by Kira Stone
The cape about his shoulders flared dramatically as Seb stormed inside, giving Teake a glimpse of his muscular butt and another idea to incorporate into his plan.
Steven watched his friend leave in a huff. “Maybe I should go after him.”
“I’ll go,” Lord Allen replied with a faint smile. “I think our other guest would prefer your company over mine.”
As Rainer departed, Steven pointed toward the back of the old farmhouse. “When Rani was renovating, he found a block of slave’s quarters behind the kitchen. They’re now our guest quarters for out-of-town guests.”
“I am certain it will be acceptable,” Teake said, happy that he would be in a private section, away from the owner.
Slave quarters, indeed, Teake thought as he walked into the bedroom. The richly appointed room held a bed, a dresser, two plush chairs and a hot tub. The only slave who might feel at home here would be one who served current fashion.
Something about the room nagged at him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. It certainly didn’t change his plans. “Thank you for allowing us to stay.”
“Just ask Houseboy… err, Forrest… to summon me if you need anything.”
After Steven left, Teake shut the door and started his preparations.
* * *
Sebastian went to the room he used when he spent the night with his friends, something he’d been doing often lately. He’d left clothes in the closet -- black leather, of course -- and felt better for having something clean to wear. But then, as he ran out of things to keep him occupied, his thoughts turned dark and uncomfortable.
There were a few trinkets from his mortal existence left in his possession, but Sebastian didn’t mourn their loss in the fire. Maybe Kassian had been right all along. He did cling to his humanity at times. And look where it got him. “Why me? Why is it always me?”
“Is that a rhetorical question, or do you really want an answer?” Rainer said as he entered the room and joined Sebastian at the window.
“Oh, why not? I could use a laugh.”
“Mother Nature has a plan for you.”
“You mean Gaia? Who cares what she wants? That bitch hasn’t done me any favors.” All he had to do was wait for the Flying Broom Brigade to wake up to the fact that they had the wrong man for the job, and then he could grab life by the balls, make it do his bidding for once. He wasn’t going to answer to anyone again.
Rainer sighed. “You have an obligation to fulfill, Seb.”
“There’s no way the oath can happen now. Kassian won’t let Teake near him. I’m just waiting for my release papers, and then I’m on my own.”
“The Blood Oath isn’t the only reason Gaia binds one being to another.”
Ice trickled down Sebastian’s spine. His family, his life, and now his home had been taken from him by Fate’s whim. What more could be asked of him? What else did he have left to give? “Too bad. She should have consulted me first.”
Rainer retreated to the bed and stretched out on the cranberry colored spread like butter melting on hot toast. The man exuded sex appeal. Normally Seb would drool all over his sexy friend, but tonight his mind wasn’t interested. Any time his thoughts turned to sex lately, Teake was in the picture with him. Teake, who was now probably getting reacquainted with his dead lover. Ewwww.
“Want to talk about it?” Rainer offered.
“About what?”
“About Forrest.”
Seb started pacing from one end of the room to the other, as if that would somehow help him outrun the feelings he didn’t want to deal with. “You killed him. His spirit became your slave. End of story, right?”
“Not exactly.”
“Look, maybe we shouldn’t be talking about this.” Sebastian glanced at the ceiling. He knew from personal experience that it wasn’t comfortable overhearing someone discuss your demise.
That wasn’t an opinion Forrest shared, for he replied, “I won’t be offended, Sebastian. After all, I’m the one who explained it to Rainer. He didn’t realize who I was until a few days ago.”
Though it felt strange talking to Houseboy like a real person, Sebastian had to ask, “How could he not know all these years?”
“It wasn’t time,” the spirit said simply. “I told him when he needed to know.”
“I really don’t get this,” Sebastian said to Rainer.
Rainer swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “During the Blood Oath, there’s a point where I had to be completely open to the forces of nature. Including my own vampire nature, as raw and untamed as it had been the night I was first turned. The witch conducting the oath -- his name was Alfus -- tried to prepare me for what would happen. I thought I could handle it; we all did. Forrest paid the ultimate price for our arrogance. Why he chose to spend all these years serving the man who murdered him is something we haven’t discussed yet.”
Something tickled the back of Seb’s brain, but try as he might, he couldn’t bring the thought out for examination. Instead, he posed another question that had been nagging at him. “Forrest was Teake’s Guardian and lover, right? Why wasn’t he there instead of this Alfus guy?”
Forrest replied, “Davina had sent Teake on a diplomatic mission, a high honor he couldn’t refuse. I wanted to prove I was worthy of being Teake’s life partner so I asked Davina for permission to join with Alfus temporarily -- a skill very few Guardians possess and one that can’t be detected until the attempt is made. I thought I was special. I was wrong.”
“If Davina knew you weren’t likely to survive, why did she agree?” Seb asked.
“A question only she can answer,” Forrest replied. “Right now, you should go to Teake. He needs you.”
Sebastian didn’t think the witch needed anyone, but he wasn’t going to turn down a chance to see Teake. There was still the matter of what happened at the lake to resolve. And if their conversation took a sexual turn, Sebastian wouldn’t mind. Unless… “Would it cause a problem for you if we… uhh… you know…”
“Made love,” Forrest finished for him. “No. Reach him any way you can. But hurry. There’s not much time.”
What the ethereal housekeeper meant by that, Sebastian didn’t know. However, he’d gotten permission from the one person who could put a serious damper on his erotic plans. Now, if only Teake would explain what happened at the pool, they could get back to what the two of them seemed to do best. Letting their bodies do the talking.
And then, once his need for the bewitching human was purged, he could finally turn his attention toward his future.
Chapter 10
Role Reversal
The witch was standing in a circle of candlelight when Sebastian joined him. A golden haze radiated from his naked body. He looked very… healthy. The frightened man from the woods had been conquered, at least temporarily.
“Are you ready to talk?” Sebastian weathered Teake’s probing gaze. He swore he could feel the touch of those moss-green eyes caressing him.
“This circle is protected. Once inside, you will not be able to leave until the spell ends. Do you accept these terms?”
“Seems like pretty fancy arrangements for a simple conversation.”
“There are reasons why these precautions are necessary. I will explain, if you choose to join me.”
“Fine. Whatever. Just don’t make such a big deal out of it. All I want to do is get some answers.” And lick your body from head to toe, Sebastian added silently. “What do I need to do?”
“Step inside the circle.”
Teake reached out for him. As his arm crossed the rim of candles, the flames dimmed. As soon as Sebastian took the witch’s hand, his whole body tingled from contact with the controlled power. Without thinking, Sebastian tried to draw on it.
“No! You must not try to harness the power.” As soon as Sebastian entered the protected circle, Teake let him go.
“What’s the big deal? It’s warm and fuzzy, not dangerous, right?”
“It is far m
ore dangerous than you realize. Let me remind you what can happen when you feel Mother Nature’s power.”
The mental link Sebastian thought had gone suddenly flared to life, pulsing like the heartbeat of a strong, living male. The dormant organ that once pumped blood through his veins gave an unsteady lurch as it tried to match the familiar rhythm. It stilled after a few panicky seconds, leaving Sebastian weak and even more confused. “What the hell just happened to me?”
“Your heart yearns to beat again. It has happened before.”
“When?” Certainly he would remember it, unless… “That’s what happened at the lake, isn’t it? My heart started beating.” Of all the experiences to have wiped from his memory, why did it have to be that one? “Tell me.”
“You don’t remember?”
“No. Nothing.” Damn it!
Teake’s gaze turned sorrowful. “Then you must relive it once more.”
As if he were watching a movie in his head, Sebastian saw himself in the lake with the witch. He saw his eyes close, his face tilt toward the night sky. What looked like moonbeams danced around his head.
No sound came with the slow-mo replay, but it was obvious something had gone wrong between one second and the next. In response to his distress, Teake placed Sebastian’s hand against his pulse. Water slapped against his chest as they argued.
A few seconds later, Sebastian watched in horrified fascination as he died, then became a vampire reborn. He could easily guess what would happen next. Gruff, scarcely able to speak, he said, “Turn it off. I don’t want to see any more.”
“Soon,” Teake told him. “You must be aware of the danger.”
That’s what caused his sphincter to quiver. Sebastian didn’t want to watch himself become a monster. The hungers that would drive him nearly insane, cause him to slake his appetites for food, power and lust on any available prey. Willing or not…
The continuing stream of images bore out his fears. He watched himself throw Teake against the rock ledge, force himself between the witch’s legs and bite down hard on the tender flesh at the nape of his neck. Even through a thick layer of self-loathing, Sebastian was aroused by the sight. The surge of lust that would punch him in the gut as he dined on adrenaline-laden blood. The firm, warm flesh rubbing against his cock. The fear his victim -- Teake! -- would endure as Sebastian toyed with his prey. It was heady ambrosia.
And it was terribly, terribly wrong.
The scene ended when his body went slack and slipped beneath the water’s black surface. “Channeling the magic did that? Turned me into that…”
Teake nodded. “It seems that when you come in contact with magic, you attempt to merge with it. The same power that sustains all life tries to do the same for you. You live, if only briefly. And then your body reverts to its true nature when the power is withdrawn. Each time it happens the consequences become more severe.”
“That’s not what I am. I’ve never raped for sex or blood, not even the first time.” Although then it hadn’t been for a lack of trying. Kassian had him tied to the stout bed before the transition was complete, the sheets still drenched with their cum, sweat and blood. He’d made Sebastian beg for every bit of relief he got during those first few hours of ravenous appetites. Training him to obey, as one might housebreak a puppy.
Sebastian refused to go through that anguish again. Ever. “I want out of this oath. To hell with the consequences.”
Teake nodded his head gravely. “As you wish.”
The witch muttered a few words, none that Sebastian recognized. The ring of candles grew into tall columns of light. He noticed that the invisible thread connecting them had become visible again. “Is that supposed to happen?”
“Yes.” Sweat dripped from Teake’s brow, a rainstorm of effort. “It will not be painless. Prepare yourself.”
Hair ripped out by the roots. That’s what it felt like at first. Then molten pain encased his entire skull. He clutched his head with both hands as he doubled over in pain. “What the fuck? Are you trying to kill me?”
“No, Sebastian,” Teake said, his voice tight with strain. “I am setting you free.”
Sebastian couldn’t think. The pain inside his head was too great. It encompassed everything, searing each synapse. And then, just as he thought he could stand no more and still survive, the ring of flames extinguished themselves. The spell had ended.
Sebastian looked at the witch and saw a white cord dangling limply from Teake’s wrist. “You said that wasn’t possible. You said you couldn’t break the link without dire consequences or some such crap.”
“That is true.” Teake paled. He surveyed the room a bit wildly, as if desperate to find something he’d misplaced. Anxiety etched new lines on his face. “There are serious consequences for what I have done, I assure you. Nonetheless, you are free.”
“What kind of consequences?” Sebastian didn’t want to be blindsided by trouble this might cause him down the road.
“I am no longer a witch,” Teake admitted with a wan smile.
Sebastian couldn’t have heard him right. “What did you just say?”
Not since the day he’d learned Forrest was dead had Teake known such loss. The process he’d started at the lake was now complete. The one constant in his life, his magic, had been locked behind a mental door. He could feel nothing. He was dead inside. Was this what it felt like to be a vampire?
“Answer me,” Sebastian demanded, shaking him by the shoulders.
“I terminated the flow of magic between myself and Mother Earth.” Teake started to tremble. He’d read about the process in textbooks. None of them mentioned how to deal with the grief of losing one of the most precious gifts in the world.
The other precious gift Teake stood to lose gaped at him with mistrustful blue eyes. “You wouldn’t. You couldn’t.”
Teake touched Sebastian’s face, stroked his cheek. How many more times would the vampire allow his caress now that he no longer had access to the magic Sebastian found so seductive? “I did.”
“Why?”
“I revere life, Sebastian. All life.”
As if pole-axed right between the eyes, Sebastian blinked in stunned surprise. “Even my life?”
“Especially yours. When my magic flows through you, your heart struggles to beat in time with mine. But when the spell is released, you die again. I know how much it hurts you because I am with you every step of the way. I will not be the instrument of your torture, not for my Prima. Not even for Gaia.”
Sebastian clearly didn’t know what to say to that. He tried several times, but nothing came out of his throat.
Teake couldn’t wait forever for the vampire to find his missing words. He needed to sit down before his legs gave way. “Please, if you would just help me to the bed. It is the last thing I will ask of you.”
Distracted, Sebastian said, “Yeah, sure.”
Though Teake thought he could manage the short distance, his knees buckled after two steps. Sebastian caught him easily, but the vampire’s tight grip around his waist caused Teake to cry out in pain.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sebastian scooped him up and cradled him to his chest. His eyes roamed the bruises now visible on Teake’s body. “Someone really worked you over. Why didn’t I notice before? Who did this to you?”
It felt so good to have strong arms hold him. Sebastian’s arms. He gave in to his desire to burrow into the vampire’s caring embrace. “Witches live unnaturally long lives because the earth sustains them. Since I no longer draw on her power, I am also without her strength to support me.”
“Blocking your power put these bruises all over you? That doesn’t seem right.” Sebastian set Teake down on the plush mattress, then turned to the bedside table to light the lamp.
“No, cutting myself off from the life force that sustains every living thing means I can no longer project the glamour of perfect health. Now you see me as I truly am.”
“Then who did this to you?” Sebastian demanded.
“You did.”
Though they no longer shared a mental connection, Teake could see the vampire pass recent memories across his mind. The first fight, in the center of the maze. Then again, at the quarry where they wrestled on the rocks.
Sebastian dropped onto the bed beside him. When he spoke, his voice was numb. “I did this.”
Teake stretched out his hand to offer comfort, but Sebastian flinched away from his icy fingers. “Do not let it concern you.”
“Shut up,” Sebastian replied. “Better yet, tell me what I can do to heal you.”
“There is nothing.” Nothing aside from restoring his power. That Teake wouldn’t do, though it could very well cost him his life.
“I can’t just leave you like this!”
“What else might my sacrifice have been for, if not to free you from my side?” He closed his eyes, no longer having the energy to keep them open. Almost immediately, darkness pressed in. It plundered his soul, stealing what little light remained. He jerked away from it, thrusting himself back into the waking world, but moaned as pain wracked his body.
Sebastian started to ease off the bed. “Let me get Rainer. He’ll know what to do.”
“No!” It left him gasping for air, but his hoarse shout froze Sebastian in his tracks. When he was able to continue, Teake said, “No one can help me. No one has been where I am. I must learn to accept the company of darkness on my own.”
“Not necessarily.”
“What do you mean?”
Sebastian did stand up this time. His hands worked at shedding his leather clothes as he replied, “Been there, done that. Well, kind of. I mean, I was entering my novitiate when I met Kassian, so I never became a full-fledged witch. But I do know what it’s like to fight the emptiness that comes when you close your eyes.”
Teake devoured the sight of Sebastian’s lithe, naked form. He had hoped for another bout of love play before sealing off his connection to Gaia, but it hadn’t worked out that way. His one regret…
Sebastian blew out the flame burning in the oil lamp beside the bed, then crawled under the covers. “At least I can keep your body company while your mind is going through hell.”