by Danica Avet
He had a feeling Ruby was becoming more relaxed with him and he relished it. He’d worried she would run while he was out hunting, but she proved to be a woman of her word, something he admired even though it had never mattered to him before. She touched a part of his psyche he’d never bothered to care about.
Ruby’s hands fiddled with the tassels on one of the massive throw pillows he had on the sofa, twirling the tassels clockwise, then counterclockwise. He wondered if she was aware she couldn’t keep still.
“What did you do for fun on your land?” he asked unexpectedly, almost surprised to hear his own voice.
The tassels stopped twirling as she turned to him. Her black eyes reflected the television screen. “I played RPGs and hunted a lot. Took care of my garden, things like that.”
Lucian was surprised. “You role-play?” He knew that meant video games, but somehow the idea of her role-playing in the bedroom presented itself and wouldn’t shake loose.
She grinned impishly. “I’m damned good at it.”
He bet she was. “You also hunt?” It wasn’t unheard of for females to be great hunters in the Veil, but the modern world didn’t require such a skill as much as it had in the past.
She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Pulling her knees to her chest, she said, “After we lost everything, my dad took to trapping and hunting in the swamps around our house. He taught me everything he knew, and when he died”─she swallowed hard as though trying to compose herself─“when he died, I kept up the tradition.”
Unable to help himself, Lucian extended one hand and touched her shoulder, offering her comfort. He knew what it was like to lose someone so close to you and have it torment you endlessly. “I’m sorry.”
Ruby shrugged, letting out a soundless laugh. “He wouldn’t have liked that I still get weepy over it. He believed life was for living.”
“How about your mother?”
“I don’t remember her. Dad said she was his greatest love and when he talked about her, I could see it was true. After she died, he never tried to meet other women. It was just the two of us.” Her eyes were vacant as though she were thinking about her parents and their love.
Something about Ruby touched his heart, and Lucian wasn’t sure he liked it. She was his responsibility, not really a prospective mate, but his body and soul weren’t in sync with his mind. They wanted to comfort her, brand her with his touch.
He shook himself out of his reverie. His duty to Council and his family were more important to him than anything else. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.
“What is the Oculum-se?” she asked out of the blue, startling Lucian into realizing they’d been sitting in silence for several minutes. His hand was still on her shoulder and he removed it before answering.
“I’m apprenticed to the Oculum,” he said unnecessarily. He was sure Kali had already told her that. “I made my intentions to join Council clear before I went into the Guardians Academy. Once I graduated, I petitioned for the position and, after about fifty years, I was accepted as Bianca’s apprentice. I have a feeling she pressed for me to be accepted since I didn’t have much experience.”
“Bianca is the Oculum?” Ruby asked almost absently.
Lucian nodded. “She hands out assignments for me to fulfill, one of which was to track down the last Chieftain. She’s ready to retire from Council, so it won’t be much longer until I’m promoted,” he told her with satisfaction.
Ruby was back to twirling the tassels on the pillow, her attention seemingly concentrated on the task, but Lucian had a feeling she was thinking about his words. “So your Council seat is important to you,” she said as a statement, not a question.
“The seat is what I live for, Ruby. I know you don’t understand, but a councilor is the true Guardian of the Veil. There are so many problems that need to be addressed, laws that need to be put in place, so many things to change, and I want to be a part of it.” For a second, his thoughts touched on his brother, Bernard. If only he’d been Oculum before Bernard died, he thought mournfully.
She didn’t say anything, just nodded. “I think I’m going to grab a book and go upstairs,” she said sending him a quick, empty smile. “Thanks for supper and the chat.”
Lucian watched her walk out of the den, wondering if he’d gotten through to her. She had to realize the lives of many outweighed the life and freedom of one.
* * * *
Ruby spent the next two nights reading as much as she could about the Veil. Since her conversation with Lucian, she had to agree with him that things needed to change. Most of the laws she’d come across in her reading were archaic to say the least.
One law in particular was downright barbaric. It stated that any vampire without the backing of a house, the term used for a family group, was considered a hazard to the Veil and mundane society and would be destroyed. The reasoning behind this law was that vampires needed to have their feedings regulated by someone and family groups were considered best able to handle it. Ruby suspected if you had problems within the house, vampires had nowhere else to go. There was nothing in the law saying vampires cast out of their houses weren’t able to group together to form their own house. It just seemed wrong, as though they were slaves to their families.
She sank back into the overstuffed sofa. Ruby had come to the den after another delicious meal while Lucian went out to hunt. Tonight, she’d made a pot of gumbo instead of having Lucian pick something up. Since there was nothing left, Ruby knew Lucian heartily approved of her cooking.
Absently twirling the tassel of the pillow she was lounging on, she smiled. Lucian was a very entertaining host. He was always solicitous of her needs, making sure she didn’t skip meals even though she’d laughingly told him it had never been a problem before. When they finished eating, they adjourned to the den where they either watched television or played one of the millions of video games he seemed to own.
The day before, she’d woken up before Lucian, feeling a compulsive need to go to the gym. Since she’d never once considered working out in a structured manner, she found her desire to push her body to its limit very strange. When she entered the gym, she immediately moved to a punching bag. Without even knowing she knew such things, she’d begun a series of kicks and punches, progressing to combination moves that set the bag swinging.
At some point, Ruby became aware of Lucian standing in the doorway, watching her with silent intensity. Feeling like a fool in front of such an athletic male, she’d stopped.
Lucian had sauntered in, his scent filling the room.
“Those were some impressive moves,” he’d said as he went to a small fridge in the corner and threw her a bottle of water.
Glad to have something to do other than stand there looking like an idiot, Ruby gulped the water. “I don’t know what came over me,” she finally admitted when he just stood. “I’ve never studied martial arts or anything, but when I woke up, I had to get some of this energy out.”
He stroked his chin thoughtfully for several seconds. “There’s a theory in the Veil, that when a Chieftain dies and passes his powers on to his successor, he also passes all the knowledge and skills he gained throughout his life as well as the life of his predecessors. I’m guessing you picked up the combat skills from your line.”
Ruby gaped at him. “So you’re telling me everything every Elk Fire Chieftain knew, I know?” She laughed, grabbing her sides as she doubled over. This was impossible. Stuff like this didn’t happen in the real world. There’s no way she could know everything the people before her knew just because she’d inherited Julius’ powers. Of course, being able to inherit someone’s powers through throttling didn’t happen in the real world either, she thought ruefully, sobering.
Lucian just smiled at her indulgently. “It’ll be okay, you know. You’re new to this, but it’ll become second nature to you soon. The Chieftains were some of the most powerful beings in the Veil. Those combat skills might come in handy,” h
e told her with a shrug as though he didn’t really believe that.
When she’d woken up this afternoon, she’d gone back to the gym, unable to help herself. She was amazed at the things she could do. Flying kicks, roundhouse kicks, rapid punch kick combinations that left the punching bag wobbling erratically.
It was a heady feeling, she thought as she stretched out on the sofa. She felt lethal, powerful. Her muscles ached, but it was a pleasant sensation.
She closed her eyes, letting herself relax completely. Her mind took off like a shot, causing panic to tighten her body but she fought off the fear and forced herself to see what her subconscious wanted to show her.
Again, she saw the Chieftains who’d come before her like a roll call. Each of them were fighting, their movements so graceful it almost seemed like dancing. They whirled, they kicked out, and grappled with unknown opponents. Every stance was imprinted in her brain, her muscles memorizing the movements.
They spoke to her about her responsibilities, telling her it was her destiny to make herself available to anyone who needed her powers. They told her about her potential.
Ruby soaked it all in, her eyes moving rapidly behind closed lids. She thirsted for knowledge and knew in this moment, she was finally getting in touch with her powers as a Chieftain. She might not be quite ready for the big test, but she was preparing herself for it.
“Hey, you okay?” Lucian’s voice brought her out of the light trance she’d fallen into.
Ruby’s eyes popped open and she blinked at him blearily. For a moment, he appeared surrounded by a nimbus of golden light, but it soon dissipated.
“I’m fine, just resting my eyes,” she mumbled as she sat up.
He looked at her curiously. “You’re sweating. Were you working out?”
Ruby nibbled on her lip, nodding. She didn’t want to tell him she’d just experienced her first full immersion into her powers. It seemed like a very private thing, so she kept it to herself. The Chieftains had shown her how to move her body with lethal precision. It would come in very handy if she had to fight against Council, or against Lucian. “I’m good. I’ll go take a shower. Maybe tonight I’ll kick your ass in Guitar Hero,” she told him with forced lightness, quickly exiting the den.
* * * *
Lucian watched Ruby leave, his eyebrows lowering in thought. She’d looked as though she were sleeping when he walked in, except she didn’t look rested. He wanted to follow her and find out exactly what was going on, but had a feeling she wouldn’t welcome his questions.
He sat back, turning the television on. Tonight’s hunt had been successful as usual, but he felt on edge. Two days with Ruby had him hanging onto his control by a thread. She was an interesting woman. She was quick with a challenge and never backed down from any he issued. They hadn’t progressed far beyond playing video games, but he had a feeling her natural aggression would translate very well to the bedroom.
Lucian blew out a loud breath. He didn’t need to think about Ruby and a bedroom. She was temptation incarnate. Sharing his home with her gave him a different view of her than if they’d met up and had sex somewhere. She was a very deep thinker, asking questions about the Veil while they dined, her mind never seeming to rest.
When he’d come downstairs the day before to find her working on the punching bag like a whirling dervish, he’d come close to losing his composure. Seeing her kick and punch, weaving in an intricate pattern around the bag, had nearly laid him out with lust. Sweat had clung to her body, dampening yet another one of his sweatshirts, making it cling to her full breasts. Watching her fight an invisible foe, his body had tightened to the point of pain. He wanted her like nothing else. Not even his forays into his regular hunting ground could make him forget her.
Since the moment he’d seen her back at the hotel, he wanted no other. His prey frequently begged him to make love to them, but he just gave them their orgasm through his bite and left, not wanting them to touch him. If it weren’t for his need for blood, he wouldn’t have left his house. He refused to feed from Ruby since she was his unwilling guest. The urge to do so was strong, stronger than he could believe, but he wouldn’t abuse his powers as a host in such a way.
He hadn’t realized how long he was contemplating his attraction for Ruby and what it meant until he heard her come into the den again. She stepped into the room, bringing the exotic scent of jasmine with her. His nostrils flared though he fought the urge to look at her. He could smell the mint of her toothpaste, could feel the heat of her skin. If he looked at her, he might lose his control.
“So, Guitar Hero tonight?” she asked as though her strange behavior from before had never existed.
Lucian gave himself a mental shake. He could do this. He had to fight the overwhelming urge to attempt a bonding and remember that she was meant for Council, not him. “Sure,” he said just as lightly, setting up the game.
Chapter Fifteen
The days rapidly progressed in the same manner. They would dine together, Lucian would leave to hunt, and Ruby would either work out or devour books about the Veil. When he returned to the house, they’d watch television or play a game.
Ruby loved the time she spent with him even while she worried that growing closer to Lucian was a bad idea. Even while her mind knew this, her heart found he was a wonderful man even if he’d kidnapped her. If he asked her to help him kidnap someone else, she might’ve even helped. Can anyone say Stockholm syndrome, she griped to herself on the eighth night of her capture.
She’d quickly grown comfortable with him, learning about his work as the Oculum-se, seeing how passionate he was about his goals. Ruby admired his determination to do the best he could for everyone in the Veil, not just his own race. He was a font of knowledge when it came to the various laws in the Veil, explaining them to her in a way she found informative and endearing.
Ruby wandered around the house after he left. Every night he asked her not to leave. It’d become something of a habit with them. He’d ask her not to leave while he was out, and she’d tell him she wasn’t going anywhere. She didn’t think he believed she would run off so much as he just wanted to make sure she was aware she held his trust.
Ruby flipped open one of the many texts she’d already studied from cover to cover. She’d learned so much about the Veil and its inhabitants she almost felt prepared for a life within it. She’d learned nymphs were generally very shy beings who were born under one of four elements: earth, air, water, or fire. She’d learned they were at odds with the succubi, both groups establishing that the other was the cause of The Great Fire of 1666.
The sheer number of magical and mythical beings on record was staggering, and Ruby sometimes felt as though she’d fallen down a rabbit hole. She was supposed to believe there were dwarves and centaurs running around and not worry? When she’d told Lucian about her disbelief, he’d comforted her by explaining the more exotic of the races tended to stay as far from civilization as possible to protect themselves, but as the world was becoming more populated, they were having to relocate to other dimensions.
Knowing there were other worlds other than the one she lived in almost made Ruby hyperventilate, but she figured if she’d come this far, she could take it. She wasn’t quite ready to delve into how travel was possible between them, or where the worlds were, or even which of the races had moved beyond, but she was willing to accept the idea in a very abstract way.
Ruby knew the time was coming when she had to make an escape, no matter how comfortable she’d grown with Lucian. Their time together just gave him a better chance of wiggling his way into her heart. He’s already there, her brain told her. You let him in and he’ll own you soon.
Ruby shook her head to banish the thought. Not once had he given her any indication he wanted to own her or have anything but a purely platonic relationship with her. They’d become fast friends because of their love of video games and their competitive natures. It felt nice, she thought with a sigh.
He never ment
ioned a woman in his life, so Ruby imagined he either had too many women in his life, or he wasn’t as sexually interested in her as she’d thought he was. Sometimes she’d see a darkness in his eyes that hinted at passion, but when he saw her looking, the fires banked and he was back to being the charming vampire who had become her friend.
Ruby grumbled and put the latest tome away. She hated feeling out of control, but her feelings for Lucian were growing whether she wanted them to or not.
Leaning back against the stuffed sofa, she stared at the ceiling. Thunderstorms had threatened all day, and the promise was fulfilled at dusk. Rain beat against the roof while thunder rolled ominously. The energy in the air was palpable. Lucian was out hunting, but wouldn’t be long. He seemed to find it difficult to leave, and even when Ruby promised she wouldn’t do anything so he could have some fun, he rejected the promise and stated he had more fun with her than he would out and about.
Trying not to think he might be enjoying her company as much as she enjoyed his, Ruby got up to wander the room, feeling strangely restless. Something was pulling at her mind and she hadn’t been able to concentrate on the books all evening. Her workout had been especially hard and she should’ve felt drained, but instead felt charged with energy.
Without being aware of moving, Ruby realized she was upstairs, prowling her room. She scoffed lightly, feeling a flame of anger light within her. It wasn’t her room, a calm voice told her. It was her cage, and she’d let herself become content with it. She’d allowed herself to be held as a pampered prisoner.
The flame began to burn brighter until she had to escape her prison, which wasn’t big enough to contain the movements of her fury. What had caused this sudden change in emotions, she wondered as though from far away. She watched herself stalk back and forth down the hallway, her face a study of anger. Her fury was like a living thing, clawing to get out of her body. It was as though she’d crossed some invisible barrier and all the rage and uncertainty she’d pushed to the side since she’d come to Lucian’s home was back, howling for vengeance.