Vampire's Soul: A Vampire Queen Series Novel

by Joey W. Hill

  “A third marking is different from a second marking,” she said in that mesmerizing voice, drawing Cai’s gaze to her face, though his hand remained over Rand’s rapidly beating heart. “It is more than releasing the serum and the two of you exchanging blood. The first third marking for a young vampire like yourself is often mentored and guided by an older vampire, when necessary. I expect you dismissed the soul connection as spiritual nonsense.”

  “Save the lecture for later. Fix him, help him.”

  “It’s not a lecture,” she said in reproof. “Only his Master, the one who marked him, can fix him. You. So listen, if you truly care for his welfare. Because if you can’t, you will have to end his suffering by taking his life.”

  Cai’s startled glance shot to her. Her face was stern, uncompromising, but not without compassion. The last surprised him, as did the gentleness of her touch when she gripped his other hand and moved it to Rand’s abdomen, so one palm was on his chest, one there. Then she moved behind Cai, laying one hand over his heart, behind his shoulder blade, the other to his lower back.

  “Close your eyes. Don’t look at his outer form. Look inside. Breathe with me. Slow. We need to slow it all down, detach from his physical suffering so you can reach past it, end it. You’ve been in his mind as a second mark. Go there first. Go where it’s familiar. A third marking is a soul-to-soul binding, Cai. Heart to heart. You can be everywhere inside him, to the deepest, darkest, most hidden areas of his soul, the uncharted pathways of his heart, and anywhere in his mind. You essentially become total Master of this soul, responsible for its care and existence, even as it becomes your bound servant through eternity.”

  “I didn’t…I didn’t realize it was all that.”

  “No. And now you regret, and wish you could take it back, because that type of commitment scares you.”

  “I also didn’t warn him. He didn’t know.”

  “Which is also a big part of the problem. First things first. Focus. As you relax and focus, you’ll be able to see those pathways inside him. You’ll see where your marking has rushed in like floodwater, taking up too much room. Too much, too fast. Too deep. Drowning him. Imagine instead your binding with him is a mist like fog, light as air. Draw back slowly, give him room to be Rand, to find himself and all the things he knows about himself. No, do not withdraw all the way or too fast. Get past your guilt and fear.”

  Her tone was a gentle reproach, but effective. Cai wondered how the hell she was sensing all this through her palms. She had no access into his mind, but it was as if she did.

  “You’re his Master. You must help him. He must know you’re there, that you’re linked and bound, yes, but he isn’t imprisoned. There’s no need for him to be hurt and afraid. You are there, and you will care for him. Help him make sense of this. Speak to him in his mind, because you are his lifeline back.”

  He doubted her at first, but as he followed her direction, breathed, focused, Cai was startled to see exactly what she described. Pathways opened, winding, twisting together, forming amazing tapestries made up of life threads that ran from the core of Rand’s soul, connected intimately to his heart. Then, his mind, a control center for it all, thrown into chaos like an engine with a wrench in it. Cai could pull out that wrench. He identified his own presence, a shifting energy that he started to reel in, how the fuck he didn’t know, but suddenly he did, even if he couldn’t describe it.

  Rand made a noise somewhere between a growl and a question, and Cai pressed his palms harder against his chest and stomach, firm reassurance. I’m here. He remembered the wolf’s words as he came out of his nightmare and rephrased them. I’m your vampire, and it’s all right. Just relax. Become man or wolf, whichever is easiest. You have the space. You know how. I just knocked you off your axis because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing and wrecked the car, turned us upside down.

  “Just back away from the wreckage and settle down. You’ve done it a million times. Go forward or back. Just don’t stay like this, because they’ll sell you to a freak show to pay for the damage we did in here.”

  He wasn’t sure if the humor would help but hell, it helped settle his nerves, so he threw it in. Cai realized he’d said it aloud when he felt Lyssa’s fingers flex against his back. He wasn’t sure what she was doing, but a cool, steady energy flowed through him from her contact. It had an unnervingly calming effect.

  He felt the shift grind back to life again, though he winced as the initial jolt of it pulled a sound of pain from Rand’s lips. Cai held onto him, talked to him, watched the human leg give way and disappear before the introduction of the fourth and final wolf leg. His torso twisted, rocked, and that amazing melting effect happened, things blurring. Suddenly, the human was gone.

  As Rand finished the full transition to wolf, Cai let out a relieved breath so strong it rocked him on his heels. The wolf lay there, panting, and he was stroking his fur. “It’s all right. We’ll figure it out.” I’m sorry, Rand. I fucked up bad. I get it if you want out of this gig. I won’t hold you to it.

  In answer, two gold eyes focused on him, telling Cai that Rand was deep inside the animal, beyond the reach of his humanity, unless Cai wanted to push it. He didn’t need Lyssa to tell him how bad an idea that would be. The wolf staggered to his feet and swayed. Cai stood up and moved back, Lady Lyssa at his side. Jacob was on the other side of the wolf, a faint frown creasing his brow as he watched Rand, all of them waiting to see what the wolf would do.

  The large black head lifted and Rand’s eyes swung back to Cai again, taking the measure of them all. With a quick snap of teeth and flattened ears, the wolf sprang. But not toward them. He went for the door and was gone, the sound of his toenails hitting the stairs reaching them briefly before there was nothing.

  “I’ll make sure he gets out,” Jacob said, heading toward the door. He glanced over his shoulder at Cai. “If that’s the best thing?”

  “Yeah. Letting him out is the best thing.” Cai pushed away the sudden heaviness inside him. It was like a gift had been handed back to him, weighing ten times more than it had when he gifted it.

  Turning to Lyssa, he hesitated but sketched an awkward bow. Another first for him. “Thank you, Lady Lyssa.”

  In answer, she moved to a guest chair that hadn’t been upended by the mayhem and gestured imperiously to another. “Sit, and tell me how much you know of having a human servant. The truth this time. Caginess has its place, but hiding your ignorance about this provides you no advantage, Mordecai. Obviously.”

  He couldn’t even bristle at the rebuke. “Doesn’t really matter. That was probably my first and last experience. If he has any sense, he’s running his ass off toward the nearest forest.” It would have been nice to say good-bye face-to-face, but Cai guessed he could do it mind-to-mind. And receive a big Fuck-You silence in return.

  “Servants, when they are meant to be ours, can surprise you. I think it’s best you be prepared. Even if he doesn’t return, you have third marked him, Cai. His life is forever linked to yours now. You will know when he is afraid, hurting…dying.” She folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs, regal in the velvet dress even with her bare feet. Her toenails were painted the same hunter green. She wore no jewelry.

  Jacob returned. “He’s out. He headed straight for the woods.” The servant’s gaze shifted to Lyssa, a curious look passing between them. She nodded.

  “I will find him if necessary,” she said.

  “He’ll stay out of sight,” Cai assured her. The idea of Lady Lyssa traipsing through the woods wolf-hunting was something he couldn’t imagine, though he didn’t doubt she would do it. “The wolf’s cautious about being seen by humans. He won’t cause you any problems.”

  “No, I don’t expect he will. You, on the other hand, interrupted my usual wake-up ritual.” She glanced down pointedly at her feet.

  “Well, you have a really nice pedicure. You should show that off.” Cai bit his tongue and put his head in his hands, his elbows proppe
d on his knees. He sighed. “Being a wiseass is just what I am, my lady. Not going to fucking apologize for it every second. But fuck, I didn’t mean to screw him up like this.”

  He straightened. “I don’t know a lot about servants. Trads don’t keep humans as servants, except as breeding stock. And he’s not fully human, so I don’t even know how much of any of it applies. But hell, what you just did worked pretty well.”

  “I am glad for that. Because of his different physiology, I had no idea if it would.”

  He looked at her, surprised. “You acted like you knew exactly what you were doing.”

  She smiled, though her gaze remained serious. “Calm assurance was what you both needed. I provided it to you, so you could provide it to him.”

  “Damn. You are one unflappable bitch. Lady. Queen.” He closed his eyes. “Sorry. Again.”

  “Perhaps it’s best if you listen and I talk. Your chances of survival will increase exponentially.”

  “Like I haven’t heard that before.” But he did his best to look respectful and attentive. As well as tamp down an unsettlingly strong desire to take off and find Rand, make sure he was okay. He was, he knew it. He just needed space.

  “Rand seems to have many of the best qualities, human and wolf, that contribute to being an excellent servant,” she observed.

  “I’m not so sure of that. He’s an alpha,” Cai said. “I mean that literally, in the wolf sense.”

  “How delightful. An alpha male servant is a gift to be prized, Mordecai. Even when their will poses some difficult challenges.” Her eyes warmed on Jacob, before her attention came back to Cai. “I wish you well on the exploration of it.”

  Cai stared down at his hands, loose on his knees, his planted feet below. “Is there anything else, like this marking, that I should know about?”

  When his head lifted, her cool eyes had warmed. “That’s a far better track to follow than self-flagellation. And the answer is yes. Navigating that soul-link without pushing too hard upon it, is important to protecting his well-being and strengthening the connection between you. I’ll give you the information you need to avoid causing your beautiful wolf further, unintended distress.” Her eyes gleamed. “Because it goes far better for you both, when punishments and pain are planned.”

  After a thorough and eye-opening introduction to the vampire-servant relationship, Cai’s brain was almost as overloaded as it had been when he’d so rashly inflicted the third mark upon Rand. Lord Brian had arrived at the tail end of the conversation, announced by one of the house maids via phone. Jacob had thanked her, told her to take Brian and his servant to a guest room and get them what they needed to settle in, as there was no longer an emergency requiring Brian’s immediate presence.

  “No, the wolf’s not here right now,” Jacob said, in answer to a question Brian had apparently posed. “Don’t worry; he’ll be back.”

  “Lord Brian is likely disappointed he can’t rush right down to see your wolf,” Lyssa said with amusement. “He’s not our typical vampire. His energy and passion are devoted to science, particularly issues related to vampire kind. Fertility, vampire-servant bonds, and Ennui.”

  That meant Lord Brian likely also was here to evaluate Greenwald’s current condition, and treat it however they best could under the present stress load. But hearing the scientist might have a specific interest in Rand made Cai uneasy. He probably wasn’t the only vampire who’d heard the legends about shifter blood.

  “His servant, Debra,” Lyssa continued, “is his equal in running our Council research facilities. Her interest in Rand will be no less than his.”

  At Cai’s look, she shook her head. “No one will do anything to him against his will. You were invited as a guest, no matter how you arrived,” her gaze sparked, “and your hospitality will not be further abused.”

  “Unless Rand counts the million questions Brian will ask if he can corner him,” Jacob observed dryly.

  If he comes back, Cai thought.

  Lyssa seemed sure of it. Cai wished he had her confidence. She rose. “It will take Lord Brian a few moments to get settled, but I expect he’ll head straight from the guest room to the study to set up his mobile lab. Your first priority is to meet with him and go over the suggestions he has to help you with your mission. We all understand time is of the essence. I’ll expect you to join him there in the next fifteen minutes.”

  “Yeah.” Cai said. It wasn’t top of his mind right this second, but he’d said he’d go and he would. If he had to do it without Rand, well, he’d still do it. Safer for Rand that way, anyhow.

  Lyssa gave him a searching look, but nodded to Jacob and took her leave, a faint trail of floral scent and a swirl of energy left in her wake. Jacob turned to Cai. “Anything you need before I go?”

  A wolf to get his ass back here. But Cai shook his head. “This Brian guy. He’s really a scientist?”

  “Him and Debra. Both brilliant. Ever seen any of the Bond films?” Jacob asked. “Think of Lord Brian as the vampire version of Q. You remember how to get to the study?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. If you have need of me again, just hit zero on the house phone. As the Council head’s servant, anything major regarding household operations goes through me, even if it’s not my house, as long as my lady and I are in residence. If it’s minor, hit 1, and you’ll get the staff. They’ll take care of you right away. You might have them make up a ton of food for Rand for when he comes back. I remember shortly after I was third marked, I felt like I could eat an entire cow.”

  Jacob moved toward the door. He carried himself with a warrior’s self-possession, even in the casual wear of jeans and a Wolverine X-Men T-shirt. Cai told himself not to ask, but he did anyway.

  “Why does Lady Lyssa think he’ll return?”

  Jacob turned. “A sense of something between you two. New, but it’s a bond. Plus, he cares what happens to Dovia.”

  “He figures if he rescues her, it will make him feel better about losing his family.”

  “Can’t make him feel worse, right?” Jacob pointed out.

  “Yeah, maybe.” Cai really wasn’t up to arguing about anything right now. He was drained. “Um…your lady, she’s all right. I didn’t expect that. I’ve hated Trads so long, and the things they told me about non-Trads didn’t seem much better. Particularly Council. Made them sound like a bunch of heartless tyrants more concerned with lording it over everyone than doing anything worthwhile for anyone.”

  “Vampires aren’t likely to win any humanitarian awards, and not only because they’re not human.” Jacob flashed a smile. “She can be brutal, but she’s fair. She’s overlooked your rough edges because she doesn’t look at only the surface of things. But now that you’ve seen that, I suggest you do show her respect. Or she will rip out your lungs.”

  “If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that,” Cai muttered as Jacob closed the door behind him, leaving Cai alone.

  He felt like crap. He knew Rand hadn’t become bionic or been beamed thousands of miles away by aliens, because he could thankfully still touch the connection between them. If he closed his eyes, ghosted through those pathways Lyssa had shown him, he could hear the male’s heartbeat, the rush of his blood, the turmoil of his thoughts. He was there, agitated. Cai could push deeper, but he didn’t. He withdrew, and chose the considerate way. For once.

  Rand, just tell me you’re okay, or I’m going to run your ass down. You know I will.

  Silence. Shit. I didn’t fucking know. I didn’t realize it was like that. Cai cut off that line of thinking, at least on an open channel to Rand. As Lyssa had said, he didn’t need an audience for self-pity. But that part when Lyssa guided him in Rand’s heart, mind and soul… Even though he was focused on helping Rand get through the shift and not losing his own mind, now that Cai was thinking it through again, he remembered the way it felt, being heart to heart, soul to soul with the guy. It was like standing in the same space in the universe, never feeling alone. Mayb
e the way twins talked about feeling, times a hundred. Only in that case, they remained separate people, affected by one another but neither controlling the other. Vampires and servants were different.

  Darker shadows closed around his mind as he remembered Lyssa’s further explanation about the third mark. You are his Master, responsible for his care, capable of tearing him open or putting him back together. Fuck, he should have known. Vampires had always had a Masters-of-the-Universe thing going on. He just hadn’t realized how literally true it was in the vampire-servant relationship. But he couldn’t deny it was part of his makeup. How many times when he’d taken Rand had that “mine” feeling surged, wanting to take over the wolf completely?

  And it wasn’t all about physical strength. Hell, since he was all alone in his own head, he’d admit it. The couple times he and Rand had tangled had left Cai thinking he and the shifter were on a level playing field as combatants. Rand just wasn’t immortal. Cai recalled that intriguing exchange, which seemed a lifetime ago.

  I don’t know much about shifter healing ability; if it’s any better than human.

  Faster. And our bodies can bounce back from a lot more punishment.

  Cai thought of Lyssa’s sensual tease, about punishments and pain being more enjoyable if they were planned. Cai didn’t know if he would have been a sexual Dominant as a human adult. Hell, he was fifteen when he was taken, and sex with anything willing was of interest, no need to specialize into BDSM, gay, straight or otherwise. The Trads twisted him, fucked him up, and it took him decades of self-therapy to work it out. Even now, he wasn’t always sure if he had the four-lane-highway-wide, sexually dominant streak of a typical vampire, or if he needed to be a celibate in the forest who didn’t deal with that craving.

  Well, okay, he could answer the latter. Since the first time he’d seen Rand in his human form, every thought of celibacy was laughed over a cliff, falling so far he never heard the splat. Probably because he was too busy exploring the other male’s long, muscular body and wresting moans from his corded throat. Fuck, that ass. Cai wanted it right now. Wanted to caress the broad, endless chest, tease the tiny buds of his nipples with flicks of his fingernails and watch Rand stiffen, blue eyes flash with desire and a predator’s aggressive response. He wanted to take as much as Cai did. Maybe that was the key to why the wolf intrigued him.