I snorted. "No, you've just omitted some pretty important facts. Like this." I held out the ruby in my necklace. "This ruby was stolen from the Gemmarius's, wasn't it?"
His smile danced across his lips. "You are very astute. Perhaps that's why my powers have no control over you."
I frowned. "What powers?"
Cruor repeated his speed trick. One moment he stood four feet from me, and the next there was barely a few inches from us. I gasped and squeezed against the bars. He leaned down. His red eyes swept over my face. My heart thumped in my chest.
When he spoke his voice was soft and seductive. "I find I cannot control you as I do those puppets inside the house." He reached up and cupped my cheek in his hand. I shivered against the cool feel of his hand. My body ignited with heat as he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. "But perhaps because of that I find myself irresistibly attracted to you."
He pressed his lips against mine in a strong, possessive kiss. His arms wrapped around me and captured my body against his. The heat inside me burst into a warm, delicious flame. I grasped the front of his shirt and groaned into the kiss.
He pulled us apart. I panted. He didn't. A warm blush covered my cheeks as I blinked at him.
A sly, crooked grin slipped onto his lips. "How very intriguing."
I leaned back and frowned. "What's that mean?"
He chuckled. "It means you don't detest me. Most humans have a natural abhorrence for my presence, but you seem to delight in my physical contact."
My eyebrows crashed down and I tried to push him away. "I just want you to let me go!"
Cruor leaned down and captured my lips in another sensual kiss. I was paralyzed by lust. His hands slid up the smooth back of my dress and massaged my ass. I gasped and broke our kiss. He pressed soft, hot kisses down my neck. I leaned back and closed my eyes. His teasing nips stopped where my neck met my collar bone.
I felt two sharp pinches against my flesh, and then ecstasy. My body filled with a thick, agonizing heat that pooled between my legs. He pressed me closer to him and deepened his bite. I gasped and moaned. My flesh was consumed by a deep, aching lust. I craved his body, his touch, his bite. Every trickle of blood he took from me was a small orgasm.
I whimpered when he broke from me. His wide eyes shimmered in the darkness and now he, too, panted for breath. A few droplets of blood from his fangs slipped down his chin, leaving streaks of red against his pale skin.
A sudden fatigue washed over me. My knees buckled beneath my weight. His arms kept me from dropping to the ground. I had trouble keeping my eyes open.
"My god. . ." he whispered.
"Mr. Cruor," a voice spoke up.
Simon clasped me close to his side and spun around. In the middle of the driveway and ten feet from us stood our driver. His pale skin stood out in the darkness.
Simon relaxed his tense body, but kept me clutched close against him. "What is it, Certus?"
Certus bowed. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is trouble."
Simon frowned. "Fledglings?"
The driver straightened and nodded. "Yes, sir."
Simon swept me into his arms and looked down at me. His red eyes softened. "It seems our evening must wait."
Certus stepped up to us. "Would you like me to take her home?"
Simon pursed his lips and shook his head. "There isn't time, and she would be safer with us."
Certus's eyes flickered down at me. His eyes widened and he started back. He looked to Simon. "You've marked her?"
Simon carried me past him and towards the house. "We haven't time for this discussion."
Certus bowed. "Yes, sir."
CHAPTER 7
Simon carried me up to the house. The party inside the mansion stepped out onto the portico. Our father-daughter hosts were in the lead, and Mr. Eres stepped down onto the walk.
"What's wrong? Does your friend need a doctor?" he asked us.
Simon stopped in front of him and shook his head. "No. It's merely a slight attack of anemia of which she suffers from every so often. A short rest and she'll be well."
I tried to speak, to tell them the truth, but the words wouldn't come. My body was still weak from the loss of blood.
Eres stepped aside and swept his arm towards the open door. "Please feel free to make use of any of our bedrooms."
Simon smiled, but shook his head. "There's no need. I've called my driver and-" At that moment the jet-black limo came from the darkness at the left of the house. "And he's as punctual as always."
Simon turned to leave, but Eileen swept down the stairs and grasped his upper arm. She looked into his face and her lower lip quivered. "Won;t you stay for a while longer? As you said, your friend will be fine, and we haven't even dined."
Simon gently pulled himself from her weak grasp. "I'm sorry, but as she is my companion for the evening I must attend to her."
Eileen's eyebrows crashed down. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her face away. "Very well, but this is all very vexing."
The car pulled up to us and forced our hosts to back up. Simon looked to the other guests over the top of the car and bowed his head. "If you will excuse me."
Certus stepped out and opened the right-side rear door. Simon stooped and stepped inside with me still in his arms. He settled in his usual spot and the door shut behind us. This time there wasn't an overhead light to illuminate the interior. Only the tinted windows provided visibility.
In the dim light a little of my strength returned. I shifted in his hold.
Simon clasped me harder to his chest without looking at me. "Don't try to move. You've lost a great deal more blood than I intended."
My voice was hoarse and my lips dry, but I managed a few stuttering words. "Where. . .are you taking me?"
The window that divided the rear from the front lowered. I glimpsed the back of Certus's head.
Simon looked up at his driver and pursed his lips. "Where are the Fledglings?"
"Downtown, sir, and close to Mr. Gemmarius's shop," Certus told him. "The police tried to intervene, but they escaped into the alleys."
A sly, crooked grin slipped onto Simon's lips. "I see. Then we may well take care of two birds with one stone."
I wanted no part in whatever black-hearted plan this monster concocted. I pressed my palms against his chest and tried to push myself away. My efforts were futile, but I did catch his attention.
He glanced down at me. His eyes softened. "You think you'll be safer farther away from me, but the truth is quite the opposite."
I stopped my feeble attempt at escape and glared at him. "I will. . .risk it," I gasped.
Simon sighed. "You are very stubborn, but I suppose that is no more than I deserve." The sly grin returned to his lips. "Perhaps a weak woman would not have been to my liking, anyway."
"I am not your woman," I growled.
The demon chuckled, but I was glad when he half-turned in the seat and set me down beside him. "No, but you are mine. This-" he brushed his hand against the right side of my neck, "-proves as much."
His fingers slipped over the two tiny holes I knew were there. Still, I reached up and touched them with my quivering fingers. There was a slight twinge of pain over the skin, but the hollows themselves were numb and sealed. There wasn't even a drop of fresh blood.
I shuddered and dropped my hand. A whirlwind of thoughts flew through my mind. All the old horror movies and books I'd read rose to the surface, and with them came the thought that my action, my choice to go with this monster, had doomed me for eternity.
Simon studied my face. His expression softened. He cupped my left cheek in his hand and smiled at me. "Your thoughts are confused, but there's no need to worry. Modern culture has proven to be an unreliable storyteller of vampire fact."
I swallowed the rising fear inside me. "Then. . .then I won't turn into a vampire?"
His face fell, but his eyes met mine. "That is one of the kernels of truth in the lore. My biting you will ch
ange you into a vampire."
His proclamation hit me like a punch to the stomach. I dropped my head into my hands and burst into sobs. My sorrow wracked my body. Tears streamed down my cheeks and into my hands.
Simon pressed me closer against his cool chest. His voice was low and gentle, and one hand petted my hair as he spoke to me. "The tales are not entirely accurate. There is some time left to you in your human form. A great many months, if we decide it."
I pulled my face away from his shirt and glared up at him. "You mean if you decide it."
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "The choice is both of ours to make. I will not force you into this arrangement until you are better prepared."
I balled my hands into fists and my voice grew louder. "You've already forced me-" Something slammed onto the hood of the car.
Certus spun the wheel. The rear portion of the long car swung to the left and slid until it was nearly perpendicular to the front. Simon threw his body over mine and pinned me between him and the cushioned seat. Outside horns blared and tires screeched. The vehicle came to a jerky stop a dozen yards down the road. The motor idled and outside all was quiet.
Certus's voice broke the silence. "Sir."
Simon lifted his head and looked to the front. I followed his gaze and my eyes widened. A dark form was hunched on the hood of the car. Their feet stood in the indents made by their landing. They faced us, and their red eyes peered into our vehicle. A pair of gleaming fangs poked out from beneath their upper lips.
A pair of headlights from opposing traffic shone on the figure. It was revealed to be a young man of twenty with a smirk on his lips and short brown hair on his head. He wore a dark t-shirt and black jeans. The young man laughed and leapt straight up. He disappeared out of sight, and didn't reappear.
Simon leaned towards Certus. "Remain with her. I'll take care of the Fledgling."
Certus turned in his seat and frowned. "But sir, there may be more."
"We'll have to take that chance," Simon replied. He turned to me and smiled. "It seems Fate is insistent on ruining what remains of our evening together. Remain here. Certus will protect you."
I glared at him and turned my face away. The next I heard was the door opening and he slipped out. I looked back in time to see the door shut.
Certus moved the car forward until we came to a wide alley. He pulled into the block-long alley and shut off the vehicle. The world descended into silence. There was only my breathing. Certus didn't make a noise.
Everything was quiet, but too quiet. This was a city full of people, and yet I heard and saw no cars pass behind or in front of us.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Trouble was coming. My eyes flickered to the door on my left. I glanced at the driver. He stared straight ahead. I reached for the door handle.
"I wouldn't attempt to remove myself from the car," Certus warned me.
I glared at him. "Try and stop me."
I lunged for the door. The locks initiated. I tugged, but the door wouldn't budge. I whipped my head to Certus.
"Unlock the door!" I demanded.
He looked at me through the rear view mirror. "I was given the job to protect you, and I will not fail."
His employment started when something slammed onto the trunk of the car. It was another black-clothed twenty-something, though this time it was a girl. Two more creatures dropped onto the car, one on the hood and the other on the top.
The girl behind me leaned forward and pressed her pale hands against the rear window. Her eyes fell on me. A sly smile slipped onto her mouth and her tongue flicked out to wet her parted lips. "What do we have here? A bit of dinner before we have more fun?" Her companions laughed.
I heard a door unlock, and Certus stepped out. He shut the door behind him. Two of our uninvited company hopped off the car and surrounded him. The one on top climbed to the edge of the car and looked down at him.
The girl stopped beside my door and folded her arms across her chest. "That was real stupid, old man."
The guy in front laughed. "Yeah. Now we don't even have to drag you out of there."
Certus stood among them as stiff as a statue. He stared straight ahead and his arms hung limp by his side.
The guy atop the roof leaned over and stretched out his hand towards Certus. "Let's get this over with. I'm starving."
Certus spun around and grabbed the creature's arm. He swung the young man over his shoulder and into the brick wall in front of him. The young man slammed face-first into the bricks and dropped to the ground. His face left an indent and blood in the hard material. He didn't get up.
The woman and other man hunched down and extended their hands. I had a clear view as their fingernails extended into long, sharp claws.
The woman growled at Certus. "So you're a vampire like us, huh?"
Certus turned his head to her and frowned. "I am nothing like you."
She tensed and snarled at him. "Yeah. You're gonna be permanently dead soon."
Both she and the guy in front lunged at Certus. Now was my chance. I dove over the divider between the front and back. There was a long, wide pad on the right side of the driver's seat that controlled everything in the car. I slammed my hand against all the buttons. My door unlocked. I opened it and scooted out. The battle in front of the car was just about finished.
Certus noticed my escape. "Wait!" he called. He tried to move towards me, but another of the monsters jumped onto his back and grabbed his neck.
I turned away from the scene and dashed away.
CHAPTER 8
I stumbled out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. All the streetlights along both sides of the road were broken. No cars nor people dared entered a neighborhood that was shrouded in darkness. I noticed an alley on the opposite side of the street, and made a straight shot for it. My clumsy feet tripped over broken slabs of pavement and glass that littered the road, but I made it unharmed into the alley.
The narrow road stretched across the width of the block to the next street. Another, living world awaited me there. The streetlights there were unbroken, and I glimpsed traffic. My feet pounded pavement and splashed through mucky puddles. Mud soaked the bottom hem of my dress and soiled my shoes. I felt my heart thump against my chest and I gasped for breath.
At the halfway point I risked a glance over my shoulder. My heart skipped a beat as a half dozen shadows dropped fifty feet off the rooftops and landed neatly in the alley. They stood and their red eyes followed me. I looked ahead and pumped my arms faster. The alley exit loomed in front of me. Just a couple more yards.
Two figures stepped out of the darkness. They wore black suits like those who fought the driver, and both of them grinned at me with sharp teeth protruding from their mouths. I skidded to a stop and half-turned towards the way I'd come. The six shadows strode towards me. A chuckle returned my attention to the exit.
One of the pair stepped forward. It was a man of thirty with dirty-blond hair and a cruel smile on his pale lips. His hands were tucked into the pocket of his jeans and his feet didn't make a sound on the pavement as he circled me. The other man blocked the exit, and the six to my left shut off that way of escape.
The older vampire, I couldn't deceive myself that these were humans, eyed me with a hungry, bemused gaze. "What's a fancy kitten like you doing in a place like this?"
I leaned away from him. "P-please, I just want to leave."
He stopped on my right side. His hand whipped out and grabbed my wrist. He pulled me against his chest. His horrible breath wafted over me. It smelled like a charnel house. I shut my eyes and turned my face away.
He leaned down and slid his long tongue against my cheek. I shuddered and tried to pull away, but he held me tight against him. He lowered his head and his breath wafted over my neck."You taste delicious. I bet your blood's just as-" A shadow dropped from the sky and landed on my right.
The vampire's eyes widened and he turned his head. "What the-" A pale hand shot out from the
shadow and wrapped around his neck.
The leader yelped. His hold on me broke and I stumbled back. I tripped over the uneven ground and fell onto my rear. The leader was lifted off the ground and flung into his companion, who caught him. The shadow turned their red eyes on me, and I recognized the pale face of Simon.
He leaned down and held out his hand to me. "Are you all right?" he asked me.
I nodded and took his hand. The enemy of my enemy was my friend, and the vampires around me were definitely my enemies. Simon looped his arm around my waist and pressed me against his side. The six vampires pressed closer and their leader shoved his lackey away.
He marched to within two yards of us and sneered at Simon. "Get lost, old man. This is our prey."
Simon's eyes flickered from the pair to the six behind us. They closed in closer to us. "She is under my protection. If you wish to live then I suggest you leave this city."
Their leader scoffed. "Fuck off, old man. We just got here, and we're not about to let all these tasty treats go." He glanced past us at the other six and raised his hand. His fingers snapped together.
The six behind us leapt twenty feet into the air and arched downward towards us. Their fingers were splayed out and their nails lengthened into long, sharp claws. They hissed and pulled back their hands to swipe at us.
Simon swept me behind him and caught the first attacker by their neck. He swung the vampire up and the attacker collided with two of his fellow vampires. Simon walked forward and side-stepped the remaining three vampires. They landed on their feet around him and swung their clawed hands. He ducked and blocked their blows with his arm against theirs. His own nails lengthened into weapons, and he sliced his nails across the neck of one of the attackers.
The male vampire let out a bloodcurdling scream and stumbled back. He clutched the bleeding wound across his neck. Blood drizzled from his mouth. Simon swiped again, and the vampire's head was cleanly cut from his neck. The decapitated vampire fell to his knees and his head rolled off his shoulders.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around me and lifted me off the ground. It was the companion of the leader. His strong grasp squeezed my rib cage and the pain caused me to cry out.
Simon spun around and snarled at my captor. My eyes widened as I watched his opponents come at him from two different directions.