Dark Awakenings (Danse Macabre Book 2)

by Christina Quinn

  “It’s not my place to tell you to stay away from my Master.” I stated as my hands started to tremble with rage. I didn’t know how he did it, but I knew that he was the cause of Aleksi jumping Nikolai. “But I know you caused this, I don’t know how… but I know it was you.”

  “Smart girl. Would you like to see what else I can do?” He tilted his head to the side and I blinked. Blinking was again a mistake. When my eyes opened his tongue was in my mouth as I pressed to his body and he kissed me deeply. I shoved him away from me and he took a step back with a chuckle. My knees pressed together as I could feel my pulse throb at sopping wet sex. “We’ll finish this another day, Miss Darling.” With that ominous parting, he turned and opened the door of a black town car. The door closed and just like that he was gone, leaving me to stare after the car with narrowed eyes. Dorian Grey is trouble. No shit.

  When I opened the door to my apartment I found Aleksi and Nikolai tending to each other’s broken faces. Nikolai’s lip was split and swollen and he had a black eye. Aleksi didn’t look much better, his cheek was bruised and his nose was bloody. Both of their knuckles were raw. But they were acting like nothing had happened. I was wet, I was cold, and I was aroused to the point of frustration—needless to say I wasn’t in the mood to deal with them.

  A hot bath was all that was on my mind as I walked through my apartment stripping out of my clothes in the process. I hadn’t had a good bath in a while. All I wanted was to be warm and a shower wasn’t going to cut it. So I drew a bath and slipped into the luscious, comforting warmth submerging my entire body. I lingered under the soothing water until I absolutely had to come up for air. When I emerged from my little liquid cocoon I found I wasn’t alone in the bathroom. Aleksi was sitting on the edge of the tub, he wore a clean dry pair of tights and nothing else. His legs were crossed, and I couldn’t help but to notice how he kept pointing his toes, one foot and then the other.

  “I’m not going to apologize, as much as I love you… an apology would be a waste of words.” He didn’t look at me as he spoke. He kept his eyes focused on the towels on the rack opposite the bath. “I hate sharing you. I thought it would be more palatable if I forced you to share me as well. So I had sex with Dorian.” His frank confession made me sink deeper into the water. I slid down back into that warmth until even my nose was covered and just the very top of my head and my eyes remained out. I was going to cry, but even as tears threatened Miss Manners was laughing at me. I could hear faint bitter laughter like a backing track to everything Aleksi said. “I’m sorry I felt I had to do it, but I’m not sorry that I did it. This feeling you’re experiencing right now. The twisting in the pit of your stomach. The tears you’re holding back. The rage you have no outlet for. That’s how I feel every time I see you touch Nikolai, every time you reach for someone else for comfort over me. Maybe now you’ll be a little kinder.” I felt… numb. I sat up raising my mouth above the waterline.

  “Get out,” I whispered. He whipped around and stared at me with shock plain on his face.

  “No,” he responded narrowing his eyes at me.

  “I’m very aware of how it feels to be cheated on, Aleksi.”

  “Clearly you needed a reminder. Or were you being intentionally hurtful? Sex is nothing to me, Autumn. I’ve been having sex with people who I didn’t particularly care for, for over a century. Every glance. Every time you held him close instead of me. Every time your face lit up for them instead of me. It was painful, physically painful. And dancing with you today… you don’t trust me.”

  “And you thought cheating on me would make me trust you more? I get that you have been through a lot. I get that… your brain doesn’t work like everyone else’s because of it but…” I swallowed and stood. “If you won’t leave, I’ll leave.” I stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around my body.

  “Autumn!” Aleksi shouted as I walked through the apartment with heavy thudding footsteps. Nikolai was asleep on the couch with the spare blanket around him. I paused for a moment but ultimately I headed straight for the bedroom and pulled on a pair of yoga pants, a sports bra and a sweater. “Autumn, talk to me!”

  Ignoring Aleksi I slipped on my flats, snatched my purse off of the floor and left the apartment. He followed me seconds later in a zipped black hoodie and sneakers. As he neared me while I waited on the elevator I started for the stairs and he still trailed me. His footsteps echoed mine as I made my way down the street. He stopped calling after me, he just followed as I walked through the cold rain. The torrential downpour had trickled to a soft misting.

  “So you’re just going to follow me until the sun rises?” I asked as I turned around to face Aleksi.

  “Longer. I don’t give up easily. One of the downsides of a type A personality. Look, Autumn, I didn’t actua—” He stopped mid-word and narrowed his eyes as he looked around, his attention was suddenly riveted down a nearby alley. “I need your phone.” He held out his hand. Without thinking I took my phone out and handed it to him. He dialed a quick number. “No, guess again… There’s two bodies in the alley behind The Arms… Yes…Alright… sure.” He lowered my phone from his ear and walked towards the alley leaving me to stare confused after him as he took a picture of whatever was down there and clearly sent it to someone before he handed the phone back to me. I hit the button to turn the screen back on and looked at the new photos in my gallery. A little cry left my throat and the tears I had kept from falling broke free and streamed down my face.

  In the alley, arranged against the dumpster was the body of a couple, a vampire male and a human female. The human had her throat slit and head shaved with ‘traitor’ cut into her chest. The vampire was decapitated, his head, hands, feet and genitals were in the female’s lap. Spray painted on the dumpster behind them were the words ‘A Leech and his Whore’ and beside it the symbol of the Sun Cross. I looked up at Aleksi and practically crashed into him as I cried my eyes out, pressing my face into his chest. Funny how traumatic things make you realize what’s important.

  “Autumn, we need to go. Whoever did that might still be around.” His voice was so calm and sure as he took my hand and stepped away from me.

  “Al-alright,” I stammered out as I followed him. We walked back to my apartment hand in hand.

  “I didn’t. I want you to know that I didn’t. I just said that I did…” He shook his head. “I don’t even know why I said that I did anymore. I know the Evan and Nikolai thing is out of your hands, you made the best of a horrible situation. But knowing what I know doesn’t make me any less angry. You’re mine, Autumn. Not theirs.”

  “I know.” Those two little words stopped Aleksi in his tracks and he turned and looked at me curiously for a moment before he started walking again.

  “Maybe things would be different if I were more like Colette, but I’m not. The idea of fucking Nikolai makes my skin crawl.” He actually cringed as we continued down the street.

  “Speaking of skin crawling. There’s something off about your friend Dorian.”

  “Mhm, most humans can’t pick up on it. He’s a very gifted vampire, he can turn a room into an orgy at the drop of a hat”—He snorted—“or turn it into a bloodbath. I believe you saw the latter.”

  “I saw both. He made me kiss him.”

  “He wants you desperately, offered me millions for a night with you. He looks like a sulky child when rejected. If I played it right I could have probably gotten his controlling shares of Renfield, Grey and Harker. I’d say it’s amazing he’s stayed in business this long. But I know you’re an exception to all of our rules.”

  We finally reached my building just before sunrise. When we opened the door to my apartment I was greeted by the sound of a news report and the blue light of the television illuminating Nikolai’s sleeping face.

  “Last night, twenty eight of our citizens were found dead; murdered in alley ways throughout the city. Fourteen couples of Vampires and Humans, brutally and senselessly slaughtered and mutilated by the extr
emist group the Sun Cross. The same group which claimed responsibility for the message forcibly broadcast yesterday. The Sala Corporation has offered to pay for the victim’s funerals and burial expenses.” The blonde anchorwoman reported, her voice echoing through the room.

  Aleksi turned off the television and we stared at each other for a while. But ultimately, we both walked into the bedroom and laid down without another word. We knew this was coming, we had seen the bodies almost an hour before and we both knew what the Sun Cross was capable of. None of what had happened was a real surprise, I couldn’t shake the way they were killed though. The human woman had her throat slit. My mind kept going back to last year and when council slit the throat of Gregory’s servant. Something about the two seemed too similar to sit well with me… but ultimately my fatigue won out against the twisting in the pit of my stomach, and with Aleksi’s strong arms wrapped protectively around me, I passed out from mental and physical exhaustion.

  14

  TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

  THAT SATURDAY, AFTER A WEEK OF REHEARSALS WITH THE AMATEUR BALLET and classes with the Westley Ballet my body was completely fatigued. I slept until noon buried under the covers and blissfully alone for a change. Aleksi and Nikolai had become roommates—the idea of them agreeing to share an apartment seemed peculiar to me. Still, living together agreed with them. Hints were dropped that they were no longer comfortable with me living alone. Part of me wanted to cling to the safety they offered, to take them up on their proposition simply because I lived seven blocks from where not one but two of the bodies were found. The Sun Cross had grown silent since the murder spree but Florence wasn’t the only city hit. Each city had a number of couples killed that matched the percentage of the population that was cohabitating with vampires. That’s why you won’t move in. I pulled the comforter over my head and listened to the rain hitting the windows. Today was a gloomy, sleep in and work on my dissertation kind of day. However, other individuals failed to acknowledge the demands of the atmosphere.

  Thud. Thud. Thud. Someone was knocking on my door. I threw a small temper tantrum, I was wrapped in the covers, kicking the blanket and rumpling the sheets. Thud. Thud. Thud. I wanted to say go away. I wanted to be left alone, but I couldn’t leave a door unanswered—I was trained too well by my mother. So, as that last knock lingered I got out of bed, pulled on my bright red satin robe to cover my satin floor length nightgown and went to the door.

  Raising on my toes I peeked into the peephole to find my mother on the other side. She looked so charming. Her makeup was done expertly, muted tones of course because it was before five. Her hair was expertly curled and coiffed, the salt and pepper tresses were pulled over her shoulder stopping just at the crook of her elbow. Her deep olive skin hardly sagged and had few lines—aside from her hair my mother was aging kicking and screaming. My entire life, the scent I most associated with her wasn’t her Chanel no. 5 but her face cream. Behind her appeared my blonde and perfect sister with the stroller. I almost didn’t want to open the door. Dread made a nest in the pit of my stomach as I stared at that baby through that miniscule piece of glass. My sister was my mother’s magnum opus, her crowning achievement in her eyes. My sister did everything she was supposed to do. The cheerleader, prom queen, married by twenty two, blonde haired, blue eyed, stay at home wife had now completed my mother’s checklist for ideal life for a woman. My sister even had a pretty little blonde robot—I mean baby—of her own.

  With a deep breath I opened the door like someone would pull off a band-aid, because I knew if I lingered I probably wouldn’t open it. Oh, how wide the two of them beamed at me as I forced myself to smile back at them.

  “Autumn, it’s noon,” my mother whispered, like it was some kind of secret, her dark eyes sweeping over my attire.

  “It’s great to see you! Come in, I’ll make us some coffee.” I went full hostess mode as they filed passed me.

  “Oh, Autumn, your apartment is beautiful. This is so much nicer than your last place. I always imagined you in an apartment like this. It’s so very chic and modern.” My sister gushed over my apartment as she looked around.

  “Thank you. Sorry about being in my pajamas. I have had a tough week and I wasn’t expecting any guests today.” I explained walking over to the kitchen.

  “Oh? Your sister has had a tough week as well, you know. Our little Philippa had an ear infection, and Marc’s away on business…” My mother continued to speak but I tuned her out as I brewed the coffee. “That mess with these Sun Cross people hasn’t directly affected you.”

  “No, you’re right. I have no excuse for being in my pajamas at noon. I’m just a little sore, I’m dancing in an amateur production of Giselle, and rehearsal is a little rough.”

  “Well there are some challenging parts for the corps du ballet. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

  “I’m dancing Giselle, Mother. I’m not in the corps.”

  “Congratulations. That is no small accomplishment for you, Autumn. You don’t exactly have the shape of a ballerina.”

  “So has Aleksi proposed yet?” My sister inquired as she started doting over the little baby wrapped in pink. Suddenly I felt like I was twenty-three again and my mother was pressuring me to marry Garrett.

  “He has other things on his mind. He’s only been out of Torpor for a week.” I brought them the steaming mugs of coffee and resisted the urge to fling it in their faces or dump it in their laps. Then I set out the coffee creamer and sugar and my mother made a small disapproving noise that made my jaw clench.

  “You really shouldn’t put this stuff in your body or Aleksi won’t be able to lift you before too long.”

  “Mother, Autumn looks phenomenal. She’s thinner than even you were when you danced. Her waist is like nothing. I’m jealous of you, Autumn. I wish I had your figure and your life.” My sister called with a soft little laugh but there was something else there. She wasn’t happy. It never occurred to me that she might be miserable in her perfect little doll house life. My Mother had raised us to believe that sort of life would make us happy. I had been jealous to some degree of my sister for years, but it never once occurred to me that she could be unhappy. Everyone is miserable to some degree. I’m sure my mother only told us what she did to take the edge off her having to quit ballet.

  “Well, after you change we can all go out for brunch and maybe a little shopping. I miss spending time with my girls, it’s been far too long.” My mother smiled at us as she sipped her black coffee.

  “Sure, let me g—” The door opened cutting me off and Aleksi walked in with purpose. He clearly needed to feed, but there was something else in his eyes that looked a little haunted. When he saw my mother and sister he paused and his eyes swept over them with the same amount of appraisal my mother had watched me earlier. My mother had met her match in passive aggressive bitchiness in Aleksi. No one could out smug him.

  There was a Mexican standoff of looks between my mother and Aleksi. In the end, both smiled at each other, but Aleksi’s smile was sweeter. Clearly he had bested her in the passive aggressive test of wills. Then with that triumphant smile still spreading his lips he turned his attention to me. There was something in that look he gave me that made my body break out in gooseflesh and my cheeks grow hot and ruddy with blush. It was the color, he loved seeing me wrapped in his shade of red. My gaze fell away from the group gathered and I rubbed the back of my neck.

  “I’m...I’ll.” I pursed my lips and raised my gaze back to Aleksi before returning it to my mother and sister. “I’ll go take a shower, and then we can go shopping.” I started to walk towards the hallway. Aleksi cleared his throat stopping me in my tracks.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” Something about the smugness of his voice made me cringe. He was being intentionally obtuse, and I didn’t like it.

  “Mother, Claire, this is my boyfriend Aleksi.” I gestured to him, admittedly boyfriend seemed so weird to say. We were more than just boyfriend and
girlfriend. Soulmates? Lovers? Delusional lifemates.

  “A pleasure to meet such beautiful and refined ladies. What an apt surname Darling is for the three of you. Mrs. Darling you did a phenomenal job of raising your two exquisite girls.” I stared at him as he spoke, and I could almost see him saying the same things in a high collared suit from the late eighteen hundreds.

  “Thank you, I did my best with what I had. Unfortunately, most of it didn’t take with Autumn. She has a habit of being exceptionally willful; which is simply an unbecoming characteristic in a woman. I’d say lady, but a lady wouldn’t have opened the door wearing what she is right now.” My mother took a small sip of coffee when she was finished and I suddenly felt like a child again. I twisted my fingers in my hair as I stood frozen on the edge of the room. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Aleksi.” My sister looked horrified at my mother’s words and mouthed a quick ‘I’m sorry.’ To me as she sipped her cream filled coffee.

  “Oh, we’ve met before. Remember?” You could walk on the smugness in Aleksi’s voice. “You were dancing with the English National Ballet at the time and I was on loan for a production of Cinderella.” He beamed at her the widest happiest little grin and her smile faltered and she set her coffee mug down.

  “Yes, now that you mention it, I do. It was the first time I danced a lead as a soloist.”

  “I thought you danced Coppellia first?” My sister asked lulling her head to the side, her pale brows furrowed as she scrutinized our mother.

  “Coppellia was my first part as Principal. Everyone came to see Aleksi and…Ivana Peitrokov, dance Cinderella and Prince Charming. I was her understudy and she got sick and couldn’t dance the last performance.” My mother smiled. “I remembered falling so often in rehearsal I was so nervous.” Her face lit up as she recalled the fond memory. She stared at the coffee cup for a few moments before she stood, smoothed her skirt, walked over and pulled me into her arms for a very unexpected hug. “My little Autumn leaf.” She kissed my cheek. “I should be proud of you, I don’t know what’s wrong with me today,” she whispered to me as she released me. She cupped my face in her hands like she did when I was little. “Maybe it’s because whenever I look at you, I see myself and I worry about you. You have a delicate artist’s soul. You need someone who will nurture that… Aleksi will do that for you and keep you safe.” She glanced back at him and smoothed a stray dark tendril behind my ear before releasing me, and stepping back; leaving me to stare bewildered for a moment. What changed?