by Kacey Ezell
De Graaf swung the door open to usher Lucia inside with a light touch of his hand on her back. The smallest touch from him sent a shiver up her spine and brought her fatigued mind back into focus.
Lucia watched as he closed the blinds and drapery, sealing the room in darkness as dawn sliced over the edge of the windows lining the back wall of the cabin. He moved with the meditative calm of having done the very same actions for centuries, quick movements, each blind closed against the murderous sun.
“If you could light that lantern for me, please.” He pointed to his desk. Lucia lit the wick, and a warm glow illuminated the room.
Lucia took a seat in a green-silk upholstered chair as de Graaf whispered directions to Florian.
“He’ll bring food and clean clothes from Marit’s wardrobe. Your dress is burned in spots. I’ll have it replaced, if you like.”
Lucia stared down at her ash covered arms. Indeed, her dress was pockmarked with scorches, streaked with soot.
“The entire warehouse and market went up. I just…hauled water…for hours. It’s all we could do.”
“You weren’t injured, I hope.”
“No, just smoke and soot. The winds didn’t blow in your favor, it seems.”
“I didn’t fully escape the flames in time as I moved the Leeuwin. My injuries aren’t severe. My crew went to help. They’re all sleeping it off, aside from Marit and Florian. I regret I couldn’t offer more assistance. Come here, let me at least wash the soot off your face and comb your hair. I promise, I won’t bite.” De Graaf gestured Lucia over.
“That wasn’t my concern, sir. You’re injured, and I…we really shouldn’t be here alone like this. Not that I don’t trust you.”
Johannes smiled at this, sharp teeth just visible. “But perhaps you don’t trust us alone.”
“Perhaps,” Lucia admitted with a smile.
A knock at the door interrupted them. Florian set the clothing down with a washcloth and towel at the side table in the room.
“Thank you. You can pull up the gangway and get some rest,” Johannes dismissed his assistant.
Lucia picked up the washcloth next to the basin at the side table.
“I need a bath. My hair’s covered in grit.” She wiped as much of the grime away as possible. The white cloth came away gray.
“There’s a shower stall on the crew deck, and one in here. I didn’t think to offer sooner, but you’re welcome to it. It’s not warm, but it’ll get the job done. I, being a gentleman, will step out. If we were on more familiar terms, I would offer assistance,” Johann replied. Lucia longed for a long, hot bath, but this would do.
“Scandalous words, sir. Next time.” Lucia laughed as a blush crept into her cheeks.
“Call when you’re done. Most of the crew just hop over when we’re at port and go for a swim. We toss the worst ones overboard with a bar of soap,” Johannes said with a smirk on his lips. Lucia couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.
“Go. A lady requires some privacy,” Lucia shooed him off and locked the cabin door behind him.
The shower was, indeed, a cursory affair. As far as Lucia could tell, the water ran from some kind of holding tank above, down through a tangle of brass pipes, and sprayed from a nozzle mounted on the ceiling of the cabin. It wasn’t salty—she presumed it must be collected rainwater. What had been clear water rushed past her feet gritty and black. A wooden slat at her feet drained away into the sea. A clever design.
* * *
Lucia dressed and opened the door of the suite to call Johannes back in. He waited, leaning against the rail of the steps, talking to Florian.
“Everyone’s aboard now, save for Marit,” Florian said.
“Thank you,” de Graaf said as he turned to Lucia. “It’s been a terrible night. Florian has sent a messenger to your family. You can rest here. The word is the roads will be opened by tomorrow afternoon to carriages.”
Lucia gulped. She looked at the large bed in the corner piled with silks. Johannes followed her gaze.
“I’ll take the floor. I wasn’t expecting you to bed down with me. I’d offer you Marit’s quarters, but she may be back any time. There’s no guest bunk space currently, thanks to the pirates.” Johannes pulled a few pillows off the bed and tossed them to the floor.
“I wasn’t intending to bed down with anyone tonight.” Lucia raked her fingers through her wet hair. Johannes watched a moment and picked up a comb. He gestured to the chair that sat next to the plain mahogany writing desk. Lucia hesitated, then gave a little shrug and sat down. Johannes gently lifted the heavy mass of her hair, then started working at the knots and tangles with the comb.
“I wouldn’t trade my virtue for bed space,” Lucia stammered. “I mean, I’ve never—it’s not up for trade. I’ll walk home if I have to.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything for the luxury of a bed for the night. I’m not uncivilized.” Johannes chuckled softly as he worked her hair into a neat braid. “I’d hope you wouldn’t give something so precious for a mere bed for a few hours. There’s room for us both. I can keep my hands and fangs to myself. Your parents wouldn’t take kindly to sullying your reputation.”
Lucia shook her head. “They’re more concerned for public appearances than my private life. You’ll heal, right?” She turned to face Johannes standing behind her.
“Once I feed, yes. I’ll go out and find a Source. I’m capable of fending for myself in that regard,” Johannes replied.
“It’s daytime. You won’t get very far. Night is a long way off. Those burns look painful.” Lucia bit her lip, then seemed to come to a decision. She deliberately tilted her head to the side, exposing the long line of her throat. With a flick of her fingers, she gestured at her neck in invitation.
Johannes flinched back in surprise. “No, not like this.”
“I’m offering my blood willingly. Do what you need to so I can sleep, assured you won’t feast upon me in my rest,” Lucia replied, almost regretting the words as she spoke them. But then again…
Johannes walked over and leaned in close. He slipped his hand around her waist as the ship shifted momentarily at its mooring.
“You may not want your virtue if you give me the bite. There are some effects on mortals, a certain biological reaction,” he said softly, leaning over her shoulder as he finished braiding her hair.
Lucia pondered this a moment. “Ah, the Bliss. I’ve heard of it from Amelia. I think I can handle it. I’m well aware what I’m getting into. This is the last offer. Accept or reject?”
“I accept. I’m in your debt for this.” Johannes walked over to a cabinet to fetch a pair of mugs. He poured each of them a small sip of an amber liqueur from an old, misshapen blue glass bottle. “It doesn’t taste great, but it’s the best for taking the edge off the Bliss.”
“But most of your Sources prefer the effect, right?” Lucia asked. She almost regretted the offer to de Graaf, yet curiosity overrode propriety. What could be the harm? She knew how the Immortals fed; that much had made news when they first went public. It made her nervous…but maybe not as nervous as she ought to be.
Johannes pulled her close into his arms. Lucia felt his lips brush her ear as she shivered at his touch. Letting him bite her had seemed like a good idea.
“My Sources often give me more than blood; they give me their bodies when the Bliss takes over. That’s not something we need to indulge tonight. The bite will hurt for only a moment, and then you’ll feel…well, you’ll see. Whatever you need to do to assuage that feeling won’t leave this cabin.” Johannes put his arm around Lucia, and with his other hand, held her head steady.
It was the closest to a lover Lucia had ever been. Her heart raced under his touch as Johannes pressed kisses to her ears, and down her cheek and jaw. He tugged at the collar of her borrowed work shirt and unbuttoned the top three buttons to kiss the tops of her breasts, before returning to her neck. He paused to let her catch her breath.
“At your word.”
&nb
sp; “I’m ready.” Lucia breathed deeply and held on to Johannes, her hands at his hips, holding him close to her.
Without hesitation, he bit down at Lucia’s throat just where the largest vessels carried the richest blood.
Lucia yelped and stiffened in his arms, gasping for breath. She fought the urge to pull away. In seconds, the Bliss followed the bite. A searing heat raced outward from the puncture at her neck. Pleasure chased the pain, coursing through her skin.
Johannes drank. Lucia felt his teeth in her neck, drinking from her in gentle swallows. Lucia moaned as she relaxed into his embrace. Nothing could possibly ever feel as good as this. It was light coalescing under her skin in a tingling, aching wave. She felt as if she might catch fire or melt away into oblivion.
It seemed to go on forever.
It was over far too soon.
Johannes pulled away from her neck and held her. The effect of her blood was clear; he was aroused. Distinctly so, and his skin had taken on a pale flush of color, a hint of warmth. Her vitality in his veins. Lucia reached for the bite mark and felt only a tenderness at her throat.
“The bite heals quickly. Drink up.” He broke the embrace to hand Lucia the drink. “The first time is always sweet. Chaste mortals are the sweetest. Some of my kind keep yours in that state for years, in purity. Had you not told me, I’d have known by the taste of you.”
Lucia breathed in and drank down the rum. “I need a moment. A very long moment. This is what keeps your Sources bound to you. I understand now.”
“If I asked at this second, you’d crawl over to that bed, and all your virtue would be a memory. You taste of sweetness and spice, and I would savor every drop as if it was this moment.”
Johannes licked his lips for the last trace of Lucia’s blood.
Lucia laughed, though it sounded shaky even to her own ears. “Indeed. Tempting. So very tempting.”
“It will subside soon. Don’t touch me, or we’re both lost.”
Lucia fumbled with the collar of the shirt before giving up and leaving it unbuttoned.
“You’re thinking about that bed, you and I.” Johannes’ lips curled into a bemused smile. He held out a hand and led her to the tempting tangle of silks.
Lucia hesitated a moment, considering Johannes’ offer, temptation. “I should be exhausted now.” She climbed into the bed and sighed contentedly.
“The Bliss gives and takes.” Johannes slipped into bed next to her. Before Lucia could react, he inched closer and rested his hand on her hip.
“All I want is contact. Stay like this?” Lucia asked. Spurred on by the Bliss, she leaned close to kiss Johannes. She watched as he undid another button on her borrowed work shirt. The flit of his hands across her skin lit the fire in her veins once more.
“You know where this leads if we remain here,” Johannes replied, trailing kisses over her cheek and throat and down to her chest once more.
“Why not, then? How many lovers have you lured to this bed with that bite?” Lucia traced the lines of his body, the sweeping curve of his hips. She hesitated until Johannes reached for her hand, indicating she should explore if she wished.
“A few. It happens over centuries. I do remember their names, every one of them. I don’t have their names carved on the bedpost, but I remember them,” Johannes muttered.
“I don’t think the Bliss is leaving me any time soon.” Lucia grinned as she unbuttoned her loaned shirt and shrugged it away.
Johannes sat up. “You’re sure?”
Lucia nodded.
“May I have one last taste of you like this, before we give up on virtue?” Johannes asked as they both shucked free of their clothes and lay skin to skin.
“Yes, most certainly yes,” Lucia replied as Johannes knelt between her thighs and leaned down to her. The second bite on the other side of her throat was less terrifying. A flash of pain, then the heated, blissful rush.
“Lucia? Are you all right?”
Lucia nodded as she pulled Johannes close with her arms around his chest. To her surprise, she felt the heartbeat in his chest as he rolled her to her back and nudged her legs apart.
“Put your legs around me. This will definitely help with the Bliss. You’ll sleep well after.”
Lucia did as he instructed.
“It’s my first time, be gentle,” Lucia whispered as he touched her.
“But of course, my love.
She called out in the darkness as they coupled, and he guided her to her own relief from the Bliss, then let out a groan and rolled away from her.
Lucia lay there, hand on her belly, feeling the fire of his bite, and as his touch faded, she realized what she’d done.
“Are you all right? I hope I didn’t hurt you.” Johannes rolled over on one arm to look at Lucia. His skin was no longer pale, the burns on his torso fading fast.
“Not hurt in the least. Just a little overwhelmed. I hadn’t expected I’d give up my chastity to an Immortal in the bed on a ship, so wonderfully.” Lucia laughed softly and pulled the covers up.
“I’m glad I met with your approval.” Johannes leaned close and kissed her again, and Lucia couldn’t help but think of taking him once more. And more.
* * *
Johannes slept, as did Lucia, but she woke after a short nap and lay there in the dark, replaying their tryst in her mind. Leaving the bed was better than lying next to temptation incarnate for the entire day.
Lucia dressed quickly and left Johannes to sleep the day away. Her throat aching and her sex throbbing, she walked to the crew lounge, praying she didn’t run into anyone.
“Florian? Good morning,” Lucia called out as she found the man in the galley, tucking into a simple meal. He looked up with a mouth full of food. He swallowed and took a long swig from the mug before him.
“It’s almost noon, Miss. Lunch over there. You must be starving, common after a night—” he gestured at his neck, indicating the fading marks on Lucia’s throat.
“That’s all that happened. He needed to drink—the burns. Don’t talk.” Lucia replied. “I’m sure this is nothing new for you.”
Florian shrugged. “If you say so. I’ve been de Graaf’s assistant for almost a decade. He’s as fond of mortal men as women. None here would judge. Did you at least have a pleasant evening?”
Lucia piled a plate with food and poured a mug of tea. “After a fashion. Washed up, let him bite, and we fell asleep. Unentangled.”
Florian picked at the remains of his meal. “That was the first bite. And good city noblewomen don’t Consort with Immortals, right?” He winked.
Lucia returned it. “Who said I was good?”
* * *
At sundown, Johannes found Lucia and Florian sitting in the crew lounge. “Time to get you home. Are the roads clear, Florian?”
“They are. I can fetch a carriage. The Delsartes sent their thanks for ensuring her safety. It was lovely meeting you, Lady Lucia.” Florian rose and left.
“You as well, Florian. Thank you for the tour. He seems loyal,” Lucia commented as the man left.
“Florian has served the ship for a long time. I suppose eventually I’ll turn him Immortal. Just between us, no word on your virtue will leave my ship. I hope you slept well.” Johannes reached for Lucia. She started at his touch as his hand brushed over her arm. Lucia grabbed his hand before he could pull away.
“I did. That was…an experience unlike anything. The marks…on my neck?”
Johannes looked. “Gone. No one will know. I’d offer to defend your honor if someone asks, but truthfully, I think you can handle that well on your own.”
* * *
At full sundown, Johannes and Lucia left the Leeuwin and ventured into the safety of the night. The docks were bustling with workers, repair crews, crates of cargo, and the huddle of Sources, waiting for their client’s attentions. One looked up as Johannes and Lucia walked down the gangway to the dock.
“It was a joy to spend time with you, Lucia. I hope we see each oth
er again soon.” Johannes leaned over and, quite spur of the moment, kissed Lucia. In that instant the lingering memory of the bite, the Bliss, and the sweetness of Johannes’ affection washed over Lucia. So much so that she regretted leaving the ship…and his company. It was absurd to develop such feelings for this Immortal man, who surely had lovers in every port. No doubt he would forget her as soon as the city faded in their wake.
* * * * *
Chapter 11
Matthias shivered in the small, ramshackle hut that provided only a token cover from the elements, near the ruins of the Bunkhouse one dock over. The smell of the fires seeped in through the spaces in the windows and walls, and every time the door creaked open.
“You look hellish, Matts.” Sanne, another Source, looked up from her book. “You should be at home, not here. De Graaf won’t feed from you if you’re unwell. Go see the Eventides.” Sanne watched Matthias at the table. He was sickly, ashen. No Immortal in their right mind would hire him. He looked deathly.
“I’m fine.” Matthias stared out the window of the hut, watching the Leeuwin. De Graaf was not among them. Maybe he’d been lost in the fire. Matthias swallowed a surge of bile at the thought and reached for an aged, well-used bottle and took a hefty swig. The room spun as he stood there.
“You’re not well. Sit down. I’m going to go find a medic.” Sanne smacked her book down on the rickety table and stormed out.
Matthias stayed by the window, his thoughts addled and unfocused. How could the well-to-do son of one of the scions of the city wind up here, living on the edge of society, sick, cold, and watching for the one high that made it all worth it? It seemed like a better option than life under his father’s volatile moods and vicious temper. He’d left the Naval Academy, drifting away as the toll of Sourcing dragged him away from classes. What was left? De Graaf.