I'm risking exposure, but have decided to lie and tell them it's a fetish club for wannabe vampyres, rather then the real deal.
Slow dancing, I smile at Jo's crushing expression as he laughs with Carrie, happy to see one of my family so joyous.
This time if I leave her, they'd better watch her for me. I daren't shake the lizard without knowing she has a chaperone.
Unfortunately nature is calling.
I catch Jo's focus, Look after Taz, I'll be right back.
*
Vampyres dance together with their irises throbbing, caught in the weight of attraction, locked with love's gravity like binary stars twinkling on a galactic highway.
The vamporium is hazy with molecular clouds oozing a haunted breath across the floor, snaking gossamer tongues up sexy legs and short skirts.
Turning around, gazing through the thermal corona hiding shadows which dance diabolically without corporeal form, my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth when I see Tasmin talking to another vampyre.
What was I thinking bringing her here?
Rage bites into my solar plexus and the furnace implodes through me like a solar wind stripping nutrients and murdering life.
I'm going to kill him.
Blue embers crystallize in his eyes and his look of hunger is ravaging her smile. She's ignorant, naive, and he's wrapping his charm around her in a vice as solid as my will.
Giving him the legion glare, I start pulsing across the room, diving through the interstellar phosphorescence before he binds her to his soul.
Reaching out with the angelfire, I curse him from fifteen paces, on top of them just as he smiles. Snapping her around, wrapping my arm around her and hugging her to me, her heart pounding louder than a gong at the end of prayer, I spit into his thoughts, Hide them. She's not an initiate.
His vipers snap back and he glowers hot eyes at me, but moves away in a cosmic jump.
Taking her back onto the dance floor, back under her spell, I cradle her against me, tilting her head and kissing forever.
Freezing time under the flashing ultraviolet light of the Indigo Vamporium, I linger in heaven when she gazes on me.
I want to keep you safe, see every dawn reflected in your eyes, hold your hand when it's cold, be there to catch your fall.
“It's so strange, I feel like I remember you, in here,” she says, pointing to her heart.
“Because I am in there. And you're in here,” I point to my own chest.
She laughs, and it's a gift from god to know she's healed enough to laugh.
“Seithe?” she wheedles sweetly.
“Tasmin,” I purr back.
Looking shy, she steps onto tiptoes, lacing her hands behind my neck, and kisses the breath out of me.
And I know I'm home. Inside her chest, I've found my eagle's nest.
~The End ~
Glossary
Appeltiser - non alcoholic apple soda made with real apples
Check - see? understood?
China - buddy
Croak - die
Doff - stupid
Dussy - Spelled dassie, the South African name for a Cape hyrax
Frek - die (in afrikaans). Pronounced frack
Fynbos - indigenous flora which translates as 'fine bush'. Pronounced fain bhós.
Howzit - hello, how is it (a direct translation from afrikaans asking how are you colloquially)
Is it - a local term for asking 'really'
Kief - cool / nice (said the way it's spelled)
Lank - lots / many
Legend - awesome
Lethe - water from the mythical underworld river Lethe (the river of forgetfulness)
Make out - understand, check this out
Noyt - written the way it's pronounced. This is the afrikaans word nooit. It's often used colloquially in South African dialect as an expression to indicate no. Often in a sensationalist way, the way a southerner starts a sentence with "ya'll won't believe.." that's how 'noyt bru' is intended.
Okes - guys
Pull in - come on over
Shot - cool
Sharp - cool
Spliff - joint - smoke of marijuana
Takkies - sneakers (prounounced as Tacky's)
Tuned - Told / said
Yaah - phonetic spelling for the word Ja (afrikaans for yes)
~Teaser from Scarlet Vamporium~
Book 2 of the Vamporium Series
I detect him struggling with a smile. He gives me a sidelong glance, his eyes reflecting confined laughter. Regaining his composure he sits straight, swigging the last of his drink.
A blast of displaced air slams our hair forward and I peg to face the source, looking into the nebulous eyes of Uncle Venix.
Selene instantly loses her coy smile and snaps out of her chair, keeping her eyes on my uncle but talking to me, “Ellie, it's time to take Doug back to his car. Circumvent the thugs outside by breaking a few more rules. I'd like to have a word with your uncle alone.”
Watching him warily, I stand too, grabbing hold of Doug's hand and drawing him up out of his seat.
“Doug, this is my Uncle Venix. Venix, this is Doug.”
Douglas steps forward, proffering his hand to my enormous uncle, “It's ma pleasure tae make yer acquaintance, sir.”
To his credit Doug doesn't break eye contact or flinch.
Venix glowers at me, mutes his enraged eyes, and stares down at Doug, shaking his hand with obvious resistance. “Hello.”
“Out!” yells Selene. “It was nice seeing you again, Douglas. Drive safe. Now go, both of you.”
“And you, I will,” he nods, then turns to face me, wrapping his arm protectively around my shoulder and striding with me back into the passage, giving me the 'war is about to explode' wide eyed stare.
Stopping at the doorway to the lounge, I curl in and wrap my arms around him, transporting us back to his car.
It's an instant relief to breathe in the cool freshness, the air fragrant with moss and growth, old leaves and eons of soil.
His grip on my body is so forceful with the transition that it makes me pant a little. “Are you okay?”
Nodding, he slowly releases me, looking around at the vague shapes and closer dark looming trees, then up at the canopy overhead. His hold on me tightens, encouraging me to follow his line of sight.
Looking up I see a curious little face staring down at us, two rounded ears in a face patchy pale and dark, furry and so darn cute. “What is it?”
“It's a stoat. They're naughty as anythin' but I just luff 'em. They've got loads of personality, tae much fer their wee bodies really, and they're like little rebels always lookin' fer trouble.” Looking away from the branch where our voyeur sits, he stares into my eyes, and his are dark as flint in the gloom. “A lot like ye actually.”
“Oh really?” I laugh. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means I'm damn glad we're alone, and if yer uncle's vibe is anythin' tae gae by, I'm daeing this now...”
Wrapped in his solid embrace I'm walked slowly backwards until I'm resting against a trunk, all while being kissed within an inch of asphyxiation.
He tastes of bitter malt, warmed like medicine, and administered to me with a tongue slowly dancing across mine, my lip kneaded between his, his left hand now cradling my head.
It's so good I close my eyes, breathing in his cedar shampoo, his taste, his spruce cologne wrapped in body warmed leather, and the faint scent of woodland infused jeans. Tattooing him into my memory, I pray this isn't our last moment together.
It's giddy being kissed by him. He's everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend, and even though he's tall and athletic, his kisses are so soft. His lips are smooth and supple, the feel of his nape under my hand is addictive, and his long hair and short stubble are entirely masculine and adult.
I can't explain how hot I find long hair on him. I can't imagine him having short hair. There's something primal... and... right... about his entire package. A gentleman cau
ght in an untamed world, a sweet soul stuck in the body of a warrior... it's... perfect.
I desperately hope I'm not sent away.
*
Douglas:
This day is the longest I've ever lived. I started it a simple lad and have ended it with a complete paradigm shift.
Ma superstitions ha'e been confirmed and instead of terrifying the livin' daylights outtae me, it exhilarates me.
Lifting her so her feet dangle, I kiss her until I'm breathless and my hearing is dulled by oxygen deprivation. It feels right with her arms locked around my neck, tilting her head back and laughing softly into my mouth.
“You're going to get me into lots of trouble, I just know it,” she smiles, her voice lilting with emotion.
“Ah'm innocent. Don't be accusing me of instigatin'. I just met an unusual lass while out fishin' and she decided tae turn ma tranquil world upside down.”
Pressing a last kiss on my mouth, she stokes ma Celtic blood tae near boilin'. “You have to go or we'll never be awake in time to go cheer Roddie to victory.”
Firmly kissing her, with all ma might I squeeze her curves in a crush tae me, loathe tae release her. I finally set her feet back on the ground, refusin' tae say goodbye. I cannae say how final this feels, or how much I dinnae want tae go. I dinnae want tae leave her, I want tae take her with me, tae flee her mad family and escape tae somewhere safe.
Giving her hand a squeeze, I take the four steps tae the car, turning back to drink her in before leaving.
Hidden behind the open door I imprint her image in ma soul; hip long thick hair the color of spider silk, elegant legs in slinky black jeans, and eyes sparkling like two clear pools on a starlit night.
This isnae farewell. It cannae be. I won't let it be.
Blowing me a kiss with a swollen pout, her smile widens, and then she's gone and I'm standin' here alone smiling at a tree like a numpty.
The air blusters and the hairs on the back of ma neck raise. Hingeing tae the spot ma instincts holler from, I spy the two poker red eyes advancing toward me from the thickets, stampeding through the trees.
I dinnae ha'e tae even think about it, I dive intae the car, punch the engine into frantic life, and slam the gear shift intae reverse, scooting backwards downhill without the lights on, prayin I don't hit anythin'.
The whack of angry palms on the trunk force me tae jam my foot on the brake, the lights flaring hellish red intae the dark.
Looking forward, the dude from her garden is already at the grill, leaning both hefty arms ontae the hood and glowering at me through the thin glass separation' us.
His focus flicks tae the front of the car where the other shadow blocks ma escape, and ma leg starts jitterin' compulsively where it depresses the brake pedal. The sidhe growl shakes the metal and plastic interior, rippling through the car like thunder.
Standing straight, he flicks something at the windscreen, and I duck instinctively, shunting intae neutral tae prevent stallin', but it dies anyway. Waiting fer somethin' tae happen, it takes me three seconds tae look back up again, straight at the card stuck tae the glass.
Looking back at the other figure, the hulking shadow stumbles around and yanks ma door open, big hands clamping ontae ma jacket and hauling me out. The car starts rolling without ma foot on the brake and I struggle against ma assailant, smashing my forehead intae his nose, my leg coming up of its own volition tae knee him hard.
His grasp slackens with the impact and I break free, bolting efter the car, divin' in and yanking up the handbrake. I've barely had time tae catch ma breath when a hand finds purchase in ma jean's waistband and I'm flung backwards with force, impacting brutally with a tree trunk...
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