“I do remember.”
My mouth dropped. “How is that possible? I entranced you.”
She shrugged. “What happened next?”
“She ran for your father and they drug me home, nurturing me back to health.” I looked away again. “Your mother gave me her blood, and it saved me. Even after that, I visited them from time to time, and I grew to love their kindness, which they allowed me to demonstrate, even though I knew they were also afraid.”
Adelade was silent and I turned back to her, curious.
“They never told you?”
She shook her head. “I think they wanted to protect me. Is that why my mother could never forget you? Why she called for you in her sleep?”
I frowned. “No. When your mother fell ill, the only way I could heal her was to give her my blood.” I swallowed hard. “When I partake of someone, they become a part of me in a sense. I can feel them if necessary, even across great distances. But if I have partaken of someone, and then they, in return, partake of me, they also can feel me. As strigoi, our powers reduce the effect that this has, but your mother, she was human and therefore,” I looked into Adelade’s eyes as they stared intently into mine, “she would always struggle to block me. My feelings and emotions, and even my hunger.”
Anger sparked in Adelade’s eyes. “How could you do that to her?”
I lifted my eyebrow. “It was her choice, Adelade. And your father agreed. In fact, they begged me to help so that she could live, even though I had no desire to curse her so.”
Adelade grew silent and I suddenly realized that Lula and Landon’s fighting had grown silent and I turned towards them. Lula’s face and armpits were sweaty and she grabbed some water to clean her body. Landon watched her out of the corner of his eye and I made a noise to get his attention.
“Are you leaving?” I faced Lula but my question was directed at Landon.
“I must return home.” Lula smiled shyly, and by the pink tinging of her cheeks, I knew that she was returning home to Rowan. That she could hold an interest in both Rowan and Landon, I was not surprised, but I knew that if she gave herself fully to Rowan, she must never act on her feelings for Landon, or he would die. Or worse, be turned.
Landon bade her farewell and Adelade hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek and gripping her hand tight for a moment before Lula walked towards the door, pausing only for a moment to give me a knowing smile. When she was gone, Landon turned towards us and shifted uncomfortably.
“Should I stay to continue your lesson?” He looked at us expectantly.
“No.”
“Of course you should.”
I turned towards Adelade and grunted. “You will practice with me from now on.”
She folded her arms. “He’s done a perfectly acceptable job. I’ve killed one already, remember?”
I frowned and pulled her close to me, my lip turned up. “That doesn’t count. He was unconscious and lying still on your floor.”
She faced me stubbornly. “It counts because I could’ve easily missed, but I staked him just where he needed it.”
I growled. “I will teach you. I can teach you moves that no man or being could teach you. I am swifter, smarter and—”
“Completely full of yourself,” she completed my sentence. “Landon can teach me as well as any other person, can’t you Landon?”
She turned and realized what I already knew, that Landon had quietly slipped away, unwilling to get in between us.
“Looks like your partner has abandoned you.”
She took a step back. “And who’s fault is that?”
I grinned and swung around her, gripping her neck softly as my voice breathed in her ear. “The one who will teach you from now on.”
The sweetness of her blood called to me and, pleased that the Fae’s renewed magic was keeping me from ripping her throat out, I ran my nose up her neck.
She moved forward, determined, and turned, pulling the stake between us. “Teach me then, to defeat the strigoi.”
I pulled her close again and swiveled her so that her back was to me. Her chest rose and lowered as she breathed rapidly.
“Landon taught you how to strike downward.” I took her hand and pulled it up and downward in an arc. She followed my motion as I imitated Landon.
“That works perfectly if you are facing their backside.” I shifted her so that she was looking at me now. “But if you are facing your attacker, there is too much room for the strigoi to take your stake from you.” I bid her to strike me. As her hand came down I caught it easily.
She nodded, understanding. I took her hand and, starting from her chest, I swung it forward. “If you move from here,” I put my hand on her, and the vibration of her heart beat through my hand, “there is little room for error, or for the strigoi to disarm you.”
She stared at me with wide eyes, and I realized that my hand on her chest was causing her heart to beat faster. I moved my hand away from her. “Practice.”
As soon as I moved my hand, my sway over her broke, and, with her lips in a set line, she attempted to stab me. I allowed her no room for mistake and, moving quickly to disarm her, I slapped the stake to the ground. If a strigoi, or any other beast attacked her, they wouldn’t give her mercy, and I gave her the same favor.
She shook her hand as she bent to retrieve her stake, and the sight of the swell of her breasts made me feel as if my heart was beating faster. I closed my eyes against the temptation and focused on the lesson.
“Again.”
She rose and began to move. At first, she moved slowly and I turned with her to keep her in my sight. And then she was suddenly beside me, aiming for my chest. I still moved fast to disarm her, but this time I gripped her close to me, the stake on the floor again, and she breathed heavily. She was good; she’d almost caught me by surprise.
“Is this what Landon has been teaching you?”
She grinned, happy that it had worked so well, and shrugged.
I pulled her away from me. “Again.”
We worked tirelessly, and her movements became a graceful dance as she tried to attack me. Again and again I disarmed her but she didn’t give up, and soon we were both drenched in perspiration. As she moved, I noticed the way her body swayed rhythmically, the way her hair flowed behind her like a graceful lion and I had to push down my strigoi to keep my emotions at bay. I couldn’t entirely compel her as I could with the others. She was beauty and she was danger, a siren call for my strigoi.
I should run from her as fast as my feet could take me, but I found myself waiting for something, although I knew not what.
After several attempts, I gripped her hand and moved her fingers so that they were held loosely on the stake. “If you hold it too tight, it will break your hand when you pierce one.”
The look on her face betrayed that indeed, it was hurting from when she’d staked Treveti and a feeling of such tenderness overcame me that before I knew it, I was kissing her fingers one by one. She stared at me, eyes wide, and unsure how to react. Her chest rose in quick breaths and the desire to have her under me came upon me so quickly that my fangs slid out. She gripped my shirt as I tasted the tips of her fingers, placing small kisses on them.
I placed my hand on her back, pulling her closer and she dropped the stake. It clattered to the ground forgotten, as she stared at me so intently that every intention to flee from her was abandoned. I couldn’t leave her, for she had bewitched me with a powerful magic, and I was under her spell.
I breathed in and growled; she smelled faintly of the dianthus from the garden, and the smell was so sweet, that I wanted to take her here in the filthy workshop.
But it was too dirty for my sweet Firewitch, as the dianthus was commonly called, and so I gently pulled her chin towards me and kissed her soft and tenderly, exactly the way she should be kissed. Her reaction was so strong that it took me a second to realize that her arms were around my neck and she was kissing me back with such feeling that I made a guttural
noise as my passion poured over me. I gripped her tight, trying to rein in my desire to rip off her clothing and mark her as mine.
Then there were was the sound of quickened footsteps and I pushed her behind me to face the man who appeared in the doorway.
Dominique, my loyal servant, clasped the edge of the doorway breathlessly. I moved towards him, pulling Adelade with me.
“Sir,” he managed to gasp out, and I pulled him up.
“Speak quickly.”
“Your house. It’s been lit on fire.”
Adelade gasped. “Lula and Sophie.”
The Fae. Those nasty things. The king must’ve exacted revenge for burning his wares and for taking the Queen into my arms.
I pressed Adelade’s hand into Dominque’s. “Take her somewhere safe.”
She pulled her hand from his and ran for her stake. “I’m going with you.”
I growled. “You will do as I command, or I will tie you to the mast of my ship to keep you from harm.”
Suddenly she was beside me, the tip of her stake centered over my heart, scowling. I stepped back, surprised. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m coming with you, that’s what.”
I put my arm around her back, pulling her to me. Her face held a scowl and I ran my hands through my hair. When did I become so weak? Her chest rose and fell against mine and I frowned. “You are slow, and will only delay my coming. I’ve already lost precious time arguing with you.”
She took a step back, dancing out of my arms. “Go swiftly, and I will meet you there.”
Rolling my eyes, I gripped her arms and marched with her towards the house. Dominique ran ahead of us to summon men from the city streets to help us.
Agitated over my impediment, I pushed her further and soon she was running to keep up with me. Spotting a leashed horse, I pulled its reins loose and pushed her upon it. A man came running out, and I reached in my jacket and pulled out a stash of coins. Throwing them on the ground, I mounted behind her and we raced towards the house.
I leaned forward, clasping her to me, and she gasped when she saw the house. Before I could stop her, she slipped from my arms and tumbled towards the ground.
“Stupid Firewitch.”
I jumped gracefully to the ground, but she was already up and running towards the flames. I ran swiftly to stop her, and grasped her arm tight. “Don’t be an idiot. You’ll burn to the death if you go in there.”
She turned towards me, a look of desperation on her face. “No. You’ll burn to death in there.”
In a temporary madness, I released her and she was gone.
Chapter Twelve
Adelade
As soon as I threw open the door, a blast of heat threatened to push me back into the yard. Smoke billowed through the open door, dark and as black as the night behind me. I held my breath and peeked my head in, searching for signs of the fire. When I saw none, I took in another deep breath and pressed forward.
I immediately ran for the closet and, finding one of Lula’s thick shawls, I draped it around my arms and mouth, trying to protect my bare skin from the heat. I rushed towards the stairs, knowing that Lula and Rowan would most likely be in his room.
How had they not felt the heat?
Hopefully it was because Rowan was a skilled lover, instead of having already been visited by the Dark Angel of Death. As I rushed up the stairs, they creaked and moaned and I was afraid that they would collapse under me. I tried to make my movements light in order to not burden them further.
As soon as I reached the top of the stairs, fragments of the roof began to float through the air. I must hurry, or the roof may collapse soon. I ran to Rowan’s room as fast as my feet would carry me and I threw open the door.
I stared in shock at the sight before me. They lay naked on the bed, and Rowan was holding Lula in a gesture so intimate that I wanted to immediately flee from the room. But it was not the gesture that frightened me as much as the look of utter possessiveness that was held on Rowan’s face and the look of fury that it held at my interruption. He wanted to rip my throat out.
I tried to speak, to warn them of the fire, but the fear that had sparked in my chest spread up to my mouth and I could only move it like a fish gasping for air, unheard. I pointed towards the East side of the house.
Lula, whose back was arched delicately towards him fell back to the bed and turned towards me. She was pale and damp with perspiration. “Adelade.”
Smoke was now beginning to enter the room and I held the shawl over my mouth. Finally, my voice found me and I cried out. “Fire! The house is on fire.”
Lula scrambled off the bed tripping lazily, and I ran to Rowan’s closet. “Get dressed, or you’ll burn your skin.” I grabbed the first thing that came to my hand and ripped it from the closet. “Here.” I held them out to her and she dressed quickly.
I was particularly frightened for Rowan, for he would go up in a flame if a spark drew near him. I pulled more clothes out and threw them at him. He’d already managed to dress, but I insisted that he cover every part of his body.
We began for the door to his room and Rowan grabbed Lula tight. I gripped his arm, just before he made a mad dash for the front door. “We have to find Sophie.”
He turned towards me, a sneer on his face. “I won’t risk it.”
I dropped my hand like he was a hot poker, but I shook my head. I grabbed Lula’s arm this time. “She may die. We have to find her.”
The room was growing steadily darker. The heat began to burn me, even through my clothing, and I knew that we didn’t have much time. Lula’s eyes were wide. She was deathly afraid, but she nodded and began to push Rowan towards the stairs. “Meet me outside, we’ll find her together.”
Rowan’s hand snapped out and he gripped Lula’s arm tight. “What are you doing?” She struggled against his grip.
“You’re coming with me.” He pulled her into his arms but she turned and grasped at me. I grabbed her arms, unsure what to do because we were losing precious time.
“Rowan!” I screamed it, because the roar of the fire was louder now. “You don’t care if Sophie dies?”
He stood still for a second, and it was as if he were a statue. Then he blinked his eyes and turned his face to me. “She’ll be better off this way.”
In that moment, he was true to me. His mask was gone, and I knew him. He was the man of which the witch spoke.
Then in a blur he was gone, ripping Lula from my hands as he flew down the stairs and out of my sight.
It was then I heard the most blood curdling scream.
I went back into the room and grabbed all of the blankets off Rowan’s bed and ran back into the hallway and towards Sophie’s room. It was quite a ways down and I had to go into the darkest of the smoke to find it. As soon as I approached it, a flame caught my attention and I saw an outline of it in the smoke. A column made from wood was on fire, leaning against Sophie’s door. It was thick and heavy and would collapse into her room as soon as the door opened.
As I drew closer, smoke filled my lungs and I pressed my hand over my mouth in an attempt to keep from breathing it in. The heat was intense and I crawled on my hands and knees towards the door. As soon as I reached it, I called to Sophie, hoping that her strigoi hearing would aid me.
In a moment, her fingers gripped mine through the crack under the door.
“Move back! As soon as I open the door, it will catch on fire. You must move away from the door.”
I couldn’t hear any reply and hoped that she heard me. Her fingers disappeared and I crouched under the burning timber, ready to spring back as soon as I was able, and counted to five. Using the shawl to grasp the knob, I pressed it open and bolted back into the hallway.
The wood fell to the floor and the fire spread into the room. Darkness covered the hallway and I could barely see a thing. I grabbed the blankets and called to them to come. If they didn’t come now, the whole room would light on fire.
The figu
re of of a woman was made visible by the light from the fire and she vaulted over the fire. She was spry, even though certain parts of her were very large and I marveled at her skill. Her hair smoldered and I beat at it with the blanket. I wrapped her in my shawl and pushed her towards the front door, instructing her to move through the front entrance. I hoped it was still clear.
A blaze of fire raced towards me and I realized in horror, that it was Sophie.
She’d caught on fire as she raced through the door. Her strigoi speed had helped her, for only half of her body was on fire. Agony tore through me and I jumped on her, the remaining blanket spread out to catch her. She fell into my arms and the smell of her burning body hit my nose. I tried not to retch as I slapped at her arm and hair, trying to put out the fire. I stomped on her dress, hoping that I wasn’t hurting her worse as the last remaining sparks smoldered and died.
Her breathing was ragged and I was tempted to chastise her not to breathe. She didn’t need it as I did and it would only make the inside of her body worse. But I couldn’t find it in me. I knew that she was frightened and in great pain.
I pulled her up and she leaned on me as we began towards the front door.
It was dark now, and I couldn’t see my way. We stumbled forward and I made her walk slowly so that we could be given notice if the floor had given way under us. It would do us no good to tumble through it.
My skin was red and I knew if I didn’t get out soon, it would begin to burn, but I kept the blanket wrapped around Sophie, fearing that she would light up again.
In the darkness I grew afraid and suddenly realized that I didn’t know where I was. Sophie’s eyes were shut tight, trying to block out her immense pain, relying on me to guide her through the house. Abruptly, my feet tangled in the blanket and I fell to the floor, pulling her with me. She cried out and guilt spread through me knowing I had caused her more agony.
A Vampire's Seduction (A Dark Hero Book 1) Page 16