A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) (41 page)

* * * *

Jace couldn’t stop himself. Of all the pleasures he took from all the women throughout the ages, none tasted sweeter than Ariya. She had given him the sweetest gift in her body and her life. He didn’t know what would become of her Fairy blood nor did he know how she would feel once he had finished.

None of that mattered as all thought and comprehension left his mind with the feeling of her sweet, warm enclosure throbbing around him. Finally he felt like he was home and they were one.

Jace had to catch his breath as he moved away from her. His body warmed with the flow of her blood pulsating with his. He felt her powers flowing through him, and the strong love that couldn’t be expressed by mere words alone. His heart warmed as he finally opened himself to the only woman who grew closer to him than any other in his life.
Love
. The word warmed his body as the realization finally hit him.

“Ariya.” His contentment was short lived as he realized she wasn’t moving. He licked his lips taste more of her sweet blood as he gently caressed her cheek. He checked her pulse. Slowly dying to a calm rhythm toward silence. Jace felt his adrenaline shoot to sky high.

“Ariya, wake up!” He slipped his arms around her and pulled her up, but she was as limp as a stuffed doll. He had to hurry.

Jace climbed off the bed and retrieved his silver rapier from the top of the chest. He took a deep breath and sliced downward from his wrist to near his elbow to break the prominent vein. Feeling the searing pain in his arm, he screamed with a primal force. He had to pass it onto Ariya. She had to survive, for without her—

He pushed out the alternative thought as he moved his arm over her mouth and allowed the drops of red to paint her soft, full lips.

Jace waited with bated breath, hoping she would move and feed from him. He hoped it wasn’t too late.

III

Chapter 14

A
taste; sweet, thick, filling. Her body thirsted for it as her intestines raced to digest the liquid. Her heart slammed in rapid succession beneath her chest as the blood invaded her veins. Slowly the feeling returned to her. Blood circulation pumped to life an existence that almost passed her by. She needed it; she couldn’t get enough of it.

Ariya sensed the arm hovering over her. Her hands grew strength, clawing around the warm skin, pressing it to her lips. Jace’s blood was perfect. To humans it would smell coppery, ancient and sickening. To Ariya it was like a sweet wine, aged and smooth. The life was slowly returning to her. Her lifeblood awakened her senses to full alert.

“Ariya stop.”

Jace’s smooth voice echoed in her consciousness, like a distant sound. Her fingers gripped his wrist tighter and tighter, clutching it against her open mouth as she drank hungrily. The sound of the blood pulsating in his body pounded within her mind. A soft moan escaped her lips. She beckoned the sweetness into her body and soon she couldn’t tell where her blood ended and where Jace’s began.

“Stop Ariya—”

Jace greedily sucked the air in sharp breaths. His body was fighting for its life and at the same time fighting an arousal pulsating at the base of his groin. Ariya stomach flip-flopped as her eyes shot open to Jace, his handsome face twisted in agony.

Ariya pushed his arm away and bolted up in bed, feeling the rush of blood race alongside bile up toward her throat. She dove off the bed and clapped her hand over her mouth as she raced to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. The blood forced itself out of her body just in time for her to reach the toilet. Behind her, Jace knocked on the door repeatedly but his words were muffled.

It took her a moment to process what was happening. She felt the rapid pounding of her heart between her ears, like the drums pounding in a ceremonious harmony echoing of the rituals she had back home. She tried to calm herself. The cold tile of the floor sent a shockwave of coolness against her warm skin as she sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest.

Jace opened the door, his body bolted to life toward her, reaching down to wrap his arms around her body. He used his strength to help her up toward the sink.

“I can feel your blood coursing throughout my body,” Ariya said weakly. “What happened?”

“Your body probably couldn’t take all of my blood,” he said reaching over to turn on the faucet.

Ariya threw a handful of cool water on her face before looking up into the mirror. In reflection, her dark pretty face was drenched with tiny diamond droplets falling off her face and chin. Jace stood behind her, his handsome face filled with worry as he held out his hand to give her a towel.

But she didn’t see him.

Instead she focused on her reflection, leaning closer as she felt her body change in those next moments. Her dark massive curls grew longer down her back and shinier under the soft light of the bathroom’s glow. Her dark complexion glowed with an iridescent radiance that made her appear even more ethereal. Lifting her lip, the small canines slowly extended to sharper points, yet not quite fangs.

“What is it?”

Jace’s voice was clearer. His blood flow strong as day in her ears. “I can feel you.” She turned around to face him, feeling the life of the city outside their door. She felt more alive than she ever had in her life like a high that mortals got from pharmaceuticals and alcohol only this was stronger and more pure. “I can feel everything.”

“Ariya—”

She laughed and maneuvered around him, heading toward the living room. Sounds were magnified in her mind and her wings felt as if they could flutter away in the sky forever. She laughed and twirled around the room, feeling the cool air lift the droplets from her face.

“Jace! It’s wonderful! I can feel you!” Ariya said proudly. She stopped and watched him lean against the doorway as he watched her. “What?”

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Sure I am.” She struck a pose that accentuated her curvy build. “Don’t I look all right?” she asked seductively.

Jace moaned as he walked to her. “You never looked better actually, but I am still worried about you. You should probably rest for the night while I go—”

“No, Jace. I want to see the city.”

“The city?”

“Yeah, I feel so alive. I just want to run around and absorb everything in the city. My senses are more alert than they’ve ever been in my life.”

Jace thought about heading to the houses to alert Julian of what he had done. He was perfectly ready to explain why he had tried to change Ariya or what drove him to nearly change her. Still the jury was out on how her Fairy blood would be affected by what little of his blood she had consumed. Strangely enough, her body had rejected most of it and he wondered what the effects were on her body to cause that sort of reaction. Either way, he had to keep a close watch on her.

“Oh, come on,” Ariya flashed him a smile and pressed against his body, wrapping her arms around his waist. “We won’t be out too late. Just for a little spin?”

“Okay. One spin and we’re heading back here no question.”

Ariya moved up to her tip-toes to give him a deep kiss. Jace didn’t bother fighting it this time as he slipped his hand into her mass of curly hair to cradle her head. She moved away from his lips and to his ear to whisper seductively, “That’s all I ask.”

Minutes later, they were in Jace’s Volga racing down the quiet suburbs of Northern Phoenix on the border between
Scottsdale
and
Paradise
Valley
. Ariya loved every minute of this weather against her cold skin. Her curvy build stretched out diagonally across the seat and she leaned on Jace’s chest as she held on to his arm wrapped around her torso. Within the shadows dancing across his face, she could see his pale skin against her dark, glowing complexion. His hand felt warm in hers and she smiled realizing her blood was flowing along with his. She felt closer to him than she ever had before.

Jace was silent in his thoughts while watching the road and steering with one arm. Slowly he turned it as he veered down the corner. Ariya had to admit, she’d never get tired of watching him drive. There was something about the way a man commanded such a powerful machine with such grace that sent shivers of excitement inside of her.

A smile crept upon Jace’s lips as she thought the words.

“No fair. You can’t block your thoughts and still expect to read mine.”

“Oh, can I?” he said pulling her closer.

“I’m serious, Jace. Are we going to talk about what happened back there?”

“I almost turned you and thank God you survived. If you would’ve kept on drinking—” He sighed. She would be full Nightwalker right now. Or worse. “I’m just keeping an eye out to see that no side effects occur.”

“I mean before that. I’ve never—I mean, I’ve never experienced that before.” She shifted slightly, feeling the sensitive area between her legs throb at the thought that Jace had been there only moments ago. Right there physically inside of her.

“And?”

She watched the yellow streetlights flash by, illuminating the darkness for a second before it disappeared. “And it was beautiful. I feel closer to you. Like I can sense your feelings. Your desires.”

“I never thought I’d feel this way toward another.” Jace gently caressed her arm as he spoke softly. “I mean, there had been others, but never have I let my guard down and really felt for a woman before. It’s like you came into my life for a reason, Ariya.”

She peered up at him and smiled. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah. I think Julian would be more than willing to accept you into his family and especially the house.”

Ariya had to sit up to make sure she was hearing right. Jace chuckled like a schoolboy as he saw her shocked expression out of the corner of his eyes.

“Jace, are you asking what I think you’re asking?”

“Well, don’t infer too much,” he said with a side smirk. “I didn’t expect to do it in a car.”

Ariya couldn’t believe it. She would finally belong to a family once again and have a true place to call home. Most of all, she would be able to be with the man she loved for the rest of their days.