Bloodlust: House of Vampires

by Tabitha Barret

  I shrugged. “True, but would you prefer a woman who was indifferent to your potential dalliances? There are betrothed coven members who don’t care about each other and are fully aware of their intendeds’ trips to the servant’s quarters before the sun rises.”

  Licking up my inner thigh, I saw his eyes grow darker and more dangerous. “I want a woman who will tear out the throat of anyone who dares to touch me in a sensual way not because she is jealous, but because she knows no one other woman could please me as she does.”

  I bit my lip to keep from panting. I prayed that I could please him as no other could despite my lack of sexual knowledge or experience. I understood the concept of men and sex, but had no practical knowledge aside from the dirty things the maids and servants spoke about in whispers.

  Placing my hand on his cheek, I smiled. “I want to please you, Silvijn, but I will need instruction at times.”

  He took my hand and kissed my palm. “I would never judge you for your purity. I’ve never been with a woman either, so we will have to educate each other.”

  I nodded and blew out a breath. “You’re doing a fine job so far.”

  He chuckled and winked at me. “Admittedly, I’ve done my homework on the subject, but I promise that you are the first person benefiting from my extensive reading.”

  Leaning in, his warm tongue licked through the folds of my apex, causing my legs to give out. He caught me and lifted me up onto the bed as I tried to recover from the burst of warmth and excitement that nearly knocked me out. “I thoroughly appreciate your extensive reading.”

  He laughed as he continued to lift my nightgown and kiss his way up to my breasts. I should have felt embarrassed by my nakedness, but I trusted Silvijn as I trusted no other. He had always been attentive to me in public, bowing to me to show that I was stationed above him, but eager to discuss the future as partners.

  By the time my nightgown was on the floor, I was more than ready to take him completely and fully, regardless of the consequences.

  He pulled off his nightshirt, leaving only his linen trousers. I marveled at his muscled chest and ran my hand through the light smattering of chest hair. His sturdy shoulders enticed me and made me want to hold onto him tightly. Who knew that shoulders could be sexy?

  He frowned as he sat back on his legs and looked down at me. “You are so beautiful, Marianela. I’m not sure if I deserve you.”

  Scratching down his stomach, I grabbed his pants and pulled him down into a kiss. “We belong together, Silvijn. Never doubt that.”

  He kissed my forehead and nodded. “Thank you for accepting me as your betrothed. I’m a lucky man to have a beautiful fiancée who loves me.”

  Pushing down his pants, I watched his hardness unveiled to my eager eyes, inch by inch. I had no idea what to expect from him since I was aware that men differed in size, but I was not disappointed by what I saw.

  His heavy body covered mine and I felt him at my entrance.

  “I’m nervous.” I couldn’t keep my concern from slipping out. I didn’t know exactly what to expect once we started.

  He rubbed his cheek against mine. “So am I.” He kissed me tenderly as he slowly entered my body.

  It felt strange at first, but I kept looking into his eyes, reminding myself that this was Silvijn and I had nothing to fear from him.

  With a few strokes of his cock, my body heated and tensed up. He kissed my neck, my shoulder, my mouth and my ear, increasing the warmth between my thighs. I didn’t know where I ended and he began. He was everywhere. The love I felt for him made each touch, each sensation so much more intense and special.

  A pressure inside me built and built until I thought I would scream from the anticipation. Silvijn moved faster inside of me and everything turned bright. I moaned uncontrollably and clung to his strong shoulders to keep from losing my mind. I had no idea that being with a man could make me feel like I was breaking apart into a million happy pieces.

  When Silvijn’s body tensed up and he gritted his teeth, I watched him lose control before he opened his eyes and looked at me as if I was the most important person in his world. I had never felt so loved as I did in that moment.

  Silvijn helped to take away my terrible nights and made me forget all I had suffered for just a few moments and replaced it with a tenderness I had never felt before. I knew I would always crave his touch. He somehow knew how to fan my lust and quench it in ways I couldn’t fully comprehend.

  Taking the necromancer’s blood into my body, I relived every emotion I felt that first time with Silvijn. A tear rolled down my cheek as I pulled away from the neck that supplied the blood circulating through my system, renewing my strength.

  I wiped away the tear and looked up into the cold eyes of the necromancer. His creepy grin made me feel awkward for sharing one of the most private experiences of my life. He had enjoyed every second of my memory based on the bulge in his pants.

  Feeling like the whore I thought him to be, I backed away from the necromancer and looked around to figure out how to make my escape.

  Tall, dense trees surrounded me and I had no idea which part of the school I was in. He stood up, looking very pleased with himself for tricking me into giving him what he truly wanted. I had to get away from him.

  My pulse sped up as I tried to get my bearings. I couldn’t see the moon but I could smell the water. At least I could tell north from south. I ran away from the salt air to head south towards what I hoped was the main entrance. From there I could find my way back to Vamp House. I didn’t know why I felt so panicked until I realized my emotional turmoil was caused by the memory I had buried under years of abuse and mistreatment, not by Silvijn, but by my family.

  I no longer thought about my lost innocent years or reflected on the good times. I only thought about the anger. I had lost so much more than I ever knew.

  Silvijn had been one of the few good things in my life, yet I only thought about my general, not the man who had loved me for me. I had forgotten about our sweet moments, our intimate moments and our cherished moments. My pain made it too hard to reflect on anything good from my past.

  Sniffing, my chest ached when I thought about the love I had shared with Silvijn before the sting of betrayal turned my love into a weapon.

  Silvijn had pledged himself to me in every possible way. He had offered me his heart and his sword. He threatened any who tried to harm me. The day Silvijn released me from my underwater prison; I used his love for me to aid in my revenge against my brother. He once more pledged himself to me, but this time, he offered to be my general and lead the charge. My anger became his anger and our anger fueled both of us. Lost were the kind words and the sweet kisses. Instead, we bathed in the blood of our enemies, relying on each other when we were tired or sore, but never to ease our pain. He embraced my hatred for my brother and did whatever I asked without question.

  Thinking about our first night together and remembering the tenderness of his touch, I thought about his cold eyes when he looked at me from behind his iron mask in the great hall. Gone where the eyes that gazed upon me as if I was the center of his world. He looked at me as if he hardly knew me anymore.

  I had destroyed a decent, caring man and turned him into a monster, just like me.

  Rubbing the tears from my eyes, I could barely see where I was going. I walked blindly through the woods, trying to escape my terrible deed. Silvijn would have been a great leader, loved by his people if I hadn’t pulled him down into the darkness where I dwelled and turned him into one of the most feared generals of our time.

  I finally understood why Silvijn wanted no part of me. He was tired of living out my pain and suffering alongside me. He wanted to be free to find someone who would look upon him as I once did and love him as fiercely as I should have.

  Seeing a building I recognized, I quickly turned left, hoping that no one saw my emotional breakdown. I ran towards Vamp House so that I could hide my panic. I had to reach the showers where I could cry al
one without being overheard.

  What had I done to my sweet Silvijn?

  Chapter 13

  After a long cry and a number of deep breaths, I finally calmed down enough to think clearly. Though the necromancer had likely used my emotions against me in an effort to weaken me or to screw with me. I was still grateful that my lost emotions had returned to me. I felt a renewed sense of purpose now that I was no longer burdened by regret and anger, which made me hopeful that I could make amends. Silvijn might not be able to forgive me, but at least I could finally say the things I should have said when he freed me from the water.

  I busied myself until it was time to head for the detention center. I decided that I had to take a chance and trust Asha. If I didn’t, I would forever wonder if I had made the biggest mistake of my life.

  Pacing back and forth next to the detention center, I stared at the moon sinking in the sky. It was almost 5:00 AM. If I weren’t careful, I would get caught out in the sun again. I wasn’t sure if Haines or Talen would be waiting for me, but I couldn’t count on them to save me. I had to be smart about this. Thankfully, I was full of blood and ready to fight now that my emotions were under control again.

  At exactly 5:00 AM, the door to the detention center clicked as if it had been unlocked from the inside.

  Venturing around the corner of the building, I didn’t see anyone nearby.

  If this were another ambush, I would kill Asha slowly.

  Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked inside. I scanned the area, but there was no one inside the dank space. I headed to room three, prepared for anything.

  The door was slightly ajar but it was pitch black inside the cell. Listening carefully, I heard a single heart beating.

  Rushing into the room, I located the position of the beating heart and pounced. The person crumpled under me as they took us both to the ground in the middle of the cell. I mercilessly threw punch after punch to their face, chest and side.

  “What the fuck?” Arms flew up to defend the face of my would-be attacker. “Marianela, stop.”

  The harsh whisper made every joint in my body lock up.

  “Marcario?” Hearing my brother’s voice, I swatted away his arms and doubled down on my assault.

  “Before your teeth reach my neck, know that I come bearing presents.” The same fear I’d heard in the great hall once again reached my ears. It was definitely my brother.

  Curiosity, once more, got the better of me. “You have three seconds to explain yourself before I remove your head.”

  Pushing me off him, he scrambled around in the darkness. If he were searching for his weapon, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.

  I heard the strike of a match and saw a small torch light up. An eerie orange glow lit up Marcario’s face.

  Reaching into his cloak, I saw the glint of something metal. I lunged to grab the weapon, but Marcario held up his hand to stop me. He drew his hand from his cloak to reveal my beloved swords.

  I snatched them from him to feel their weight in my palms. “I’m not sure why you are offering yourself up for the slaughter but I am happy to oblige you.”

  He held up his hands in defense. “I understand you’re angry, sister, but you need to listen to the truth. I don’t have much time and I paid a heavy price to come here. I gave you a peace offering as a sign of good faith. At least hear me out before you kill me.”

  I cracked my neck and stared him down.

  Looking at my swords, he took a small step backwards.

  Returning my swords went a long way in appeasing my anger, but I wasn’t stupid enough to believe he was here to apologize for the hell he’d put me through.

  I gripped my enchanted swords, which could kill him with one blow, and pointed the tip of one of the swords at his throat. “Go on. Try to explain why you betrayed me. Maybe I’ll listen or maybe I will slit your throat before you’re done.” I needed to hear his lies before I could figure out what game he was playing.

  He dusted off his traveling cloak and black trousers, sparing a second to grimace at the hole I had made in his expensive black silk shirt.

  “You are always so dramatic. There is no reason my shirt had to suffer.” He huffed and ran his hand through his curly hair.

  “There are many reasons you should suffer.” I rolled my eyes at the concern he showed for his shirt, which was more concern than he showed at having my swords pointed at him.

  My heart melted a tiny bit at seeing him, though I reminded myself that my sentimentality could get me killed.

  Shaking his head, and patting down the shirt, he finally looked at me. “I saved your life the night I had my men take you from your room and chain you to the bottom of the ocean. If I hadn’t, you would have died that night.”

  “So you admit it. You had me captured and imprisoned.” I swung my sword at him though he was prepared for my attack and dodged the blade by a millimeter.

  “They were going to kill you. I had to do something. Please relax! You should be thanking me.” He waved his hand to stop me from advancing on him.

  Was I hearing him correctly? He expected me to thank him for drowning me for months.

  “Why should I thank you? I did die that night, over and over again. That’s what happens when a vampire drowns. We aren’t mermaids and we can’t breathe underwater. Do you have any idea how long I suffered in the murky depths?” I wasn’t sure if he had lost his mind or if he was just plain stupid.

  He hung his head and wet his lips. “No. I don’t know how long you suffered. I told my men not to tell me your location. When they returned home, I killed them all. It was safer for you if I didn’t know where you were.”

  Stunned, I stared at him in disbelief. Even if I accepted that he was trying to help me, he had no way of rescuing me.

  “How were you going to save me, darling brother? I accept that my life may have been in danger, but your ridiculous plan had a few major flaws in it.” I shook my head. Marcario never thought things through. He acted on impulse and misinformation all the time. If I had suffered needlessly because of his stupidity, I swore I would run him through and feed him to the Kraken.

  Still focused on the hole in his shirt, he shrugged. “If they interrogated me, which they did by the way, I wouldn’t have been able to tell them anything. Besides, I knew Silvijn would eventually find you. In all honesty, it was better if you stayed away for as long as possible. I hoped your absence would lessen their need to kill you. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. Then you had to go and wage war against me. That certainly didn’t help matters. You painted an even bigger target on both our backs. You proved that you were uncontrollable and unable to be managed. I couldn’t get close enough to you to explain the situation without losing my head. And don’t you dare tell me you would have listened to a word I said. I saw the campaign flyer of me claiming I was the enemy of the people.”

  I smiled when I recalled the flyers the loyal vampires had created that made Marcario look like a demon.

  “I thought they captured your good side.” I sneered. “Tell me who is trying to kill me. If you dare say Lucinda, I will strike you down. I assume the Nygard Coven or the Luzader Coven is involved.” I waited impatiently to hear the names of the people I would kill.

  He chuckled darkly. “Lucinda is there to keep me in line. She’s a spy. She works for Dakari. You have no idea how much Dakari hates his son for actually falling in love with you. He planned to use Silvijn to rule the Mielcareks on his behalf. Dakari is working with Faustus Nygard and Sergio Vaccaro, though my orders come from Dakari. He’s installed himself as de facto leader. His words come out of my mouth and I hate it.”

  I blinked a few times as I processed the fact that my brother was actually the puppet, not the puppeteer.

  I took a moment to consider this new information and review it without my hatred of him clouding my mind and my judgement.

  Marcario had always been sweet and kind, which had made his betrayal hurt so much more. Never did
I consider the fact that Marcario wasn’t capable of being a tyrant. He cried when father beat the servants when we were younger. He wasn’t the one who was dragged into the countryside to be broken by father and made into a killer.

  Had I projected the cruelty I was taught and the hatred I’d felt onto Marcario, turning him into the foul creature from the campaign flyers?

  Looking into his gaunt face, I suddenly realized how tired and thin he was. “When was the last time you fed?”

  Surprised, he looked up and shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve been a little preoccupied. Dakari wants to release Silvijn from Wicked Reform so he can publicly punish him. I know you probably hate me for sentencing Silvijn to death, but it was the only way to spare him from Dakari’s wrath. Dakari has lost his mind. He’s always pictured himself on the high seat instead of plotting from the shadows. Silvijn screwed up his little fantasy. Of course, you had to go and save Silvijn. I was happy you agreed to come to Wicked Reform because it gave me more time to plan. Sadly, I’m out of time. They are calling for Silvijn’s release tomorrow, or rather, I will.”

  Anger flashed through me, burning me to the core. If Dakari thought for one second that he could kill Silvijn for loving me, he was mistaken.

  Slashing the air, I quickly formulated my plan. I paced back and forth for a moment considering my options. Dakari was too far away for me to kill outright, so I needed a good reason to bring him here.

  I turned to Marcario and smiled. “You will allow Silvijn to leave Wicked Reform, but you will announce that Dakari is personally retrieving him. If he wants his son so badly, he can come and get him. Puff up Dakari by saying that he needs to prove to the covens how dangerous Silvijn is by handling the problem himself. It will also show off Dakari’s supposed strength and his love for the coven. He wants to keep everyone safe by killing the traitor general. Of course, you’ll need me there so the deposed leader can watch her beloved general die. Dakari won’t have any other choice but to show up. He won’t want to look weak by having mere guards take Silvijn into custody if he is so dangerous.”