Damien’s gaze flits around the room. His face hardens. I’m puzzled by his reaction. It’s just a bit of blood.
“You will owe me a debt of honor, Father!”
Mr. Delanciennes’ face hardens at Damien’s outburst. “Then consider this payment for the favor you asked of me, Son.”
Damien deflates and walks toward the far corner of the room. “Be quick about it.” He waves a dismissive hand in our direction.
I watch him, thoroughly perplexed, until Mr. Delanciennes kneels at my feet once more and commands my attention. “All right, Mr. Delanciennes, I’m not sure I see the honor in it, but um . . . enjoy?” I’m not sure that’s the right sentiment to convey, but I hold out my arm, and he takes it, almost reverently, looking up at me with clear awe. It makes me incredibly uncomfortable.
“Miss Vance, Elysabeth, you have been greatly blessed by our Goddesses, and I have my suspicions that it is something much more. It is truly a great honor to taste your blood, even for one such as I.” I watch, transfixed, as he leans forward and closes his eyes, like he’s experiencing a deeply spiritual moment.
I felt a slight pain, like a pinprick, when his fangs pierce my skin. The last shreds of doubt leave me as I feel a slight draw, then his eyes snap open. He’s across the room and behind his wife’s chair in an instant. If I hadn’t been watching him, I would have missed the movement.
Although I didn’t feel any pain, I look down at my arm expecting to see it torn open. Instead, all that is visible are two tiny dots that disappear before my eyes, and a small drop of blood that I wipe away.
“Donovan, what is the matter?” Mrs. Delanciennes’ worried voice draws my attention to Mr. Delanciennes, who is breathing heavily with a pained look on his face. He holds up a hand, signaling for everyone to wait a moment.
Damien appears at my side, clearly having used the same speed his father did. “Elysabeth,” he asks, sounding panicked. “Are you well? What happened?” I look at my arm, aghast. Is my blood tainted? He took such a small drink, is it enough to harm him?
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
Damien takes several steps toward his parents. “Father, are you, all right? Was there something wrong? Was it our Bond? Is Elysabeth well?” The increasing worry in Damien’s voice seems to break his father’s trance. Mr. Delanciennes’ eyes snap to mine, then instantly lower.
“Fear not, Son,” he says calmly. “All is well. I was not able to tell if there is a Bond or not.” His eyes meet Damien’s briefly, before his gaze drops once more. He looks repentant. “I was not meant to try Elysabeth’s blood. It burns with a power far beyond me. Forgive me, Selini,” he meets her gaze looking somewhat ashamed. “Damien, you are a very lucky man. Elysabeth clearly carries an ancient bloodline, and you will gain that power, Son.”
Damien glances at me, then back to his father in shock. “But she is well. You are well?”
“Yes, Son. No harm done.” Thank goodness. Although I’m not able to follow their entire conversation, hearing that all is well puts my mind at ease and lets me focus on exactly what has happened.
That was a real bite, with real wounds, and real blood. What Shawn said earlier finally makes sense as well. Damien didn’t betray me; he was just thirsty. I feel a sudden lightness, and I swear my heart is ready to burst for joy.
“You really are vampires. Vampires. Oh, holy mother. Shawn!” I turn to him and gesture to Damien and his parents. “They’re vampires.” In my delight, I don’t realize how idiotic I’m acting. “Oh, this is brilliant!” I jump up and point at him. “In your FACE! I found vampires. Birthday wishes do come true!” Damien really is everything I’ve ever wanted, it’s no wonder I love him. Love?
Damien delighted laughter distracts me from my revelation. I freeze, mid victory dance, and blush crimson. “Guess I’m making a fool of myself here.” Damien stands and hugs me.
“Elysabeth, please, you have no idea how refreshing your reaction is to us. I was worried you would be horrified, or worse, terrified. By all means, express your delight.” He leans down and gives me a kiss. In a quieter voice he asks, “Did you really wish for vampires for your birthday?”
Embarrassed beyond belief, I refuse to answer. “You aren’t supposed to tell birthday wishes,” I mumble.
“Touché.” Still blushing brightly, I let Damien pull me into his lap as he sits. “Father, perhaps we should continue with the explanations.”
Mr. Delanciennes eyes me speculatively as he sits back down. “Yes, I think that would be for the best.”
“Mr. Delanciennes, what did you mean when you said you were not meant to taste my blood?”
He sighs and looks vaguely uncomfortable, making me wonder if it’s an inappropriate question. I’m about to apologize when he starts to answer. “The strength of a person’s blood is determined by their lineage. For example, a vampire with eight generations of vampires in the family will have stronger blood than a vampire with five generations. Also, a human turned by a vampire with stronger blood will, in turn, have stronger blood than a human who is turned by a vampire with weaker blood. A vampire can feel the strength of another’s blood in relation to their own.”
“But I don’t have any vampires in my family, so why is mine so strong? And if you can’t stomach it, how will Damien?”
“While I have theories about the former, I have no definitive answer for you at the moment. However, as to the latter, you are Damien’s Chosen, which means you were both crafted specifically for the other. He will be able to absorb the power of your blood, where I was not. Drinking your blood was like a human drinking a shot of 180-proof moonshine. The power was so far beyond me, it burned.”
While he speaks, he steadily turns red, as though blushing. By the end, even Damien and his mother look uncomfortable. I know I should probably drop the subject, but their reactions are too unusual.
“I see. I realize this is an awkward subject for you, would you explain why?”
Uncomfortable looks are exchanged before Damien answers me. “Speaking of a person’s blood is a rather intimate subject for vampires. Speaking of it in such a clinical way could be compared to ‘the talk’.”
I turn bright red. “Oh, oh hell. All right, moving on. I don’t know much about Chosen. Please explain them to me a bit more.”
Mrs. Delanciennes continues the conversation looking relieved. “As you already know, Chosen are humans who are fated to be with a specific vampire, their Destined. You are my son’s Chosen. Being a Destined means you will have no true desire for any other. Only your Chosen will evoke desire. According to legend, depending on the importance the Fates have placed on their Bond, the human may also experience lessened desire for others.”
“Huh, I guess that’s why you’ve never felt much for anyone else, Lys.” I glare at Shawn. That’s two of my secrets he’s told. Both of which he promised to take to the grave. He gulps as he realizes what he’s done.
Mr. Delanciennes is interested by Shawn’s comment. “You have not felt desire for any other human?”
I blush, but make myself answer honestly. “No. I’ve never really felt any . . . desire for another person.”
“Until you met my son.”
I feel my face heat even further. “Yeah.”
“This truly must be an important match arranged by the Fates,” whispers Mrs. Delanciennes.
“So, um, what happens once a Destined finds his or her Chosen?” I’m eager to move the conversation away from my personal life, which is definitely not what we’re here to discuss.
“Chosen are rare,” she answers solemnly. “So there is no set answer to that question. The eventual outcome of a vampire meeting his or her Chosen is the Bond.”
“Is the Bond like marriage?”
“No, Lys,” she shakes her head. “It is much more. There are three parts to the Bond: the Bonding ceremony, the first drink, and the first mating.” I’m shocked. What does this mean for me and Damien?
“Come again?” My voic
e is weak.
“Forgive me, I realize this is a lot to take in.” She offers me a sympathetic look, completely misunderstanding my concern. “Allow me to explain each. The Bonding ceremony takes place at midnight under the full moon. It is the declaration between a Destined and a Chosen that they wish to be together, not just because the Fates have deemed it so, but because they genuinely love each other and want to be with the other.” She offers Damien and I an affectionate smile before continuing.
“The first mating effectively lays the Destined’s claim upon his or her Chosen. The Chosen is theirs, and no other vampire can claim them.” Lays their claim? I glare at Damien, who looks sheepish. I don’t want his parents to know we slept together, so I keep quiet, but he has a lot to answer for. “And the first drink,” Mrs. Delanciennes continues, blissfully unaware of my annoyance, “seals the claim of the Chosen upon the Destined. Once a Destined has tasted his or her Chosen’s blood, they will be able to drink from no other without becoming violently ill.”
Confused, I interrupt her. “But your husband drank from me.” I glance at my wrist. “Sort of.”
“That is because I was not a Chosen. We fell in love and chose to take part in a soul-bonding ceremony, which is much like a wedding.” She shares a loving look with her husband. “The Bonding ceremony between a Chosen and a Destined is different. It cements the Bond that the Fates created between them, making them inseparable. Now, the three parts of the Bond may happen in any order, but they all must happen in relatively quick succession. According to our legends, they must all occur within one month, or there will be dire consequences.”
“One month?” murmurs Damien.
“Dire consequences?” I squeak.
“The histories do not reveal any Bonding remaining incomplete for more than a day or two, so I don’t know what kind of consequences.”
Obviously, she has once again misunderstood my shock. I quickly think back. We have a couple weeks to complete our Bond. Have we missed the full moon? I look to Damien. He wears a look of shock and worry that mirrors my own.
His father looks at us both, his expression hardening from concerned to stern. “What is the matter? What else do we need to know?”
Damien clears his throat. “Father . . . ” He swallows hard and shoots me an apologetic look. “When, precisely, is the next full moon? I seem to have lost track of the lunar cycle.” His mother gasps but Mr. Delanciennes simply sits there stunned.
“Lys, you actually gave up your v-card?” Shawn’s eyes are the size of saucers.
“Shawn!” I yell at him. “What the hell?!?”
He ducks his head as his brain catches up with his mouth. “Oh, shit, sorry.”
This is too much. I drop my head in my hands as my shame and embarrassment creeps up on me. Damien’s parents are going to think I’m some slutty human. This is so not the ideal way to meet the in-laws.
Mrs. Delanciennes is the first to recover from her shock. “I . . . I believe the next full moon is on Wednesday. Yes, yes, on Wednesday, the 15th.” I breathe a sigh of relief. At least we haven’t screwed up beyond redemption. We won’t be facing dire consequences.
Mr. Delanciennes, however, does not recover from his shock as well. “Damien, how could you?” he roars. My head snaps up, and I take in Mr. Delanciennes’ enraged face. Well, at least not dire consequences from the Fates. “You started the Bonding process without telling her anything? What were you thinking? “
Damien’s voice is small. “I thought we had a year. I remembered the legend as one year, not one month.” His words come tumbling out, almost garbled in their speed. He looks at me with an expression of guilt. “Forgive me, Elysabeth. If I had realized—”
His father answers before I can. “But still, you initiated the process without her consent. Without her even knowing what you are! I thought we had raised you better than this. I have never been more disappointed, or disgusted, by your actions. You are not too old to face punishment in my household! You should count yourself lucky we currently have guests!”
Well, that’s awfully harsh. I stand and step closer to Mr. Delanciennes. No one speaks that way to my Damien.
“Your son hardly forced himself upon me, Sir. He may have made a mistake, but he doesn’t deserve that kind condemnation. He’s only human . . . er . . . vampire. If this means that we must be Bonded soon, so be it. I would have been willing to Bond with him before I found out about all this and what I’ve learned today doesn’t change that.”
Mrs. Delanciennes stands and envelops me in a hug, completely ignoring the look of shock on her husband’s face. “This is so wonderful!” She’s already planning the ceremony as she pulls away from me. “My goodness, we only have a few days to pull this together. I do hope the seamstresses can manage with so little time. Oh, and where shall it be?” Halfway across the room she turns back to me. “Lys, I’ll get things started. Damien, bring her to my sitting room when you are through here.”
He nods. “Yes, Mother.” With that, she leaves, calling for different people. I wait for an explosion from Mr. Delanciennes, like there always is from my father, but he surprises me.
“I cannot agree with your actions, Son. You were incredibly irresponsible, and we will be discussing this later.”
Damien hangs his head. “Yes, Sir.”
“However,” continues his father with a smile, “you have quite the spirited Chosen, Damien. Cherish her.”
Damien captures my gaze with his own. “I shall, Father. For eternity.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks again, even as I beam at Damien. “Well, um, I guess that settles that, but from what I remember of my dream, only vampires of the royal family have Chosen. Are you descended from the royal family, Damien?”
“Yes, you could say that.”
Mr. Delanciennes glares at his son. “Now is not the time for half-truths, Son. Miss Vance, Elysabeth. Damien is my heir.”
“Your . . . heir? Well, yeah, he’s the oldest son, right?”
“Yes, but no. He is the heir.” At my blank look, he continues. “To our throne.”
“HOLY SHIT!” Shawn turns bright red at his outburst. “Sorry, I just . . . ” He shakes his head. “I didn’t see that one coming.” He turns to me.” Wow, Lys, you’re going to be a princess!” He pauses a moment before turning to Mr. Delanciennes. “Wait, if you’re the royal family, what are you all doing here?”
“We knew Damien was searching for his Chosen,” answers Mr. Delanciennes evenly. “When a Chosen is born, the Destined will feel a . . . ” He waves a hand. “A pull, which will lead them in the correct direction. When Damien found Lys’ general location, we decided to join him as we wished to be present to meet you. I have had to make many trips back home to handle affairs. However, I feel it has been worth the inconvenience to see my son so happy.”
“Where is your home?” I ask, curious.
He turns to me. “We live in Nièvre. If you look there,” he nods at the wall behind me. “You can see a picture of our home.”
I stand and walk over to a picture of a gothic-style castle. It’s an aerial shot, and there are miles of greenery and woods all around it. It’s beautiful. “You’re so lucky. That place is amazing.”
Damien, having followed me, answers quietly. “I am glad you like it, Elysabeth. Someday, you will live there as well.”
“In France?”
“Yes. Our family has lived in that castle since it was constructed nearly 1,500 years ago,” he says with pride. “It has, of course, been thoroughly modernized.”
“How nice.” But that’s not my concern. How do I convince my parents to move to France? Hell, how do I explain to them why I’m moving to France? I don’t really have time to think about that right now, though. I turn my thoughts to more immediate matters. “So, Damien, tonight, at the club. You really were drinking her blood?”
Damien sighs. “Yes, Chérie. The longer a Destined is around his or her Chosen, the stronger their desire becomes, for closeness, for the
ir Chosen’s blood, and for physical intimacy. It is like an . . . instinct . . . that urged me first to start, and now complete, our Bond. I have been feeding far more than usual here at home to help overcome the urges. However, as the desire has grown stronger, it has been difficult to drink enough to overcome it, despite the amount of blood we have delivered.
“I misjudged today.” He drops his head. “It was beginning to overwhelm me, especially as we were in such close proximity, and I did not want to take that step without being certain you would accept my true nature. When the thirst became painful, I went in search of a donor. That girl was of the correct disposition to get what I needed, and I admit took advantage of that fact.” He sounds ashamed. I would probably be more upset with his actions if I wasn’t so fascinated with everything I’m learning. “It was a simple matter to make her forget the encounter entirely. However, it most certainly was not how I wished everything to be revealed to you.”
“Based on our time constraints, it’s a good thing that it did. Who knows what could have happened.” Damien nods to concede the point. “But how can you make her forget?”
“Vampires can read minds, plant suggestions, and even alter memories of humans. However, this ability does not work on other vampires, a human that has bonded to a vampire, or on a Destined’s own Chosen. It is believed that this is to enable a sense of trust in the relationship between loved ones, and to establish some equality among our own kind.”
“Okay, that makes perfect sense. So, would anyone be able to mess with my mind?”
“No, not anymore. Our Bond has been initiated, so you are protected for now and the future, thank our Goddesses.” The look Damien and his father exchange concerns me, especially when paired with Damien’s statement. Not anymore?
“Damien, what are you not telling me?” I ask suspiciously.
“It is of no consequence, Elysabeth.” He doesn’t quite sound honest.
My eyes narrow. “Somehow, I don’t believe that.”
“I swear to you, Elysabeth, it is nothing you need concern yourself with.”
The Most Special Chosen (Exalted Bloodlines Book 1) Page 23
