by Eve Newton
Handing Scott the completed files, I sink into my chair and call CK. He answers on the first ring.
“Everything okay?” he asks quickly.
“Yes, fine. What about you?” I ask pointedly.
He exhales loudly. “I want to rip his dick off for daring to go anywhere near you with it, then his hands for daring to even touch you and finally tear his head from his shoulders,” he growls, and I quake. CK threatens beheading quite frequently, but so rarely gets the opportunity to follow through these days, much to his disappointment, I think. There was a time, however, when he wouldn’t have even bothered with a warning. He can be terrifying when he wants to be.
“All in good time, my love,” I placate him in jest, and he chuckles.
“If I thought you meant that, there would be no stopping me. Initial Vampire or not.”
“Oh, I mean it, Constantine,” I say in a voice not my own.
Huh? I stare at the phone and clear my throat.
“Aefre?” he asks warily.
“Yes, it’s me. Now,” I croak.
“What just happened?”
“It was the Power. It doesn’t seem to like Gregor,” I say, sounding foolish.
Silence.
“Well, maybe you are the key to his demise, my sweet,” he says cryptically.
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m sorry, my love. I must go. Take care and check in again later, so I know that you are okay,” he says.
“Fine. Be safe,” I sulk and hang up. I had wanted to talk with him some more.
This is all just getting too weird. Why would this Power approve of CK’s desire to kill Gregor? Also, could it be that maybe, somehow, I am the key? Being so in the dark about this Power, what it means, about the prophecy and my role in it, is getting almost too much to bear. I hate not being in control and I hate feeling so out of the loop. I hope I get some answers soon. Not to mention, spending so much time with CK lately is also driving me crazy. I’m starting to miss him, really miss him when he isn’t there now, and not just because he is my sire, but because I’m falling even deeper in love with him than I ever thought possible. I let my mind wander back to when we first met and how he was my love and my protector even then, although I didn’t know it at the time.
CHAPTER FORTY
London, England, 1012 – Aefre
A fter that first day I met him, I knew I had to see him again. I purposefully made an excuse to go to the marketplace the next day to see if he was there again. I packed my basket with my usual odds and ends for bartering and trading. Minus Annis and Rheda, I was free to let my eyes roam for him. My heart stopped when I turned around and he was standing right behind me.
“Good day, Aefre,” he said in that voice like honey. “I had hoped to see you again.”
“Constantine,” I managed to sputter out, not quite meeting his eye. What had seemed like a good idea this morning, I was now having second thoughts. What if someone saw me and told Radulf? “I apologize, sir. I need to get home.”
“Always apologizing, aren’t you?” he said in a voice so low I could only just hear him. My eyes found his eventually and he was looking at me with that half-amused glint in his eye.
I squared my shoulders and winced at the pain it sent to my aching body. “I wish you good day, sir,” I said and turned on my heel to leave. He followed me and once we were out of the busy marketplace and outside the church, he pulled me swiftly down the side of the bell tower. I gasped as he pressed me up against the cold stone, not quite touching me.
“I brought you a gift, Aefre. Where are your manners?” he asked, his mouth so close to my ear I shivered as his breath tickled me. He produced a single flower from what seemed like nowhere and placed it behind my ear. A beautiful budding red rose.
My breath caught in my throat at the thoughtful gesture from this stranger. Gazing up at him, now in the privacy of the shadow of the bell tower, I really took in his features. He was the most handsome man I had ever come across. His shoulder length dark hair was tied back neatly which left his face to be openly admired. His dark eyes with amber flecks were almond shaped, slanted like a cat’s. His nose was perfectly straight which meant he either didn’t fight or was too good to let it be broken. The latter, I thought, taking in his hard body. His lips, which were curved into a knowing smile, were full and a darker red than normal. He had a strong jaw and a long neck, which led down to a chest I just wanted to touch.
My sinful thoughts brought my attention back to my surroundings and I cleared my throat.
“Th–Thank you, sir, for the kind gift you bestow upon me. It is with regret that I have nothing to offer you in return,” I stammered.
He raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows at me. “A promise to meet me here tomorrow will suffice, my lady.”
I gaped at him calling me a lady, clad in my only gown that, albeit was clean, as was I, had been mended more times than I could count. I could only nod.
He replied in a strange language. Latin, maybe? I am no scholar, where clearly, he was well educated and well bred. Then he added, “I shall see you a day from now.” And he was gone.
Catching my breath, I pulled the rose from my ear and I inhaled its scent. “So sweet,” I murmured to myself.
Making my way back to the cottage, I placed the rose under a bush where Radulf would never find it and went about my day.
The following day, my husband was over in the next town and I was free to sneak out to meet the handsome Constantine.
He was waiting for me behind the bell tower, another rose in hand. “For you, a sweet flower for my sweet Aefre,” he said as he placed it behind my ear.
I stared at him and his use of the word “sweet,” did he hear me yesterday after he left? And “my”? Oh, I would give anything to be his. My look must have portrayed this thought as he pushed off from the wall he was casually leaning against and moved so close to me again, but never touching me, always just on the fringe of my person.
“Do you want to be mine, sweet Aefre?” he asked boldly.
Recovering myself, I stammered, “I am not mine to give.”
“Alas, the lady is taken.” He looked at me with amused sorrow and asked, “Perhaps a third meeting will make her see reason?”
Wanting desperately to see him again, I said boldly, “Perhaps.”
He looked delighted. “A day from now then, I shall see you return.” He lightly touched my chin and I tilted my head up. He looked at me inquiringly and moved his mouth down to mine, barely touching my lips with his. “Good day, my lady,” he whispered with a smile so wicked I inhaled sharply. What was this man doing to me? In a flash, he was gone again. How did he do that? I wondered idly, as again I went back to the cottage and placed the rose under the bush with the other one.
Radulf was in a rage when he returned home, drunk on mead and eager to hit something, or someone. His grip on my arms was so tight, he left big black bruises and his kicks to my ribs and hips left me in tears, gasping for breath. Only thoughts of Constantine’s beautiful face kept me going.
T he next day was a usual market day and Annis and Rheda accompanied me to my disappointment. Unable to get away from my companions, I heard the bell peel. I needed to get to the tower.
Putting on my best fearful look, I whispered to Annis that I wanted to pray in the church, that I would remain unharmed that night and Annis, with pity all over her pretty face, let me go. Making haste, as fast as my battered body would let me, I stumbled into the shadow of the tower, but he wasn’t there. Catching my breath and heaving in disappointment that I missed him, I felt the tears spring to my eyes.
“Where are you?” I asked, and then turning around he was there.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” he said in a reprimand.
“I apologize, sir. I couldn’t get away from my companions,” I said, looking down fearfully at his tone.
“Always apologizing,” he said again, but in a lighter voice. I chanced a quick look up and he was lo
oking at me in puzzlement. Moving ever so close to my body again without touching me, he lifted my chin up with the rose. “Has the lady seen reason yet?”
My mouth went dry as I made the decision. I nodded.
His eyes darkened just a little bit and he narrowed them. “Do you want me, sweet Aefre?” he asked.
Still unable to speak, I nodded again, and he closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. “Where can we meet?” he asked softly.
Wetting my lips, I thought. “The old abandoned barn near my cottage. It’s just on the outskirts of the village…”
“I know where it is,” he interrupted me. “I shall see you in the hayloft when the bell strikes the hour.”
I nodded and hearing Rheda calling for me, I took my leave, wondering if my senses had left as well.
Soon after, he appeared in the barn, as he said he would. I was already in the hayloft, not having dared to go home in case I didn’t return. I didn’t want to do this, but he wanted to, and I realized then that I would do anything to please him and make him happy.
He mounted the steps with ease and stopped when he saw me. “I was of half a mind you might not be here.”
I stared at him in silence as he crossed over to me. “I am glad that you are. I have thought of nothing else since I saw you three days ago.” He undid the knot on my cloak, and it fell to the floor. I stood stock still, not knowing what to do. He moved in closer and this time brushed up against me. I tilted my head up and he kissed me. I flinched in surprise as his hands came up to my face to hold me gently. I hesitantly placed my hands on his hips, and he caught his breath at my touch. Gently pulling on my gown, he pushed it up over my head, leaving me standing in just my linen underdress. I shivered as the cold reached me and the dread of what he wanted to do to me welled up. I wanted to run, but the look in his eyes stopped me. I had never seen such beauty in a man, and I had never had anyone look at me as he was doing. With awe.
He discarded my underdress in the same manner as my gown and I drew back in fear, as I was now naked in front of him. His eyes hardened as he saw the bruises and I tried to cover them up, but he pulled my hands away.
“Please,” I begged.
He looked at me, not understanding. When he saw the evident fear in my eyes, his gaze softened and he whispered, “I would never hurt you, my sweet Aefre. You have no reason to be afraid. I shall refrain if you do not wish to continue.”
I believed that he wouldn’t hurt me, at least not intentionally, so I shook my head, “Please continue.”
He looked relieved and kissed me again, trailing his hands softly down, avoiding the bruises. I had never been touched so gently before and I started to relax under his touch. He draped our cloaks on the floor like a blanket and led me over. I knelt down. He undressed as I watched him in awe. His chest was smooth and muscular, and he had strong, lean arms and legs.
“Lie down,” he said, and I obeyed. He kissed me again and started to move his hands down. I waited for the pain of being struck, but it didn’t come. He took my nipple in his mouth and started to suck gently, playing with the other one with his fingers. I felt something stirring in me, something I had never felt before, and it felt pleasant. He trailed his hand slowly down over me and flitted his fingers gently across my private area. I tensed, but he murmured to me in his own language and it soothed me. He inserted two fingers into me while his thumb played over me. I gasped in fear and surprise and tried to push him away. He lifted his head up to look at me and he whispered, “Don’t fret, my sweet. Let me show you what you can feel. Let me show you the pleasure I can give you, you just need to let me.” He whispered over and over, all the while moving his fingers in and out of me, his thumb still playing with me. I started to feel wet down there and he moaned, “Yes, my sweet.”
I felt happy that I was doing something that pleased him, and I relaxed again. It felt so good what he was doing, I forgot about everything else except his fingers. I cried out as a wave of pleasure rushed up from the tips of my toes and a throbbing occurred between my legs.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
He moved over me and prepared to enter me. I tensed up again expecting the pain, but it was so easy after what he did to me. He pushed into me and he slid in. Careful not to place his weight on me, he braced himself with his arms on either side of my head. “Move with me, Aefre,” he whispered. I stared at him not understanding what he wanted me to do. Realizing I didn’t understand him, he slid a hand down to my unbruised hip. He lifted me up slightly and pushed me against him. “Wrap your legs around me,” he whispered, and I obeyed. It pushed him further into me and I liked the way he felt. I gasped as he rubbed against a sensitive spot inside me. “Now, move against me. Find the pattern, my sweet.”
I concentrated hard on what he was saying, wanting desperately to please him and make him happy. He kept rubbing against the spot inside me and it started to feel like what he did earlier with his fingers, but more intense. I was breathing heavily now, and I felt like a pot about to boil over.
“Oh Aefre,” he moaned. “Do you feel the pleasure? Do you feel what I am doing to you?”
“Yes,” I cried out.
“Let go, my sweet. Let go,” he whispered.
I cried out again as a second wave of pleasure rushed over me to the place where we were joined and he cried out then, too, as he finished.
“Thank you,” I whispered in wonder.
“No, thank you, Aefre,” he said quietly as he rolled off me and pulled our cloaks around us. “I have become so jaded, so disillusioned with this world. You have shown me that goodness and sweetness and light still exist.” He brushed my hair out of my face. “It has been a long time since I felt this content,” he said and looked at me adoringly with those dark eyes. I fell in love with him, more in love with him, as I was sure that I felt that way the first time he looked at me.
“Oh, Aefre,” he said again. “I want to teach you, to show you how I can make you happy and how happy you can make me in return.”
“Show me. I want to know everything you know,” I said eagerly.
He closed his eyes and said, “There are things that I want you to do to me, but you aren’t ready yet, my love.” My heart pounded at his words “my love.”
“Can I see you at the same time tomorrow?” I asked hesitantly.
He smiled down at me and kissed me softly, “I will be here.”
T hat night I waited for Radulf to return. I was not afraid anymore. He didn’t scare me. I would endure his punishments, but I would no longer be afraid of him.
It got darker out and he should have been home by then. I was not worried. In fact, for my sins, I hoped something had happened to him on the road home. Then I would be free, free to be with my true love, Constantine.
Sometime later, after I fell into a doze at the hearth, he staggered in. I awoke suddenly as he gruffly called my name, “Aefre.”
“Yes, Radulf I am here,” I said, relighting the candles that had flickered out.
“Get the healer,” he ordered me as I stared at him. He was bloody and beaten and his arm was hanging at an odd angle. “Now, woman!” he yelled, and pulling on my cloak I ran to the cottage of the healer. I didn’t feel bad for him. He deserved whatever came to him. He told a tale of a gang of men who surrounded him from the next town on the road home. It was a pity they didn’t finish him off, I thought to myself but remained silent. Mercifully, that night I was left alone as the healer had given him a sleeping herb that sent him straight to sleep. I slept soundly for the first night in an awfully long time.
I smile as I think back about how naïve I was. I gave him everything and it never even occurred to me to be cautious. I loved him so much. He was my savior. My knight in shining armor. When I learned of the beating he gave Radulf that night, I fell just a little bit more in love with him. I feel a flare of longing go through me. Longing for the days when it was just the two of us.
Sighing, I pull my attention back to the present. What’s done
is done, but I do resolve to ask him about why, really why, he left me in 1506. I also resolve to tell him I know about him and bitch-face so he can stop pretending he doesn’t know why I left him in 1112.
At some point.
Maybe.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
We arrive at Milan’s airport by G6 the following Tuesday morning. All of us are a bit fed up now of air travel, but I can’t ‘Astral’– as we are now calling it – here due to us needing to be here legally with our passports stamped, etc.
Dragging our heels, we exit private passenger security and bump into Nico. I smile genuinely at him, pleased to see him.
“Buongiorno, Nico.”
“Liv,” he says, that smile still not reaching his eyes. “Mr. D’Arcangelo sent his car for you.”
“Grazi. Is he here?”
“I’m sorry,” he says and shakes his head.
Disappointed, grouchy, and hungry, I tell Nico to take us to the Hotel where we are staying.
“Mr. D’Arcangelo asked me to bring you straight to The Council building, ma’am,” he says firmly.
Ma’am? What’s all that about?
“Fine,” I snap, and we pile into the backseat thoroughly pissed off now.
“Lizzie. Do we have to?” Devon whines. “I hate that place. It’s so stuffy.”
“We won’t stay long, I promise. I’m in no mood to see Eloise and Gregor.” I shudder.
Pulling up outside The Council, we all pile back out without waiting for Nico to open the door.
Cole looks up at the medieval structure in awe. “Wow. That’s pretty impressive.”
I smile, remembering all the things he hasn’t seen yet that I can show him. I take his hand and we enter the building.
“Hi, Giulia.”
“Buongiorno, Liv. Nice to see you arrive by more conventional methods this time,” she says with a wink.