A rush of emotions overtakes me: love, peace, desire, trust, all rolled into one. There is a shift in my soul again, much stronger even than the one I felt the first time Lucan and I were in the elevator together. There is a sense of completeness, as if the last missing piece of my life has suddenly fallen into place. My soul really had been missing something, something that has rested with Lucan for over five hundred years.
“Lucan?” I reach out with my mind. “Can you hear me?”
“Aye, love. It will be over soon.” His face looks strained. I hope the mending of his soul isn’t painful because I feel fine—more than fine, actually. He gives me a small shake of his head in response.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Sophie steps forward and takes the large knife in her hand. It is gold with ancient symbols engraved on the hilt. The tip of the blade looks sharp enough to pierce steel—or flesh, as the case may be. She holds the knife out to me and I grasp it with my free hand.
“In order to rejoin the soul there must be a sharing of the earthly bodies that contain the soul.” Her voice dances across the room and the candles seem to flare in response. “Given our nature, an exchange of blood is what’s required.”
Her easy Southern accent does nothing to ease my stomach’s somersaults. I'm not squeamish by any means, but tasting someone else’s blood is going to be a first for me. Sure, I’ve stuck my own finger in my mouth a time or two after an unexpected cut, but that doesn’t raise to the same level of ick as tasting another person’s blood. This goes against every mantra of human disease prevention ever written.
“Abri, Lucan, you shall now each pierce the other’s body and exchange blood. Fear not, cheré, only a small amount will be taken.” She tries to convey concern with her eyes, but I think they read more of hungry disappointment.
“Ladies first,” Lucan thinks to me.
“What do I do?”
“Take the knife and prick my wrist just where you see the vein. Then it will be my turn. But don’t drink yet.” His thoughts are short and to the point as if he dislikes this part as well. I follow Lucan’s instructions as he offers me his free wrist. I have to give it a little more force than I would have thought necessary, but on the second try, I draw blood. Lucan doesn’t even flinch. I can’t take my eyes off the trickle of blood going down Lucan’s wrist as I hand the knife back to Sophie.
“Now you, Lucan.” Sophie gives him a slight bow and a jealous smile.
Lucan takes my free hand in his, which is now dripping blood down towards his elbow, and kisses my wrist. I can feel my pulse throbbing under the pressure of his lips. His thoughts no longer contain words, but I can see that it wasn’t displeasure I heard in his voice before. It was restraint. His eyes are now as red as fire, burning with the desire for my blood.
Everything is in slow motion now like the top of the rollercoaster before the first big drop. Lucan’s lips draw back to reveal his elongated fangs and I stiffen as he lowers them to touch my wrist. I can feel the blood coursing there, waiting for his bite to release it.
He strikes. My knees try to buckle from the amps that hit me with a force I haven’t experienced since the first time we touched but I am frozen in place. I dare say the feeling is near orgasmic, which is shameful in this room full of people.
Lucan gazes at me through lowered lashes as he guides my hand away from his mouth. His eyes are now violet as their natural blue fights against the red. I muster the courage to look down at my wrist. The blood, far less than I expected, pools around the small wounds and runs over the edge towards the floor. Now I understand why the dress is red instead of white.
“You must now exchange blood. This act will seal your souls together for eternity, repairing the damage done of becoming vampire,” Sophie says rather matter-of-factly.
“Cheers,” Lucan thinks as he extends his bleeding wrist towards my mouth. Of all the times for humor…
I raise my wrist to him as well. “All good things in moderation.”
Remembering what Lucan said about thinking of something pleasant while I drank, I conjure an image of his French toast just before his wrist reaches me. As soon as our tongues touch the pooled blood, the white light encircles us again.
There is a collective gasp from the assembled crowd, both human and vampire alike. As soon as the blood passes my lips, the tastes of powdered sugar and syrup flood my senses. Amazing. I think of chocolate ice cream and I can taste that too. I can see the pangs of desire flare in Lucan’s eyes as I feel the pull of him at my vein.
After what seems an eternity, Lucan pulls himself away from my wrist with one final flick of his tongue. I pull away as well. Strangely, there is a small part of me that is disappointed in this fact. I feel what I can only describe as a hunger pain in my stomach. I haven’t eaten yet today but this is not the most appropriate time to be hungry. My neurons are definitely firing on overtime right now. Surely, this is just a misfire.
Once the white light subsides, our wrists are free again. A band of tattooed markings encircles our once bound wrists. They are shiny and silvery in the dim light of the chamber, not like a normal tattoo at all. I fight the urge to touch the skin as the air around it makes it feel tender. My other wrist bares no trace of puncture marks from Lucan’s fangs.
“Friends,” Arius begins. “Go forth and bare witness of what you have seen today, for this is the most sacred and precious of events. From this moment, Abri and Lucan are rejoined as one. Whoever seeks to harm one, harms the other. And yet each will bestow their own forms of protection unto the other. Abri and Lucan, do you promise to protect one another as you would your own bodies?”
“We do,” we say in unison.
“And do you promise to honor one another and do no wrong unto one another?” he continues.
“We do.”
“And you do promise to love one another?” Arius winks a cloudy gray eye at us. I am sure this last question is not part of the normal speech since Sodali are not always romantically involved.
“We do.”
“Good,” Arius finishes. “I declare you bonded Sodali from here until eternity. No one and nothing shall render you asunder. Now let us celebrate!”
A cheer goes up from the gallery as Arius motions for us to turn and face the crowd. Sarah and Mark wave at me and I waive back. Max is smiling. Probably because my hair and makeup have withstood the exchange of blood and I haven’t passed out and exposed myself in this crazy dress.
“That wasn’t so bad was it?” Lucan asks me.
“Surprisingly, no.” I’m still unable to shake the weird hunger pains in my stomach. “But you looked pretty touch and go there for a while.”
He laughs. “Yeah, I think your blood is too much for me.”
“Too much? Well, you’re kinda stuck with me now, aren’t you?”
“That’s true, love, I am. And happily so, I might add.”
“Now, can I get out of this ridiculous dress before I flash someone? I think I’m starting to sweat through the double sided tape and it’s the only thing holding me in here.”
“Of course, when you put it that way. Cyrian will have your things for you in the dressing room. I took the liberty of selecting something for you for this evening’s gala. Don’t worry; it’s nothing as fancy as this.” He brushes his hand along my bare arm, amping me playfully.
“Thank you again for the necklace. It’s beautiful.”
“You’re welcomed, love. I had it made just for you.”
Wow. No one has ever given me jewelry before, never mind having it made specifically for me. I lean in to kiss Lucan. “Thank you—” I don’t have the chance to add anything more before Cyrian interrupts us with a polite cough.
“I must talk with the Counsel for a second, but I will meet you in the dressing chamber before we go upstairs.” Lucan kisses me again before leaving me with Cyrian.
I follow Cyrian back to the tiny dressing room. Max is waiting for me inside alone, Sarah
having accompanied Mark to the reception hall. Hanging from the mirror is the most amazing ball gown I have ever seen. It is a pale blue and covered in tiny, embroidered silver flowers and crystals—at least I hope they are crystals and not diamonds. Max helps me into the petticoat and dress and then works my hair into an up do. The sweetheart neckline accentuates my new necklace. I feel like Cinderella at the ball.
I glance down at my right wrist for the first time since I left the Chambers. The marks are almost invisible unless I catch them in just the right light, like a snail’s trail.
A knock at the door announces Lucan’s arrival and Max makes his leave. This is the first time we have been alone all day.
“You are the most beautiful woman in the world. I am truly blessed to have found you.”
“As am I,” I reply. “I love this dress, Lucan. I don’t ever want to take it off. So do you have a tattoo on your wrist too? Does it go away or is it permanent?”
“It’s permanent, but it will fade a little so you’ll only be able to see it if the light is just right.” Lucan is still ogling me as he buttons his shirt. I’d rather he stay shirtless, but the thought of other women eyeing him makes a small growl want to work its way out of my throat. I catch myself just before it’s audible and instead focus again on my wrist.
“What do the markings mean? What language is it?” I rotate my wrist in the light to catch the designs.
“It’s an ancient form of Greek. It loosely translates to ‘Together born, together forevermore.’ Are you ready for the party, Mrs. O’Reilly?”
“Yes, Mr. O’Reilly.” We have a while before we are legally Mr. and Mrs., but I like the sound of it.
Lucan has a sheepish look on his face. “I like the sound of it too.”
I suddenly feel a possessiveness towards Lucan I’ve never experienced before. That growl threatens to work its way out again. I’ll have to ask Amelia later if this is normal.
Lucan and I walk into the dining room to another round of applause. The room is floor to ceiling covered in flowers and candles. It is definitely a celebratory atmosphere. I lose count of the names and faces of the people coming up to congratulate us.
Sarah and Mark join us after the crowd dies down. We exchange handshakes and hugs before Lucan takes Mark around the room to introduce him. He’s become something of a celebrity as news of his fighting off the venom rot has made the rounds of the Enclave and everyone is dying to meet him.
“So, was it the coolest thing you’ve ever done or what?” Sarah whispers to me. “Mark won’t let me try it, he’s afraid it will hurt me.”
“It was weird, but it didn’t taste bad. It tasted like French toast and chocolate ice cream.” Sarah looks at me like I’m crazy. “Not at the same time. Lucan told me to imagine it tasting like something else and it would taste like whatever I was thinking about.”
“Now I really want to try it,” Sarah laments. “If you don’t have any ill effects from it, it shouldn’t hurt me either, right?”
“I don’t know,” I say truthfully. I want to blame it on the excitement and my lack of lunch, but talking about blood has my stomach growling like it wants more. My pulse races at the thought. “Let’s go check out the buffet, shall we? The Enclave’s chefs really know how to put out a spread.”
Lucan and Mark join us in the line and we pile our plates with all kinds of delicacies. Zaid and Amelia are waiting for us at the head table. Max is at the next table talking to Cyrian. He gives me a shrug when he catches me staring.
“I'm starving!” I exclaim over my two heaping plates. “Amelia, I hope I don’t get anything on your dress.”
She looks a little puzzled. “I'm surprised you can eat. I didn’t eat for two days after our ceremony. And it was years before I could enjoy a steak less than well done again.”
Mark snorts. “Try eating it raw.”
“So I take it you don’t drink blood?” Sarah asks.
“Ah, no,” Amelia replies with a grimace. “I let Zaid partake, but I refrain. Thank God the need for blood isn’t one of the things being a Sodali confers on the human part of the equation.”
Sarah looks disappointed. “But a human could if they wanted to, right?”
Amelia shrugs. Zaid and Lucan had been talking amongst themselves but I can tell Amelia has urged him into our conversation telepathically. Zaid chimes in right on cue.
“It won’t hurt or help a human to drink vampire blood. That is assuming the human isn’t drained of their blood first, because that’s a whole ‘nuther issue. But a little mutual exchange never hurt anyone.”
“What about a Halfling? What about Mark?” Sarah pushes.
“Good question, Sarah. I’ve never heard of a Halfling being able to turn anyone. So go ahead and feed your curiosity.” Zaid laughs at his own joke. “So long as he hasn’t taken more than a pint of your blood, it’ll be fine. Though I doubt you’ll like the taste of it. I haven’t met a human yet that did.”
I nearly choke on my dinner. I want to steer the conversation in another direction but Sarah has other plans.
“Abri liked it.” I’m unsure if this is to bolster her own argument or to prove Amelia wrong. Unfortunately, Sarah was a little jealous of Amelia’s Sodali status and probably now mine as well. “She said it tasted like French toast and ice cream.”
Lucan, who has been silent thus far, sets his glass down carefully on the black tablecloth. “Really?” His voice booms in my head. The excitement of the evening has kept my mind so focused on the outside world that I have forgotten Lucan and I can now hear each other’s thoughts without touching.
“Isn’t that what you said to do? Think about something pleasant, like French toast and it would taste like that and not blood.”
“I was kidding.”
Whether it’s because she can sense our tension, or because she is bored with the conversation, vampirism isn’t new to her after all, Amelia asks Zaid to dance. Mark must have caught the same vibe because he pulls Sarah to her feet, leaving Lucan and I alone at the table.
“What do you mean you were kidding?”
“I was kidding. Thinking about something tasting different doesn’t work for—” Lucan stops and thinks to me, “—humans.”
“Are you saying that you turned me?” I think back at him, unable to say the words aloud. “Oh God, now I feel sick.”
“I didn’t turn you Abri. That little amount I took from you—even with the amount you took from me— wouldn’t be enough to do the job. You heard Zaid; the human has to be completely drained first.”
“Did I take more from you than I was supposed to?”
“Just more than I would have thought, that’s all.”
“Oh, Lucan, something’s not right then. Because after it was done I felt hungry, so hungry. And even though we’ve been eating,” I point at my now empty plates. “I'm still hungry.”
“Abri, that’s not possible. I think you’re just overwhelmed right now. But just in case, I’ll speak with Dr. Steinman about it first thing in the morning. For now, let’s just enjoy the evening.” Lucan stands up and extends his hand to me. “Shall we dance?”
I don’t want to keep thinking about it because I know Lucan can hear me, but I know I liked it. I can’t stop thinking about liking it. Even though we just ate, I still feel a hungry gnaw in my stomach.
We spend the rest of the night dancing and trying not to think about me wanting blood. It is three o’clock in the morning when the limo drops us back off at the Chrysler. It’s a bit tricky to fit Lucan, me, and my dress into the Iron Beast but we do it. I am a little sad it’s time to take the gown off. Definitely a Cinderella after the ball moment, but at least I get a little help from my Prince Charming in taking it off.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
The others have booked a suite at the Algonquin to give us our privacy. We haven’t been alone in the apartment for days and the quiet is somehow strange to me. Zaid promised to call immediately if anything happened on the Serge front.
>
The Council has approved the use of deadly force against Serge if he puts up any resistance. This jazzes Zaid in a way that makes my skin crawl. I’m certain Serge will resist, but even if he doesn’t, Zaid will make sure it looks like he did. Lucan’s touch on my arm saves me from thinking too deeply about what that might entail.
“Abri, I am so overjoyed. I never dreamed this would be possible for me.”
“Me either. I always figured I’d be an old spinster cat lady. Can we figure out someplace else I can wear this dress?” I ask as I finish hanging it up in the closet. “It’s too beautiful not to wear again.”
“There is a charity gala next month for the foundation,” he says, kissing my shoulders. “You are the guest of honor as our new General Counsel.”
“General Counsel? What do I know about non-profits? I’ve only ever done family law.”
“Well, the Abri and Lucan O’Reilly Women’s Shelter is going to need someone who can help set up the legal aid department, isn’t it?” His kisses travel up the back of neck.
“Really?” I gasp, turning around to face him. “Lucan that’s fantastic. But what about my job at Carson & Jones? I can’t just quit out of the blue.”
“I’ve already talked to Spencer and Will, they think it’s a fantastic opportunity for you and it will bring some good publicity to the firm. They’re planning to make pro bono at the shelter a requirement for new associates. Now, enough about work; I think I have something far more interesting to show you.”
I start to ask how he is on a first name basis with my bosses but the question gets lost somewhere between his kisses. The kissing continues until the backs of my legs touch the edge of the enormous bed. “I was going to change into my pajamas,” I tease. “Being that I’m naked and all.”
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