Samantha gasped and tried to pull away.
“Too late,” Nik’s voice sounded exactly like Ptah’s. “You already agreed to be with me.” He opened his mouth and bit into her lower lip. His teeth ripped into her supple flesh and blood poured out over her chin, her mouth burning.
When he drew back, she looked around the pool, the water now blood. Nik began laughing and swung forward to savagely bite into her throat. He kept his hold while pushing them under the surface of the thick, red fluid. Samantha opened her mouth to scream but the blood filled her. It didn’t simply pour into her mouth, but forced its way into her every opening and crevice. She could feel it invading her very pores, burning everything it touched until she was utterly consumed
Chapter 25
Leisha pushed herself out of bed. “We need to dress,” she stated. “They’ll be returning any moment.”
Tafari leaned over and kissed her before complying. His lips left a pleasant aftertaste that she tried to ignore. She needed to think clearly, and had a very hard time doing that with Tafari’s musky scent and flavor lingering on her body.
After the others had left, they had stood awkwardly for a moment before Leisha had spoken up. “I do need to feed, Tafari. Please tell me you aren’t going to try to stop me.”
Glancing at the door, he murmured, “I think Samantha knows.”
“Knows what?”
After a slight hesitation he looked at her, his silvery blue eyes dancing with passion. “She knows how much I enjoy it when you drink from me.”
Whatever Leisha had expected him to say, it definitely had not been that. They stood, looking into each other’s eyes for what felt like several minutes. Then Tafari stepped forward until his stomach was against her belly. Leaning towards her, he tilted his head to the side, offering his neck.
The immortal blood called to her, beating its rhythm just under Tafari’s skin. The heat of his body relaxed Leisha as she inched her face forward. Both of their breathing was uneven, Leisha’s heart stuttering as well.
Slowly, she placed her lips on his neck, stroking her hands up his shoulders and resting them behind his back. Tafari’s arms closed around her and Leisha reveled in the feeling. Opening her mouth, she licked his skin, tasting his natural flavor mixed with a hint of saltiness.
Tafari groaned and tightened his hold on her. Feeling encouraged, Leisha bit down. Tafari’s sweet blood gushed into her mouth and she swallowed. It was ambrosia! As she drank, Tafari’s hands caressed their way down her back and low on her sides, making her hunger for far more than just blood. Fatigue flushed out of her body. Aches and little wounds she hadn’t even noticed healed instantly, leaving the vampire energetic and craving just one thing.
The immortal’s wound healed all too quickly. Leisha suckled the spot, remorseful for their embrace to end. Finally, she pulled back, but Tafari wouldn’t let go.
Looking up into his eyes, Leisha saw that he truly did enjoy the experience.
Her tongue circled her lips, rich blood flavoring them, and Tafari watched closely. Leaning her face upward, Tafari met her mouth in a consuming kiss. His lips encompassed her while his warm tongue grazed against hers, teasing her. Leisha moaned into him and felt her body melting into his embrace.
In the present, Leisha smiled and pulled on her ripped maternity pants. Sex had been a little awkward with her rotund belly, but it left her more satisfied than she had been in a long, long time.
Fully dressed, she headed back toward the main room. Tafari stopped her by putting his arms around her from behind and nuzzling her neck. Unable to help herself, she leaned into his chest and closed her eyes, smiling radiantly.
After a few seconds, Leisha shook her head and stepped away from him. As enjoyable as it was to be with him, she needed to address some issues. “Tafari, we can’t just pretend there aren’t problems between us.”
Sighing, Tafari went to the couch and sat down. He leaned his elbows on his knees and looked at her with barely concealed impatience. “And what, exactly, are these problems, Leisha?”
She felt fully restored and knew this was probably the best time to have this conversation. She only hoped the others didn’t interrupt. Lowering herself into a chair opposite the couch, she looked at him directly. “I need to know where your loyalties lie.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Do you really need to ask that?”
“Of course not.” She sat back. “It will always be with the immortals. I guess the real question is, what are you going to tell them about our son?”
Resting his cheek on one hand, he looked lost in thought. It was several minutes before he spoke up. “Yes, you did need to ask.”
Leisha angled her head. “What was that?”
“You are right to ask about my loyalties.” His voice was distant.
Brows drawing together, she waited for him to continue.
He sat up, appearing more focused as he looked at her. “The truth is that I am feeling . . . uncertain about the immortals right now.”
“How do you mean, uncertain?”
Heaving a deep sigh, he answered slowly. “Ever since I have found out about the baby,” he nodded to her stomach, “I have been feeling protective, and maybe a little possessive. I do not like the idea of the immortals taking our child for their gain.”
Leisha huffed out a breath. “That’s the point I was trying make from the very beginning!”
Tafari shook his head. “That was before you discovered your pregnancy. Before he was even conceived.”
“Tafari, it shouldn’t matter if the prophecy child is ours or not. The point I was trying to make is that you can’t stand idle while the society you serve exploits a helpless little boy.”
Staring at her face, Tafari’s mouth opened and closed several times before he was able to speak. “It seems so backwards that a vampire is telling me how to value life.” His voice held a small tremor of irony.
Looking away, Leisha shifted in her seat. “Tafari, we both know that I’m as far from sainthood as can be.” She pursed her lips, considering what she could tell him, what she should tell him. “Before I grew a backbone and finally stood up to Ptah, I did many horrible things that I’m not proud of. In fact, if there’s a hell, I have a first class ticket there when I die.” She met his eyes. “But I do have a conscience and I very much value human life. I like what humanity stands for and I will do what I can to help those around me when they’re in need.”
A moue tugged at his lips. “Would you not agree that a drug dealer needs help? What if a serial rapist were to change his ways? You take their lives before they have that chance.”
Squaring her shoulders, she held his gaze. “You’re exactly right, Tafari. I try to justify what I have to do, but in the end . . . It’s like I said: I’m going straight to hell.”
After a few silent minutes, Leisha raised her brow in challenge. Tafari appeared thrown by her confession. After blinking a few times, he changed the subject.
“We are getting off-track from what we really need to discuss. That I have made a decision to protect you and our child. My family takes priority over my service to the immortals.”
Leisha’s voice quavered when she asked, “What about your oath to them?”
Looking into her eyes to convey his grave sincerity, he answered. “I made an oath to you first. It has been too long since I have lived up to the promises I once made to you.”
Standing, Leisha turned away so that Tafari would not see the tears.
He was behind her in an instant and pulled her into his arms. She turned and buried her face in his shoulder, trying to control her soft crying.
It was at that moment that Rinwa opened the door and held it for Nikita, who was holding an unconscious Samantha. Quickly wiping her face, Leisha ignored Rinwa’s downturned mouth and rushed over to check on Samantha.
“What happened?”
Nikita looked at Rinwa. “Would you like to tell your mother what you did?” His tone was a combination of acc
usation and mockery.
After making sure that Samantha’s vitals were alright, Leisha turned to Rinwa.
The immortal waved a hand. “Don’t blame it on me. It was Samantha’s choice to get drunk. I simply made sure she was in a safe and controlled environment when she did it.”
“Excuse me?” Leisha glared at both Nikita and Rinwa. “She’s only sixteen! You can’t allow her to drink.”
Looking totally unapologetic, Rinwa shrugged and went over to the couch and sat. “I’m pretty sure that everyone in this room tried alcohol in their early teens.”
Tafari sat next to Rinwa. “Times were different in those days. In retrospect, it was very unhealthy for anyone to drink so young. In fact, drinking at all is bad for you.”
Rinwa huffed. “You have wine on a regular basis.”
“Yes, but it doesn’t damage our organs like it does a human’s. Immortals do not fall under the same health restrictions.”
“We’re getting way off topic here,” Leisha interjected. She turned to Nikita. “Is she okay?”
He nodded. “I think so. I’m pretty sure she had a vision while she’s been asleep.”
“How do you know?”
He shrugged. “I can tell by her breathing and heartbeat.” His lips pursed to the side. “The strange thing is that she usually wakes up after having a vision. This time, she’s still asleep.”
“It’s probably just the alcohol,” Leisha reasoned.
Tafari stood and focused a hostile expression towards Nikita. “And how would you know about her sleeping patterns?”
For the first time since she’d known him, Leisha saw Nikita bristle. “We haven’t had sex, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Keeping eye contact, Tafari said, “That is what I am asking. And now I am telling you that you better not. Understand?” It was the second time Leisha had seen him act like a father figure towards Samantha. It was that attitude, in fact, that had driven her to try and leave Samantha with the immortals last year to keep the girl safe.
Nikita curtly nodded and took Samantha into the bedroom and didn’t come back out.
Rinwa picked up the remote and turned on the television. “We’re going to have to get moving pretty soon here,” she said while flipping through channels. She tossed a brief glance at Leisha. “I’m assuming that Tafari’s blood did the trick?”
The room suddenly seemed devoid of oxygen. Leisha nodded, then changed the subject. “I’m not sure how Samantha will be feeling. She may be sick while we drive.”
Tafari rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “We could wait another day.”
Turning off the TV, Rinwa stood. “No good. We should leave now, while Samantha is still sleeping soundly.”
After a brief mental debate, Leisha agreed with her daughter. Walking over to the bedroom, she poked her head in.
Nikita was standing and lifting Samantha back into his arms. He’d obviously heard their conversation and was ready to leave. He nodded to Leisha as she made a sweep of the bathroom and bedroom to be sure they weren’t leaving anything behind. By the time she finished, everyone else was already situated in the car. Nikita was placing a blanket in the trunk.
Looking at the awkward space, Leisha couldn’t contain her guilt. “We could wait until dusk, Nikita. It looks awfully cramped in there.”
Nik gave her an amused grin and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’ve done this plenty of times. Besides, we vampires should never get too accustomed to luxury. Not with our lifestyle.”
He climbed into the rectangular space and contorted his body until it fit. Sighing, Leisha closed the trunk on him. She knew he wouldn’t be permanently damaged back there, but it would certainly be uncomfortable.
Rinwa allowed Leisha to sit in the front. “Since I was the one who got her drunk, I should be back here when she has her hangover.”
Snorting, Leisha climbed in and relaxed while Tafari drove. He looked like he knew where they were going, so she let her mind drift and watched the scenery transform from bustling city to tropical savanna landscape. The sun was high in the sky when Samantha finally awakened. Leisha glanced back at her and watched as her face went from pale to green.
“Pull over,” she said to Tafari.
Samantha was out the door in an instant, Rinwa following and holding her hair out of the way.
Crinkling her nose, Leisha commented. “This would be one of those times when I wish I had regular human senses.”
Smirking, Tafari looked at her. “You are not going to throw up, too, are you?”
Rubbing her belly, she replied, “I hope not.”
There was a bottle of water in the front that Leisha handed to Samantha when the two girls climbed back into the car. After two long gulps, Samantha seemed a little better.
“I’m never going to drink again,” she muttered.
Rinwa laughed. “That’s what they all say.”
Sitting up, Samantha looked adamant. “I’m serious. I have more sense than most people.”
Leisha threw her a curious expression. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Samantha’s eyes suddenly looked haunted. “I had a vision while I slept.”
Lifting her brow, Leisha waited for the girl to explain. Visions didn’t usually upset Samantha, even the darker ones. The girl had witnessed death from the time she was a toddler. Samantha seemed to be searching for the right words.
“I could tell it was a vision, but it was… skewed. It turned into one big nightmare, and now I don’t know what’s real and what was just the alcohol.”
Brow crinkling in concern, Leisha said, “Why don’t you tell me what you saw and we can decipher it together.”
Crossing her arms across her body, Samantha shook her head. “It’s too fresh to discuss right now. I need to let it settle for a while first.”
Leisha nodded reluctantly. She just hoped the vision didn’t show anything too pressing. They drove in silence for about thirty minutes before Samantha began to heave. Tafari slammed on the breaks and the girl was back outside. The third time they pulled over to let Samantha vomit, it had been about twenty minutes from the previous incident. When she wasn’t vomiting, the girl was hunched over clutching her head.
“This is going to be some slow going,” Rinwa grumbled.
“Hey, you’re not allowed to complain about this,” Leisha admonished. Rinwa rolled her eyes and slipped on her sunglasses.
Leisha shook her head and settled into the seat. Her lower back cramped, but she shifted and it soon went away.
They’d driven a bit further when Samantha piped up. “Is there any more water?”
“We’ll stop when I find something,” Tafari responded. An hour later, he stopped at a cart by the side of the road and bought more water and fresh fruit for everyone.
Everyone snacked and stretched their legs a little, then they were back on the road.
“So,” a replenished looking Samantha asked, “where are we going?”
Rinwa answered in a bored tone. “San Cristobal.”
Pulling a map out of the glove compartment, Leisha calculated. “This is going to be an all-day drive, isn’t it?”
Tafari nodded.
Glad that their car had air conditioning, Leisha shifted into her seat and tried to sleep. It took a few tries before she found a spot comfortable enough. She ended up having to take off her seat belt, but she was finally able to drift off.
Leisha could hear the others talking now and then, but ignored the noise and forced herself to rest. It had been about two hours when the baby kicked, sending a searing pain plummeting to the bottom of her stomach.
Sitting up with a gasp, Leisha forced herself to breathe out slowly until the pain eased.
“Did you have a nightmare,” Samantha asked. Before the Leisha could respond, the girl pursed her lips. “Can vampires dream? I don’t know if we’ve ever discussed that.”
Putting her seatbelt back on, Leisha glanced back at her friend. “No, I
didn’t have a nightmare. And yes, vampires dream.”
“Then what happened?” Tafari’s deep timbre resonated through the car.
Waving a hand, Leisha explained. “It was just the baby. He probably did some damage to my stomach lining or something, but it’ll heal.”
Directly behind Leisha, Rinwa spoke up. “So you’ve been pregnant for how long, exactly?”
Counting back to when Rinwa and Tafari were in Ohio, she replied, “Three months, give or take.”
“Then why do you look like you’re six or seven months along?”
“It’s easy enough to guess, Rinwa,” Samantha piped up. “A baby conceived by an immortal and a vampire is going to have some special powers. Maybe that’s why he’s got speedy development, too.”
Leisha peered back to see Rinwa tossing Samantha a look through her sunglasses. “I realize that we’re in uncharted territory here,” the immortal responded. “But I still say this whole thing is just plain weird.” She glanced back to Leisha. “By the way, we have a ceremony we’d like to perform. Just to confirm this is actually the prophecy child. Are you amenable, oro do I have to hold you down for it?”
“As long as you don’t take the opportunity to kill me, I’m game” Leisha smiled. “I have to admit, I’m getting excited for him to arrive. Not only will it be nice to have my body back, but I can’t wait to see what he looks like.” Reaching back, she slid Rinwa’s sunglasses down the bridge of her nose. “He might look like you did as a baby.”
Appearing unimpressed, Rinwa put her glasses back into place and murmured, “Not likely.”
Lapsing into an easy silence, the rest of the drive went by rather quickly for Leisha. She was glad to be among friends and allies and to not worry about escaping a secret government compound.
It was late afternoon, with the sun still somewhat high in the sky when a pounding was heard from the trunk.
Samantha sat up straight. Crinkling her brow, she looked at Leisha. “Do you think he’s alright? The sun hasn’t set, so he can’t come out yet, can he?”
Leisha shrugged and waited until Tafari pulled over on the side of the road, then stepped out and made her way to the trunk. The lid made a distinct clicking sound when it unlatched and Leisha reached down to open it.
Defiance Page 20
