Duet in Blood (23 page)

“You vampires are much too romantic for your own good,” Sharla commented with a

dry chuckle. “Purposes of love, indeed. Half the troubles you bring upon yourselves are created in the name of love, I’ll be bound.”

“Now, now, Sharla,” Marcus demurred. “I remember a wondrously beautiful young

woman who once risked all for love.”

“Right, and see what it got me.” She pushed me out of the way again, and with

surprising strength, helped Joseph to his feet. “Tut…” She regarded his nakedness with disapproval. “Wrap that cloak about you, young man. It’s not polite to walk about naked in front of a lady, you know.” She smacked Joseph on his bottom as she spoke then let out a loud laugh. “There was a time though when the sight of that would have stirred something inside me. Ah, well.”

“Thank you, Sharla,” Joseph said, embracing the old woman. “You have always been a wonderful friend to us. And thank you for calling me a young man.”

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“Why? What are you? Four, five hundred? A fledgling compared to some—like Marcus there.”

Roger chortled beside me. “Tell me…I almost passed out when he told me how old he was.”

I gazed about me, still amazed at the fact that these people had already lived several lifetimes—and yet all of them, apart from Sharla, looked to be under thirty. She looked at me and smiled, and suddenly I thought I saw the woman she must have been many years ago—

a beautiful woman.

“So, young mortal,” she said, her voice now soft and almost young. “You have shown great bravery today. Joseph has chosen well. I can see in your eyes that you and he have exchanged the blood vows. It will be well.” She stiffened suddenly, looking towards the open door. “Marcus, take your brood away from this place. I like not its future.”

“The Dark Forces?” Marcus asked.

She nodded. “They are coming, and I must go.” She turned on her heel and walked

with surprising agility towards the door. “Farewell, Vampires. See you do not dally here.”

Marcus looked around at his band of fellow vampires. “Thank you all for the aid you have given us. Remember, if anyone here ever needs help, you have only to reach out. Now, I think we’d better take Sharla’s advice and leave here. The Dark Forces will want to destroy this last stronghold of the Wizard Brotherhood. The sun will set in just a few minutes, and we can leave. Time enough to say our farewells.”

“Where are they all going?” I asked Joseph as we watched the vampires fly off into the night sky.

“To their homes,” he replied, holding me close. “London, Athens, Madrid…some to

remote parts of the earth. Wherever they call home.”

“We must go, Joseph,” Marcus said. “I can feel the approach of evil. Shall we

rendezvous at your house in Paris? I will carry Micah. I don’t think you are quite strong enough yet.”

Joseph nodded. “Thank you, Marcus.”

Roger said, “Jean-Claude and I will fly alongside you, just to make sure you’re okay, Joseph.”

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“Very good. Now, let us go.” Marcus hoisted me onto his back, and I hung on tight as he zoomed up, up and away. I was getting quite used to this, I thought, as we shot through the darkness. I wasn’t even afraid to keep my eyes open this time. Flying with Roger had been a bit of an iffy experience, but it was obvious Marcus was an old hand at this, flying as he did with a smoothness American Airlines would envy. Just how old? I wondered. Sharla had called Joseph ‘a fledgling’ compared to Marcus. But what did it matter? The man looked incredible, and from the feel of the hard muscular body I was clinging to, he was in super shape.

The lights of a large city appeared before us. “Paris!” Marcus shouted so I could hear him over the rushing of the air around us. “We’ll be at Joseph’s in a few minutes.”

Boy, this was the only way to fly.

We landed on a large balcony, and I could hardly contain my excitement as I looked down onto the bustling street below. Paris! This was beginning to feel like a dream again—

only, a different dream, one without demons and nasty wizards—just vampires. Oh boy. In my wildest envisioned, I could never have imagined any of this. How crazy was this? How unbelievably, crazy wonderful was this?

The French doors swung open as if of their own accord—but I figured Marcus had

something to do with that—another thing I was getting used to. We walked inside. Joseph’s home, I thought, looking around at the tastefully decorated room furnished with elegant antiques. The walls hung with paintings I could get lost in.

“Boy, this is nice,” I murmured, almost immediately feeling at home.

A loud thump on the balcony was followed by a colourful expletive and some laughter.

“Roger.” Marcus strode to the French doors. “I’ve told you before. Slow down, before you attempt to land.”

“I know, I know,” Roger said, from his sitting position. “I’ll get it one of these days.”

Joseph and Jean-Claude helped him into the living room. Joseph still had the borrowed cloak wrapped around him. He looked wind-blown and absolutely fantastic. I threw myself into his arms, knocking the cloak off him in the process. He kissed me with a hard passion, and we stood there oblivious to everything and everyone until Roger coughed quietly into his hand and said, “You guys really need to get a room.”

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“You are right, Roger,” Joseph said, chuckling, and wrapping the cloak round his waist for modesty’ sake. “And I know just where it is.”

“Well,” Marcus said. “I think it’s time we left you two alone. We can stay over at my house here in Paris, Jean-Claude, if you wish—or did you want to go back to LA right away?”

“I should let Ron know we are all right,” Jean-Claude replied. “I’ve been trying to keep in touch with our thoughts, but I know he’d like to hear from me, the old fashioned way—by phone.”

“Maybe he could fly out here for a few days,” I suggested. “I mean…on a plane,” I added, clearly for my own benefit.

“I’ll ask him. May I use your phone, Joseph?”

“Of course. It would be nice if Ron could join us. I have promised Micah the grand night-time tour of Paris, and Ron would be company for him during the day.”

“He’ll never believe all that’s gone down since I last saw him,” I said.

Jean-Claude smiled. “Oh, I think he will believe it. Since meeting all of us, his life has become less than ordinary.” He picked up the phone. “Now,” he said as he dialled Ron’s number, “I think you and Joseph should spend some time alone. We will see you tomorrow evening.”

I kissed his cheek. “Tell Ron hello, won’t you? And, thanks for everything you’ve done for Joseph and me.”

He kissed me back, on both cheeks. “
Au revoir
, Micah.” He turned his attention to the mouthpiece. “Hello Ron. Yes we are fine…”

We hugged and said goodnight to Roger and Marcus, then Joseph led me to his

bedroom. “I think a nice hot bath is in order,” he said, tossing the cloak onto an antique armchair.

“Sounds like heaven,” I said, holding him close. “God, Joseph, I can’t believe what we’ve all just been through. And now, here we are in your home in Paris. When am I ever going to wake up?”

He kissed my lips gently. “You are very much awake, my love. And again, I am so sorry for putting you through all of this. Believe me, having you come face-to-face with wizards, DUET IN BLOOD

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Angelo, and the Dark Forces was never in my plans for our future together. I am just grateful that we came out of it relatively unscathed.”

“How’s your shoulder?” I asked, kissing the place where the javelin had pierced him.

“Perfect, thanks to you.”

“And Marcus,” I prompted.

“Yes, and Marcus—and let’s not forget Sharla.”

“Yeah…she is something else,” I said. “She’s not a vampire, is she?”

“Not a vampire. Sharla is a witch. A good witch,” he added, seeing my eyes widen.

“And a wonderful friend to us. She was condemned by the Wizard Brotherhood for her affiliation with us.”

“Condemned?”

Joseph nodded. “Sharla was once a very beautiful young woman, gifted in the arts of earth magic—the kind of magic that heals wounds, both physical and of the mind. She was taken captive by the Wizard Brotherhood and subjected to the same humiliation as was I. She had a lover, a warlock named Benjamin, who tried everything in his power to rescue her. But earth magic is no match for the dark arts the wizards employed, and when Benjamin challenged the Brotherhood, they killed him and dragged his body before her for her to see.”

“Bastards,” I muttered, hating those ugly guys even more.

“But Sharla was more powerful than they thought, and left alone with Benjamin’s body, she conjured him back to life.”

“Wow,” I breathed, hanging on every word of Joseph’s story.

“Together, they managed to escape the wizard’s stronghold and kept them at bay for many years. During that time, they joined forces with Marcus and his vampire army and were of great benefit because of their healing gifts. Of course, the Brotherhood could not forgive this—”

“This doesn’t have a happy ending, does it?” I asked, taking his hand.

“I’m afraid not.” Joseph held me close as he continued. “They were recaptured and tortured in the most vile way. Benjamin was drawn and quartered and the pieces of his body buried in places where Sharla could not find them. But not content with just that, they took away her beauty and condemned her to live forever as an old woman. When Marcus rescued DUET IN BLOOD

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her, he offered to imbue her with his blood, but she declined, saying that without Benjamin, she had no need for beauty.”

“That is so sad,” I muttered. “And yet, she remains faithful to you and Marcus.”

“Yes…as I said, she has been a wonderful friend to us.” He smiled into my eyes, and kissed me. “Sharla would scold us if she could hear us now. One thing she cannot abide, is pity.”

“I hope, one day I’ll see her again,” I said. “So I can thank her properly for healing you.”

He released me from his embrace then steered me into the bathroom, where a huge

claw-foot tub stood in the middle of the tiled floor.

“Wow, we could have a party in there,” I kidded, watching him turn on the faucets.

“A party with only two guests,” he said, smiling at me. “Here, let me take that travesty of clothing off you.” He slipped the tunic, or what was left of it, over my head. “Feel free to wear whatever you want from my closet until we can get you some new clothes.”

“But I don’t have any money…”

“But I do,” he said, kissing my nose.

“I’ll have to pay you back.”

“We’ll talk of that later.” He took me into his arms. “Ah, Micah. There were times when I thought I would never be able to hold you like this again. You have no idea how desolate that made me feel.”

“Me too,” I replied, pressing myself to his hard body. I caught our reflections in the full-length mirror behind him, and again I marvelled at the sight of his finely honed musculature, the wide shoulders, the sleek torso, the perfect roundness of his buttocks, his magnificently shaped thighs and calves.

“You are so beautiful,” I whispered.

“As are you, my sweet Micah. Look…” He turned so that we both faced the mirror.

While I could never compare myself to him in any way, it was definitely a boost to my ego as he slid his hand over my chest and abdomen, murmuring what he considered to be my attributes in my ear. And in fact, I could see some subtle changes in my skin tone and the texture of my hair.

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“See how your chest is so neatly defined, and your nipples so small and rosy—and so easily made hard by my gentle touch.” A flood of desire swelled through me watching in the mirror as he caressed my body. “And here,” he continued, his hand slipping south, “your stomach so hard and flat. And here…”

I gasped as he stroked my cock.

“Here is where I will rest my head tonight, after I have made love to you for hours and hours.”

He picked me up in his arms. “But first, we will wash away whatever vestiges remain from our encounter with the evil ones.” He lowered me into the warm water, climbing in behind me. I lay back in his arms, sighing with happiness as he gently rubbed my skin with a soapy sponge.

Now this really is heaven
, I thought, easing my butt into his crotch. His hands massaged my chest, teasing my nipples gently. His lips nuzzled my neck and shoulders. I felt as if every nerve ending on the surface of my skin had suddenly come alive.

“God, Joseph…you are so fantastic,” I murmured. No one else I had ever been close to had made me feel this way. I only hoped that this was as good for him.

“It is,” he whispered in my ear, sending millions of tiny goose bumps rippling over my body.

“You mind reader, you.”

I put my hand behind his head and brought his mouth to mine for a long, lingering kiss.

He opened to me, letting my tongue caress his. His lips were warm, soft and moist and created a need in me that was almost frightening in its intensity. I could feel the hard pulsing throb of his cock, and I reached for it, pushing it into the cleft between my buttocks. I raised my hips to give him access, and my body shuddered with pleasure as he slid inside me with one long smooth stroke. I bore down on him, groaning aloud from the elation the feel of him so deep inside gave me.

His hands stroked my chest, lingering over my nipples, teasing them gently between thumb and forefinger—so easily made hard by his gentle touch, just as he’d said earlier. I writhed over him, arching my neck to find his lips. His kiss, the touch of those luscious lips, the soft moistness of his tongue on mine, all of it was enough to send me over the edge.

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Still with his mouth on mine, he moved under me, and we were suddenly floating out of the tub, until we hovered in midair, his arms wrapped around me, his cock still deep inside me. As if this wasn’t fantastic enough, he continued to fuck me, right there, suspended between the floor and ceiling. I reached behind me, grasping his butt, pulling him in closer, deeper. My head fell back on his shoulder, my eyes rolled back in my head and I surrendered myself completely to the power of his sensuality. His hand on my cock drove me towards my orgasm, and I came in great shuddering jolts, spraying semen up and all over my soapy chest. His hips thrust harder, his breath hot on my neck.