Leaning forward, she rested her arms and forehead on the forest floor and released the scream that had been trapped within her chest these past weeks. The tangy scent of the earth filled her nostrils, her lashes fluttered against the leaves and pine needles beneath her as she blinked against the tears pooling in her eyes. She sat there for a few minutes, trying to regain control of herself.
Placing her hands on the ground, she shoved herself to her feet, wiped at her eyes and turned away. It would get better, it had to, but falling apart and screaming at the ground weren't going to do anything to make it that way. She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other as she hurried toward the human town.
***
"You're not supposed to be here," she said.
Atticus remained where he was, staring at her back as she sat with her shoulders hunched forward on the log. The sunlight filtering through the trees in golden rays illuminated her black braid. She was in her chemise again and yet that simple article of clothing was more enticing than any half-naked woman he'd ever seen before.
"I know," he replied.
The light reflected in her raven eyes, seeming to make them glow as she turned her head to look at him. His fingers twitched with the impulse to run them over the creamy complexion of her skin. Yes, she was by far the most enticing woman he'd ever seen in his life and though he knew he wasn't supposed to be here, knew he should leave, he found his feet drawn irresistibly forward.
Her eyes followed him as he walked to the end of the log. "You'll only make this harder, for us both," she whispered.
"It can't be any harder," he said honestly.
She turned away to stare out at the river. "Yes it could."
"How? How could it possibly be any harder?" he demanded as he stepped onto the log.
Her jaw clenched, her gaze remained focused on the water as he walked across the log toward her. "Don't," she murmured as he knelt beside her.
His deadened heart lurched in his chest then seemed to shrivel. This, this was how it could get harder, to be spurned by her again. "I'll go."
Her head turned toward him, her eyes reluctantly found his. "Don't," she whispered again.
"Genny," he breathed.
Taking hold of her hand, he helped her to rise and pulled her closer to him. Her mouth parted, her body was rigid, but thankfully that awful, don't, word didn't escape her again. He moved cautiously, afraid that she would tell him to leave again. He didn't think he could handle it if she did. Her eyes rapidly searched his as he slid his fingers over her cheeks and around the back of her head. Touching her again finally eased all of the stress that had been building within him these past few weeks. He finally felt whole once more as the mint and aster scent that was undeniably her, drifted into his nose.
Her hands rested upon his chest, but instead of pushing him away, her fingers curled into his tunic and pulled him closer. The passion that the women in the club had failed to ignite in him blazed to life instantly. All of the unhappiness of the past weeks vanished as he eagerly took possession of her mouth.
The unending bitter dryness and lack of taste he'd been experiencing lately vanished when his tongue swept inside to taste the sweet recesses of her mouth. The past three weeks faded away as he was once more enveloped in her feel and taste. He tugged at the hem of her chemise and in turn she rewarded him with a low moan of pleasure.
He growled low as the cumbersome material still covering her tangled around them. He considered tearing it from her body but there was a good chance he would frighten her away if he did. She had to know though; she had to understand that he wasn't going to be content with just kissing her, not when he'd been denied her touch these past weeks. "Genny, I need more, I need you," he whispered against her mouth.
He tasted the saltiness of the tears sliding down her cheeks as he kissed her face. She pulled back to look up at him, her fingers slid over his face and rested against his lips. Her eyes were filled with awe as they ran over him. "I've missed you so much. Take from me what you need, I won't refuse you again."
There was nothing in the world that he wanted more than to hear those words or to be with this woman. "I'll always be here for you."
She smiled beautifully as her fingers traced his mouth. "I know."
He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her with the feverish longing that had been building within him since they'd parted. He tasted her in deep, penetrating thrusts of his tongue that only left him aching for more. Her body pressed flush against his as he broke the kiss and lifted her above his head. Laughter trailed from her. He savored in the sight of her and the halo the sunlight created around her. He was going to enjoy looking at her every day of the eternity they were going to share together.
She was still laughing when he placed her back on the log. She gave him a mischievous smile and before he knew what she intended, she jerked him backward. A shout of surprise and laughter escaped him as they tumbled backwards off of the log together. Cool water swelled over his head and ripped her hand away from his.
***
Atticus woke with a start. Genny's laughter continued to echo in his head and the scent of asters filled his nostrils. For a minute he remained suffused by the happiness and sense of completion that he'd experienced in the dream. The dream had seemed so much more real to him than any of the other dreams he'd continuously had about her since they'd last been together.
Take from me what you need; I won't refuse you again. They weren't her words though, they never had been. His mind, in its desperate attempt to try and soothe his constant misery, had dreamed the words up as surely as it had dreamed her up.
Anger grew within his chest, his fingers curled into the bedding beneath him. His teeth clenched together as beads of sweat broke out across his forehead. Unable to suppress it any more a bellow of fury tore from him. He forced himself to release the bedding before he shredded it completely and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Dropping his head into his hands, he tried to suppress the pressure growing within him but he felt like a pot about ready to boil over.
Shadows enshrouded the room as he grabbed her faded ribbon from the stand beside his bed. Holding the ribbon, he ran his fingers over it as he began to pace the confines of his room. The ribbon was the only thing he had left of her and it was never far from his reach, but it was a poor substitute for the woman he craved so relentlessly.
***
Having been jolted from the dream, Genny remained motionless as she stared at the ceiling above her head. She was afraid she would break apart if she moved. She could still feel the warmth of the sun upon her skin, feel his lips upon hers and hear the desperation in his voice. I'll always be here for you.
But he wasn't here for her; she was alone again, or at least as alone as she could be with Camille's knees pressing against her back. In the dream he'd asked how this could possibly get any harder and she now had the answer to that question. She'd dreamed of him often over the past few weeks but nothing like this. Nothing that had left her just as hollow and shaken as the day they had parted.
Curling into a ball, she shoved her fist into her mouth in an attempt to suppress her tears. It was impossible to do so. The tears she hadn't shed since leaving him fell freely to the straw pallet beneath her as her heart shattered all over again.
- CHAPTER 16 -
The empty feeling that had accompanied her dream, and plagued her throughout her sleepless night, continued to haunt her while she dressed the next morning. Camille went to touch her but then seemed to think better of it as her hands limply fell to her sides. Genny understood Camille's hesitance, if she looked anywhere near as bad as she felt then there was a good possibility she might crumple into a pile of ash if anyone touched her.
Camille went with her to the human town but whereas she had been pick pocketing an average of five purses a day, she only grabbed three today. One for Felix, one for Matilda, and another for her and Camille. Camille happily chatted with Matilda while Genny stared at t
he ribbons fluttering in the mild breeze. Her fingers instinctively went to the blue one tied at the bottom of her hair; it was all she had left of him, besides his blood still flowing through her system.
Ugh, she was beginning to get on her own nerves with her morose thoughts. Forcing herself to let go of her hair, she turned away from the stand and plastered a smile on her face as they made their way back through the woods. "I haven't hidden anything under the rock in a week," Genny told Camille as they picked their way around a fallen tree.
Camille followed Genny to a large rock near the lake. Genny moved the fifty-pound rock out of the way with ease and put one of the purses beneath with the rest of their stash. Returning the rock to its place, she wiped her hands on her tunic and rose to her feet. Her gaze drifted to the pinks and oranges spreading across the sky from the sunset as they walked.
Sweat beaded across her brow and upper lip as they climbed the embankment back to the main road. The gray hue of dusk had descended but it had been a muggy day and the heat didn't break with the coming night. It would be difficult sleeping tonight even without the persistent memory of the dream to keep her awake. Camille called out greetings to the few vampires they passed, Genny gave them a brief wave but she barely paid anyone any attention. The huts they walked by as they neared Felix's were all dark, their closest neighbors were a good twenty-five yards away but most of their neighbors had already gone out for the night.
The first star was already out in the sky; candlelight flickered in the open windows when they finally arrived at the hut. Apprehension curled through her belly as she stared at the knob, they were later than normal and that was something that Felix never tolerated well. Felix had mostly left her alone since she'd hit him back that day but she knew what he was capable of doing to her if he decided to come at her again. He was a coward but he was far stronger than she was and he was most definitely stronger than Camille.
"He's going to be angry," Camille whispered.
"Just go to the room and let me deal with him if he is," Genny said forcefully.
"Genny…"
"I mean it Camille; you stay in there until I tell you otherwise."
Genny thrust her shoulders back, grabbed hold of the knob and pushed the door open. At first she didn't even see Felix as her eyes were drawn to the cluster of money purses piled in the center of the room. Her eyebrows drew together, confusion rolled through her.
Where had he gotten all of those purses? She thought.
Realization came as swiftly as a brutal slap in the face. Her mind screamed a protest even as she began to recognize some of the purses piled on the floor. "Did you think I didn't know?" the words were snarled at her from the shadows to her right.
Dread chilled the blood in her body and caused the hair on her nape to stand on end. She whirled around, placed her hands into Camille's back and shoved her out the door before her sister could react. "Run!" she hissed at her.
Genny had only taken one step out the door after her when Felix's hand seized her neck. He jerked her back into the hut with enough force that her feet left the ground. A startled scream escaped her but his other hand wrapped around her larynx and pressed down before she could make any other noise. Her fingers clawed at the edges of the doorway. She grabbed hold of the frame and struggled to pull herself away from his grasp. A fingernail was torn free of her finger, blood spilled down her hand and dripped onto the floor as her grasp was wrenched free.
Camille's face drained of all color; she started to run back at them. "Genny!"
There was no escape for her though, not anymore. She kicked wildly out and caught the door with her foot; it banged closed with enough force to shake the walls. "Genny!" Camille screamed as she began to beat frantically on the door. "Genny!"
She had no words for her though as Felix, still holding her by her throat, lifted her up and smashed her face first into the door. Blood spilled free of her crushed nose, she fought against the blackness trying to take her over. Genny's fingers scrabbled over the door, not for the knob, but for the bolt as Felix's other hand twisted cruelly into her hair. Camille continued to scream from the other side. Her sister beat and kicked at the door, but Genny knew no one would come to help them. No one interfered in another vampire's business, no one intruded upon their homes, no matter what happened, or what they heard, everyone kept to their own.
Felix pressed her face against the door so hard that grains of wood bit into her flesh. "Did you think I wouldn't realize you were playing me for the fool?" he spat in her ear. "That you were laughing at me behind my back? I can assure you that I'll be the one doing the laughing now. That bitch mother of yours was right about one thing, you are a sneaky girl, and sneaky girls get punished."
The realization that Marie had been the one to turn him on to their possible stash in the woods should have been heartbreaking. Instead, she found herself strangely accepting of the fact that her mother would most likely be the cause of her death. It somehow seemed oddly fitting after all of these years.
Her fingers finally succeeded in finding the metal bolt and sliding it into place. Satisfaction slid through her, she may not be making it out of here, but Camille wouldn't be able to get back in either. "Run Camille!" she shouted as he pulled her head away from the door by her hair.
She flung her arm back in an attempt to knock him away but she only succeeded in connecting with air. He grabbed hold of the arm trying to hit him and wrenched it behind her back. The loud pop of her shoulder being pulled out of its socket echoed through the room before he drove her face into the door again with enough force to fracture her cheekbone.
"You think I won't find her?" he barked. "She's going to be my replacement for your whore of a mother once I'm done with you."
White stars burst in front of her eyes. She dimly realized that Camille had stopped pounding against the door when Felix lifted her up and flung her across the room. Bouncing off of the back wall, she sprawled in a heap upon the floor. Her head pounded, the floor lurched beneath her but she knew she couldn't stay down.
She staggered awkwardly to her feet; her hand fell against the chair as she tried to steady herself. Wrapping her hand around the arm of the chair, she lifted it up and held it before her. This was going to be a fight to the death and she planned on fighting with every ounce of strength she had left.
***
Atticus rose from his chair and walked over to the open door. The onset of night hadn't brought forth a cool breeze to break the oppressive heat like he'd hoped. "I think we should go to the club again," Merle said from behind him. "It's probably unbearably hot in there but at least there is blood and women."
"You can find that from the servants here," Atticus muttered.
He studied the horizon as the first star pierced the black sky. The dream from last night continued to haunt him. The only thing he wanted less than to go back to sleep was to be in that club again with the constant reminder that nothing satisfied him, that he was as empty as the vast sky above him. He drank down the rest of the wine in his goblet and thrust it at a passing servant. He shook off a refill though; there was no need anymore. Alcohol only dulled what was inside of him and no matter how much he consumed he remained oddly sober.
"I've grown tired of the servants here," Merle replied dismissively.
"Hmm," Atticus said in way of a response.
"You fed?"
"I did," Atticus replied absently as he uncrossed and then re-crossed his legs. His arms were folded over his chest, his fingers clenched on his arms. He searched for something out there that he couldn't see; some threat he could feel rolling toward him but couldn't quite pinpoint.
"That's progress. I say we make some more for you tonight."
Atticus stopped listening to his cousin, his ears turned toward the night, his nostrils flared as he scented for something he couldn't quite define. Merle was still talking when Atticus stepped out of the doorway and strode purposely across the open field toward the woods. He was certain there was
something menacing out there but he felt oddly compelled to seek out whatever it might be.
"Atticus?"
Merle's voice drifted to him from the manor but he kept going. Halfway across the field he broke into a loping run toward the forest. He had no idea where he was going, only that he had to be there, only that the danger had to be located and eradicated. The driving urge pushed him into the tree line and rapidly over the ground.
He was a mile into the woods when he spotted Camille running toward him amongst the trees. She moved far faster than he would have thought possible for someone so young. She flung herself at him when they met; her hands encircled his forearms in an iron tight grasp. Her pupils were dilated to nearly the size of her irises with panic.
Her legs buckled beneath her, she fell to the forest floor as her words tumbled out in a rush. "You have to help her!" Tears poured down her cheeks. He didn't have to ask who her was, he knew exactly who it was that was being threatened. Who it was that had been drawing him irresistibly forward. "There's no one else, please. He's going to kill her! Please help her."
Terror slithered down his spine. Jerking his arms from her, he didn't look back as he fled through the woods as fast as he could go. Searching within himself, he followed the irresistible pull of his blood within Genny. He leapt over rocks and downed trees with easy grace before dashing up the embankment that led to the road of the vampire village in one bound. His body thrummed with the urge to kill. He was about to find a release for all of the pent up frustration that had been building within him for weeks, of that much he was certain.
The thought that he would be too late to save Genny drove him forward at a more rapid pace.
***
Genny thrust the chair at Felix, trying to hold him back as she clutched it before her with her one good arm. Her other hand was wrapped around the base of the chair but she could barely feel the wood beneath her fingers and she was certain that one strong swipe from him would be enough to knock her nearly numb hand off of the leg.