Corin & Angelique (After the Fall of Night)

by Sherri Claytor

  “I have no doubt of that, my friend,” Jordon replied. “You know, in the two years I’ve been trailing him, he’s never changed his pattern, not once, until coming here. Something has definitely attracted him to this place. Any ideas what it might be?”

  “I haven’t come to any definite conclusions yet, but I’m beginning to lean toward the assumption that it may be my life and fortune he’s after. He’s seen what a five-hundred-year-old nightwalker has forged here and I think he wants it for himself. As you’ve corroborated, he’s a thief who infiltrates and takes what he wants. Something tells me he’s planning to settle, and Louisa was to be his first.”

  “His first?” Jordon’s brow rose. “His first what?”

  “The first of a newly formed coven,” Corin explained his meaning. “With his twisted mind, he wouldn’t be content living in seclusion, the way I have. I prefer to walk alone.”

  “Not a family man?” Jordon said coolly.

  “I keep it simple. There’s less chance of discovery that way.”

  Jordon nodded. “True.”

  “Boldor is a different story, he’d require followers, others to lord over, those made from him that he could stake full claim to.”

  “A coven of his own lineage…he’d put himself in the position of a Godfather to them all. Although, on my world most nightwalkers do live in covens with heads of families.” Jordon finished his brandy and set the glass down.

  “And some do here too. But any family formed by this nightwalker will be ruthless.”

  “I have to agree. And if he’s after you, you’d best stay on guard. He’s crafty—a maestro of mayhem,” Jordon warned. “Seriously, watch yourself.”

  They broke off their conversation at the sound of Angelique coming down the stairs.

  “How’s Tomes?” Corin stood as she approached.

  “He’s been through a lot, but I think he’ll live.” She took a seat next to him.

  “Marshal,” she acknowledged. “I know you’re also a nightwalker.”

  “I’m a daywalker, but close enough. And the name’s Jordon.”

  Angelique smiled and turned to Corin. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for Tomes. He told me you healed some of his injuries.”

  “I did what I could, but the deeper, more extensive wounds will have to heal on their own. He lost a lot of blood and I’m sure he’ll be weak for some time.”

  “Well, thanks to you, at least he’ll live to see another day.”

  “In spite of my actions, he’s a very lucky man. Things could have gone much differently.”

  “But they didn’t.” Clearly impressed by his heroics, Angelique took his hand and squeezed it gently.

  Corin, catching Jordon’s grin, quickly rose. “Angelique, you must be tired. I think you’ll be comfortable in the room next to your brother. And, Jordon, we can find a place for you as well,” he offered, thinking it would be best for them to join forces for the time being.

  Jordon nodded. “To catch my mark, it looks like I’ll need to stay close to you. So yes, I’ll be sticking around.”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve had company, so forgive me if I forget something. You’re welcome to use any part of the house with exception of the basement. You should be able to find something suitable for consumption in the kitchen. I leave a few things stocked for show.”

  “To show who?” Jordon asked with a laugh. “You’re a strange fellow, von Vadim. I’ve never met a nightwalker, a loner at that, who possesses such a yearning to fit in, or one so mannerly.”

  “Only in the company of a select few. I assure you, I am no saint.”

  “Oh, I would never mistake you for a saint. But you are no Boldor either,” Jordon said.

  Corin studied Jordon. He seemed safe enough to have around, but he remembered how it felt having the immortal as an opponent, bringing about second thoughts. He didn’t sense any treachery in him, but he also didn’t relish the idea of harboring the stranger in his home while having Angelique and Tomes in his care. However, if he was legit, joining forces was the wise thing to do. The immortal could prove to be an asset in their fight against Boldor. He just wished what he claimed wasn’t so outlandish—the Eleventh Dimension? But then again, if vampires existed, couldn’t other unimaginable things like other world dimensions exist as well?

  * * * *

  The estate shone silver under the magical, cascading light of the full moon. Angelique stood on the darkened lanai, gazing in the direction of the woods, the thoughts of the evening dominating her thoughts. A dark image captured her attention, emerging from the silhouetted treetops, coming her way. It appeared to be a large bird, its massive wings audible as it drew closer. Realizing she was in a vulnerable position, she moved closer to the door leading inside, in case she required a quick escape. The bird landed several feet from the lanai. Its widespread wings spanned about five feet from tip to tip. It’s yellow, glowing eyes were wide-open and zeroed in on her position. “What?” The creature unexpectedly shape-shifted into the form of a man—Corin.

  “Are you appalled?” he spoke out. “At what I am.”

  “Appalled isn’t the word I’d use.” She stepped toward the screened door, all apprehension faded away. “I’m more along the lines of, I don’t know…amazed.” She opened the door and joined him outside.

  “I was afraid of what you’d now think of me, after seeing what I become.”

  “I see you no differently than I did before.” She approached him without fear, trusting he’d never harm her. In her heart she knew he cared for her the same way she cared for him. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” She looked up at the moon, in awe of its radiance.

  “Yes. It seems so close tonight, larger and brighter than I’ve seen it in a long time.”

  “Maybe that means something.” Angelique took his hand and leaned against him. “Do you believe it possesses power?”

  “The moon is magnetic, its energy drawing us toward it.” He wrapped an arm around her. “It reigns over the night, connecting with us on many levels. My powers are strongest when it’s full, like tonight. So yes, I believe it to be true.” Corin pulled her in front of him and lifted her chin with his fingertips, looking into her hazel eyes. “I’m so sorry, Angelique. I should have never pursued you, but curse it all, I just couldn’t help myself.”

  She smiled and laid her head against his chest. “Is it even possible for us to be together?”

  “Physically, I can be with you in the same manner any mortal man can. Beyond that, as time passes, being mortal, you would age, but I would live on unchanged.”

  “Unless I too became a nightwalker.”

  “That isn’t a decision to be made lightly. I could never ask—”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips. “I know you care for me, and right now all I want to do is savor every moment of this night. There’ll be plenty of time to worry about the obstacles later.”

  Corin pulled her soft, warm body against him. He kissed her neck, his breath damp and electrifying, filling her with such heat and desire she thought she might pass out from the burning intensity.

  “Take me to bed,” a sultry whisper broke her lips.

  He looked earnestly into her eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “I couldn’t be more sure. I need you.”

  He kissed her with a deep, passionate longing and swept her off her feet. Carrying her into the house, he took her to the basement, flipping a light switch at the top of the stairs before descending the staircase into his lair. Glancing over the space, she clutched him tight when her gaze fell on the crypt forged into the back wall.

  “Are you certain about this?” he lowered her to her feet. “I would never take you against your will.”

  Angelique ran her hand down the side of his face, looking into his eyes—dark, endless pools. She could see the love he had for her—true, undeniable love. “I’m not afraid of what you are.”

  Corin caught her hand and held it to his chest, against his heart.


  “This is where you sleep?” Angelique couldn’t stop herself from staring at the crypt.

  “Yes, my shelter during the light of day. It bothers you, the crypt?”

  “It…interests me,” Angelique said. “I told you, I’m not afraid. I want to be here, with you.”

  “I’m sorry the room is such a mess, but I am a bachelor.” He pulled away from her just long enough to light several candles and turn off the annoying light at the top of the stairs.

  “It’s not so bad. It just needs a woman’s touch.”

  “That it does,” Corin agreed, making a detour to turn on some music, setting the stereo to a soft rock station. An old song by REO Speedwagon sounded out—Can’t Fight This Feeling. “This has to be a sign tonight’s meant to be, because I can’t fight it anymore.” Corin climbed into the crypt and pulled Angelique into bed behind him.

  Angelique quivered, his touch sending a powerful surge through her body as he repeated the words of the song, running his lips up one side of her face, across her forehead, and down the other. He gently laid her back, and taking his time, slowly began relieving her of her clothing. She arched with pleasure, tormented with arousal, his hands exploring every bare inch of her flesh before shedding his own clothes and positioning himself over her with his fit, muscled body.

  Burying her hands in his mass of blond hair, she moaned as he suckled her breasts, daring to allow her touch to traverse down, along his torso, making their way to the rippling muscles at his abdomen. Arching again, his exploration tantalized her, teasing her in the worst possible way, until she thought she might die of pure delight.

  Before going any further, Corin suddenly pulled back. “I love you, Angelique,” he looked into her eyes. “You must know that this is more than just sex to me.” He tenderly brushed several strands of hair away from her face.

  “I wouldn’t be here otherwise,” she responded breathlessly.

  “I would give you anything you desired,” he vowed, lowering his forehead onto hers. “Anything in my power to give.”

  “Right now, all I want is you.” She reached up and pulled him to her, wanting release, needing him to satisfy her own insatiable hunger.

  Corin moved into position to fully take her and slowly entered her fiery heat. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him tight, running her hands along the contours of his back. He slid deep, each stroke further building the heat between them until it was a raging furnace. Finally reaching her orgasm, she reveled in the ecstasy, knowing he held back his own release.

  “I’m just getting started,” Corin told her with a soft, proceeding to ravish her body while she rested.

  He caressed and suckled until she could stand no more, then took her again, bringing her to another peak before seeking out his own fulfillment with a muffled growl. Completely sated, they lay together, basking in the aftermath.

  “I will forever praise the fates for this,” Corin traced his fingers along her shoulder. “Do you believe in fate?”

  “I do.” She nestled against him. “And it seems that I am fated for a vampire—fangs and all.”

  Corin laughed, holding her close. “Seriously, do you regret being with me?”

  “I could never regret you, Corin. I’ve never felt so fulfilled. But I am a little afraid.”

  “What are you afraid of…not of me?”

  “No. Of what happens now, I guess. You’re a nightwalker. You live a life I know very little about. How do I know you won’t tire of me tomorrow and walk away?”

  “That’s not going to happen. I love you, Angelique. I have for years.”

  “Years? What do you mean? You’ve only been in Hixton a month. And my father, you mentioned him before. How could you have known him?”

  “I’m not the nephew of Victor von Vadim, Angelique, I am Victor von Vadim,” he confessed. “You probably don’t remember, but I even met you once as Victor, when you were a child.”

  “Are you serious?” She propped herself up with her elbow and looked into his face. “You’re Victor von Vadim? But he was an elderly man and you, well, you’re so young.”

  “I have the ability to make myself appear to age just like a normal, mortal man would. And when I’ve lived out a full human lifetime, I fake my death and return as an heir,” he explained.

  “Wow. I do remember meeting you years ago as Victor.” A childhood memory suddenly resurfaced. “I must have been eight or nine at the time. You came to the farm one evening to see my father and I answered the door. We talked.”

  “I still remember what you said to me that night. You said, ‘Don’t you like people’?”

  “Yes. And you told me you weren’t fond of company…private. You said you might consider leaving the gate open once in a while if you knew you’d be getting a visit from a new friend. You meant me. I can’t believe this. But you never did open the gate.”

  “No. I was respecting your father’s wishes.”

  “But you have now. Why now?”

  “You, Angelique. You’ve bewitched me. But it was also time for the chains to go. I was thinking I’d install an automatic gate system.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Angelique loved the feel of his cool, firm body.

  “Something I’ve been thinking of doing for a while, that should have been done a long time ago.”

  “So, you’ve always been here? For how long? Just how old are you exactly?” Angelique couldn’t hold back the burst of questions.

  “I’ve been walking this earth for over five hundred years.”

  “Five hundred years?” She could hardly believe it. “That’s hard to fathom. The portrait in the corridor, the one I noticed on my first visit, it is you, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” he admitted.

  “I knew it. The eyes gave it away. Your eyes,” she told him. “Intuition was signaling me, but I chose not to listen.”

  “You were led to ignore it,” Corin corrected. “I hated lying to you.”

  “I certainly understand, but I’m glad I now know the truth…about everything. And none of what I’ve learned about you could ever make me love you any less,” she assured him. “It’s amazing though.”

  “What?”

  “That I just made love to a five hundred-year-old vampire.” She smiled and stroked a finger over the dimple in his left cheek, feeling right at home with him in his crypt.

  “Yes, well, I guess there’s no accounting for taste,” he quipped. “But I think I look rather good for my age.”

  “No argument there.” Angelique gave him a warm, tender kiss before snuggling back against him.

  “You do know Tomes is going to kill me if he finds out about this.” He wrapped her in his arms, sliding his fingers through her long tendrils. “I had to hold in what should have been a thundering roar just because I knew he was upstairs. Oh man….”

  “What?”

  “He’ll probably come after me with that machete of his.”

  Angelique giggled at his wit. “He’ll get over it.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it. He’s been perfectly open about what he thinks of me and my kind.”

  “He can’t make my choices for me. In time, I do think he’ll come around.” She leaned over Corin. “Speaking of my brother, I should check in on him soon.”

  “I’ll do that in a little while, besides, you’d know if something was wrong. That connection the two of you share.” Corin suddenly wondered if he’d sensed their lovemaking. “You don’t suppose—”

  “No.” Angelique knew what he was thinking. “Tomes won’t know we’ve been together. We only feel each other when something’s wrong. Pain. Extreme fear. That sort of thing. I don’t know why it happens.”

  “That’s a relief. I’d prefer to keep my head.”

  “Let’s not talk anymore about Tomes. I know how he feels about you, but it really doesn’t matter what he thinks. It’s my life, my choice, and I’ve chosen you.”

  “It would be nice to have his approval, but I w
on’t hold my breath.”

  “Mortal or immortal, human or nightwalker, in my opinion, there’s no one better. And look what you’ve done for him. You’ve risked exposure, not to mention your own life to help him.”

  “I love the way you see me. And I promise you, Angelique, I’ll do everything I can to protect you, your brother, and our town from Boldor. I won’t allow him to destroy us.”

  Angelique knew he meant every word he said. But in spite of everything he’d revealed to her, there remained a mystery about him, leading her to believe he still harbored many secrets. He had lived many lives and no doubt loved other women, something she’d have to accept. Five hundred years was a long time. But maybe the fates were waiting for her—his other half—to find him in life. She truly believed they were meant to be together, and walking trustingly into his world, she was certain of only one thing, that she was in love and fated for a vampire.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The Eleventh Dimension

  Corin left Angelique sleeping in the crypt and slipped upstairs to look in on Tomes, glad to find him resting peacefully. Deciding to check the safety of the house, there was no indication of trouble, but he couldn’t shake a nagging feeling of being watched. Not able to sense Boldor agitated him. The nightwalker’s ability to conceal his presence posed a continual threat to them all.

  Satisfied there was no danger, he drifted to the lanai and took a seat in the darkness, gazing out at the silvery landscape. Wolves howled in the near distance, a curious occurrence. In recent years, he was accustomed to hearing one from time to time, but never so many.

  His thoughts trailed to his late wife. Tears filled his eyes, that old hurt piercing his heart. She had been his friend and consort, and since her, there had been no one else. Until now, with Angelique.

  Corin had met Miralanya when he’d lived as Nevin von Vadim. He’d shared her lifespan with her, loving her for nearly fifty years, using his power to give himself the appearance of aging. Allowing them to grow old together made the situation easier for her to accept. However, with her mortality, death eventually came. Losing her was hell, leaving him to endure the terrible heartache that he still felt all these years later.