by T. S. Ryder
Erela laughed. "We will. And then you will give me a child."
"Yes," he breathed. "I will give you everything you desire."
She pulled away from him and led him away from the field. He didn't even think about his master, who would be waiting for him to return soon. He didn't think of the consequences when he would be labeled a runaway slave again. Erela's light urged him on and he was powerless against her call.
"What are you?" he breathed. "Are you an angel?"
She gave him a half-smile. "I was. I'm not anymore – not since I came here. I'm what you know as seraphim. It's forbidden for the daughters of God to go unto the sons of men, but I want a child. And I've chosen you to give me one."
"A child." Thomas beamed, his chest swelling with warmth. He had longed for a wife and children of his own but was determined that his children would not be born slaves. He would be a free man before he married. His master had promised to free him in just a few more years. He would tell Erela that soon, but right now he was content to bathe in her light. "Will our child be an angel?"
Erela shook her head. "The child will be angelic, but not an angel. She will be a Nephilim and have power over hell. She will be a warrior of light, standing on this earth against the darkness. She will change it for the better."
They walked the whole night and, in the morning, were married. Thomas followed Erela to a small grove and lay on his back on a grassy knoll while she kissed him.
***
Thomas shuddered as the memories flowed through him, each bringing a sharp, stabbing pain to his chest. "When we were finished, she cried. She told me there was no going back for her after that. I felt… evil. Like I had done some unspeakable crime. I held her as she wept and I wept myself. But that was the end of my freedom. From the moment I saw her, I belonged to her. She was my master and I her willing slave – her pet. I happily obeyed every command she gave, so eager to please I had nothing of my own."
Adrielle spoke for the first time. Tears glimmered in her eyes. "That doesn't sound healthy."
"Oh, it wasn't." He choked out a bitter laugh. "And then… And then Samuel came."
"And she slept with him?"
"No. Not then. He came and he knew what she was there for, so he made sure that she could not have a child with her husband. He turned me into a vampire and stole everything from us." Thomas's shoulders sagged, his body feeling utterly weighted down. His legs bent, unable to support him, and he ended in a heap on the floor. "He turned me into a vampire, and he turned dozens more. We roved the countryside, killing hundreds before Erela found me again. She used the light she still had to return our minds to us. She helped me to build this kingdom. A safe haven below the light of day for all of us. Since then, we brought thousands to our walls for Erela to bless them, their minds returned to them."
Adrielle knelt beside him, no judgment or pity in her face: only compassion.
"Touching her was painful, like embracing molten iron, but I couldn’t stay away. And she stayed by my side. She erected the walls as protection against the demons, and we were safe from our own desire for blood down here in the dark, away from humanity. We found that drinking from each other sated our need for blood, and we were able to keep some semblance of being human."
"So, she was able to save you after all?"
Thomas slipped his hand into Adrielle's. "There is no saving us. Not with the corruption in our souls. The most we can hope for is to keep our minds and not become like the mindless again."
"I don't think—"
"Erela thought there was a way to reverse the demon's doings, too. But she was wrong."
Adrielle was silent for a moment. Then, with a shuddering breath, she moved closer. "If Samuel was the one who turned you into a vampire, why did Erela . . . "
"She wanted a child," he whispered. "She may have convinced herself that she wanted a child to stand against the dark, but the truth was that she just wanted to be a mother. I can't fault her for that. One day, I returned from a journey to the surface. I had taken a group of my men and we went to destroy a human trafficking ring that the police couldn’t touch. I still remember how poised she was, sitting in the chair with her hands on her stomach. I knew instantly. The light that always surrounded her . . . It was gone. But I didn't believe it. Not until she told me."
"Thomas . . . "
He ran a hand through his hair and barked out a laugh. His chest was wound so tight it felt like a knife was lodged in his dead heart. What he wouldn't give to feel it beat just once… "She told me that she had slept with the demon so she could have a child. And she was pregnant. By sleeping with Samuel, she gave up the last of her heavenly powers. She became mortal. She knew that was the price, and she paid it anyway. Then Clarissa was born."
Adrielle's hand tightened on his.
"She was so small, so beautiful. She looked like him, not Erela, but I didn't care. I loved her at once and I vowed I would never let any harm befall her. Erela loved her so much. I could forget how she came to us… until Erela got sick. It happened so suddenly. She was gone before I knew what was happening." A growl rose in his throat, eyes darkening as he remembered what came after. "Samuel came to take Clarissa then, but he took one look at her and didn't want her."
"Why? I mean, it's a good thing, but…"
"He said she had no powers over heaven or hell after all. I thank God every night that he didn't want her, Adrielle. But now… she is developing that angelic power and I don't know how I can protect her from him. She's more powerful than even Erela was."
Adrielle wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in close. Thomas clung to her, feeling weaker than he had ever been before. Even when Erela slipped away from him, he hadn't felt this way. If he couldn’t protect his daughter, what good was he? He buried his face in her shoulder, tremors shaking his body.
"I just feel so alone," he whispered, his voice raw. "I've been alone for so long."
"You're not alone anymore. And you will never be again." Adrielle pulled away slightly. She brushed her fingers over his face and he realized she was wiping away tears he hadn't known were there. Then she drew in closer and kissed him, hard. Thomas kissed her back, desperate for her comfort.
Chapter Ten – Adrielle
What was she doing here?
Adrielle dug her hands into her hair as she stared up at the ceiling in her room. She had never been able to sleep with any sort of light on before she came here. But she had never lived in this absolute black before. Deep underground, she always needed a nightlight in order to fall asleep. Right now, though, she didn't think anything would help her rest. Not with her mind rolling around, battling itself and running in circles.
He was a vampire. Dangerous by his own admission. She had seen how deadly he could be. He had torn demons apart.
So, what was she doing by walking straight into his arms? Over the time she had spent there, she had dismissed the thought that he would hurt her. But what if he did? And even if he could keep in utter control when they were together, what about this massive amount of baggage that came with him? Was she strong enough to help him through the hurt he still felt over Erela's betrayal? Especially considering her own past.
Her own baggage weighed heavy on her. Could Thomas help her shed that pain?
She had been down this road before. Being with a man that she thought she needed to save. It was her favorite type of romance novel – both for reading and writing. Girl meets boy. The boy is loaded with pain and angst and has a dark past. The girl is the only one able to reach through his anger and pain to pull him back to the light – to show him he could be happy and that he deserved to be loved.
What if she was just fooling herself? Thomas had pain and angst in spades, but she couldn't save someone who didn't want to be saved. William was proof of that. What if she gave her heart to the vampire king and he treated her like William had? Phantom pain washed over her ribs and the arm he'd broken. For a moment, she felt his hands around her neck and couldn't bre
athe.
A shudder ran down her spine and she threw back the blankets. There were warning signs with William: a gut feeling that she ignored. She wasn't getting that from Thomas… Was she?
She needed to see him. He had shared his history with her, but she needed to know more. Was he still angry with Erela for her betrayal? He kept talking about the darkness inside him… Was it because he was a vampire? Or had he done worse things while he was in his right mind? He was a slave when he was human and had gone on missions to break up human trafficking, yet he had still bought her. How did he justify it to himself? Or was that another thing that he felt guilty for?
She found him in the room beside Clarissa's. It was large and well-furnished but didn't seem like it was used often. The vampire's eyes widened when she closed the door behind herself, and he swallowed hard.
"Adrielle…" He gave her a shy smile. "Hi. What can I do for you?"
He wasn't William. Adrielle felt all her fears dissipate, and she rushed to him. He caught her, making a startled sound. "Adrielle?"
She buried her face into his chest. Her eyes burned. "You didn't deserve it."
"What?"
"Any of it!" She looked up at him, holding him tighter. "I don't care what you think. Being a vampire doesn't make you evil. You had no choice in the matter. Samuel can't make you evil. He can't change who you are."
"Adrielle—"
"You have a good heart," she continued, wanting, needing him to understand. "It's why Erela chose you. She knew about the light inside of you. You think that Clarissa's light would be smothered if she was left here with you alone, but she's a beautiful, kind, and sweet little girl because you are her father. It's our choices that make us good or evil, and there is so much love in your heart… You just have to learn how to trust yourself."
Thomas' brow furrowed as he shook his head. "You don't understand—"
"I understand enough. You're a good man, Thomas. I trust you. I… I can see how much you love your daughter. I can see how much you care even though you've been so badly hurt." She tilted her head back, giving him access to her throat. "I trust you. You need to trust yourself."
His head dropped an inch. Uncertainty flashed across his face. "Adrielle, I could kill you."
"But you won't. You won't hurt me."
Slowly, he moved closer. His eyes stayed on hers as he pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth. Adrielle wanted to tease his mouth open, to climb up him and pull him tight against her body, but she knew that she couldn’t. He had to take this at his own pace so he would know that he could trust himself.
His arms circled her waist, pulling her closer. Her eyes fluttered shut as his full, kissable lips moved from her mouth to her jaw, then down her neck. Her skin tightened as his fangs scraped against and she couldn’t stop herself from moaning. Adrielle buried her fingers in his hair as her core tightened.
"Are you sure?" His voice was soft, vulnerable.
"Yes," she breathed. "I trust you."
His fangs seemed to lengthen against her skin, and then there was a sharp pinch. Instantly, everything tightened her inside. Heat flooded her body, filling every inch of her. Fires raged at her core, pooling between her legs. Another moan was ripped from her as she pressed herself harder against him. Thomas sucked at her neck, pulling everything tighter. She had to remind herself why she couldn’t just start tearing at his clothes.
A strangled mewling sound broke from her as Thomas' hand slipped under her skirt. He pushed her underwear aside, seeking out her clit quickly. Adrielle's eyes rolled to the back of her head. She couldn’t stop herself. She grabbed hold of Thomas's shirt and tore it in half. Buttons flew every which way. Her action spurred Thomas and his hand left her. She made a noise of protest, but it turned to a cry of pleasure as he ripped open her dress. His head dropped to her breasts—
The door burst open.
Adrielle let out a short scream as Madrid and a man in a guard's uniform came in. The guard's eyes bugged out when he saw her, dress torn open with everything on display. She was wearing a Victoria's Secret set: white lace, very much see-through. His jaw dropped, gaze roving over her. Adrielle yanked the dress shut again.
Thomas snarled as he stood in front of her, blocking the guard's view. "Get out or I'll have you thrown in the dungeons! I'll burn your eyes out of your head! I'll—"
Adrielle put her hand on his elbow. "Thomas."
The guard spun on his heel, turning away, but Madrid smirked. She winked at Adrielle, but her expression became serious quickly.
"I'm warning you—" Thomas started.
"Yeah, yeah. You don't want Adrielle to be ogled." Madrid shook her head. "Look, as much as I'm glad that you're moving on . . . For real, I mean. Not with the prostitutes—"
"Prostitutes?" Adrielle repeated. Thomas glanced at her, his expression sheepish and apologetic. He looked so ashamed of himself that Adrielle couldn’t help but give him a small smile. She shook her head. Given his situation, that was the least of her concerns. "We can talk about that later."
Thomas took a deep breath. "After Erela died—"
"It's okay." Adrielle held up a hand. It wasn't like this was exactly a welcome surprise, but whatever Thomas did, she was sure that he had a good reason for it. Vampires had voracious appetites. She knew how hard it was to resist something when you were starving for it. "We can talk about it later, Thomas." She narrowed her eyes. "As well as why it's okay for you to have sex with prostitutes while I'm too delicate for some reason."
Madrid laughed.
"Why did you come here?" Thomas snapped, though his lips were tugged into a smile.
Adrielle turned away and did up what surviving buttons there were on her dress. Unfortunately, more than half hadn't made it.
"We found an intruder," the guard said.
"What?" Adrielle whirled again, not caring if there were gaps in her dress. "Another demon?"
Her mind flashed to Clarissa. She stepped forward, intending on going to check in on her, but Madrid shook her head. She didn't look at Adrielle, her gaze on Thomas. The king was tense but quiet. His nostrils flared and his brow furrowed. Clearly, he knew something that she didn't. She chewed on her lip, wondering what was going on.
"Let's go," Thomas said, gesturing.
Adrielle stayed close to Thomas as they followed Madrid. He took long strides and Adrielle was soon panting as she tried to keep up. That was the worst part of her curves. She knew they were well proportioned, but having two massive bags of fat bouncing as you tried to jog was never fun regardless of however much fun she could get out of her breasts during other times.
"We don't know how he got past the mindless," Madrid said, half turning to Thomas. "The guards thought he was a demon and beat him pretty badly before they realized what he was. He was unconscious when I was called, but the damage isn't too severe. I administered a truth potion, so as soon as he's conscious, we can get some answers. It shouldn't be long now."
They were lead into a high tower. At one point Thomas put an arm around Adrielle and half-carried her up the stairs, for which she was grateful. She was also grateful that he wasn't telling her to go back. He probably knew that she would be a worried wreck until she knew what was happening. Eventually, they stopped in a tower room. It was utterly bare, guarded by a thick wooden door.
A person lay huddled in the center of the room. He groaned, indicating that he was just waking up. Adrielle stayed at the door as Thomas stepped in. "Who are you and what are you doing in my kingdom?"
The man lifted his head. Adrielle's heart stopped. Ice flooded her veins. He looked like he had aged ten years since she last seen him, but it was him. Strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, big brown eyes. Brown hair that was slightly overgrown, five o'clock shadow on his face. She stepped back, bumping into Madrid as she did so. He didn't look at her, but then what was new about that? He had never really seen her.
"I'm here for my wife," William rasped. "I know you have her and I'm here to get her back."
&nbs
p; Her stomach clenched as Thomas froze. Her breath stuck in her lungs as she withdrew first one step then another. She wanted to explain, but the words caught in her throat. She stepped back again, and this time the movement caught William's attention. His gaze shifted to her.
"Adrielle," he breathed, as though he actually loved her. "Thank God you're alive."
Chapter Eleven – Thomas
He had never felt so betrayed.
Even with Erela, there had been no choice but to accept her actions and forgive her. There had been sorrow, confusion, grief. He had felt like he had somehow let her down – that it was his fault that she had to go to the demon in order to have her child. There had been no room for anger toward her.
Now, there was no room for anything else.
"Thomas, please listen to me."
He ignored Adrielle as she ran after him. He couldn’t look at her, couldn't bear the thought of touching her. After everything he had told her, she did this. She wanted to sleep with him when she was married to another man. Grief tore through his anger, but he shoved it aside. It didn't matter. He was just glad he found out before his feelings had deepened any further. His nostrils flared as he smelled her blood. She trusted him? Then why hadn't she told him about her husband?
"Thomas!" Adrielle grabbed his arm.
He would have ripped it away, only he was afraid of hurting her. No matter who she was, no matter what she did, he wasn't that sort of man. He wasn't going to hurt her, even accidentally. It didn't matter how angry he was. She gripped him tighter and moved closer. He turned his head to he wouldn't have to look at her.
"Thomas, please listen to me. It's not what you think."
"Are you married to him?"
Adrielle flinched. "It's not—"
"Are you married to him?"
"Yes." The word was a whisper. "But—"
He took her hand in his and firmly moved it off his arm. For the first time, he allowed himself to look at her. If he didn't know better, his heart might have softened at the look on her face. Pleading, begging. But he had been all wrong about her. How could she have any light in her when she was unfaithful to her husband?
