“I’m tapping the fuck out. Shit, I’m seeing spots.” Garrett sighed as he flopped back on the bed. Evan traced his hands over my hips and smiled up at me. With a snicker I sat up straighter astride him, and then I proceeded to ride him mercilessly. He looked exquisite beneath me as he bowed against the bed, his soft hair haloing his head. His hands fell from my hips and balled into tight fists beside me as he fought himself. I watched in delight as his entire body tense and something half way between a moan and a sob broke from his tightly pursed lips. I slowed my pace as he twisted beneath me.
“I think I’m dying!” Garrett groaned. Evan flipped me over and withdrew from me in one quick motion. I didn’t even have any time to react before he had my legs over his shoulders.
“He’s so selfish.” Evan snickered to my inner thigh before he slithered his tongue down my drenched slit. It only took seconds for Evan’s tongue to push me over the edge I had been riding for the better part of the night. I yowled like a cat in heat as that pressure finally broke. My hands slid back through Evan’s copper locks and I tugged at the two handfuls as I ground my needy sex against his face. He didn’t stop lapping at my clit until my body had stilled completely.
That was when the nausea hit me. I jumped up and bolted across the small hall into the open bathroom. I then proceeded to vomit out what seemed like everything I had ever eaten in my entire life. Hands were there instantly to hold my hair and rub my back.
“We’ve got you, Angel Face.” Garrett hushed out softly. Cool lips kissed the back of my shoulder. “See aren’t you glad I didn’t let you go down on Evan. All of that would be on the bed right now.” He snickered softly.
“Would you kindly shut the fu—” I was cut off by another round of vomiting into the commode.
“I don’t think I caught that?”
“Go get her some water, you ass.” Evan’s soft lilting tones cut through the sound of my retching and the hand from my back fell away. I reached up and flushed the toilet. Closing my eyes as I panted softly and slowly regained my composure. Evan kissed my shoulder.
“I’m so exhausted.” I sighed out as I leaned against him. He reached up and snatched one the silver towels from the towel rack and handed it to me. “Thank you.” I smiled out before wiping my mouth.
“Sleep sounds… perfect at the moment.” Evan nuzzled against my shoulder
“You two are so beautiful.” Garrett mused from the door. He suddenly seemed reinvigorated.
“Behold, the werewolf. Energy for days, it’s like living with a four month old puppy.” Evan grumbled as he slowly peeled his naked body from mine.
“I’m going to go out for run.” Garrett smirked as he stretched. Evan shoved him playfully as he left the bathroom.
“Let her get cleaned up.” Evan chastised him, grabbing the curly haired blonde by the shoulder and pulling him out of the doorway.
I cleaned myself up and shambled back into the bedroom. The condoms and lube had disappeared and Evan lay naked in the bed. The moment I left the bathroom Garrett went in and the shower turned on. I collapsed into the soft mattress next to Evan and snuggled against him.
“Is he really going for a run?” I asked in disbelief as I pulled Evan’s arm around me.
“Yes.” Evan whispered to my shoulder pulling me closer.
“I enjoyed…myself.” I whispered sleepily as I pressed my lips to his bicep. The ache was slowly starting to creep up on me. “I’m going to be so hung over.” I sighed out.
“Among other things… go to sleep.” He breathed into my hair as he held me close. Luckily, sleep found me before the building ache in my body came to fruition.
Blissful sleep was ripped from me by Habanera from Carmen drifting through the room. The song gained in volume with every passing second until someone beside me groaned. My eyes shot open at the sound. The room was pitch black but what little shapes I could make out weren’t familiar at all. To top it off everything hurt. I heard the rustling of blankets and then footsteps in the dark as a pallid moon lit naked male form disappeared out of the room.
“Yes…mhm… mhm.” I watched as that pallid silhouette peaked back in the room. “She what?!” Was exclaimed in a voice that could only be Evan’s but the thought of him raising his voice seemed so odd. “No, I’m not her keeper, Tristan. I haven’t seen her outside of rehearsal in a bloody month and a half…yeah…I think she’s still asleep…Colette’s been a bit dodgy lately but I didn’t think it was anything serious, certainly not this…No, he was there?...Fuck me, okay. As my Master commands…No, unfortunately I’m fairly certain this was just one off…brilliant, just what I needed to hear…Okay, we’ll be there…. Yes, Tristan, I heard you. Alright, be there in a bit.” There was a dull thud and then a loud sigh from the hall, and then Evan stepped back into the room and turned the lights on. The two little lamps on the night stands came to life and I shielded my face from their glow as the hangover started to creep up on me. “Sorry about that, uhh…” I heard him walk around the bedroom and open the closet. “Tristan just called and… something…something happened and he needs us at Crimson Hill as soon as possible.”
By the time my eyes adjusted enough to the light Evan was pulling a pair of tight jeans on. You had sex with him. Miss Manners’ assessment of the situation made me instantly blush and pull the comforter up to my chin. He stared at me for a moment, those gray eyes of his were large and filled with sadness as he picked my bra and panties off of the floor and set them beside me on the bed.
“We h-had…had sex?” I inquired softly. Again, grade A genius deduction there. Evan swallowed and pursed his lips as he looked around the floor. He remained silent, he didn’t even nod until he found my dress and added it to the pile.
“Y-yes…in a manner of speaking.” He sighed out as he turned from me and grabbed a shirt from the closet and hastily pulled it on. “Tristan said there was no time to wash up, but…for all he knows we were caught in traffic.” He turned and smiled a nervous smile in my direction before leaving the room.
Wrapping the sheet from the bed around me I snatched up my clothes and darted for the open door to the bathroom. The moment I saw myself in the mirror I dropped everything. I looked rough, my makeup was smeared. My shoulders and neck were covered in deep purple bites… from two sets of teeth. My mouth fell open as I finally put two and two together. I had sex with both Garrett and Evan. Like you always wanted, you dirty girl. I furrowed my brows at myself and Miss Manners’ assessment. It was oddly accepting. Aside from the soreness I wasn’t sure how I felt about having slept with both Evan and Garrett at the same time. But I would deal with it later. I knew enough about vampires to know you didn’t keep them waiting. I showered and dressed as quickly as I could. Fifteen minutes after I stared at my mauled neck in the mirror I was in Evan’s car on my way to Crimson Hill and whatever ever urgent situation awaited us there. In a way I was thankful for the emergency. Thankful because it meant that I had something else to preoccupy my thoughts besides the fact that I had sex with my ex-boyfriend and his boyfriend of two weeks.
When we reached Crimson Hill, Evan and I made our way to Tristan’s office as fast as our legs would carry us. We were silent, awkwardly silent, neither of us knew what to do with what had happened earlier. The emergency was a godsend… that was until I saw what the emergency was of course.
It was clear once Evan stepped out of the doorway so I could take in all of Tristan’s lovely office with its rich wooden walls and… My world crashed in on itself as my eyes fell on the tall figure standing beside Colette in her simple pink sundress. The tall man with vivid electric blue eyes, black hair and a leather collar around his throat. At first glance it looked like Aleksi, but that mouth was not Aleksi’s mouth. You could dye someone’s hair, change their clothes and give them contact lenses but some things couldn’t be so easily changed. She was smiling wide as she saw me coming into the room.
“I thought to tell you later but someone spoiled the surprise. But see! My dear brother
’s come back to us! You can be together again! Isn’t this amazing?” She declared with a lovely smile on her doll like face. The earnestness in her voice actually brought tears to my eyes. Evan froze and Tristan swallowed looking off to the side. I was so shocked I literally couldn’t move, not even after she waltzed over and wrapped her arms around me, and everything went black.
8
ENTER THE SON OF THE DRAGON
WHEN I CAME TO, THE LIGHT IN TRISTAN’S OFFICE SEARED MY RETINAS. But somehow I could still make out that terror inducing form looming almost in the center of the room. That lean, muscular body, covered in scars stood like a monolith, broad shouldered and clutching that length of black velvet to his narrow waist. My pulse thundered in my ears as I found myself too terrified to even close my eyes let alone look away. That tall imposing figure was no longer a lurking silhouette tormenting me in the shadows. Vlad—the mythical Uniter—was awake; and he did not look pleased. Tired, intensely blue eyes gazed on Colette with such profound sadness that even I was moved in spite of the excruciating pounding at my temples. But she didn’t seem to see him as she leaned against… Aleksi? No, he’s dead. That’s Nikolai. A low guttural growl rumbled from Vlad’s throat as he turned away from Colette’s delicate form—it was like he could smell her madness. All of that profound touching sadness boiled to rage so hot I could feel it pressing in on me from the shadows.
My eyelids rose and fell in a slow motion flutter as a sharp pain abruptly clawed behind my eyes, wrenching a whimper from my tight and terrified lips. That pain would not be ignored, it intensified until I could hear it. I had to shut my eyes against the shrill, high pitched ringing that accompanied those phantom talons shredding through my brain. Familiar phantom hands caressed across my shoulders, hands I shouldn’t have felt—Aleksi’s hands—and the pain and the terrible noise stopped abruptly, like someone had pressed mute.
As I opened my eyes, I was hoping, praying that Vlad would be gone like the pain and the terrible noise. But no, Vlad was still there, only now stalking about the room, the heavy black velvet drape slithering behind him like the tail of some dragon...the tail of the red eyed beast on the Dracul crest. He paused in front of the terrified, haggard looking figure with the black hair and immaculate posture. It took a handful of those slow motion minutes for it to fully sink in; the form leashed to Colette wasn’t Aleksi. Vlad’s head tilted from side to side as he assessed the collared traitor in Aleksi’s clothing. He stopped inches from that trembling, terrified form. Still Nikolai didn’t see him; those pale pleading eyes were locked on me. Then Vlad, that terrifying specter, turned his attention to me. Look away. He took a step towards me. Look away. Look away. Look away.
My hazel gaze dropped to the floor as a pale freckled hand waved in front of my eyes and Evan stepped between me and Vlad. Muted protests were spoken to me as I stood and backed out of the room. I practically ran down the hall, but I ran in the wrong direction.
Before I knew it I was standing in that tomb… and so was Vlad. My gaze dropped to the floor as I heard footsteps behind me and the world sped back up to real time. Don’t look up. My body trembled visibly as I watched that heavy velvet slink across the floor.
“Père!” Colette’s happy voice chirped, followed by the tittering of her heels on the floor. I watched their shadows on the marble as they embraced and he cupped her face in his hands. The gesture was surprisingly fatherly. They shared a loving tender moment as he kissed her forehead, you could almost sense that he really did feel she was his little girl. But all of that fatherly love abated as he grabbed the lead from her and yanked Nikolai to him. Someone’s hands closed over my eyes.
“Don’t look.” Evan whispered to me as Nikolai screamed…long, loud and blood curdling. Guilt crept in. Isn’t this what you wanted?
“Papa don’t! I promise, I won’t whip Aleksi again! I promise! Don’t! Papa, je l’aime! Je l’aime! Arrêtez! Arrêtez!” Colette whined through high pitched sobs, chokes and shrieks of lunatic desperation. I leaned my head against Evan’s arm and shut my eyes tight. Was this what I wanted? You wanted a horrible death for him. Isn’t this the second person dear to you that you’ve killed Seer? I swallowed in the dark as I remembered Kendra’s death and I couldn’t take anymore; so I pressed my hands to my ears to shut out Nikolai’s cries. That won’t stop it from happening. Remember what your mother said? Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Time ticked slowly in my cocoon of darkness. Stop acting like a child. He deserved this. No, no one deserves…Deserves what? You didn’t even see what happened. Look! With a breath I attempted to gather up all of my bravery and I used it to finally lower my hands from my ears. There was a faint, wet gurgling sound accompanied by Colette’s incoherent sobs. Twisting from Evan’s embrace I stepped from him and blinked against the light as my eyes adjusted. Nikolai was bleeding out on the floor, his shoulders had deep gashes on them and his throat seemed utterly mauled. His fingers twitched against the marble as everyone stood and watched the life drain from him. Colette was crying on the floor beside him, kneeling in that thick cherry red blood. Her hands and pretty pink dress were stained with it.
Vlad knelt over Nikolai, watching as the danseur died with mild interest. You caused this. Evan strode close to me again, stepping between me and the macabre tableau playing out.
“You don’t want to be here for what comes next. I’ll… I’ll take you home.” He offered in the softest voice.
“Next?” My voice cracked as my brows furrowed. Wasn’t this all of it? A painful humiliating end for the one responsible for the death of Vlad’s heir.
“That’s…” Evan grew silent and looked at his shoes. “Trust me…please.”
“Bring her here.” Vlad snapped, raising back to his full height. The room was utterly still for a handful of seconds, and I became acutely aware of the fact that there was no one there to protect me anymore. Evan’s hands shook with impotent rage at his side. He didn’t even say anything…but he didn’t bring me to Vlad either.
Tristan was the one who finally stepped forward. He grabbed me by the shoulders and practically threw me down at Vlad’s feet—like the flunkie I knew he had once been. I landed on my knees with one hand in Nikolai’s sticky cooling blood. My mind kept reflecting back on those films from High School. For the last year I had put out of my head how dangerous these people were. For the last year I had convinced myself I was relatively safe in spite of everything else that had happened.
“Look at me.” Vlad’s voice was coarse and cold, and held that slight British accent that so many vampires around Elizabeta seemed to have regardless of their origin. You should probably do as he says. I didn’t look up. Don’t be stupid, look up. With a swallow I slowly raised by gaze with my lips pursed in nervous fear.
The face that glared down at me was one of hard lines and anger. Feeling that bright blue gaze focus on me ticked all of the boxes in my head for my fight or flight reflex to kick in. There was nothing warm or friendly in that gaze—no assessment was needed. It was like he already knew everything he cared to know about me and had decided I was something to be rid of. A shaky breath escaped my lips and my eyes darted back to the floor. He blames you.
“I said look at me not glance at me and shy away.” That voice was bitter and angry. Being the object of his anger forced me look up at him—I didn’t want to do anything else to further his ire. As I sat there trembling with uncertainty Elizabeta’s assessment of me as expendable popped back into my head as I stared up into that blue abyss. “Did my Zabeta tell you about the first Seer?” I swallowed and shook my head no as my heart beat so fast it felt like it would burst from my chest and run away. “She was a Romani fortune teller, and very young when she came into power. She looked a lot like you, she had your coloring. Flavian knew such chosen children existed. He had scoured the world for them and came up empty, and then one day there she was. This…girl. We only knew who she was because vampires from all five Houses swirled around her like sharks
around chum. At first we didn’t think she was anything special, pretty things always draw us in. But then strange things started happening. Conflict inside the five houses at the time was almost unheard of… and then suddenly it seemed to be all there was. Do you know why this was?” I shook my head no again. “Because she wanted to be left alone, and so she dwelled on that thought. ‘I just want the vampires to leave me alone.’ and to fulfill her wish, we started killing each other. Flavian was the one who put it all together—he was obsessed with legends and her power. However, when that fateful moment came and he realized he would never be able to control her, that she had become too scared and too wild. He sent five of his lowest level fledglings to trap her in her home, bar the doors and windows and burn her alive. In contrast Maria came to Flavian when she realized her powers. She prostrated herself before him and begged for him to protect her. She wanted for nothing and…were it not for complications she would have lived and died peacefully. So which are you going to be? Maria, or that Romani girl that burned?” He’s threatening you. I blinked, why would he threaten me? What had I done to make myself such a threat? Technically you’re the reason Aleksi and Nikolai are dead and Colette is crazy. You’ve single handedly destroyed his legacy. Oh… that. My gaze drifted back to the floor, and I was instantly met with a hard slap to the face.
A sharp gasp broke my lips when I registered the sting of his large hard hand connecting with my cheek. It throbbed with the shape of his hand, and I felt that warm trickle of blood flow down my chin from my split lip. There was a scuffle behind me but I didn’t turn around to see what was happening. I was stunned. This isn’t at all what I had expected from him. He’s Vlad the Impaler, Autumn. Did you expect him to be a big softy? Blinking, I brought my hand to the hot abused flesh. Miss Manners was right, this is exactly what I should have expected from him. Turning my attention back to him I sucked on my bleeding bottom lip. Both of the women ended up dead, Maria with an arrow in her back and the other burned to death. Truthfully I wanted to say neither… but I knew that wasn’t an option. I suddenly knew what Aleksi had meant by false choices. Submit or die, that was the choice I was being given. My answer was a gesture. I doubled over pressing my forehead to the cold marble and tilted my head to the side, baring my throat to him.
Dark Awakenings (Danse Macabre Book 2) Page 15