Blood Oath (20 page)

Demi
nipped her nipple gently and was rewarded by her frantic thrusts against his
leg. He slipped his hand into the hem of her dress and pulled it up. Anca
parted her thighs further for him, and he stroked her pussy through her cotton
panties, brushing his hand against his own leg as he did so.

“I
want to feel you inside me, Demi.” She spoke in a breathless whisper, indicating
she was as excited as he was.

“I
long for that too,” he said against her nipple. He fastened his mouth on the
rigid peak again as he pushed aside the crotch of her panties. When he touched
the smooth skin of her pussy lips, he shuddered with desire. His cock twitched
and hardened further, pressing against his pants. “Can you help me, Anca? Undo
my zipper.”

She
released his hair and trailed her hands down his body. Demi’s breath caught in
his throat when she slid down his leg, generating friction between them as she
created enough room to get her hands between them. He closed his eyes, counting
to regain control, as her fingers tugged at the zipper of his pants. When she
freed his cock, he let out a shaky breath and opened his eyes. It turned to a ragged
sob when her hands ventured inside his briefs to grasp his cock. He couldn’t
resist thrusting against her hand as she massaged the head of his cock lightly
after pushing his briefs below his testicles.

Anca
squirmed against his hand, reminding him to touch her. Demi stroked her pussy,
finding her wet and ready for him when he slid two fingers inside her. “In my
pocket…protection.”

She
seemed to go out of her way to brush against his cock when she searched for the
condom. The torture seemed to last forever, but she finally removed the small
package from his pants. She tore off the wrapper and slid the condom on his
cock with confident movements. He was glad to have the assistance, because he
wasn’t sure his hands were steady enough to do more than rub her clit while
holding her against him.

When
she finished, Anca shifted from straddling his leg to sitting on his lap,
angling her legs around his waist, until her shins encountered the barrier of
the bed. He bent his knees to support her, and she inched forward to align
their pelvises. Demi leaned back a bit more to give her enough room, and he
gritted his teeth as her wet pussy cuddled the length of his cock when she
eased herself down on him. She was slow in her efforts to take in all of him,
and he could feel perspiration beading his lip and trickling down his back. His
cock tightened painfully.

When
she had settled on him, she covered every inch of his cock. He groaned when she
contracted her pussy to squeeze his cock. He gripped her hips and began lifting
her in time with his thrusts. He was beyond slow, teasing strokes. He thrust
into her quickly, hearing her cries of pleasure as he surged inside her before
withdrawing a few inches to repeat the process.

As he
entered her, he could feel her pussy getting warmer and wetter around his cock,
even through the thin latex. Demi tossed back his head and closed his eyes,
concentrating on lasting long enough to bring her pleasure first. His eyes
opened again when he felt Anca’s hand moving between them. He glanced down, but
couldn’t see what she was doing.

It was
soon obvious, as he felt the back of her hand brushing rhythmically against his
skin. The thought of her touching her clit as he thrust into her caused his
cock to spasm painfully. He cried out as he lost all control and spilled his
seed.

He
surged into her as far as he could go and held her tightly against him. As his
orgasm peaked, he felt her pussy convulse around him, and she too cried out.
She started thrusting again, and he endured the slight pain against his tender
cock, surprised when he started to get hard again.

Before
he could attain a complete erection, she collapsed against him, sobbing
quietly. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and her forehead rested on
the top of his head. Tiny contractions continued to emanate from her pussy,
bringing him a combination of pleasure and pain. He wrapped his arms around her
back and held her against him, content to stay like that forever, if only they
could.

* * * * *

During
dinner, Anca sipped cautiously at the wine, finally accepting it was indeed
blood. It had a coppery, tangy aftertaste that couldn’t be anything else. More
disconcerting than the confirmation of Ylenia’s assertion was her enjoyment of
the drink.

As she
consumed more, she was aware of her canines lengthening and sharpening and was
reminded of the night she fled from Demi at the train station, when her teeth
seemed to get stuck in his hand, before he kissed her so passionately. She
couldn’t deny her body seemed designed to consume blood, just as it seemed
designed to give and receive pleasure from Demi.

“You’re
very quiet,” Valdemeer said from the head of the table. Most of the meal had
been spent in silence, as none of the three of them seemed inclined to break
it.

She
saw Demi’s gaze shift between them and guessed his intent to leave before he
said anything. She gave him a small smile, but didn’t attempt to dissuade him.
She couldn’t avoid speaking with her father forever, and she had only agreed to
stay a week, which meant the discussion must be soon.

“If
you’ve finished your dinner, perhaps you would join me for a game of chess?”

Anca
nodded. “I’d be happy to, Papa.”

Demi
wiped his mouth and stood up. “If you’ll excuse me…”

“Good
night, Nicodemus.”

He
inclined his head. “M’lord.” Demi turned and offered her a half-bow. “Anca.”

She
hid the smile trying to force its way onto her face, convinced he would join
her later that night. “Good night, Demi.”

They
followed him from the dining room, but took a different hallway to reach her father’s
study. Valdemeer poured them each a snifter of brandy before they settled at
the chess table. Anca chose white and made the first move, then leaned back and
waited for him to begin playing or speaking.

He
eyed the board, seemingly in no hurry. “Nikia has been confined to her
quarters,” he said as he moved his knight, “until I decide what to do with
her.”

“Hmm.”
Anca tilted her head, considering each move she could make. It had been a long
time since high school, and she hadn’t played in years. She finally decided on
another cautious move. She repositioned a pawn. “Did she really mean to harm
me?”

He
stroked his beard and studied the board, seeming to find it easier to avoid her
eyes. Finally, he moved a pawn to block her. “I believe she planned to kill
you. I feared bringing you back to Corsova for that reason, but time grows
short…”

After
making her move, Anca said, “The blood-moon.” She strove to sound neutral, but
a hint of fear crept into her voice.

“Yes,
in a couple of weeks now.” He touched his rook, but withdrew his hand to move
his knight again to capture her pawn. “Once you have taken the Oath, she will
have no reason to harm you. It will be too late for her then, and she’ll have
to accept that.”

Anca
moved her bishop into alignment with his king. “Check.” She took a deep breath,
gathering her courage. “What if she doesn’t accept it? What will you do then?”

His
silence was his answer. He moved his queen forward to protect his king. “Will
you take the Oath?”

She
hesitated over giving him a blunt rejection. “I haven’t decided yet.” She moved
again.

“Ylenia
tells me she said a bit more about Illiana than she planned.” He scratched his
beard again and tilted his head left, then right. His eyes never wavered from
the board.

“Yes.
She said you would tell me the story if you wanted me to know.”

He
sighed and lifted his brandy, seeming to temporarily abandon the game. His eyes
finally met hers as he leaned back in his chair. “Illiana was very beautiful.
In fact, Nikia strongly resembles her—in appearance, temperament, and
personality. There are times when I can’t tell them apart.”

“You
were enamored with her?”

He
shook his head. “No, though she didn’t hide her interest. Madra was my world,
and I knew what an ambitious creature Illiana was. Had I been tempted to stray,
she wouldn’t have been my choice for a mistress. She was dangerous. Her mother
was a witch, you know, and taught her craft to Illiana before her death.”

“Then
Illiana wasn’t a vampire?” The word felt strange on her tongue.

“Oh,
she was. Her father was a vampire. While handling matters of state, he met and
married Illiana’s mother. He brought her with him when he returned to our
country, though she never took up our ways. Mostly, Elsa was a good woman, but
prone to bouts of melancholy. In those moods, she was like another person. She
caused the death of her husband by cursing him in anger. She was about to be
banished when she committed suicide.”

“Leaving
Illiana an orphan?”

He
nodded. “Yes. Madra was a tenderhearted woman, and she longed for a child.
After nearly a hundred years of trying to conceive, we thought one of us was
barren. She brought Illiana to live in the castle and treated her like a
daughter.” A trace of bitterness appeared in Valdemeer’s eyes. “I didn’t
realize Illiana’s affections for Madra were a front until she was older. Even
after she tried to seduce me, I couldn’t send her away. I couldn’t bear to deny
Madra anything.”

After
a long silence and another sip of brandy, Valdemeer said, “It was like a
miracle when Madra became pregnant. Our entire kingdom rejoiced. I swear the
celebration lasted at least a month.”

“But
Illiana wasn’t pleased, was she?” Anca guessed.

He
shook his head. “No. She knew our child had been conceived during the correct
moon phase and would be the rightful heir to Corsova. She refused to give up
her bid for power, so she slowly poisoned Madra. At first, the healer said she
was ill from the pregnancy. As Madra wasted away, her only thoughts were for
the baby…” He trailed off.

Anca
reached across the chess table to squeeze her father’s hand, but she didn’t
interrupt.

“She
died before the child could survive on his own.” Tears sparkled in Valdemeer’s
eyes. “I swore on their grave never to marry again. Illiana was crafty—I’ll
give her that.” He sighed heavily. “She waited more than a year before
approaching me again. When I rejected her harshly, she stayed out of my way. I
thought my threat to banish her had scared her away.”

“What
happened?”

He
rubbed his eyes. “She drugged me and seduced me, getting herself with child.” A
harsh laugh escaped him. “She didn’t calculate correctly, and there was no way
her child could be my heir, because it hadn’t been conceived during the right
phase of the moon. She still demanded I marry her, and I retaliated by locking
her away in one of the turrets with only a deaf-mute woman for an attendant.”

“She
died in childbirth?”

He
nodded. “The attendant didn’t notify anyone because she had died of a heart
attack days before. It was Illiana’s screams of pain that alerted the guards. I
rushed to her chamber, hoping to provide a bit of comfort for her. I didn’t
hate her then, you see. I only mistrusted her.”

He
paled, and his hands shook when he lifted the glass. “Illiana knew she was
dying. She raved on about the murders she had committed—humans who had the
misfortune to cross her path, the poor attendant, frightened to death, and
Madra. She described her murder in graphic detail, right down to the pain she
had endured, especially at the end…”

He
shook his head. “If she hadn’t been bleeding to death, I would have killed her
with my bare hands. Illiana looked at her child, gave a strange smile, and
said, ‘I like the name Nikia.’ Those were her last words before she slipped
from this world. She was the child’s mother, so I christened her with the name
Illiana chose.” He hung his head. “I didn’t care anything for the child at that
time, so what did it matter?” He sighed and raised his head, meeting her gaze.
There was a hint of shame in his eyes.

Anca
shivered as he finished speaking. “Nikia knows all this?”

He
nodded. “I don’t know how. I demanded she be protected from the truth about her
mother, but someone must have been indiscreet. I soon realized there was
nothing to protect her from, because it was obvious she was just like Illiana.
From the time she was an infant, she had fits of rage. She killed a bird when
she was no more than two.” A tear slid down his cheek. “That was on my wedding
day to your mother. She soon progressed, though none of us realized it.”

He
appeared bewildered. “How does a child know about poisons? We never found out
exactly how she murdered Julian. Of course, we didn’t suspect her in the
beginning. It was only when Katrine conceived you and we told her what we
thought would be happy news that she became completely uncontrollable. She
threatened to kill you, and she revealed to Katrine how she had murdered our
son. Your mother fled, and it took me weeks to get all of the truth from
Nikia.”

“That’s
why you left me in America with Mother? To protect me, right?”

He
nodded. “It was painful to be separated from you. I heard from your mother
infrequently, and she sometimes sent pictures, but we both decided early on it
was safer to give the appearance that I had ignored your existence.” He
squeezed her hand. “I’ve always loved you,
copia de meu inimiä
. I hope
you believe that.”

Anca
nodded, feeling tears pressing at the back of her eyes. “What does that mean?”
She tried to repeat the phrase, but the words sounded awkward on her tongue.

“Child
of my heart.” Valdemeer cleared his throat. “I love Nikia too—more than I hate
her—and I am helpless about what to do with her. Perhaps if I hadn’t locked
Illiana away, she would have survived. Maybe Nikia would have been a softer
person if she’d had a mother’s love.”