“You have no claim on her,” Perseus said scathingly. “Probably no more claim than your brother has.”
“I have drunk her blood, I have marked her, and I have lain with her,” Devlin said, his voice echoing loudly. “I have more claim than any other vampire here, save Danial. Sarelle took an Oath to me as well. You would have her break that, by taking a vampire lover other than my brother and I. The Oath she took excludes all others, save us two.”
There was a collective gasp, then muted conversations began all over the room.
“Sarelle, if what he says is true, say it now,” Samuel said.
“It is true,” I said defiantly.
“Is it true?” Samuel repeated.
“Yes,” an aged voice said flatly from behind him. “She speaks the truth, and so does he.”
“I will not be robbed of my prize—” Perseus snarled.
“I am not going to break the law,” Samuel said, turning on him. “I recognize his claim.”
“If she is Oathed to him, where is her choker with his symbol?” Perseus said, his eyes livid. “To be truly Oathed, she must always be wearing it while in the presence of other vampires—”
“Sarelle,” Devlin said softly, glancing over at me. I stepped forward, and raised the hem of my dress, revealing his choker at my ankle. The emerald eyes of the bear sparkled in the light.
Samuel gritted his teeth, then let out a breath. “We recognize your right to Sarelle, Devlin. You may try to have a child with her, and we will not interfere. You have one year.”
“Then someone else will try,” Perseus added.
“No one else will try with Sar, ever, save me and my brother, unless we give permission for it,” Devlin retorted, his eyes completely red. “You will agree to that, here and now. There will be no breaking of the law, or amending it either.”
“If we do not agree?” Samuel said, his eyes full red.
“Then it will be war, and though you may bring us down, we will destroy you as well,” Devlin declared. “I swear it!”
“It will be war,” Perseus said, not backing down. “She is the only one who can—”
“No, she is not,” Devlin said. There was another collective gasp.
“The key to her success is her resistance to the vampire virus that lives in our bodies,” Devlin continued loudly. “She is not the only one, though women like her are rare. I know this as I knew a woman centuries ago, Anna, who was like Sarelle is. This resistance can be determined by her blood, which will taste unusually sweet. I call it the taste of spring. Find such a woman, and expose her to demon blood. When her blood turns even richer, matures from spring to summer, then she will be ready to bring forth a dhamphir.”
Conversations again started, some of them loud and excited.
“How do you know all this?” Samuel said, amazed.
“I have a brain,” Devlin said scathingly. “I can reason that this is the way, from what I have seen and what I know was done. Other women must exist; it is only a question of who will find them first—”
“I know of a woman, my Lords!” a voice cried out loudly, over the others. “My Harriet is such a woman.”
Perseus turned immediately toward the voice, and strode off toward the crowd, Samuel and Zane following.
“Well, that went well,” Devlin said, turning to Danial.
“How the hell did you kill Ebediah?” Danial said, incredulous.
Devlin ignored him and came over to me. “Miss me?” he said teasingly. “I have missed you, Love.”
Theo growled, his eyes light yellow.
“Upstairs to my rooms,” Danial said. “We can talk better there.”
Chapter Nineteen
Devlin and Danial strode into the hotel room, talking loudly. I followed them with Theoron. Brian, wanting no part of this, stayed outside with Terian.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had taken Ebediah’s blood? Why didn’t you tell us what you were planning?” Danial asked angrily.
“I knew what was going to happen here, and I knew I had to be powerful, knew that I had to be strong enough to protect Sar. You weren’t going to do it,” Devlin said sarcastically. “I’d be surprised if our secret isn’t out now, Brother.” He chuckled. “That or they’ll think you’re bi.”
“Very funny,” Danial said angrily. “Our kinship’s not a concern, or less of one anyway. It was bound to come out before long with all the attention we’ve been getting.”
“On the contrary, it’s a shared weakness,” Devlin cautioned. “What is Theo’s position? Is he leaving your employ or not?”
“I’d like him left alone,” Danial said with a grimace. “He’s staying; I’m not sure for how long.”
“We have the advantage, but it’s only momentary,” Devlin cautioned. “We need to decide on a plan—”
The door burst open, and Theo came in, his eyes light yellow slits. He walked up to Devlin and punched him in the jaw, knocking him to the floor.
Devlin picked himself up. He grinned at Theo, baring his fangs. “Theo,” he said evilly. “Come to thank me for saving your life?”
“So you were Sar’s lover,” Theo growled, still glaring at Devlin. “I’m surprised Danial shared her with you, but I know that he liked to share women with you sometimes in the past. I’m surprised she let you touch her.” He gave a bitter smile. “I’m not sure how you fooled them into thinking she’d ever promise herself to you. That must’ve been your demon’s spell.”
Theo clearly thought Devlin had been my lover sometime in the years he’d been separated from me. I resisted the urge to correct him.
“This explains a lot,” Theo continued. “Why you brought her flowers sometimes, why you took those bullets for her, and why you went to save her that night she was taken.” He smiled sarcastically. “You must have been pissed off when she and Danial split up and she married me. So much for your being irresistible.”
“I Oathed to Dev a few days ago,” I said scathingly. “As for us being lovers, that’s been going on a while. My only regret is that I didn’t say yes from the first.”
Devlin glanced at me in surprise. Danial rubbed his forehead in irritation.
“You slut,” Theo shouted, rounding on me. “I suppose all those Saturdays at Danial’s were really orgies—!”
“That did not happen, Cougar,” Devlin said coldly. “Sar has been sick, no thanks to you. Now that she’s well, she’ll be moving on with her life.” He took my hand. “Go back to your child lover, where you belong.”
Theo glared at me. “He tried to kill you and you’re letting him fuck you.”
Devlin’s patience snapped. “She came for me all night, Theo,” he said silkily. “We’ve been having quite a time while you’ve been away. Don’t you think that her eyes as she climaxes are the most beautiful green you’ve ever seen?”
Theo turned in a murderous rage, screamed once, and launched himself at Devlin. Devlin caught Theo easily, and held him, his fingers like a vise around Theo’s neck, holding him off the ground. Theo thrashed and roared, but couldn’t get free.
Devlin bared his fangs, his eyes almost glowing. “Theo, you have many failings I could call to your attention. But the best is what you just heard; that if Sar could go back, she’d have started with me instead of you. You must be truly awful.”
“Fuck you,” Theo growled, his eyes yellow.
“Don’t fuck with me, Theo,” Devlin said, his eyes turning from gold back to reddish gold. “You’ll end up dead. You exist on my good graces, as you always have.”
“I should have killed you there on the great room floor, years ago,” Theo snarled.
“You’ve never been too bright,” Devlin said, nodding. He threw Theo to the ground. “Now get out, or face not only my wrath, but Lash’s.”
Theo got to his feet, shot me an angry glance, then left.
“He’ll be gone before the week is out,” Danial said sadly. “You’ve humiliated him.”
“I’m sorry,” Devlin said q
uietly. “He pissed me off.”
“He pissed me off, too,” I said regretfully. “I should’ve stayed quiet.”
“What’s done is done,” Devlin said, hugging me. “I’m glad of your decisiveness, Love. I’ve never liked dealing with Theo. This will make things easier.”
“It will,” I agreed. “You’re right; we should make some kind of plan. The Rulers are going to expect a child sometime in the coming year. We need to come up with something to tell them—”
“We don’t have to worry about that,” Devlin said. “We’ll have a child by then to show off ourselves.”
I gaped at him, my face whitening. “What?”
“As for a plan, I have one,” Devlin continued. “I’ve much to do here, both in building up some provincial Rulers I can trust, and figuring out Ebediah’s governing system. That will keep me very occupied until late Spring. Danial, you’ll also be busy getting Solutions, Inc. back on track, not to mention hiring a replacement for Theo—”
Danial nodded.
“—Sar can spend some time with you and some time at Hayden with me. Now that she can teleport, there’s not so much worry about her needing to be guarded. Still, we should have at least two guards with her at all times—”
“I didn’t say yes,” I said loudly, backing away from both of them with Theoron in my arms. “I didn’t say yes to another dhamphir.”
Devlin crossed to me. “You’ve heard my proposal. What do you say?”
“I don’t want to be clawed up again, Devlin,” I said with trepidation. “Another dhamphir baby might kill me.”
“Sar, if there is any danger to you, we’ll abort the child,” Devlin said flatly. “I’ll not risk your life, even to have a child of my own. I promise you that.”
I didn’t reply.
“Will you try with me?” Devlin said, both hopeful and fearful.
“Do I have a choice?” I said with a ghost of a smile.
“You always have a choice with me,” Devlin replied, his eyes on me. “Truthfully, I wish you had more of one. But I realistically know that if you had more of a choice, you would not even consider this.”
“That day, when I asked you what you wanted of me—”
“Yes,” he replied. “I told you the truth, Sar, as I said I did.”
“Remember, she is Oathed to both of us,” Danial said warily. “There is going to be time in her life for me as well as you.”
“Stay your jealousy, brother,” Devlin said, rolling his eyes. “It is your symbol around her neck, not mine. It was you in her bed, not me, your child she holds in her arms. I wanted her to come to me then, but she stayed with you. I am the one who has been jealous all this time.”
Danial gave me a satisfied look, but didn’t reply.
I faced Devlin, realization dawning. “You planned this all. Everything from my rescue from Alphonse to Oathing me.”
“Of course,” Devlin said arrogantly. “Rescues work best when they are planned, Love. Samuel’s plan was obvious. Getting into position where I could use the law to entrap him was the hardest.”
“What about me?” I said, my eyes filling. “How much of this is you getting what you want, and now much is really you loving me?”
I expected denials or vows of love, and got neither. Devlin exploded with anger. “Damn you! How can you say that, think that, after all I’ve done for you?”
“You asked me once if I knew what you were capable of. I know well, Dev. Anyone who could pull off what you did tonight could easily do it. This worked out too neatly—”
“It was not neat,” Devlin said coldly. “This has been bloody, and above all, highly costly. Do you know how many men I lost taking Ebediah? I needed to have him taken alive, Sar, unharmed, so I could take his blood. I sent my ten best men with Lash and Titus, and only three returned. They’ll live, but only because they’re were, and Titus healed the worst wounds. The others are dead. Some had been with me their entire adult lives.” His eyes bored into mine. “It’s true that I wanted to be a Vampire Ruler again, but by taking Ebediah’s place, I now have to deal with all of the problems of being Master of a territory again. Between that and repairing Hayden—”
“What is wrong at Hayden?” Danial interrupted. “Titus and Leri were supposed to be staying there—”
“Staying there and fighting,” Devlin spat out. “Mostly it was Leri, or at least that’s what Titus says. In any case, a roomful of my favorite crystal and glass sculptures are shards, along with most of the furnishings, not to mention structural repairs. There are also several trees down—”
“You have Ebediah’s men now,” Danial said, coming to put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “His bears should be of help.”
“True,” Devlin said with a faint smile. “What’s left of them, anyway.”
“I’m sorry,” I said hesitantly. “I didn’t know about your men.”
“All is not troubles, and problems,” Danial said gently. He gave Devlin’s shoulder a squeeze, then turned away, taking Theoron into the other room. “Sar has agreed, Dev.”
Devlin blinked. “She said nothing.”
“I know her,” Danial said from the other room. “She didn’t have to say the words.”
Devlin hugged me tightly. “Is he right?”
“He’s right,” I whispered back.
“Then stop taking the pill tonight,” Devlin commanded. “There is no need for you to be on it now.”
“I haven’t all week,” I said, blushing. “Not since I found out about Tasha.”
Devlin groaned. “I’d give so much to go with you and Danial this evening. But there’s no way. I’m host of this Gathering, for whatever that’s worth. Also the worst of Ebediah’s tangled affairs will have to be settled before returning home.”
“You know where I live,” I said, giving him a wan smile. “Call me.”
“I’ll be with you as soon as I can,” he promised.
“I’ll be waiting.” I leaned up to kiss him.
I intended a gentle kiss, full of good things to come. Instead, Devlin kissed me as if this was the last kiss we would ever share, and he wanted me to know in no uncertain terms everything he felt for me. It was lust, love, longing, passion, and complete abandonment to sensation, everything we were, and had been to each other, all in a single kiss.
Devlin broke the kiss, looked down into my eyes, and smiled, pleased. “Your eyes are so dark, Sar. Dark and deep as an untouched, ancient forest.”
I gave him a wide smile back. “If you had any more heat in yours, Dev, I’d be ashes where I stood.”
“Sar, we have got to go, or we won’t make it back before dawn,” Danial said, poking his head out from our bedroom. “We have five minutes to dress, and pack. Dev, you should leave.”
“I could help you change,” Devlin purred, his hands sliding over my dress to unzip the back.
“No way,” I said, slapping his hand away. “Or I’ll never be ready in five minutes.” I went into my bedroom, where Danial helped me out of the dress.
“Why do you get to be in there and I’m out here?” Devlin called playfully through the door.
“Because I can be trusted not to take advantage,” Danial said, just as playfully.
I slipped into some jeans and a pullover sweatshirt, grabbed my bags and Theoron, and followed Danial out to Devlin.
He took one look at me, and shook his head. “You are mine now, not Danial’s, so far as every vampire is concerned. Take off his symbol, and put mine where it belongs.”
Danial nodded. “He is right, Sar. Exchange them.”
I undid my choker with Danial’s symbol, and put it around my right ankle. Then I undid the choker of Devlin’s, and fastened it around my neck.
“Good,” Devlin said, gratified. “Go, Love,” he said, hugging me one last time. “I’ll see you in a week at most, a few days if possible.”
* * * *
Hours later, we disembarked back in America. As we were walking toward Aran and the wait
ing Expedition, Danial grasped my arm. “Brian, Terian, go on to the SUV.”
With one last glower at me, Terian left holding Theoron, Brian following.
“Are you sorry, now that you’ve had time to think?” Danial asked.
“This ended the best way it could have, considering what they wanted of me, and what they would have done to get it.”
“But you are the one who will pay the price, Sar,” Danial said. “You hadn’t expressed interest in more children, at least to me.”
“I don’t know what I want,” I said absently. “Everything’s changed in this last week. I’ve changed.”
“Nothing that’s happened changes that you are the woman I love and the mother of my child,” he said, drawing me into his arms. “You are still Sar.”
I hugged him, but didn’t reply.
He let me go. “Terian will teleport us, while Aran takes you home. Take a few days off, Sarelle. You are right, you need some time.”
* * * *
Aran didn’t speak until he’d pulled into my driveway. “You’re wearing Devlin’s symbol, but Danial’s not upset. Is it true you’re Oathed to them both?”
“Yes,” I said, fingering the tiny bear pendant.
“Cia and I scented him in your house,” Aran said, blushing slightly. “We’d hoped it was by your invitation.”
“It was,” I assured him. “Thanks for watching over my pets.”
“Theo is my friend,” he said suddenly. “Or he was, until this woman showed up yesterday.”
I explained Theo’s dalliance with Aspen and Tasha, then got out. “We were wrong about him.”
“Then it’s better he’s leaving,” Aran said with regret. “I can’t take orders from someone I don’t respect. See you.”
“See you.”
He honked once, the sound echoing in the early dawn, then drove off.
My pets steamrolled me as soon as I opened the door. After forcing myself to feed everyone, I ate some cereal, watching the sunrise. The sun was just coming up over the trees then, trying to burn off the fog that was rising from the creek near the road. It would have been pretty if I hadn’t felt so bad.
Despondent, I locked up, then went downstairs. Undressing, I got into bed and tried unsuccessfully to sleep.
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