Forbidden Touch

by K. S. Haigwood

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  Chapter 59

  Dane's Father didn't move from his seated position in his chair when they walked in. The guy appeared to be in his early forties. Only very few gray hairs in his deep brown hair indicated that. He had been a small male as a human, and he didn't look any different now as a vampire. He would never look old. No mortal would suspect his real age. Vampires could only guess because of his wisdom. Dane knew his Father was over a thousand years old. It wasn't a secret, but age didn't really matter to a vampire much. When you never died, why count the years passing by? It seemed a little pointless to celebrate something as simple as birthdays. "Nia dear, our children have arrived," he said without lowering the newspaper that he was reading.

  Nia came into the living quarters from her bedroom chambers. Their Parents did not share bed room chambers, let alone beds. Being a Parent was their task or Job, and did not require them to be intimate with each other. Although Dane knew that his Father wished it were so. Nia was very beautiful. She had long, coal black hair and eyes just as dark. She was almost four inches taller than his Father, and built like a warrior Princess, with the heart of one to boot. There was no gray in Nia's hair. She looked no older than twenty-five, but her true age was actually a few centuries older than his Father's.

  She looked in the huge mirror that hung on the wall beside the mantle and admired herself. One of her slender ivory fingers tucked her long hair behind her left ear to show off the latest gift his Father had bought for her. "Yes Dante, it seems as though you are right." She looked over to Dane and Ciera. "However did you travel so fast? We weren't expecting you for at least another three or four hours."

  "We used Ciera's invisibility and took a plane. It seems that she can cover two other people with her skill, as well as herself," Dane said.

  "Interesting," Nia glanced at Lenya, and eyed her with curiosity. "And who is this?"

  Lenya curtsied. "My name is Lenya, Ma'am. I am from Utah. Ciera thought my skill may be of some use by distracting Lazarus."

  Dante put the paper down then, and Nia raised an eyebrow. "I am listening."

  Dane and Ciera watched in horror, as it became evident that Nia wanted to run her hands all over Lenya's body, and that she didn't want to stop there. "Lenya, stop!" Ciera shouted, but Dane took matters into his own hands and tackled her to the plush carpet.

  Lenya's laugh brought Nia out of her trance-like state.

  Dante stood and walked swiftly to his company. "What the hell is going on here? What did you do to my wife?"

  Nia stepped a little closer to Dante and laid her hand on his chest gently, but she was looking at Lenya. "It is all right Dante. She did not hurt me." She focused on Lenya with curiosity. "But I am very curious as to what she did do." She moved her head a fraction, and Dane let go of Lenya. He didn't help her up, but she didn't expect that he would. "What is your skill, my child?"

  Lenya shrugged. "I can look into any heart and sense their feelings and desires." She smiled a mischievous grin then. "And I can make anybody feel whatever I want them to feel."

  "You could have told her. You didn't have to show her. She would have no choice but to believe it. She is a living lie detector," Dane said.

  "Oh," Lenya smiled nervously. "I wasn't aware. Most people do not believe me until they have experienced it for themselves.

  Nia's eyes were dancing with amazement. "Do not fret, my dear. I rather enjoyed the thrill. Nothing has captivated me more in quite some time." Nobody missed the flicker of eye movement that was directed in Dante's direction. "Your skill could be rather useful here tonight, and also in the future if you decide that you would like to stay here with us. We could always use someone with your talent in the family."

  Dane stepped forward. "Mother, I do not think…"

  "I do not pay you to think Dane. The option is for Lenya," Nia said, and Dante walked up beside her with shining eyes as well.

  "Your skill is magnificent," Dante said. "To control the emotions of others; to make someone love you." His features turned a little sad around the corners of his eyes. "I would give up just about anything to have your skill for only five minutes, my dear." He took Lenya's hand in his and brushed a light kiss over her knuckles.

  It was no secret that Dante was in love with Nia. But she not only did not return his feelings, she dangled herself in front of him like a piece of candy being kept out of reach from a diabetic.

  Lenya shook her head. "It isn't as great as it seems. It only lasts as long as you are using it. Believe me when I say that it has caused me much pain over these many years. I have lost more than I have gained, I assure you." And Ciera didn't miss the sad eyes, and the quick look that she gave Dane. Had she tried to make him love her in the past and it backfired? Did she love him now?

  Dante shook his head a little. "Yes, I can see how a skill like this could get an individual into much trouble." He seemed to be thinking for a moment, then he looked back up at the small group, and nodded. "Nyual will be here with his family not long after sundown. I think he will find that you will be very useful to his family tonight." Dante took a step back, then glanced at Ciera. "Everyone is dismissed except for Ciera. Dane, will you show Miss Lenya to a guestroom, please?"

  "But, Father, Ciera may need me …" Dane began, but Dante's eyes were as cold as ice as he glanced at Dane. Dane went very still and silent.

  "To help her lie?" Dante asked.

  "No, sir, we wouldn't be so bold, but Ciera isn't at fault here, Father," Dane said.

  "Well, that was almost the truth," Nia said.

  Dane put his hands on his hips and sighed. "I am the reason that any of this has happened. Not the murders, but …"

  Ciera walked in front of Dane to beg him to stop, but Dante took a step forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. She instantly froze under his touch. She couldn't move. She couldn't even feel her body standing under her Father's hand. She couldn't move her eyes and plead for Dane not to say anything further. She knew that he was seeing a blank expression on her face; she had seen this many times before with other vampires that her Father had touched. Many times they would tell her, later on, that they had been in severe pain, but she couldn't feel anything.

  Dante shook his head slowly. "Dane, Dane, Dane." Dante could see the anguish in his son's eyes. And he also knew that torturing Ciera would be the only way to get him to talk. He wasn't really causing her any pain, but Dane wasn't aware of that fact. He could tell that Dane really loved her. Everyone in the family knew how the guy pined for the vampess under his hand. He had chosen well, but he had thought that Ciera had never returned those feelings he had for her. Maybe things had changed, he thought. "Tell me that you have not dishonored the Family for love, my son."

  Dane looked back to Ciera and wanted to help her, but there was nothing that he could do against his Father's skill. He wasn't even fast enough to grab her and run. The ancient vampire would crush him before he even made it out of the room. It didn't matter that his Father considered him the best in the family. There were many vampires in the world with the skill of psychic clairvoyance. He could find another Dane, but he would never find another Ciera. He couldn't let her take any of the repercussion for his actions.

  Dane met his Father's eyes without flinching. "What would you do to win the love of Nia, Father? If I had it to do over, I will admit that there are things I would change. But nothing, and I mean nothing," he growled, "would have kept me from trying to win Ciera's affections. Not … Even … Family." Dane was breathing hard with rage. He knew if he made a move on his Father, he would end up ashes, but seeing him there smiling, with his hand on Ciera's shoulder, made him want to rip his freaking head off his neck.

  "It pains me so to hear that," he said, and shook his head slowly as he looked at Dane. "And from such a loyal member of the family. I am disappointed."

  "Let her go, Father," Dane's eyes changed from pissed to pleading. "Please stop hurting her."

  "She is in a lot of pa
in, Dane. I would advise that you start explaining everything that happened. I will release Ciera of this as soon as you finish. I suggest you talk fast, son."

  Dane didn't waste any more time. He laid everything out before his Parents. He told them about how the murders started, and then how Lazarus had contacted him and wanted Ciera to be the one to turn Mitch. He didn't leave out what would be in it for him if Mitch was delivered to Lazarus a vampire. However, he did leave out the fact that Ciera was in love with Mitch. But he did tell them of Mitch's skills and that he had been pulling Ciera's spirit to him so they could plan this all together. He only told his Parents enough so they wouldn't press for any more details. He wrapped it up with telling them that Ciera had only recently discovered what Lazarus' intentions would be with Mitch. "I didn't know that he used to be an Elder until recently, and I had no idea that he was planning to start a war with the Elders."

  Dante glanced at Nia and she nodded grimly. He took his hand away from Ciera, and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of Dane.

  She fell into his arms, crying. "Why … why did you tell them everything?"

  He hugged her tight to him. "He was hurting you. He knows you are my weakness, and he will use you against me to get what he wants."

  "He wasn't hurting me," she cried.

  "What?" He pulled her back a little so he could see her eyes.

  "You don't actually think that I would hurt my favorite child unless I had no other choice, do you?" Dante said.

  Dane didn't respond to Dante, he just pulled Ciera tighter to him.

  Dante walked back to his chair and sat down. He put his fist to his mouth, and had a look of disgust in his eyes. "The two of you will be judged for your actions in front of the Elders when all of this with Lazarus is over. That is all." Dante flipped his hand in the air. "Take yourselves from my sight."

  Dane didn't hesitate, he picked Ciera up in his arms and carried her out of the room; Lenya followed in silence.

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  Chapter 60

  Dane stopped in front of a door and told Lenya that she could rest in there a while. They would need their rest before they went up against Lazarus. He carried the softly sobbing Ciera to the room that he used when he stayed here. He had his own place in the city, like Ciera did, but sometimes his services were needed close at hand for weeks at a time.

  He pushed the door open and closed them in with his foot. He laid Ciera on the king size bed and laid down beside her, then pulled her to him. "I am so sorry. I'm sorry for all of this."

  "They will execute you for treason," she cried.

  He rubbed her back and shushed her quietly. "You forgave me."

  "But they don't love you."

  "Are you saying that you loved me before you forgave me? Because, if I remember correctly, you forgave me before we even left Euphoria," he said, smiling.

  She nodded and knew that he would feel her head move against his chest.

  "See now, if they execute me, I will die a very happy man." He laughed lightly.

  "Don't make a joke out of this. You can't leave me here. I can't go on without you in my life."

  His face turned very serious, and he pulled back and made her look at him. "Yes, you can. You are the strongest woman I know. If something ever happens to me or Mitch, I feel confident in saying that we will always be with you. You have to be strong and go on living for us. Promise me that you will."

  She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and the tears fell to the pillow. She couldn't imagine going on without either of them, but she would try if she could keep telling herself that they were somehow still with her. She barely nodded. "I promise."

  "You promise what, Ciera?" he said, and shook her a little.

  She opened her eyes to him again. "I promise to go on living for you and Mitch if something happens."

  He kissed her gently on the lips. "Thank you," he said.

  Ciera's eyes got wide as she felt her body begin to tingle.

  Dane smiled and kissed her again quickly. "May I go with you?"

  "Yes," she said, and Dane closed his eyes.

  They opened their eyes to Mitch's room at Lazarus' house. He had his back to them at first, looking through a closet of clothes, and began to talk before he even turned around to look at Ciera.

  "I hope you weren't driving or anything. Lazarus will be home from work in only a few minutes. I needed to know where this is all going to go down, and what time. We are supposed to go out tonight to celebrate my name being cleared with the cops. I had to agree to go to a club and try to get laid, so it would look as though I was trying to move on from a broken heart. Try to make things happen before that…" He turned around and spotted Dane. "... happens," he finished, then his expression changed to rage. You've got a lot of nerve coming here after all you have done, jerk-off!"

  "Everything is fine, Mitch …" Ciera began, but he cut her off mid thought.

  "No… everything is not fine, Ciera! He is the reason that we are even in this mess. And no more than eight hours ago, you stood right there crying because of him. How is any of that fine?"

  "It's complicated, but everything is all right now," she cried to him.

  Mitch looked over to Dane. "What did you do to make things fine, huh?" He narrowed his eyes and walked closer to Dane.

  Dane didn't back up any. He was transparent, so Mitch couldn't touch him, not that he would have backed down if he hadn't been a ghost right now. He actually wished that he wasn't. He had a strong urge to connect fist with jaw about now. He didn't like the guy shouting at Ciera. A cocky smile covered his handsome face. "She thought that I was going to leave her. It upset her, so I promised that I would always be here with her. She is fine now."

  Mitch was almost nose to nose with Dane's spirit. "So you lied to her to make her happy?"

  Dane raised an eyebrow and smiled.

  "No... stop, Dane. We aren't having this conversation now. You know what's at stake tonight, and what we will be up against with the Elders when all of this is over. This argument can wait for another day," Ciera said.

  Mitch stepped back a little. His eyes darted in between Ciera and Dane several times, then finally settled on Ciera. "What are you not telling me?"

  She shook her head. "Our parents are now aware of everything, and we both have to go before the Elders when this whole thing is over with your daddy. Dane didn't tell them the whole truth about you and me, but he did tell them everything that he did. Treason is punishable by death."

  Mitch smiled, then looked back at Dane. "Guess you did lie about leaving her after all, huh?" he said smugly.

  Yeah, that whole connecting fist to jaw was so going to happen the first chance he got, Dane thought. "I'm not dead yet, and if you will remember, I have Ciera with me now. And when you couldn't find it in your cold heart to trust her," he pointed at his chest, "I was the one that was there to hold her while she cried. So don't point a finger at me, unless you are willing to turn it around, you fucking hypocrite."

  "All right, Dane, that is enough, please. If I had known that you two would pick fights with each other, I never would have allowed you to come with me."

  "Why did you let him come?" Mitch asked.

  "She wanted to see if all three of us could play nice together, so she would know if her plan will work or not," Dane said.

  "Dane!" Ciera shouted at him.

  "What plan?" Mitch said, and Dane could tell that the guy was beginning to catch on. He really was quick.

  He could tell that Ciera was already pissed. She had crossed her arms over her chest, and was looking away from both of them. He was going to have a lot of making up to do after this, and the thought of making up with her, brought a smile to his face. But Mitch really did need to know about this so he would have time to think about all of it, get mad about it, then cool down before he saw her in person. Then again, he may stay mad about it and blow everything they were trying to accomplish tonight. He couldn't win for losing, he thought.

&
nbsp; "Nothing … I'm sorry Ciera. I will play nice from now on."

  She wiped at her face, and looked back at them. She smiled really big, but it wasn't a happy smile. It was more so like she was so angry, that smiling was the only thing she could do. She shook her head at them. "I get it, Dane, it won't work. The two of you will never be grown up enough to handle it. I promised you earlier that if anything ever happened to you or Mitch, that I would make myself go on living for you both. If I can't have the both of you, then I won't have either of you. I will transfer out of this state, out of this country if I have to. But I can't watch this every day, and I can't choose between the two of you. I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes again and looked at Mitch. She shook her head. "I don't know what to say, Mitch. I am in love with two very immature men. I love you both, and I am an all or nothing kind of girl. I will never be happy with only one of you. You have one side of my heart, and he has the other. I didn't plan it, but it happened anyway." She sniffed and wiped another tear away. "Take Lazarus to that club out by Lake Decatur. I think it's called The Pulse. Make sure that you both have dates to take home with you, and be walking out the door no later than midnight. We will get there, and be waiting in the shadows by ten, just in case he decides to leave early. Let him walk ahead of you a little. Tie your shoe, or drop your wallet or something when you walk out. Tell him to go on ahead of you. I'm not completely sure what will happen to him, but I don't want you in the line of fire."

  Mitch blinked at her a few times. Had she just broken up with him? The last thing he heard her saying, was that if she couldn't have both him and Dane, then she wouldn't have either of them. Then she had said something about moving out of the country. Then something about going clubbing and tying his shoe. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he was sure the damn thing was about to explode. "What?" he managed to get out.

  "Ciera, I'm sorry. I really am. Don't do this, please. I would rather you be with Mitch than be on your own. I know he will take care of you," Dane pleaded.