“No, your father and I were never involved that way. My romantic interests concern only the fairer sex,” she added with a quick wink that made me feel even sicker. I was pretty sure she wasn’t coming onto me and her words were said merely in jest. Maybe it was her feeble attempt to inflate my abysmally low spirits; but it only made me nauseous all the same.
“Our purpose for instilling vampire blood inside you,” the Darkness continued. “And, by the way, it was my blood that we used,” she said as an aside. I felt my eyes widening in surprise as I put to bed the question of her lineage. “Yes, I am a centuries-old master vampire,” she admitted, apparently having picked up on my surprise. “I have been alive for such a long time that I sometimes forget just how long it has been,” she finished with a giggle that sounded sardonic and malevolent. “Our sole purpose in transfusing you with my blood,” she resumed her original point, “was to create a new creature; one that was more powerful than any residing in the Netherworld, and greater than any we have ever seen before,” she finished and a shudder raced down my spine. I wasn’t sure if that was owing to the draught of the living death which continued to infiltrate my circulatory system or just my own body’s response to her ominous words. “Your father, of course, was primarily interested in ultimately ensuring your continued safety, since you were his progeny,” she said, but I absolutely doubted the truth in that statement. “Yet, there was much more to it than just that.”
I had a feeling there was. The “more to it” had everything to do with my father and this vampire woman’s intent to employ my special powers and thereby help my father attain his lofty but insane goal of ultimate domination. Nothing my father ever did was for the greater good of anyone or anything. His only actions were to save himself. And the better I was getting to know the Darkness, the more similar I realized she was in character to my old man.
That is if you believe all the crap coming out of her mouth, I reminded myself. Even though I desperately wanted to doubt her statements, contradict and disbelieve all of them, there was something inside me that refused to let go so easily. As far as my father was concerned, that was absolutely something he would have done to elevate his own stature. And it also provided an excellent reason for why my mother had to ditch him and the Netherworld, if only to save her unborn child. And then there was the Darkness … this line of thinking made lots more sense for why I was so valuable to her and not just collateral. So, maybe …
“Your father and I wanted to sculpt and groom you, Dulcie,” the Darkness interrupted my tempestuous thoughts and smiled at me as warmly as she was capable. Naturally, it wasn’t warm at all and evoked the kind of expression you might see on a rattlesnake just before it sinks its fangs into your ankle. “We wanted to shape you into a true daughter of the Netherworld, a powerful girl who would ultimately become a one-of-a-kind woman. You would experience your life in a way no other creature ever had or could before. We intended to train you so well that you would accept and understand your skills and abilities; not only how and when to use them, but also when they should not be used.”
I hated her reference to me as a daughter of the Netherworld. As far as I was concerned, the only person who could ever lay claim to me was my mother. The Netherworld was not my home, and it never had been. I didn’t belong there. I considered my father as no more than a donor of semen. And this Darkness woman meant nothing and was no one to me. She ranked even lower on the totem pole than my father.
“We wanted you to rule the Netherworld with us, Dulcie,” the Darkness persisted, as if it were a badge of honor that she and my deranged father intended to bestow upon me. All I could think about was how grateful I was that my mother managed to escape with me when she had. If I’d been trapped in her shoes, I would have done exactly the same thing. That was when it dawned on me that I was actually beginning to accept everything this woman was telling me as the truth …
“And I still want that for you, my dear,” she finished. She patted my ankle gently, and her green eyes sparkled like gems in the low light. When she smiled this time, her fangs were slightly elongated, and the points appeared especially sharp and white. “My patience was nearly at an end,” she continued as she brought her wrist up to her mouth and my stomach dropped down to my toes. “It has been no easy task. I have watched the days, months and years pass despite my anger, resentment and eventual acceptance and admission of defeat. But once you returned to the Netherworld and killed your father, I believed it was fate, itself, sending me a sign.”
I wasn’t sure if she was angry over the fact that I took my father’s life, but she didn’t appear to be. Regardless, I could feel my heartbeat racing. I was pretty sure I knew where this story was headed. And I couldn’t say I liked it. In fact, I hated it. However, because the potion was still flowing through my body and disabling me, there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it.
“Now is our chance,” the Darkness continued, her eyes widening with what appeared to be excitement, even exhilaration. “Destiny has brought you back to me! But this time, I won’t take any chances of losing that gift,” she finished. Wrapping her lips around her wrist, she bit down and the blood immediately began to flow down her arm before pooling on the hardwood floors beneath her. She lifted her hand away and I saw two rivulets of her blood dripping down either side of her mouth.
She stood up and took the few steps that brought her in line with my head. Then she bent over and placed her wrist so it was hovering just above my mouth. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t fight as her blood dripped onto my cheeks and my chin.
“How? What?” she started as she stopped moving closer to me and cocked her head to the side. Her gaze settled on the fireplace as she looked momentarily stunned. “He has come,” she said with a gasp of disbelief as she shook her head in obvious surprise. But moments later, her phony, unconcerned smile, along with her gaze, fastened on me. “I do not know how it can possibly be true, but your vampire has survived,” she said, and her grin widened. “And he has come for you.”
Now, I was confused. I wasn’t sure if the vampire she was referring to was Bram, but I guessed she must have meant him. The very thought that he was still alive filled me with elation that flowed through me like a tidal wave until I reminded myself that he was here, in the enemy’s lair. Immediately, my elation fizzled out like a spent bulb, replaced with sadness and a deep-seated dread.
“He is a fool,” the Darkness said as her eyes narrowed on me. “Somehow, he managed to escape his true death, which he should have considered it a gift and left it at that. But no! He had the gall to come here, in pursuit of you …” She didn’t finish her sentence.
I didn’t know how she could possibly know that Bram had come after me. As far as I could tell, it was still just the two of us inside the room.
“I am his master,” she answered my unasked question. “And, as such, I sense him whenever he is near me,” she explained as this unexpected fact nearly floored me. As far as I had always understood from Bram, his master died a long time ago, which freed him and allowed him to become his own master vampire. Her latest revelation was huge news to me.
“But he is too late!” she finished with a brief glance at her wrist before she brought it to her mouth again. I assumed her body must have already healed the original bite marks, because she had to sink her fangs into her skin again with a renewed sense of ferocity and determination. No sooner did I see the blood spewing from the two puncture marks than she brought her wrist to my mouth and again forced my lips around it. I deliberately avoided looking at her face and instead tried to stop myself from swallowing the foul fluid. But I knew eventually I would have to drink it because her blood was filling my mouth and I couldn’t spit it out. Despite all my attempts not to swallow it, gravity would collaborate to force it down my throat all the same.
“Drink now,” she ordered, and her eyes narrowed as her blood continued to drip into my mouth and, consequently, down my throat.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIV
E
Bram
Once we were inside the boundaries of the Netherworld, my ability to track Dulcie instantly returned. The blood bond shared between us had been too far stretched whilst we were separated not only in location, but also in dimension. The moment we occupied the same dimension, however, we were instantly united once again. The spontaneous sense of relief that Vander and I both experienced was nearly overwhelming.
It did not take me very long to track Dulcie to a strange and archaically built structure that sat upon a remote hill with nothing to recommend it other than the view of the valley below. Prior to reaching the structure, however, Vander and I encountered an unmanned gate at the bottom of the driveway. Although the gate was not staffed, it was appointed with two surveillance cameras. Upon further observation, I realized the cameras ran the perimeter of the fence which, I assumed, continued throughout the length of the property. It was also not unreasonable to expect that most undoubtedly, magical wards were in place to alert the establishment’s owner to any uninvited guests.
The cameras did not concern me in the least. The existence of wards, however, gave me reason to pause. But Vander and I eventually agreed that the wards would have to be a risk we were both willing to undertake. In regard to the fence and the observation cameras, I simply dematerialized over the gate in a split second. I was fast enough that the cameras could only capture a blur, something that could easily be misconstrued as a moth or possibly a particle of dust.
The dematerialization of myself, however, was not enough in the present case. Knowing that Vander also wished to be included in this rescue mission, I, unfortunately, and to my utmost chagrin, had to place both of my arms around him in what resembled a bear hug in order to dematerialize and relocate both of us. As soon as we landed on the other side of the fence and were no longer visible to the endless array of video cameras, I released Vander as quickly as I could. We both immediately began dusting ourselves off, as if the mere contact were offensive to each of us and we both wanted to remove any residual reminder of the other.
“Regrettably, this trip has, for the most part, plunged both of us in the most unstimulating and, I daresay, cursed position of being subjected to an overabundance of male-to-male contact,” I whispered once we started walking up the drive. “Speaking solely from my own heart, I most certainly am uneasy and vexed about said fact.”
“It’s not something I enjoyed either, trust me,” Vander replied. He stopped walking and turned to face me with a frown. I supposed it was owing to my labored stride. I was proceeding at a snail’s pace, due to my current state of ill health. The mere act of dematerialization for both of us had cost me precious energy. Now, I was having to use all of my strength and speed just trying to keep up with his breakneck pace.
“You should have let me do this on my own,” he muttered before he approached me and threw his arm around my shoulders. Then he assisted me on the rest of the way to the top of the driveway.
“You would not have gotten past the fence on your own,” I reminded him as he sat me down between two large bushes that grew across the street from the structure. Kneeling down, he slid onto his haunches beside me and used the dense foliage of the bushes to hide us both, which worked quite well. We both eyed the irregularly shaped and rather unsightly edifice that loomed before us. I had an uncanny sensation which I could not identify; there was something about the unwelcoming building that struck me as too familiar. However, my ever active brain wanted to ignore the feeling, since it made no sense and I had never seen the structure before. I consequently blamed my “déjà-vu,” as most people referred to it, on a severely limited blood supply. Surely that was the true reason my mind seemed to be playing games with me.
“What now?” Vander asked.
“I believe our best approach would be to find the rear entry to the building,” I said. Almost instantly, a rush of vertigo seized my mind and I had to close my eyes to maintain control of my posture and balance. “Once we are behind the structure, I shall provide us entry through a nearby window,” I finished.
“Oh, really? And how do you expect to do that?” Vander inquired with a skeptical frown. “I don’t suppose you have a spare key to unlock the door of a place you’ve never even seen before; or … have you?”
“No, I have not been to this place ever before and, unfortunately, no, I do not possess a spare key,” I answered as I shook my head and held up my index finger. “However, I do possess a very resourceful fingernail,” I added before I closed my eyes again and strained harder to eradicate all the weakness from my body.
“I won’t ask you to explain,” Vander replied as he took a deep breath and shook his head. He deftly looped my arm around his neck, thereby pulling me up and back onto my feet. He assisted me across the street and then around the side of the house until we reached the backyard. Once we were standing in front of the rear door, I demonstrated one of my many skills. I showed Vander how I could break the window by using only the point of my fingernail and my opposite fist. Vander naturally appeared quite surprised and incredulous. I will honestly add that he also seemed rather impressed. As soon as I splintered the glass, we both cooperated in the removal of it. After a few minutes, the entire broken pane was no longer a threat, and I reached inside, unlocking and unbolting the door. With a swift flick of my hand, I opened the door and granted us full entry. As I was about to take a step inside, Vander gripped me by my shoulder.
“Where’s your firearm?” he asked while motioning to his pistol, which he already held clasped tightly in his hands. Prior to our arrival, Vander kept insisting that I take his other firing weapon, although I failed to see any use for it. Having become a predator in my own right, and owing to my dexterity, immense strength and impossibly fast speed, I could not imagine any firearm that could outperform me. However, that was before I had been drained of my blood and so dreadfully weak from the need to supplement it. In this unique instance, I supposed I could use all the help I could get. I pulled the firearm out from where I purposely wedged it into my trousers. Holding it out before me, I tried to follow Vander’s example.
“You could have triggered a ward by breaking the back door window,” Vander whispered as we started through the dark room. “So we have to be on high alert from here on out.”
“Vander, you forget that I exist on high alert at all times,” I responded with a frown. Vander could be quite dominating and bossy at times. Despite how well I ordinarily managed to maintain my cool, this was not one of those times. I was edgy, primarily because of my feeble condition. And Vander very easily vexed and aggravated me.
“Shoot to kill,” he added before taking the lead. I struggled to keep up with him. He glanced behind himself only once after he reached the entry to the hallway. Spotting me where I leaned against the wall like a drunken tar, he shook his head while grumbling some words I could hear but failed to understand.
Cautiously approaching me, he rolled his sleeve up on his left arm and held his wrist out to me. “You have no more than two minutes,” he warned me.
Too elated to chance the opportunity that he might change his mind, I immediately latched onto his wrist and brought it to my mouth, biting down as swiftly and as hard as I could. He glared at me with disdain but said nothing. Seconds later, his glorious blood flowed into my mouth, and I lapped it up greedily. When he tried to pull his wrist away from me, however, it was extremely difficult to release him.
“Bram,” he warned, in a low grumbling voice. “Let go of me now!”
I barely mustered the strength to separate myself from his delectable blood; and when I did so, I did not fail to lick off the remaining drops from my lips. In perhaps only a minute, his rich blood entered my circulatory system, and I began to feel the rush. Even though I did not take too much from him, it was enough to give me the strength and balance to stand on my own. Taking a step, I found my muscles were no longer compromised. The vigor that was absent for so long in my body increased. I was not certain if Loki bloo
d was superior to that of other creatures, but I had to applaud the fine job it performed in increasing my stamina.
“Where do you feel her now?” Vander asked as he checked the wounds I left upon his wrist. The skin was methodically piecing itself back together again. I did not realize Vander was capable of healing himself and must admit I was slightly impressed by it.
Closing my eyes, I focused on the bond I shared with my sweet. “Upstairs,” I replied in a mere whisper, “at the far end of the house.”
Vander nodded and started from the room, pausing only when he reached the threshold of the next room. Leaning closely against the wall, he appeared to be listening for telltale sounds coming from the adjoining room. My superior vision allowed me to see in the pitch dark, and it appeared to be a formal living room. Thank goodness for my infallible night vision.
“I hear nothing,” I said, since my sense of hearing was much keener than his. He did not respond except to nod quickly. Slowly moving his head around the corner, he checked to make sure our path was indeed clear. Apparently finding it free of obstacles, Vander started across the room. He was heading for the staircase that occupied the hallway through the double doors of the great room. To my great relief, I found I could finally keep up with him.
When we reached the base of the stairwell, I furtively glanced around myself, surprised to find that we had not yet encountered a single soul. “This is far too easy,” I said as I gripped the sleeve of Vander’s shirt. He stopped walking up the stairs and turned to face me.
“There should be guards,” I advised him as I shook my head. “And breaking into this abode should have been far more difficult for us. Something is not right.”
Vander shrugged. “The Darkness has no idea we’re coming. For all he and his goons know, I’m still in the Netherworld and you’re dead and gone.”