"I know I will not live forever, but I will not die tonight, not at the hand of this slayer and his boy. When I am gone, it will only be after I have seen the world filled with my offspring, my great multitude of beings – stronger, immortal, and more beautiful than the world has ever seen."
"But what will happen to humans?" she asked. "We survive mainly on the blood of humans."
"Humans will serve us," Vincent said with glee. "They will worship us, and they will feed us."
Victoria felt as if the room was spinning around her. He was truly evil. The annihilation of all humankind was his only goal. She was his means to a very wicked end.
"Now move aside," Vincent commanded her. "I will make quick and final work of you, slayer," he said. "You are injured, you are old, you are weak, and your boy is untrained. Never again will you slaughter another of my kind. This is the end."
Vincent fully transformed into the powerful vampire he truly was. He grew tall and broad. His skin darkened. He roared loudly, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth and fangs. His fingers grew into long, sharp claws. His hair was wild and grew down the length of his spine. His eyes glowed with a fiery redness. Two large, leathery, taloned wings grew from his back.
Calmet, as experienced a vampire hunter as he was, did not expect Lord Vladimir to be so large and powerful. He pulled out a jar of holy water and a strong silver stake, but he began to doubt he would succeed against the monstrous beast. He looked over at Ethan, who he was sure would die.
Victoria shrank back in fear and despair. She knew she was about to witness the death of the slayer and the man she loved. They did not stand a chance. She felt completely helpless and moved farther away. She thought she was backing into a wall, but she met a heavy curtain covering a tall window instead. She looked up at the ragged draperies and the dust that curled in the air at her gentle touch. She touched the far edge of the curtain and gasped in pain at the bright sunlight on the other side that scalded the tips of her fingers.
"Go, Ethan, while you have the chance!" Calmet yelled. But Ethan did not fall back.
"No!" he yelled back. "This does indeed end now!" Ethan pulled out two jars of holy water and prepared to hurl them at the monster.
Calmet charged at Vincent, but Vincent was too strong and quick. He evaded Calmet's assault and with one hit hurled Calmet across the room.
Vincent's attention then shifted to Ethan and he laughed. "Indeed it does end," he said as he took a step toward him. "Shield your eyes, Victoria. This will not be pretty."
Victoria looked up and saw her father prepare to lunge at Ethan. Ethan stood, unafraid, and braced for the attack. He hurled one of the water vials. Vincent held up his arm as a shield. The bottle shattered and the water burned the vampire's arm, but he did not even flinch.
Vincent laughed. "'I am the immortal, the one dwelling in the light no man can approach, the one whom no man has seen, nor can see, and live'!" He growled so loud the walls shook.
Victoria looked at her father. He could not be stopped by the means Calmet and Ethan brought. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and grabbed hold of the curtain.
"Father!" Victoria screamed. Vincent turned and looked at her. Ethan and Calmet both froze, unsure of what she was going to do. "Please forgive me," she said. "But instead of praying for a long night, I asked for the sun to rise." Vincent's eyes widened as he turned toward her.
With one mighty pull, Victoria yanked the curtain from its rod and the entire drapery fell over her. A sharp burst of sunlight filled the room and one immaculate ray hit Vincent directly in the chest.
"No!" was the only thing she heard him yell as he suddenly burst into flames.
Under the heavy weight of the curtain, she crawled beyond the direct sunlight and peeked out of the covering. The flames lasted only for a moment before going out and settling into a pile of grey ash. She laid her forehead on her hands and wept for her father.
Calmet and Ethan stood staring at the ashes, then at Victoria, then back at the ashes. It did not seem possible. The death of the most powerful vampire on earth came at the hands of his own daughter. Calmet got up and walked toward the girl.
As Victoria raised her head, her eyes met Calmet's. She crawled up on her knees and sat before the slayer.
"Where are the others?" Calmet asked her.
"Dead, or gone," she said softly.
"You are the last?" he asked.
She only nodded. They both looked at each other with a silent understanding. As the last remaining vampire in the castle, there was no prolonging his duty. He stepped toward her and drew his silver sword.
"Just make it quick," she said without fear. She put the sword pin she was still holding in her hand on the floor. She took her mother's amulet out of her pocket and her own off her neck and placed them with the pin. "You cannot help me anymore," she whispered to the jewels.
"Oh!" she said, looking up at Calmet. "Wait. The wolves, Xavier, the pack master. Please, spare the wolves. Xavier bade me tell you he would spare the village if you let them in peace. It was he who told me the truth about my family."
"I will deal with the wolves accordingly," he said. "Would you like to say anything, Ethan?" he asked, looking at Ethan.
Ethan just stared at Victoria. His eyes were soft and sad. He did not say anything, just looked at her. Victoria could not bring herself to look at him. Knowing that her death was soon, she did not want Ethan to be haunted by her last glance.
"Dear child," Calmet said as he stood over her, "I hereby bequeath your soul to God and I hope He forgives you with eternal bliss in the hereafter, for surely I have never before seen an act deserving of such forgiveness."
She thanked Calmet with a bow of her head. She withdrew her rosary from her pocket and said a Hail Mary as she kissed the golden cross. Calmet lifted the sword.
She closed her eyes and held her breath as she awaited the fatal blow, but the blow did not come. After a moment that seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes and saw Ethan standing between her and Calmet.
"Move away, boy," Calmet finally said. "It is her time."
"No, I cannot allow it," Ethan said firmly.
"I know that what she did makes her seem to be a woman of human and even divine justice and holiness, but it is a commission from God to exterminate her kind from the earth. To devour the life essence of the living, it is her nature. She cannot be allowed to live."
"Then I will be her keeper and guardian," Ethan said. "I will bind myself to her for all of eternity if necessary. She can be sustained on the blood of animals. I will stake my own immortal soul on making sure she never harms another living person."
"Ethan," she said, pulling on his arm, "don't do this. I have made my peace with God. I am not merely cursed – I am literally a child of demons and, therefore, am sentenced to eternal damnation. I could not forgive myself if your soul was found forfeit on my behalf. Look away. Walk away. Live a full and long life. Honor me in this way: by finding happiness in this life and the next."
Ethan got down on his knees and gripped her arms in his hands. "Victoria," he said, "the only way I could ever find happiness in any life is with you. I vow to protect you for eternity. I desire for my eternity to be mingled with yours. Live with me, be my wife. In the end, let us pray together that God will find you worthy of following me to heaven. But if he deems I must follow you to perdition instead, it will be worth it for the few years I have with you on earth. Do not deny me this thing that I ask. Stay here with me."
Tears flowed from her eyes as she heard Ethan's words. He said all the things she ever wanted him to say and she laughed at the thought of finally being happy.
"Victoria," he continued, "will you do this? Will you be my wife?"
"Do you know what you are asking?" she whispered. "An eternity in darkness. Would not you rather have a wife you could walk in the sunlight with?"
"I would paint the world black for you," he said without hesitation. "You make all shadows bright. It is only in
your shade that I find rest and wish to spend my days. Grant me this?"
"Yes, yes, Ethan," she said. She could protest no more. "Protect me and save me as best you can. I am eternally yours." She picked up the amulet of her mother and presented it to Ethan. "Will you accept this gift from me?"
"Of course!" he said.
He took the medallion, kissed it, and held it to his chest along with her hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold ring he had first given her so many years ago and placed it on her finger. He pulled her face to his and kissed her lips lovingly yet with firm determination to never let her go.
Calmet had backed away and lowered his sword.
"Calmet, please," Ethan said, looking at him, "allow me this burden. Let me take responsibility. This is how much I love her. I will bear her wrong to make it right."
"My commission comes from someone who outranks you, Ethan."
"I know, but if you want to kill her, if that is the only way to fulfill your commission, you will have to go through me to do it."
"I don't wish to kill a civilian, Ethan, but if your death will prevent the death of others, I will do it."
"Then do it," Ethan dared. The two stared at each other, and Ethan held Victoria protectively.
"I guess there is only one thing left to say." Calmet approached and raised his right hand and made the sign of the cross. "I now pronounce you man and wife."
Ethan nearly choked on his surprise at Calmet's words. "What?" he asked. "I don't think you can do that. Don't we have to get married in a church? By a priest? Can we even get married before God, given her…sinful nature?"
"You forget, Ethan. I am an ordained priest. You have exchanged vows and love tokens in the name of God. You have sealed your vows with a kiss. That is all you really need, and this is the only way I can be sure you will be fully responsible for her. She is your wife, she is your charge."
"So, that is it?" Victoria asked. "We are really married? After all this time?"
"Yes, Victoria," Calmet said, reaching out and taking her hand to lift her from her knees. "Remember to no longer be grieved at what you have done." She was astonished that such a tough-looking man could speak with such compassion to one only a moment before he deemed worthy of death. "Now, just don't make me regret letting you live," he said.
"Of course, sir," she said as he kissed her hand.
Ethan rose and put his arms around his wife.
"Is this it? Have you found your peace?" Calmet asked him.
"I think I have," Ethan said, looking at Victoria. "And tell your brother I can't wait for him to meet my wife."
"I will do that," Calmet said as he started to walk out of the room. "Oh, should I tell him that you won't be returning to take your vows anytime soon?"
"Yes, you might want to mention that," Ethan said, smiling.
"Very well. I will do that." Calmet laughed uproariously as he walked out of the castle.
Victoria and Ethan exited the room and she shut the door behind them on all that remained of her father. She turned to walk down the hall, but Ethan grabbed her arm, turned her toward him and he kissed her hard and deep. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tightly welcomed him.
"Where is your room?" he asked. "I want to make our marriage official."
"So eager," she said, surprised.
"We have waited a long time for this," he said, pulling her to him and kissing her. His hands moved from her waist to her hips and she wrapped her arms around his neck, so happy to be able to kiss him freely for the first time in her life.
"Show me," he whispered in her ear.
"No," she said, turning and walking away.
Ethan was so confused. "No? What do you mean no? You can't play coy after we are already married. It defeats the purpose of being married."
"I don't want to be with you here, in this place," she said. "I want to leave. I want to start over." She held her hand out for him to take it. "Take me home, Ethan."
He tightly grasped her hand. "Gladly, my love." They walked hand-in-hand down the hallway, but then Ethan paused. "We can't go now, though. It is too bright out. You will burn."
"Oh," she said, disappointed. She wanted to leave so badly, go to her new home and lay in Ethan's arms. "I guess we will just have to wait a few hours."
Ethan sighed. "Well, what do we do until then?"
"We have seven years of catching up to do," she said.
They found a small sitting room and talked for hours. He told her what France was like and about Father Andrew and Jacob. She told him about some of the vampiric tendencies she had developed over the years and how she coped with them. He reassured her that any problems they had, they would work out together. They talked so comfortably and freely with each other, it was as if they had never parted ways.
The sun set early, as it always did in that lost mountain range. At last, they left the castle and rode Gregory together back to the village and their home. As the horse ran along, Victoria opened her arms and looked up to the sky. She felt like flying – like she was free.
As they rode through town, the villagers no longer looked at her with anger or fear. People were smiling, laughing, and a few even waved to her and Ethan as they passed. They saw Calmet through a tavern window and he raised a glass to them. They boarded her horse with the blacksmith, who gladly accepted her business this time, and they ran to the house at the edge of town.
As soon as they were in the house, Ethan started kissing her. "Now?" he asked. "Now?"
"No," she said, teasingly. "I think we should wait until…now!" she escaped from his grasp and ran upstairs to the master bedroom. She shut and bolted the door just after Ethan entered the room and he quickly threw off his robe. A huge smile crossed her face as she beheld her nude lover. His muscular figure, usually hidden by his monastic attire, now thrilled her to the core. The fact that he was already fully aroused caused her minor and momentary concern, but she also anticipated his touch.
It took them longer to remove her layers of clothing, but he appreciated the need to slow down. He had waited so long to possess her, he did not want it to be over too quickly. When she was only wearing her chemise, he slowly slid the straps off her shoulders and ran his fingers down her bare skin as it became exposed. As she stood before him completely naked, she felt no sense of nervousness or uncertainty.
He looked at her appreciatively and gently ran his fingers over the delicate skin of her alabaster chest. He laid her on the bed and looked down in her eyes. He kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her chin.
"I want to thank you," he softly said as he moved down her neck.
"For what?" she asked.
"For what you are about to give to me. It means more to me than you will ever know."
"This is the only way I ever wanted it to be," she said.
He used his tongue and fingers to playfully arouse and tease her. She moaned as he nibbled and sucked, bringing forth sensations she had never known. He climbed upon her and spread her legs, placing himself between her thighs. He took a moment and gently made sure she was ready.
"This may hurt a bit," he whispered to her.
She started for a second, unsure of what he meant by that. "It's all right," she said. "I am ready." He grasped her by the hips and thrust into her in one quick movement. She gasped at the unexpected and sharp pain. He stopped moving so she could get used to the feeling.
"That is not all, is it?" she asked after a moment.
"No, we are not done yet," he said with a chuckle.
She kissed him as he slowly made love to her. She was so thankful that her first time was with someone she truly loved and who cared about what she was feeling. As he continually drove into the core of her desire, she felt no fear or regret except that of lost years she could have spent with him.
As Ethan enjoyed her, all of the empty and lonely feelings that had accompanied him for so many years melted away. Now, he was with the only woman he had ever loved. As he felt her aroun
d him, under him, part of him, he knew she truly was his other half, made especially for him.
Every time he pushed into her, he wanted to explode, but he did not want to climax without her. As her moans and screams escalated, he drove harder and faster into her. With each thrust, she felt herself hovering on the brink of complete abandon. When she finally screamed his name, begging for release, he could take no more and spilled into her as she joined him at the ultimate height of erotic pleasure. As he lay on top of her, she did not want to let him go. They embraced each other for several minutes in the throes of complete contentment before he finally collapsed by her side and she fell asleep in his arms.
He had many dreams that night, not nightmares as he had become accustomed to. He saw many years of happiness surrounded by good friends. He saw his wife greeting him as he walked through the door of his little house. He saw the faces of all the children she would bear him. He did not see sadness, regret, hurt, or anger.
When he awoke, he feared it all had been too wonderful of a dream until he rolled over and saw his beautiful wife by his side. Whether they would be welcomed by the side of God in heaven did not seem to matter anymore. Even with the threat of an eternity of perdition looming over him as punishment for a lifetime of happiness with her, yes, she would be truly worth it.
About the Author
Leigh Anderson graduated with a master’s degree in English in 2009. Her master’s thesis on vampire imagery in Gothic novels gave her the inspiration for The Vampire’s Daughter. She teaches writing for several American universities. She is currently living and traveling in Asia and working on several new books.
Website: http://leighandersonromance.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighAndersonRomance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeighA_Romance/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/leighanderson
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leigh-anderson-755d218b-1d7b-4aa2-97f9-427cb3c12f98
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