Dark Knights 1: Eternity of Darkness

by Shana Nichols

  Despite their connection at the club, Stefan had withdrawn from her once out of its ambience and back at her home. They were in the arena where their last confrontation with Reynard would come. Even now he sat at her kitchen table with Alex and Claude. Stefan had shooed her off to bed, insisting they did not need her input for the moment. They’d be plotting Reynard’s demise, he’d told her. While she appreciated his understanding that she wouldn’t enjoy hearing all the gory details, in the back of her mind, she knew Stefan stayed there now because he feared being alone with her tonight.

  She desperately needed him here, with her, as he’d been the past few nights. She needed him in her bed. Staring at the rumpled covers Stefan had kicked away this afternoon, she pictured him there. Magnificently naked, fully aroused, holding out his arms...holding her. Skimming his large hands over her body. Making love to her as only he could.

  But he wasn’t there. The bed she’d loved when she bought it now seemed too large. Too empty. Too full of memories.

  Memories she wouldn’t let him steal. Julie stood, took her sketchbook, and sat on the chaise by the window. If he left, she’d always cherish the look of wonder that had crossed his handsome face when he’d seen it for the first time. She’d remember the exuberance with which he’d played with Noodles on her patio. Most of all, she’d hold on to the myriad emotions he’d coaxed from her, from the moment he’d risked his life to save her dog.

  Stefan had stolen her heart. She wasn’t about to let him give it back. Some way, somehow, she’d find a way to mitigate his fear. She’d follow him to his world, make it her world, too. Her heart wouldn’t let her walk away, not when there were so many things they hadn’t done together, so many experiences she longed for them to share.

  Before Julie saw Stefan she sensed his presence, felt the welcome coolness of his fingers when he laid them against her collarbones and rubbed in a light, circular motion. He wasn’t breathing now, or his exhalations would have tickled the sensitive spot where the back of her neck met the base of her skull.

  With him touching her like this, the moon seemed to grow brighter. The vanilla scent of the candle she’d lit earlier became richer, fuller. In the silence of the night she heard their heartbeats -- his slow, hers racing as she became aroused by no more than the nearness of him.

  She turned, lured more by him than by the moon. Lifting her hands, she touched his cheeks, tracing the high cheekbones, the strong jaw. Though she’d switched off the lamp in favor of candlelight and darkness shadowed his face, she saw his features in her mind. “You must never steal my memories,” she whispered, dragging him to her so she could savor the smoothness of his lips on hers.

  His sex stirred against her belly, strong, insistent. His obvious arousal made her inner muscles contract with anticipation. She reached between them, caressed him there, enjoyed a heady sense of power when he grew larger and harder from her intimate touch.

  “Take me, Stefan. Please.”

  As though she’d stolen his will to resist, he sighed, lifted her, and laid her on the bed. Slowly, as though he relished the unveiling as much as the prize within, he unbuttoned her robe, bending and brushing his lips over each inch of skin he uncovered. “You will have your sketches, but I’ll take this with me -- the sweet smell and taste of you, the sound of your pleasure when you come.”

  He slid the robe off her shoulders, raked her from head to toe with his beautiful sea-green eyes. “No day will ever dawn without me remembering...wanting... Never doubt I loved you. I can’t bear imagining my life without you in it.” His expression bleak, he stood, his gaze steady on her as he took off his clothes and came back to her. “This is for now. For memories you’ll someday wish you had let me erase.”

  Making memories. Julie concentrated, wanting not to miss a single sensation. The cool yet incredibly arousing touch of Stefan’s smooth satiny skin on hers, the taste of his smooth, clean flesh on her lips. The solid weight of his ridged belly against her softer flesh attested that he was real, not some erotic figment of her imagination. Her skin prickled with sensation when he swept his hands along her arms, her shoulders, when he stroked the column of her throat and cupped her jaw.

  Wanting more, she opened her legs farther, inviting him in.

  He shifted, bringing the heat of his sex to hers, barely joining them. “Wrap your legs around me.” The order was no more than a whisper against her lips, but when she complied, he surged forward, filling her completely.

  How could the rest of his body feel so cool while his sex seared her with its heat? Slowly, he withdrew, only to enter her again. Each time his strokes grew deeper, harder, more intense. Scorching, as the passion between them spread like wildfire. His pubic bone stimulated her clit, making the pressure build, spread... She was about to come, and she wanted to make him come first.

  Tightening her inner muscles, she milked him hard, spurred on by the ecstatic moans that escaped his mouth. His muscles tensed, reminding her of his strength, her helplessness in his arms. The arms of her beloved vampire.

  His mouth opened, flashing fangs.

  Yes. He was going to do it. Julie arched her back, giving him better access to her vulnerable throat. She squeezed him harder, moved beneath him, with him. Waves of incredible pleasure washed over her when he let go, bathed her womb in hot, staccato bursts that spread throughout her body.

  “I love you,” she gasped when she felt his fangs graze the sensitive skin of her throat. “Yes, Stefan. Do it. Bite me now.” She closed her eyes, let her orgasm take her, anticipated quick, sharp twin pains...and her rebirth as his vampire mate.

  But he jerked his head away. “I love you, too.” He sounded tired...drained...infinitely sad. For a long time he held her, his head cradled against her breasts.

  A tear dampened her skin And then another. Vampire tears.

  Julie ran her fingers through Stefan’s dark, shiny hair, as though that might soothe his pain away. “You know, I should hate you for refusing to give me what I want more than anything. But I can’t help loving you.”

  * * * * *

  Early the next morning Julie dressed, leaving Stefan sleeping until she was ready to take Noodles for her walk. He looked so peaceful, she hated to wake him -- but then, she knew he needed the time to set a trap for Louis.

  Still, she sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, watching him, wishing... No, it wasn’t the time for spinning wistful fantasies. Not now, when they soon would have to face a killer. “Good morning,” she murmured, bending to plant a hard kiss on his lips.

  His eyes opened. Their gazes met. Awareness flowed between them, as if they both realized there was nothing left that needed saying. He lifted her hand, brushed his lips across her palm, a gesture somehow more intimate than the traditional kiss bestowed on the softer back of her knuckles. “I will not fail you, Julie.”

  “I know you won’t.”

  He rose immediately, fully awake and alert. “Go now. I’ll alert Alex and Claude. Remember, you’re to bring him in through the patio so we can attack him there. We need the advantage of sunlight.”

  “But sunlight’s your enemy, too.”

  “Not as much as it’s his. He’ll be in agony by the time he arrives here, and I doubt you could lure him back outdoors if you brought him in through the house. I’m sending Claude to watch you from a distance. He’ll signal Alex and me if things aren’t going according to our plan. Be careful, my darling. You deserve a long happy life, not the horrible death Reynard has planned for you.”

  A long happy life. Stefan’s words rang in Julie’s ears long after she and Noodles went out to set a trap for Reynard. A long life with Stefan?

  * * * * *

  He’d deal death in the daylight. Something he’d not done before, yet it appealed to his sense of drama since he’d gone to great pains to make his d’Argent pursuers think he was even more sun-sensitive than he actually was . Louis slathered his face and hands with sunscreen designed for infant humans. Digging into his luggage, he
found a white long-sleeved shirt and light khaki pants he’d bought because they reflected the sun’s light. Once dressed, he donned a hat and dark glasses before venturing out of his hotel room.

  The overcast sky was a pleasant surprise. A good omen. The sun lay low, barely peeking from the horizon, looking almost as though it were rising slowly from Lake Michigan. His skin prickled from the light, but a brisk breeze off the water kept him from suffering excruciating pain. Julie would be walking that nasty little dog any minute now.

  There. She let herself out through her patio gate and took off toward Lincoln Park.

  Louis followed her, taking care at first in case one or more of the d’Argent pups had made himself invisible to try and trick him. They wouldn’t succeed. Louis could feel the presence of another vampire, particularly one younger and less powerful than he. His senses on the alert, Louis approached Julie, slowly until he was certain she had no invisible guardian.

  As he always did in the hours before a kill, he focused on his victim. Unlike the others, this one had undoubtedly been warned and knew his intent. She’d be expecting him, and on some plane that fueled his passion. Three d’Argents guarded her, thought that together they could take him down. The stupid pups! They were so confident, they’d set up the victim to be Louis’s bait. They’d soon learn the folly of their plan.

  Louis allowed himself the luxury of anticipating the kill, hearing the rush of Julie’s blood. He could almost smell her scent -- her fear. His fangs itched for the sustenance of her blood, for the revenge he’d vowed against Alina and her miserable clansmen.

  He’d hoped she’d have taken that miserable dog of hers to walk in the shady park, but no. She chose to stroll along Lake Michigan instead, where the early morning sun was slowly roasting him despite all the precautions he’d taken. Adjusting his hat to shade his face as much as possible, Louis fixed his features to look benign.

  Time to overtake his victim. He walked faster. “Fine morning, isn’t it?” he asked once he reached Julie’s side.

  “Why, yes. It is.” Julie sounded cordial, but Louis saw her apprehension. Her d’Argent lover had revealed his true nature, persuaded her that he, Louis, meant her great harm. “Could -- could I offer you coffee? I feel bad that we haven’t been able to get together.”

  It was going to be even easier than Louis had hoped. As he’d gathered from reading the youngest d’Argent’s mind, the arrogant bastards indeed were using Julie as bait. They wouldn’t succeed, though. Louis was too smart not to catch on, too wily to walk blindly into what might mean his destruction. He knew what he’d face, felt confident he’d prevail. “I’d appreciate it. The hotel’s fare is not to my liking.”

  It seemed that every minute the sky grew brighter and his skin grew hotter. But Louis wouldn’t back off. He’d take Julie up on her offer, but being forewarned, he’d be ready. Ready to destroy the d’Argents as well as his chosen victim.

  Venom surged through his body, but he made no effort to stop it. It didn’t matter now that the whites of his eyes were turning red, or that he was sprouting a tail -- actually, more a bump at the base of his spine than a real tail. Julie wouldn’t live long enough to notice, once he’d dispatched the d’Argent pups. “I believe your dog has finished its business,” Louis said. His strength would be short-lived if he had to remain out in the sun much longer.

  Julie’s shudder at his touch convinced Louis he was right. The D’Argents would attack him the moment he set foot in her pleasant townhouse, where the arrogant pup had passed each day since coming here. “Come, I feel a real need for the refreshment you offered.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Here they come now,” Claude whispered from his vantage point atop the ivy-covered brick wall that surrounded the patio. “He knows we’re here.”

  Stefan fingered the rowan stake, then set it down on a round wrought iron table next to a razor-sharp cleaver he’d appropriated from Julie’s kitchen. Adrenaline surged through his body as he and Alex stood on either side of the spiked patio gate, waiting...

  Alex flexed his fists, obviously eager for the battle. Claude teetered on the wall, hidden from the access path by the heavy new spring foliage on a branch of a gnarled black walnut tree. Stefan raised his head, caught Julie’s scent, the fetid odor of Reynard. A cold, calculating rage -- a predator’s rage -- rose in him. He felt it reach out, join him to the others.

  In that moment they were at their darkest, their least human, blood being their only intent. Blood of one of their own.

  “Go for his throat.” Baring his fangs, Alex stood poised to strike. The seldom-used hinges of the patio gate creaked. Stefan watched the gate inch its way open, saw Noodles leading the way. “Now!” he said as Julie pulled away from Reynard and raced for the kitchen door.

  Claude leapt from the wall, colliding with Reynard and bringing him down. Reynard rolled him over, sank his fangs deep in Claude’s neck. The flash of a dagger caught Stefan’s eye as Reynard’s free arm came up in time to fend off Alex’s impulsive lunge. Alex dodged away, came at Reynard again as Stefan joined the melee.

  He grasped Reynard’s shoulders, pried him off Claude. Alex moved in, dodging fangs filled with venom that could kill, coming low, pummeling Reynard with vicious blows of his fist. Stefan took a glancing hit from Reynard’s dagger, but managed to toss Claude out of harm’s way.

  No time to try to help him now, for it took all his and Alex’s combined strength to grapple Reynard to the dewy ground. Julie stood in the open doorway to the kitchen, her expression one of horror. “Get inside,” he shouted.

  She turned, but Noodles broke free. The little dog sank her teeth into Reynard’s leg, earned a violent kick. She yelped. “Noodles,” Julie yelled, scrambling forward into the fray.

  Stefan cursed as Reynard burst free and lunged for her, but Julie ducked under the arc of Alex’s leaping body. His cousin vaulted over her and collided with Reynard, knocking him back into Stefan’s hold.

  A flash of blade. A searing pain. Reynard’s dagger had hit bone. Stefan gripped his shoulder, saw Julie was still in harm’s way. “Damn it, Julie. Protect yourself. Do it now!” She ignored him, dragging Claude from the battlefield, her hand pressed on his deepest wound, Noodles anxiously dancing behind her.

  Stefan held onto Reynard. He’d die before letting the bastard get to Julie. He dodged the killer vampire’s lethal fangs while wrestling him for control of the dagger.

  “Hold him.” Alex raised the stake. “Reynard, you’re history.”

  Reynard flailed about. Stefan hung on. He couldn’t let go. Not now. Not when they were so close. “Hurry, damn it.”

  His aim sure, Alex raised the stake, lifted it high, brought it down in a vicious arc.

  Just as Stefan lost hold on Reynard and he rolled away.

  The stake vibrated, sunk deep into the earth where their prey had been seconds earlier. “Fuck.” Alex wrenched the stake from the ground, charged Reynard again. “I’ve got you now, you murdering bastard,” he snarled, impaling the other vampire on the sharp point of the stake.

  Stefan saw it wasn’t a lethal hit. Not for a vampire as old and powerful as Reynard. “Stake him again.” Stefan struggled to his knees. Had to get a hold on the killer again. Had to take him down. There. Got him. “Now, Alex. Hurry, do it.”

  Alex charged. With lightning speed, Reynard sank his fangs into Stefan’s arm, hard enough to break his grip.

  The bastard spun away as though he didn’t even feel the stake buried in his chest, close to his heart if not actually in it. Stefan struggled to stand, then fell backward into a growing pool of blood. His own.

  Though he, too, had taken several cuts from the killer’s dagger, Alex launched himself at Reynard, but his hands slipped on the other vampire’s own blood. Reynard let out a piercing scream, a snarl that rang in Stefan’s ears, then limped away, struggling to get airborne and wobbling over the carnage.

  The sound that came from the killer’s mouth was half-laugh, half-sob. A
n inhuman, evil sound that turned Stefan cold. “We’ve fought this one to a draw. I’ll encounter you again. If you survive your wounds.” Reynard’s parting words rang in Stefan’s ears before he sank into blessed oblivion.

  * * * * *

  Claude lay still as death on a cot in the living room, Alex at his side. Stefan slept now, his wounds stitched and cleaned, apparently healing quickly except for the venom they hadn’t been able to extract completely from the vampire bite on his arm. Julie sat beside him on her bed, in the darkened room, her heart still pounding now, hours after the fight had ended in a draw.

  She’d never seen him look so vulnerable. As though he needed the reassurance of her touch, he reached out, lay his uninjured arm along the curve of her hip. “Julie.” Her name sounded as if wrenched from somewhere in his subconscious.

  “I’m here, my love.” She’d always be here for him, if only he’d allow it.

  He shifted, and a slight smile curved the corners of his mouth, as though he understood through the haze that surrounded his mind.

  “Claude.” He said it clearly, though his eyes remained closed.

  “Alex is caring for him.”

  “How... have to know. Have to...”

  “Hush. I’ll go, find out how he fares. You know, you told me you vampires were all invincible.” Julie laid a hand on Stefan’s brow, found him warmer than usual -- feverish, from the venom, Alex had said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Claude didn’t look invincible at all. He looked nearly dead, his face chalky from loss of blood. Julie met Alex’s solemn gaze. “How is he?”

  Alex put a finger to his lips. When he got up and went into to the kitchen, Julie followed. Alex held a chair for her. “Sit. You look as though you could use some rest.”

  “Thank you.”

  Alex sat across from her. He looked battered, too, though he’d insisted his wounds were superficial. “I didn’t want to talk about Claude in there. When Reynard nearly killed me a few months ago, my caregivers spoke about my chances, certain I couldn’t hear. I could. I just couldn’t respond and tell them they were dead wrong when they kept saying I was about to die.”