And then the smell hit him. All at once, Jaegar pushed Kalina away violently, bolting upright. “I can smell it,” he said, thrusting the scarf from his eyes. “Wrap it up – right now, Kalina!”
She stared at him.
“I mean it! Stop the bleeding...”
Don't lose the focus now, Kalina. She made her most seductive pout. “Don't you want some, Jaegar?” She leaned back on her elbows, emphasizing the slow curve of her breasts. “Don't you want me? I want you so badly now, Jaegar. To take me. To drink from me. To have my blood, my power, all of me...inside of you. You're the one I want.” She leaned over towards him, exposing her neck. “I love you, Jaegar.”
For a moment, a look of pure ecstasy flashed across Jaegar's face. He leaned into Kalina, kissing her again, folding her into his arms as he tumbled back down to the sandy earth. He was kissing her all over, touching her all over, enveloping her within his body.
“Oh, mercy...” Jaegar whispered. “How I want this so much. How I want you so much, Kal...”
Kalina laughed lightly as she unwrapped her wrist. She brushed the wound against his lips, enjoying the look of absolute pleasure on Jaegar's face as he inhaled. “Then drink,” she whispered.
Then Jaegar's face began to change. He winced with pain, his eyes squeezed shut.
“Jaegar?”
When he opened his eyes again they were red and glowing – the unmistakable sign of Life's Blood. Kalina gasped as Jaegar shoved her violently across the floor.
“Stay away from me...” Jaegar said, his voice panicked and urgent. “Kal, I mean it – run. I won't be able to stop myself – if I drink, I'll drain you before you ever turn me. I can't control myself right now...I won't be able to stop it...please, Kal, be careful...” His eyes flashed redder still. “But it smells so good...oh, the smell! It's wafting into my nostrils – it's taking me over. I can't resist....you're too beautiful.”
“Jaegar – don't you see? If you drink from me, you'll change. You'll turn human. You'll be able to stop yourself...”
“You think you could turn me?” This wasn't Jaegar's voice – but rather an ugly, contorted sound, like a piano out of tune. “You think you love me enough! Ha! I know you burn for Octavius, that you love him more than you'll ever love me...” And then it was Jaegar again. “And if you don't love me the way you love him – Kal, it'll make it worse. Your blood's so strong – it could infect me, it could destroy me, it could lead to me killing you in a heartbeat, in an instant...” He held onto the vines that lined the jungle as if trying to chain himself, to hold himself back. “I'll be your worst nightmare, Kalina – I know I will. Please, run!”
“I love you, Jaegar,” Kalina said again – slowly. “That's why I'm not running. Because I have faith in you. I have faith in us. And I know that if you let me drink, my love will be strong enough for both of us.”
Red tears of blood were falling down his cheeks. “Kalina, please...”
“It worked on Stuart,” Kalina said, “and believe me – as much as I care for him, I know I don't love him the way I love you. It'll have to work.”
“I want to believe you,” Jaegar's voice was raspy and hoarse. “I really do. But I can't risk this, Kalina. I've been fighting this desire for too long, and your blood is too much of a temptation...”
He stopped short. A cruel, horrible expression came over his face: the look of a monster. All at once, his love and kindness were replaced with terrifying darkness: with the blackness of hatred. Before Kalina could make a motion to defend herself, Jaegar had pounced – his fangs out, his body blocking hers, pinning her to the floor. In his eyes, Kalina could see behind the red irises a look of utter hatred and despair, mingled with desire: to have her, to own her, to possess her, to feel her life drain out upon his tongue.
She could hear his thoughts, too, a jumble of words, of images that sickened her to her core – the most horrific fantasies, the most devious nightmares...things he wanted to do to her that made vomit rise in her throat.
“Jaegar, you need to control this. Control yourself.”
“You want me to drink?” His voice was grotesque. “Fine, I'll drink. I'll drink you dry and you'll be dead long before your blood has any effect. And then you'll never be able to turn another vampire again, to put another vampire under your filthy spell. You won't ever turn Octavius human – don't lie to me, you whore, I know you want to. You won't be able to turn anyone ever again.” He laughed, the echo ringing in Kalina's ears. “Things will be better when you're gone. Back to how they were before. Before you messed with our heads, with our hearts. Before you thought you could wrap all three of us around your pretty little finger – you thought you were so clever, didn't you? With your perfect little pout and your perky breasts. You thought you could control us, make us into your little puppets. Well, think again. Let me tell you something, Carrier – Stuart will forget you. Just like he always should have done – he'll move on to other women - women who could appreciate him. Or maybe I'll turn him back to being a vampire....you thought you could emasculate him, make him into your little slave? Back in the day, before you got your claws into him, we were the most wicked, the most feared vampires in all Europe. And I miss that. I bet Stuart misses that too. Giving up his immortality for a little tease who couldn't decide what she wanted...who took his power and then left him high and dry.”
Tears came to Kalina's eyes. She knew that it was the Life's Blood talking, not Jaegar but nevertheless his words cut deep, cut to the very heart of her guilt and insecurities.
“Jaegar, Stuart made his own choice. He wanted to be turned. He wanted what he got. He's happy. Can't you see that...?”
“Happy?” A familiar voice sounded out, sending chills down Kalina's back. “I'll say.”
Kalina looked up in horror. Before her, looking taller, stronger and more powerful than ever, was the vampire Molotov.
And he wasn't alone.
Chapter 11
“Molotov,” Jaegar tossed Kalina aside, assuming an over-the-top mock pout of disdain. “What do you think you're doing? Crashing my party. Showing up unannounced – and with my brother no less! Now you listen to me – there's only one person here allowed to threaten good old Stuart's life, and that's me. So why don't you let him down and we'll come to an agreement like gentleman about what to do next.”
Molotov laughed, his nostrils twitching ever so slightly as he sniffed the air. “What,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain, “you think that now that you have some Life's Blood in you, you have the right to talk to me like an equal? Ha!” He let out a long, throaty laugh. “Even your maker Octavius doesn't have that right – and he's far more worthy than you, young vampire.”
