The Devil's Fool: A Paranormal Vampire Romance Novel (Devil Series Book 1)

by Raven Steele

  “Yes,” I admitted. “He frightens me a lot.”

  Chapter 11

  “What a wonderful experience!” I said as we left the theater. The sky had turned dark and the air cold while we were inside. I really did love the movie. It was an epic adventure that covered a voyage to the South Seas. The hero was perfect in every way, from the words he spoke to the way he stood up to injustice. It was as if I’d been watching another world come to life where good always prevailed.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Boaz said. He guided me through the crowds of people and back toward his car, his hand gripping mine and head on a swivel.

  I stayed close to him, as there were a lot of people exiting the theater at the same time and it made me nervous. These were the most humans I’d been around in one place outside of my parents’ watchful eye. Other than Boaz and me, the only other supernatural creature I had sensed in the theater was a werewolf. We had given each other a knowing look but said nothing.

  “I feel stupid saying this, but did you know that was my first movie?”

  When the crowd thinned, Boaz pulled me forward to walk beside him. “I never realized how isolated Erik and Sable kept you. It’s a shame how much of life you’ve missed, but I understand why they did it. Keeping you safe is nerve wracking.”

  “Keeping me safe?” I glanced around. “From humans?”

  He shook his head. “At any moment, a witch, another vampire, or any supernatural could appear and try to challenge you or recruit you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Boaz stopped moving, his brow furrowing. “Didn’t your parents tell you the conditions of your birth, or what it meant to supernaturals?”

  I shook my head.

  “It’s not my place to say, but I think you have a right to know.” Boaz stepped close to me, secretively. “Your ancestors helped shape the world’s largest countries into the powerhouses they are now. In fact, have you heard of Ann Boleyn?”

  “Wasn’t she one of the wives of King Henry the VIII?”

  “Yes. She’s also your grandmother many centuries ago. She almost attained absolute power in England, but the German side of your family, the Segurs, secretly put a stop to her before she had the chance to rid England of its King. Your two families have been fighting like that for a very long time, that is, until they decided to breed you. Your birth was a peace treaty between two powerful and very magical families who have been enemies for centuries. They knew combining the genetics from both sides would produce the world’s most powerful witch—one who would rise to power to shape the world as they saw fit.”

  I tried to wrap my head around what he was saying, but the idea was too foreign. “But I don’t care about politics or policy, and I sure as hell don’t want to rule anyone. The whole idea is absurd.”

  I pulled my jacket tighter around me to block out the cold. Boaz took off his own jacket and, as he draped it over my shoulders, his fingers slid across the nape of my neck as soft as a warm breath. Air caught in my throat, and my knees weakened.

  “You still don’t get it, love,” he said and started walking again. “The potential of your power will put you in whatever position you want to be in. For that reason alone, there are those who will want to kill you or use you.”

  “Then I choose no position.” I caught up to him and looped my arm through his, wanting to feel more of his touch. “Why haven’t I ever met my grandparents?”

  He shrugged. “Your parents probably wanted to wait until you were ready. The Segurs hold no love for formalities. They are blunt and can be quite cruel.”

  I couldn’t imagine anyone worse than my parents. Hopefully I would never have to meet anyone from the Segur family.

  A few weeks later, just after sunset, Boaz announced, “I’ve invited friends over tonight.”

  “Really?” I took a sip of my wine, excited by the prospect of meeting his friends. I still knew so very little about him.

  “People I think you will like,” he continued. "They are witches like you."

  “That will be nice.” I feigned excitement, but dread pooled in my stomach. What if his friends didn’t like me? I felt it important to impress them, or really, Boaz. He’d done so much for me.

  “You’ve seemed bored the last few days, so I thought you might like some company other than myself.”

  My eyes widened. “Hardly bored. I’ve had a great time! I still can’t believe some of the things we’ve done.”

  And it was true. Boaz had spent most of his time with me, showing me all of the things I’d missed growing up. Like going to the beach. It was night when we went, but I still enjoyed it. We also spent a few days in Rhode Island where we toured several of the mansions in Newport. He’d stayed at a few of them back in the day. It was fun to learn of the different time periods, especially from someone who had actually been there. But the most fun I had was a few days ago when he took me skydiving. I’d never felt more alive, soaring through the darkness as if I were a dragon.

  But it wasn’t just our adventures I enjoyed. Every day he’d show me new spells or new ways to focus my magic. He taught me how to use the elements around me or even how to channel my magic through humans. Lisa was a great sport and let me practice on her, but there was a fine line in doing it. I could see how using magic to influence humans bordered on being unethical. Madelyn definitely wouldn’t have approved. For this reason, I tried to keep her teachings at the forefront of my mind.

  I didn’t mean to stay with Boaz as long as I had. Every morning I’d wake with the intention of telling him it was time for me to leave, but then he would surprise me with some new adventure I couldn’t pass up. It also didn’t help that my attraction to him had grown, even though he’d barely touched me since that first night.

  But what I loved most about Boaz? His strength and power. It was all encompassing and as alluring as night’s darkness. I craved it the way one needs to quench their thirst. When I was around him, I felt stronger, more powerful. A sharp contrast to the way I had felt around my parents, afraid and always holding back my magic. Before his friends arrived, Boaz surprised me with a candlelight dinner in the ballroom. All the doors leading to the veranda had been opened, letting in a cool winter breeze. But the initial sting was held back by hundreds of candles grouped together all around us. Some hung in little baskets from the lattice roof outside while others adorned the walls. Mozart played from speakers in the corner.

  “I hope you like it,” Boaz said and handed me a full bouquet of blood-red roses.

  Eyes wide and eyebrows lifted, I said, “No one’s ever done anything like this for me.”

  “I should hope not.” He walked to the table and slid out my chair. “Only I should have the honor of spoiling you.”

  “It really is beautiful.” I sat in front of a decorated plate brandishing a thick filet mignon, fettuccini alfredo and a steamed artichoke with a side of melted garlic butter. As delicious as it looked, I remained still, even after Boaz sat opposite me.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked, and I swore anger tinged his voice.

  Over his shoulder, my gaze locked with the white and blue eyes of Hunwald, who sat on the edge of the patio, watching us closely. That's all he ever did. It unnerved me.

  I glanced away. “No, not at all. It’s just… I feel funny eating in front of you.”

  He tsked me. “Eat. All this was done for your enjoyment.”

  “But it’s hardly necessary.”

  “But it is. And you should expect it. Don’t settle for anything less.”

  I nodded, but I didn’t really understand. I cut the steak and took a quick bite.

  He looked past my shoulder and to the darkness beyond, his expression suddenly grim. “We may need to leave soon.”

  I lowered my fork. “Why?”

  “I don’t like staying in one place too long. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you tend to gain enemies.”

  “What enemies?”

  His gaze returne
d to mine. “There are those that don’t like that I’ve taken you in. They are demanding I release you.”

  “But you’re not holding me prisoner.”

  “They don’t care whether I am or not. They just want you away from me.”

  The blood in my veins chilled, and I began to tap my fork against the plate. “Why?”

  “They fear I will use you for my own benefit.”

  I chuckled at this. “Little do they know that I have a mind of my own. Maybe it’s me who’s using you.”

  He smiled at this, his gaze dropping to my still tapping fork. “And what could you possibly be using me for?”

  “Your sexy as sin body.” I tried to look seductive as I said it but ended up laughing instead.

  Boaz didn’t notice. He stared deeply into my eyes and placed his hand over mine to stop the clanking of the fork. “My body is yours to take.”

  I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as I felt myself tumbling into the depths of his stare. I could get lost in that never ending darkness.

  He stood and extended his hand to me. “Dance with me.”

  I didn’t hesitate.

  He pulled me to his chest and slipped his arm around my waist, making me suck in a breath. His fingers dug into my flesh through the thin material of my dress in an almost hungry, desperate grip. This was what I wanted. To be desired by him. To be needed. I moved in closer to him until our hips met, swaying together, all to feed his hunger.

  As if on command, the music changed, a dark and exotic tune. Violins hummed to the beat of a bass drum, and the low notes pumped through my body as if it were a heartbeat. Boaz’s hands pressed into the small of my back bringing my pelvis to his so I could feel his desire. My skin ignited with an intense heat that spread so deeply inside of me, I thought I might explode.

  Watching me beneath hooded eyes, Boaz spun me around, dancing to the pulsing rhythm, round and round, faster and faster. The candles flickered and burned low, taking their light with them. In the lights stead, a heavy mist rose from the ground, like ghosts from their graves. They crowded and swirled around our legs, parting only when we danced through them.

  An intense tingling burned in my toes. Magic. The feeling crept up my legs, between my thighs, my stomach, continuing upwards until my whole body felt on fire. It was all consuming, so much so that I had to release it. Boaz gasped when the power struck him. His hand on my back clawed into me, and he growled, but it was a hungry sound.

  I wanted to give it to him.

  The power between us.

  So intense.

  So powerful.

  My eyes never left Boaz’s, even when our feet barely lifted off the marbled floor. We continued to spin in a whirlwind of darkness and power that seemed to grow stronger the more I stared into his now entirely black eyes. He opened his mouth to give room for growing fangs, and his eyes rolled back. My own body seemed to be experiencing the same climactic sensation, and I moaned in pleasure.

  The powerful force between us reached an epic high and took on a life of its own. Below us, snakes appeared. They slid and twisted in and out of each other, hissing and spitting in time to the music. I should’ve been scared, but I wasn’t. Too much power brewed inside me, and I wondered if I’d ever be frightened again.

  Boaz flashed me a wicked grin.

  My heart skipped a beat, making the magic around us flicker sporadically. This isn’t right. Madelyn would not have approved.

  I closed my eyes and tried to fight against the dark magic, but it was challenging, mostly because part of me wanted to feel the power it contained. Was that wrong? Madelyn would’ve thought so, but she hadn’t met Boaz. He wasn’t like my parents. He hadn’t sheltered or abused me. He’d made me stronger. Wouldn’t she have wanted that? Surely she’d be happy that I was learning to protect myself.

  I couldn’t decide now, not with Boaz so close to me. I dropped my arms and stepped away. The illusion instantly disappeared, and all was as it was before.

  Boaz’s black eyes bulged from his sockets, and his upper lip sneered. Frightened, I stepped away and glanced behind me toward the open glass doors, but when I looked back at him, there was no hint of malice on his face.

  Touching his head as if it ached, he said, “That was strange.”

  “What?”

  He collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily. “I’ve never experienced magic like that before.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “You’re saying I did that?”

  “It sure wasn’t me. I’m not that powerful.”

  “It couldn’t have been just me,” I whispered, fear blooming in my gut. Was I capable of such dark magic?

  A loud chime echoed above us, making me jump.

  Boaz stood. “They’re here.”

  Chapter 12

  Boaz left me alone to greet his friends.

  The air was cold and smelled of sulfur. I wrapped my arms around my stomach. There was no way I could’ve produced such dark magic. My parents did those sorts of things, not me.

  I am not like them. I said this over and over in my mind.

  Muffled voices echoed from within the house, but as they drew closer, they became clearer.

  “If William would learn what a gas pedal was for, we might’ve arrived only half an hour late instead of a whole hour.” The voice was shrill with a hint of playfulness.

  I turned around to peer through the open doors to the veranda. Coming toward me was a petite woman in a low-cut, tight green dress. She appeared a little older than me. Next to her was a tall, mousy-looking man in a dark blue, tailored suit. The sides of his brown hair held patches of gray. They were both smiling and chatting with Boaz as if they were all close friends. I quickly turned away and sucked in several deep breaths.

  Boaz approached me and said, “I’d like you both to meet Eve Segur, although she hardly needs an introduction.”

  I turned around and forced a smile. I hated that everyone knew who I was, yet I knew no one.

  “Eve, this is William Mioni and Liane Basset. William lives in Italy, but he is visiting the states for a few months, and Liane’s from Coast City.”

  “It’s nice to meet you both,” I said.

  William approached me and placed a light kiss on each cheek. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  His short, slicked-back hair looked wet, so much so that I wouldn’t have been surprised to see water drip onto his shoulders. His blue eyes lay hidden beneath bushy eyebrows, and his nose looked too large for his narrow face.

  “Boaz has told us all about you,” Liane said, her eyes flashing to Boaz just before she embraced me in a quick hug. Her brown hair was shaped into a stylish bob that cradled her delicate facial features. Her unnaturally wide eyes matched the color of her dress; they were her most striking feature.

  “Did we interrupt something?” Liane asked, glancing around the partially-lit room. Half the candles had burned out.

  Boaz turned to me as though expecting me to answer.

  “Not at all,” I assured her. “We were just finishing up.”

  “Boaz,” Liane said, “be a dear and bring in two more chairs. This is much too beautiful not to enjoy, and I see you’re being wasteful.” She sat down in my chair and eyed the food greedily.

  William chuckled. “Really, Liane, you’re such a scavenger.”

  “Waste not, want not,” she said. She plucked the leaf of the cooked artichoke and scraped the meat from it with her teeth.

  I liked her instantly.

  “So tell me, Eve, what do you like to do?” Liane asked as she drank from my cup.

  I joined her at the table and sat on a chair brought in by a servant. Boaz sat next to me.

  “I love the outdoors," I said. "There’s something mysterious and beautiful about nature.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” William chimed in.

  Liane wrinkled her nose. “Nature is dirty and smelly. Have you smelled Coast City lately?”

  William coughed. “Coast City is hardly natu
re. Try hiking in the mountains.”

  “Why would I want to do that?” Liane asked. “What else do you like, Eve?”

  “I enjoy reading.”

  She took a bite of pasta, the white sauce dripping onto the top of her breast. William rolled his eyes, but Liane wasn’t embarrassed in the least.

  She dabbed at the sauce with a napkin. “Do you like to dance? I know some great clubs in the city.”

  I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. “I’ve never been.”

  "That must change immediately." Liane leaned back in her chair, her lips slightly turned up. “So how was it living with the great Segurs?”

  “Torture.”

  Liane laughed. “Isn’t it always? My parents won’t let me move out until I marry, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s not going to happen.”

  “So you’re going to live with your parents forever?” William asked.

  “Of course not. Parents can’t live forever.” An uncomfortable silence followed her grin.

  Liane jumped as if she’d been shocked. She swiveled toward me. “I just remembered! Did you know we are distant cousins?”

  “Really?”

  “Our great, great grandmothers were sisters. They were scandalous, mischievous women. In fact, they were once kicked out of an entire city because of their pranks.”

  William snorted. “A relative of yours, causing trouble? I don’t believe it.”

  “I’ve always wanted a sister,” Liane continued, ignoring William. “Maybe we could be like our grandmothers and have all kinds of fun.”

  “I’ve always wanted a sister, too,” I said. Had I been born to a different family, I wanted to add. No one else needed to suffer my parents’ abuse.

  “Then it’s settled. We are sisters, you and I.” Liane took my hands in hers. “William, could you say a few ceremonious words, binding us as sisters forever?”

  “You can’t be serious,” he said, his face deadpan.

  “Of course I am. Just a few words. Go on, now.”

  William glanced over at Boaz for help, but Boaz just smiled and shrugged. William sighed and lifted his arms into the air. “Oh great mother of… sisterhood. Bind these two women as sisters for all eternity!”