Her thralling his demons angered Julian, because he created the fog-like cell around her again. This time she felt thankful her will was strong enough to prevent him from pulling her into the abyss, and she’d dissolve the cell again once she conquered the fear that bound her.
“You must learn humility, Elizabeth,” were Julian’s last words before the fog surrounded her.
Alone in the cell, that dreadful demon cell, she heard the preternatural sounds of demons moaning in their damnation, bats flying across the ruins, and rats skittering over the cracked stone floor. The rotting stench of the demons burned her eyes and nostrils, while the fog wrapped around her as solidly as a moth’s cocoon. Don’t panic, she thought. She had to use her mind to control this fear. She’d done it once, and surely could do so again.
She struggled to recall how she’d come to be in this position. What had been the first choice that had made her an immortal vampire? She recollected the temptation of becoming immortal and never growing old. Then the memory of her husband forcing his own blood to flow into her mouth washed over her, too horrible to bear, and so she blocked it out. Don’t panic. How was she to get out of this cell again? Maybe she could push her way out this time. She drew all her emotional forces together, and using her legs and arms, she pushed with all her might.
Fear once again controlled her captivity. Don’t panic. What should she do? How could she control her fear so it would no longer be the barrier to her freedom? She remained still, pondering this dilemma, until she drifted into an intense trance once more.
This time, images of her parents, her sister, and her daughter Christine appeared before her. Her father was holding little Christine in his arms, and she reached out her plump little arms toward Elizabeth. Then her father kissed the top of Christine’s riotous black curls and she seemed to laugh, but Elizabeth couldn’t hear the joyous sound, but only sensed it.
The dream had an unreal quality because Elizabeth’s parents were smiling at her in a way she’d never remembered them smiling. She’d never experienced them giving her love and approval in real life. When had reality and dreams melded into one? Her mother, father, sister, and her daughter all formed a circle around her, and the spirits of her loved ones pushed through the cell, allowing her to break through to freedom.
Elizabeth awoke in a cold sweat, her arms outstretched. The cell had vanished once more. When she released her fears and embraced the love of her family, she was no longer alone and no longer imprisoned. She moved away from the sarcophagus. Two demon vampires still guarded her, until she put them both into a thrall. Her survival depended upon her ability to overcome the prison created by her fears through both faith and love.
She stumbled over the crumbling stone, avoiding the moss covered abyss and headed toward the damaged archways leading out of the church. A blood-clotted whine told her Julian was coming up fast behind her. Spotting a trapdoor, she scrabbled down the rungs of the ladder, which took her about twelve feet below the church. Here the floor was hard-packed dirt, and there were stone remains of tombs where important bodies had been removed to a safer place after the Great Fire.
Listening closely, she no longer heard the sound of Julian’s raspy breath. She blew out a breath of relief, until a noise behind her caused her to spin around. A hand clapped over her mouth before she screamed. Looking up and finding Darius standing there, she collapsed with relief into his arms.
He dropped his hand from her mouth, and pulled her near, keeping his arms around her midsection. He didn’t take those penetrating charcoal gray eyes off her, seeming to measure her reaction when he pressed his supple lips against hers.
Her knees wobbled and her pulse raced, but she didn’t know if it was in reaction to Darius, or simply because he’d startled her so badly and her fear of the demons. He drew her lower body as close as her full petticoats would allow, and his tongue roamed her mouth in a way she’d never experienced before.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he murmured.
She gave a shaky laugh. “I don’t know how it is you always manage to find me, but I’m glad you do.” Reluctantly, she pulled away, and her eyes fell onto the Duke of Denham and a young boy who stood beside him.
Following the direction of her gaze, Darius said, “John and Amelia insisted on coming with me to rescue you.”
“Amelia?” Elizabeth’s voice scaled up a notch.
With a laugh that sounded like a rippling brook, Amelia removed her hat and periwig. “It’s truly me.”
Embarrassed to having been caught in such a passionate kiss with Darius, Elizabeth darted toward her friends. “Thank you for coming to help, but maybe you shouldn’t have come. The situation is dangerous. We’ve got to escape before Julian finds us.”
“Julian?” Darius raised his eyebrows.
“He’s the leader of the psychic vampire demons. He’s a wretched creature,” Elizabeth said.
A loud, scraping sound caused an icy shiver to slide down her spine. Several of the remaining stone sarcophagi lids were shoved aside, and the semi-rotting bodies of demons crawled out, all heading toward them.
“Form a circle with our backs touching one another,” Darius commanded. “Stay tightly together, and we’ll escape.”
Elizabeth attempted to thrall the two demons nearest her, but they refused to meet her gaze and continued their inexorable journey toward them. From the corner of her eye, she saw Darius lift up his fist and a spark of energy shot from him. He stunned one of the creatures, causing a blast of energy that propelled the demon head-over-heels to the far side of the crypt. Darius led their tight-knit group toward the ladder leading back up to the church ruins.
Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open, and she paused to stare at him with a questioning lift of her brow.
He gave a slight shrug. “What?”
“How did you destroy those demons?”
“I’m not entirely certain, but we’d better get out of here now and figure it out later.”
Two of the demons she’d tried to thrall were now reaching out, grasping hold of Elizabeth’s petticoat. She raised her fist, and with a quick, short murmured prayer, she struck the demon directly in the throat. She felt it implode beneath the impact of her fist.
The remaining demons paused when Darius sent out another flash of energy, imploding one demon. Darius ushered Elizabeth, Amelia, and John up the ladder, following close behind.
First to reach the top of the ladder, Elizabeth said, “I see a dim light outside the archways of the church. Follow me.”
They’d almost reached the entrance when a hooded figure came rapidly gliding toward them. In silence, the shadowy figure stepped in front of them, blocking the exit while tossing back its hood. Elizabeth recognized Julian, his horrible eyes blazing blood-red, and his mummified face transformed into a skull whose hinged jaws tantalizingly opened and closed, while his wings beat back and forth.
Fear-frozen, Elizabeth watched the skull increase in size, the jaws continuing to rise and fall. The creature grew until it filled the archway.
With a shout, Darius shoved his three companions away from him and toward the archway. “Run! John, take the women to safety.”
John grabbed both women by the arm and started running with them, dodging the skull and slipping beneath Julian’s enormous wings. Elizabeth pulled back and turned around in time to see the huge jaws closing over Darius. She screamed, but John yanked her back and dragged her and Amelia out of the church forcibly, before she could protest further. He gave a shrill whistle. Darius’s coach appeared in front of the ruins. John shoved the women into the coach, and shouted to the driver, “To the Boar’s Head Inn. Hurry up, my good man.”
In the coach, Elizabeth glared at him with such ferocity that he drew away from her in surprise. “How dare you, John!”
His eyes widened. “What’s wrong? Darius told me to get you and Amelia to safety, and that’s what I’ve done.”
His wife touched his shoulder and gave a shake of he
r head.
Elizabeth sat up on her knees, pressing her face to the back window of the carriage. Even with her superior vision, she saw neither Darius, nor the huge skull from her vantage point.
“We’ve abandoned him to those horrible demons. We should have stayed and fought.”
When she let out an enormous sob, Amelia gently pulled her back onto the seat. “John was doing what Darius asked him to do. Darius is a great warrior and he can take care of himself.”
Elizabeth hardly noticed Amelia stroking her arm in a comforting manner. She felt a pain in the pit of her stomach grow until it reached up and clutched her heart. How could she live with herself if anything happened to him?
Chapter 5
Evening came on silent cat-like feet. Inside her bedroom, Elizabeth paced. “I can’t go, Amelia.” She turned and confronted her friend. “I won’t go.”
“You must. We’re having this reception especially so you can meet the king.”
“I can’t go anywhere until we know what’s become of Darius. I can’t leave here without being certain he’s all right.”
“John’s searching everywhere for him. He’s gone back to the ruins of St. Paul’s, but, so far, he’s had no luck. I don’t believe the psychic vampire demons will destroy him.”
“How do you know? How can you be sure they haven’t already killed him?”
“Common sense says they haven’t. Those demons need Darius. He’s their connection with the immortal vampires. There’s no advantage in destroying him.”
“If they haven’t killed him, then where is he? Why hasn’t he returned?” Elizabeth put her hands on her hips, and her lower lip trembled. “We can’t lie to ourselves. If he isn’t dead, then he’s in mortal danger. We’ve got to find him soon, or he won’t survive until morning.”
Amelia’s small face fell into lines of sympathy, but her bright eyes showed self-discipline and strength. She placed her hand on Elizabeth’s arm. “We aren’t deceiving ourselves, but we have to face the situation in a practical light. There’s no reason for the psychic vampires to destroy Darius, and John hasn’t found his body. This suggests he’s still alive. What we need to do is get you into Whitehall so you can protect the king from the demons. Isn’t that what Darius wanted you to do?”
Elizabeth’s eyes stung with unshed tears. “What if he’s dead?”
“The man is an eight-hundred-year-old vampire. It’s not like he doesn’t have survival skills.” Amelia released her and took two steps back. “You’re in love with him.”
“What?” Elizabeth shook her head. “No, of course I’m not. Why would I be? He’s important to the vampire community, and I admire and respect him for all he’s done. I owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Amelia looked skeptical. “You’re in love.”
“How dare you suggest such a thing to me? I’m worried the man is dead. He risked his life for us. Love has nothing to do with the way I feel, but I’ve not forgotten how he took me in when I had nowhere else to go. It’s called gratitude, not love.”
Amelia lifted her right hand, palm facing out. “Never try to deny what is true, anymore than waste time looking back at the past with regret. Remember your life is out in front of you and never behind you. It’s time to move forward.”
“Do you want me to forget about Darius out there suffering, even though captured while trying to rescue me? I’m sorry, but I can’t be that cruel and unfeeling, Amelia.”
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t be concerned, but you need to have faith he’s going to be all right.”
Knowing there was no arguing with Amelia when her mind was set, Elizabeth shrugged and sighed. “What would you have me do?”
“Come to our reception tonight at ten. The king will be there. I’ve already told him you are my titled, unmarried cousin visiting from the country. I’ve spoken of your beauty, so don’t be surprised if he offers you apartments at Whitehall straight away. Darius was right when he said King Charles has a strong weakness for women of beauty and charm. And you, my dear Elizabeth, have an extraordinary combination of both.”
“Both beauty and charm?” she said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Are you sure I should do this while Darius is still missing?”
“He’s not actually missing. We just don’t know where he is right now. You have to do everything you can to protect the kingdom from the psychic vampire demons. That’s what we must focus on.”
She lowered her eyes. “Very well, I’ll be at the reception tonight, but if you hear from Darius, promise you’ll let me know.”
“You’ll be the first to hear.” Amelia leaned forward and kissed her on both cheeks, and whispered, “Remember, love is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not in love with him?” Maybe if she spoke the words enough times, it would come true.
Her friend raised her hands in defeat. “All right, fine. You don’t love him. Just make sure you come to our reception tonight.”
Once left alone, Elizabeth started pacing again. What had Amelia been talking about? Of course she didn’t love Darius. She respected the man, she admired him, but love? They had been friends for one hundred years, but that was an entirely different matter. She paused in the middle of her pacing. Or was it? What if Amelia was right? What if she did truly love him?
Ever since she’d given him her blood, something had been growing between them. She shoved the thought from her mind. What good would it do if she loved him? She had no soul, and if she had no soul to give, what was the purpose of love? Loving him was a mistake she couldn’t afford to make.
She kept the draperies pulled tight against the fading sunlight, shuffling through her gowns, trying to decide what to wear to the king’s reception. She found it a sorry distraction, and couldn’t stop thinking of Darius. The musky scent of his skin, the feel of his muscled body pressed up against hers, and the honeyed taste of his lips on hers was impressed upon her mind. What would she do without him?
Finally, nine o’clock arrived. She wore a long-trained gown made of black velvet with a silver lace covering it, with diamonds glittering from her throat and arms. The coach delivered her to the courtyard of Denham House, where the large estate ran through the palace grounds. Amelia’s linkmen held torches and led her up the sweeping stone staircase.
Amelia and John stood in the antechamber, greeting their guests. When Elizabeth entered, Amelia grasped her hand and John announced her as her Ladyship, the Countess of Kingston-Upon-Hull.
“You are my unmarried cousin from Kingston. None of that side of the family ever troubles to come to court, so you are safe,” Amelia said softly.
She nodded and stepped into their sumptuous drawing room, which was hung with draperies of gold velvet, dozens of candles burned in the gold-leafed wall-sconces, and chandeliers dripped thousands of crystal prisms from the frescoed ceiling. The sound of laughter and music assaulted her ears, and she was quickly surrounded by the hum of laughing ladies and courtly gentlemen.
Once Amelia finished her welcoming duties, she took Elizabeth by the hand and led her toward Charles, who already sat at a card table holding a dice-box he was just prepared to throw. When he looked at Amelia and Elizabeth standing across the table from him, he set down the box, speaking to Buckingham, who stood behind him, “Here, George, you take my place. I’m never good at dice, and besides, with my tight-fisted Parliament, I can ill-afford to lose.”
Laughter rippled across the room from the ladies and courtiers who had heard the king’s quip. He strolled out onto the balcony with the two women. “Well now, Amelia, how is it you’ve been hiding this beautiful creature away from your beloved monarch?” His dark eyes snapped with passion and good humor, scrutinizing Elizabeth with an intensity that startled her.
“Your Majesty, may I introduce you to my cousin, Elizabeth Curran, Countess of Kingston-Upon-Hull?”
She made a deep curtsy. “Your Majesty, it’s a great honor to meet you.”
“T
he pleasure is mine, Your Ladyship.” He offered Elizabeth his arm and nodded in Amelia’s direction. “Do you mind if I dance with your lovely cousin?”
Amelia curtsied and smiled gleefully at Elizabeth as Charles escorted her away to join those preparing for the next dance.
Even though wild with worry about Darius, Elizabeth felt impressed by the king’s elegant manners. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an auburn-haired woman, who looked like an older version of herself, glaring at them when the king led her to the head of the line of dancers. The merry and rollicking music of the quartet playing in the corner rolled through the room.
They took a few steps forward and then a few steps back. Charles looked down at her and smiled, his white teeth gleamed beneath his mustache. “What is your opinion of our court at Whitehall? Do you think it’s the decadent pit of sin as so many visitors have described it?”
“What a strange question to ask me, Your Majesty.” Elizabeth glanced around briefly. “I’ve only just arrived from the country, but if your court is anything like the people here at the Duke and Duchesses’ home, it must be a place where people have lovely manners and know how to have a good time.”
The king glanced out over the crowd. “Yes. They have a wonderful time, but usually at my expense,” he said, bitterness hardening his tone. Then he threw back his head and gave a booming laugh. “Your skin must have been carved from alabaster, and you have the most beautiful eyes, purest violet amethysts. I’ve not seen eyes like yours before except for . . .”
They had reached the part of the dance where they had to part and walk down opposite sides of the room, so he didn’t complete his sentence. They met up again with a few brief steps before the dance came to a close.
He escorted her out onto the terrace where water rippled from the stone fountains, creating a lulling melody. “Are you married, my dear?”
The King's Vampire Page 5