Binded
Chapter 1
Carmen raised her arms up in the air, letting her body flow with the music. One long leg stretched out in front of her, she lifted her leg up to a ninety-degree angle and brought herself up on point before slowly oozing into a puddle on the ground as the music faded out.
The audience exploded in applause as the curtain closed and she heard her corps de ballet come up behind her for their curtain call. Her torso heaving, she rose.
Carmen loved every part of this role, the stripper who went through a metamorphosis on stage. And despite that fact that her costume was skimpy, slashed and revealing, the final song made her feel stunning, like an angel, an innocent child seeing the light.
They threw flowers on stage, and teddy bears as she took her bows again and again. Finally, her arms full of flowers, she took a final bow and the curtain closed. Escorted through the mess of stage hands, she entered her dressing room with a grin on her face.
The show was over, and it was time to go home, at last. Although the task in front of her was not a pleasant one, she was very much looking forward to home.
“It’s that one, there, “Carmen pointed out the mansion as they drove up to it, not that anyone could miss it. It was the biggest one in town, let alone on the street, sprawling for what seemed like miles. And it would be her home for the next month, as it had been many times before, her home where her husband lived. And saying the word ‘husband’ was where the normality of the situation ended, not that she ever did.
Carmen was a Shield, the opposite of a supernatural creature, a race created by nature to bring balance to a world of vampires, witches, werewolves and ghosts. With a Shield present, no spells could be cast, no werewolf transformed, and no vampire could bite, at least not with a Shield of her power. She was the strongest Shield of the strongest of three bloodlines, able to make a vampire’s heart beat again simply by staying within 4 feet of him. Shields were the balance and natural enemy of vampires. But since Carmen had been plucked from foster care and patroned by a vampire hoping to have a Shield of his own, for they were powerful weapons when used correctly, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with her long lost family. She was a rebel Shield, and a ballerina with such skill that she actually had mainstream fame early in life.
Early in life was where she met James, as well. 16 years old, dancing in Poland, she had no idea he was the King of Vampires, the oldest of the oldest family. She simply saw an attractive man that caught her eye. Little did she know that James’s secret addiction lay in feeling human; in feeling something real. For James, his heart broken as a human, did not believe in love. But he cared deeply for Carmen during their year in Poland, addicted to the way she made him feel. And so when the Polish immigration committee came knocking, demanding the minor have proper guardianship, he married her, allowing her to stay and dance under her own volition, until she could apply for proper citizenship and continue to dance as prima donna in their company.
It wasn’t a marriage of love, merely convenience, the old fashion notion of marrying for benefit. There were no tearful nights, no love letters. When her contract was over, she thought she would never see him again. Until they both ended up in her hometown of Sunlake, the ‘’hell mouth” and origin of vampires.
For 10 years, they shared torrid nights of passion, and a deep respect for each other, a deep caring, and friendship. But the marriage had only ever been meant as a means of survival, and now that she no longer needed it, she supposed she really should get around to dissolving it. Perhaps on this trip, she and James would find the time to download the papers and get it done. It wouldn’t change their feelings for each other, marriage or not, they would be close and often share a bed. Carmen was a sensual creature, with long luminous red locks, and a tall thin body, racked with lean muscle. She was known for her promiscuous nature, something James found as one of her faults. He was a man of honour, of his word, even if he was the most powerful vampire in existence. Opposites attracted, and in this case, it was truer than ever.
The driver pulled up and she paid him generously, money never an objection to her. She was a day early, having caught a standby flight from South Africa, where she was a prima donna for 3 months in Johannesburg. So no one expected her when she pushed open the door.
“Hello?” she called, lugging in her suitcase.
“Carmen?” James, dressed impeccably in an expensive suit, as always, came thumping down the stairs. A sort of weather beaten handsome, he had always taken her breath away, and this was no objection. “My darling, you’re early. You should have called, I would have retrieved you.”
“I know,” she shrugged. “But perhaps you were somewhere laying down the law or ripping off heads.”
“I was, I’ve just come home to change,” he opened his arms and she moved in for a hug, a wonderful and tight hug that never failed to disappoint. She felt his muscles relax as the feeling of being human seeped into him, and he let out a happy sigh. Addict until the end Carmen thought, with a smirk.
There was, of course, one way to block a Shield’s powers. A Shield, usually forced to do so under pain of death as a slave, could bind themselves to a vampire, therefore making them resistant to other Shields, other magic, and even themselves when within touching distance. It only worked once, however, and Carmen’s binding was saved for Donovan, her best friend, and her patron, who had saved her from a world of foster care hell. When the time came for her natural death, for she enjoyed life, she would bind herself to Donovan, and he would turn her into a vampire, the only way a Shield could be turned. And what a vampire she planned to be, truly a creature of the night, and not always following the rules. That in itself was another subject of discourse between her and James, another reason why they couldn’t have an epic love affair. As king, as soon as she broke the rules, he would have to enforce the law. Carmen knew, in her heart, that James would likely tear out her throat one day, but they didn’t speak of it.
“I do believe this is the longest we will have been together, since Poland,” he said, into her neck, and she smiled, pulling back, but not releasing her touch. The weight of the crown that he often carried was disappearing as they spoke.
“Well, it’s the longest I’ll spend with your brothers,” she replied. James had three brothers, three vampire princes, all so different in their own right. They were often in their own corners of the world, living their own lives, or laying down the law that James set. She had met them all often enough. Now, however, under a rare coincidence, everyone was home for the most potent month of the year in the Hell mouth, November. November was the month when all super natural creatures seemed to be the strongest, starting with a full moon on the 1st and on the 29th, twice in one month.
There was Phil, the regent, who actually disliked being a vampire and was forever looking for ways to die, which was impossible, as an Elder. There was Nathaniel, the sensitive artist and yet the most evil of the four, luring and killing without a moment’s notice. And finally, Cooper, the youngest Prince, and the most up to date on modern trends. Cooper liked video games, loud music, clubbing and ripping heads off. If Carmen was looking for a good night out, it would be Cooper she took.
Speak of the devil she thought, as more footsteps were heard in the hall, and around came Cooper, a huge grin on his face. Carmen released James as Cooper flung himself on her.
“Thank God, I was starting to go out of my mind with boredom,” he declared, picking her up and making her screech with laughter. “Everyone here is so boring!”
“The feeling is mutual, Cooper,” James said, dryly. “Where are the others?”
“Around,” Cooper answered, with a typical teenage shrug. Only 16 at the time of his death, hi
s mannerism and appearance still resembled a cocky high schooler..
“Always so helpful,” James reached for Carmen’s bag. “I’m going to get Carmen settled. Please don’t burn the house down while my back is turned.”
“Hey, if the bed is rockin, I won’t come knocking,” Cooper winked at them and went on his way out the door, off to cause whatever mischief he could think of. James flustered at that, shaking his head, while Carmen found it amusing.
They made their way up the stairs, to the second floor of the sprawling mansion. On the landing, James paused, turning to her.
“Did you want your own, Carmen, or…?”
It was a common, if not awkward question. Just as often as not, she would opt for her own room when she stayed in between contracts. But today, she was in a good mood, and shrugged.
“If you want. I don’t mind either way.”
“Well, you can always move if you need some space, “ he decided and put her suitcase down in the master bedroom, the one they often shared. Carmen turned to him, leaning in.
“You haven’t properly greeted me yet.”
“Mmm,” James always managed to pretend like everything was upright and proper between them. He was a gentleman until the end, and it usually took a bottle of wine and some seduction for her to get the wild night she wanted. This time, he reached out to tuck her hair behind her ears. “We could save that for tonight.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” she leaned in to kiss him, delicately, her senses tingling as she did. She had been with many men, and he was still the best kisser that she knew, perhaps because he was always so into it himself.
As she unpacked, they chatted idly, until she finally brought up the topic she had been thinking of.
“We really should sign those papers while I’m here. Who knows when I’m going to see you again. Can you get some fake ID made so we can get them processed?”
“I can look into it,” he gave her a half pained smile. “Such effort . Perhaps this is why they warn people not to take marriage lightly these days.”
“Because divorce is so much work?” she smirked, putting the last of her clothing away in the drawer. “I plan to go see Donovan tomorrow for awhile. I assume you’ve already telepathically planned a whole feast in my honour?”
“Whatever your heart desires,” James replied. “I can take care of my business another day.”
“I’d settle for pizza and wine,” she answered as they headed back down the stairs. “And a stupid movie. I’m boring tonight, apparently.”
“Luckily,” he muttered in her ear, “You’re just as beautiful either way.”
Pizza and wine was exactly what they did, to her delight. Some vampires chose not to eat, existing simply on blood. The Elders, however, lived a very human life, and ate food as often as they drank blood. In a blood craving, food could quell it for awhile, and wine even more so. With Carmen’s Shield powers in effect, the food seemed even more delicious than usual, and the wine even more potent. She was used to knowing her tolerance, it didn’t change. But the boys seemed a bit worse for wear when they settled in the screening room to fight over Netflix. It amused her that Netflix had such a strong marketing campaign that even age-old vampires paid the monthly fee.
James was settled comfortably into an arm chair, with what was his sixth glass of wine, watching the chaos with a bemused expression. He had loosened his tie, and gave Carmen a look of desire as she stretched on the floor, joining the argument of what movie to watch.
“I’m the guest, I should choose!” she declared.
“You’re not a guest if you’re living here for a month,” Nathaniel declared, reaching for the remote.
“Uh, who died and made you King?” Carmen asked, whirling around to reach for it.
“No one,” James replied, making them all laugh.
“You would be regent if I was put out of misery, Nathaniel,” Phil said, from his corner on the couch. Carmen turned around to give him a look. Phil’s angst depression was sometimes too much to take, and she was so baffled why he didn’t just enjoy life. The Initials were immortal, truly, there was no way to kill them, and she could not wait for the day when she would have at least plain vampire immortality. If she was Phil, she could have just given up trying and started living life a long time ago. Instead, every moment was filled with a commentary of how wonderful death was, or how lucky a movie character was to perish.
When they finally settled on a recent Oscar winner, and managed to stop bickering, James reached out to turn the lights down. He was about to ask for Carmen’s company, the wine coursing through his blood and lowering his inhibitions, when Cooper flopped his head in her lap. It was about the only thing that would make him give her up, for the love of his family. His family was everything to him, and he had worked so hard over the centuries to keep them together. It warmed his heart that they accepted and loved this girl as much as he did, despite her faults, despite her birthrights. He wasn’t in love with her, no, he would never be in love again, but the 10 years they had spent together certainly had not gone to waste. Half drunk, he realized the tiny pain in his heart that was created by her bringing the divorce papers here. It’s not like Carmen was having an epic love story elsewhere. Still, the marriage had already served its purpose and her human life, of living fast and likely dying young, was dwindling. The complications of him being married to a rule breaking vampire would add up fast.
Carmen idly put her hand on the top of Cooper’s head, and he shifted awkwardly, causing her brow to furrow.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, looking down, confused.
“My head hurts,” he sounded equally confused at admitting that.
“You couldn’t hold your liquor as a human, Cooper, so I expect Carmen is making it no different,” Nathaniel smirked from the background. “Have you sobered up and are hung-over already?”
“Shut up,” Cooper replied, and Carmen leaned back, the weight of his warm body a comfort on her sore muscles. She rarely spent a night in, a quiet night of normalcy, but this was nice. She even mentioned how wonderful it was to James as they closed the door to their bedroom.
“Even the bickering was great,” she said, as she went to brush her teeth. “But do you think Cooper is alright?”
James shrugged.
“Nathaniel was right, although he could have put it more delicately than that. Cooper was only 16 when he was turned, and the youngest. You being around has given him more chance to be human than he actually has.”
“Sure,” Carmen splashed cold water on her face, the jet leg getting to her. “You don’t think it’s something like a spell or something? That he was trying to block off?”
“Interesting,” James’s alcohol soaked brain hadn’t considered this. He hadn’t actually considered many things tonight beyond Carmen’s slim curves. “Of course, it’s possibly. If someone hexed him, than his instinct would be to move closer to you, to starve off the spell. It’s not uncommon, for someone to try and hurt us, as you know.”
“Can’t please all the people all the time,” she said, with a smile, as she got onto the bed, straddling him. “Although I’m pretty sure I can come up with several ways to please you tonight.”
“I’m open to your suggestions,” James said, as their lips met, tongues darting in and out. Their hands explored each others familiar bodies, knowing exactly where to touch and rub. Carmen closed her eyes as she let her feelings take over, relaxing into his arms. This couldn’t be a marriage, not when the sex felt so good, surely that was illegal. James’s body reacted to her every move, and soon, they were lost in the cries of the night.
Chapter 2
Carmen was slicing watermelon with precision in the quiet dawn, her leotard covered by a sweatshirt. Even if vampires didn't sleep at night, they seem to settle down, and she didn't want to awake whoever was actually asleep.
In the theatre, they barely got a 20 minute break, so they often needed to bring food for lunch if the dancers
wanted to eat. Most, however, did not.
A shuffle behind her made her turn and she found James standing there,
half dressed in his shirt sleeves, tying his tie.
"Ah, Carmen," he said with formality, as if they didn't just spend a
torrid night together. They had also spent a late night together, after the others had gone to bed and before their night of passion started. She had spent 2 hours searching on a laptop what they needed to do to end a marriage made in Poland without having to actually go there, something neither of them had time for. It was 4am before she closed her eyes. "I forgot that you had an engagement today."
"Can I take a car?" She asked and he nodded.
"Of course you may. I'm in need of the SUV but anything else is at your disposal."
She smiled at him, putting the remainder of the watermelon in the fridge.
"
You hauling bodies or something?"
"Hardly," James began tying his tie.
"Bloody hell!" Their quiet moment was interrupted by Cooper, shooting into the kitchen and grabbing into the fridge for a bottle of vodka, and taking a shot. James glanced at the clock.
"It's 6am, Cooper."
"And never too early for the hair of the dog that bit ya," Cooper replied, putting a hand to his head. "I'm getting soft, Brother, I never used to get hangovers like this."
Carmen winced. Cooper, recently, had been getting deliberating headaches, in the 2 weeks since she had arrived. Some days, he claimed hangovers, some days exhaustion, some days injury.
But it didn't change the fact that he got them. No one had discussed it much, and his normal solution was to curl up next to her, eyes closed and the lights off. She assumed it was a spell, and a powerful one. What bothered her was that it didn’t seem to be getting any better. The strongest Shield of the strongest bloodline, and getting stronger the older she got, she didn’t know of a witch powerful enough to make a spell stick this long. It must be recast again and again, meant to harm Cooper whenever he was away from her, she concluded.
Binded (The SHIELD Series) Page 1
