by C. A. Worley
If Bianca thought he would have welcomed the sight of her after he’d found and bonded with his sieva, then she knew nothing of vampire mating.
Granted, the last fated pair of Prajna had met before Bianca was born, but that was no excuse. It was drilled into children to be cautious and patient because nothing was as strong, as compelling, as a soul-bond.
One could live for centuries before his or her sieva was known. Once they met, there was no stopping the cicatrice from binding the pair together for all time.
An invisible tug pulled at his back. Damn it.
“Leave before I do something rash, Bianca.”
She glanced at the glass doors behind him. The corner of her mouth lifted just before she ported away.
Viktor ignored the urge to go after her and turned to face his mate.
Chapter 15
Viktor beat Eden to the glass doors, quickly opening them and stepping inside before she could see the crimson drops on the balcony. He’d felt her approach—he just wasn’t sure how much she had seen or heard.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“No one,” he murmured, pressing his lips to her cheek as he slid by on his way to the table where he’d left their meal. It was incredibly difficult not to put his hands on her when she was in one of his shirts.
“Try again,” she said, her voice loud and clear. Eden refused to be evaded.
Viktor lifted the lids off the plates and placed them on the mantle. He meticulously arranged her place setting as he’d seen the servants do and poured them both a glass of wine.
“Please,” he said, indicating the chair in front of the meal.
Eden sat stiffly, her appetite all but gone.
“Eat, mala vestica. You’ve not had sustenance in over a day.”
Eden took a sip of wine and reluctantly lifted the fork. She was relieved the food looked and smelled palatable. She wasn’t sure what sorts of things the Prajna consumed, aside from the obvious.
Viktor drained his goblet then refilled it. He took the seat opposite Eden and waited for her to put her fork to use.
“You eat, I’ll talk.”
Eden lifted what looked to be potatoes to her mouth. Though no longer hot, they were seasoned to perfection. It appeared she wouldn’t be starved in Prajna.
“I apologize for the unannounced visitor. No one is allowed in these chambers, including on the balcony. It won’t happen again.”
She continued chewing in the silence that followed. She took two more bites, but Viktor remained mute. Swallowing, she put down her utensil.
“Eden—”
“You talk, I eat,” she threw back at him.
Viktor’s eyes shimmered with mirth, enjoying the way she refused to yield. She was the only being whose challenge he actually looked forward to meeting.
“Saucy female.”
He said it like he’d meant it as a compliment. Despite herself, Eden flushed under the unconventional praise. She picked up the fork and held it aloft over the plate, challenging him to continue.
Viktor bellowed a full, hearty laugh. He hadn’t enjoyed time with a female like this in, well, ever. Everyone feared him and he used that fear against them. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d found himself in a standoff with someone who refused to yield.
Eden grinned, loving the sound he made. It was deep and masculine. It had a rasp to it, making it sound as though it was rusty from lack of use.
“You should do that more often,” she told him.
“What? Laugh?”
She nodded. “I’ve liked it when you’ve managed it. All two times.”
He laughed again, the sound and feeling becoming less and less foreign. He wondered when he’d last done it. Eden was bringing out things—feelings—in him he’d long believed were dead and gone.
“Yes, well, I haven’t had much in my life to laugh about,” he divulged.
Eden’s face fell and he waved off her concern. “Tales for another time, moj vestica. Let’s explore one thing at a time, shall we?”
“Okay.”
“Okay,” he parroted, the modern term feeling alien on his tongue.
He gulped down the rest of his wine and sat the goblet on the table. He needed to pay attention to Eden’s body language during his disclosure.
“The female’s name is Bianca. She’s the daughter of one of the few men I’ve ever been lucky enough to consider a friend. She, ah, lives here at Castra Nocte.”
Eden dabbed her mouth with her napkin, thinking.
“With her father?” she asked.
“No.”
“As a servant?”
“No.”
She wet her lips. “In the Komora?”
“No.”
Eden’s stomach churned as she threw out suggestions and Viktor shot them down. Use your head, Eden, she chastised herself.
Bianca was not Viktor’s mate. Vampire’s only got one sieva ever and his was Eden. The knot in her gut loosened.
From the brief glimpse Eden had caught of the white-haired beauty, she could tell she’d been upset. If no one was allowed near these quarters, aside from the feeding room, what would drive her to break his rule?
The question was easy enough to answer. It was the same reason Eden had stopped short when she saw Viktor outside with another female.
Jealousy.
“She was your lover?”
“Of sorts.”
“Care to explain what you mean?”
“Not really, but I will. I have been … intimate with Bianca and I have fed from her. But she was never someone I would consider a lover. The term implies feelings, a connection of some kind. I’ve never experienced either with her, or any Prajna female for that matter.”
Eden’s heart thumped. Was Viktor implying he felt those things for someone who was not Prajna? Possibly for her?
“Of course, I feel a connection to you, Eden. We are soul-bonded. We are two halves of a whole.”
Eden choked on the meat she was chewing, swiftly washing it down with her drink.
“Are you a mind reader?”
“Hardly. Your pulse altered and I could smell your adrenaline. I doubt you were getting excited over my talk of bedding Bianca.”
Eden gave him a withering look.
“Yes, continue speaking of your activities with her. I so enjoy it. All females adore hearing of their male’s previous conquests. By all means, go on.”
His teeth clenched, annoyed with her sarcasm, but reveling in her jealousy. Viktor was tempted to pull her into his arms and kiss the scornful look away. Unfortunately, before he touched her again, he needed to get this out of the way.
“My apologies. Let me back up a bit. Dmitri was a close friend of mine. He assisted me in disposing of the madman who used to sit on this throne, and he paid for it with his life. Shortly before Dmitri’s death, his sieva was murdered. His revenge motivated him to take up my cause with one stipulation. If something happened to him, his daughter would have no one. He asked me to provide for her should anything happen to him. Our agreement was sealed with magic and, when he died, she became my responsibility.”
Eden shuddered. “You raised her?”
“Goddess no. I never even laid eyes upon her until she was almost forty. At her request, she remained in the town where she was born. I sent guards to protect her. Eventually, she earned unwanted attention from a variety of males, and we agreed she would be better off here.”
“Yes, I can see why men would be drawn to her.”
Her fork dropped loudly onto the empty plate.
“She is nothing compared to you, Eden.”
Eden rolled her eyes. One blink and Viktor was kneeling in front of her, the table crashing into the wall. He cradled her head and pulled it close to his, ratcheting her pulse higher and higher.
“She is nothing. Nothing. You are my sieva, Eden. There is no comparison to be made. The space you fill in me could never be touched by anyone else.”
His mouth crash
ed into hers, giving her no time to argue. She groaned, fighting to pull him as close as possible.
Viktor ported them to the bed, shredding their clothing to rags. He spent the next few hours worshipping every inch of his mate, proving over and over she was his.
* * *
“So, Eden, what do you think of Castra Nocte so far?”
Eden cleared her throat, running through possible diplomatic responses to Mariana’s question. Yuri’s wife was amiable enough, but it seemed she was also uninformed as to where Eden had been spending her time the past few days.
“Well, the view from Viktor’s balcony—”
“Our balcony,” he corrected.
Eden refrained from rolling her eyes. She knew where that would land her if she did so again—flat on her back in their bed. This was no place to encourage Viktor to make a scene.
She and Viktor were dining with the attractive couple in a small, formal room on the main floor of the castle. It was a comfortable space and far less lavish than Viktor’s personal chambers.
“The view from our balcony,” she amended, “is stunning, and I find that I enjoy hearing the ocean in the background.”
“So does Viktor,” Yuri added. “It’s why he moved into those quarters. The main living quarters for the King and the Queen are on the other side of Castra Nocte.”
Viktor shook his head imperceptibly, hoping to steer Yuri away from the topic. Eden didn’t notice. Mariana, catching Viktor’s wordless meaning, put her hand atop Yuri’s.
“The King’s quarters are wherever he demands they be, my husband. Let us speak of more interesting topics, like commanding magic,” she teased.
“You find magic interesting?” Eden asked.
“Oh, yes. What’s it like?”
Eden had never pondered it. It was like asking what it was like to have two arms. All elementals had some sort of magical control of an element. They were born with it and it required little conscious thought or effort.
“I’m not sure how to answer,” Eden replied. “The Prajna have magic, too. The influence of hypnosis and sealing obligations with magic, oh, and teleporting around from place to place. I imagine those are all likely the same sort of feeling.”
Mariana shook her dark head. “Oh, no. Those are boring. We can’t hypnotize one another very well. Only extremely powerful vampires can affect another vampire’s mind, so it’s become quite useless to me. And I’ve not made any pacts, thanks to this one’s,” she pointed at Yuri, “extreme paranoia.”
Eden grinned at Mariana’s jab. She enjoyed how the couple interacted, with warmth and humor. They weren’t the cold predators she’d been taught to fear.
Even more, she appreciated the fact Viktor had someone like Yuri in his life. During their handful of quiet talks, Viktor asked all sorts of questions about Eden. He truly made an effort to get to know her.
She had many stories to tell, most of which included her family. Sadly, Viktor spoke of no one, aside from his mother and Yuri. Even then he remained reticent with information.
She detested the hints of loneliness she detected in Viktor. No one deserved to walk this life alone. Yuri had Mariana, and now Viktor had Eden.
Eden’s smile widened when Yuri snapped playfully at Mariana’s finger, which was still pointed in his direction.
“I would think a female could forgive her sieva when acting in her best interest,” Viktor said, a tad more fervently than intended.
He was looking at Eden when he said it. She could feel his regard, like butterfly wings dancing on her skin. It happened every time she had his focus, ever since the soul-bonding.
She could feel him whenever he drew near. She wondered if she would feel anything when they were apart. He hadn’t left her side other than the time on the balcony with Bianca and a few moments of privacy in the bathroom, so she’d yet to fully test it.
Viktor’s words affected her. He was a proud male. He would never seek Eden’s forgiveness. He would demand it. She took comfort in the fact they were able to work through the issue with Bianca expeditiously, and that he did not want Eden to be upset with him.
Eden was still jealous, of course, but Viktor had made quite a case for himself. She chose to let it go and leave Bianca in the past, where she belonged.
They still needed to discuss the Komora. As soon as she figured out the best approach to dealing with her concerns, she would broach the subject. At least she was no longer afraid he would turn to them for his needs.
“But of course, Viktor. Yuri wouldn’t be able to function if he thought I was cross with him,” Mariana joked, breaking Eden’s rumination.
Viktor laughed at the unexpected jest. Mariana was the only person, aside from Viktor and Luka, who had ever dared make fun at Yuri’s expense. With his baritone voice, many Prajna thought him half-demon with the power to compel their minds.
“Yes, well, that is the way of sievas, as you well know, my wife,” Yuri grunted, pretending to be put off.
“Don’t worry, Eden, you’ll get used to it,” Mariana assured.
“Used to what?”
“To overbearing maleness,” she winked at Yuri. “It’s difficult for them to be so attuned to another. The soul-bond is new for you both, so it may take a period of adjustment. Just don’t let the King bowl you over and all will be well.”
“The King is sitting right here and can hear you,” Viktor scowled.
“Which is why I said it,” she quipped.
A second passed and then all four of them guffawed.
Viktor tilted his glass towards Yuri. “You are lucky, friend, that I admire your wife.”
“No, my friend,” Yuri said, bringing his wife’s knuckles to his lips, “I am the one who is lucky.”
Mariana leaned over and kissed her sieva fully on the mouth.
Eden lowered her gaze to her lap, feeling like she shouldn’t be privy to the intimacy the couple so easily shared. Viktor reached for her hand and brought it to his thigh, leaving them joined.
“I guess I forgot to mention the upside of matehood,” Mariana said.
Eden looked up, quizzically.
“Total and utter adoration.”
Viktor squeezed her hand and Eden blushed.
“But seriously,” Mariana continued, “tell us about you. I’m dying to know about your magic.”
“You don’t have to, Eden,” Viktor assured her. “Mariana is merely curious. It’s not often we have guests that are not Prajna.”
He already knew she could control fire. She had other abilities, as well. He was guessing air or something to do with oxygen from the way she could control her pulse.
“Fire,” Eden blurted.
She’d never discussed her magics with anyone outside her close circle. All of Gwydion knew she could produce fire, but the rest of what she could do wasn’t well-known.
Father was adamant about the family’s secrets remaining undisclosed. After Eden’s mother, Elora, was murdered, he trusted hardly anyone, especially those who would think his children too powerful.
“You can set things on fire?” Yuri asked.
“Yes. Or put out a fire. Or I can do this.”
Eden held up her right hand and small flames emitted from her palm.
“Fascinating,” Mariana whispered, leaning forward, the orange flares reflecting in her eyes.
“Undeniably,” Viktor agreed.
Eden felt the butterfly wings caress her face. This time, when her heartrate accelerated, she did nothing to slow it.
Chapter 16
“Viktor, are you sure you want me with you today?” Eden asked.
“Yes. I find I am not ready to part with you just yet.”
Her mood lifted slightly as Viktor led her through the King’s passage leading to the throne room, his hand on the small of her back. He hadn’t seemed very enthused to bring her with him today and Eden worried he’d only asked her to accompany him out of some sense of obligation to keep her occupied.
Viktor could fe
el Eden’s muscles relax a fraction under his hand. He detested the idea she thought he might not want her with him. Even more, he detested the idea of being away from her.
Bringing Eden to court might not be the most sensible plan. However, he was discovering when it came to his sieva, he was anything but sensible. He’d been neglecting his duties and it was time to see to them once more.
Today, he was holding court and had insisted Eden attend. He knew it didn’t sound like it would be much in the way of entertainment, but she told him she understood he’d been putting off his work in order to spend time with her.
Viktor kept his hand on her lower back and steered her to the right, towards a small alcove. He knew she had no real sense of where she was going, or how to get back to their room.
Eden had yet to have a tour of the castle. She had been to the private dining room, but nowhere else. Viktor kept her too busy in their bed chamber.
Mariana offered to show her around, but Viktor seemed put off by it. Eden asked if he wanted to be the one to show her Castra Nocte and he’d replied, “It would please me very much to share with you all that is mine, moj vestica.”
He often gave her such poetic words and she questioned if he could keep his Heartless nickname for much longer. With Eden, he failed to live up to it.
Today, however, she would witness how he interacted with his people. She mentally prepared herself to accept whatever persona he needed to take on. She had heard the Prajna court could be ruthless. If the Heartless moniker helped him achieve his goals, for the betterment of the kingdom, she could live with it.
They approached a small door in the center of the alcove. Viktor spun Eden to face him, both hands holding her shoulders.
“I will assume your father held court?”
“Yes.”
“And I assume it was a peaceful affair?”
“Of course.”
Viktor’s thumbs stroked the base of her throat, measuring her pulse. Slow and steady without a hint of magic. Good.
“This will likely be far different. I’ve ensured word got out that you were my sieva. Vampires understand the sanctity of soul-bonding, but they can be aggressive by nature, especially the younger ones.”