Frailty: The Darkshine (11 page)

Shock resonated through her. “What happened to all of the humans?” Helina already had an idea of what had happened, had seen what they had done to her sister, but she wanted Gaijryc to tell her himself. It put her at ease to know that the man—the vampire that she had grown to care about had been against what his kind had done.

His hand snaked around to her front and he pulled her closer, cradling her head against his chest. “There are many of us, but not nearly as much as there are humans. We trained, learned the weaknesses of humans and what there faults were. We watched the wars that they participated in, watched as they slaughtered their own for power. Soon we had all the information that was needed to overcome the humans.”

“What about my government? Surely they had weapons that could stop you?”

“Without a doubt, but like I said, unless they kill us in a specific manner, my kind is unstoppable. It was actually quite easily to take control, but make no mistake; I had nothing to do with it and would have stopped it if I could have.” He kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes.

“I’m not proud to say what I’m about to tell you, but you deserve to know. My kind has killed many humans, but the majority are kept as slaves. The majority have been kept as workers within high-ranking family homes, or as their pets.”

Fear and disgust bombarded her at what he said. “What do you mean, pets?”

“We can survive off of our own kind’s blood, but you see, humans taste so much better. They’re like an aphrodisiac, a drug to our senses, an intoxicating liquor that drives us mad. Some of the DarkShine like to keep pets, like to keep humans as their blood lovers.”

She was disgusted by what Gaijryc told her. How could his kind be so cruel as to keep pets—human beings for their food and their sex slaves?

“They like it, though, humans I mean. They’re willing in every sense.”

She looked at Gaijryc with wide eyes.

“How do you know that?”

“Years ago when I was just a fledgling, I saw that Ryce, the first ranking lord of the DarkShine League, had a human female for a pet. I was very young and didn’t fully understand the concept. I saw her as a caged animal, but in all actuality she was a treasured jewel. I had snuck into his room while he was away on a mission, curious as to what the fascination was with the weaker species. I expected her to be chained, to have ragged clothes on and be dirty, but she had been sleeping in his bed, wrapped in his silk sheets with rubies and diamonds on her neck. She was beautiful, with long dark hair and these striking hazel eyes that seemed to look into your very soul.”

He stared at her as he spoke, his fingers running along her cheekbone and over her lips. “She looked kind of like you actually, although you are far more beautiful.” He smiled as he ran his fingers along her face. “I didn’t even have to tell her I was there to help her escape. She looked at me and smiled and told me she didn’t need my help. She told me she loved Ryce and he loved her, that he treated her like she was a rare treasure that needed worshiped. I hadn’t even spoken one word and she had seemed to know why I was there, had told me everything I needed to know. I left her room that night with a clearer picture, that what I had thought of as a caged animal was actually the love of Ryce’s life.”

Helina looked into his eyes as he cupped the side of her face and brought his mouth to hers. “So they aren’t caged animals?”

“Not for Ryce. Although I can’t speak for all of my kind. There are some of my kind that use humans as slaves.”

“So what happened to the woman?”

Gaijryc’s face took on a look of grief as soon as she asked the question. “She died.”

“What happened?” Even though Ryce had killed her sister, there was a compassionate part of her that felt sorrow for his loss. There was a part of her that hated him, wanted him to suffer as she was now suffering.

“Everyone found out that Ryce’s human pet had died. They all knew she had been his favorite, but they didn’t truly know how deep it actually ran. I found him one night crying in the garden in my parents’ courtyard. I remember it like it was just yesterday, Ryce on his knees at the foot of her grave, tears streaking down his face. He was a strong and powerful warrior, but to see him so broken, so devastated changed something inside of me. He wanted her buried close to him so that he could see her every day. My parents agreed, not because he loved her, but because he was the trusted high ranking lord of the DarkShine league.”

Helina rested her head on his chest, her heart breaking as she listened to the story. “He had been on the cold ground, his hands and knees covered in dirt and his face wet with his own tears. Even though he knew I was there, his tears didn’t stop. He told me she died pregnant with his child. You see, it is forbidden to mate a human, to conceive a child with what our kind sees as the weaker species.”

Hot tears ran down her cheeks and she tried to stop the flow by closing her eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

Opening her eyes, she lifted head just as Gaijryc’s thumb ran over her cheek and wiped away her tears. “It’s just a sad story, one that I can relate to. I hate him, Gargryck, hate him for what he took from me, but I am still a human and feel compassion for people.” They stared at each other, concern etched into his face. “You make the pain bearable. I don’t know how or why, but your presence helps me.”

They made love that morning, the sun skimming off of their exposed skin as Gaijryc seemed to touch a part of her that had never been discovered. They connected that morning on a level that had nothing to do with sex. It was as if their very souls had meshed together and bonded as one. It was indescribable.

Preparations

G
aijryc left Helina
asleep in the bed, exhausted from their lovemaking. He felt as if he were floating, drifting through the woods as he raced toward his parents’ home. As he reached the mansion, he turned and looked into the forest. He didn’t know how he was going to tell them, but he knew that he had to. His parents, his kind, needed to know that the future King of the DarkShine was going to mate a human female.

He walked through the double doors and into the ballroom that was already covered with extravagant decorations. Silks hung from the walls, and sheers from the ceiling around the huge crystal chandelier. Servants hustled around, placing tables and covered chairs away from the center of the room. He sighed as his mother and Iena spotted him at the same time and gave a wave and smile. He turned and went up the stairs to his quarters before the sirens could capture him.

Helina lay in
bed, her face buried in the pillow as she thought about Gaijryc. She rolled onto her back and sat up, wrapping the sheet around her breasts and standing. She padded into the kitchen, her stomach growling even though Gaijryc had handfed her fresh fruit. Opening the fridge, she peeked inside, grabbing a cup of vanilla yogurt and popping the foil lid. Leaning against the counter, she stared out the small window above the sink.

Setting the yogurt down, she leaned forward and stared out the window. In the distance she could see a flash of white moving through the trees. The shape slowed, finally stopping completely and facing Helina. She could tell it definitely was a female, her small form standing next to a large oak tree, an overhanging branch obscuring her face. The white dress she wore billowed all around her, the wind moving it against her body in a sensual dance.

Even though she couldn’t see her face, Helina knew she was staring right at her. The woman’s hand rested against her thigh and even from the distance Helina could see her brightly painted nails—red tips against the white fabric. A knock sounded sharply at the door. Helina gasped and spun around, knocking over her yogurt and feeling the contents spray against her feet.

Gaijryc.

She all but ran to the door and whipped it open. When she saw who stood on the other side her smile faltered and her heart rate spiked. The man standing in front of her was not Gaijryc, but he
was
a DarkShine. Helina knew right away who he was. She would never forget his face. Clutching the sheet tighter around her, she stared into his pale grey eyes that seemed to see right into her soul. His black flame tattoos snaked up the sides of his neck and knew she was standing before Ryce. Her heart beat an irregular rhythm and her palms became clammy. He inhaled deeply, his eyes closing and then snapping back open to spear her with an intensity that frightened her down to her marrow.

“I wanted to see what is occupying so much of Gaijryc’s time.”

He didn’t move any closer, just tilted his head and stared at her neck. She instinctively brought her hand to her throat, covering the twin puncture marks she knew Gaijryc had given her.

“I see he has claimed you. This should be interesting when he presents you to the council.” He watched her for a suspended moment before bending at the waist and turning to leave.

His body was no more than a blur as he raced away from her. Her hands were shaking as she shut the door. She made her way toward the couch, her appetite suddenly void. She sat there, the time moving so slowly, but her mind still thinking about Ryce. The door suddenly burst open, slamming against the wall with such force she felt it in the floorboards. She gasped and turned around, seeing Gaijryc standing in the doorway with an expression of such fury she actually feared him. He inhaled deeply, his eyes going red with his anger.

“Did he touch you?”

She wasn’t surprised that he had sensed Ryce. She was more surprised by the intensity of his actions and emotions. She shook her head furiously. He was in front of her in the next instant, his movements so fast she hadn’t even seen him move. His hands roamed over her body, his eyes following suit. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to his hard frame.

“I hate leaving you.”

“Me too.” He ran his hands up and down her back, his mouth kissing the top of her head as he whispered endearments to her.

“I’ll kill him.”

“He didn’t do anything to me.”

“What did he say to you?”

“He knocked on the door and just stared at me. He said he wanted to see what had you so preoccupied.” He growled above her, the sound vibrating his whole chest. “He saw the mark on my neck and said something about you presenting me.” He sighed and she tried to pull away to look at him. He kept her close to his body, not letting her move even an inch. “Gaijryc, I can’t breathe.” He instantly let her go and cupped her face with both of his big hands. He kissed her firmly on the lips, her breath leaving her in a sigh.

“I can’t leave you alone any longer, not now that he knows where you are.”

“That was Ryce, wasn’t it?” Although he had never said his name, Helina had known. She wanted Gaijryc to affirm it, though.

“Yes. I don’t know how he knew about you, but now that he knows where you are I can’t risk something happening to you. I should have been more careful, should have taken better precautions where you were concerned.”

“Will he harm me?”

“He wouldn’t dare, but the fact that he came here and spoke with you without my presence is an insult.”

They held each other for what seemed like forever, his hands roaming her body in a soothing way and calming her further.

“I missed you.” His deep voice sent shock waves through her core, lighting her up and making her wet with desire.

“I missed you too.” She smiled as Gaijryc scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed. That’s where they stayed that night, tangled with each other as he handfed her and made love to her. If this was how it would always be, Helina knew she would never want him to leave.

Gaijryc took the
basement steps two at a time, his blood pumping fiercely through his veins as he thought about what could have happened. He should kill Ryce with his bare hands, rip open his throat open and feed off the blood that poured out. He pushed the doors open so forcefully that they slammed against the walls and cracked down the middle. All the males in the room stopped their fighting, their practice coming to a standstill as they looked with apprehension at their prince.