Duella Book 3: The Witch and the Vampire Series (10 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Miriam moved by his side. He opened his eyes, blinked. He felt the hand that slid along his naked side, the stroking fingertips that inched across his chest and tweaked his male nipple. A slow smile spanned his face. He stretched, raising his arms above his head.

He felt her long hair drag across his abdomen, then her lips as she kissed a path across his belly into the dense black hair at his crotch. She slid one hand to his cock and lifted it into her palm. Her tongue slid slowly along its length as it began to grow hard.

Duella
concentrated on enjoying the feel of her tongue, dragging hot and wet across his cool flesh. If he closed his eyes and let his mind take control of his senses, he could almost imagine himself mortal, sharing sex with a woman he loved.
The sensual play of fingers tracing seductively along his thigh, the erotic sensation of knowing that soon fulfillment would be his, the strong vibrations of climax shaking his body.

He brought his mind back to reality. He was a vampire and the woman stroking his cock was a vampire. There was no dream that would return him to his mortal state—he had been down that path before—only to feel remorse for the past and what could never be again. He swallowed down the urge to scream his frustration, to bare his fangs and take his rage out on the first mortal he encountered.

Her lips slid teasingly along his inner thigh, skimming over the hair-roughened skin with intense passion. His eyes flickered open as he realized the emotion gripping Miriam. She touched him as though she loved him—tenderly, passionately, with all the intimate feelings of a lover. He reached for her, caught her left hand.

She tangled her fingers with his, stroking his palm with the ball of her thumb. She resisted the slight tug on her hand, urging her to crawl up his body and lie on top of him. “I want to love you,
Duella
.”

Her voice was a soft whisper that rasped through the darkness consuming the bedroom. He gazed down at her, seeing the top of her head as she dipped her mouth to cover his cock. Her hot mouth closed around his erection, making him suck in a quick breath. He clasped her head in both palms, cradling her face gently. He felt the muscle in her jaw flex when she sucked him in.

Her tongue played along his length, slid upward, then trailed down, delving into the dense bush at the base of his cock. She lathed his balls with her tongue, leaving the orbs wet and sensitive before returning her mouth to his cock. She poked out her tongue and teased the responsive knob. A low moan escaped her throat.

“I love you.”

He wasn’t quite sure she had spoke, her tending didn’t show any sign of pausing. He tangled his fingers in her hair. The tresses were sleek and slid over his knuckles like luxurious silk. He smiled at the mingling of sensations—the intense heat of her mouth coupled with his enjoyment of touching her hair. It was a simple pleasure—touching a woman’s hair—one he could remember from his mortal time.

He felt immediately irritated at his lack of control over his thoughts.
Why can’t I just concentrate on the feel of her mouth?
Why can’t I let bygones be bygones?
Miriam’s hands grew intense. She slid her fingers around his balls and stroked the tight orbs. She pushed his legs apart and delved her inspecting tongue into the hair-roughened crevice leading to his anal opening. He almost yelped out loud when he realized where she headed with her exploring. He grasped her arm and pulled her upward, laughing softly at her inquisitive nature.

“I want to know every inch of you, darling.”

Her breasts brushed along his abdomen, then his chest as he forced her from between his legs and pulled her atop his body. He felt her reluctance to obey him, to leave her playing between his legs, but he could only take so much teasing of the erotic sort. His balls ached and his cock was hammer hard. He could think of nothing aside from plunging between Miriam’s splayed legs and relieving himself of the lust built to fever pitch inside his body.

He rolled her beneath his body and quickly pressed her against the bed. He shivered in utter delight as he slid his cock into her body. Her hot sheath wrapped around his flesh as he began to move. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. He found her lips and kissed her, his mind on the orgasm rapidly overtaking his body.

“I love it when you take me,
Duella
. There’s nothing like the feel of your body coupling with mine.” She released a long breath, sucked in a quick gasp of air. “Oh! I’m coming all ready.” She clutched his shoulders, dug her nails in.

She trembled as the orgasm burst forth.
Duella
thrust faster and deeper, bringing his own climax to the fore. It ripped through his body, streamed along his legs and knotted his buttocks. He held Miriam close and reveled in the feel of her body moving in unison with his as they shared the powerful climax.

* * * *

Miriam combed her fingers through her hair, pushing the soft mass over one shoulder. She had taken to grooming herself regularly since they moved into the mansion. She particularly enjoyed the whirlpool in the large master bathroom.
Duella
watched her as she prepared to accompany him out for their nightly feeding. She was beautiful, such a change from the woman she was when he first found her house and entered, only to have her come home and find him.

He thought of her words of love to him as she sucked his cock. He hadn’t returned an admission of love for her. He felt ashamed for keeping silent.
Do I love her?

He knew in his heart that having to question his feelings for Miriam could only mean one thing. He didn’t love her. The statement bit into his senses, caused him to bite his lower lip as though he had uttered the words aloud. In the back of his mind, he thought of
Drucella
and the threat she held for him and whomever he loved. He couldn’t take a chance on her hurting Miriam.

Perhaps I do love her.
He chided himself for being so indecisive. But then, he had only known her for a short time.
Time.
Time is all I have.

He sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees. Such thoughts were only detrimental. He glanced at Miriam as she strode toward the bed. She was dressed and ready to feed. He rose and pulled on his jeans and shirt, then tugged on his boots. His appetite was enormous—now that his sex lust was satisfied.

“Let’s go to a new part of the city tonight.”

Duella
glanced at Miriam. Her words reflected the worry she harbored. Last night’s visit from the police and the harassing phone call from
Drucella
came vividly to mind. He groaned and combed his fingers through his hair.

“What is it?” Miriam was by his side in an instant, her hand on his arm, a concerned look on her face.

I should tell her about
Drucella
—so she could be on guard.

“I sense you are troubled. Perhaps if you shared your worry with me—”

“Sweet Miriam.”
He grasped her upper arms and tugged her against his chest. She felt good in his arms, pressed against his body as though she belonged to him. A slight smile pulled at his lips. All at once, it was clear. He had to tell her about
Drucella
and the threat she posed. He pushed her to arm’s length and began relating the events of the past two days, his confrontation with the witch and his concern over her growing knowledge of their lives.

“Why don’t you just give her the amulet and be done with her?”

He clasped the jewel. “Its power comes from the dark one. From the time I took it from the neck of the witch in
Morganford
, I was able to place it around my own neck. It makes things known to me, Miriam. I will never give it up.”

“Then you must find a way to destroy
Drucella
—before she destroys us.” She pushed out of his arms and strode across the room. Turning, worry consumed her features. “Perhaps we should leave New Orleans and go elsewhere.”

He shook his head. “I have already begun establishing myself as a businessman in the city. I’ve begun building a life for us, Miriam. I will not leave.” His jaw was set. His mind made up.

“Then, together, we will find a way to destroy her.”

He released a sigh of relief and welcomed Miriam back into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. Her words soothed him, to some extent.

Chapter Fifteen

He could hear his victim’s heart beating as his hot blood gushed into his mouth. He sensed the man’s fright. He thought he was going to die.
Duella
pulled his fangs from the man’s vein and thrust him against the ground. For an instant, he stood and gazed down at him, his senses warmed and alert from the fresh blood coursing through his veins.

A noise sounded behind him and he whirled around, his fangs bared, his eyes glowing red. A movement caught his gaze, a soft rustling breaking through the still of the night. He
froze,
his senses keen.

Miriam appeared in the distance, walking slowly toward him, blood smears on her face. She had finished feeding and come to find him. He tried to control his breathing, his chest heaving. Fresh blood coursed hotly through his insides, giving him power and strength beyond his usual ability. He felt renewed and invincible. He lowered his gaze to the victim lying at his feet. He had drunk more than usual, taken more from the mortal than initially intended. He swallowed down the feeling of regret, the sensation of enormous power gripping his big body. He raised his arms and clenched his fists. He felt as though he could take on the world and be the victor.

“I will find
Drucella
and destroy her.” Before Miriam could offer a word in objection, he took to the air and vanished in the darkness. His intense feeling of power drove him onward, through the night to the outskirts of the city. When he spied the graveyard lying near the western boundary, he lowered himself to the earth and strode about, his eyes keen, his ears pricked up to any sign of the Gideon. She had come to him in that place earlier and every sensation in his body warned him that she was near. The hair on the back of his neck prickled.

He searched the darkness, looking closely beneath the murky cover given by trees and low-lying shrubs. Walking through the rows of tombstones and mausoleums, he kept close watch on the shadows flanking the markers, aware that
Drucella
could be lurking behind any one of the stones. He sensed her presence behind him and whirled around.

She stood mere inches from him, her feet hovering off the ground.
Her eyes glowed amber, her cherub-like face pale and lack-luster.

 
Duella
drew back, on guard should she attack.

“I sensed your desire to see me,
Duella
, my lover.”

“I am not your lover.”

“You were once. At that time you could not please me enough.”

“My mistake.
I should have slit your throat and fed your body to the wolves.”

She clicked her tongue. Her eyes changed from amber to brilliant topaz. She smiled maliciously and inched closer.

Duella
took a step back, putting a safe distance between his self and the witch. He glanced from side to side, taking into account the sudden laying of the wind. An eerie stillness seemed to encompass the cemetery.

“Take him!”
Drucella’s
screeching order was punctuated by the sound of running feet.

 
Duella
spun around, glimpsed the hoard rapidly descending upon him and leapt into the air. Hundreds of grabbing hands lunged at his body, catching his legs and ankles as he sought to rise upward. They pulled at his clothing, clutched his flesh and drew him down. He fought the menacing hands, kicked his feet and gnashed his teeth. Rage gripped his insides. He flailed his arms, trying to free himself.

The multitude pulled him down, wrestled his body on the ground—overpowered him. They pinned him against the ground, the mass covering his chest and pinning his legs. His power surged, he tried to lunge upward, moving his arms, kicking his feet.

A force stronger than he, immobilized his body. He rolled his head from side to side. Numerous animal-like beings perched atop his chest and held his arms outstretched at his sides.
Along his legs, sat creatures keeping him pressed against the ground.
He glanced overhead, his eyes wild, his chest heaving and spied
Drucella
hovering above him. She sat in a protective cloud, a misty vapor of white luminescence that framed her witch body. She smiled down at him, victory on her face.

The creatures pinning him to the ground remained immobile. At first he thought that perhaps they were
Drucella’s
witches, come back from the dead to try and get revenge against him, but when he managed to calm himself enough to assess his situation, he realized that he had never seen such beings as these. They were slightly larger than a small child, with long arms and big heads. Their mouths gaped and drool ran down their chins.

“My servants have captured you,
Duella
. You are at my mercy.”
Drucella
rose into the air after announcing her victorious speech.

 
He watched her rise upward,
then
disappear into the darkness. He struggled against his captors, trying to wrench free. They were very strong. Whenever he moved, they applied more pressure, keeping him pinned against the ground. He thought of the amulet tucked safely into his shirt. He could use its help now—if only to free himself and gain the upper hand over his captors. He wrenched his head from side to side, assessing the creatures holding him down. Their eyes were glazed, as though reacting under a spell.

Perhaps
Drucella
has placed them in a trance and they can do no more than to obey her commands.
He stopped his struggling, lying still and deciding to test the creatures. With great effort, he relaxed his muscles in an effort to allow the beings to think he had given up fighting them. They peered at him, their glassy green eyes assessing his face for telltale signs of trickery. He lay still and turned his eyes upward, gazing overhead into the dark night.

He felt the beings relax their tight grip on his arms and legs. Numerous creatures sat on his chest, pressing his shoulders against the ground with what seemed like enormous weight for their small size. He remained immobile, his eyes cast upward. He heard them murmuring, as though discussing his sudden decision to stop struggling against their numbers. Their language was foreign to him. Their voices, high pitched.

They conversed for several minutes, shifting their positions atop his body. Hands were withdrawn from his arms and legs briefly,
then
returned, as though testing him. He lay still, pretending to be exhausted from his fight against them. Several minutes passed, the little creatures grew complacent.
Duella
gathered his strength and lunged upward, casting the beings across the cemetery. They screamed and crashed against the above ground stone burial chambers.

He
rose
upward, his teeth gnashing in anger, his fists clenched. He threw a quick glance about the cemetery in search of
Drucella
and her servants that had managed to escape his wrath, his intention being to transform and disappear in the cover of darkness, but he saw
Drucella
coming straight at him, her face enraged, her arms outstretched with clawing fingers ready to scratch his eyes out. He leapt into the air, but failed to escape the bolt of lightning
Drucella
hurled. The shaft of fire landed against his chest, knocking him to the ground.

“Take him below! And this time, don’t let him escape!”

Knocked nearly unconscious by the lightning bolt,
Duella
struggled to right himself, but before he could get to his feet,
Drucella’s
creatures were on him again, grasping his arms and legs and dragging him across the ground. He struggled to raise his head, to clear his vision. “Where are you taking me?”

Drucella
was beside him, one hand raised in the air, halting the creatures from pulling him across the ground.
“To a place where you can never escape.”
She laughed loudly and gave the command for her servants to proceed.

Duella
was once again dragged across the ground by the mass of small beings under the witch’s command. He struggled against their hold, trying desperately to stop his body from being forced across the ground. Flashes of his life in 1185 came to mind. The nightmarish assault
Drucella
had levered against him when he believed she loved him.

His body was propelled forward with increasing speed. An unknown force touched his body. Currents like those of a raging wind swirled about his head, engulfing his senses and obscuring his sight. He was forced to close his eyes against the gale. The hands grasping his arms and legs grew more intense, pricking his flesh and sending shards of pain cascading throughout his body. He opened his mouth and bellowed his anguish as the vortex like force totally engulfed him. Blackness swirled before his eyes. He felt his senses waning.

He opened his eyes, keenly aware that something extraordinary had happened to him. He had lost all sense of time. He was uncertain how long
Drucella’s
slaves had held him captive. He was surrounded by quiet. He flexed his muscles. The beings that had been transporting his body across the ground had taken leave. He raised his hands, feeling for something tangible in the engulfing darkness.

He lunged upright, his eyes searching the blackness. The fragrance of damp earth filled his nose. He recognized the feel of the soil beneath his body. He reached out in either direction, groping. All at once, a light appeared directly before his eyes. He drew back, blinking, raising one hand to shield his eyes.
Drucella
was visible behind the bright force.

“Come closer so that I can squeeze the life out of you.” He bit out the words, his teeth gnashing with renewed rage at the witch.

Drucella
waved one hand at him, muttering beneath her breath.

Tired— his hands fell to his sides, his head slammed back against his bed of dirt. Mentally, he knew he had fallen under her magical witch spell. He fought the force, telling himself that he could not allow her to get the upper hand over him.

She approached, the bright light she carried illuminating the place where he lay. He rolled his head toward her, glancing at the earthen walls surrounding his prison.

Where am I?
He sniffed the air, filling his lungs with the aroma of earth and the stench of old bones.
A mausoleum?
She has taken me beneath a mausoleum in the cemetery?
She foolishly thinks she can hold me here—in a place that I am all too familiar with?
His memory returned with lightning haste. He recalled the words he had read in the old book in the library. A cemetery was a favored place for
Gideons
.

“Have you been hiding in this wretched place with your army of
Gideons
,
Drucella
?” He forced a laugh from his throat. “Have you been forced to return to your roots—a pack of wretched creatures with bodies too small for their long arms and big heads?”

“Silence!
You will obey me,
Duella
, or I shall end your pitiful existence. Give me the amulet.”

He laughed at her.

She drew closer, holding the flaming torch above her head.

He gazed at her, staring into her topaz blue eyes. “It’s beyond my comprehension why I ever thought I was in love with you.” He sneered, baring his fangs. “Come closer so I can sink my fangs into your neck. I desire a taste of Gideon blood.”

She snarled at his words. “You could not stand the strength of one drop of Gideon blood on your tongue. We are as old as the world and no man—or vampire—can ever take command of us.”

He cocked a brow. “Then why do you fear me?”

She hissed her reply and hurled the torch at him.

He rolled to one side as the fiery stick slammed against the earthen mound beside him. He lunged to his feet, shaking his head and trying to free his senses of the spell she had cast upon him. The torch sputtered against the moist earth and dimmed, allowing the darkness to return. He blinked his eyes, his night vision failing in lieu of the witch’s spell.

A noise penetrated his hearing seconds before a mighty force slammed into this chest, knocking him back and sending him reeling in the darkness. The crushing blow took his breath and sent him into oblivion.