The Red Lily (Vampire Blood)

by Juliette Cross

  Quietly and quickly, he strode down the hall and through the parlor, stopping just before the parlor door. He detected several heartbeats in this part of the house when he should only detect one. They were strong and steady. Above the rest was a sound he knew well, the swift thump-thump like a lark’s wings, the very distinct sound of Sienna’s heartbeat when she was afraid. Then the sickly rich smell of blood poured into his nostrils. Lots of blood.

  No matter if there were two men or ten in that room, he’d kill them all. He’d done it before. It was nothing new for him to be outnumbered and come out the victor. Rage lit like flames through his veins, urging him to act now. Lightning-swift, he barreled down the hall, noting Ms. Winchester’s body on the floor in a puddle of crimson a split second before he leaped over her body into the bedroom.

  He’d barely registered the vampires in the room when a stinging burn hit his face and body like a brick wall, bringing him to his knees on the instant. Two brawny vampires held a net of gold over him. He’d literally run straight into the trap, never considering they’d have a weapon that humans had used against vampires in long years past. He gripped the netting to try and push it off his face, only to feel the powerful burn cutting into his hands and fingers. He barely registered the muffled cry of Sienna before he fell on his side, the net searing his left cheek where it stretched taut across his cheekbone. Within seconds, the two vampires with gloved hands had cinched him inside like a hunted animal.

  A man laughed. Nikolai peered through the netting up at Volkov, standing next to Sienna, bound and gagged in a chair.

  “We were getting worried, lieutenant,” said Volkov, trailing his fingers through Sienna’s hair. “Oh wait. But you’re not a lieutenant anymore, are you? You’re a traitor. And you know what happens to them, don’t you?”

  The look of palpable fear in Sienna’s eyes gutted him, for it wasn’t for herself she seemed to fear, but for him.

  “Volkov,” he growled, even as smoke rose from the burns on the exposed skin of his hands, neck, and face, the hiss and smell of his burning flesh rising. “If you let me go now, I will spare your life.”

  “Let you go?” he laughed.

  The other four vampires laughed with him, one of them the brutish, bald one he’d fought in Lobdell. Boris. Nikolai determined then and there that he’d kill them all, rip their heads right from their bodies.

  “I don’t think so, traitor.”

  “I will gut you like the fucking pig you are if you touch her.”

  “Big words for a man on his way to the royal dungeons. It will be difficult for you to gut me when you’re in a bloodless sleep.”

  Sienna whimpered, her teary gaze on Nikolai. Volkov’s fingers stopped lightly petting Sienna, then he clenched a fist in her hair and jerked backward, forcing her to look up at him. She made not a sound. Volkov stared down at her, his words like ice through Nikolai’s veins. “Oh, I plan on doing more than that.” He stroked a finger down her exposed neck to the hollow between her collarbones. “She’s so juicy, Nikolai. No wonder you kept her well hidden.”

  “I will fucking kill you,” Nikolai grated low and deep, his inner beast lashing to get out. He struggled in the netting. The brutish one kicked Nikolai in the face so hard his vision hazed. Sienna’s muffled scream wrenched his stomach into a knot. One of the other vampires pressed the toe of his boot on Nikolai’s head, keeping him immobile, cheek to the floor.

  “How the fuck did you find us?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he laughed. “You’ll know soon enough. As soon as you get back to the Glass Tower.”

  Nikolai didn’t have a second to consider what that meant before he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The steady, long strides of two men echoed down the hall before they entered. From his sideways posture on the floor, Nikolai could see Sienna’s expression shift from fear to surprise to anger.

  “You’ve made a bit of a mess, Volkov,” said the man standing just behind Nikolai where he couldn’t see him, the distinct tone of arrogance and wealth lingering in his voice. The tight netting restrained him in a way he could no longer move, besides the fact the bastard behind him still had his foot on his head.

  “We’ll clean it up, Lord Barker,” Volkov assured him, obviously referring to the dead widow’s body in the hallway, his hand still in Sienna’s hair. “Is she the one you spoke of?”

  The man out of Nikolai’s sight kept silent for a long minute. Sienna stared at the man Nikolai couldn’t see, her posture straight even as she trembled, her eyes blazing with fury.

  “Yes. That is her.”

  “Good,” said Volkov, finally releasing her hair and clapping his hands together. “Very well, then. You know your job. I suggest you get what you need done and be ready for dawn.”

  “Why so soon?”

  “Because the queen commands it. And trust me. She will reward you handsomely for your loyalty to the crown.”

  A slight pause. “Very well. I’ll report to your quarters at dawn to retrieve her.”

  The man and his partner, whoever they were, left the room, their footsteps dying quickly away.

  “You three take care of him.” Volkov lifted his chin toward Nikolai. “And take care of the old woman’s body.” He leaned over and hefted Sienna out of the chair, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. “Boris and I will take care of her. I’m hungry.”

  “Volkov!” screamed Nikolai in a desperate rage.

  Volkov stared down, grinning, his canines extending long and sharp. “Farewell, lieutenant,” he said mockingly. “Enjoy your bloodless sleep.” He clamped an arm around the back of Sienna’s thighs, holding her tight, then lifted her red cape over the crook of his free arm. “I plan to enjoy my prize after the effort you put me through.”

  He flashed away in a blur, his haunting laugh searing up Nikolai’s spine like a trail of molten fire. Volkov had the blood madness, and he had his sweet Sienna in his clutches. The fear of losing her, of the pain and harm that a monster like that could inflict upon her, ripped a harrowing yell from his throat.

  “Shut up, filthy traitor,” said the vampire who’d finally taken his foot off his head.

  His boot was the last thing Nikolai saw.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sienna had fainted from the blinding speed when Volkov whisked her away, just as she had in Nikolai’s arms. Only it was worse, because she was carried upside down like a piece of meat. Perhaps that is all she would become when the monster returned.

  She awoke in a spacious, well-furnished room. Certainly the house of an affluent person. A warm fire crackled in the grate of a white marble fireplace. A black vanity with swirling silver filigree, too gaudy for her taste, sat in one corner with a white-cushioned stool. Two silver candelabras stood on the black mantel and a third on a square dining table set with crystal and silverware, but no food, on a scarlet tablecloth. Her red cloak hung on a coat hook on the wall.

  She lay atop a large bed covered in a thick black coverlet. When she moved her bare feet, a chain jangled where her right leg was cuffed and linked to the wrought-iron footboard. Standing, she lifted a glass of water sitting on the bedside table and sniffed it. No scent of any kind. She scoffed to herself. If they wanted to poison or harm her, she could do nothing to stop them. She took a few sips to quench her thirst, then stood and walked to the one window in the chamber, dragging her chain behind her.

  Snow fell steadily outside onto a torchlit courtyard with brick walls too high to see over. She remembered the last time she stood before a window watching the snow fall at the duke’s castle. Her heart clenched at the thought of Nikolai, subdued and helpless in that gold net. They planned to send him to the Glass Tower and induce him into a bloodless sleep. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself. They did not say death, so there was still a chance of saving him. If she could save herself first.

  The door clicked open behind her. She swiveled, swallowing the rising panic with her chin held high as Volkov e
ntered. She was in the presence of a predator, a wolf in gentleman’s clothing, and she knew it. Time to prepare for whatever battle was in store. Back straight and arms at her sides, she looked at him dead on.

  “I am pleased you are recovered.” He waltzed over, hands at his back in a nonthreatening posture. Wearing black leather pants and a loose silk shirt fitted with a black short-coat, he no longer looked as threatening as he did in his Legionnaire uniform. But that hardly put her at ease.

  “Why do you no longer wear the Legionnaire uniform? Are you in hiding?”

  He sauntered closer. She took a step back. He stopped a few feet away, facing the window. “It is important to blend in when there are eyes everywhere on the lookout for enemies of the Black Lily.” His icy gaze swiveled to her. “Do you not agree?”

  Best not to answer that. “Where are we?”

  He ambled back to the table and pulled out a chair. “Have a seat…Lady Sienna.”

  No point in resisting. The only way to get some answers and perhaps delay whatever plans he had for her was to submit. She joined him and took a seat in the chair he offered. Standing behind her, he unfolded the napkin set atop the bone-white china and spread it across her lap while leaning over her shoulder. She flinched when his breath brushed her neck and she heard him inhale a deep breath. But he did not touch her. He took his seat opposite her, leaning back in the chair, and crossed an ankle over his knee.

  “You are in my home away from home.”

  “And where might that be?” Far enough north for snow to blanket the ground.

  “That is irrelevant. Why don’t you ask me questions that have some import?”

  “What do you plan to do with me?”

  His wide mouth slid into a sickening smile. She held his gaze, somehow without curling her lip in disgust.

  “First, I plan to feed you.”

  “And then what?”

  The door clicked open. A maid in black and white livery entered with a silver platter of food and a decanter of red wine. The maid was young and pretty, bruises visible on her neck around puncture wounds. Bite marks. Sienna couldn’t help but stare. It was rare to see a bleeder with visible bite marks, unless a vampire was staking his claim and letting others know she was his host. When she set the platter down, hands shaking, Sienna noted another bruise on her wrist. This wasn’t a claiming but abuse.

  The servant looked on Sienna with pity in her eyes, dark circles marring her complexion. Whether she was Volkov’s bleeder or she was for his men or all of them together, the fact that they hadn’t even sealed the wound to let her heal properly was disgraceful. Nikolai had taken extra care with her when he had fed from her.

  Nikolai.

  A painful tightening squeezed her chest. She sucked in a breath and watched as the maid lifted the silver dome at the center of the platter to reveal a plate of beef and vegetables in a thick sauce. The maid spooned some onto her plate under the watchful eye of Volkov. He smiled, seeming to enjoy her discomfort as she set the serving spoon down with a clank.

  “My guest will have some wine as well, Miranda.”

  The poor girl flinched and poured Sienna’s glass to the brim, then set the wine down.

  “That will be all, Miranda.”

  She dipped a quick curtsy and fled the room. By now, Sienna’s temper burned bright, seeing that she wasn’t the only one held prisoner here. And the effects of this repugnant man’s imprisonment had shaken that poor girl to the core.

  “Eat, Lady Sienna. You will need your strength.” He tapped his fingers rhythmically where his hand rested on the table.

  She took a sip of wine, knowing she could not stomach a bite. Even the wine seemed to stick to the lump in her throat.

  “Why is Lord Barker retrieving me at dawn?”

  “Ah. Finally. A real question. It’s my understanding that the two of you have some history together, do you not?”

  “We do.” She set the crystal wineglass back on the table, tucking her hands in her lap.

  “It just so happens that Lord Barker is now in service to the queen. And he has agreed to conduct a favor.”

  “And that favor is?”

  He smiled. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise. But until then, I have the great pleasure of your company.” He shifted himself in his pants in a more than conspicuous manner. “Tell me, why did you run so far away from the likes of Lord Barker? He’s a wealthy man, a leading member of Dale’s Peak. You could’ve been the highest lady in all the province.”

  Sienna recalled the simmering hatred brewing in the eyes of her former betrothed only hours before. His loathing for her had not diminished over the many years since she’d left him for the wilds of Silvane Forest. It wasn’t surprising that he’d nurture his contempt for her, but it had never mattered since she’d never thought to see him again.

  “Wealth matters little to me, sergeant,” Sienna finally replied.

  The demon chuckled. “So I’ve heard. You live almost like a pauper in your little cottage in the woods, from what I understand. With your wolves to keep you company.” He made a show of licking his tongue over a sharpened fang. “And it’s lieutenant now. I’ve been promoted.”

  He said the last with meaning as if to taunt her, but she wasn’t quite catching why. Despite her utter helplessness to escape this creature, her anger rose like a flame licking up her body. She couldn’t even disguise her disgust anymore, letting him see the rage she tried to keep in check.

  He leaned forward, both elbows on the table, gazing intently at her, an expression of awe mixed with desire lining his face. His blue pupils were slowly darkening to black.

  “There is a fiery light in your eyes, my lady. I want to swallow it whole and feel it burn down deep inside.”

  A deep growl rumbled in his chest, but Sienna couldn’t hold her tongue. There was little she could do to stop him from doing whatever he wanted. She would keep her dignity the best she could, for she could feel the shifting energy in the air.

  “I’ll bet Nikolai enjoyed all of your wares, didn’t he? And I’ll bet you gave it all to him willingly. Eagerly. Didn’t you?” He sat back and laughed. “Now, that got your pulse pounding. I can feel it in the air, vibrating on my tongue, tempting me to taste my prize.”

  “You will have nothing of me,” she said, voice strong but trembling. “You can do as you like, but nothing you say or do will change who I am. Or the love I bear him.”

  “Love? Now that is fascinating. That anyone could love the former lieutenant, a monster in his own day from what I understand, is quite a shock.”

  Yes. She did love him, no matter how she tried not to. And she could deny it no longer. If only she’d told him before this.

  “You are the monster,” she spat, ignoring his slander against Nikolai.

  “Perhaps.” He grinned like a fiend, long canines a fierce contrast against his red lips. “I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter by morning.”

  “What are you waiting for, you repulsive beast?” She curled her hands into fists, her nails digging into the fleshy part of her palms. “Are you just going to gloat over me or—”

  The door opened suddenly. The bald vampire named Boris entered with a quick bow of the head to Volkov. He took his stance at attention just inside the door facing them.

  “Finally!” Volkov lurched to his feet and prowled around the table, black gaze raking Sienna from top to bottom. “I couldn’t wait much longer.”

  “Sorry, lieutenant,” came Boris’s gruff reply.

  “No matter. There’s still plenty of the night left. Isn’t there, my lady?” He gripped her wrist and yanked her to her feet.

  Without a second thought, she grabbed the wineglass and smashed the top on the silver candelabra, shattering the lip. With a swift swipe toward his face, she got a good cut right near his eye before he was able to grab her swinging arm.

  “Oh yes, my wild one. Let’s see what you’ve got, eh?”

  He squeezed the wrist holding the gla
ss so tight, and she was forced to drop the broken stem where it shattered on the stone floor. With a sudden move, he lifted her by the waist and tossed her on the bed, her chain rattling and the cuff cutting into her ankle. She twisted onto her stomach and lunged for the candelabra sitting on the far bedside table. She would use any means possible to do as much damage to him as she could.

  He grabbed her skirt and jerked back, dragging her down the bed, then straddled the tops of her thighs.

  “I love it when they fight,” he mumbled, his breath coming fast. “Boris! Give me your knife.”

  “What!” screamed Sienna, struggling to get away, but it was no use.

  “Hold still, my little red witch.” He gripped her by the back of the throat, pinning her, cheek down to the mattress. “We wouldn’t want to cut your pretty skin. I don’t want a drop to go to waste.”

  The blunt end of the cold blade pressed to the top of her spine. Fear kept her frozen in place as he tore through her gown—the beautiful dress Nikolai had bought for her—ripping it open down the back one inch at a time.

  “Oh yes. Delicious,” he hissed on a demented chuckle. He tore the thin fabric of her chemise at the right shoulder, touching her where she knew her strawberry birthmark was. “You’re not going to believe this, Boris.” Boris said nothing. “This little gem is going to make Lord Barker so happy. For his superstitious lot.” He leaned down and hissed in her ear with a chuckle, “You’ve got the devil’s mark, don’t you, witch?”

  Sitting up, he tore the chemise open. She felt the haunting kiss of cool air on her back, buttocks, and legs as he exposed her completely. He lay on top of her, panting against her neck where he swept her hair away. She sank her nails into the coverlet, preparing for his bite, a familiar fire burning low in her gut.

  “My pretty witch is quiet and submissive now, isn’t she?” He trailed his tongue up her neck and groaned. “I think you want it.”

  “You are a disgusting piece of filth,” she whispered, barely able to breathe under his weight. “And I hope Nikolai smiles when he kills you.”