by Nix, Imogene
He squeezed Cressida’s hand in mute thanks, then turned back to Hope, who remained sitting on the chaise lounge, just as she had been when her parents had been ordered from the room. His heart thudded, and he wanted to offer her anything that would heal her. If this was the key, then he would take it.
“I’ll take Javed with me, as well as our guards.” He turned away, grabbing papers from the desk and shoving the laptop into a bag with fast jerky motions. “Cressida, could you arrange for Lisi to pack Hope’s things? Maybe tell them I am taking her to the country house. That way, we might be able to buy some time to get to your estate safely.”
Cressida inclined her head slowly, then turned on her heel before heading to the door. She stopped and looked at him. “She is worth so much more than rubies.” Then she left him standing, watching Hope in silence.
* * * *
Sitting in the car beside Xavier, Hope registered the cold, yet she still had a sense of being displaced. Her eyes burnt and ached from the crying jag, but she ignored them. Xavier had tried to grab her hand, but she had pulled away, needing to retreat within herself.
She refused to think of what her parents had said, but as they had rounded the drive, her mother’s car had pulled up to the side of the house beside her father’s. She had caught sight of the suitcases being loaded, and closed her eyes. The lump in her throat was growing big enough to choke her. They were leaving.
She closed her eyes and feigned sleep. The sound of the motor running as the car ate up the distance was keeping her thoughts company. She knew Xavier watched her, but she wanted distance right now, so she could think over what her choices were, or at least what they would be, once they had found and dealt with Estersham. Once they had dealt with the person within the nest carrying information. Once the rogues had been neutralised, and were no longer a threat to the nest.
The trip was swift and within no time the vehicle stopped, but she still had no answers to the questions that kept occurring to her. She opened her eyes, aware that this wasn’t the normal procedure. Saw Xavier pull a talisman from his pocket and reach for the door. What was happening? She gripped his hand, opening her mouth to ask.
He looked at her, smiling. “It’ll be okay, I just need an opening in the wards to let the vehicles pass.”
Her stomach flip-flopped. He would be unprotected, and she reached to undo her belt, but he stayed her hand. “No, you stay here. I just need to get the three vehicles through, then I will rejoin you.”
She felt sick. Lost in her own little world of misery, she had forgotten the risks he was taking to protect her.
“But, Xavier…”
“No. Stay there in the vehicle. This will only take a few seconds.” He closed the door behind him, and she stared forward.
A cool, heavy, fog-like entity settled over the inside of the old stone wall adorned with an ornate metal gate, and she guessed it was a kind of magical warding. The gates opened, and she watched as he moved forward, gripping the talisman, while they widened enough for him to hold the item in the grey substance. A movement near shrubbery caught her eye, but she ignored it, gazing instead at Xavier.
Then the veil shifted, forming an entryway, just wide enough for the vehicles to pass in single file. He turned back with a slight wave, and Hope observed fascinated as he all but glowed in the heavy clouds. A phenomenon she had never seen before, or even heard of.
The vehicle roared back to life, the insistent throb beneath her body as it moved, while the crunch of the gravel did nothing to tear her eyes from Xavier. The car slowly inched past, and she turned so she could continue to see his actions.
The second car moved beyond the fog, entered the grounds, and kept going on his hand movement, past the car she sat in, then the third inched forward, entered the drive and slowly moved past.
The movement near the shrubs caught her eye again. A figure cloaked in a hooded jacket emerged, just as the fog started to close, and as Xavier stepped through, something moved and he shuddered, spinning slightly.
Xavier’s body fell forward to the ground, hands outstretched in supplication as he fell. Hope could see the bright red bloom staining his white shirt and she tugged on the belt, screaming in fear. “Xavier!”
She wrenched on the webbed belt and pulled hard, but it wouldn’t give. The car rocked as Javed pulled himself from the vehicle, and sped towards the vampire lying on the ground. Fear enveloped her, as she watched Javed lift Xavier into a standing position, and, supporting him, they moved towards the car.
He leaned heavily on Javed. She wanted to help him, but the stupid belt wouldn’t release, and she sobbed her frustration as she continued pulling. The door opened and Javed helped him in. Xavier’s shoulder smoked curiously, and he seemed to be struggling to say something.
“It’s all right, Xavier. We’re here…” She touched him, needing to feel the warmth of his skin for reassurance that he still lived. Her words were frantic.
He said just one word, before slumping back into the corner of the seat in a faint. “Talisman.”
She thrust a shaking hand to his chest, but the rise and fall assured her he still breathed. “Javed, find the talisman, then head up to the house. We need to get a look at that shoulder and his chest wound.”
A quick nod from Javed, a shouted instruction, and the car moved onward, speeding up the long drive as she kept a worried vigil.
When the vehicle drew to a stop, she wrenched off the seatbelt, finally wrestling the clasp open. She shouted instructions to the staff to carry him towards a secured room. She snatched up her crutches, and followed him as swiftly as she could inside.
A young maid helped her to find the room, where the staff already attended him. His shirt lay discarded on the floor in a smoking and bloody mess.
She shook uncontrollably, fearing the worst, until someone stated, “It was a holy water hit. We need to treat this by waiting until he regains consciousness, and giving him blood to help the regeneration process. Meanwhile, the blood of a vampire washed over it will neutralise the damage.”
She watched, fascinated, as one of the maids stepped forward, eyes shining while she tore at her wrist with long teeth. Blood welled forward, and the vampire held the torn wrist over the injury to Xavier’s chest and shoulder.
For an instant jealousy rose, with a nasty oily feel that churned inside her gut. It should be me. She pushed the thought away. Now wasn’t the time for pettiness, but now the thought had free rein. But if she fed him, would he be able to stop in time? Another thought intruded, leaving her breathless for a moment. She really didn’t want to embrace the virus…did she? All it would take is one bite to begin the process. But would he be able to stop before he reached the death drop? The thought was both enticing and horrific.
Hope moved forward, seeing the blood trickle over his skin, evaporating as it touched the injury at first, but then sliding down in a red river, over his exposed chest. The helpers turned him over, the action repeated on his shoulder, her stomach churning as she watched their unhurried movements.
Feelings overwhelmed her. She wanted to push the maid away from him. Didn’t they realise he was hers? But right now, he needed something she couldn’t give him, so she had to be thankful they could care for him. But she didn’t have to like it.
The smell of copper rose in her nostrils, and she gulped watching the proceedings. Javed moved into the room, stepping close and hugging her. She took the comfort he offered her with a whispered, “Thank you.”
The vampire maid took a step back, and saw Xavier move. “Hope?” The words were quiet, but the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. She moved to him, controlling the tears that wanted to escape, touching him.
“Don’t you ever frighten me like that again.” Then she leant forward to chastely kiss his lips.
The whisper of his breath upon her lips felt like a magical gift bestowed, and she let a short prayer of thankfulness loose in her mind. The knot that had been in her chest from the time he had fal
len forward let go and she relaxed against him.
He made to sit up and she pushed him back down. “You need to rest, Xavier.”
“I’m fine. I need to drink and then I will heal.”
She looked at him. Who would he feed from? The tinge of red in his eyes told her it needed to be soon. She thrust her wrist forward, her stomach quivering slightly as she shook.
“Take it from me, Xavier.” He looked at her, and shook his head.
“Not this time.” His eyes were sad, but his voice was firm. “I may not be able to stop myself in time, Hope.”
She pushed her wrist forward again. “You’ll be fine. Take it from me.” No way would she watch him feed from someone else. That would kill her, seeing the deeply erotic movements as he fed from another, knowing that many vampires found it incredibly arousing. If he was going to be aroused, then she was damned sure it would be by her, and her blood. The primitive attitude wiped every other thought from her mind.
“Hope. Please not this time. I don’t know that I could stop in time.” His tone was insistent, but when she glanced around, she noted the room was empty and the door shut.
“It’s just you and me, Xavier. Please take it from me.” Her lips trembled and he sighed.
“Come here then. Take off your top, I don’t want to stain it.” He closed his eyes and reclined into the bed he was lying on, as if the effort was too much. She pushed the crutches to one side, steadying herself on the edge of the bed and reached for the waist of her top, pulling it over her head and flinging it to the floor.
With eyes closed, he motioned for her wrist and pulled it to his mouth, shifting so that she slumped to the bed beside him. She raised the leg still encased in plaster, so it lay on the bed, and she followed it down to the soft mattress.
Now she lay beside him on the bed, her arm stretched to his mouth, where he kissed and laved the sensitive flesh. She closed her eyes, and let the pleasure of his touch wash over her. The feel of his tongue and teeth, rasping over the skin of her arm, was both shocking and exciting at the same time and she moaned.
He moved from her arm, the skin tingling as he touched her. Flames ignited in her skin, and she squirmed beneath his lips as they roamed over her bare skin, hot and needy. Now he loomed over her, pushing the straps of her tiny white bra away with trembling fingers.
She panted with need, aroused at the eroticism of the moment. Her breasts peaked and dampness pooled between her legs. He moved to her throat, and she moaned again, on fire with need. Finally his teeth grazed her skin, followed by the sharp instant of penetration, the sting replaced with the draws, as he took his sustenance from her. Elation roared. She gifted him with the one thing that would heal him, and arched, as her body gave him everything.
Her heart rate increased at the feel of him reaching down her body to pull up her skirt, and his hands quested under the little white panties. He moved, combing his fingers through the damp hairs, seeking her cleft, and the moist cavern that ached with need.
She arched upwards, feeling the twin pleasures at her neck and between her legs. He enticed her with his fingers, entering her core, where he found her hot and slick already. He groaned his pleasure against her skin.
Hope moaned again. He raised his head. It wasn’t bloodlust, but passion that darkened his eyes, and he moved his lips to hers. For an instant the coppery tang of her blood shocked then aroused her further. She licked the drops from his tongue and fire streaked through her system.
“More,” she demanded against his lips. She needed more of that lightning taste, her body urging her on, and once more she swept her tongue over his lips, still wet with her blood, uncaring now of anything keeping them apart.
Hope reached for his zipper while he unhooked her bra lost in the passion of the moment. Undulating against his hand as she freed him from the constriction of pants and boxers, she palmed his cock, warm in her hand. She gloried, knowing that it was hard and engorged with want for her. The thick ridges beneath her fingers told her of his readiness, as did the bead of liquid at its tip.
He grabbed her skirt and pulled. The sharp noise as it ripped rent the air, louder than she had ever before experienced. She arched beneath him now, wild with passion, and she felt the air on her nearly naked body.
“Oh, God!” she cried. He tugged on her panties. “Don’t rip them. I love them.” Her head thrown back, her nipples exquisite points of sharp, hard pleasure, she realised he had pulled them down over her cast. She splayed her legs wide. Wanting and needing to feel the pleasure of his body, his hands, even his mouth on her. She keened in her throat, once more in appeal.
He fastened his lips to the skin at her throat, positioning himself between her thighs. “More, Xavier! Please!” Her words were hoarse with arousal and she shook.
His touch roamed over her sweaty wet flesh.
She felt his blunt shaft at her entry, felt his push, as his teeth once more entered her skin, his movements mirroring his sucks. She pushed his mouth away, and instead demanded his kiss.
He thrust and she met it.
Parry for parry, both of them gripping the other, each fought for the release just beyond their grasp.
She pulled his lips to hers, seeking the coppery taste once more of his wet mouth. Swiping a hungry tongue over his blood-tainted lips while she exploded around him. Aware of the coppery tang filling her head, so heady and rich, her body splintered beneath his.
The long pulls of her body’s muscles welcomed his orgasm, milking him, and the wish of one last thrust, one last pull, filled her to bursting point, as she felt him come apart in her arms.
The feel of him jetting into her body left her feeling replete as never before.
They stilled, panting in each other’s arms, the aftermath of their cataclysmic loving a revelation. She smiled sleepily, as she lay quietly in his arms, until a sharp pain racked her, tearing through her head, intense and sharp.
She gripped both sides of her head, but the pain grew exponentially. “Ahhh…”
Dull with the pain of the initial explosion, it continued to grow. Her stomach roiled in defence while she curled against the tremors that were now racking her body. “Dear God, what’s happening to me?”
She was even more shocked to realise she had asked the words out loud, but the pain in her head increased. She moaned loudly, feeling the bile rising in her throat.
She slumped back in his arms, her breath coming in wild pumping gasps. Her mouth stung viciously. Hot tears leaked from between tightly closed lids.
Xavier swung his arms around, as she experienced vertigo and her limbs feeling almost soft and boneless. “Oh, I really don’t feel so great,” Hope moaned, holding onto her head, the seesaw sensation increasing.
“My eyes hurt,” she whimpered. He swung her up into his arms. The grip of darkness filled in at the edges of her vision, creeping closer before finally overtaking her.
Chapter Nine
She woke. The buzzing nearby was annoying so she flicked at the mosquito, finally realising that there wasn’t one. The noise continued, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. Hope opened her eyes, and the light, shining brightly above, hurt them. She moaned. At least she thought it was her. Loud and guttural.
Her mouth hurt, it was dry and irritated. In fact, her whole head hurt, but especially her jaw, and she tried to think if there had been an accident.
Thinking back hurt, but all that came to mind was the amazing sex she had enjoyed with Xavier, after he had fed from her.
The intensity of it had caught her unaware. Hope attempted a smile, groaning as the move made her face throb. She raised her fingers to touch the side of her mouth. Something protruded from her aching gums. Something sharp. Long. The touch stung her flesh a little, and she gasped at the unfamiliar sensation.
What was going on? The thought reverberated through her aching brain.
A movement close by caught her attention. A hand. Male. Short hairs dotted along the pale skin. She looked up. Xav
ier.
“Where am I?” The words slipped from her lips. Awkward, muffled and almost lisping, and it certainly didn’t sound like her.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?” Xavier leaned over her, and she thought about how anxious he sounded, the soft touch of his hand upon her skin. She took a quick inventory of how she felt. Her leg no longer ached and she felt full of energy.
“I feel fine. Actually, better than I did before the attack on the cars. Why?” Her head still had that filled-with-cotton-wool feeling, but even now that was dissipating. “Where am I and what happened?”
He looked uncomfortable, opened his mouth, closed it as he seemed to think better of his original answer, then opened it again. “We are at Cressida’s.” He swung away, stepping to the end of the bed and coming back, his hair standing up in crazy spikes that made her smile. She grimaced again. “There has been a slip-up, though.” He seemed so upset, leaving her puzzled and wondering what could have happened.
“What’s wrong, Xavier? Why does my head feel odd and my mouth hurt?”
“Oh, God!” Xavier’s lids closed over his pained green eyes for a second, before opening again. A seed of doubt filled her… “Hope, I don’t know how to tell you. There was an accident…when we made love.” Did he drink too much? Leave her with too little blood that needed some attention? Had he been a little rough?
“Xavier, I told you to drink. Did you take too much? I’m still here, so all is fine.” She relaxed, but his face was still white and drawn. “It’s okay. Really.” Somehow he didn’t look like that was sufficient to absolve his guilt, and a seed of dread sprouted in her mind. “Xavier?”
“It isn’t that, Hope. When I fed from you, we got a little carried away. It seems the antibodies and virus within your body which is what our scientists had surmised do not make you immune to the virus. You must have ingested some of your own blood. We already knew I wasn’t susceptible unless I…”