Handsome Bastard (9 page)

“Why did you become a hunter, Leotine?”

“I was born into We Who Serve Humanity.”

He nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I suspected as much. You might have been raised to think you know everything about my kind, but now you must realize you’re wrong.”

“You’ve never given me reason to hate you, Cyprian, unless you count this entire seduction. This is punishment for my arrogance. I believed I could defeat you when all others have lost. You’ve won again, Cyprian Augustus. I failed in killing you and I will not become like you.”

Frustration gleamed in his eyes. “This is madness, Leotine. I can force you.”

“But you won’t because you know I would return to my faction so they could put me out of my misery.”

“Misery? Do I look miserable to you? Is the life I offer you one of toil and pain such as you’ve endured while serving your precious faction?”

This time Leotine smiled and placed a hand to his cheek. “Maybe I didn’t fail so utterly. You do care for me, don’t you?”

“Will my answer influence your decision?”

“No.”

“Then you will have no answer.” He stood abruptly, sending her tumbling backward.

Naked, he stalked the room like some antagonized beast, his eyes flashing.

“You realize what this means?” he snapped. “I have shown mercy to hunters by allowing them to join me in immortality.”

“And those who didn’t, you’ve killed. I know. You think I didn’t study everything about you before coming here?”

“Damn you, Leotine.” He glared. One moment he was standing across the room, the next he pinned her to the bed. Holding her wrists on either side of her head, he drew his lips back over his fangs.

“Please don’t,” she said quietly, her heart pounding. Though her body cried out for his bite, her soul was not prepared. “If you feel anything for me at all you’ll kill me rather than make me something I’ve despised all my life.”

Slowly he closed his mouth. His jaw taut and eyes gleaming with anger, lust and regret, he shook his head.

“I’m prepared to die,” she said.

“I’d rather you live,” he whispered against her lips and kissed her, his tongue stroking hers aggressively, yet with each warm, wet thrust she felt the depth of his affection for her. Finally the kiss broke, leaving her with a feeling of utter sadness. How could she endure the rest of her life without ever feeling his kiss again? His lips brushed her temple and he murmured, “Damn you, beautiful bitch.”

He rolled off her and stood, his arms folded across his chest.

“Cyprian—”

“Go, Leotine. You may take a horse from my stable. Don’t bother returning it.”

“You’ll let me leave?”

“Get out,” he snarled, turning on her like a rabid animal, his eyes gleaming and fangs exposed. “Or I might change my mind.”

She opened her mouth and drew a sharp breath, wanting to say something but unsure of which words to choose. A bestial growl from him changed her mind. She reached for her tunic and pulled it on as she hurried out of the room.

* * * * *

Shortly after Leotine left, Sextus entered Cyprian’s chamber.

“You let her go,” the servant said.

“Yes,” Cyprian replied from where he lay on the bed, naked and staring at the ceiling.

“You’ve never done that before.”

“No. I haven’t. You were right, my friend. My arrogance has destroyed me after all.”

Sextus approached, his brow furrowed. “Cyprian?”

“Leotine said I had won our battle of wills but she was wrong.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know that for the remainder of my life, no matter how long it might be, not a night will pass that I won’t want her beside me.”

“Eventually you will forget her.”

With a savage growl Cyprian rose from the bed. His hand clamped around Sextus’ throat and he pinned him to the wall. “Never! You and I have lived our lives as gluttons, using our power to take everything we want. But we’ve never
loved
. Don’t you ever long for something more? I don’t mean wealth or power. Or even blood. It’s something I can’t…” Cyprian sighed and released Sextus. “I’m sorry, my friend. The fault lies with me.”

Rubbing his neck, Sextus glared at Cyprian with a combination of anger and sympathy. “I loved once. Long ago and it was an incomparable feeling, but I was mortal. So was she. It didn’t last forever. After she died, I missed her greatly. Sometimes I miss her still, yet I wonder, could our love have survived centuries? It is different among blood-drinkers.”

Cyprian walked slowly across the room. Through the open door he could see rain falling into the pool in the atrium, heard it pelt against the rooftop. It had been raining on the night he’d found Leotine, or rather on the night she’d come to him with plans to kill him.

They had been such fools. In their attempt to outsmart one another, they had fallen in love. Cyprian knew he must flee Rome, at least for a time. As soon as she reported back to her superiors that he was still alive, they’d send others for him. This time there would probably be no deception. They wouldn’t assign one crafty female but might send several warriors armed with weapons meant to destroy a blood-drinker. Those particular hunters valued their secrecy. They didn’t like making obvious attacks that drew much attention but would do so if driven to it.

Yes, he and Sextus must leave Rome tonight, as would his blood-drinker servants. The mortals would be safe enough to leave behind and continue with the villa’s upkeep. Many of their families had served him for centuries and had cared for his property during his many journeys abroad.

He could escape, but what of Leotine? Hunters by nature were cruel and unforgiving. What would they do with a failure? Worse than a failure, one of their kind who had fall
in love
with a blood-drinker. To them nothing was worse. Leotine would no doubt be punished. How severely, Cyprian couldn’t begin to guess. Perhaps they would put her to death now that she had turned traitor in their eyes.

“Cyprian, you know we cannot stay here,” Sextus said. “Others will come for you. For us.”

“Prepare to leave tonight. Inform the rest of our household that everyone is to follow the usual procedure.”

Sextus headed for the door. He paused before stepping out and glanced at Cyprian over his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, at least she returned your feelings. Had she not been poisoned by We Who Serve Humanity, she might have stayed with you. Then you would have had the chance to see if your love could last.”

“I believe they will kill her, Sextus.”

“That is likely.”

Cyprian nodded. “Continue with your duties. We haven’t much time.”

* * * * *

Leotine stood in the atrium of Julius Titus’ home, doing her best to keep her anger in check. Rather than look at the man, lest she surrender to the urge to do him physical harm, she fixed her gaze on one of the painted walls.

The faction leader spoke sharply. “We cannot excuse this, Leotine. It’s bad enough you failed to kill Cyprian Augustus, but you also left him with the knowledge that we’re hunting him.”

“He knew about us long before I came.”

“But not when or where we intended to strike. Now he’ll be more watchful than ever. We’ll be lucky if he stays in Rome long enough for your replacement to succeed where you failed.”

“You sent someone else already?”

She had returned just hours ago and during that time Julius had only left her briefly. Apparently he had used that moment to assign another warrior to Cyprian.

“As soon as you told me he still lives. Not that it matters. It’s a two-day journey to his villa. He is probably gone by now. We’ll have to seek him out all over again. This is beyond inconvenient. How could you have been so incompetent? I’m sorely disappointed in you.”

Leotine couldn’t care less what Julius thought. She hoped Cyprian had fled. The thought of him dying shook her to the core. Why had she been such a fool, returning to Julius and the cold world of hunters when she could have spent her life with Cyprian?

“Wait here, Leotine,” Julius ordered and left the atrium.

Sighing, she paced the room. As soon as Julius dismissed her, she would return to Cyprian. If she traveled night and day while changing horses frequently, there was a chance she could reach his villa before the hunter Julius had sent.

She turned sharply as four armed guards stepped inside and advanced on her.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

The first man reached for her and she knocked his hand aside.

The others drew their weapons, but her training kicked in—training no average Roman woman would have been allowed. We Who Serve Humanity had taught her. Now she turned those lessons against them. She dodged the guards’ thrusting blades and grasping hands.

Her fierce kick struck the nearest man’s groin. When he bent in pain, she rammed her elbow into the base of his skull. Two more men grasped her arms and she fought like a fury until the last guard pressed the tip of his sword to her throat.

Panting, she stood still, glaring at Julius who watched the spectacle from the doorway.

“We can’t have you running back to the beast, can we?” he said, striding toward her. He shook his head and cupped her chin in his hand. Leotine instinctively jerked away and he continued, “It’s a pity we spent years on your training, preparing you for the likes of Cyprian Augustus. He won again. What is it about him? Is it his mind powers? Or does he have a golden cock? Tell me, Leotine. Help me understand why you chose him over us?”

“I’m finished telling you every detail of my life,” she snapped.

“That privilege is only reserved for him now, isn’t it?” Julius sighed. “With the proper handling, you might be salvaged. We will hold you until we decide exactly what to do with you. Know this, Leotine, if Cyprian Augustus has left Rome I don’t know if I’ll be able to protect you against severe punishment. There will be a meeting and—”

“Spare me the details. I know every aspect of our society better than anyone.”

“That attitude has led to your downfall. Hold her hard,” Julius ordered and the guards tightened their grips, their gloved hands digging painfully into her arms and legs.

Julius stepped closer and stuck her across the face.

Leotine spat a mouthful of blood at him, spraying the front of his crisp white tunic, and said, “Just as I suspected, Julius. Violence excites you. It’s the only thing left that
can
excite you. You are an impotent, pathetic excuse for a man who hunts and kills to replace emotions like love and lust.”

His face contorted with rage that only reinforced her suspicions regarding him. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know everything about you, Julius, because I was just like you.”

“You are nothing like me. I am loyal.”

“No. You’re just a twisted little man who has attempted to use the faction to gain respect.”

“You’re a traitor, Leotine. None of your insults toward me will change that. I will see you have much time to ponder your errors.”

Julius’ lip curled and he motioned for the guards to take her away.

* * * * *

For days Leotine remained locked in a tiny windowless cell with no light and just enough food and water to keep her alive. Julius had only spoken to her once to tell her Cyprian’s villa had been nearly deserted. He and most of his slaves were nowhere to be found. The ones left behind were mortals and knew nothing of their master’s whereabouts. Because Cyprian had escaped, she would be brought before the faction elders for her punishment to be determined.

Hungry, cold and alone, she considered her life. All she’d known was deceit and violence. She’d been taught to hate a race she never really knew.

The short time she’d spent with Cyprian had been more fulfilling than the years she’d dedicated to We Who Serve Humanity. The name itself now evoked questions. Did they really serve humanity by segregating it from a people who were in many ways superior to it? At the very least blood-drinkers like Cyprian were willing to live in peace, providing they were left alone.