Pure Ecstasy

by Aja James

“When did it happen?” she asked instead, before he could regroup.

  She didn’t want to pretend when, from the looks of it, he had so little time left.

  “How long have you known?”

  Finally, he sighed, clawing a hand through his ever-tousled wavy hair.

  “I didn’t know for sure until it happened,” he answered low, “but I’ve loved her for years.”

  Ayelet nodded, unsurprised.

  “You sure can pick them, Seth,” she teased.

  He grinned tiredly, but it was a real grin.

  “I sure can,” he agreed.

  “I thought you were supposed to be wise and levelheaded. Oh, how the mighty has fallen.”

  He shrugged, unreasonably glad that he had someone to banter with about this. A true friend.

  “You know what they say,” he remarked. “A moment’s err in judgement, an eternity of consequence.”

  “But you don’t think you erred,” she surmised.

  “No. I made the right choice. Even if I suffer the Decline.”

  He looked at Ayelet through the screen, letting her see his raw emotions, no longer wearing his ever present mask.

  “I love her,” he rasped huskily. “I’ve loved her for years. It’s not something I can change, nor do I wish to. And I don’t expect her to love me back. She’s…she’s been through so much, Ayelet. I’m just glad she lets me give her what I can.”

  Ayelet’s eyes involuntarily filled with tears.

  Her Gift was one of empathy, but it was much more than that. She could actually feel what other people felt if she focused her powers. She avoided doing it for the unpredictable backlash she could receive, especially in the case of someone like Seth, who was suffering from excruciating pain, literally dying due to the Decline.

  She focused now, not on his physical pain, but on his emotions, and that alone sent her reeling, perhaps even more devastating than his physical agony—

  How he feared and worried for his female.

  How he hurt inside from the way she used him, even though he’d offered himself for that very purpose.

  How he loved her desperately and unconditionally despite it all.

  How his only regret was that he couldn’t protect her to the end.

  “Seth…” she moaned low, her voice choked with tears.

  “I’m so, so sorry…”

  He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, turning his face to the side.

  “How- how long do you think you have?”

  “A week, give or take a couple of days,” he answered gruffly, not looking into the screen.

  “Oh Goddess,” she whispered, putting a hand upon the screen as if she could touch his cheek through it.

  He took a deep breath to fortify himself and looked into the screen again, the mask over his emotions back in place.

  “I need you to promise me something,” he said with determination.

  “Anything,” she immediately replied.

  “Start searching for my replacement now. Don’t waste time.”

  “But—”

  “You said anything.”

  “But—”

  “Do it,” he insisted. “The Dozen has too many gaps to fill. It’s taking a dangerous toll on everyone. I hope Valerius and Rain’s trip is fruitful. I hope they bring back the recruits we need.”

  “All right,” she conceded, not wanting to add to his worries.

  “Maintain truce however you can with the New England vampire hive,” he continued. “I trust the Chosen, even if I doubt the Dark nobles. Jade’s personal guard will be important allies in the wars to come.”

  Ayelet nodded, her voice deserting her.

  “Keep a close eye on Sophia,” he continued.

  “She needs all of your help to navigate her precarious Destiny. She won’t be able to do it alone, though she may be stubborn enough to try. Her current incarnation is a mix of all of her past lives, and there’s a rebellious streak in her that will get her into no end of trouble. Moreover, I sense a darkness in her that hadn’t been there before her Awakening.”

  “I’ve noticed too,” Ayelet agreed. “Over the past few months, it’s as if she’s become someone else entirely, though I see inklings of the Sophia we know surface once in a while. She’s taken Dalair’s absence especially hard.”

  “He could be the one for her,” Seth concluded. “We must find and recover him, for her sake, but also for the sake of our world. She is too dangerous without her counterbalance.”

  “And if he’s not the one?” Ayelet asked.

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s her perception and feelings that matter most. We must do everything we can to keep her from darkness, even when it’s inside of her.”

  Ayelet nodded.

  “And you? What can we do for you?”

  He didn’t hesitate.

  “Protect the queen. Protect Jade, if you can.”

  He swallowed and looked away again, and Ayelet knew that he was saying goodbye.

  “Be safe, all of you.”

  Abruptly, the connection was lost.

  Chapter Twelve

  The eighteen thousand square foot mansion on a one hundred acre private forest, including its own waterfall and natural lake, sprawled like a sleeping giant on a remote mountain top in upstate New York.

  Viktor Corvinus liked to live large.

  Though the estate harkened back to the early nineteenth century, Corvinus had installed every modern comfort in the renovated interior. The original stables had been converted to a state-of-the-art garage for his fleet of racecars and collectibles.

  Now, the estate’s massive, circular driveway was packed with all sorts of one of a kind conveyances, as if Corvinus were hosting his very own Paris Mondial de L’Automobile.

  Elegantly dressed, inhumanly gorgeous creatures arrived in throngs with their entourage in tow.

  This was a high security affair, as all vampire gatherings were, since one never knew whose bloodlust would get the better of them in a fit of passion and temper. It was in their nature to fight for supremacy and dominance, after all.

  And the bloodier the battle, the better.

  Corvinus himself greeted the guests with three armed vampire guards at his side. One could never take enough precautions when surrounded by feral animals like these.

  Only True Bloods could control their inner beasts, Corvinus believed, and of course, he considered himself a descendent of that god-like race.

  When the last of his guests arrived, and the heavy double doors were closed behind them, Corvinus frowned to himself.

  The Great Lakes and Mid Atlantic contingent had not come, though they’d accepted his invitation.

  As he turned to play the gracious host, he set his teeth in a devil-may-care smile.

  No matter. He had enough to set the stage.

  Over twenty Dark noble houses were represented tonight, more than half of the most powerful vampire lords in the New England states. If he obtained their allegiance and buy-in to his plans, they would have little trouble overthrowing Jade Cicada from her throne.

  What a bothersome little package, Corvinus thought, as he mingled with his guests and charmed his way through the crowd.

  It should have been his House at the top of the New England pyramid. He had the purest bloodline, he was certain.

  Rumor had it that Jade Cicada had once been human, and even more disgusting, a Pure One. She must have Fallen stupidly for a male who did not return her “love” to become a vampire in the end.

  And now this weakling was their queen.

  Had been for the past several centuries, since the first settlement of the Colonies, in fact. Corvinus never understood why the Dark noble houses chose to follow her lead. How someone with such lowly beginnings could command the most powerful Hive in the world.

  Well, that was about to change, he determined.

  “Ladies,” he said in an oratory voice that carried effortlessly, “gentlemen. Let us gather for refreshments in the Ballroom.
I have a special treat planned for you tonight. And a guest of honor to introduce to you.”

  In fluid droves, the vampires moved toward the designated chamber, murmuring low amongst themselves, their curiosity and anticipation palpable in the expensive perfume and cologne-filled air.

  When the last vampire was seated in the Grand Ballroom, where Corvinus took his own place at a table on a slightly raised dais with two unknown faces, one on each side of him, a hush fell upon the guests without urging.

  The party’s host stood with a raised wine glass filled with a thick, dark red liquid that vampires preferred over any other.

  “Friends, comrades, partners,” he began, his startlingly light-colored eyes with their pinpoint pupils touching upon each and every guest, “I am deeply grateful for your attendance tonight. You do me great honor. Let this evening be a turning point in the history of our Kind. It shall be a bold one.”

  He tipped his glass to the guests and downed the blood drink in one gulp.

  His guests did the same with their glasses, which were immediately refilled by the best servant staff money could buy.

  “You all know why we’re here,” he began again, gesturing to the vast space of the ballroom filled to the brim with Heads of Dark noble houses and their guards.

  “To chart a new beginning for our race, a far superior race than any other on this earth. Millennia ago, we ruled the world. Humans were our cattle; Pure Ones, our slaves. We were born to rule, we Dark Ones. We are stronger, faster, smarter, deadlier. We are the fiercest predators and the most vicious fighters. Yet, here we are, in the second millennium of the new calendar, cowering in the night, hiding our true selves from the cockroach humanity that overpopulate our world.”

  A few murmurs of agreement fanned through the captive crowd. A few aggressive hisses and growls as well.

  Corvinus nodded, satisfied with the bloodlust he so easily stirred.

  “Alas, we are ruled by a weakling queen,” he continued in a softer tone, though his voice was laced with venomous intent.

  “Born a human, reborn a Pure One,” he spat with blatant disgust, “she became the lowest of the low among our Kind—a Fallen that was resurrected as a vampire.”

  He’d walked down from his dais now, slowly stalking amongst the tables of guests, spreading discontent and malice in his wake.

  “And how did she climb to the top of our pyramid? By spreading her legs like the whore she is. How many of you have had a taste of her conniving flesh?”

  He speared looks of hatred into the eyes of several vampire males, some of whom held his gaze and bared their fangs in belligerence, others looking away like chastised children.

  “But we all make mistakes, don’t we,” he said in a gentler tone, all forgiveness and understanding.

  “One must admit she’s a gorgeous bit of cunt, no doubt still tight like a vice despite the countless times she’s been plowed. They say she could enthrall anyone with her sexual charms, male or female, man or beast.”

  Corvinus snarled with revulsion.

  “Don’t be fooled, my friends,” he hissed.

  “Don’t fall under her treacherous spell. She is no one. Nothing but a cheap, overused slut whose powers are waning as we speak. For I have discovered her Achilles heel in the form of a Blood Slave who’s had the misfortune of enrapturing her. If we take him, we take away the source of her powers.”

  “And what do you propose we do then?” a female vampire, leader of an influential Horde, spoke up, interrupting Corvinus’ impassioned monologue.

  “Surely you’re not suggesting that we follow you, Viktor. You may claim that you are descendent from the purest True Bloods all you want. You are but a thousand years old yourself. Many of us here are older than you. More powerful than you. More Gifted than you. You are not even of warrior class.”

  Corvinus narrowed his eyes at the speaker but maintained his composure.

  “Of course not, Vanessa,” he said. “I would never presume. What I propose is that we rally ourselves around someone stronger than the filth that sits upon our throne. An ancient True Blood who will provide real leadership, who can bring our Kind into the light and return to us our rightful rule over all Kinds.”

  “Well, don’t keep us in suspense, Corvinus,” a large male said from the back, standing with his arms crossed over his massive chest against the wall, surrounded on both sides by similarly large warrior males who ran with him in a pack.

  “Who would you propose to lead us?”

  One of the two new faces forgotten on the dais stood from their seat, and the entire ballroom fell into a united hush.

  Like a beautiful serpent she gracefully slithered to Corvinus’ side, placing her long-fingered, sharp-nailed hand lightly on his sleeve.

  She stood exactly under one of the gigantic chandeliers that dangled from the ceiling thirty feet above them. Thus, her features and form were clearly illuminated by a thousand lights.

  The silence became so still, no one seemed to breathe.

  She looked into the eyes of each and every vampire gathered with intense, amber orbs, glowing with an unholy light that burned from within.

  “My name is Anu Medusa,” she said in a low, husky voice, vibrating with mysterious echoes as if her audience were trapped in a wind tunnel.

  “I was once the Dark Princess destined to be queen. The Great War took my mother from me and everything I held dear. The Purge of the aftermath scattered our Kind to the four corners of the earth.”

  Like a well-trained dog, Corvinus walked beside her as she made her way from table to table.

  Though her hand was on his sleeve as if he guided her, no one mistook which one of them was the master; which, the pet.

  She stopped by Vanessa’s table and stared down at the female.

  “You can feel my power, can you not?” she asked softly, imminent danger lacing her voice. “Thousands of years stronger than you.”

  Vanessa’s gaze slid away, and Medusa looked up in triumph.

  “Stronger than all of you,” she stated with utter confidence. “And I want to make our Kind once more the undisputed rulers of the world.”

  “You and what army?” the large male in the back challenged.

  “You talk a good talk, but I see no marked difference between you and Jade Cicada. At least we know what she can do. What can you do?”

  Medusa’s lips curled in a venomous smile.

  “I do not simply have an army,” she said, “I have legions. I command all Kinds—Dark, Pure and human. Come, Antonov.”

  At the flick of her hand, the second new face rose from his seat on the dais and came to stand at her other side.

  “You all know him by reputation, I’m sure,” she said silkily.

  “All of you here have participated in, or bankrolled or watched with bloodthirsty pleasure, the spectacular fight clubs I organize for you, have you not? That is just one example of my reach, and Antonov here is only one example of the human warlords I have working for me. My empire is vast beyond your ken. The choice is simple: join me and take a place on the winning side, or be trampled under my feet as I stride to victory.”

  With a deafening crash, the doors to the Ballroom slammed open against the walls on either side, almost squashing a vampire behind the heavy wood.

  “Good evening, children,” the reigning vampire queen of the New England Hive greeted as she stood in the entrance to the room with Maximus and Simca on her right side, Anastasia on her left, Devlin and Ryu behind her, flanked by two dozen Sentries in her royal guard.

  All eyes turned to Jade Cicada as she slowly made her way into the Ballroom, the long black sheath dress she wore molded to her body like a second skin, the splits all the way to her hips on each side allowing her perfect freedom to move.

  As well as reveal the tantalizing stretch of her long, graceful legs, and quite a bit of each naked buttock, round and juicy like the halves of a peach.

  “I am terribly heartbroken that I wasn’t invited to t
he party, Viktor,” Jade said to her host even though she didn’t look his way.

  Instead, she extended her uncovered hand to be kissed by the large vampire male still standing against the back wall.

  “No! Don’t touch—”

  Corvinus’ warning died on his lips in a frightened gurgle when the Assassin suddenly appeared behind him, a ninja’s blade at his throat.

  No one had seen Ryu Takamura move. But that was the point.

  He was one of a rare breed of warriors known as shadows, and as far as the gathered vampires knew, Ryu was the most deadly.

  Corvinus’ outburst came too late, however, because the large male had already brushed the back of Jade’s hand with his lips.

  Almost immediately, his demeanor changed, as he lined up with the rest of Jade’s entourage, his pack following his lead.

  As Jade made her way across the room to where Corvinus and his guests of honor stood, she casually touched each and every Dark noble who led their Hordes.

  Soon, the entire room was under her spell, save the three who stood in its center.

  As she walked up to Corvinus, the True Blood called Medusa and the human male the Chosen had been hunting unsuccessfully for years, Jade could barely control the savagery and bloodlust within her.

  These were the traitors in her Hive.

  She was confronting her enemies at last.

  Corvinus must be the one in league with Katerina. Perhaps they were all simply the pawns of Medusa.

  Were there more of them? How much influence did they have over the other Hives? Had Ramses been successful in his mission to cut off their access to support and resources abroad?

  None of that mattered in the end.

  They’d dared to take what was hers.

  She could give two shits about the Dark throne. But what she would never forgive was that they dared to take Seth, to continue to threaten his safety.

  In a remarkably calm and steady voice, she greeted her nemesis, the ancient True Blood who was trying to usurp her rule.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Jade murmured, extending her hand.

  The other female had the audacity to smile.

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “I saw what you did to everyone else you touched. How long does the spell last, by the way? With so many controlled at once, I’d give you three minutes at most.”