Vampire - Child of Destiny (Vampire Series Book 2) (3 page)

Looking into Anne's guileless, innocent eyes, tears once again fell from my eyes.  Leaning forward, I gently swept the hair from her face and neck.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me," I whispered.  Her answering smile, I knew, would become a bittersweet memory for many years to come.

My fangs sunk deep into her jugular.  The taste of her blood, although in truth exquisite; would always be remembered as bitter.  I drank deeply, willing her to die quickly.

Her body became limp in my arms, her skin cold to the touch.  I heard the soft fluttering of her heart, attempting to pump a substance that no longer flowed so freely through her body.  THUMP...THUMP...Then, nothing.

I pulled my fangs from her neck, and looked into her pale lifeless face.  I knew the other vampires would think I was pathetic, but not caring what they thought, I once again gently stroked her hair into place. This time I covered the evidence of the puncture wounds I had made whilst taking her young innocent life.  I did not care what they thought anymore.  I wished I had resisted, even if that had meant Robert’s wrath.

I sensed Robert move behind me, and I gently lay Anne back on the table.  I closed her eyes with my fingertips, and then turned towards Robert.

"It needed to be done, my love...you needed to let go."  His voice had returned to a soft and gentle tone, his face shone with empathy for my pain.

"Did it?" I said, my voice ringing angrily in my ears.  "Don't you have enough followers, enough murderers...any of these," I swung my arms around to indicate the vampires surrounding us, "Would kill for you...but that's not enough is it?  You collect souls, Robert.  However, I assure you of this; no matter how many people you order me to kill, you will never own my soul... NOT NOW,
NOT EVER
!" 

I yanked my arm from his hand, and although I heard some of the vampires gasp, I was unconcerned.  Anger returned to his face, but I was beyond worrying about that, and hissed, "Kill me if you wish, Robert, torture me, hate me...I don't care, but you will never succeed in ordering me to kill an innocent person ever again!"

I pushed through the crowd, ignoring their stares, grins, and hissing voices.  I probably would be dead by this time tomorrow, without ever laying eyes on my son.  My son, whom I now knew, more than ever, would not be able to remain here, reared by animals, only to become a beast.  Well if I die, so be it, but if I lived, I would make sure, one way or another, to save my son from the destiny Robert had predicted for him.

Chapter Five

Lying on my bed, I heard sounds of merriment from the great hall float on the air, and I felt sickened by the cause of the merriment.  I had been so angry when I had reached my bedchamber that I had not even bothered to get undressed, and instead flung myself face down on the bed, my fist occasionally hitting the bed covering in rage.

I knew that Robert would soon seek me out, his anger threatening and lethal, but I had resigned myself to whatever fate befell me.  I was not angry with Robert, I was angry with myself.  Angry, that I had allowed myself to murder Anne.

I must have fallen asleep, because I awoke to find the candle had burnt itself out, and the air was still with silence.  Instantly, I knew that Robert had entered the room, his aroma, his presence, surrounded me.  I sat up in bed, looking for him in the darkness.

"Are you looking for me, by any chance?" His voice echoed just inches from my ear, causing me to jump.

"No...No, I wasn't...I heard a noise, that was all."  His chuckle sent shivers down my spine.  The sound indicated he was in a good mood, but with Robert, I could never be too sure.

"Are you afraid of me, Gwen?" he whispered.

"No!  No, I'm not,” I stammered, then continued, "I'm not a mouse to your cat, Robert, if you want to hurt or kill me, then just do so!"  Again, he chuckled, and then suddenly, without warning, he thrust me back on the bed, his body on top of mine, his hands holding mine down.

"You have no idea what you do to me do you, Gwen?  I could have killed you tonight, and I would have done so, if it had been anyone else."

My eyes had grown accustomed to the dark and I could now see his gaze, his eyes intense, circled by an amber light.

"If you loved me you wouldn't have made me kill Anne," I spat out.

"I did not make you kill Anne, you made that decision yourself.  You could have said no, but you did not."

He was right, I could have said no!  His words repeated inside my head repeatedly, whipping me with their harshness.

"You're right...I killed her..." 

Pain sliced through me, shaking my body with its force.

"
I KILLED HER!
" I screamed out with an inner rage directed only at myself.

Roberts hold on me tightened, the more I screamed, the tighter he held.  Finally, my sobs and anger subsided and I felt numb and limp from the guilt that coursed through my body.  I had taken a life!

"I'm sorry, Gwen, but you needed to know your own strength, to know how far you can go.  In future you will take more lives, I'm sure of it, but there will be justified reasons." 

I shook my head, knowing I would never take another life.  Robert chuckled, "I promise that one day you will, but this memory will prepare you for the future."

"I don't believe you, Robert!  Yes, I think you thought I needed to take a life, but you were also punishing me...I know you were."  His eyes shone with love, but I heard the catch in his voices as he said, "You know me too well, my love."  He then paused for a moment.  I knew him well enough to know that he was contemplating his next words carefully.

"I was jealous!  I saw you gliding down the stairway.  Every eye taking in your perfection and that damned Louis talking to you with lust in his gaze!"

Pouncing to a standing position, with anger in his stance, he turned from me and started pacing.

"
I wanted to kill him
!" he growled in a low menacing voice, "But of course, I could not,
I wanted to kill you
, but of course I would never do such a thing.  My heart twisted in my chest and so I took Emily to appease my anger..."

He stood at the foot of the bed and I could feel rage radiating from him.

"But that wasn't enough," he whispered, anguish in his voice, "And so I goaded you into taking the life of Anne!  I knew it was going to hurt you. I knew it, but I wanted to punish you."

Roberts head dropped to his chest and his next words were a whispered plea, "Will you forgive me, Gwen, and will you still love me?"

His words pierced my heart.  How could I love a man who had so little regard for life?  Nevertheless, I did.  I opened my arms to him, and my gesture needed no words.  I loved him, and nothing would change that.

My mouth sought his in hunger.  Robert gasped as I bit into his full lips, his blood trickling into both of our mouths, his bite piercing my tongue, our blood and tongues mingled in mind-numbing pleasure.  We joined, a perfect union, sharing love, our bodies moving in a timeless rhythm, sharing our blood with bittersweet bites of passion.

"I love you, Gwen." Robert whispered.  His hands tangled in my hair, my head resting lazily on his chest, both sleepy from our lovemaking.

"I love you too,” I replied, "very much!" I added. 

I was on the verge of falling asleep, my thoughts wandering, drifting in and out of reality, when suddenly, I said aloud, "If you love me so much, why still deny me my son?"  I knew I had made a mistake as soon as the words slipped from my mouth.  Robert pushed me abruptly from him. 

"So we're back to this, are we?"

"I'm sorry, Robert...I did not mean...I really should not have… I did not mean to say that..."

"So why say it?  Did you say you loved me to try to persuade me? 
Did you, Gwen
?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Robert...I love you, you know I do!"

His face suddenly looked old, his eyes were old as time and held so many secrets, but suddenly they shone near to the surface, and I think, for the first time I saw the real Robert. 

He sat at the foot of the bed.  His head drooped into his hands. 

"I love you, Gwen," he said, his voice so low that I needed to lean further towards him to ensure I heard him clearly.

"I love you; I have not loved like this for a very long time...in fact centuries upon centuries."  He had paused, but I waited for him to resume his mumbling, I did not want to interrupt him and stop the words I so wanted to hear.

"I made the wrong choice once before, Gwen.  A choice that I should not have made and it changed both of our lives forever.  I betrayed someone I loved, and in doing so I changed everything forever!"

A strangled sob arose up through his throat, the sound akin to an animal in agony.

"I see Henry's destiny, Gwen.  I see it clearly, and he will be strong, and I cannot fail him, I cannot put love before duty again.  I will not!"  Finally, his eyes rose to meet mine.  His sorrow reached out to me.

"So you see, Gwen, no matter how much I love you, you ask me the one thing I cannot give you...I'm sorry, but I cannot, not now, not ever!"

I turned from him.  His words told me he would never relent, no matter what I did, he was never going to change his mind, and I knew, likewise, I was never going to give in or change my mind.  It was then that I knew that at some time in the future we would become enemies, because I could never forsake my son, and I knew, neither could Robert! 

I was so weak compared to him, but I knew that one day I would fight him, and I knew that tomorrow I would start that fight.  Robert did not know, he expected me to simply accept his command, but this time, he was mistaken.

I opened my arms to him, and we embraced, my words of comfort echoing around the bedchamber.  However, my mind did not hear the words of comfort, although I uttered them.  My mind was already processing and planning how I was going to get my son back.

Chapter Six

For week upon week, I tried to figure out the best way to see my son, but all of my ideas proved to be fruitless.  The one thing I knew for sure was that he was housed in the south tower, but I quickly realised that there was not any way to get into the tower except by direct access through Matilda's bedchamber.

I had taken to walking towards the tower every day.  I walked around and around the base, foolishly wishing that an opening would suddenly appear as if by magic. I would lean against the cold stone, hoping to hear the sounds of my child and sometimes I could swear that I heard him, but, of course, I couldn't be sure, and in reality, I think I knew that I was imagining that which I wanted to hear.

It was on a day such as this, when as I returned from my daily walk from the areas surrounding the tower, I felt someone snatch me from behind and I was pulled into a small alcove that was nestled in the tower wall.

"Shh, mademoiselle, it is I, Louis.  I wish to talk to you...please do not scream!"

I yanked myself out of his arms, and turned towards him, my voice a whispered hiss.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"  I asked him the question, but did not wait for him to answer and continued.

"
You fool
, don't you know that Robert would kill you if he knew you laid hands on me?"

"Oui, I know of this..." His head dropped to his chest, reminding me of a disobedient child, he continued.

"I watch you...here every day...mademoiselle, it is sad and I wish to help you."

"How can
you
help me, Louis?" I said in exasperation, "You're putting us both in danger by waylaying me..."

I gazed at him as if he was mad for a moment, and then turned away, intending to walk away.  He grabbed my arm, swinging me back around to face him.

"I will help you, mademoiselle.  I will help you rescue your petite garcon, if you will allow this?"

"How do you intend to do that?" I said.

"I have...how you say?" he asked me, a frown on his face.  He then smiled, and continued, "I have made friends with his nurse...she will help us, ma petite...if you wish it?"

I was young, but not so young that I did not know that Louis would want something in return.

"Why would you help me and place your life in danger?" I asked him, watching him carefully, noting a sly smile stirring behind his thin lips.