The Red Lily (Vampire Blood)

by Juliette Cross

  And so here he was, examining her with a subtle eye while she pulled the stew off the fire and served herself a bowl. Yes, he was there to serve as her protector and to recruit for the Black Lily, but his primary quest was of a more personal nature. Her alluring scent had gotten under his skin, and he wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d gotten under hers. His fangs ached at the thought. He shifted his cock in his pants where it strained against his trousers. He’d planned to tread carefully and slowly, but that idea fled the second he saw her.

  What had he been thinking? The lie he’d told himself was that he’d serve as her guardian and keep her safe on this mission. For the Black Lily, of course. And if they happened to fall into bed together, then so be it. Fool that he was. What he’d completely forgotten was the maddening pull this woman had on him. She drew out his fangs too quickly. If he was anything in life, it was calm and controlled. Especially when feeding. Therein lie danger.

  A flicker of memory—dark hair, a foul room, too much blood, distant laughter.

  No. He mustn’t lose control. Never with her.

  He had refused dinner but accepted the hot tea she’d offered. She ate quickly, hopping up repeatedly for a glass of water, a napkin, or to refill his tea. Finally, she settled down in a chair opposite him to read the letter.

  While many vampires ate and drank human food as a pleasure rather than sustenance, Nikolai had long since given up the practice. He was a vampire of efficiency. But he could see in her wary gaze and hear in her fluttering heartrate that he made her nervous. So he sipped the tea to assuage her fears. The truth was, she had every reason to beware of him.

  She flipped the letter over to read the back. A thin line along her smooth brow showed concern. Her milk-pale skin and slender throat called to him like a siren song. Moss-green eyes darted up from the parchment as she flipped to the second page. Firelight danced on the auburn waves she left loose about her shoulders.

  He warred with this driving need to haul her into his lap and kiss her senseless, to feel her in his arms, pressed close. His craving for her went beyond the desire for her flesh and blood. Her sweet innocence combined with her independent nature was a heady concoction to a man like him. He’d only ever been surrounded by the vapid ladies of the aristocracy and the wanton women of the peasantry who sought him for one night’s pleasure or silver sovereigns. Often both. And while his lust for this red-haired beauty was a dangerous, feral beast, he was cautiously aware his unusual possessiveness meant something deeper. Stronger. Something he wasn’t prepared to confront just yet.

  With a sigh, she refolded the letter and looked up, clearing her throat. “Do you know what the letter says?”

  “I did not read it, but I know what Arabelle asks of you. Will you do it?”

  Leveling her chin up a notch with determination, she replied, “Of course I will. Whatever the Black Lily needs of me, I will do. How far north must we go?”

  He set the tea on the side table and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped casually together. “Marius has heard from Friedrich at Winter Hill. There are signs that the blood madness sanguine furorem has spread into his region. We are to go there and recruit all we can along the way.”

  Back straight, her hands sitting in her lap like any aristocratic lady, she asked, “Why didn’t Arabelle send Ivan or Evan? They’re capable enough of recruiting.”

  A twinge of jealousy twisted in his gut. “Would you prefer one of the Barrow brothers as your guard?”

  “No. But if her need for me is to have a human member of the Black Lily to recruit and not a vampire, why did she send you?”

  “Because we must cross the countryside while the Legionnaires hunt down revolutionaries and the blood madness runs rampant. You need a vampire to protect you against vampires.”

  She swallowed visibly, a tell of her rising anxiety. “I see.”

  “Besides, the Barrow brothers did come, but they have a shorter assignment to fetch a cache of gold from Arabelle’s mine and whatever recruits they can gather in Hiddleston, then return to the training camp. Marius’s kin Friedrich sent supplies as well, what he could. The Barrow brothers will use some of the gold to barter for other goods to restock the training camp.” He leaned back and rested one arm along the sofa back, the other hand casually on his thigh. Her gaze flickered to his lap as he continued. “They’ll help with the first recruitment meeting tomorrow night in the basement of the tavern at the Bull’s Head. You and I will also be there. But before that, I have a mission of my own. And I need your help there as well.”

  “What is it?”

  “I must speak with my cousin working in the Glass Tower. But I need someone to bring him to me.”

  “And that someone would be me.”

  “Yes. If you will.”

  “Well, of course I will.” She stood and walked toward the door, lifting her red cloak from its hook and pulling it over her shoulders.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like?” She clasped the hook beneath her chin. “I’m readying to go to the Glass Tower.”

  Nikolai stood and walked to her. “We are not going tonight.” He slowly lowered her hands to her sides, then unclasped her mantle, keeping her close. “The Tower is dangerous during the day, but for a delectable woman like you, it is surely fatal at night.”

  Her green eyes darkened, pupils dilating, her gaze dropping to his mouth. His fangs elongated, aching for succor. But he would take none from her. Not yet.

  He whipped off her cloak and stepped away to hang it back in place.

  “So we go in the morning?” she asked, hesitantly, her voice softer, weaker than before.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have a place to sleep?” she asked, moving away to clear his tea and saucer to the sink.

  “No,” he declared clearly. “I was hoping you would allow me to sleep here with you.”

  The tea cup rattled where she dropped it in the washbasin. She turned, one hand clenching the sideboard till her knuckles were white. “Stay here?”

  “Yes.”

  “With me?”

  His lip twitched. “Unless you were planning on sleeping outside, then yes.”

  “But I”—she swallowed visibly, drawing Nikolai’s attention to her beautiful throat again, that creamy alabaster skin—“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Well, I—I know what you’re thinking.”

  He eased back to stand near the hearth. “Do you?”

  “I know what you want of me,” she said boldly. “What all vampires want. But I cannot give you that.”

  “Sweetheart, you do not know what I am thinking.” He couldn’t help but let his gaze rake her from top to bottom. She was indeed the most tempting woman he had ever seen. “If you knew, you wouldn’t have allowed me through your door.”

  Her eyes widened. The emotion flitting across her face was a mixture of panic and excitement.

  “Rest assured, my lady. You are in no danger from me. I was sent to be your guide and protector on this journey north. And I will do so. I will protect you with my life.”

  She let go of the sideboard and moved closer.

  “Why would you do that?”

  She shifted the subject away from the two of them alone in the cottage. Smart girl. But too late. She’d revealed something she shouldn’t have. For underneath her rising alarm was the heady scent of desire, and it had hooked him deep. Encouraged his hunt.

  She continued. “Why would you help the Black Lily, the resistance who despises all vampires?”

  He smiled at that. “The way Arabelle explains it, the Black Lily wants to free the peasantry from the yoke of the aristocracy, both the human and the vampire aristocracy.”

  “You’re right. But many members of the Black Lily have suffered greatly at the hands of vampires. Many despise your kind, and yet you help them. Why?”

  Nikolai considered answering her, then stepped closer. “
You are safe with me, Sienna. That is all you need to know.”

  She studied him for a split second, then walked away to her bed behind a dressing screen and returned with a quilt and a pillow. “You may sleep on the sofa. We will leave at first light.”

  With a bow of his head, he took them from her. “Thank you.” Turning for the sofa, he added. “For a moment, I thought I would be sleeping in the barn with your goat.”

  She laughed and disappeared behind the dressing screen. A sweet sound.

  “And don’t forget Willow.”

  “Ah, yes. How is Arabelle’s old mare?” He set to pulling off his boots.

  “She’s healing well from her fall, but the poor thing still limps.” The sound of her boots hit the floor. “And I don’t dare ride her. Not yet,” she called out.

  Fabric brushed together then her arms raised over the dressing screen as she pulled off her dress. Nikolai could only imagine the heavenly picture being revealed behind the screen as each layer was removed from her exquisite form. After he’d heard the corset fall to the floor, he gritted his teeth on the vision of her in only her thin chemise as she climbed into bed and blew out the tableside candle.

  “Good night, lieutenant,” she said hesitantly into the dark.

  He stood and blew out the candle still lit on her dining table, then settled on the sofa. He lay back and shifted his painful erection, wondering how in all the heavens he would be able to focus on this mission when the woman he swore to protect scrambled his brains into mush. He was sure she was an innocent maid. He’d only ever had experienced women in his bed, and for only one night at a time at that. Emotional ties were dangerous for a lieutenant in the Legionnaires who needed to keep his focus sharp. It was even more dangerous now as a loyalist to the Black Lily and traitor to the crown. It was wise to keep his liaisons short and impersonal. Still, the thought of Sienna sent his blood pumping hot and furious through his veins. So much so that he couldn’t stay away, jumping at the chance to serve on this mission. Anything to be near her.

  He sighed, then whispered, “Good night.” This was what he wanted—to be near her, to protect her.

  Punching his pillow, he rolled to face the fire, now dying to orange embers, and knew damn well he would dream of a red-haired witch he craved more than breath itself.

  Chapter Three

  Nikolai had been silent since they woke this morning. Of course, so had she. She could hardly look at him after having the most erotic dream she’d ever had about the man sleeping only feet from her.

  Dawn peeked through the elm trees as they reached the farther end of Larkin Wood. The narrow path intersected with a wider road. Sienna turned left, but Nikolai reached out and grabbed her hand. “This way.” He tugged her a moment before glancing at his hand around hers. He swiftly dropped it.

  Sienna found herself wishing he’d held it longer. Then chastised herself for wanting such a thing. Her dreams were nothing more than fantasies. And yet, a slow burn flickered in her belly when she remembered last night’s. It was summer and he’d laid her down in the tall grass. She’d been completely naked, and he’d been fully dressed. He’d used his mouth and tongue in wonderfully wicked ways. Not to mention his long tapered fingers which had teased into her cleft. The heat of the sun beamed down on her naked breasts as she arched into his touch, and he’d pushed his fingers—

  “Are you all right?” he asked. “Your heart is beating alarmingly fast.”

  What an idiot. How could she forget his heightened senses?

  “I’m fine.” She smiled awkwardly, turning the subject quickly. “The entrance to the Tower is that way, through Sylus. Why are we going in the opposite direction?”

  “There is a path over here that will bring us to the southeast gate,” he said, strolling ahead. “There is usually a single guard on duty. It’s more discreet to deal with him than the front gate.”

  She followed behind him, admiring the view of his tall, lean form taking lengthy strides along the path. So what if she was attracted to a vampire. A beautiful, fierce, warrior vampire. That was only natural. Any warm-blooded woman would be. It did her no harm to have fantasies, did it? Or a few naughty dreams. That’s what she told herself anyway, pushing any and all grandmotherly warnings far to the back of her mind.

  A brook gurgled on the left side of the road, winding in and out of the woods like a slithering snake.

  She caught up to him. “I didn’t know there was another entrance to the south of the palace grounds.”

  “Few do. When we get there, you’ll go to the gate and simply ask to speak with Riker. They won’t bring you to him, they’ll bring him to you. They’ll be hesitant to bring any stranger on to the palace grounds.”

  “I can handle that.”

  He stopped at the edge. The roadway was particularly steep and the ravine rocky with jutting shards of stone where a deep pool coalesced. “Here’s where we cross.”

  “What?” Sienna gaped. “I can’t climb down there.”

  Nikolai grinned, then scooped her up into his arms, his face close to hers. “Hold on, sweetheart.”

  “Oh no.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck a split second before he leaped and landed safely on the other side, much softer than she expected. The feat wasn’t humanly impossible. But, of course, he wasn’t human.

  For a moment, he held her close, his fingers curling tightly at her ribcage. “This is why you need a vampire to escort you to the north for recruits.”

  “So you can lug me around like a potato sack?” she asked, arching a brow. “Of course. Why didn’t I know that already?”

  A laugh rumbled in his chest as he set her carefully onto her feet, keeping her within the circle of his arms.

  “You may release me now, lieutenant.”

  “Why are you so afraid to be close to me?”

  “I’m not.”

  “I make you nervous.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Liar.”

  She pushed on his shoulders, and he let her go. “I just don’t want to tempt you…unnecessarily.” She smoothed her crimson skirt though it wasn’t ruffled. “I mean, I don’t want to be a burden as I know vampires have trouble sometimes. With the whole blood thing.”

  He let out a bark of laughter that snapped her attention back to him. “Oh, sweetheart.” He stood, one hand loose on his hip, the opposite leg casually bent as he studied her, blue eyes flaring bright. “You tempt me beyond reason. Beyond the ‘blood thing.’ But I am a man of my word. I won’t do anything at all to you…that you don’t want me to do.”

  With that, he marched ahead, leading her through a dense wood.

  Frowning at his insinuation, she called out, “I never said I wanted you to do anything to me.”

  “No. But you will.”

  “So sure of yourself, are you, lieutenant?”

  “Quite sure.”

  “Arrogance is not an attractive trait.”

  “It’s called confidence.”

  “Ha! I have known some arrogant men in my time, but you—”

  He stopped short. “Shh!”

  She froze immediately. He turned and placed a finger to his mouth to assure her silence, then took her hand and edged forward slowly. She could still hear nothing until they rounded a bend where light shone from a clearing ahead. Voices rumbled together. Two men. His keen hearing had heard them first. Begrudgingly, she admitted there were reasons a vampire would serve as the best escort on this mission.

  Nikolai motioned for her to go ahead, though his scowl told her that he wasn’t happy. With a tight nod, she stood tall and sauntered forward the last few feet of the thick brush and into the clearing. The two Legionnaires turned at once, both apparently hearing her footsteps at the same time. Both soldiers were pale with dark hair, similar in stature and rigid in stance at the gate entrance. Their Legionnaire uniforms in the royal colors of blue and silver gave them an air of sophistication and civility. But Sienna wasn’t fooled by appearance
. She knew some of the royal Legionnaires suffered from blood madness and had been bleeding peasants dry for the past few years. Her pulse tripped faster as she drew closer under their watchful eyes.

  “Good morning, officers.” She stopped a fair distance away.

  “Good morning, my lady,” the one on the right said with a grin, casting a look to the other soldier. “How may we be of service?”

  “I must speak with Sergeant Riker.”

  “Sergeant? You mean Lieutenant Riker.” His grin vanished. “What do you want with the lieutenant?”

  Sienna had prepared to sell the idea of being one of his current bleeders, but a bleeder would know his status in the Legionnaires. After all, a lieutenant could pay more money for his bleeders. But she could always think on her feet quickly.

  “My name is Sarah York of Hiddleston. The lieutenant and I were well acquainted last year upon his visit to town. I’m newly arrived to Sylus and wanted to…rekindle our friendship.”

  The leader of the two leaned to one side in a more casual stance. “I have not heard of a new family of the aristocracy moving into Sylus.”

  “Oh, we are only visiting some friends at Sterling House.”

  Sienna had heard the Barrow brothers mention the old baron at Sterling House and how he often hosted visiting noble families from other provinces.

  “My lady,” interjected the other guard, “how might you know of the south gate entrance? This is not for public access.”

  “No,” she agreed with a sultry smile. “That is what Riker told me when last he brought me here.” She used his first name, an intimate privilege.

  The officers, both frowning, shared another look, obviously wondering if she was telling the truth.