by Kate Gallwey
He didn’t show it on his face but his body language told me he was very nervous and uncertain. This pleased me.
We danced to the end of the evening and it was actually fun, he didn’t try to talk and was an excellent partner. When the music stopped he bowed again and asked if I would walk with him in the gardens.
I felt wary again but had enjoyed the dance and his manners were impeccable. So I let him take my hand again and lead me to the extensive gardens. The night was filled with stars and a crescent white moon with the scents of jasmine and honeysuckle travelling on gentle breezes. Night birds sang sweetly in the trees and water trickled somewhere in the darkness. It was a beautiful garden and I was enchanted. He led me over a small bridge to a gazebo surrounded by a stream; it has thick bushes of roses and honeysuckle both with pretty white flowers that reflected the moonlight.
We were all alone in this magical place, an oasis in the sprawling city of Paris and he let go of my hand and I sat on the stone bench in the delicate gazebo. He was trying to be as non-threatening as possible and I moved to the railing of the little structure and gazed across this manufactured paradise.
“How are you?” he asked, opening the conversation. A stilted beginning, but he had to start somewhere.
“Good, thank you.”
He was struggling to find the words and I wasn’t feeling generous enough to help him, so silence fell. But even that felt alright.
His next words surprised me.
“I miss you.” I turned to face him.
“Do you?”
“Yes, without you I have felt mostly dead.” Lucian was discussing his feelings. What was the world coming to? I turned to face him and let him continue.
“Without you, I behave very badly and with you I fear you are going to leave me alone forever and I know that I can not make you stay, I know to that I need you. I always have.”
This last came out in a rush and I actually warmed to him, just a small bit. So I smiled slightly. Someone had given him lessons on talking to females and he had listened. He found more of the right words.
“I deeply regret the things I did to you. I hurt you and have given you no reason to trust me or even like me, but there were good times as well at least in the early days and I would very much like to be in your life even if it was in some small way. Can we start again?”
I felt a rush of blood through my ears and I needed to go away and think about what he had said. He had moved me and I had not expected that. The night and the flowers were going to my head and I needed the cold light of day to think this through.
“I will think about it.” I said and started to move towards the bridge. He got up and moved suddenly towards me, I was alarmed, and he pulled back as he realised what he had done. He didn’t touch me but I could see that he wanted to. His face showed panic and fear of all things.
I react thoughtlessly sometimes to strong emotion and I reached to him, touching his face in wonder at this change in him. I looked into his eyes looking for the deceit and not finding any.
“Please,” he said, swallowing his pride. “I need you.” His teeth were gritted and he did not like begging in this manner. But he did it because I was important to him and what he said was true. I was shaken at what I saw in him and dropped my hand and left him and, testing him, I moved to the bridge. I thought fast.
He moved forward to stop me but checked himself and stood still all alone in the night.
I turned to him and said. “There is a human expression ‘All roads lead to Rome’.” I walked off into the night, then ‘ported to my Island Home to think.
CHA
PTER EIGHT
hOunD Of luCifer
I really wasn’t sure how to play this hand, but since I had planned to go to Rome next anyway, I thought I would just wing it, confident in the knowledge that I was better at games of this nature than Lucian. Over confidence is quite a weakness and hindsight is a lovely tool to beat yourself with.
There was a library in Rome that held a lot of magic knowledge that had been stolen by the humans who thought it evil and had placed them in a deep underground vault, I wanted to read them.
I had arranged to have a cover as a daughter of a very minor noble of an almost bankrupted estate near Lake Bracciano just outside Rome. She had recently died at the monastery where she had been sent for bad behaviour and I took her place. She had been eighteen years old and very feisty and the cover suited me very well, I darkened my hair and lost about an inch off my height and as she had been away from home for two years there were expected changes. Her name was Lady Serena De La Bracciano, now it was mine.
I arrived at her estate and was welcomed home by ‘my Mother’, who merely sniffed and went back to her rooms. ‘My Father’ blustered and after a mental push from my side, said he was going to present me at court in the next week to find me a husband. I was sent to ‘my’ suite to rest, meals where sent up and I was not expected to come out until called for, it was not a very functional family.
Baron De La Bracciano, ‘my Father’, had a gambling problem and all that remained of the family fortune was the manor house. The house was about two hours coach drive away from the King’s summer palace, and spring was just over.
King Serbio was a middle aged weak man, he was a puppet king to his religious masters in the Vatican and he knew it. But he did his part, which was to hold parties and go to the theatre; he was the society puppet King who signed everything that came out of the Vatican. His wife had four sons and had left the court to bring their children up in a more ‘suitable’ environment. Basically they had argued and she had left him alone, floundering in the shark pool of the Roman court.
When ‘Serena’ was presented at court, it didn’t take much to get myself into the King’s bed, he was really sweet and after he found he could actually perform he would do anything I asked. I moved into a huge suite in the palace and visited the King every night. We kept up an illusion for he was far more interested in cards and chess than sex and we would play for an hour then I would leave. I got a position in court away from my ‘parents’ and he got a reputation for having a hot young mistress, everybody wins.
I was really after the books and scrolls under the Vatican for they contained many stolen works of magic and histories of Demon races and I stole a few every night and read them and put them back.
At dawn, one morning I was moving through the departing shadows back to my rooms at the palace when there was a tall Demon with a sword came out to prevent my passage and he attacked. I reacted with my own sword and found him an excellent swordsman it was not easy to disarm him but I did. I had my sword at his throat when I looked directly at him. It was Torek.
I tried to shake free some memories for I didn’t actually remember Torek, but I did remember a silver eyed youth from Babylon and from the battle of Atlantis. He had grown up and had challenged me.
I was going to kill him, he had it coming and his face reminded me of someone that made me highly uncomfortable…. but something inside me shouted ‘STOP!’ I backed off, confused and he bowed with grace, retrieved his sword and disappeared into the night.
I had spared him, but I didn’t know why he had attacked me but he now knew I was here and could inform Lucian. Oh well, was that not part of the reason for being here in Rome?
I went back to my rooms a waited for Lucian to arrive.
He was only about a week.
Arriving with full pomp and ceremony, he was the Prince Lucian of Linea and he was looking for a wife. I was sitting with the single ladies of the court and they all looked him over and thought he was just fabulous. He had a twenty gorgeous entourage, all Hellions dressed as humans in Lucian’s colours of red and gold and the Captain of his guard was the silver eyed one who had attacked me the other week.
His ‘father’ had known the King and with some flattery on Lucian’s part, a friendship of sorts was struck. This was a rather unexpected turn of events, I had not prepared for Lucian playing human. I
t might be a bit of a challenge.
The Royal Roman Court was also introduced to the Prince of Linea’s best friend and sworn brother, Lord Tuvak, the silver eyed Hellion that looked like someone I needed to kill.
Prince Lucian was formally introduced to the Lady Serena and the other ladies of the Court, he bowed very low and announced that his father the King of Linea deemed that it was time that he found a bride and he was seeking a fair maiden for her hand in marriage. He was looking directly at me when he said this, surely I was wrong or misunderstanding things here, did he really want to marry me?
It made for an interesting time; Prince Lucian pursued the Lady Serena for her hand in marriage, in spite of the fact that she was the King’s Mistress. Lucian was very persistent and I have shown a weakness for persistent men before, some things never change .
I reminded myself that I was still angry and hurt because of all the things he had done, I thought about leaving but that felt like running away, so as they say ‘I played it cool’.
I danced with him and was coolly polite and made sure that we were never alone. This worked for about a month.
He found me reading in the large maze that wrapped about the grounds beside the Summer Palace. I found a cool shady area and while the Court slept in the afternoon heat, I read my stolen volumes on Demon magic.
“You are avoiding me.” He stated.
“Am I?” it is so annoying when you are answered with another question and I wanted to be annoying.
“Yes.”
“Have I been avoiding you or has the Lady Serena?”
“They are one and the same.”
“No, they are not” I said, closing my book with a snap, “Lady Serena is the Mistress of the King and is subject to his will and the will of her father, I am not.”
“So the Lady Serena has been avoiding me. What of the Lady Lillith?
He was good at this and caught on fast and I smiled at him.
“The Lady Lillith has been rather busy.”
“Is she busy now?” He held out his hand to help me to my feet. “I guess not.” I took his hand and got up and he pulled me close into his arms. I stiffened and we looked into each others eyes. There was a moment where time stood still and it felt so right being in his arms again. But the past still reared its ugly memories and I pulled away.
I do believe that all life forms are part of each other but I am not half of a whole that needs a mate to complete me but I could feel a strong pull towards Lucian and it irritated me, and I left him, more angry with myself and my own reaction than him. He didn’t follow..
So I took a trip to my ‘family’ home on the lake at La Bracciano it was about two hours journey from the Royal Court and I felt like I needed some space from all the intrigue and politics…..and Lucian. I went alone by coach and though it was a bumpy ride I threw a small spell under the wheels and that smoothed out the journey nicely.
It was a pleasant journey through the sunny woods and the road was wide and easy, until you get to the last four miles approaching my ‘family’ manor house where it got to a dark and winding road.
As we left the Court, Lord Tuvak joined us with four others as an ‘honour’ guard, he had been trying to follow me about all month, seeing where I go and who I was with, what I was doing etc. and this was getting annoying.
I shut the coach curtains and ‘ported up ahead to the dark part of the woods and set a large trap, the spells were set not to kill but to hold and to terrify. I was going to amuse myself; I would pick them up on the way back and see how it had gone.
I watched as the trap encircled all four of them and then spent the day listening to my ‘Mother’ tell me all about the troubles in her life, she was very vocal and waved her hands around as she talked. She wanted me stop being the shame of her existence and to find a nice rich husband and settle down and have lots of bambinos. Humans!
I left in the afternoon and found an extremely pissed off Tuvak. He was furious. Their horses had run off during the day and Tuvak stood in the middle of the road and forced my coach to stop. He didn’t say a word just gave me the ‘stare’ and radiated his anger and disapproval. He fascinated me in his anger, I couldn’t read him in any way and I was curious about him. He was drenched in mud, leaves, wood shavings and other forest debris, his long black hair was tangled, sweaty and matted, and he actually got in the coach with me and sat across from me and scowled. I smiled sweetly and asked, “Pleasant day?” He didn’t say a word, just radiated his anger and dripped mud on the floor of the coach.
His warriors got up on top of the coach with the coachman and we set off back to the Summer Palace.
He fell asleep.
Now, I have a certain pride that most males, that are inclined towards females, find my presence on at least some level, stimulating. He fell asleep. He had an exhausting day playing with my magic, but I didn’t expect this.
I got a bit huffy about his behaviour and literally threw him out of the coach at the gates of the Palace. I would have thrown him out before this but I found him quite fascinating while asleep. He had really thick midnight black hair that went down to his hips, usually held back by a piece of leather, now it was a tangled mess and made him look like a dishevelled god. His eyelashes were just as thick and settled on his sculptured cheeks with a perfection that confused me with my fixation. He had full red lips that irritated me by their perfection.
He was a Hellion and I wanted a taste, this was not right he was the enemy! He was built lean and tall with long legs, all sculptured and beautiful. His skin was the palest of pinks and covered with scratches, thanks to my spells. I felt something stir in me for this being and I wasn’t pleased.
So as we slowed down for the gates to open I hurled him into the bushes by the gates and caused a wind to blow his four companions off my coach.
CHA
PTER NINE
seDuCtiOn
Lucian took me to a pretty bench overlooking a busy human port and out to sea. The Mediterranean was a rich aqua blue and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. He watched me as I looked over the view. I could hear the little wheels in his head wondering on how to behave and get what he wanted.
So I decided to be blunt.
“What do you want from me, Lucian?”
“I want you in my life again, to wake up with you and to share every sunrise and sunset.” He had been reading poetry, but it sounded good. “ Do you even know what you did to me that drove me out of my mind?” He looked down and I continued.
“I settled down in that beautiful mountainous region that you found me with a human husband and with great hardship and pain bore him a child, a son who had many daughters and one grandson. He was that little boy that you casually backhanded across the hall and broke his neck ending his short little life. Your words of regret of the past cannot take away the contempt that you have shown for my children, many humans now carry my blood line and I now consider each human you and yours have slain part of my blood family. You owe me a debt of blood that you could never repay.”
I had not planned on telling all that but it just flooded out. He looked shocked at this information; it hadn’t occurred to him that I could have children.
I walked away down the hill a little as I remembered the past again and he followed; there was a silence as I gave him the chance to respond.
“I could at least try and make you happy now; I cannot undo what has been done before. I also have changed in the many years that have passed. Maybe we can start again, if you were to wed me and live with me at my home at La Linea, I can show you how I have changed.” Persistent bastard.
“Me, live with your pack of dogs? I don’t think so.” I laughed at the thought. “There would be a lot of bloodshed.” I continued.
He was relieved at the change of tone.
“Perhaps, but I would honour you and cherish you in the long years ahead, and as you have said I owe you a blood debt, come and collect. We are the same kind and are stronger together than ap
art. I need you, more than you need me; I know this and am willing to learn to be your partner and mate.”
He grinned and I felt like the sun had doubled in its intensity. He was so beautiful.
“Marry me and I will show you how I have transformed. I will swear to you that I will not kill humans again.” He added, as an after thought. “Unless in defence.”
I moved close to him and touched his face. “I’m not sure I believe you, yet.”
The sun was setting and the sunset was simply beautiful, all reds and golds that intensified as we watched, we turned and stood for a long while as it sank into the sea.
Lucian continued his pursuit of the Lady Serena by buying up her father’s gambling debts and thereby ensuring his support of his suit. He also went to the Queen and invited her to return to Court, she was due back in the next few weeks and Lady Serena’s position got very precarious. I watched all this with growing amusement. He had shown that in the games that people play with one another that he was a good player. But he had always shown great skill in battle and this was just a different field and a fairly bloodless one.
He had presented Lady Serena with several chests of gold and silver and many fine bolts of cloth and silk and on bended knee proposed to me in front of the whole Royal Roman Court. I merely raised an eyebrow and said I would think about it and walked away. The King was furious with me and told Lucian that of course I would accept his hand. He announced that there will be a huge wedding in one month’s time where he would personally give away the bride along with her Father; this was considered a great honour he was showing me. I kept my eyes low and played my part. I had agreed to nothing.
I kept a low profile the next few days, though they were quite a few dress fittings and sewing parties. I can sew if I have to, but find it very tedious.
Not long after there was a message sent up to me from the port in Rome that an old friend was in town. It was Haldean the Pirate, though he was Captain Angus Haldean to the port authorities. He was a tall mix blood of demon and human and was a huge beautiful man with long silver hair that fell like a waterfall down his back. He had a wife and many many children back in his home of Denmark. She was another mix blood and was very tolerant of him for he had as many bastard children as he did legitimate ones. He loved all females as much as possible and was one of the worlds most inventive and attentive lovers.