Vampires in Venice

by J. R. Thorn

  If I became a vampire... when I became a vampire, I hoped that I could survive it.

  5

  The Bunker

  Scaling the rooftops had been far more tedious than I'd have imagined. Xavier could have gotten to the bunker without us in a matter of minutes, but he patiently waited and helped to clear the way of enemies. We had to lose a mindless horde of incubi on the final round to the secreted entrance underneath one of the many bridges that linked streets.

  I squeezed through the tiny door and was hit with the scent of musk and dampness. We spiraled down into pure darkness with only the light from Xavier's eyes to guide us. Vampires had perfect night vision, which was one of the reasons they'd gotten the reputation that they couldn't survive in the sun.

  "I love the beach," Xavier said with a smile as we crept through ankle-deep sludge. He'd been explaining vampire physiology, assuring me that there wasn't a downside to vampirism. "But our eyes tend to give us away, as well as the fangs, if you're not good at hiding them." He grinned at me when we came into a section with dim lights that finally let me see his face. I startled when I realized that he boasted a perfect set of white teeth, no fangs at all. When I got closer and ran a finger over his chin, points formed and shot through his mouth. "Sorry, darling," he said. "When you're around, my control isn't that good."

  A blush crept up my neck and Luke wrapped an arm around my waist. It wasn't a jealous or overprotective move, rather an unconscious motion of familiarity. "Looks like we’re almost there," he said, and jerked his chin at a red door streaked with peeling paint.

  Xavier knocked on it, the sound ringing against hollow metal. "It's me."

  A slider revealed a peephole and red eyes appraised Xavier, then us. I expected some questions, but if Xavier really was Hades' right-hand man, then any friends of Xavier's were friends to the vampires.

  The door creaked open and Xavier motioned us to go inside. "Come. I'll introduce you to Nimra and Liam."

  I'd expected more dank and dismal surroundings, but the moment the metal door closed behind us, I found the scenery much more upscale. A long hall wound downward into the depths of marbled walls and runes lined the floors. "They're prayers," Xavier explained and glanced at Luke. "Vampires might have gotten the reputation as being a bunch of demonspawn, but vampires have always been closely involved with civilization and history. We are fond of religion and the powers which sustain us." He took in a deep breath. "Blood is life, and life is the evidence of a soul. We respect the creation of that soul, no matter where it comes from or where it goes."

  I hummed and finally let Luke's hand go as I walked between the angel and the vampire. Chandeliers illuminated the downward slope of the floor with shadows and rainbow sequins. "I was basically raised by a nun," I told him. "I suppose there's a soft spot for religion for me as well."

  He grinned. "It's nice to get to know you. I look forward to more of these conversations." He paused when the hall split into three ways. "Come," he said, and guided us down the center path.

  Red eyes glittered like diamonds as a hush settled over an uneasy gathering of vampires. Their chests did a collective sigh when they saw Xavier, then tensed up again when they saw me.

  Luke gripped my arm. "You chest is glowing."

  I looked down to see that an unmistakable red glow pulsated in my chest and throbbed like a foreign heartbeat that didn't match my own. Dizziness swept over me. "Luke," I whispered. "I'm frightened."

  What if Derek's power was affecting me? What if I was a walking time bomb and I'd lose my mind and become the slave he'd always wanted me to be?

  "You're fine," Xavier said with a coaxing tone. He took my hand and drew me into the crowd.

  The vampires eased when they saw Xavier trusted me, but I wasn't so sure that he should. Usually it was rage or high doses of sexual energy that made my Blood Stone's power active enough that it became visible. The sex I'd had with Xavier and Luke the night before had been for enjoyment and to understand Xavier's visions. I hadn't fed, so it didn't make sense for my Blood Stone to respond.

  "Vampiric power works differently than yours," Xavier said, speaking to my unspoken questions. "You'll come to understand it. Vampires are not something to be feared, nor is our gift."

  "Our curse," corrected a woman.

  Xavier grinned. "Nimra," he said, purring her name. "I'd like to introduce you to Sonya."

  When he nudged me forward, I couldn't help but be intimidated by the vampire. Lengthy legs wound by tight, black leather and a snug blouse made her more intoxicating to look at than most succubi. Plump cleavage boasted a red jewel that rested in the curve of her breast. It reminded me of a Blood Stone, but I recognized it as a ruby. "Not everyone can find the rare gem that gave us life," Nimra explained as she cupped the necklace, taking notice of my scrutiny. "But we aim to show respect, nonetheless."

  I bowed my head, hoping the introduction would display my respect. Nimra exuded sexual energy, but also control. I sensed that she was much older than she looked. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

  She smiled, her small, delicate fangs flashing. It made her appear oddly charming. "You're not like most succubi I've met." She glanced at the man who came to her side. He snaked an arm around her waist with that same familiar touch that Luke had shown with me. "What do you think, Liam? Do you approve of Xavier adding this one to our family?"

  The vampire named Liam appraised me with gleaming, red eyes that sliced with a noticeable streak of gold. "There's only one way to find out." He grinned as his gaze raked over me. "Perhaps I could have a taste before she turns, just to see what her nature is really like."

  Xavier smiled even though my skin crawled with what sounded to be a very real proposal. "Liam was once a dragon," he explained. "Don't let him get to you. He's retained some of his rudeness from that species."

  Luke scoffed. "I've had my fair share of dragons. I don't think even vampirism could cure their arrogance."

  Liam's eyes went wide as if he'd noticed Luke for the first time. "You didn't mention you'd be bringing another stray. Who's this?"

  It was Nimra who slunk around us, her boots creaking with her otherwise deathly silence. "I sense... something new." She drew closer and sniffed, her fangs extending. "What is he?"

  "If you behave," Xavier said, "perhaps I'll tell you."

  Luke scoffed. "I'm right here. You can all stop looking at me like I'm a shiny new toy."

  Nimra grinned, her eyes lighting up at the challenge. "Looks like a toy, sounds like a toy..."

  Another explosion rocked the compound and the vampires locked their gazes on the ceiling. Nimra crossed her arms and frowned. "We should be up there," she complained. "This is our city."

  Liam growled and smoke exuded from his nostrils. My eyes went wide at the realization that this vampire had kept more of his dragon traits than I would have expected. "I agree with Nimra. We came down here to make a battle plan per protocol. You're our leader." He bowed his head to Xavier. "It's your call, but my vote is we go en mass and take out our enemies."

  Xavier shook his head. "This isn't a fight we can win without Hades. He needs to be woken."

  Nimra rolled her eyes. "Well good luck with that. The master isn't supposed to wake up for another fifty years at least. A bomb could go off in this very compound and he wouldn't even flinch."

  Xavier glanced at me and a shiver ran up my spine. "The power of the Blood Stone is what fuels our vampirism. It's a sister source to the power of souls and magic. It'll be enough to shock him into reality."

  Liam sniffed the air. "She wouldn't be able to reach Hades without becoming a vampire first. We don't have the time to indulge a conversion." He glowered at Xavier. "You're thinking with your dick instead of your head."

  A hot blush rolled over my collarbone, but I ignored it. Everyone knew that Xavier had the full intention of turning me into a vampire, and to do that, he had to fuck my brains out. "Enough," I snapped. "We've got a plan."

  Liam growled at my inter
ruption, but he didn't snap at me. Instead he nodded. "And what is this plan?"

  I glanced at Luke, because we'd both already established the plan was fucking nuts. "We need to amplify the sleep spell that Hades is under and cast it over all supernaturals in Venice. It'll give us the time we need to turn me into a vampire and wake up Hades."

  Nimra ran a finger over the hilt of a dagger at her hip. She seemed the type that enjoyed playing with sharp objects. "Interesting," she purred. "But we need a witch for that."

  Xavier looked at Luke. "We've got something better."

  Luke's outrage completely warranted that we hole ourselves up together in one of the luxurious vampire rooms. The place was built for sex with rows of chains and restraints, as well as a bowl of strawberries and a bucket of wine suitable for human guests, but as Luke paced on a velvet rug, I knew that sex was the last thing on his mind.

  "How do they know about my mother?" he hissed and slammed a fist against the wall. "If they know who she is, what she is, then they could have done something. She sacrificed her freedom to prepare me for my fate, but she'd never warned me about vampires trying to take over my life."

  I rested a gentle touch on his shoulder and he stiffened, but didn't shrug me away. "They're a little bossy, but they've lived for a long time. They've learned secrets and have access to powers we don't fully understand. I'm sure they had their reasons."

  He faced me and rage burned in his eyes. "What if they could have prevented her from being taken to prison? I'm the one who told the humans about what she'd done to me. But if I'd seen supernaturals were real, if a single vampire had shown themselves to me, I would have believed in my mother's visions. She didn't have powers that I could understand." He thrust a finger at the closed door. "But those things, no one can deny they're not human."

  Only wanting to console him, I shushed him and pulled him into an embrace. He bent to accommodate my stature and buried his nose into my neck. His fingers laced through my hair that curled at my back. "You're still going through with it, aren't you?" he asked, his words muffled.

  I sighed and held onto him as tight as I could. I didn't know how else to assure him that even if I bonded with Xavier, I'd always belong to Luke. We were meant for each other in ways that completed me and made me feel safe. "Why does everything always have to be so complicated?" I complained. "None of us asked for this life. It's just the way it is."

  He pulled away and a hard line bulged at his jaw. His fingers cupped my elbows as he looked into my eyes with such ferocity and devotion that I was glad he steadied my weight. "Xavier isn't the only one who's had visions about you," he whispered, his voice low and demanding. "My mother centered our lives around a future where you held me like you are holding me now. You and I are meant to save the world."

  I smiled and ran my touch up his arms. I took his face in my hands and brought his lips to mine. The soft kiss was gentle and undemanding, one that cultivated a more familiar connection between us that grew every day. "And that's exactly what we're doing," I reminded him when I pulled away. I ran a thumb across his lower lip that was plump from my kiss. "Your father was an angel, which makes you powerful in magic that this world needs. And your mother, she was a Seer, which makes you the only one capable of spreading the vampiric curse to supernaturals across Venice."

  He growled and took me in another kiss, biting my lip and licking the hurt. "It'll mean that I'll go into slumber too. What if I never wake?" Darkness crossed his gaze. "Perhaps that's what you want so that you have an excuse to be with Xavier without the inconvenience."

  I'd had just about enough of his insecurity. Without warning I ripped off his shirt and lashed a hazy red power around his waist, tugging at his jeans until they unfurled and his erection was free for my fingers to explore. "If I have to prove to you that you matter to me, that I want you, then let's do it, right here, right now."

  Luke began to protest, but groaned when my fingers wrapped around the girth of him and squeezed. "Perhaps," he managed to say, "just a little time together won't hurt."

  I didn't take time to explore his body or tease him. That's not what Luke needed, nor I, for that matter. With my free hand I fought with the button at my jeans until it popped open. Luke's strong hands peeled away my clothes and I straddled him on the bed. I was already wet for him, but I wasn't strong enough to resist the urge to feed on his lust. He tasted so delicious and when I lowered onto him and he entered my body, my mouth parted in a gasp and magic filled my Blood Stone with needed nourishment.

  Luke fluttered his eyes closed as I lowered in inhaled a long magical strand of his endless life force. I wondered if he were immortal, or if this was the kind of magic that had no end that I could feed on forever. He shuddered under the intoxicating compulsion of my power that covered the pain with pleasure that sank into his bones. My powers wrapped around him, just like my muscles contracted around him, as I began long, deliberate movements to bring us both the comfort and ecstasy we desired.

  I just wanted to forget that the end of the world was upon us for a few moments. I wanted to indulge in this feeling of what it was like to be a succubus, to feed on a man who only wanted to please me, and who fully knew who and what I was. I hated being a succubus, but I took the effort to enjoy one of the rare acts of sex where I fed, and didn't hate myself. Luke would be weakened by this, but his hands groped and pushed up my bra to take my breasts in a firm squeeze. He encouraged me to keep going, to go faster and faster until my breath came in long, laboured gasps.

  "Come with me," he said, his words breathless on his tongue as pleasure rippled through him.

  I wasn't holding back. I wanted to show him how much he meant to me. What Luke wanted was for me to be myself with him, and that meant being a succubus who fed on sex. I never let myself go full-force, but this time I recklessly tossed the gates of my powers open and Luke cried out as raw pleasure wrapped around his cock and twisted through his body.

  That explosion fed me with more sexual energy than I'd ever fed on before. I let the tidal wave come and didn't care when I was swept away by it. The room burst into flashes of red as I cried out with him and a spasm overtook my body.

  The orgasm lasted for a full thirty, glorious seconds, and then it was over. I slumped over him, my breathing ragged and sweat kissing a cold film across my skin.

  He massaged my ass as we silently ground our hips together, inking out the last, lusting bit of our pleasure.

  "I understand," he said at last when his racing heart had finally slowed to a dull thunder. "This is what it's like to be a succubus, to feed and become overwhelmed by sexual power."

  My vision blurred with red and even though I'd given in to my most sinful of indulgences, the sickly-sweet aftershock came with a rampage of guilt. I didn't hide it from Luke as I pulled away and took in the pale, sunken-in cheeks of the cost of my power. "Yes," I said, my voice hoarse. "I want to lose myself with you without hurting you. You might survive, but this is what it's like if I truly let go."

  He curled his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. Tears stung my eyes and he gripped me tight when I began to tremble with unspent sobs. He shushed me and rubbed my back. "It's okay," he promised. "I understand why you must become a vampire."

  Closing my eyes with resign, I was glad that he'd accepted the outcome, but it didn't change my fears of the process.

  Would I still be me? Would I still have these feelings for Luke when I bonded to Xavier on such a fundamental level as blood?

  There was only one way to find out.

  6

  A Spell

  "First step," Xavier said as he instructed Luke on how to cast the spell, "is to make sure you pronounce the words correctly."

  Vampires didn't practice magic themselves, but they were the source of all witches. They never let witches into the bunker where Hades slept. His resting place was a well-kept secret, and it spoke to Xavier's trust of us that he'd let non-vampires in such a sacred space.

  Or, he real
ized no witches around to protect his master had been a really dumb decision, and he was going to settle for an angel with subdued magical powers.

  Luke frowned at the dusty tome as he thumbed the page. "Is that a trick question?"

  I peered over his shoulder only to find that the "words" were runic scratches.

  "Angels can read any language," Xavier said. "Don't tell me you can't read witch writings."

  "It's not a language," Nimra corrected. "It's magic in verbal and written form, but it's not a method of communication. It's a gathering of powers."

  The remark was surprisingly informative, although Nimra continued to grin, having noticed that Luke and I had engaged in some heavy sex. Xavier politely ignored the deterioration that marked Luke's face, but the angel was already starting to heal. I wished that we could have waited before returning to the vampires, but the explosions rocking the city were only getting worse. Derek was trying to draw me out and get to Hades. He'd demolish every beautiful building in Venice until he got what he wanted.

  "Well can anyone here pronounce it for me? I can't read it."

  Xavier sighed. "That's dangerous."

  "I thought that you said only Luke could perform the spell?" I asked.

  Xavier tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "True, however witch writings come with power. One does not utter them lightly." He sighed. "But there's little choice. I'll--"

  Before Xavier could offer, Liam pushed him aside. "I'll do it." His ruby gaze sliced with gold found mine. "It won't do much good to risk the spell before you've had a chance to turn our alarm clock into a vampire. At least if reading the spell goes wrong with me, I'm expendable."

  My mouth lifted on the side. "Did you really just call me an alarm clock?"

  Nimra shushed me. "Quiet, you're not supposed to be going off yet." She poked me in the forehead. "Snooze button!"