Instead, her life in the last few months had become a series of hide-and-seek games. She would hide and the Prince’s guards would seek her out. No matter where she tried to conceal herself, they would find her and take her to his chambers. Like now.
Prince Vlad’s private chambers were opulent and beautiful. The bed frame was made of a massive, rich wood, with four posters holding up a wooden canopy. The intricate carvings were beautiful, and under any other circumstances she would have been in awe. The mattress was down-filled and softer than anything she could ever imagine. It would be like sleeping on a cloud.
Except she never closed her eyes, not even for a breath. The beauty and comfort of the bed mattered not when she could do little but submit to his desires. He wanted her and made no excuses for his lust. He was, after all, the Prince of Wallachia. He had saved them all from a horrible fate at the hands of the Turks, and how she really felt about him was of no consequence. She, like all in Wallachia, owed him a debt for her life.
That she hated him and despised his touch was her cross to bear. She would do what she must to save herself and what was left of her family. To deny him would mean death to her, to Alexandru, to anyone she loved. Protecting their lives was worth any sacrifice she had to make.
She understood. She did not think Lura did. Her lovely face had mirrored the distress she did not give voice to. Nicoletta wanted to reassure her and tell her not to worry. The bastards following the Prince like pet dogs did not allow her even a moment to reassure Lura.
“Not at your prettiest tonight, are we, Nicoletta?”
At the sound of his voice she jumped and then just as quickly recovered. She had learned early in this odd relationship not to show fear. Respect, yes. Fear, never. He fed on fear.
“It has been a long, hard day, my Prince.” And no time for sleep the night before, though she would not tell him of that nocturnal journey. She was so exhausted she could almost weep, unshed tears stinging at the back of her eyes. Her weariness was her cross to bear, and she would not allow him to see any weakness in her.
He came up behind her and leaned close. His breath was hot on her ear. “And we have all night.”
She suppressed the shudder that threatened to topple her body. It was just such a reaction that he would find intoxicating. “Whatever you wish, my Prince.”
He grabbed her shoulder roughly and turned her to face him. His piercing eyes were narrowed to slits, his thin lips tight. His skin was deathly pale, and she wondered why she had not noticed this until now. “You do not please me tonight, Nicoletta.”
Her stomach dropped. She had heard this tone of voice before, and it did not come before anything good. “I am sorry, my Prince. What can I do to earn your pleasure?” She dipped her head and held her hands together to try to calm the trembling. This was easier to do when she did not gaze into his eyes.
He thrust her away roughly, and she nearly tripped on the edge of the thick carpet. She felt both hope and dread. His lack of contentment would keep her out of his bed. It might also be the thing that would spill her blood.
His silence brought chills to her arms despite the deep heat in the room. It was heavy with disapproval. His whims were quicksilver and often deadly. He had not been so back when he had married for the first time. She had been just a child, but she remembered the man he had been. He had smiled often and, though still strong and decisive, was not so quick to draw blood. She had not feared him then as she did now every moment she was awake. That all changed when his bride jumped from the parapet of the castle after learning of the Turks bragging of his death on the battlefield. It was a lie his love would never know.
As her life had drained away on the rocks below, so did any shred of compassion he had for the world. Knowing him as he was now, she could not find in him the heart needed to love, and yet she believed he had loved his wife deeply. When her lifeblood drained away on the cold, hard rocks at the mountain base, it was as if his had as well. Hardness edged everything he did from that day forward. He married once more, and they all hoped for the return of the man they had known before. The smiles did not return. Neither did the man. It seemed that when his true love died, so did a part of him.
In these times, she was not the only one summoned to the spacious chambers. Many women passed through the doors and into the well-appointed chambers. Many lay upon the magnificent bed. The best she could hope for was to fall out of favor without upsetting him. If he grew bored with her or turned his eye to another lovelier woman, she would be free. The thought brought both hope and dread. She wanted to be free of him, but at what cost?
His preoccupation with her slipped away like a stone falling beneath the waters of the lake, and he began to pace the large chamber. Tilting her head, she watched him move back and forth. Something unspoken drew him away from the needs of his body and into the silence of his head. She had never seen him like this before.
“You may go,” he said abruptly, not looking at her.
Shocked by his command, she did not move. “My Prince?” Not once in the many times she had been brought here had he ended their night together in this way. She did not understand. Should she be joyful that she was being released from this luxurious prison? Or should she be cowering in fear?
He whirled. “I said leave.” He tore the doors open and shoved her into the corridor. She stumbled and nearly lost her footing. Righted, she gave one puzzled look at the closed door, then picked up her skirt and all but ran.
The two guards outside sneered as she rushed away. Their snickers and graphic, unpleasant words were loud enough to reach her ears. She did not care. God had smiled on her this night and she was grateful. As fast as she could, she returned to her own chambers.
Chapter Fifteen
Riah was breathing hard by the time she made it back to the secluded spot in the forest where Ivy and Adriana were tending to Colin. Even with their limited supplies, Ivy had been able to remove the arrow and dress the wound. Once a doctor, always a doctor, alive or undead.
Still, it made Riah nervous. She retained vivid memories of infections going rampant and lives being lost in a matter of days. Something as insignificant as a scratch in the twenty-first century could end a life in these times. She’d seen it firsthand and didn’t want to see it with Colin. The former vampire hunter had unknowingly wormed his way into her heart.
Bottom line, the sooner they retrieved Lura and returned to their own time, the better for everyone involved. She almost laughed out loud at the phrase “their own time.” This time and place was far closer to her own time than where they’d come from. By all rights, this is where she should die once and for all. It would be poetic justice.
Then she glanced at Adriana, and all morbid thoughts of ending her long, long life faded. She wished for as much time with Adriana as she could have. She didn’t want to die. Not anymore.
“Did you get them?” Colin asked as he sat with his back to a tree. Blood stained the front of his ragged shirt, and even in the darkness, she could see how pale his face had become. He was a tough man, but even tough guys were no match for a well-aimed arrow.
She gave him a curt nod. Get them was not quite how it’d gone down. It was a bit more like a well-played sucker punch. She’d zeroed in on the two hunters, who obviously thought they were about to make a big score, and then sauntered in with her head held high. An arrogant royal through and through.
The two men didn’t flinch, and they bought her act hook, line, and sinker. They were accustomed to the mannerisms of the wealthy, and they hated them. She’d counted on that intensity of emotion to blur their vision. All they saw was a haughty noblewoman and had completely missed the danger that lurked beneath the façade. Her plan. Their bad luck.
Pissed her off though. She didn’t like killing humans, even when it was a matter of survival. When she took the physician’s oath all those years ago, it meant something very different to her than to her fellow graduates. It was more than just “do no harm.” It was also
to make amends. She’d hurt people throughout the time she’d spent at Rodolphe’s side, many people, and even if she lived a thousand years she doubted she’d ever feel like she’d made reparations.
Yes, she still killed, but those she destroyed in this life weren’t simply thieves or men so poor that robbing travelers would feed their families for a year. Those she’d dispatched over the last two centuries were killers who’d chosen the evil side over what was good and right. Her conscience was clear in that respect.
Tonight, she’d had to make a choice. Kill or be killed. It didn’t matter that these men were not of the vast eternity she had been relegated to, but rather of a time and place where sometimes survival meant random harm. At the same time, she understood the dynamics because once upon a time, this had been her world. She’d always known of the dangers of highway robbers. While she felt for their families and the harshness of their existence driving them to their actions, she had to protect her friends.
If simply incapacitating them had been an option, she’d have gladly taken it. The whole scenario was far more complicated than that. Upon reviving, they would tell their townsfolk, and soon, a tale of the four strangers on the rutted dirt road would reach the ears of the one in power. Never a good thing. They were too close to the city to risk exposure now.
And so she’d killed them. Regrettable? Very much so. Necessary? Absolutely. Her unease now went beyond the mere act of destruction of life. She worried that what she’d just done would send ripples out into the universe that would have disastrous effects. When they made the return trip through the stones what would her actions have altered? The ramifications were staggering.
She pushed the troubling thoughts aside and studied Colin. At this point she couldn’t do anything to change a single thing. They had to press on. “How’s your shoulder?”
He winced as he tried to push up. “Hurts like a motherfucker.”
She smiled. He was going to be all right. Funny how things worked out. Once not that long ago, she’d have been running from Colin, and now here she was worried about him. Quite a turn of events. She liked it.
“Can you travel?”
Though his face was tight he didn’t hesitate. “Damn straight.”
“Come on, Ivy. Let’s get him up on the horse and have him ride as long as we can. Once we get close to the city, he’ll have to walk. No choice there, but let’s give him a chance to rest as much as he can.”
Ivy was helping Colin mount the horse, trying to keep the pressure to his shoulder minimal yet still stop the bleeding. “How close do you think we are?”
She shook her head. “My days of horse travel are so far in the past, it’s hard to judge. If I was to give it a guess, though, I’d say we have two more hours, tops.” Glancing up at the night sky, she winced. “I’m hoping we get there before daylight.”
“You think we’ll still be able to walk in the light?” Ivy asked, a note of hope in her voice.
She wanted to say yes, only the truth was, she had no flipping idea. “Maybe. Just in case, I don’t want to risk being caught in open space with nowhere to hide. If we don’t reach the city before daylight, we better plan on finding shelter. Better to err on the side of caution.”
“Then let’s not keep standing around here talking about it.” Adriana was pulling herself up on the horse she and Riah shared. “Let’s get to the city before dawn, then haul ass to find Ivy’s cousin. I don’t know about the rest of you, but the sooner we get out of here and back home, the better. I gotta say I’m not finding this place all that cozy.”
“Second that,” Colin said as he shifted on his mount, a wince of pain crossing his pale face at the jostle to the injured shoulder. Ivy turned to look at him, careful not to bump him.
“You sure you’re going to be all right?” Riah would hate to leave him behind. Colin was an incredible asset to the Spiritus Group, and in this violent world, they could use all the help they could get. Their odds of getting in, nabbing Lura, and getting out were much, much better with Colin in the mix.
On the other hand, if he wasn’t able to function somewhere close to full capacity, they’d be better off if he stayed here. An injured, incapacitated man Colin’s size would be a problem, and they didn’t need two people to rescue. One was plenty.
He winked at Ivy and told Riah, a bit of color coming back into his face, “Flesh wound. Let’s hit the road.”
*
This was killing her. Lura was worried sick about what was happening to Nicoletta somewhere in the dark regions of this castle. If she had any idea at all where to find Alexandru, she’d go haul his ass back up here and make him help her hunt his sister before something terrible happened. The look on her face when they dragged her from the room cut at Lura’s heart. It wasn’t terror; it was something worse.
She needed Alexandru to help her, and she didn’t understand why all of a sudden he was MIA. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen him all day. Granted, she didn’t know him well and had no idea what was or wasn’t normal behavior for him. Still, last night when he left them, she’d had the sense that he and Nicoletta had a great deal to discuss. So, why the disappearing act today?
A horrible thought occurred to her. What if something had happened to him? What if he’d left Tirgoviste? How was she going to get home?
That thought made her stop pacing the spacious room and stare outside. Good God. If she was stuck here, she didn’t know what she’d do. She inhaled deeply and almost choked. Foreign odors assailed her nose, and a cold wind blew through what passed for a window. Outside, the ground was ankle-deep, blackened mud, the result of snow and dirt that people and animals had trampled.
Where was the big beautiful bathroom with the jetted tub? Where were the central heat and air that switched effortlessly when it became too hot or too cold? Where was the cable television, the Internet, the shiny new smart phone? These were the comforts of her world, and she really didn’t want to give them up.
He better still be here, and as soon as Alexandru showed his face, she’d drag him through every hall in this stone prison until they found Nicoletta. Once she was safe, Lura would demand they take her back to those stones and have them do their magic in reverse. Her trip to wonderland was way past the point of being interesting or intriguing. She wanted to go home. Now.
A creak made her whirl away from the window. The heavy door was opening slowly, its hinges groaning with the effort. Her breath caught in her throat. Were they were coming for her now just as they’d come for Nicoletta? She didn’t have anywhere to run and, as far as she could tell, no way to escape. They’d both be lost.
The burly, sour-faced guards didn’t barge through the door this time, their arms at the ready to drag her off into the nether regions of the castle.
It was Nicoletta.
The sight of her made Lura’s heart beat like thunder, and relief turned her legs to rubber. It was all she could do not to crumple to her knees and sob. She rushed to Nicoletta, taking hold of her hands. Hard to tell whose hands were shaking the worst.
Training took hold and she began to run her hands over Nicoletta. Around her head, down her neck, across her shoulders, down her arms. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
Nicoletta shook her head. “I do not understand what happened or why. The Prince was in a strange mood this night, and he sent me away.”
Something in her face pulled at Lura’s heart. So lovely and so haunted. She totally understood and for the first time refused to ignore all the feelings that rolled through her. She was tired of being what everyone else thought she should be.
Finding no wounds, no blood, no bruises, she wanted to pull this woman into her arms and kiss away her inner pain, along with a little of her own. Nicoletta’s eyes were mysterious and full of secrets. She wanted to kiss her until they no longer had any secrets between them.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she wrapped her arms around Nicoletta and pulled her close. Slowly, she tilted her head
and tenderly pressed her lips to Nicoletta’s. Her lips were soft, yielding, and so wonderfully sweet. The thrill that raced through Lura at the touch was what she’d always dreamed of feeling with Vic and never did. More than that, it was the feeling of absolute rightness that made her want to hold this woman forever.
She’d intended to simply reassure Nicoletta by giving her a quick, compassionate hug, and yet the gentle kiss deepened into something much more. It wasn’t just her either. Nicoletta returned the kiss and pressed her body close to Lura’s. The feel of her breasts against her own was intoxicating. She wanted it to go on forever.
Sliding her hands up Nicoletta’s back, she pressed her closer. She wished the thick, beautiful gowns were gone. To feel Nicoletta’s flesh against her own was what she wanted more than anything. To feel the heat that set her skin and her soul on fire.
When Nicoletta broke away, something akin to despair poured over her. She wanted her so badly, she shook from head to toe. What she couldn’t do was take what Nicoletta wasn’t willing to give. Lura was left standing alone when she pulled away from her. She’d pushed too hard, let her desire carry her away. The woman had experienced enough without her piling on more.
Except that what she first took for reluctance was anything but. Instead of getting as far away from her as possible, Nicoletta walked to the door and latched it from the inside. They were together and alone. No one would come in without one of them opening the door. Privacy.
Spellbound, she watched as Nicoletta reached around behind her back and loosened the ties of her dress. The lovely embroidered wool gown slipped to the floor in a puddle at her feet. Her undergarments followed one by one until she stood before Lura completely naked.
Her breath caught, and the only thing that let her know she was still alive was the hammering of her heart. Nicoletta was so incredibly beautiful, with pale skin so smooth it was like looking at fine porcelain. Her breasts, while small, were firm and perfect, with rosy round nipples that grew hard from the cool air and Lura’s hungry gaze.
Vermilion Justice Page 14
