by Ann Lory
Jacques nodded slightly. “I know.” He turned away from them again. “I will find her and bring her home.”
Dimitri went to his friend, his wife in his arms. “Where would he have taken her?”
Jacques didn't answer for a long moment. Then he spun around with such speed that Cassandra jerked in Dimitri’s embrace.
“St. Petersburg. He will take her to his home in Russia.”
“We will follow,” Dimitri said.
“No. Take Cassie home and tend to her. Damian and Christian will come with me.” Jacques studied Cassie's face and touched her cheek. “I will bring Kelly home. She is mine, and he cannot have her.”
* * * * *
Kelly could sense the approaching dawn. Her limbs were heavy, her heart began to slow, and lethargy settled over her. Mussek's speed was decreasing, and she yelped as he stopped suddenly, lowering her to the ground. She tried to stand, but her legs would not support her weight. All she wanted to do was sleep.
Mussek knelt beside her, placing a finger beneath her chin. “I can't believe Jacques’s selfishness in turning you. The right should have been mine.” He smiled sadly. “The dawn is always hardest on the newly made. Sleep calls you, I know.”
Kelly glared at him and turned her face from his touch. She curled up into a ball, wanting to give herself over to the rest that her body was demanding.
Mussek rose and swept his arms wide. The ground churned and roiled open. She choked in surprise, screaming when Mussek lifted her into his arms once more and carried them both into the earth. She shrieked and clawed at him with renewed energy as the earth began to close over them. Jacques had never prepared her for anything like this, never had time to.
“I am sorry, my love, but this is the way we must sleep until we reach my home tomorrow.”
Hysteria settled in her heart, terror gripping her soul as she felt like she was being buried alive. She knew she would not survive with her sanity intact, that this would be her undoing.
Then she heard him, Jacques’s voice whispering to her. He had sensed her terror and was sending calming waves to her. She opened her mind wide to him, letting his love flow over her, welcoming it as her lifeline. His warmth filled her, as did his tender words.
Mussek gripped her harshly in his embrace. “Back off, Devereaux.”
Kelly hit him in the face and chest as hard as she could, but Mussek’s strength quickly overcame hers. She was desperate, feeling her connection with Jacques slipping. She needed him.
“No, my love. It is you and I now. Leave your old life behind and be with me.”
She screamed in rage at him, hating him with every fiber of her being; then the sun rose over the horizon, and death claimed her.
* * * * *
Jacques allowed himself to feel wild with rage when he felt Kelly finally sleep. He, Damian, and Christian were also safe in the earth’s rich soil, but the thought that Mussek would subject Kelly to such a thing when she was unprepared for it made him writhe with fury. He wanted to rush from the ground and save Kelly from her nightmare.
Damian's voice filled his mind. You will have your chance, Jacques.
Jacques clenched his fists. I will kill him, and then I will hunt down Michael and see that he rots in hell! They will both suffer for their actions.
I know. Let your body and mind rest; you will need your strength when you face Mussek.
Jacques gave a harsh laugh. I let my guard down, which is why I was not there to protect my wife.
Mussek was waiting for any opportunity. If it had not been now, it would have been later.
Jacques knew the wisdom of Damian's words, yet the guilt was still there. He closed his mind to Damian, anxious for the sun to set so that he could claim his wife from the man he used to call teacher and friend.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kelly pushed away from Mussek when he set her down. She looked up in amazement at the three-story house that was Mussek's home. From its grandiosity and location in St. Petersburg, she could tell he’d probably been of nobility at one point his life.
“Does our home impress you, my love?” His arm went around her waist, drawing her against him.
“Don't touch me.” Kelly’s voice was low and venomous. Mussek released her, his black eyes glaring down at her. She had thought him a handsome man once, but now she knew he was evil, and it made him hideous. He held out his hand. “Welcome.”
She ignored his hand. Head high, she walked haughtily past him up the white steps to the door, which was opened by a tall, grim man. He reminded her somewhat of Frankenstein, with his choppy black hair and sunken-in dead eyes. His hands were huge, hanging like deadweight at his sides.
“Welcome home, master.”
Kelly tentatively moved past the servant into the house, her shoes making no sound on the thick, carpeted floor. Her gaze made a wide sweep of the entrance area. A chandelier hung over the bottom of a staircase, each step covered by plush red carpet. The dining room was to her right and a ballroom was to her left. There were portraits, probably Mussek's family and ancestors.
“Thank you, Burin. I trust everything is in order?”
The man bowed slightly. Kelly cringed at his expressionless face.
“Yes, master, everything has been prepared for your return and the arrival of your lady.”
Mussek smiled. “Very good. Show our lady to her room.”
Burin looked at Kelly with those dead eyes and she shuddered. “This way, my lady.”
She didn't move. She didn't want to follow that man anywhere.
Mussek's hand fell to her waist. “Go, my dear. Burin will show you your wardrobe and the gown you’ll wear this evening. Change; then join me in the ballroom.”
Kelly gazed defiantly at him. “You are not my love, and you are certainly not my husband. I am Madame la Duchesse de Devereaux, wife to Monsieur le Duc de Devereaux. No matter what your sick mind thinks, that will not change. Never in my heart.”
Her words had the desired effect as his mouth twisted into a snarl, and his black eyes glittered with rage. He shoved her toward the stairs with such force she fell, her blond hair tumbling over her face, and her shoulder hitting the last step.
Burin leaned over, his big and cold hand closing around her upper arms as he lifted her to her feet. Kelly righted herself and smiled at Mussek, happy with his anger, then followed Burin.
The servant led her to another set of stairs, located behind the ascending ones in the foyer and along a corridor to a large door at the end of the hall. He opened the door and gestured.
Watching him warily, Kelly quickly moved into the room, never taking her gaze from him. He bowed slightly and shut the door, leaving her alone. She turned and noticed first the evening gown lying across the four-poster bed, which was covered with brilliant red sheets and blankets, a shocking contrast to the white outfit.
Walking over to the bed, Kelly picked up the shimmering material and held it up for inspection. He was crazy if he thought he could woo her into loving him.
Clutching the dress to her breast, she sank down on the bed, her heart aching for Jacques. The last time she could freely touch his mind was when she had been buried in the earth with Mussek. Her terror had somehow broken through to him, despite Mussek's shield. How she wished she could mentally speak to him right now. It had somehow felt natural for her, as if she had been doing so her entire life. She felt empty without him, though she knew he was coming for her.
Rising, she tossed the dress onto the bed, refusing to do as Mussek wished, but then she thought of her husband. Maybe if she played along with Mussek, it would help Jacques when he arrived. And maybe Mussek would lower his guard.
Kelly sighed and began removing her clothes. She retrieved the gown and dropped it over her head. It slid over her skin in a cool wisp of movement, the folds of the skirt loose and flowing. She found matching slippers beside the bed slipped those on, too.
Finished, she looked toward the fireplace and gasped, riveted on th
e portrait that hung above the mantel.
When had he painted that of her and how had he done it? She squinted, moving toward it, and studied the picture closely. That could not be her; the clothes and hair were wrong. It must be the other woman, Dominique. Her stomach heaved. How could she have someone else’s face?
Mussek didn’t want her; he wanted Dominique. Kelly had known that, but seeing the portrait brought the ugly truth slamming into reality.
There was a light knock on the door, and then it opened. She turned as Burin motioned for her to follow. Back straight, she took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself for the night to come.
* * * * *
Jacques, Damian, and Christian stood on a roof across from Mussek's home, using their combined powers to shield their presence from the older vampire. Jacques gasped as he watched Kelly being led into a grand ballroom, where there was a candlelit table. Mussek rose from one of the chairs, a pleased smile on his face.
“What is your plan?” Christian asked. They continued to watch the scene below.
“To raid the fort, of course.” Jacques tried very hard to suppress the rage he knew was emanating from him in turbulent waves.
Damian laid his hand on Jacques’s shoulder. “We need to have a plan, my friend. Mussek is not newly turned; he is older than all of us together and will not be conquered easily.”
Jacques nodded, turning and looking at the two men. “I have a plan, but it will be for her only. You will both protect her, see to her safety... I know how we can do that.”
* * * * *
Kelly sat across from Mussek. He poured a glass of dark red liquid into a goblet and handed it to her. The smell of blood wafted to her nostrils and hunger immediately clawed at her stomach. She turned away from the glass, refusing its contents. Mussek seemed undeterred as he set the goblet in front of her, lifting his own for a toast.
“At last, my beloved. To us.”
Kelly swung her gaze back to Mussek's, teeth clenched. “I am not your beloved.”
He tsked and lowered his goblet. “Must we fight? Can’t you give yourself to me like before?”
Kelly slammed her fist down on the table. “I am not Dominique. I am Kelly. I don’t have old memories of you, but the recent ones that I do have are terrible.”
Mussek ignored her words. “Dance for me.”
Kelly glared at him. “No.”
He crashed his own fist onto the table, causing her to jump. “You will dance for me. It pleases me very much whenever you do so.” His eyes held red flames.
Kelly rose from her seat and hurried to the middle of the room. She didn’t want to be near him when that look, glowing of lust and insanity, was in his eyes. She raised her hands in the air and prepared to dance as music filled the air, provided by a stereo Burin had placed on the of the large fireplace across from them.
Twirling to the music, Kelly pretended it was Jacques she dipped and swayed for. That she was back in their castle, in the warmth of their home. It was his gaze that caressed her, his voice that beckoned to her.
Would her husband find her? She stumbled as her heart thudded painfully with thoughts of Jacques. She turned and faced Mussek. He lifted his glass and swirled the contents, grinning widely at her.
“Everything I remembered and more.” The scent of blood and wine slammed into her. Her fangs pricked her lips. She wanted to shriek at him, but the pain in her gut stopped her.
“I feel your hunger, my love.” He rose swiftly from his chair, took her hand, and led her back to the table where he knelt beside her. One of his talons lengthened; he tore his shirt open, slicing across his chest.
“Take freely from me, beloved. Let me feed and love you.”
The fragrance of his blood hit Kelly like a brick wall. It washed over her, called to her with its sweet voice, promising an end to her empty belly. Her hands shook, and she clutched the shimmering material of her dress in a death-like grip. “No.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
She shoved him from her and ran from the room; she heard him command Burin to remain where he was. Kelly sped toward the main entrance, but Mussek was there in a blink of an eye, blocking her escape. Kelly turned and raced back through the massive house. Flinging herself through a swinging door, she stopped and looked around the kitchen.
Mussek’s laughter filled the space around her, louder, then quieter. He was playing with her, stalking her.
Frantic she rushed to the drawers and jerked them open, scrounging for any type of weapon. Pulling forth a long, sharp blade, she turned and made her way cautiously out of the room.
Everything became silent. Her heart was pounding, and she knew he’d be able to hear it. She didn’t know how to block her presence like he did, but she’d be damned if he’d keep her against her will.
She felt the hair rise on the back of her neck, his gaze on her, but she didn’t know where he was. She put on a burst of speed and was at the front door in a split second. The new power overwhelmed her; dizzy, Cassie caught herself and grappled for the door knob.
Suddenly, she was thrust across the foyer, Mussek taunting her. “Yes, my love, my sweet Dominique. If you will not come to me of your own free will, then it will be by force. I will bend your mind to mine, and you will serve me well.”
“I’m not Dominique. I’ll kill you before you claim me.” Kelly lifted the blade to stab him. He caught her wrist and looked down at her with a mixture of betrayal and pain; then his rage lashed out at her.
“You bitch!” he roared, the very walls shaking from his wrath. He shook her roughly. “You are meant to be mine. You’ve always been mine!” He lifted his hand and struck her hard across the face, sending her flying. Her body slammed into the far wall.
Kelly landed in a limp heap. Mussek had a grip on the knife when the front window shattered, blowing shards of glass at him. He faded to mist, but the damage was done; splinters penetrated his skin.
Mussek took shape again and faced Jacques, who levitated at the broken window. His former protégé’s hair whipped around his face, his eyes filled with hate.
“I see my wife does not desire your touch.” Jacques’s voice was deep and menacing as he motioned to the blade Mussek had dropped.
Mussek smiled widely and knelt down, grasping the weapon from the floor. Burin appeared, waiting to do his bidding. “Her betrayal is no worse than yours.”
Jacques's feet touched the marble floor. “Your fixation on Kelly has made you mad.”
Mussek hurtled the knife at Jacques, who sidestepped the steel, letting it bury in the wall behind his head. “So it's mad, am I? Very well.” He looked at his servant. “Kill her.” Mussek glanced back at Jacques maliciously. “If I can't have her, then neither shall you.”
Burin reached for Kelly’s still form, but Jacques lifted his hand; her body rose and soared from the room, barely missing Burin’s grasp, to land in another vampire’s arms outside the window and on the front lawn.
“Take her now. Go!”
A cloud of mist began to swirl around the vampire and Kelly. Mussek rushed forth, but it was too late; they vanished.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kelly moaned. Her head was pounding; her jaw and the rest of her body ached as well. A soothing hand brushed her forehead, a cool cloth following in its wake.
“It's okay, child.”
The voice startled Kelly. She opened her eyes, and a woman with skin the color of dark chocolate leaned over her. She wore a brilliantly hued wrap around her head, her dress was multicolored and fell to cover her toes, and a white apron was tied around her waist.
Kelly jerked her head to the side, seeing flames blazing in a fireplace. She was lying on a bed softer than any she had ever rested upon. She seemed to sink into the mattress. Sheer curtains hung from the canopy and surrounded her.
Where was she? Where was Jacques? Mussek? What had happened?
Kelly pushed herself up on the bed.
The woman grabbed her arms. “Hush now. Everythi
ng is all right. Master Christian is here.”
Kelly shook. She looked over as Christian entered the room and came directly to the bed. He sat down on its edge, opposite the woman.
In her confusion and fear, he was the only thing Kelly recognized as safe to her. She launched herself into his arms, which circled her, soothing, calming.
“Christian, where am I? Where is Jacques?”
He gripped her upper arms tightly and pulled back. His black gaze caught hers, intense, concerned. “Kelly, I need you to listen to me. You’re on my plantation in the 1800s. This is Annie, head of the household and a trusted servant and friend.”
Kelly peered at Annie through the red haze of her tears, ignoring Christian’s reference to the time period. The woman smiled at her and nodded. Looking back at Christian, Kelly clutched at his collar. “Take me back,” she choked out.
He shook his head. “I can't do that. You have to remain here for a full week, and then we will return to a safe place back in the present time.”
“Where?” Kelly asked, trying not to cry.
“We will meet in San Francisco at Dimitri's home. If...” His voice trailed off, and he looked away from Kelly.
She dug her nails into his chest; a week would be torture for her. “If what?”
He met her gaze once more. “If Jacques doesn't make it, you will stay with Dimitri and Cassie. If Jacques defeats Mussek, he will be waiting for us there.”
Sobbing, Kelly pounded her fists against Christian's chest. “No, no, no! Take me back! Please!” She fought against the hold Christian had on her arms. He had risen to his feet and was trying to restrain her. Kelly reached out to touch Jacques with her mind, but she couldn’t find him.
Something must have happened to him!
Christian clearly sensed what she was doing, thinking, saw her hysteria increasing. “Kelly, you cannot contact him from here.” He shook her roughly, causing her blond hair to fall around her face and shoulders. She calmed down somewhat and stared at him wide-eyed.
“He is going to make it. He has Damian with him, and he will defeat Mussek. You have to believe that. Trust in Jacques, and you will return to him.”
