“For once, bella, listen to me!” He remained a dark shadow outlined by the rays of the morning sun. “I’m not like any man you’ve met in your life.”
Amado was unique in every sense and she was afraid of the unfamiliar pull he had on her.
“Tell me what you want!” Meghan shouted, her attention whirling in a million different directions. She felt confused, lost in a sea of emotions she hadn’t experienced before, not even when she’d been with Kevin. For the most part, she didn’t want to fall victim to a man she suspected amassed women’s hearts with the ease of a stamp collector. “I don’t understand what you want!”
“Yes, Gianni,” a melodiously accented voice interrupted her tired from behind the vampire. “Do tell us precisely what you intend with the young lady.”
Chapter Fifteen
Amado turned and cursed, his flesh crawling as he scowled at the man standing a few feet away. He recognized the individual as the person lurking in the shadows of The Mage, his penetrating eyes striking fear into the undead.
Even at this early hour, the sun barely cresting over the horizon, the stranger appeared refreshed and composed. His long golden hair glowed in the first rays, a startling contrast against his dark attire. His expression, as Amado noted, was so serious the vampire was grateful his heart no longer beat.
“What’s it to you?” Amado asked sharply, his eyes reflecting his mistrust.
“Her welfare is of my concern, since Meghan is Chesca’s friend.” Sebastien supplied with an enviable ease.
Although he didn’t move, Amado sensed a penetrating heat radiating from the towering figure. Every ripple invisibly washed over his chilled body, evoking a profound terror he didn’t wish to experience.
“I believe the matter we’re discussing is private, and doesn’t require an intervention from you.” He snapped irritably.
“Au contraire,” his tone was soft, his expression blank. “As I told you, Meghan is my friend, via Chesca. Whatever concerns Meghan, or affects her in any way, involves me.”
“She’s my concern, not yours.” Amado snarled, his eyes flashing.
“Is she?” Sebastien countered with a minute shrug, unconcerned by the threat he detected in the vampire’s stance. “Would that be the same concern a certain associate of yours displays for her?”
Amado understood the deliberate innuendo and an unaccustomed chill shot over his skin.
“You know of…him.”
Sebastien nodded and his lips twisted. He glanced over to the waiting woman, marveling how she could remain looking so ethereally innocent despite the obvious night she’d experienced. She remained on the doorsteps of her house, the sunlight illuminating the golden beads on her dress, and highlighting the deliciously sleepy expression she wore. He inhaled deeply, searching for the underlying scent on her skin that would betray the vampire’s guilt, that he had tasted the delicate flesh of the blind woman.
Thankfully, only the distinct aromas of unbridled passion greeted him.
“Declan is amusing.” He kept his tone intentionally schooled, aware Meghan was eavesdropping.
Amado’s mind spun, wondering how the co-owner of The Mage had managed to walk away from an encounter with Declan Balthazar. Very few humans ever came face to face with the accursed vampire and lived to tell about it.
“My…intentions don’t linger anywhere in the direction of those harbored by Declan.” He denied firmly.
“Good,” the man murmured gently, the single word a whisper. “I didn’t find your associate a pleasing member of any world.”
“What are you?” Amado managed to utter, another decidedly odd sensation skittering over his skin as the man neared him with a slow and deliberate ease. His steps were as silent as a vampire and the intent in his eyes sent rippling heat across his normally chill flesh. He couldn’t pinpoint the strangeness of the reaction assailing him, but realized it wasn't an impression he associated with any in all the years of his existence.
Dread uncoiled in the pit of his stomach, and he felt the sharp points of his fangs elongate, while the desire to gnash his teeth clawed at his tightly strung nerves. The man’s presence was unsettling, eerie, and every nerve in his body clamored with alarm.
“I could be your worst nightmare.” Sebastien provided with deadly ease.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Poor creature,” Sebastien’s remark echoed with an odd level of pity he found disconcerting. “Did your creator leave you lost and alone, out in the cold, failing to explain to you of the sorcerers hunting your sort?”
Amado’s confused expression was significant enough.
“What’s this about a maker?” Meghan interrupted, frowning as she attempted to decipher the exchange between the two.
“It’s nothing, Meghan.” Amado shook his head, before realizing the action was lost to her. “Your friend is curious about our relationship.”
“Why does it disturb you, Sebastien?” She asked haughtily, her chin lifting.
Smiling congenially, the man lifted his palms before him. Barely discernible in the morning sun, subtle and glowing rays radiated from his extended hand. The shards of light wavered, rotated, and then danced mystically in the air.
“You don’t notice us, child.” He whispered calmly. “Our words are lost to you and serenity will replace whatever you feel at this moment.”
Instantaneously, Meghan’s body relaxed and she appeared lost in a world of her own, her expression strangely blank. Amado stared at her in awe, concern etching the lines of face before turning to the strange individual.
“If you’ve hurt her in any way…” The threat remained unspoken, but his eyes held a promise of retribution that would’ve struck fear in a mortal.
“She’s not harmed, merely oblivious to what we’re saying.” Sebastien assured as he lowered his hand. “The spell won’t last for long, which grants me adequate time to learn your intentions.”
“What are you?” He managed harshly and his eyes glowed.
“I, my lost child, could be a figment of the nightmares for dreams you no longer have.” Sebastien murmured gravely.
“You are…?” Amado breathed the unfinished question and left it lingering.
“I’m a wizard that pulls on the deepest secrets of the earth.” Sebastien’s retort was purposely evasive and he stared into Amado’s threatening look, his expression tranquil.
“Are you here for me?” He asked while he wondered if his time was approaching its end. The vampire didn’t know if he wanted to understand more of the strange individual. The hint of implacable destruction hung in the declaration and seemed to glow in the morning light, and his dread grew rapidly.
“At this moment, I don’t want what’s left of your soul.” Sebastien stated succinctly, a slow grin curving his lips. “Though, I do have a question you can answer.”
“What do you wish to know?”
“Tell me the truth,” Sebastien persisted with unsettling serenity. “Are you a hazard to Meghan’s life?”
“Her life is precious to me.” He professed earnestly.
“Are you of The Brotherhood, or do you count yourself among the numbers of The Sanctum?”
Amado’s world went into a riveting spiral, and he blinked at the blonde giant, marveling at how much he was familiar with the underworld haunting Bentham.
“I forsook The Sanctum long ago,” he managed candidly.
“What of the woman?”
His tense stance lessened and he turned back to Meghan. “I’m hers, doomed soul and all.”
A brooding silence followed his declaration, while Sebastien perused his face with cold eyes that flamed with a strange light. He stared, silent, at the vampire, his expression grim. Somehow, Amado sensed the individual could peer into his mind, and delved into forgotten territory long filed into the past.
“I don’t find you a threat, then.” The immortal stated with relative ease before his gaze hardened returned to icy chips of black. “If your intent
changes, I’ll send you to a place where even your undead soul will scream in horror.”
Amado bristled at the threat, wondering at the implication. Silent, he approached Sebastien, disregarding the dread that tugged at his flesh. Steadily, he stood before the man, ignoring the obvious distance of height, his expression markedly serious.
“I’ll not harm her, and will give my damned soul to keep her safe.”
Sebastien grunted and nodded, his penetrating observation never lowering. His chilling stare bore into Amado, attempting to read any ulterior motives that might have lingered inside him. The vampire remained where he stood, silently returning the man’s regard with one of his own, unwavering and defiant.
“For now, I’m satisfied.” Sebastien declared with relative ease, turning toward Meghan’s still form and snapping his fingers. Instantaneously, the spell lifted and she glared at them with obvious disapproval blazing from her pale eyes.
“I don’t have any idea what the two of you’re talking about, nor do I have the patience this early in the morning.” She grumbled heavily and bent to retrieve the keys at her feet. “Whatever it is, though, you can continue your conversation out here while I go to take a shower!”
At that moment, Amado looked at her hand, cringing as he saw the strange discoloration staining her fingers. His eyes darkened, and his breath left him in a quivering gasp.
“Meghan,” he breathed her name warningly as she turned from him. “Please don’t handle the door.”
She reeled about, her expression hardening and bright color flaming in her cheeks.
“Why?” She demanded irritably. “Why are you telling me not to touch my own damned door?”
He exhaled profoundly, and she swore a somewhat lethal edge radiated from his body as he approached, hovering a few steps away. He didn’t radiate with the calm to which she’d become accustomed and she felt as if there was an underlying explosion threatening to burst from his very soul.
“Please,” Amado’s voice dropped an octave and she heard him inhale heavily. His breathing was ragged and tore at his throat, each inhalation a rasping gasp. He reached for her arm and gripped it tightly. “I don’t want you to touch the door to your house.”
“For God’s sake, why not?” She snapped, shaking free.
“Meghan,” Sebastien interrupted firmly. A sudden whiff of his cologne permeated her senses and she realized he’d climbed the steps and stood nearby. “Listen to Gianni.”
The fact the one sided with the other infuriated her. She radiated with resentment, wondering what she’d done to deserve the commandeering male manner they displayed. Sebastien’s domineering attitude confused her, especially when she considered he was normally more easy-going. On Amado’s part, Meghan hoped it wasn’t due to the exchange of one simple kiss, taken in the heat of the moment before a crowded room, or their night of undeniable passion.
The last thing she needed was another man who felt he was in complete control her!
“Meghan, for just once, I need you to trust me.” Amado pleaded soothingly, struggling to regain his composure, but she still heard the underlying urgency in his tone. She paused, her irritation disappearing slightly.
“Okay,” she exhaled roughly. “Why is it so important that I don’t touch the door?”
“Cara mia, unless you intentionally left your door wide open, someone broke into your home.”
She turned on her heel, her pulse rate increasing rapidly as she backed into the solid wall of his chest. Her hand crept to her throat and she released a terrified squeak as his arms slipped about her waist.
“I didn’t leave the house unlocked.” She stressed, her words quivering with the effort.
“We didn’t believe you did.” Sebastien affirmed gently, reaching for her cane. Firmly, he pressed the aluminum rod into her quaking hand, clearing his throat to mask the low growl erupting from the vampire. “I imagine Chesca was with you when you left to the gala?’
She nodded hesitantly. “She came by early and helped me. I couldn’t manage the buttons on this dress…”
“Did Chesca lock up?” Amado asked.
“No, I did.” Meghan hand fell, her ears roaring with the frightened rush of blood flowing through her veins. “I wanted to make certain where my keys were in my purse. She tends to just throw them in, and I spend forever hunting for them.”
“I want you to listen to me…”
“Do you think whoever broke in is inside?” She inquired in a panicky breath.
Her face was pale, despite the two flags of color staining her cheeks. Turning her in his arms, Amado lifted a comforting hand to her chin. He scanned her enigmatic eyes and was content she couldn’t see the tinges of black and red altering the irises.
“I don’t know, Meghan.” His comment was deep and guttural as he strained to detect any betraying sounds lingering within the structure. “I don’t hear anybody inside, but I know there was someone here.”
“Whoever the intruders were, they entered while you were at the gala.” Sebastien interposed gently, watching as Amado sniffed suspiciously at the air. He scowled as he noted the change in the other’s features, and his skin burned with a fire pleading with him to erase the monstrosity at his side. Steeling himself, he turned, his mind repeating a litany of soothing phrases meant to calm the hunter threatening to burst forth. “I believe your thief waited until you weren’t at home to break into your house.”
“How…?” She shivered and pulled her cane close, wondering what she’d deserved to wind up with a life tormented by wickedness. “How do you know it wasn’t me that screwed up? Perhaps I was so excited I forgot to lock the door as securely as I should have.”
“Meghan,” she heard the strain in Amado’s voice. “Tesoro mio, this wasn’t a simple thing of you or Chesca forgetting.”
“How can you be so sure?” She questioned desperately and pulled away from his embrace.
“I doubt your wild friend or yourself would slay a pigeon on your own stoop.”
She gagged, and realized the damp fluid on her doorstep had been blood. She gulped, the breath burning at her sinuses as she reeled away from her, panic filling her very soul.
“Who would do such a disgusting thing?” She managed in a trembling voice.
“The mortal who did this meant to cause you fear and harm.” Sebastien responded roughly, remaining a firm distance from the lovers. He flashed a knowing look to Amado, his expression wordlessly assuring him Declan hadn’t a hand in the event. “We have to go inside, and see the extent of the damage.”
“I don’t want to…” Meghan protested weakly.
“We, Amado and I, are here.” Sebastien soothed. While his eyes never left the vampire’s, he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Pressing his fingers to the buttons, his expression hardened as he recalled the predictions of the woman’s friend. “Meanwhile, I’ll place a call to the police, and then let Chesca know what’s happened.”
While he waited for a response, he glared eloquently at Amado. He nodded and his gaze shifted to the building’s façade, before jerking his chin in the direction of the door.
“Meghan, listen to me.” Amado’s voice softened, becoming a mystical swirl that felt as if it were numbing her senses as he whispered in her ear. “While we stand here and can protect you, open the door.”
“I don’t want to, Amado.” Each word trembled. “What if the person is inside?”
“I’m here.” He soothed hauntingly. “You’ve nothing to fear.”
“I…”
“Very slowly, Meghan, we need you to open the door.”
“Amado…” She swallowed, her stomach lurching.
“I understand you’re frightened.” He spoke serenely. “This is one of those moments where you’ll have to learn to rely on someone else.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Uncertainty filled her panicked voice.
“I know, darling.” He continued as he chucked her chin up, his eyes darting to the s
trangely commandeering individual speaking quietly on the phone. “I…we understand exactly how terrified you are, as you should be. However, we can’t stand out here the entire morning. We need to know what they wanted.”
She nodded mutely, the taste of sour bile sticking to her throat as he took the small ring of keys from her numb fingers. He juggled them experimentally before dropping them into her purse.
Exhaling a quivering breath, Meghan waited for the two to step aside before pushing the door open. Tentatively, she crossed the threshold, each gasp catching and burning in her throat. Still speaking on the phone, Sebastien shoved his way past her, before coming to an abrupt standstill. She heard the slow whistle that escaped him as he stepped into the hall, the sound lifting to the upper levels of the building.
Amado longed to follow, but remained on the threshold. Incapable of traversing any further, his hand pressed lightly on her shoulder, his fingers squeezing the taut muscles as she entered.
Slowly, she released her pent-up breath, and stood in the foyer of her home. Amado’s hand dropped and she listened to Sebastien exhale heavily, his footsteps loud as he stomped his way to the second level of the home.
With the exception of Amado standing on her front doorstep, she was alone. The house was strangely silent, except for Sebastien stomping around above, and she exhaled a shuddering breath. Exhaling, she spun around on her gilded heel, realizing Amado hadn’t followed her inside.
“I sure as hell am not standing in here by myself, while Sebastien gallivants off upstairs,” she hissed from between clenched teeth, twisting her head in his general direction. “What if the creep is in here?”
Amado cleared his throat. He’d have terrified a sighted person and was appreciative she couldn’t see the intense expression in his eyes. Shoving his hands into his pockets, his golden orbs glowed and dark veins of blood seeped into the lenses.
Tears of Blood (The Blood Chronicles) Page 17