Sanctuary_Bloodlines_Book 1

by C. L. Stevens

  “I figured, why just make her leave when I could do so much more. A weapon right under their very noses.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “She would have done immeasurable damage before they were forced to kill her. It would have been a strike so powerful they would have never recovered. It would have been the end of their house. I had to take the risk.”

  She knew it. “And you pushed too far.” She stated more than asked. “You went too far against the host's natural thoughts and her mind struck back.”

  “Hard.” He acknowledged. “Harder than I would have believed possible had I not been on the receiving end. A will like banded iron.”

  “How can that be?” She asked, thoroughly confused. “How could she be so weak minded as to let you complete a full push, yet strike out with enough mental force to actually kill her attacker? I didn't even know that it was possible to kill in that way. Perhaps it was a trap after all.”

  “I don't think so.” He surmised. “She IS that weak. I had free rein in her mind, I know she is.”

  She just pointed at the corpse.

  “I want to learn more about her kind.” She announced. “Perhaps I can find a reason for what happened. But in the meantime, what do we do with the body? Should we dispose of it and claim ignorance? We certainly do not need Gifted as enemies. They will want vengeance for Constance’s death.”

  “Too many know she was with us.” He replied. “If she just disappeared, they would no doubt suspect us. I say we tell them who killed her, just not how.”

  “Could work,” She agreed. “Having a few Gifted gunning for them would certainly be good for us. But that is a long shot. In the end, my plan was a total failure. We accomplished nothing and lost a valuable resource. A complete disaster.”

  “No, not completely.” He said, shaking his head. “I believe I have learned something with the push. I think the Ablanq has been bonded. And we do not have to guess with whom.”

  “Have you lost your mind?” She exclaimed. “Think about what you are saying. A vampire cannot be bonded with an Ablanq. How perverse!” She added with a disgusted look on her face. “To even try something so moronic would kill them both. Meilin is a fool, but she is not that foolish.”

  “Perhaps not,” He admitted. “But there was something peculiar about it all. Something I cannot put my mind to.” He continued, looking thoughtful.

  “Well, you had better put your mind to this task right now.” She stated, gesturing to the dead Gifted. “Stay focused. All we need now is for you to let your discipline wane and allow one of them to read you.”

  “I am focused,” Otarin retorted. He bent down and scooped the tattooed woman into his arms. “Let's get this over with.”

  Desiree awoke slowly, the awareness of her surroundings becoming more tangible as she lay in bed. She found it difficult to move, or at least she found it difficult to find the desire to move. The luxurious bedding felt as it was holding her body hostage through sheer force of comfort alone. She blinked her eyes repeatedly before they came into full focus. With considerable effort, she managed to sit up. The deep scarlet sheets caressed her skin like a lover beckoning her to return to their embrace. She seriously considered doing just that but a full bladder overruled the idea. She was contemplating how to exit the huge bed without disturbing Meilin when she realized that her blood friend, her host, her patron wasn't there. She gazed around the room but saw no sign of the Vampire. She scooted herself to the end of the bed and decided to call for her.

  “Meilin?” She called softly at first as if she were afraid to disturb the silence and then again more loudly. Her second inquiry yielded results but not what she had anticipated. A young lady perhaps 18 or 19 peered around the corner of the open doorway that led outside Meilin’s quarters. She had short, curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes that peered at her nervously over a pointy nose and thin pink lips. She appeared to have some sort of tablet or large phone in her hands.

  “Oh!” The girl said in a high pitched but surprisingly sultry voice. Desiree figured men liked hearing her voice. It was resoundingly feminine. “I didn't realize that you were finally awake.”

  She walked into the room and smiled at her nervously. Or maybe not. Desiree had a feeling that maybe the vulnerable, unsure look was just her natural way. She had seen it on other young women, especially in high school.

  Desiree dropped down from the bed and extended her hand in greeting.

  “Hi, I'm Desiree.” And returned the smile.

  “I'm Anastacia but everyone just calls me Stasha. It's nice to meet you.” She said warmly and took her hand in hers and squeezed ever so slightly. It was tiny and pale and seemed extremely delicate. Her own hand with its small palm and long, delicate fingers that were normally so dainty now seemed overly large in comparison.

  “It's nice to meet you as well Stasha.” She said completing the ritual.

  “Why are you fidgeting from foot to foot like that?” Stasha asked her with a crinkled brow. “Are your feet cold or something? It seems pretty warm in here to me.”

  Desiree forced herself to stand still but it was an effort to do so.

  “No. Uh, actually, I need to use the ladies room.” She said with a self-deprecating grimace. “Where are the restrooms?”

  “I don't know,” Stasha replied apologetically. “I have never been down here before.”

  “Well, we will just have to look for it,” Desiree announced. “Because nature is calling and she ain't messing around if you know what I mean.”

  Stasha laughed and nodded enthusiastically. “Trust me, been there plenty of times. When you gotta go, you gotta go!”

  On her way to the closest door to the left, she noticed a thick silver bath towel with a blue loofah with the tag still attached balanced atop it, resting on the dresser. It hadn't been there when they had fallen asleep so she figured it had been left for her use. She opened the door, expecting to see the bathroom and hopefully a shower but instead found herself in the largest closet she had ever seen. It wasn't particularly wide but it seemed to go on and on until it was lost in the shadows. A double row of clothes hanging on a rack extended its length. She flicked one of the two switches on the wall and lights popped into existence one by one until a wall could be seen some 50 Yards distant. She hit the other switch and the rack of clothes began moving, one row coming her way, the other moving away from her.

  Wow. That is a crap ton of clothes.

  She exited the closet after turning off both switches and turned around just in time to see Stasha disappear into another room. With only one door left, she walked over to it quickly and opened it. Inside was a large, empty room even bigger than the one Meilin and she had slept in. There was another door on the other side but she stopped before going to it at a shout from Stasha.

  “In here.” The girl called and Desiree made her way to the voice, walking like a penguin. She had no idea why she was walking like that. It was not as if she could hold it in by walking with her legs crossed but she couldn't make herself stop.

  She walked through the open doorway into a study of sorts. There was a medium-sized flat panel TV on the wall, several bookshelves full of hardcover books, a large sofa and two enormous executive desks that dominated most of the space in the room. Desiree waddled through that room and through another open doorway. Inside she found Stasha beckoning to her from the other end of a large space that appeared to be in the late stages of construction. The room had the strong smell of paint and sawdust. Trying to control her gait and failing miserably, she made it to Stasha and found a large bathroom, complete with an over-sized copper bathtub, more of a Jacuzzi really, in one corner and a modern shower in the other. She nearly cried in relief when she eyed the toilet. She poised over the bowl and froze when she noticed that Stasha was still relaxing with her back against the door frame, half in and half out of the restroom. She didn't appear to have any thought for her privacy. She even smiled at her as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

  “I definitely ne
ed a shower.” She mused aloud. “Can you do me a favor Stasha?” She asked sweetly.

  “Sure,” The girl replied.

  “There was a towel and a loofah in that first room I was sleeping in. Could you go back and grab that for me please?”

  “Sure.”

  When Stasha left, she closed the door and tried to lock it but found it had no lock at all. Desiree cursed under her breath. That darn woman and her disdain for privacy. I should probably be happy that it has a door at all.

  She made water as quickly and she could, the sounds echoing loud enough to resemble a raging waterfall. After finishing up she moved to the shower, opened the glass door and peeked inside.

  “Are you sure it even works?” Stasha asked behind her and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

  “You scared the crap out of me.” She admitted, turning around to face her.

  “I thought you just did that.” Stasha joked and handed her the items she had asked for. “There's body wash in there as well.”

  “Really? Good.”

  “Yeah. I wish I had known it was there though. I dropped the darned thing and broke the cap. Sorry.” She said with a shrug.

  “No worries. Well, let's see if this darned thing works.” Desiree said, using the same tone the girl had used and gave her a smile. “Cross your fingers.” Stasha smiled back.

  She turned the knob to the middle of the H in the C and the shower head roared to life. The water pressure seemed very strong and within moments the room started to fill with steam. She turned back to Stasha and couldn't suppress a huge smile.

  “Awesome,” She stated happily. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

  She disrobed and hopped into the shower, giggling all the while.

  “Wow! you must work out like night and day,” Stasha remarked as she closed the shower door.

  “Why do you say that?” Desire asked, a bit puzzled at the weird comment.

  “You are so fit. You look like those Olympic gymnasts with the super toned abs and legs.” She replied, sounding both in awe and a little bit jealous.

  “You'd be surprised,” Desiree stated cryptically and moved to get under Niagara Falls.

  “I have to say, I was very surprised to hear that the Lady Meilin had sponsored someone.” The girl was saying. “What's she like?”

  “Did she send you?” Desiree replied, deflecting that question as well. She winced when the too hot water hit her skin and adjusted the temperature. She reached up to adjust the head when the downpour changed to an oscillating pulse. She glanced at both sides of the shower head and found a dial with at least 8 different settings. She moved it back to the top setting, resisting the urge to test them all. I'll mess with that later. She had missed some of what the girl had said and quickly thought back to catch up on the conversation.

  “Sort of.” Stasha had replied. “It was Marilyn who asked me to wait for you. But of course, that order no doubt came from Lady Meilin.”

  “Oh.”

  “I think they expected you to wake up a long time ago,” Stasha remarked.

  “Why do you say that? How long were you waiting for me?” Desiree asked curiously. “I hope you weren't waiting too long.” She added as the strong smell of strawberries and vanilla filled her nostrils from the body wash.

  “Over two hours,” Came the surprising reply.

  Desiree paused in the act of scrubbing one arm.

  “2 hours! Wow.” She said, not liking the thought of someone possibly watching her sleep for 2 hours. “Stasha I'm sorry. I didn't know. Wait, what time is it?” She asked in alarm.

  “I'd say it's pushing 8 o'clock by now,” Stasha replied and Desiree’s eyebrows began to climb as she did the math. Wow, I've been asleep for at least 11 hours.

  “And don't worry about it.” Stasha continued, shrugging off the apology. “Like you said, you didn't know. Plus, I didn't have shit to do anyway.”

  There was a long silence as Desiree scrubbed herself with the loofah. Her thoughts flowed inward as she contemplated everything that had happened. The memory of her stargazing was strong in her mind and that inevitably brought thoughts of Meilin. She suddenly wondered why the vampire had left her. Then her thoughts turned to Stasha and her presence began to make sense.

  “Are you supposed to inform Marilyn when I woke up or escort me somewhere or something?” She asked as she rinsed herself off and turned off the water. She grabbed the towel and was drying her face when the younger girl spoke.

  “Well, uh, yes,” She stammered, sounding more than a tiny bit surprised. “Both actually. I was to take you to her and then we were supposed to grab dinner together. Though dinner is over by now.” She added regretfully.

  Desiree’s stomach grumbled its regret as well.

  “Dang, Stasha, I'm so sorry,” She apologized again as she stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around her. “Let me get dressed really fast and I'll ask Marilyn if she can make an exception for us in the kitchen. She seemed really nice when I met her this morning.”

  “I don't think they do that,” Stasha remarked but she sounded hopeful. Desiree was wondering if she should tell her about her visit to the kitchens this morning and after looking into the girl’s sad blue eyes she knew that she had to do something to lift her spirits.

  “We got in, me and Meilin I mean, we arrived pretty early this morning but breakfast was already over. Elizabeta talked to the cook and they made an exception for me. I'm sure they would do the same for us tonight.” She said sounding ten thousand times more confident than she actually felt. Stasha’s face visibly brightened and she felt that she had done the right thing.

  They went back to Meilin’s sleeping quarters and she got dressed as quickly as she could. There were only two outfits left in the bag to choose from. She selected a simple turquoise skirt that was not much more than a simple sweep of fabric. Next, she added a tight-fitting white shirt with a large turquoise heart over the breast with the word 'Yourself' below in thick black print. A wide golden belt that resembled a chain brought them both together. Simple as the outfit was, she rather liked it. Even Stasha remarked that it was cute. The only part of it that she didn't like was the sandals. The heels were just too high for her. She felt uncomfortable walking in them. What I wouldn't give for some good old Vans right about now.

  They made their way back upstairs in virtual silence save for the growl of Stasha’s stomach that sounded both loud and insistent. They both shared a good laugh about that.

  Desiree was following her escort down a hallway when a man turned the corner ahead of them. He wasn't very tall, perhaps about 5’9 but strode along as if he were 7 feet tall. His manner reminded her of some of the guys she knew growing up or had known in school. They would begin some form of strength training like weight lifting for only a few weeks and then suddenly start walking around as if they were so muscled that they had to walk with their elbows sticking out. As if the muscle was packed on them so densely that their arms could no longer rest snugly at their sides.

  He was pale skinned, with sharp features and dressed impeccably. There didn't appear to be one light colored hair out of place on his head. When they got to within 10 feet of him he turned his head and stared directly at her. His light brown eyes seem to be trying to bore a hole right through her. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a vampire. The man positioned himself before Stasha bringing them to a stop.

  “My dear Anastacia, how are you doing this fine evening?” He asked, sounding nothing like what she thought he would. He sounded overly polite if anything. His eyes were on Stasha but Desiree had a feeling his attention was still on her.

  “I am good my lord,” Stasha replied respectfully. “And, how are you?”

  “None of that now.” He admonished. “My name is Michael as you well know. And to answer your question, lonely I'm afraid.” He mused sadly. “I seem to have precious few company these days. But enough about me” He stated, his voice cheering up a bit as he regarded her. “Who is your
lovely new friend here?” He asked, making no effort to hide his frank assessment of her. He took a step towards her and took her hand gently into both of his. He took an exaggerated sniff of the air and his brown eyes seemed to flash golden for a moment before returning to its original color.

  “My, my, don't you smell positively… enchanting.” He cooed.

  At first, his skin was deathly cold and she resisted the urge to snatch her hand back. His touch reminded her of a half-thawed steak. And a cheap cut at that. But soon his hands warmed comfortably and she found herself wondering why she originally wanted to recoil. He was looking down into her eyes with such sorrow that she had the sudden urge to hug him. That certainly would not be appropriate.

  “I'm Desiree” she managed to say after a moment.

  “Ah, to be desired,” He mused softly, almost sounding as he was speaking to himself and had suddenly put a puzzle together. “And you most certainly are.” He added with a wink.

  Desiree stood there dumbfounded until she remembered that his words were what her name meant. She felt her cheeks flush at the clever compliment and took a step away from him.

  “Now that was downright witty.” She stated truthfully. “I think we should be careful around this one Stasha.” She warned, peaking around his form to look her way. “A man this smooth and handsome will have a girl doing things she shouldn't and thinking it had been her idea the entire time.”

  He positively preened under the compliments and his smile grew broader.

  “The two of you should accompany me to my quarters.” He stated as if the idea just suddenly occurred to him. “I have a nice bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Red Bordeaux I recently acquired. Truly delectable from what I am told. The two of you can relax, sip wine and we can talk of this and that.” He said, twirling an upraised finger with the last few words. He looked back and forth between them expectantly.

  Stasha was staring at her, her pixie-like face imploring but Desiree was shaking her head.