The Kingdom of the Nine; The Vampire Legacy IV (9 page)

His hand moved from my mouth and stroked my
cheek, as if he could see every bit of my face, where I could only
see his eyes then moved his hand to the back of my head and gripped
my hair, softly, with his fingers, tangling them into it.

Gently, as if he was trying not to hurt me,
he moved my head to the side, with only the slightest amount of
pressure to tell me what to do, exposing my neck. His body pressed
against mine as he lowered his head towards my skin.

I felt him open his mouth and place his lips
against my skin, making my body shiver, as goose bumps ran over me,
and my grip on his shirt tightened. As he ran his sharp teeth
across my skin, trying to locate the vein that held the power that
he wanted, I felt my fear, suddenly, rise, and he stopped for a
moment. I could hear him breath in, smelling the hair that rested
on my shoulder next to him, then I could feel him sniffing against
my neck, smelling my skin, and he drew back a bit, trying to
decided what to do with me, no doubt, for it seemed that he
couldn't decided which way he wanted me, for lunch or to give into
the lusty feelings that I felt pouring off from him.

What was he waiting for? I asked myself, for
I had never met a vampire that took so long to bite. I felt his
teeth move across my skin, gently, as if he were my lover instead
of my killer. I exhaled a long breath that trembled as it released,
despite my efforts to remain calm, and found the muscle control to
reach up and place my hands against his chest. He tensed up, but I
could almost feel the pulsing underneath the slight rise and fall
of his chest. These movements, my touch, made him stop, but only
briefly as I felt his other hand, suddenly, press flat against my
lower back.

No more playing! His mental voice trembled as
if he had spoken aloud. Stop touching me or I will make this very
painful for you.

“You know that I can hear your thoughts.” I
whispered tracing the hard muscles I felt beneath his shirt,
finding that he seemed distracted as I did this. “So, you must know
who I am.”

I felt the tips of his teeth as they pressed
against my skin and I arched against him, trying to move away, but
it made his grip on me grow tighter. I could feel what my actions
were doing, exciting him, but I couldn't stop the need to get
away.

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

He stopped his advance, and turned his head,
brushing his lips along my skin, his tongue touched my cheek as if
tasting my skin, then, with one last swift movement, his lips found
mine. His pressed down hard against me, as his tongue invaded, but
I was unable to resist, since it was a totally different sensation
all together and I kissed him back. But as the passionate kiss wore
on, and the strange fire I felt rage beyond both of our control, he
stopped and backed away, looking me in the eyes again.

“Who are you?” I questioned him once again, I
could feel the wide smile against my cheek, and then he came at me
quickly and latched on to my neck. I pushed at him, trying to get
away, feeling that burning feeling in my neck and I began to
cry.

“Fighting will only make it worse.” He
whispered.

“Let me go.” I pleaded with him but it didn't
seem to make a difference, until I said something out loud that I
hadn't intended to. “I'm sorry, Julian.”

It was an apology for letting my stupidity
get the best of me, because I knew I shouldn't be out at night,
alone. He drew back, letting my veins go and I looked over at him,
into his fiery eyes at a hatred that I didn't understand. He
growled at me, baring his teeth and as he backed away, he hit the
light that hung from the ceiling and in the flickering electric
light I was able to see his face and as we stared down one another
my vision started to fade. I watched him leave and I slid down to
the ground, as the blood dripped down my shirt, then I called out,
as loud as I could, as weak as I suddenly was, to Julian.

I was crying, when he and Nick arrived,
squabbling as usual, but that stopped when they looked at me.
Julian scooped me up, as Nick walked off to find the vampire who
had done this.

I focused on Creolas for a long moment before
I heard the words that brought me out of it.

“Julian, maybe you should take her out of the
room.” It was Quinn's voice and he was standing right beside me, as
I looked up at him, I could see the worry in his face.

“I'm fine.” I answered, and then looked over
at Julian who was moving closer to me. “Really.”

“What are you doing here?” Nick asked the red
haired man who still stood there with an amused grin on his
face.

“Same as you, Brother.” Creolas answered, and
then glanced back at Julian and Quinn. “I was called here, and I
think it was
her
voice that I heard.”

I stopped the words that I was whispering to
Julian and I turned to look at him. I stepped away from Julian's
arms, for they had wrapped themselves around me only moments
before, and moved closer to him, but my way was blocked by Nick,
who took a hold of my arm.

“I don't know you, why the hell would I call
you here?” I asked.

“Caitlyn.” Nick's voice whispered, in a
demanding tone. I looked up at him, oddly, wondering why he chose
now to use my first name. “It would be wise for you to let Julian
take you upstairs.”

“I'm not a child, Nick.” I answered back,
speaking quietly, so that the conversation stayed between us. “I
can handle myself, and I can handle him.”

“I don't think so.” He replied, but it was
the worry I saw in his unwavering stare that made me nod in
agreement. He turned and looked at Julian, who walked over and took
my hand, and then lead me out of the room.

Once upstairs, nestled in the quiet safety of
my own room, Julian got comfortable on the bed, with one leg pulled
up to his chest and the other dangling off the bed, while he
watched me stand by the window and stare out.

“You're upset.” He pointed out. I looked at
him, quickly, wanting to thank him for his observation, but I
turned and looked back out the window.

“I just don't understand.” I replied, feeling
the confusion as I stared out at the waves in the ocean. “I
remembered them last night, and both of them are here, but I can't
remember much more than that.”

“Your dreams or memories are premonitions, of
things to come.” Julian shrugged.

“So, why didn't they tell me about them
sooner?” I turned towards him and crossed my arms as I leaned back
against the wall.

“I can only assume it was because you're
still under the influence of what made you forget in the first
place.” He replied, looking over at the fireplace.

“And, what influence was that?” I questioned.
Julian shrugged again, and then looked back at me. “Let me ask you
something and I don't want any shrugs, or hand gestures to quiet me
down, I want the truth.”

“Fine, if that is the way you want it.”
Julian replied. I watched him turn on the bed and slide over to my
side, where he sat with his hands folded on his lap. “Shoot.”

“Nick,” I said and watched him nod, “who is
he to me? I assume that he was the one that watched over Connie,
but why do I get this strange vibe from him whenever he's
around?”

“You took his blood, he saved your life.”
Julian replied.

“When, and why him and not you?”

“The last summer you were here, just before
you forgot, you were attacked and I didn't get there in time to
help you. Nick was, although, at times, I have to wonder why he was
so close to you at that moment.”

“Should that matter?' I asked. Julian closed
his eyes and shook his head. “Why is he like that to you? Why does
he treat you like you're a child and need discipline?”

“When you and he met, Creolas was on the
attack, and he protected you from that, even though I'm not sure
why he decided to protect you, because he's never been that way. He
had always believed that if you couldn't protect yourself then you
were meant to be fed to the wolves.” Julian stood and walked over
to stand next to me, looking out the window. I could hear him
breathing as he stared straight ahead. “Anything else?”

“Creolas is Nick's brother, right, or did I
misinterpret that little comment?”

“No, he's Nick's brother. Can't you tell?
They have the same attitude.” Julian replied, and even though I
couldn't see him; I could imagine him rolling his eyes.

“Fine.” I whispered, and then closed my eyes.
“So why does he scare me so much?”

Julian's arms wrapped around me, as I shook,
visibly, from the feelings I got just thinking about him. I felt
Julian's lips on my forehead as he held me close.

“Creolas is evil, plain and simple.” He
replied. I uncrossed my arms and wrapped them around Julian's waist
and the two of us stood there for a while, just enjoying the
security, but then something made me back away a bit.

“What if I did call them both here?” I asked
him. Julian shook his head.

“How could you? I don't think you have that
power.” He whispered, stroking my hair.

“But, my dreams and my memories could be so
loud that they picked up on them.” I replied, and then closed my
eyes. Julian smiled as he drew me back towards him. As I stood
there, with my eyes shut I thought about what I had remembered in
the other room and it made me shake. “He bit me.” I said softly,
and then felt Julian nod. “How could I have been so stupid to let
him do that to me? Was I really that naive?”

“He's very powerful.” Julian sighed. There
was a knock on the door, which made Julian let me go and walk over
to answer it. Quinn stood on the other side, one hand on the wall,
the other on his hip, and he looked up at his older brother. “What
is it?”

“You should come down stairs.” Quinn replied,
standing up straight. “Michael's going to come up to stay with
Caitlyn, but Nick says that there's something you and I need to
hear.”

“And who does Nick think he is?” Julian
asked. Quinn sighed, closed his eyes and shook his head, before
looking back up at his brother.

“You need to put this thing with Nick in the
past, Julian, really. Both of you need to get over it.” Quinn told
him.

“I can't do that, Quinn.” Julian replied,
quietly. “I can never forget what he did to me.” Julian glanced at
me, then back at his brother and whispered to him. “To her?”

Quinn looked passed him, at me, as I stood
there, holding on to the foot board of the bed.

“You need to, Julian.” Quinn whispered, loud
enough for me to hear. “To protect her, you both need to get over
it.” With those words, he turned and he walked away.

I stepped up behind him, put my hands on his
back, and watched him stiffen. Julian reached behind him, grabbed
my hands and turned to face me. I could see the anger in his eyes
as he quickly pulled me to him, wrapped his arm tightly around me
once again, and leaned down to me. Slowly, he moved closer, as I
pressed my hands against his chest, feeling the heat that came off
from him, as his lips came closer.

“Julian, I don't think this is a good idea.”
I whispered as I looked from his eyes to his lips. He nodded as his
mouth brushed up against mine.

“I know.” He said, softly, then our lips
connected and the fire seemed to erupt. His mouth engulf mine, as
the heat spread through my body, then I felt his tongue tickle my
lip, asking for an invitation, and when his kiss became more
passionate, I found myself giving into to him and not wanting him
to let go. That's when the door opened and we heard someone clear
their throat. Julian backed away from me, but his eyes caught mine
in a stare until he turned and looked at Michael, then back at me,
quickly. He wasn't moving to pull away and it was obvious that he
wasn't all that sure about leaving me.

“I'll be alright.” I watched him nod, but he
still didn't move. “Michael's not going to hurt me.”

He nodded as his body shivered, and kissed me
again, not letting me move to get away. His hand rested on the back
of my head, holding me against him and against the fire in his
kiss. I heard his shirt rustle as Michael tapped him on the
shoulder and Julian moved, looking at the blond haired man. He
stepped back, one step at a time until only our fingers were
touching, then he let go of my hand and walked quickly out the
door.

“That looked like the hardest thing he's ever
done.” I whispered and looked up at Michael, who smiled and slowly
closed the door.

“It probably was.” Michael replied and
gestured to me to have a seat on the bed. “It was very hard on him
to lose you”

7

I looked up at Ashley then over at the
doorway of the den and listened closely at the light knock on my
front door. I stood up, walked slowly to the large door and grabbed
the doorknob, and then I stood there, as I felt that familiar
presence on the other side, and I smiled as I opened the door, to
look at Julian's face.

He looked up at me, from under the length of
hair that still fell in his face; his green eyes sparkled, and he
smiled, then looked passed me into the house.

“Is she here?” He asked, softly, which made
me smile.

“You know she is, Julian.” I replied and
stepped aside. He slipped off the lightweight black leather coat
and draped it over one of the knobs of the coat rack. He leaned
down and kissed me softly on the lips. “What are you doing here
anyway?”

“When Ashley left Jack with Michael, I
figured that she might be coming here, to get the full story.” He
shrugged, the put his hands in his front pockets. “So, I thought
that I would come over and help you explain.”

“Good, because I was just about to get to the
part about Creolas and the conversation that you had with them.” I
smiled then the two of us walked towards the den. Julian looked at
me as we went in.