Then a small memory began to glimmer, something she had been taught as a child. Something they all had been taught as the child. The Prophecy. Of course it was sheer ignorance to not realize their coming to the Civil Lands to seek equal representation in government would trigger the Prophecy. They had been rash and thoughtless. But what’s fated is fated. Could it be possible that there were more shifters and that perhaps there was a wizard strong enough to face the Council and Dominica? Taraema’s heart beat in an unsteady rhythm, it was a portent of her dying body, she willed it to beat steady and strong, eventually it beat a normal but slowed pattern. If the end of the vampyre reign was in sight could she hold on long enough to see it? To see the destruction of the one who killed her husband infused energy in her that she had not experienced since being captured. Not to mention the possibility of seeing her little girl, now a woman, after so long. Holding on to her sanity would be precarious at best, holding on to her faltering life force would prove something of a challenge, but it was a challenge she was willing to die for to undertake.
Taraema could not actually hear the psychotic vampyre approach, she always felt her. It was like a cold wind preceded her entrance. She knew the vampyre went to her husband first and could feel the disgust and disappointment in his death; a death that she herself had caused. Then she felt Dominica’s presence in front of her. Taraema’s long hair pooled around her body and fell in dirty rivulets across her legs. The small goose bumps on her thighs where no hair lay supported the knowledge that the vampyre stood before her angry as hell.
* * * *
Her human servants still had not carried out her wishes. Dominica glided into the prison she kept secluded. The existence of the prison was not known to the other council members. Panic enveloped her as she realized the male was not breathing. Perhaps she had gone overboard that night in her anger at the servant for letting the she-bitch Allantra escape. As she hovered above him she entered his mind and found nothing but darkness. Not even the barest flicker of life. He had been dead many hours. Dominica cursed and now found herself in a rather sticky situation. She now had to find three more true bloods instead of two. With that thought she turned to the other shifter who hung almost as lifeless as the dead one. No, this one was still alive. Carefully she entered the mind of the woman and found she was clinging to—hope? Was this one serious? What hope did this pathetic creature have? Did she not know the fate that awaited her?
It was not as if she were going to perform a nice clean cut and only take enough blood to change her form. No she was going to slice her throat, a complete bloodletting. There was no way she was going to leave this one alive for the other council members to use and return to their former state. She intended to be the only one. And from her studies in the dark arts, she knew dead blood wouldn’t work. No this time Dominica would be much more careful with her pet. She telepathically ordered the guard to bring the woman food and water. But not too much, just enough to sustain her for Dominica’s purposes. There was no telling when those fools would bring her what she needed. Her life force was flickering and she couldn’t afford another death, not yet anyway.
* * * *
The Quarter Guard, having filled his belly with wild roasted rabbit, sat back on his haunches and watched as the small fire began to spittle and die. He knew the location of the shapeshifters now and mindlessly waited for an opportunity to capture—his small thought process was abruptly cut short when a wave of nausea hit him. It was his Mistress, and he could tell, as always she was not in a good mood.
Plans have changed.
What is it that you wish?
It is not what I wish, rattlebrain, it is what I want. Understand that. It will always be what I want. I always get what I want.
Having been thoroughly reamed the Quarter Guard tried again to appease the nasty one. What is it that you want, Mistress? Dominica paused in pleasure before she continued.
I will need three more truebloods instead of two. Your support guard should catch up to you very soon. Stay where you are I will direct them to your location.
And just like that she withdrew from his mind. Causing a violent wave of nausea that immediately spilled over and caused the mindless guard to retch almost uncontrollably. So much for the full stomach. The guard breathed deeply until everything that wasn’t evicted settled, then he reached into his boot and pulled his knife, perhaps he had time for a quick hunt and meal before the support guards arrived.
* * * *
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Allantra demanded when she caught up with the long strided wizard. He stopped abruptly and faced her, his beautiful eyes making her forget for just a second that he was the enemy.
“You’re awfully rude for a houseguest,” he quipped, the corners of his mouth just barely turned up in a sarcastic smile.
“Fine, then leave me where I am.”
“Are you telling me you’d rather stay with Za’rae?” One eyebrow jerked up with the query. “I’ve seen you look at her, little one. She scares you. I’d be willing to bet that she scared the hell out of you when she projected, didn’t she?”
Okay so Allantra didn’t know if she was more unsettled by the fact that he had noticed her slightly terrified reaction to the old lady or he had pegged her good. In her own defense Allantra had never seen anyone so—old. Not to mention she was damn powerful. Allantra wasn’t easily intimidated but that old lady gave her the creeps. “For your information she doesn’t bother me in the least.” Allantra lied easily. “Besides, if you mean to take advantage of me, forget it. I’m involved with someone. And just how long do you think I’m staying here anyway? Hello, did you forget I said I was on a quest not a vacation? It’s my understanding that a on a quest one is always on some sort of time crunch.” She placed her hands on her hips to keep from wringing them in front of her. This man bothered the hell out of her. He narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms in front of his very muscular chest, and stared at her for what seemed forever before he spoke.
“Are you referring to the vampyre?” he spoke the words low, almost in menace. It took a second for Allantra to understand the vein of conversation he chose to pursue.
“Yes, I am,” she said defiant to the end.
“Are you in love with him?” He stared intently at her now. Allantra squirmed, while she should have been shouting it from the rooftops she now seemed uncertain about passing this bit of information on.
“That’s personal. You don’t see me asking you about your personal life.” She threw back at him, thankful for her clever brain; clever because it actually started working again under extreme stress.
“You want to know about my personal life, acolyte? You want to know about all the beauties that seek my touch when the moon is high? You want to know how I make them scream my name, repeatedly make their bodies burn for my touch and my touch alone?”
Even as he was doing it he didn’t know why. She got to him. She had a talent for getting right on his nerves and at the same time made him want to throw her down and plow into her. He didn’t know why, but he purposefully mesmerized her with his words, chanting in his mind the slightest compulsion for her to feel everything he said to her. He wanted her to burn for him. Not the vampyre. He wanted to make slick that spot between her legs where he knew he would find ultimate satisfaction. He wanted to torture her as she tortured him.
“How would I find you wanting me, Allantra? Would you like me to undress you, licking you as I bared your skin? I know you like to be bitten, sweet one, on your neck, shoulder, that fleshy part of your breast near your nipple. You’d like me to go lower wouldn’t you? My tongue is just firm and textured enough that I cause the friction that takes you higher in arousal.”
He could see her panting lightly now as his words worked their way through her mind and right to her sensual body. Her hands balled and flexed now at her sides as she fought for control … he would have none of that, he stepped closer to her, so she could feel the heat of his body. He lightly ran his
fingertips up and down her arm, barely touching, but he reacted to the touch as well, her skin was as hot as his own.
“I’m sure I would love the way you taste, precious one. Wild and sweet. I believe you would love my tongue circling your navel before it dipped lightly. I would bite you just under it.” Dharean watched as a shiver went through Allantra, his own cock was steel hard and he knew he should stop, this wasn’t just affecting her. It was making him lose control as well. But still he embedded the compulsion even deeper…
“You would let me taste you wouldn’t you? Let me spread you? Part those beautiful long brown legs for my viewing pleasure? Your thighs will beckon to me, Allantra, I know they will, and I will kiss the inside of them, leave love bites. I can smell your arousal for me. You want me and only me. You will squirm for me, yearn for me. You will offer yourself to me impatiently. For right now you want nothing more than to feel my tongue slide in your honey coated slits, very slowly. You know what, Allantra? I want it too. And so I do it, you taste wonderful, addicting me in the very first taste.”
They stood in the clearing outside of the Place of Honor. Not touching but both panting like they’d just gone out on a run. Occasionally, a passerby looked but no one dared interfere, it was the Noir Brujo and the Scion. No one but Za’rae would intervene, so curious eyes remained curious as they shuffled past, pretending not to notice.
“You are a wanton one aren’t you? Pulling my head closer, my tongue deeper, you grind your sweet chasm against my mouth seeking the satisfaction only I can give you, not once, but more times than you can probably handle. I like it, Allantra. I like your fingers in my hair pulling me closer and never getting close enough. But I won’t give you satisfaction this way. I pull my tongue out of you, satisfied that you are wet enough to hold me—all of me.”
At this point, Allantra, against her will and at the same time because she impulsively wanted to, looked down at his straining cock. The bulge underneath the small cloth covering him didn’t have a chance in hell of hiding that huge chunk of cock. She felt it against her pelvis up to her navel, they stood so near. He was huge, her mouth watered at the thought of it going inside of her.
“Slow at first, I would never hurt you. But by the gods you are so wet, so slick, so tight…” Dharean closed his eyes as his own words caused him to harden even more. “Just the tip at first, sweet one. You gasp because you love how I feel.” Out loud, Allantra softly moaned, it was as if it were really happening. Her moan caused the tip of his cock to leak a small amount of fluid. Allantra could see the dark cloth dampen slightly from the moisture. “I have the tip inside you and now you’re pushing against me, I’m trying to hold back, keep control, but dammit you swallow me tightly and it’s so hot and wet. You are a siren, little one, and I can’t hold back, so plunge I inside of you.” Dharean’s voice was raspier now, his breathing quickened. Allantra grabbed each muscular arm tightly for balance and laid her head against his chest a small cry elicited from her throat.
“I can’t help but pound into your sweetness.” Sweat began to roll down his back, her touch, her skin next to him made his now very sensitive skin react wildly. He found himself grinding his cock against her; she rubbed herself against him in abandonment of all common sense and decency, right there in the clearing in view of anyone and everyone who cast an eye their way. “So hot, so tight…” he moaned into her hair as he held her against him tightly. “Come for me, Allantra, let me feel your come against my cock.” This time he had not the foresight nor the control to embed his words, but it didn’t matter, because seconds later he felt Allantra shudder against him, her legs began to buckle, and gods he wanted to help her stand but his knees gave out as his cock spurted forth a massive amount of hot semen in the name of Allantra. She-devil. They both went to the ground on their knees in unison still holding one another. Their breathing heavy, their worlds spinning.
It took minutes for them to gain equilibrium back. It took seconds for Allantra to realize exactly what she had just done: come for a man she barely knew, and couldn’t stand, in the middle of a fucking clearing. She could feel the wetness between her legs, and keeping her eyes downcast, could see his semen on his cloth and on her as well, already cooling in the open air. What the fuck was wrong with her?
“What did you do to me?” she said gravely, dropping her arms and pulling her body away so that she sat away from him still on her knees.
How did he answer that? He knew compulsions could be powerful things, but the one he used was weak, very weak. The compulsion he used could barely get a child to obey and yet she had responded strongly. But that didn’t make sense, because the compulsion wasn’t suppose to work on him. It didn’t work on him. The tattoos on his arm were wards against magic, compulsion was one of them. It didn’t bear thinking about. Perhaps, he admitted to himself neither of them were under compulsion.
“Nothing” he responded getting up and reaching out a hand to help her up.
“I don’t usually orgasm in public with a near stranger.” She bit out, her voice rough because of her embarrassment. She accepted the hand but stepped away quickly.
“And you believe this is a hobby of mine?” He began to walk away. He needed air, and he couldn’t get a decent lung full with her around.
“This all started with you telling me what a wonderful lover you are,” she quipped as she followed him, keeping up this time only because he slowed to match his pace to hers.
“Well I didn’t see you complaining a moment ago.” He threw back at her, smiling as he realized this bit of realization. Allantra kept silent, she really didn’t need to have this conversation. They walked in silence until they came upon a rather sturdy well-kept hut. It was then that Allantra realized how the argument began in the first place.
“Well would you look at that, home sweet home,” Allantra murmured to herself.
Suddenly, Masque was with them expressionless as always. “You need to come with me, Brujo.” He stated simply. “There are humans in the forest and they smell of black magic.” Within seconds the two men were off running. Allantra turned to the door of the hut. “Guess I don’t get carried over the threshold.” She said to herself, she took a deep breath then went inside.
* * * *
“How many are there?” Dharean asked as he crouched low to the ground, sheltered by the vegetation.
“First, I only saw one, then a few hours later at least ten more,” Masque replied matter of factly. “I smelled the scent of the first one around the village and traced it back to this place. He’s been here almost as long as the girl. He is the one that tried to capture her.”
Dharean didn’t need to know who ‘the girl’ was. She was still very fresh in his mind. He was grateful for the fast pace, it dried his clothing quickly. A flash of desire went through him as he thought about the effect Allantra had on him. “We’ll keep low for now.” Dharean closed his eyes and concentrated lightly on touching the mind of each tainted human. He grimaced. Indeed Allantra was a harbinger.
“Black arts—the vampyres sent them. Their minds are quite cleverly concealing their plan though it shouldn’t be hard to guess; they’re here to break out numbers. With time, yes, I am sure I could break the mind locks but it might alert the vampyre controlling them. We need to handle this carefully.”
“Why not just kill them and get it over with.” Ever the efficient killer, Masque wanted done with the whole business.
“Because we might be walking into an ambush; never underestimate the intentions of the vampyres. Their presence here could be bait to flush us out. Killing these humans could also make the vampyres attack with full force, we aren’t prepared.”
Masque thought of this for a moment then grunted in agreement. “Then we wait.”
* * * *
The small hut was lit comfortably, giving one a sense of peace, if it wasn’t for the jars of rather disgusting looking preservatives. Okay, so maybe body parts of various animals and weird looking plants would be a better descrip
tion. She knew Dharean practiced the dark arts but up until now never gave it much thought. Tomes of books lined the walls, and surprisingly none were dusty as she thought they would be. He either took great care with his books or he used them that much. A very lush bed was pushed against the furthest wall. The sheets were tossed aside carelessly, the covers on the floor. You want to know about all the beauties that seek my touch when the moon is high? You want to know how I make them scream my name repeatedly make their bodies burn for my touch and my touch alone? His words echoed in her mind as she looked at the unkempt bed. Were the sheets tossed about in passion? Did he have a lover with him last night?
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It wasn’t her business. So why did it bother her so much? Brusquely, she picked the covers off the floor and made the bed slowly and meticulously, dreading her stay here with Dharean. How long did he expect her to stay here? Was Khaelen still thinking of her? Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of Khaelen. She felt as if she betrayed him somehow and yet at the same time, the physical attraction she felt for Dharean felt right. Was she a slut? No, she couldn’t possibly feel anything for the Black Wizard.
Yes, she was drawn to him, and at the same time he irked her. She smoothed the sheets and sat down as she thought about him for a second. You are a wanton one aren’t you? His question echoed in her mind. She’d never been wanton, never really lusted after a man. Yes, she had a lover or two but it was just to fill a need. It was nothing like what she felt for Khaelen, for Dharean. What was it about these two men? Would she have to choose? Common sense said no. When all this was over she would leave Dharean behind, they would go their separate ways and then there would just be her and the vampire. Of course all she had to do was stay out of Dharean’s bed.
Bloodlines 2 Ancestry Page 5
