Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) (16 page)

His hands guided her in the steps, and in his arms, she was
following quiet well. But still, she was constantly staring at her feet and
tripped many times. There was a magical feeling in his arms. It was as if she
were in a dream, and he was the handsome prince that all the women in the
kingdom fought to win.

But he wasn't Caleb. He didn't laugh and dance like a dork
to cover up her bad moves, or rebel and slow dance to a fast song. The Count
was king, and Caleb was the stable boy.

After a few minutes, she still wasn't getting the hang of
it. This inability made her feel awkward among all the others. She hated
feeling this way, and the embarrassment reddened her cheeks.

The Count bent closer as he whispered, "Are you all
right?"

She swallowed hard when she felt his arms tighten around her
waist. His lips were kissing the surface of her ear. "I don't want to
dance anymore."

"As you wish." He used his magic and transported
her to another room. The change of location made her panic.

"Where are we?" She tried to push herself from his
embrace, but he wouldn't budge.

His voice was soft, his lips slightly parted as he looked
seductively into her eyes. "You do not wish to be alone with me?"

She tried to turn away, but every time she did, he pushed
her chin upward and made her look at him. "It’s not going to work. I’m not
going to kiss you."

He leaned closer, his mouth hovering above hers. His warm breath
lingered. "Yes, you will." Chuckling softly, he watched the panic in
her fearful eyes. "You cannot resist me."

"I can." She tried to pull away from him, but he
still wouldn't release her.

"Give me but one kiss, and I will never beg for
another."

"Just one?"

"Just one." His lips filled with a calculating
smirk. His eyes were the only feature she could make out at this distance.

"One." She glanced down nervously, as his hands
reached up to her face and gently removed her mask.

"I'd bleed to make you smile…" Holding onto her
chin, he slowly crept closer. His lips brushed against hers as he spoke in a
soft tone that made her shiver. "Chase the stars through the darkness of
space to capture their sparkle. But yet, I cannot make you love me. Ashleigh…"
His nose rested against hers, his eyes so close, she could see the inhuman
light that radiated from the center of his irises. "Please…love me."

His hands gently held her head in place as he kissed her.
And this was not just a simple kiss, but a deep, open-mouthed, passionate kiss.
She couldn't help but return it with full force. It was the most perfect kiss
she had ever received. It was tender and full of love.

It was much different than Caleb's rough, playful ones. He
would bite her lip and tease her until she couldn't stand it. Then, it struck
her. Caleb. She loved Caleb. She needed Caleb.

She quickly pulled away. Trying to catch her breath,
Ashleigh's heart raced as a great panic swept over her. Even though the Count
was her fairytale prince, and his kisses were amazing, she couldn't do this to
Caleb. Her speech was thickened by her forming tears. "Wait."

His mouth shot to her neck. As if trying to subdue her, his
fangs sunk into her tender flesh. That overwhelming pleasure washed over her
again, but this time the Count was using it to his full advantage. She clung to
him now, and her body pushed against his. All her thoughts focused on him.

Picking up her legs, he wrapped them around his hips. He
continued to sip her blood through the small wound on her neck. After getting a
taste of her, he couldn't stop. He needed her. He was tired of waiting, and the
tease of her lips against his was too much. He took her into the next room and
laid her on the couch.

Soon, the wound on her neck dried up, and his hungry mouth moved
to a more satisfying location. Taking her bottom lip hostage between his teeth,
he bit down on it. He drew more blood than he had before. He could kiss her now
and take advantage of his power over her.

Trickling down the side of her lip, the blood followed the
steep slope of her neck. She was kissing him back with full force, but it
wasn't her, it was just her body reacting to his magic. The thought pained him,
but he didn't regret this. He needed it.

While still sucking on her bottom lip, he forced her to
stand. She was unsteady on her feet. Her hands wrapped around his neck as he
moved backward. He quickly took her back to the hallway, his lips never leaving
hers until the wound finally dried up. When he released her lip, she awoke from
his spell.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she observed his face.
When she fully opened her eyes, her vision was slightly blurry. Her hands
grabbed at his coat sleeves and held on tight.

"Drink from me." He picked up her head and placed
it against the skin of his neck.

"I…" She licked her lips, the taste of blood
lingering on her tongue. She didn't understand why she could taste it, but
because she was so hungry, she thought she was hallucinating.

"Use the gifts I have given you."

She quickly opened her mouth and bit him. For the first
time, she was able to feed on her own. It was a powerful feeling. One that made
her bite at him harder as her arms found their strength.

Her embrace felt amazing, as did her bite. He closed his
eyes and rubbed her back. He was greeted by the hard fabric of the corset.

She drank from him for a minute or so then pulled away. Her
face was filled with a satisfied grin, her lips coated in his blood. "You
taste just as good as the honey that drips from your tongue, your grace."

"As do you." He admired her as he held her in his
arms. She licked his blood off her lips.

"I need to use the restroom." She was in a very
good mood now as she hopped off his lap. She checked around the couch but
didn't see her mask. "Where's my—"

"Here." He handed it to her.

"Thank you." She quickly took it from his hand, a
playful bounce to her action. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek, her lips
leaving a bloodied mark on his skin. "Wow…I feel amazing." She gently
hit him in the shoulder with her mask. "We should swap like this more
often. I've never felt so energized in my life."

His face filled with an evil smirk. "My blood can have
that effect on you."

"I love it! I can't wait to do it again." She held
her mask in both hands, bringing it to her chest in a dramatic motion as she
giggled.

He gazed at her lovingly as the cool words slipped from his
tongue, "If this delights you, then we shall make this a nightly
ritual."

"Okay." She let out a satisfied sigh. "I'll
meet you back in the ballroom."

"I will await you like my next breath." He stood,
his eyes full of love as he took in her excited expression.

"Don't do that." She laughed. "You'll die if
you don't breathe." She turned from him and jogged down the hall toward
the bathroom.

His words were barely given life as he watched her disappear
from his view. "Death does not scare me as much as losing you."

Chapter Nine

Every night for the next few days, the Count continued his
ritual of sharing his blood with Ashleigh. She never knew why he was doing it,
all she knew was that she woke up feeling amazing.

This morning started out like all the rest, with Ashleigh
talking to Caleb on the phone. She had made up with him now, something that had
also put her in a good mood.

"So, I can come kidnap you, right?"

His question caught her off guard, but she quickly answered
it, "Well, yeah! Why?" She giggled as she bit her lip excitedly.
"Are you going to brave it and come rescue me? I'll give you a big kiss,
if you do."

"Well…" He laughed. "I
am
on my way to
Krest
."

"What?" Her jaw dropped as she stopped walking.
Her hand paused on her chest. She gazed out the window-lined hallway, her eyes
settling on the rose bushes farther out in the garden. "You're kidding,
right?"

"No."

"So, you're coming?" She started walking again,
this time at a faster pace.

"Yep."

"Oh, my God! Really? When are you coming?"

"Umm." Caleb spoke to someone in the background.
"About an hour or so."

"I'm so excited!" A chain of giggles escaped her
lips as she backtracked to her room. "I miss you so much!"

"
Awww
…I miss you more."

She scaled the steps, her feet light as she walked. Her
cheeks were red, and her voice was babyish and high-pitched, "No…I miss
you more."

"No, I do." Caleb laughed. "And I'm bigger
than you, so I win."

"No sir, I missed you more."

Caleb's voice lost some of its playfulness, a more serious
tone creeping into it, "Sir?"

"Sorry, that's the way the people talk here. I guess
it's starting to rub off on me."

"As long as that
rubbing
doesn't include your hands on the Count's cock then that's fine with me."

"No." Ashleigh laughed. "I haven't even seen
that. He's just my friend…well, in a weird sort of way."

"Our relationship has never been sex free."

"’Cause I can't take my hands off you, you sexy
beast." She grinned as she opened her bedroom door. Her eyes briefly fell
on the maid changing her bed sheets. "I still haven't got the chance to
fuck you in as many ways as I've fantasized about in my books."

"
Ooo
…experimentation. Let's
start with sucking my dick."

"That is not experimentation. I've done that, like, a
million times."

"Yeah, but I like it."

"Excuse me, Lady Brown." The maid stopped what she
was doing and quickly exited. In her hands, she carried Ashleigh's sheets from
the night before, a few blood stains catching Ashleigh's eye. Then, she thought
of the Count and how he had come to her room the night before.

Ashleigh quickly grabbed her laptop bag and purse. She
stuffed a few things in the satchel then slung it over her shoulder. "So,
I just sneak to the airport, and you'll be there?"

"Sure. I'll be there in about an hour and a half."

"You'll take me with you, like, forever?" She held
tightly to the strap on her arm, her voice showing her fear as she walked
faster. "Promise?"

"Of course. I said I was coming, didn't I?"

"I'll see you soon." She quickly hung up the phone
and called Nicki.

Nicki's voice was upbeat, "’Sup?"

"Can I borrow your car, or can you give me a ride to
town?"

"Why?"

"I want to go shopping, but I don't have a car. I'll
pay you for the gas and stuff."

"Sure. I'll be at the castle all day, so I won't need
it, anyway. A twenty for
gas'll
be okay."

"Where are you?" Ashleigh glanced around
nervously, licking her lips several times.

"The garden."

Ashleigh hung up and went outside to find Nicki. She found
her hanging around the side of the building, having a smoke.

"Here." Ashleigh handed Nicki a fifty.

"
Ooo
…" Nicki laughed.
"I should let you borrow my car more often." Pulling the keys out of
her pocket, she handed them to Ashleigh. "It's the green mini parked near
the servant's entrance."

"Thanks again." Ashleigh took the keys and sent a
big smile in Nicki's direction.

Ashleigh wanted to make it to the car quickly, but her
escape was halted by Nicki's voice, "Wait a second." She motioned for
Ashleigh to come back.

"What?"

"I want to ask you something." Nicki licked her
lips after releasing a cloud of smoke from her mouth.

"What?" Ashleigh leaned up against the wall. She
crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Nicki grin.

"You and the Count." She inhaled on her cigarette
then blew it out slowly. Her hair was braided, and her jeans were dirty from
working in the garden. "What's up with you two?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you guys like engaged or just dating?"

"We're just friends." Ashleigh wasn't sure what
Nicki was talking about, so she tried to brush it off.

"Friends?" Nicki laughed as she changed her
standing position. Her leg went up behind her as she put her foot up against
the castle wall. "I saw you two making out in the garden the other night.
You guys aren't just friends."

"What?" Ashleigh's confused eyes narrowed on
Nicki. "We weren't going at it. I've never slept with the Count."

"Bullshit." Nicki laughed as she put her cigarette
out against the stone. "I saw you." She motioned with her hands as
she spoke. "Bent over the railing over there."