by J. J. McAvoy
“I do like learning, but what does that have to do with magic?”
“It’s not the learning itself, but the love of it. When you love something or someone, you are not fearful of it. You are bold for it. You question and fight for it. Magic is…”
“Are you going to say magic is love?” I teased a bit, leaning in. “Because I might laugh at that.” It was so Hallmark channel, not that he knew what that was.
“No, though I wish to hear you laugh none the less,” he said as he reached up and pinched my cheek.
“Hey!”
“Your cheeks are so round when you laugh; it’s cute.”
Rolling my eyes, I tried to get him back on topic. “Magic is…”
“Magic is fearlessness. It is wonder,” he answered, letting go of my face. “When the mysteries of this world do not scare you, but intrigue you, propel you to act even, you tap into magic, and your desire is realized.”
“But I do get scared…”
“I’ve seen you get nervous or worried, but I have not seen you truly afraid. Not paralazed by fear.” He looked disappointed, but before I could ask, he spoke first. “Which also means in the face of danger Druella, you act without considering the consequences.”
My mouth dropped open a bit. Did he hear himself? “You do the same thing!”
“Exactly.” He placed his forehead on mine. “I am rash and swift to action, and look at all the trouble it gets me into, however, I’m immortal so there has never been a need for me to worry much of consequences—now I have you and must do so. Had I not said anything about Jason, had I not killed those witches…”
“The witches were trying to kill you, and had you not said anything about Jason, he could have done serious harm to who knows who later. You made the right choice—”
“Druella,” he said softly, and immediately I calmed down, staring back into his eyes. “I simply meant that with our personalities, I think Daiyu is right to expect chaos from us if we do not start treading more carefully.”
Now I understood.
“You’re upset that I showed them my gift.”
“You had no choice,” he muttered. “Neither of us had many choices, and that needs to change, so we spend less time running from one disaster to another and more time getting to know each other no matter how much fun you are having.” He was mocking me a bit there.
“Of course, it’s not fun when it’s happening,” I said quickly.
“Hmm.” He nodded, and my head moved a bit with his. “But you enjoy having your own stories to tell now, too.”
A small smile grew on my lips.
He sighed and sat up. “I cannot wait for us to reach Ankeiros. At least there I will know you are safe, and your magic and my temper will not cause any wars.”
“You sound like an old man who just wants a nice, peaceful afternoon in the park.” I snickered.
His eyebrow raised. “And you sound like a young revolutionary looking for a cause. What a strange pair we are.”
An unkillable vampire and a vampire with the powers of a witch—what strange pair indeed.
PART II:
ANKEIROS
Chapter 20
He was fighting sleep and clearly losing every time his eyes shut for longer than a minute. However, he caught himself and forced them back open again.
“I thought you were too old to deny yourself sleep,” I questioned softly so the human flight attendant would not hear. “We’re already in the air. You can sleep for a bit.”
“Not until we are in Ankeiros,” he muttered. “There are vampires on this flight, too.”
The Swan Jet couldn’t take us across the Atlantic, so Taelon had booked us first-class tickets on a commercial flight. I wasn’t sure what kind of pull the Swan family had with the human world, but no one questioned us or even bothered making sure we went through security. The Swan seal on our tickets was all that mattered. We were even on the plane before anyone else boarded. No one else was in the first-class cabin, and the flight attendants offered us everything from champagne to grapes and even dessert—all of which we declined—before we even got off the ground. They settled on leaving us some water before just waiting on standby.
I did notice there were vampires, which I actually liked. The fact that there were everyday vampires living their lives, trying to get from point to point like everyone else was comforting, to me at least.
“You’re taking it for granted. If I could sleep, I would. I’m jealous you can.” I really was. What was the point of making the chair into a bed if I couldn’t close my eyes and drift off? “I miss sleep. How long does it take before I’m old enough to get to indulge, too?”
He thought back, and when he did, his mind and eyes seemed to drift, focusing on the memories. His voice was low as he spoke. “My first nap happened when I was about five hundred. It wasn’t long, a few minutes, and I didn’t need to sleep again for almost two more centuries. Then around eight hundred, I slept a full day. It was beautiful. It was the first time I dreamed. I craved it more but didn’t need to sleep again for fifty years. By nine hundred, it was every few decades. Once I reached millennium, it was as if I was knocked on my ass the moment the sun came up. It is different for everyone, but do not expect to shut your eyes and sleep for at least a few more centuries. It’s worse for me than my elder brothers, Ulrik and Hinrik. I’m out like candlelight, while they are still a bit alert…they are soldiers and war could break out at any moment.” His eyes widened as he joked about them, speaking with a heavier, harsher accent, with more emphasis on each of the words. It was harder to place than I thought.
“What accent is that?
“Scandinavian.”
“Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian?”
“No.” He said. “All of them. My brothers, spent so much time traveling, fighting to be clear, that their accents are intertwined, as is mine, though I blame the British for that.”
I rolled my eyes, “Seriously, what did the British do to you?”
“Their English caught on way too fast.” He frowned, tracing his finger over the glass of water that neither of us drank. “And it killed the need for Latin and Greek.”
“Much of English stems from both of those languages, though.”
“Yes, but it is like drinking from deer instead of the real source,” he replied, and I watched his eyes narrow on the steward in front of him.
His grey irises went directly to her neck. The thought of what he might do made my mouth water instead of making me worried about the safety of the woman in front of us. Causally, his eyes drifted to me. “Are you worried or hungry, Druellea? Your scent shifted.”
“I was fine until you said something.” I looked away from her. But then I thought of what it would be like if we both drank from her.
No! That would most definitely kill her!
But the image of Theseus across from me drinking as I did, her sweet blood pooling in both of our mouths was…
“Druella.” He growled, gently placing his hand on my thigh. “Think of something else. As much as I think I would enjoy whatever it is on your mind, should we indulge, it may cause the other vampires to lose control.”
“I’m fine,” I lied, his hand was warm, very warm and still very much fixed on my inner though.
Reaching for the remote, he was able to close the doors of our first-class pod and shift the seat back.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t stop until both of our beds were flat like a mattress, the middle divider pulling back into the pod, so there was no space between us. He tossed the remote onto the shelf by the T.V. screen in front of us before laying back. I stared down at him, and he stared up at me.
“Let your hair down, and lay beside me,” he demanded.
I wanted to think of something witty to say back or just be defiant, but I had nothing and slow
ly did what he asked, running my hand through my curls a bit before lying beside him. He reached over and brushed a few curls my face.
“How did you know how to operate this thing?” I whispered.
“I listened as the woman explained the directions, didn’t you?” He questioned.
No, I hadn’t. “Unlike you, I was a bit too stunned by how the rich travel to pay attention.”
He thought for a moment. “The rest of the plane is not like this?”
“Theseus…” I just laughed shaking my head. “No. No, it’s not. We are in first class. There is a difference just like there were with carriages.”
“You could have said trains; I do remember those, also,” he replied.
“Yes, and trains.” I moved closer to him, my feet touching his foot, too. “So, it seems no matter what century, country, or the innovation, the wealthy are never equal.”
“Shall this be your cause, young revolutionary,” he teased. “Making sure there is equality.”
“Nothing can ever change the advantages of being rich,” I replied, reaching over and brushing a strand of his black hair from his forehead. “That is a useless cause.”
“If only someone had told that to the French before they began their beheadings,” he muttered.
The way he said that made me wonder. “You were there? During the French Revolution?”
He nodded. “I was there with my father and elder brother, Ulrik, as wars always attract vampires. It is the perfect excuse to feast, acquire land and power, as well as grow one’s family.”
“What did you gain?”
“There are those who can listen; I shall tell you later,” he said, and I remembered the other vampires.
But I was going to his family’s home, and I knew nothing about the people there. I wanted to know while we had the chance. The desire to talk and to question without any prying ears built in me. If only we hadn’t left the butterfly wings Taelon had given us.
“Are you doing something?” he questioned, and then he sniffed. “I smelled magic.”
I did, too. It smelled like fresh air in the countryside, valleys, trees, and the smell of grass. I just didn’t realize it was coming from me until I reached up, and my hands were glowing gold.
“Silence is golden.” The voice spoke to me.
Sitting up, I touched the top of the pod, and like a drop in still water, the light rippled throughout the pod, encasing us both. The light shimmered and then just held still.
“What are you doing?” he questioned, amazed at the lights above us.
“I think…No, I’m pretty sure I just made us silent. Or what I mean is,” I thought back to Daiyu’s power. “I made it soundproof, so others can’t hear us.”
When I met his gaze, he was torn between joy and exhaustion. “I thought we agreed to be careful until we reached Ankeiros.”
“It’s not like it comes with directions,” I said, looking to my hands, the gold glow now fading, but the power still all around us.
“You seem to know how to control it very well,” he replied, laying back down and watching the golden ripples of magic above us.
“I don’t know how I know,” I muttered laying back down, too. “I hear a voice. This time it said silence is golden, and I just knew what it meant.” I shifted over onto my side to look at him. “So, are you going to tell me about your family now?”
He gave me a look.
“What?”
“You did this,” He pointed to the magic above us, “Just because you could not wait a few hours to speak of my family?”
“It wasn’t on purpose.”
“Hmm.”
“It wasn’t, but now that it is here, why not make the most of it?” I smiled.
He did not return it. “Daiyu is right, your gift is terrifying; for there is no stopping you from achieving your desire, is there?”
“I have no idea.” I shrugged not wanting to think about it. “Please tell me about your family. I’m going to meet them, and I don’t want to feel like an outsider.”
“Don’t you wish to hear it from them yourself? All of my family loves telling their story, with the exception of my mother…”
I leaned in closer to his face. “You are my teacher, so teach me about your family.”
The corner of his lips turned upward. “How do you expect to pay for this lesson?”
“I thought I was paying with my company?”
“For your company, I shall tell you everything you wish to know of me and historical events, but of my family, out of respect for them, I should not be so cheap with their pasts,” he said, now fully grinning at me.
“I thought you said they would tell me anyway.”
“Very well, you can wait,” he shrugged, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.
I waited, but he was so still, no longer breathing, I truly thought he’d gone to sleep. Leaning closer, I kissed the side of his cheek. It was still smooth from when he had shaved for the ball, and I hoped it didn’t magically return midflight.
“Better,” he whispered, shifting his head to the side, opening his eyes. “But still not enough.”
“Greedy,” I muttered.
“You tempt me with a feast but give me crumbs, and then call me gluttonous for wanting more,” he whispered, reaching up and holding my neck, stroking where my jaw met my neck with his thumb. “You are cruel, Druella.”
I couldn’t help but shiver at the way he said my name, the way his touch warmed me. “Are you saying you’d like to feast on me?”
“And so much more,” he muttered, kissing the very same spot his thumb had warmed. Closing my eyes, I leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his lips as they trailed up my face. He growled in frustration at the turtleneck.
“Then do so,” I muttered back.
Slowly his body shifted onto my side, on top me, and I could feel his lips now hovering over mine. But he didn’t move farther. Opening my eyes, he stared down at me, worried.
“What’s wrong?”
“Last time we kissed, you fainted,” he replied. “We should wait—”
“You call me cruel for not offering more and reject me when I do. It seems like you are the cruel one.”
“Maybe.” He tried to move back to his side, but I caught him, and I wasn’t sure what my plan was.
I could pull him down and force him to kiss me or kiss him, but I just held on. “We should…We should see if it was just a one-time thing or if it will happen again,” I said, and I just stared into his eyes. I could smell it the spice in his sent…the lust rising in his eyes. “Theseus…” No sooner had I said his name did his lips meet mine and all of me trembled in pleasure.
His body pressed up against me, my legs wrapping around his hips. Taking full advantage, his hand pushed up the hem of my dress as his tongue entered my mouth. There was no need to breathe, and therefore no need for us to separate, not until I gasped when his fingers reached between my thighs, stroking me ever so slowly. A moan broke through my lips, and he grinned, watching me jerk underneath him.
“If you only knew how beautiful you looked right now,” he said as two of his fingers entered me. My mouth dropped, and he kissed the side of my cheek. “If only you knew how badly I wished it wasn’t my hand giving you this pleasure.”
I couldn’t speak. I didn’t even want to look at him. Closing my eyes, turning my head, and biting the back of my own finger as my back arched up, I rocked against his hand.
“No, Druella,” he growled at me, forcing my face back under his gaze. “I need to see you.”
Not fair.
“Theseus!” I yelped as he spread my legs wider, and in a blink of an eye, he went down. “Oh my God.”
I held onto the top of his head, my back rising off the bed as he really did feast on me. His tongue sent a wave of shock
and pleasure up my body. I glanced down, and sure enough, he was watching me.
“Oh…” Rocking against his tongue, I closed my eyes. I didn’t know what else to do but cry out. It was too much. It felt like I was seeing stars.
“I love you, Theseus.”
My eyes snapped open; however, I didn’t see the glow of my magic or the top of the plane suite. Instead, I saw Theseus; only we were in a different bed.
The room was dark, and the only light came from the moon as it shined full through the massive window behind him. He laid there bare-chested…and I was naked beside him, not even a sheet over me. But unlike his body, mine was not perfect. I was mortal. I could tell. He placed his hand under my chin, bringing my face closer to his.
“Love me more,” he demanded with a grin on his lips.
“Greedy.” I glared at him.
At that, he pounced on top me so fast all I could do was laugh. He secured my hands on the bed beside me.
“I am enraptured by you, Druella,” he said above me. “Crippled by the need for you. I want to make love to you from sunup to sundown. I get drunk off the very way you say my name. You are not just my love, my mate, but the source of my deepest lust and passion.” He kissed the top of both of my breasts. “You enthrall me with your love and then call me gluttonous for wanting more; you are cruel, Druella.”
Then he pinned me under him and grinned before my hands sparked with a slight flash, and he let go surprised, which only allowed me to flip him over, kissing him as I did. He growled and laughed; we wrestled…Well, I tried, but he clearly overpowered me, pinning me back down on to the mattress.
“Bad little witch,” he said over me.
“I was just trying to love you more. And yet, you pinned me down again. You are the cruel one, Theseus,” I teased, the biggest smile on my face.
“Ah, forgive me. You should be rewarded, not punished.” An evil grin spread across his lips.
“Theseus!” I yelled out in glee as he spread my legs, and his head dropped between my thighs.
“Druella?”
Again, my eyes snapped open, and this time, I did see Theseus, my Theseus, hovering above me and the golden ripples above.