by Irina Argo
His answering smile was infuriatingly benign “Of course I like you, but you are Tor’s daughter, and you’re only sixteen. I respect Tor too much to get involved with his teenage daughter.”
“I don't care. I am an adult and I decide for myself what I do.” She stepped forward so that her body was almost touching his. She wanted him to feel her, to sense her desire for him. Respond, dammit!
And he did. He touched her, placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling her closer to him, looking deep into her eyes. She had to turn her head up to meet his gaze. Her body was on fire and she was indecently wet between her legs. Desire consumed her and she forgot everything else.
“Antar,” she whispered huskily, saying his name like an offer and a promise as she slipped the gown off her shoulders and let it slither to the floor. “Be with me.”
Thrilled at her own brazenness, she couldn't believe how easily and shamelessly she had offered herself to this male—and she didn't care. She wanted him desperately, from the core of her being.
Antar lifted Simone in his arms as though she weighed no more than a feather. Simone’s blood sang in anticipation and her imagination ran wild with images of explosive sex. Yes, he would be the one she would surrender her virginity to.
Time stood still, the journey from the doorway to his bed seeming to take forever.
Her fantasies came to a screeching halt when she felt her feet touch the floor. He had carried her to her quarters, opened the door and set her down, gently pushing her into her room. “Good night Simone. Sweet dreams.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Simone crumpled to the floor, staring at the door in disbelief, her thoughts in turmoil. How dare he treat her like a child? She hated him for humiliating her like this. She dropped her head into her hands, sobbing. The worst of it was that her desire for him had only increased its grip on her ...
* * *
... And nothing has changed, really, Simone thought as she brought herself back to the present, shaking her head to clear the memories. Still warm with the familiar throb of desire and embarrassment mixed together in equal parts, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She hated calling him, but what choice did she have? Antar was the key to saving her sister.
Even though she’d braced herself, Antar’s voice when he answered the phone left her speechless for a few seconds, swept up in the tide of all those old feelings, of her obsession with him.
It had been six years, a lifetime ago.
“Hi, Antar, this is Simone. I need your help.” She concentrated on keeping her voice steady. “I want to ask the Legacy for Sanctuary for my sister, Arianna. She is an Amiti.”
Chapter 4
Santa Cruz, California
Arianna was sitting on the steps of her small oceanfront cottage when Simone pulled up in a cerulean blue convertible Lexus, her gorgeous hair flying and cheeks flushed. The two men with Simone were her equally windblown bodyguards, Anock and Odji. Arianna hadn’t officially met them and didn’t know which was which, but Simone had told her a little about them, and Arianna was pretty sure of two things. One was that Simone had had to do some serious work—convincing, cajoling, maybe threatening—to get them to give her the keys. And it wasn’t just that they were protective, Arianna thought. Simone probably drove like she seemed to do everything: with a competence that made her a little too reckless. In fact, the guys did look a little green around the gills.
And the other thing that Arianna was sure of? The bodyguard who’d been relegated to the backseat looked considerably grumpier than the other. Poor guy.
Anock was the grumpy one, Arianna found out thirty seconds later, once Simone had released her from an enormous, twirling embrace. Arianna had been a little worried that her oh-so-sophisticated princess of a sister would be reserved once they were on Arianna’s home turf, but Simone squashed that fear like a bug, leaping out of the car and hurling herself at Arianna.
Half an hour later, after getting Simone, Anock, and Odji settled in and giving them a quick “tour” of the little cottage, the sisters were sitting on the cottage’s back deck, nibbling on a tart lemon cake—Simone’s favorite—that Arianna had baked.
Being at her own comfortable home, with Simone, Arianna felt more relaxed and open than she had in months. Simone might not have been able to protect her physically from the threats Arianna faced, but her presence and support provided at least temporary relief from the overwhelming anxiety and grinding loneliness she’d been living with since her father’s death.
Arianna knew what was in store for an Amiti coming into her powers without protection. Although he had been committed to letting her have a “normal” childhood, her father, Marcus, had taught her well. And part of her knew that after his death, she should have found and gone to live with another Amiti elder who could have helped shelter her. But her “normal” childhood had left her unfamiliar with other Amiti, or even how to contact them. And besides, she only had one year left at UC-Santa Cruz, and she loved her home. Now she was graduating, and terrified, and realizing that Simone was the only person she trusted completely.
Her transformation was coming, though: she could feel her blood changing, her stamina, sensitivity, and intuition growing. And then there were the nightmares.
She saw herself in a dank, windowless cell, chained to a bed and covered with a grey sheet. Silent, ghostly figures inserted a catheter into her vein to collect her blood. She watched in horror as it ran through the plastic tubing and into a glass container, her strength draining along with it. She would wake up with a start, drenched in cold sweat. Was this her imagination playing out her worst fear, or a glimpse into her future, a prophecy? And if the latter, was it part of her Amiti powers, or just something that happened? She didn’t even know who she could ask.
She shook herself out of her gloom and turned to her sister. The whole idea here was that Simone had come up with something—she’d said so over the phone, but wouldn’t give Arianna details—and it was time to be Action Girl, not Wallowing Girl.
“So, what’s the plan?” She thumped her hand on the table, going for a let’s-get-this-done effect, but it was a little too enthusiastic and just seemed forced.
Mercifully, Simone ignored it. “Have you ever heard about the Legacy of Tyr?”
Arianna shook her head.
“It’s is a legion of immortal warriors who watch after immortals, preventing them from being discovered by humans. They’re incredibly powerful and well organized. But it also”—Simone smiled significantly, obviously getting to the good part—“has a policy of providing Sanctuary to high-profile immortal females who need protection. Usually it’s women in powerful positions who are vulnerable for some reason. So, like, if her husband is a political leader, and he’s abusing her, maybe the regular laws for their species won’t be able to touch him, and the Legacy will take her in.
“Anyway, the point is, I know their Alpha, Antar. I talked to him. They can’t take in every Amiti woman, obviously—they don’t have that kind of space—but since you’re an orphan of a high-ranking Amiti, you match the profile: you’re from a powerful background, and you’re especially vulnerable. And ... I called in a favor. So, the Legacy is ready to provide you with Sanctuary. We’ll meet them in San Francisco tomorrow night.”
“Okay. And then what happens? You’re not just going to drop me off, are you?” Goddess, she sounded pathetic.
“First of all, no, of course, I’ll stay with you as long as you want, or at least as long as they’ll let me. And here’s how it works: basically you join their family and they protect you as long as you need. There’s only one condition: you go where they go—and they’re on the move a lot—and stay on their estates. Not a ton of privacy, and if you’re a real free spirit it’s probably hard, but otherwise, not too shabby as a trade-off for protection, right?” Simone looked at Arianna, a question in her eyes, like she was a little worried that it was too shabby.
“Oh, Sim.�
� Arianna blew out a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. “It sounds great—I can’t even believe it’s true.”
“Of course it is! I’m your sister; anything bad that wants to happen to you goes through me first! I’m here. I’ll be here. For you.”
Arianna’s eyes flooded with tears. She had never in her life felt so grateful to anyone, for anything. Overwhelmed, she walked around the table to wrap her arms around Simone, feeling the warm wetness of their cheeks pressing together. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best sister in the world.”
It was a perfect moment to pop the question, so to speak, and—bonus!—she didn’t have to make eye contact while doing so. Arianna took a deep breath and then spoke, her voice half in Simone’s ear and half over her shoulder.
“You know what? I have an idea. We need to blood-bond. That way we’ll always be able to find each other, and if something happens to either of us, we can help each other.” Arianna held her position and waited for Simone’s answer.
* * *
Blood-bond. The word spun across Simone’s mind in a whirlwind.
All but the most jaded vampires longed for a true blood-bond. Simone’s memory was crowded with glorious tales of the feats of blood-bonded vampires using abilities they’d gotten from their Amiti partners. Even her own father had risen to power with the help of her mother’s gifts. And Arianna’s offer presented Simone with a unique opportunity, a one-in-ten-thousand chance to feel live Amiti blood pumping into her mouth without fearing of consequences. Legend had it that it was the most intense ecstasy imaginable, that Amiti were created to give vampires pleasure and love, and the blood-bond was the physical manifestation of that purpose.
On the other hand, since childhood she’d been reminded, repeatedly, of how elusive true blood-bonds were. For every legend of glory, it seemed, there were a dozen horror stories of blood-bonded Amiti betraying their Sekhmi partners in the worst way imaginable, or effectively holding them hostage with the threat of that betrayal. They’d burn to death from the inside out.
But surely, with her sister, there was no risk involved, only advantage. Arianna loved her. Simone couldn’t imagine anything that could possibly happen that would make Arianna want to kill her. Blood-bonding to the Amiti Queen could only be a huge victory for Simone, propelling her to the top of the Vampire Elite, and—if Arianna shared her powers with Simone—making Simone one of the strongest and most invulnerable of her kind. If anything could earn her the respect of her father, and banish forever Simone’s insecurity about being a half-blood, this would be it.
Yes. She would do it.
With that decision made, she faced a new obstacle: the logistics of taking blood from a live vein. Growing up, she’d watched, and later partaken of, Amiti blood being served weekly, in crystal glasses. Sure, she had fangs, but she’d never used them, or even seen anyone else feed from a vein.
“What is your answer, Sim?” She heard Arianna’s sweet whisper in her ear.
“I don’t know.” But even as she hedged, Simone’s inner predator surged in a rush of unfamiliar energy, a caged wildcat frenzied at the smell of live prey. How could she resist what it wanted so badly, and what was so freely and generously offered? But she didn’t even know where to bite; what if she did it wrong and killed her sister? A vision of Arianna lying at her feet in a pool of blood, her throat ripped out, blossomed in her mind’s eye, and to her horror, the wildcat snarled in satisfaction. She pushed away from Arianna, coming to her feet and putting some space between them.
“Do you want it? Honestly.” Arianna insisted.
“Yes,” Simone startled herself by answering. Her voice sounded distorted in her ears. She raised her eyes, finally, to meet Arianna’s.
“Then come to me. Don’t be afraid. Everything will be okay.” Arianna moved to stand before Simone. Adrenaline raced through Simone’s blood, all her senses accelerating. At the same time, she felt like an unprepared student taking an unavoidable test. Great Sekhmet, if only someone would help her, guide her. She would fail. Her legs shook.
Arianna took Simone by the shoulders and pulled her closer. “It’s okay,” she repeated. “Trust yourself. You know how to do it. It’s in your genes.” She tilted her head back, exposing her neck.
The situation was absurd. Simone was the predator here—it was she who was supposed to make the advances—but instead she awkwardly tried to escape, twisting in Arianna’s grip. Arianna brushed her lips across Simone’s cheeks and her tender fingertips fluttered against her spine like butterfly wings. There was a sensation of ghosts floating by and embracing Simone as they passed. She was descending into a void, completely losing herself—
The next moment a powerful electrical impulse almost ripped her apart. This was it: her inner predator, breaking the chains, bellowed in triumph and lunged forward. Dimly, Simone realized that she had lost all control over it.
“You leave me no choice,” she hissed. Surrendering to her inner beast, she sank her fangs deep into Arianna’s jugular.
As the warm gush of Arianna’s blood filled her mouth, Simone’s mind roared and spun in a whirlpool of exhilaration, then sank into a cosmic stillness, absolute nothingness. For a few moments, she ceased to exist ... and then she was floating among the stars, drifting mindlessly, but completely and utterly alive.
Simone awoke to the soft touch of someone massaging her temples.
“Simone? You okay?” a voice asked. Simone opened her eyes. Arianna was leaning over her, concern furrowing her brow
“What was that?”
“Did you like it? Arianna’s face was pleased, maybe even a little ...smug.
Simone struggled to sit up, Arianna helping her. “It was absolutely spectacular, the most incredible experience of my life, like dying and being reborn.”
Okay, smug was definitely the right word.
“What’d you do?” Simone felt her own face twisting into a caricature of suspicion.
“I wanted to see if I could do it. My father taught me the theory, but obviously I’ve never done it. And ... obviously I can.” Arianna wiggled her eyebrows, smug and all hocus-pocus.
Simone just stared at her.
“It’s an Amiti’s natural talent. When we share blood with vampires we can project our emotions, desires, and dreams into their minds. We can expand their reality and consciousness and create these profound experiences for them. I decided to create a death-rebirth experience for you to empower you. Can you believe that? All I had to do was think it—and it became your reality! Can you imagine how much power we can have?”
It was true. This hadn’t been anything like casually drinking blood from a glass. This was an out-of-body experience—astral projection, literally. Every part of her body, every cell, pulsated with life and joy. She felt strong, powerful, fearless, lethal, a true Sekhmi, what she’d always dreamed of being. She understood now why Sekhmi who were blood-bonded with Amiti were the strongest of vampires.
“Why doesn’t the bloodstocks’ blood give us the same feeling? In fact, now that I think about it, I always feel worse afterwards.”
“Blood is a powerful substance. It carries the life essence and emotional charge of whoever it’s taken from. Think of how much your bloodstock hate you. Since you’re absorbing their hatred along with their blood, you probably don’t just feel worse; you probably hate yourself just a little bit, don’t you?”
Left unspoken in Arianna’s question was an accusation, one Simone refused to address. Somewhere deep in her heart, she knew that Arianna was right; it was wrong to feed on bloodstock. But what else was she supposed to do—what else were all Sekhmi supposed to do? Simone couldn’t be expected to have all the answers. She did know one thing, though: that after drinking Amiti blood directly from the vein, blood charged with the best wishes for her, she was repulsed by the idea of going back to bloodstock. Trying to make it look easy, she struggled to her feet. She needed all of her strength, or at least the a
ppearance of having it.
“Will you feed me from now on?” she demanded.
“Do you want me to?”
“Yes.” Simone felt a possessive rush. In general, Sekhmi considered Amiti to exist for them, to satisfy their need for feeding, but the blood-bond connoted an entirely different level of possession. In the eyes of Sekhmi society, Arianna now belonged to Simone. Sekhmi with true blood-bonds were the envy of everyone else in the Elite. But did Arianna know the rules? Did Arianna know that she was hers, Simone’s? Would she accept her as her master?
“Do you know that you are mine from now on?” Please say yes. Simone’s Sekhmi nature demanded to be recognized and obeyed, to be acknowledged as superior. If Arianna refused, Simone might have to kill her, she realized.
Arianna started to laugh.
“Why are you laughing?”
Arianna came to her and looked into her eyes: no fear, no submission. “Because it’s you who are mine from now on, Simone. Seriously, think about it. Amiti can blood-bond with as many vampires as we want, but each Sekhmi can only blood-bond with one Amiti. What does that tell you about who holds the reins?
“But I don’t like the mentality of ownership. I’d prefer to have you as my sister and my friend.” Arianna smiled as she said that last bit, but she was being intimidating. Simone only half recognized her.
“If you want me to be your friend, Sim, you have to change your rotten Sekhmi mentality. You do not own the Amiti. We are children of the Goddess and we’re a free race. If your people subjugated mine, it is not because our destiny is to be your bloodstock; it is because you, vampires, dwell in violence, and love is inaccessible for you. That is why you all feel incomplete, always, like something is missing in your life.”
Simone stared at Arianna, dumbstruck and blinking. Arianna was right: Simone’s life and death was in Arianna’s hands. She couldn’t demand to be fed; it would always be Arianna’s choice. Arianna also could choose Simone’s experiences, lifting her to heaven or dropping her to hell. It was Arianna who would decide whether or not to share her powers with Simone; Simone had no control over it. All she could do was to ask and wait. Simone hated it, but that was the reality she had to accept.
