Possessed by a Vampire

by Susan Griscom

  “By the way,” Lane continued. “I’m not your fucking friend, and this . . .”—he splayed his arms out with his palms open and gestured around the room—“is my club!”

  Dorian’s eyes narrowed. “Is this your doing, Preston?’

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “I misjudged you,” he said directly to me with a great amount of disappointment. I couldn’t let it bother me. I had to remember he wasn’t the same man I once knew. “I thought you would have been glad that I showed interest in your musical talent. I came here tonight in peace. But all I get in return is ridicule from you and your friends. Why?”

  “Why?” You want to know why? You’re nothing more than a pimp. You hold the woman I made love to captive along with her brother, and I’m supposed to admire you?”

  “Do they look like captives?” He pointed at Lily and Julian now, who stood side by side, looking like they’d just attended their high school prom.

  They didn’t look like prisoners. Not tonight. But I knew the hold Dorian had on them. I understood it better than anyone. “This display tonight . . . you coming here with them like this. It was just a show to make me believe they are happy. But I know the truth. What happened to you, Dorian? What happened to the man who saved me from a life of misery? The sire who loved me?”

  “Don’t interfere, Preston. You will be sorry.”

  “Will I?” I glanced around the room and saw that most of the patrons had left, and within a couple of seconds, the rest of my family stood around the table. Vanessa held a crystal in her hand, quietly chanting a spell. Several of Dorian’s men stood close by, ready to pounce if anything happened. I’d known they were there, his ever-present guards.

  “Face it, dude. You’re finished with these two,” Lane said, pointing at Lily and Julian. “In fact, you’re just plain finished.”

  If anyone had thought Dorian would show fear or cower in the face of death, they were wrong.

  “You are an idiot if you think you can kill me,” Dorian said. His eyes darkened, the golden glow that I’d only witnessed during sexual activities appearing with his anger and rage. He flew across the table and lunged at Lane, grabbing him around his throat. The brunt force propelled Lane into the wall, and his head bounced off the hard surface. Lane punched Dorian in the gut, but Dorian was stronger, older. His grip too tight.

  One of Dorian’s guards came at me before I had a chance to move to help Lane. More guards attacked Cian and Gage. I worried about Lily and wondered where she was, but I didn’t have time to stop and look for her.

  Gage grabbed the asswipe guard who had his monkey grip around my throat and pulled him off me, snapping his neck. I quickly flashed to Dorian and Lane, grabbing Dorian around the waist and tugging him off Lane. Dorian released his hold, and Lane fell to the floor but righted himself a few seconds later. Dorian turned on me, shoving me back, holding me by my throat now. My feet dangled in the air. His eyes flared with a dark amber hue, a dark shade I’d never seen before, so full of anger it pained me to look at him.

  “What happened to you?” I asked again, my voice scratchy, barely audible with Dorian’s fingers tightening around my larynx.

  “I made you what you are,” he growled. “I cared for you. I loved you. Without me, you’d be nothing but a cripple, dead before you even turned twenty-five. Why do you turn on me this way?” he asked.

  His tight grip faltered and he suddenly let me go as Julian hit him over the head with a chair. I fell to the floor and regained my stance as Julian lunged at Dorian with a vengeance. I could almost read his thoughts. All the pent-up anger and hatred for the man who’d been his lover for so many years rose in his eyes, bringing about the same golden glow as Dorian’s, as Lily’s, as mine. I had thought Julian a weak man, but he was proving me wrong as I watched him wrestle with our mutual maker. I glanced around the room. All the others were fighting off Dorian’s goons. Chairs were broken, tables toppled over. Even Maggie had gotten into it when another of Dorian’s guards had Lane in a headlock. She’d pounced onto his back, choking him while Lane tried beating him off with punches to the face. He finally released Lane, but continued to fight back. Gage was busy several feet away fighting off two of Dorians’ guards, while Cian tackled another.

  Just as I was about to join Julian in his efforts to subdue Dorian, another guard came at me and tackled me to the floor. In my struggle, I watched as Dorian snapped Julian’s neck, rendering him helpless before he plowed into Vanessa, propelling her across the room and into the wall as the crystal she’d held flew in the opposite direction. Though I knew Vanessa’s strength could beat most anything, she was no match for Dorian’s age and power. The spell she’d been chanting to block Dorian’s abilities to dematerialize was instantly interrupted, and she collapsed to the floor. Dorian flashed in front of Lily, and she kicked him in the groin with her pointy-toed high heel, then punched him in the stomach. She looked like a red goddess warrior, but her strength was no match for his either, as he quickly grabbed her around the neck and fisted the pendant she wore, shattering the red gem. Silver liquid dripped down her chest and in between her breasts. Her horror-filled eyes found mine as she collapsed helplessly into his arms. A few seconds later, they were gone. Vanished from sight.

  The rage in me grew instantly as they disappeared, and I fought desperately to get to Lily, to follow the bond of our blood before they got too far away. But I couldn’t free myself from the weight of two vampires, and everyone was too busy fighting someone else to help.

  After too many slugs to my chin, nose, and stomach, my energy weakened as punch after punch pounded into my face and my gut until Gage pulled one of the goons off me. With the weight of just one vampire left, I rolled over on top, effectively giving me the upper hand as I returned some of those punches. The vampire pulled a small blade from his belt and stabbed me in the chest and laughed, showing his fangs his eyes became opaque, leaving only a small black dot of the pupils. The pain roared through me as his hands wrapped around my throat, tightening so I could barely move. I tugged out the knife and slammed it into his throat, twisting it as much as I could. He released his grip from around my neck as his hands flew to his own. I’d had just about enough of this asshole, so I grabbed his head, wrenching it to the side until his neck snapped. I got up just in time to see Gage break the neck of the other vampire, the force turning his head a complete three sixty degrees before slinking to the floor right on top of the other one.

  Cian and Lane were busy fighting off two more vampires, but when the two goons realized that Dorian had left, they too vanished from the club.

  “Is everybody okay?” Cian asked.

  Everyone got up, brushing their clothes and looking around. I did a mental head count as I’m sure everyone did.

  “Lily’s gone,” I huffed out, my breath still heavy from the fight.

  Julian had already come to and came to stand next to me, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.

  I swiped my palms over my eyes and down my face and glanced at him. “I’m sorry.” I didn’t know if I was saying sorry to him or to myself. It didn’t matter. We’d lost Lily, my love, his sister.

  He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself. You did your best. Dorian must have sensed something. I don’t know how or what. I didn’t know the pendant was filled with liquid silver.”

  “Let’s get these guys out of here before they come to,” Cian yelled, gesturing to the two vampires Gage and I had just immobilized.

  “I have crowd control,” Vanessa said and proceeded to work her magic on any humans that happened to still be in the club when all the fighting took place. The rest of the vampire customers had dispersed as soon as the commotion started. Cowards. Though I figured most vampires around the city didn’t want to become involved in anything that didn’t pertain to them.

  I needed to go after Lily and Dorian, but I couldn’t sense where they’d gone. I looked to Julian, “You okay?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.
Thanks.”

  “Where do you think he took your sister?”

  Julian shook his head. “Could be anywhere. I doubt Dorian would take her back to the tower, though. It’s too obvious.”

  “I agree, but it’s worth a look.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Julian offered.

  “No,” Gage said. “You’ve been under his command for too long. You’re too susceptible to him.”

  “But I can help. My bond with him is stronger.”

  “Dorian’s about seven hundred years older than you, and a hell of a lot stronger. If anything were to happen to you, Lily would never forgive me,” I said.

  “It’s better if you stay with us for now,” Cian said. “Come back to the house. We have extra space there. You’ll be safe and have privacy, as well.”

  “No kissy-kiss, though,” Lane joked. “That, before. That was just for show. Got it?”

  “Got it,” Julian grinned and licked his lips. “But you are a good kisser.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Lane smirked, and Vanessa wrapped her arms around him.

  “You were great, baby.” She winked at Julian.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Lily

  Silver seared my skin, burning, scorching. It seeped into my pores as it dripped down between my breasts. My limbs turned to rubber, and I no longer had control of them. Though fully aware of my surroundings, I was paralyzed. I’d never been in so much pain in my entire life. I lay on a bed in a room I didn’t recognize. A pale blue, down blanket covered the bed. Feminine, lacy, blue-and-yellow curtains adorned the windows. Where was I?

  I heard humming from across the room. Dorian? I tried to open my eyes, but it was difficult. Any movement was impossible.

  “Please, Dorian,” I begged, my voice barely audible. I feared the longer the silver penetrated my pores, the worse my paralysis would become. The silver running through my veins weakened every part of me. My breathing became labored as the metal raced through my body, leaving no organ untouched. My lungs burned with each breath I took. My heart ached with each beat. The pain was too great, and for the first time in my life—human or vampire—I prayed for death to take me, to release me from the agony.

  A cool, damp rag covered my chest, and I opened my eyes just enough to see Dorian wiping the silver off, but it was too late. The poison was already in my system, wreaking havoc on every nerve, every bone, every muscle.

  “This should help, or at least prevent more from entering your body,” he said as he continued to rub the silver from my skin. “Though I’m afraid the toxins will stay in your system a lot longer, but that is unavoidable.” His hands were covered with plastic gloves to prevent him from touching the metal. “I had a feeling you and Preston were concocting something stupid. That’s why I had you wear the pendant filled with pure liquid silver tonight. The cheap garnet kept it safe from harming you until I broke it.” He tapped the side of his head with his finger and winked. “Brilliant, don’t you think?”

  Why had he taken me? Not that I wanted anything bad to happen to my brother, but I figured Dorian would want him more than me. I’d always been just an ornament; someone to parade around at social gatherings so city officials and other important people wouldn’t know Dorian was gay. Someone to deal his drugs. It was my brother Dorian had coveted for so long. Though in this day and age, homosexuals weren’t blackballed the way they used to be, and vampires could care less. Many vampires had sex with both genders all the time. It wasn’t anything to be ashamed of, yet Dorian was.

  “Why?” I croaked out.

  “Hmmm? What’s that, dear?” He lowered his head closer to my face. An inch closer, and I could have bitten his ear off if only I could have made my mouth work better.

  “Why me? I thought it was Julian that you wanted so badly.”

  “Yes, well, I still need you. Without you accompanying me, people will start to question my validity as a good business associate. My standing in this community means everything to my investors. If they lose faith in my commitment as a loyal and dedicated husband and family man, I lose them. As long as I can keep convincing them that I am a devoted husband, ready to start a family, they trust me. Don’t you see? If they knew the truth, I’d be labeled as a liar, someone without integrity, and no one would trust me anymore.”

  “What about Julian?”

  “Julian will return to me. You just wait and see. As long as I have his sister”—he touched his finger to my nose in a playful way. His ill attempt at being cute, I supposed—“he will come back. We just have to give it some time. I bet by the time we get back home after all this nonsense blows over, Julian will be there waiting for us. ”

  “But why would you want him if he doesn’t want you?”

  “He does want me. Of course, he wants me. He’s just playing along with Preston.” Dorian continued to wipe the cloth over my chest. The beautiful red gown was ruined. He’d torn it at the bodice in order to clean up the poison he’d let flow over my skin, and the ragged material frayed and covered with silver spread open, exposing my breasts. As long as the liquid metal stayed on me, I would never heal. “Julian knows what to do, and I’m sure he’s doing an excellent job playing the poor, defenseless, and abused gay vampire for Preston and his bandmates.”

  Dorian was delusional. Hopelessly blind to how my brother really felt about him. Julian may have fallen in love with Dorian years ago, but after Langdon’s murder, after all the years of abuse, I was positive that the hatred my brother harbored for Dorian was much greater than any love he may have had for him in the past.

  I had to try to get a message to Preston. I only hoped that enough time had passed since Dorian and I exchanged any blood, or that bond would interfere.

  “How can you believe that? You saw the way he returned Lane’s kiss. Do you really think he would have done that if he loved you?”

  The minute the words left my lips, I knew I’d gone too far. Dorian’s open hand slapped me across the cheek with such force, the inside of my mouth stung, and I could feel my teeth shift in my gums. Tears sprang to my eyes. I still couldn’t move, and I desperately wanted to rub the side of my face.

  “Don’t make me punish you. Julian was being polite. That’s all.”

  I would have laughed at the absurdity if I could have.

  I managed to lift my head a little and looked around the room. “Where are we?”

  “You don’t think I’m going to tell you, do you? Trust me, we are far enough away that your bond with Preston, and Julian’s bond with me will never help them find us. So, for now, we are safe. Once this all blows over, we’ll go back to the tower and resume our lives. There. All the silver is gone from your chest now. We do need to get that dress off of you, though.” Fisting his gloved fingers around what was left of the bodice, he yanked until the entire dress was ripped down the front. He tugged it from beneath my body and tossed it in the corner of the room, leaving me naked and feeling even more vulnerable.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Preston

  Dorian’s tower suite was vacant, just as Julian had thought. Not even his henchmen had stuck around. Gage and I searched the entire building, looking for some clue as to where Dorian would have taken Lily to hide. By the time we finished, there wasn’t a piece of furniture that wasn’t upended or a drawer not emptied with its contents on the floor. Every piece of paper had been read, every cabinet searched, every picture taken down from the wall to check for a hidden safe. But the only things we’d come up with were a metal box holding a plastic bag of something we assumed must be the Blaze drug, and a couple of vampires held captive by silver shackles that we had to use an old hatchet on to remove in order to set them free. We found nothing about where Dorian could have possibly gone with Lily. Chances were, he hadn’t come back here first before taking off.

  What had happened to Dorian? I kept asking myself that question over and over again. He was not the same vampire I had lived with for so many years. After setting the vamps free,
I righted one of the red velvet-covered armchairs and sat in it. Gage did the same, but not until he helped himself to some more of the absinthe that had been sitting in a carafe inside one of the cabinets. He offered me some, but I declined. I wasn’t a fan of the stuff, to be honest. Plus, I was exhausted. I think we both were as we sat for a while, not having any clue as to where to search next. Gage drank his green shit while I worried about Lily and where Dorian had taken her.

  This furniture was hideous. Fucking red velvet all over the place. I ran my hand over the soft fabric. Dorian always did like soft material, décor with a feminine flare. But not to this extreme. Not stuff that looked as if it belonged in a bordello. He’d fancied lace and crocheted table toppings, if memory served. And pretty pastel bedding. My eyelids stung from worry and stress, so I let them close to combat the sting as a memory floated into my mind.

  The lights in the small, quaint room had been turned down low. Fire crackled in the hearth, and I sat close by, huddled in a soft, white wool blanket, naked underneath, in an attempt to warm my chilled-to-the-bone body. My rain-soaked clothes hung to dry on a rope he had strung from two chairs positioned on the other side of the fire. My body shook, still too chilled to move. My leg ached from the cold, my joints inflamed with arthritis, and I winced as I tried to shift in the chair to ease the pressure on my hip. My brace lay in a heap on the floor next to me, the metal rusted from years of wear and tear, though it was all I could afford. At the young age of nineteen, I hadn’t worked at the school for very long, and medical equipment like leg braces was expensive. The one I owned had been provided by the orphanage I’d grown up in. It was old, and the hinges were corroded. This rain would make it worse, and my ability to get around even more difficult.

  He handed me a small glass filled with something dark and golden brown.