Frater, Rhiannon - As the World Dies 04 Read online

  “Does he?”

  Cian nodded. Of course, the price he had paid had been high. But now he was closer to his mortal existence than he had ever been throughout the centuries. At times, he felt almost human.

  “Will he leave me alone?”

  “No,” Cian said softly. “No he won't. It's only a few days into his game.

  He's seeing if you survive on your own. How strong you are. Do not doubt, he is watching you.” Cian's gaze swept over the city slowly.

  “He is probably in Austin watching us at this very moment.”

  The thought angered him and, for the thousandth time, he thought he should just kill Amaliya and spare her the torment that was to come.

  A large portion of that inclination was him feeling immensely selfish.

  He had fought long and hard to remove himself from The Summoner's influence. Having Amaliya with him was just an invitation to have the ancient vampire back in his life.

  Amaliya rested her forehead on the glass and stared down into the street below. People were on their way to the clubs, laughing and talking animatedly. Cian could almost read her thoughts and he saw the weariness settle into her shoulders. She understood and he was strangely comforted with that knowledge.

  “It's like having the world's worst stalker on your case,” she said at last.

  “That it is,” Cian admitted.

  “Why does he do it? Make us then torture us? Stalk us? Not help us?”

  “It amuses him. He's old and bored. He doesn't wield the power he did alive so he plays these games to make himself more powerful. Or at least that is my official diagnosis of his psychosis.”

  “Why don't the other vampires kill him?”

  Her gaze was so soft and afraid. She almost looked human, but her skin was too pale and translucent and her eyes glittered.

  “Most of the ancients are in Europe. There are a few in South and Central America, but they never travel this far north. America, and I'm including the U.S., Canada and Mexico, have much younger vampires. I am most likely one of the oldest here. He is thousands of years old and possibly one of the very first of our kind to walk the earth. Despite his limitations in his magic, he is quite dangerous. We all live with the knowledge that should he decide to wreck havoc on the earth, he could. By night, of course, but how much damage could an army of the dead do in one night against mortals?”

  “Why hasn't he done it yet?”

  Cian shrugged. “No one knows. Rumors are that he tried once and the Ancients crushed his army and crippled him. In other words, wounded him so terribly it took decades to heal. But it's all legend and rumors. What I have seen him do with my own eyes is enough to terrify me.”

  The girl's shoulders drooped even more. “I'm pretty much dead, aren't I? Even if you don't kill me, he will.”

  Cian turned to look at her. In the light of his apartment, she looked younger than in the club. Her black hair fell long and untethered almost to her waist. Her body was shapely without being heavy. The tattoo on her arm was marred and he could see where it probably held a cross or rosary tucked into the design before her transformation. He had caught a glimpse of the wings on her back earlier. She was very different from Samantha, yet both of them looked very Austin.

  “The one thing about being a vampire is that you become immensely terrified of death,” he said finally.

  She looked at him with a plaintive expression on her face. “Tell me about it.” She ran the back of her foot down her other leg and sighed.

  “Can I go eat now? I'm really really hungry.”

  “No,” he said with a weary sigh. “It's not safe anymore. You will have to stay here.”

  “Look, I have a hotel room. I have a car. I can get the hell out of Austin.”

  “And go where?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe Mexico. Or New Orleans?”

  Cian laughed at that. “There is no Lestat living there. There is a Master there, but she'd rather kill you than deal with you.”

  Amaliya sighed softly. “I can't stay here. I got my own life to figure out.”

  “Just stay here tonight and we'll sort it out. You are right. You do need to learn our ways or you won't survive. I can teach you. Then you can go. Decide where you want to go and just go. I won't stop you.”

  He didn't mean for his voice to sound harsh, but he was angry at himself for not immediately turning her out. But he just couldn't do it.

  No one had been there for him when he had become what he was.

  Just throwing her into the night seemed inordinately cruel and very much like something The Summoner would do. He would not walk in the footsteps of his creator.

  “You got blood in storage or something? Because I'm starving.”

  Cian could see that she was struggling. Her skin was looking even more pale and her eyes were sparkling dangerously. He reached out and touched her cheek and found it cold to his touch.

  “No. But I have fed tonight. You can drink from me.”

  She glanced at his neck and drew slightly away. “What will that do?”

  “Nourish you,” he snapped, then said in a softer voice, “It will enable you not to feed for another day or two without hunger. I apologize. I have not been around my own kind very often over the last thirty years.”

  Giving him a sharp look through slitted eyes, she moved away from the window. Her arms folded over her breasts, she looked around the apartment taking in the furnishings and the artwork. “My car is down in a parking lot. They'll tow it if its still there in the morning.”

  “I'll send Roberto to get it,” he answered.

  “My clothes are at the hotel,” she added.

  “He can get those, too.”

  Cian hit an intercom button and Roberto's voice said, “Yes?”

  “Could you come down here? We have a guest and I need you to attend to some duties.”

  “Of course.”

  “You have a servant?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

  “You're so the cliché.” She hesitated. “I think.”

  “Never watched vampire movies I take it?”

  “Salem's Lot scared the crap out of me as a kid. That floating little boy vampire scared me to death and I never watched another vampire movie after that.”

  Cian smiled and had to agree. Children vampires were terrifying. He had met a few in his time.

  Roberto appeared and gave their tattooed guest a look of disapproval.

  “I need you to take care of Ms. Vezorak's car and retrieve her personal belongings from a hotel.”

  Much to his amusement, Amaliya pulled her car keys and the key to her hotel out of her bra and handed them to Roberto. The man could not have looked more horrified.

  “The car is in the lot up on 7th and the hotel is down by Riverside.”

  Amaliya looked at Roberto thoughtfully. He regarded her like she was a bug.

  “I will take care of this, of course. I take it she is staying for a short period of time?”

  Cian chuckled at Roberto's emphasis on the word “short.”

  “Yes, yes. We have business to attend to.”

  Roberto slightly narrowed his eyes, then nodded. He looked down at the key card and saw the hotel name and address.

  “My car is a big black Lincoln. I put a Rolling Stone air freshener on the rear view mirror.”

  The Hispanic man's gaze grew more pained, but he nodded. “I will return shortly.” He turned on his heal and walked stiffly down the hall to the front door.

  “He's a little bitch,” Amaliya muttered to Cian.

  “You have no idea,” he responded.

  Giving him a soft smile, she wandered away to explore the library and he watched her go. She was dangerous to him and he could feel it.

  Already her power was growing. She had survived a whole night without feeding. Obviously, she would be a force to reckon with as she grew older. That was the way it was with some of those who were given the dark gift. Their adaptation to their new life was almost
seamless and without the struggles of some. He was glad for her. It would make things easier. But at the same time, he knew if she was not careful, her strength of mind and power would only make The Summoner's torture of her that much more sweet.

  Chapter Twelve

  Amaliya felt the butterflies in her stomach turn into bloodsucking fiends. They started sucking on her insides as she walked around the library. She was not only nervous, but ravaged with hunger. How she was keeping it together was beyond her. Her feet were beginning to feel pinched in her high heels and she steadied herself by gripping the shelf of a bookcase.

  Slowly turning around, she saw Cian approaching her. He was slightly shorter than her in his bare feet and she figured it was her high heels. Drawing near her, his hazel eyes seemed to warm slightly and he reached out to her slowly.

  “Come feed,” he said softly. “It will make things clearer. You'll sleep deeply and tomorrow night, when you rise, we will speak again.”

  “Are you seducing me?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “No,” he laughed. “I'm engaged.”

  “To a human?” This surprised her.

  He gave her a quick nod of his head and beckoned to her with his hand.

  Reaching out, she took it and let him draw her to him. Up close, his eyes were truly mesmerizing. She wasn't sure if it was because he was a vampire or because they were large and heavily fringed with dark lashes. His hand swept her hair to one side to fully reveal her face and he looked at her with a neutral expression.

  “Take what you need,” he said softly.

  Feeling insanely nervous, she slid her arms around his neck and pulled him close. She could feel his heart beating with fresh blood while her own was cold and silent in her chest. His hands were gentle on her shoulders as he pressed her close.

  “Drink.”

  This was far different from the other times she had fed. It felt infinitely more intimate and she felt awkward as hell. But her teeth were sharp against her tongue as she ran it over her lips and she knew she needed to feed soon or lose her mind. Placing her lips against his neck, she felt his pulse under her tongue and her eyes fluttered close.

  His hand pressed her firmly against him and she pushed her teeth slowly downward.

  His blood came cool and salty into her mouth. She fastened her lips tight against his skin as she pushed her teeth harder into him. It was delicious, rich and everything she needed. She pulled him closer, her mouth pulling hard on his skin. She heard him give out an involuntary gasp and his arms slid around her.

  Stumbling backward, they landed against the wall and Cian crushed her closer. Sucking harder and harder, she drained his blood, feeling it filling her, and spreading its delicious warming power through her limbs. Grinding her body against his, the feeding was turning into something vastly different and she could feel him harden against her stomach. She didn't want to stop for his blood was everything she had ever wanted or needed.

  Pulling her from him, Cian's grip was harsh. His eyes were dilated and he was gasping. The two wounds in his strong neck were still pumping blood. She growled and strained toward him. His expression was torn, but she was determined. Her mouth found his neck again and they struggled with each other, neither unsure of what exactly was going on. All Amaliya was aware of was her great need to feed and the immense pleasure it sent rippling through her body.

  Cian slid his hand into her hair and let her straddle his body as they slid slightly down the wall. Giving into the eroticism of the moment, their bodies ground together.

  This is almost better than sex, she thought for a moment then felt him cup her breast and rub her hardened nipple. Okay, its better with sex, she amended.

  And then she was lost to all other sensation as he guided her over his hard erection and ground up against her through her skirt. Cupping her face, he pulled her back from his neck again and kissed her deeply, his tongue licking the blood from her teeth and tongue, feeding from her. She gave herself up to him as he feverishly consumed her mouth and her fingers gripped his ass. His mouth traveled over her cheek to her neck where his tongue stroked along her renewed pulse and she slid one hand up into his hair as he swung them around and pinned her to the wall.

  Wrapping her legs around his waist, she gave into him completely as his teeth slid into her throat and she shuddered as the pleasure enveloped her body fully. Her mouth found the wound she had inflicted on his throat again and she began to drink once more as he drank from her.

  Still writhing against each other fully clothed, the vampires fed from each other with overwhelming desire. Amaliya gasped as he grabbed her hands and pushed them over her head.

  Best sex ever, she thought, and struggled against his hard cock inside his jeans.

  Or best almost-sex ever.

  Her tongue slid over the wound on his neck as he rubbed against her, still feeding from her. She felt fully alive once again and the great need was satisfied, but now she wanted him inside of her. Before blood, sex had been her greatest drug and now she craved to be satiated.

  Cian pulled his mouth from her neck and ran his tongue over the wound he had inflicted on her.

  “Please,” she whispered in his ear, and she knew he understood her question.

  Instead, he kissed her deeply and kept rubbing hard against her. His hands slid under her thighs as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  The phone rang sharply nearby and they both ignored it. The smell of blood and sex was intoxicating. Amaliya ran her tongue in circles around Cian's, wanting more of him.

  The phone rang again.

  Cian pulled away from her and she buried her face in his neck to lick the last drops of blood from the wounds.

  The phone let out another peal, and then the answering machine clicked on.

  “Hey, Cian! Okay, I just got off the longest phone call in the world with my brother stationed in California. He wants to know if we can visit him. Now, I know its rough with the whole sunlight thing, but he's going to miss the wedding so maybe we can talk. Okies, love you, baby!” The voice was perky and sweet and Amaliya drew back from Cian. “Talk to you tomorrow” There was a click and the machine turned off.

  A coldness settled between them as the blood lust faded and despite their aroused states, they slid soundlessly from each other's embrace.

  “Sorry,” Amaliya whispered, after a long embarrassing moment.

  “Not your fault,” he answered, and simply walked away.

  Closing her eyes, she shuddered as she felt her body still craving his touch and his blood. Being a vampire was not going to be easy, especially around her own kind. She slowly slid down to the floor and sat there, deep in thought.

  ***

  Cian walked over to the answering machine and hesitated. He could call Samantha back, but he felt too awkward in this moment. Instead, he deleted the message and moved to his desk with all its computer monitors and sat down in the leather chair. He tried hard to ignore his aroused state and the delicious smell of Amaliya in the other room.

  She had tasted wonderful and he wanted to return to her, throw her down, bite her, fuck her.

  Rubbing his closed eyelids, he tried to remove those thoughts from his mind. It was his fault. He had forgotten how potent it was to feed off another vampire. He had not been among his own kind in so long, his memory was hazy. The last time he had fed off a vampire it had been his long dead lover Rosalinda. It had been wild between them, but she had lived with an insanity that had swept him along and eventually killed her. He had tried hard to forget her and in the process he had forgotten how erotic it was to feel a vampire's teeth in his throat.

  Leaning back in his chair, he concentrated on Samantha and her sweet smile. He tried to fill his mind with the memory of their first kiss or the first time he had held her close throughout the night. It almost worked, but then Amaliya entered the room behind him, he felt her darkness pulling at him.

  For a moment, he imagined her coming to him and straddling him where he sat i
n his chair.

  He had completely screwed up in keeping her here.

  “I'm sorry,” she said again.

  He didn't dare turn around and see her. She was his kind. Her body, her smell, her blood called to him. He would always want her now. He knew it. Without a doubt, he had doomed himself to wanting her.

  “It was my fault,” he answered truthfully, and did not turn around.

  The door opened and Roberto's soft footfalls echoed down the hall.

  The two vampires remained just as they were as he entered the room and tossed the bag at Amaliya's feet.

  “I will retrieve your car now. I thought you may want this to freshen up,” he said in an annoyed tone, then his voice grew soft. “I see.”

  Cian turned and looked at Roberto sharply.

  Roberto looked amused and looked pointedly at Amaliya, then at Cian. “Did I return too quickly?”

  “Go get her car,” Cian said firmly.

  Roberto bowed briefly, with a smirk on his face, and walked out with a much lighter step.

  As the door shut, Amaliya said, “He's a total bitch.”

  Cian nodded and looked at her again. She was really pretty with her exotic features and long dark hair. He could see with his keen eyesight that her hair was really blond and that she dyed it, but the black hair contrasted nicely with her skin. She had taken off her shoes and stood barefoot on the hardwood floor. She looked unsure of herself and a little afraid.

  “I just don't sleep with anyone,” she said at last, but her tone wasn't exactly truthful.

  “Unless they are attractive to you,” he added.

  “Well, yeah.” She blushed and sat on the floor. “I got carried away.

  I'm sorry.” She curled her legs under her and sat Indian style. “Do you hate me now?”

  “I don't know you well enough to hate you or like you,” Cian answered honestly. His body was slowly calming down, but he knew it would not take much to arouse him again. He looked away from her and played idly with a framed picture of Samantha.