So he’d stayed behind the far column of the cathedral, watching Evee at work. He’d been very impressed watching her control her Nosferatu. How she’d sent the ferry on its way with a wave of her hand. The moment Lucien had seen the ferry start puttering slowly across the river, he’d headed in her direction. Along the way, he’d noticed only one or two people at the far end of the riverwalk. He’d spotted a couple holding on to each other, kissing under the moonlight, in the fog that slowly settled over the city, and it made him yearn for Evee. Made him think about how she tasted when he kissed her.
He’d watched her for a while before approaching her. Taking in the beauty of her standing there, hands at her side, as she watched the ferry start across the river with her Nosferatu, watching the lights from the makeshift dome on the ferry get swallowed by fog as it moved slowly north. Some of the Nosferatu were grunting, grumbling, shifting about on the ferry so that it tilted from side to side. At one point Lucien had thought the ferry might tip over on its side, and had it not been for the buoys beneath it, it very well might have.
Lucien had seen for himself how anxious the Nosferatu had been, locked up in the catacombs. How they’d fought, bitten and grabbled for the smallest of territory below the cathedral. He didn’t know how Evee’d done it, but he had to admire how calmly and methodically she had loaded them onto the ferry. And now they were on their way to be fed. Finally.
He trusted Nikoli was on the lookout over the North Compound for any Cartesians as the feeding transfers were made. With the dome now protecting the ferry, the only worry spots they had for the Cartesians were the transfers to the ferry and feeding area, then back again.
Evee blew out a breath, and Lucien released her shoulder.
“I didn’t know what to expect here or on the feeding grounds. Things have been so crazy lately. I don’t know what to look out for first anymore. Cartesians, more Nosferatu going missing because I’m keeping them caged up, or some stupid sorcerer who’s decided he wants in on our territory. It’s like you never know who’ll show up or not, when or where. It’s confusing as hell, don’t you think?”
Lucien nodded. “A good way to put it. I don’t know much about the sorcerers here, but judging by what you’ve told me, we certainly don’t need any one of them, much less all three, involved in this.”
Evee stood silently studying his face, the smile on her face soft.
Without giving it a second thought, Lucien took hold of her shoulders, gently turned her around, then wrapped his arms around her. They watched the ferry in silence as it chugged its way to its destination.
Lucien felt Evee lean back against him, pressing her back against his body. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She smelled of chamomile and freshly cut roses. His arms, encircling her waist, felt like they belonged there. Had always belonged there.
He ran his hands through her ponytail, then moved it aside and gently kissed the back of her neck. He felt her stiffen slightly, so Lucien reluctantly released her.
She turned to face him, a look of longing mixed with confusion on her face. “I... I...”
“It’s all right,” Lucien said. “No need to explain anything. I know that you feel guilty about us and think that everything that’s going on is because of our intimate relationship. But what the curse mentions...that damn curse that was issued down from so many generations ago, is not what we’re doing.”
The very next thing that came to Lucien’s mind, he didn’t verbalize. Not yet anyway.
“This...” Evee touched her chest, then pressed a hand to his chest “...is difficult for me to process. I was given a direct order by my Elders to not be intimate again with you, even if that meant staying away for you altogether. My head heard and understood, but the rest of me doesn’t seem to give a damn. I always want to be close to you.”
Lucien breathed a silent sigh of relief. For a moment, he’d thought she’d turn from him and never look back. “Evee,” he said, touching her right cheek lightly with his fingers, “I feel the same way. I want to be near you, help you, protect you, always.”
“That’s what scares me,” Evee said. “The always part.”
Lucien leaned over and kissed her cheek. “We’re adults. We can slow the tempo to whatever pace makes you more comfortable. Make sure we...well, stay in compliance with the curse’s rule. We truly can do whatever it is we need to do.”
Evee nodded slowly, but she didn’t look convinced. “As if now I can even turn this conversation back to business.”
Closing his eyes, and drawing in a deep, exaggerated breath, Lucien held out his arms, crooked them at the elbow and forced his biceps to bulge significantly. “See?” he said. “I am man. Hear me roar.”
That drew a large smile from Evee, which he treasured.
“Okay, so business...right now all we have to do is wait for the Nosferatu to get back and corral them back into the catacombs safely. When you know the ferry is heading back with them, I’ll check the catacombs to make certain the dome doesn’t need recharging. Then we’ll tuck your brood under it, and they’ll be safe and sound. Then maybe you can get some much-needed rest before we start another search. That sound like a plan?”
Evee touched one of his bulging biceps, and Lucien saw something hungry cross her face. She looked up at him. “Lucien, I don’t know what I’d have done without you through all this. You saved me from drowning...you’ve been such a calming influence amid all the chaos. I—I just really want to thank you.”
Lucien smiled and ran his fingers over her cheek, brushing stray strands of hair away from it. As he touched her, gently, slowly, Evee said, “You know, I have to confess something.”
“What’s that?” Lucien asked.
“When you and your cousins first got here, to be honest, I didn’t trust you.”
Lucien chuckled. “You don’t think I knew that? I wouldn’t have trusted me, either, if I had been you. Four men, showing up out of nowhere, claiming to be Benders, and that we’re here to help you. All because some wacko creature you’d never even seen before was hell-bent on attacking you and your Originals. Taking possession of you. I would’ve considered myself facing four loonies.”
Evee grinned. “Yeah, it was sort of like that.” She glanced over the water, and Lucien watched it with her. Dark with a fecund scent, the sound of it lapping against the shore. All of it held an odd, calming effect.
Looking back up at Lucien, Evee finally broke the silence. “You know, I really don’t know what to think and make of us. Just like I don’t know what to think and make out of all that’s going on with the Cartesians, our Originals, now the sorcerers.”
Instead of letting Evee attempt to tie a knot between what they’d experienced together and what they fought outside their intimate circle, Lucien once again smoothed hair from her face and said, “As for what’s happened between us, I don’t know about you, but it felt as natural as breathing to me. The rest of it connected on its own. Like a hurricane during hurricane season. The Cartesians simply found a way to the Originals.”
“I think that happened because of what Viv said to her Loup Garous,” Evee said sadly. “When she told them she quit and didn’t want anything more to do with them.”
“You and I both know your sister didn’t mean that in the truest sense of the word. Frustration does that to a person. Makes us say and do things we wouldn’t do otherwise. We can’t keep pressing that button, though. You know, pointing to Viv as the reason the Cartesians are here. The simple fact is that they’re here. The Cartesians got a taste of an Original, who they’d been searching for for what seems like forever. Too many years, centuries even. When they finally realized where they were located, the Cartesians’ entire focus turned here. That’s not your fault. It isn’t even Viv’s.”
Evee looked at him, listening intently, her copper eyes large and bright even in the darkness
.
“The fact is that there’s a leader of these Cartesians, and its agenda is to take over the entire netherworld, to take over the Triad, to take your power and that of the Originals and make it its own.”
“So you’ve said.”
“It’s a fact, Evee. When he’s done with you, the Originals, the others from the netherworld in this city, it’ll go after the humans here. Then it’ll move on to another city, another country, another continent, taking every ounce of power from any netherworld creature and living being so it can ultimately control the world, then the universe. That’s its ultimate goal.”
“But why?” Evee asked. “What purpose would that serve this so-called leader? No one would be left then, but the Cartesians.”
“That’s the point and what it wants. Think of every crazy leader from history,” Lucien said.
“History has shown us that such insane leaders do appear from time to time, for whatever reason, as if to test our wherewithal as human beings. Take Hitler for instance. His goal was to rid the world of what he considered to be inferior humans and produce a super race that would be under his control. Who can make sense of such insanity? From Hitler to this Cartesian leader, they have their own sense of purpose. And that purpose makes no sense to anyone except the creatures or people who blindly follow them.”
“Scary analogy,” Evee said.
“Yes, but true,” Lucien said. “The biggest difference between the two is that the leader of the Cartesians has a special ability. Every time one of its Cartesians makes a kill and brings the essence of that kill to its leader, that leader is able to create another Cartesian. That’s how it’s been able to grow its army over all these years.”
“So, are you saying that this leader was at one time the only Cartesian alive? Then grew its own army by killing?”
“That about sums it up,” Lucien said. “The original Cartesian was created many generations ago. It’s had plenty of time to build its army with every kill of a netherworld creature. Unfortunately, the Benders only came onto the scene ten generations ago. By that time, the first Cartesian had plenty of time to grow its army. We followed them for ten generations but have only managed to get its minions. The leader stays well hidden.”
“Do you even know what the leader looks like?” Evee asked.
“All I know is what we learned during our training as Benders. Supposedly, the leader is larger than any Cartesian any Bender has yet to face. And I’m not sure if it’s rumor or not, since no Bender has admitted to actually seeing the leader, but supposedly its head is not covered with fur and scales, unlike its minions. I’ve heard that its head is humanlike. Only its body is covered in scales and matted fur.”
“It almost sounds like you’re chasing a shadow. A bogeyman,” Evee said.
“Feels like that sometimes,” Lucien admitted.
“Shadows or not, I’m in this with you,” Evee said. “Remember, we’re supposed to be a team.”
Lucien gave her a long, tender look and even in the dark, he saw determination and longing in her eyes. It made his heart swell. No one, besides his cousin, had ever purposely chosen to stand by him during the midst of a fight with the Cartesians. Yet here was this beautiful, intelligent woman, offering herself to him. Offering to stand by his side when she just as easily could have left the bulk of the work to him.
* * *
Before Evee even realized what she was doing, she stood on tiptoe and kissed Lucien softly. His full, luscious lips set a fire to her own as they always did. The kiss was supposed to be one of gratitude. Gratitude for Lucien’s help. For him being there for her. For standing by her side to protect her.
If truth be told, thinking a kiss of gratitude would be just that, a kiss of gratitude, was ridiculous. She’d only been fooling herself. All she had to do was be near him, and her body was immediately ablaze with need.
Lucien, obviously feeling her, sensing her need, took her into his arms and kissed her. He held her tight, putting a hand behind her head and pulling her closer. Their kiss deepened to a maddening dance of lips and tongues. Their tongues seemed to battle with a hunger neither could control. Sucking, longing, reaching for the farthest corner of their mouths.
Evee found herself breathing harder, faster. With her body pressed so close to Lucien’s, she felt his heart galloping beneath his chest, and she was certain he could feel hers doing the same.
The need she felt for Lucien was so great she likened it to a pot of boiling water. The heat grew so great and so fast it overflowed its container, popping, splashing, sizzling.
She broke their kiss for only a moment, looked about, saw nothing but darkness. Not one person in sight. And it would be a while before the ferry would return with the Nosferatu.
Knowing they were alone, she reached for Lucien, wrapping her arms around him. Kissing him with a scalding fervor she didn’t know she possessed. She moved her hands over his chest, wanting him, needing him. Wishing she could strip him naked. But being in a public area, although seemingly empty, she didn’t think naked was a good idea.
She felt like she’d die of thirst if she didn’t have him here and now, no matter where they were. Her body overtook her mind. Logic felt like nothing more than a nuisance. She grabbed hold of the front of his shirt with both hands and pulled him along with her to the nearest pier poles, where they moored the ferry.
Lucien followed her lead, silent, eyes smoldering with desire.
Evee leaned her back against one of the pier posts and pulled Lucien close, her hands fisting in his hair. She kissed him harder, deeper.
Suddenly, Lucien took both of Evee’s arms in one of his hands and held them over her head, against the post. His mouth moved down to her cheek, her neck, licked the lobe of her right ear.
Evee felt her breathing grow ragged, and the rest of the world seemed blind to her, save for Lucien.
“Take me,” she whispered as he nipped the nape of her neck with his teeth. “N-now. Take me. Here. Now.”
Lucien pulled away from Evee slowly, looking deeply into her eyes, his hand still locking her arms over her head against the pole. He glanced left and right so quickly it was barely noticeable. Evee was sure he was double-checking to make sure they didn’t have an audience.
Evidently confident that they were alone, Lucien turned his full attention to her. He unbuttoned her slacks with his free hand and yanked them down and off without preamble.
No words were needed as Lucien released her arms, placed them around his neck, then lifted her into his arms as easy as if he were cradling a baby. He lifted her up, and her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. She heard the sound of the zipper on his jeans, and then before she knew it, Evee felt the hardness of him pressing between her legs. She was already wet and swollen, so ready for him. She wanted to cry out, scream, “Now! Now!” but there’d been no need.
As though reading her mind, Lucien entered her, slowly at first, then evidently feeling how wet and ready she was, drove his entire length into her deep and fast. He held on to her legs, lifting her higher, pushing into her deeper, pulling her legs up even higher so she felt every inch of him, so he reached that spot deep within her that caused her to lose control and flood him with her juices.
As he dived into her again and again, Evee bit her bottom lip, holding back a cry of pleasure, as she erupted with an orgasm so powerful her vision blurred.
“More, damn it,” Lucien said. “Give me more.” He arched his back, giving her all he had. Hard and deep. “Give it all to me, baby. Everything.”
Evee didn’t know how or why, but the sound of Lucien’s command sent her immediately over the edge again, her body erupting and soaking him.
Lucien continued to ram his hardness into her, refusing to stop until she was completely drained. Evee had no idea how he maintained such control over his own orgasm as he hammer
ed himself into her again and again, making sure she gave him all she had.
Evee felt her body grip around his hardness, pulling him in deeper, contracting over his stiffness, her body sucking on his hardness, milking him.
Lucien met her stroke for stroke, and although Evee’s back was pressed against a large wooden piling, all she felt was him.
As she felt another orgasm begin to roll through her, Lucien held her legs up a bit higher, shoved harder, and this time Evee couldn’t hold back her cry as she exploded over him.
Only then did she feel him tense, his release so close. He drove harder, his eyes never leaving her face. A moan suddenly fell from his lips, and she felt him empty himself into her.
* * *
Lucien shivered with the intensity of his orgasm that seemed to last forever. This woman was nothing short of phenomenal in all ways. Never had he come across anyone with such depth, such sexuality, such commitment and daring. All of it was the wonder of Evette François.
Reluctantly, slowly, Lucien pulled out of her, lowered her legs to the ground and tugged her trousers up. With deft fingers, he zipped and buttoned them into place.
Evee still leaned against the piling, seemingly spent. Lucien held on to her with one hand while zipping up his pants with the other.
Once they were fully clothed Lucien took Evee into his arms and held her close. He pressed her head against his chest, hoping she heard the thudding of his heart.
And she rested there so comfortably, as if leaning against a familiar place, a comforting place.
Lucien held her close, smoothing her hair with a hand, kissed the top of her head. In that moment, he felt a twinge of pain hit his heart.
Where were they to go from here?
Lucien knew deep in his soul that he could never be without this woman. Yet the curse that held the Triad captive had now become his curse.
He needed more than one-night stands and an occasional sexual encounter with Evee.
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