Vampire U (19 page)

Mander shuddered, pulling me tight against him, pressing my ass down against his crotch as he pushed his hips upward.  Our bodies were one; both of us part of the river as it rushed out of the Heart like gas rising from the bottom of a swamp.  As we came together, I felt us separate from that torrent.  Like a swirling eddy in a quiet inlet, we circled each other, the pull of our bodies protecting us from the wild surge.  Whatever linked Mander to the spirit below snapped, and with a suddenness that surprised us both, he was free of its power.

The roar of energy quieted and disappeared, leaving tranquility behind.  Our heartbeats raced like spirited thoroughbreds, and we fought to catch our breaths.

Mander pulled his mouth away from my shoulder and wiped the blood from his lips, then he withdrew from my body, leaving an aching emptiness between my legs.

We lay together in the dark, staring at each other in shock.  The wild energy I'd taken in was gone, stolen by Mander as he gorged on my body to sate that vast, endless hunger that threatened to claim his life.  But the storm had passed, and he lived still.  I nuzzled him, savoring his presence.

"You brave, foolish woman," he muttered.  "What you did could have destroyed your soul."

"But it didn't," I said.

"I'd have died without you."

"We'd have died together."

"Let's not," Mander said.

"Deal."  I laughed, and it felt so good to laugh.  I hadn't laughed in days.  I rolled against him and snuggled my head against his chest.  He felt warm and wonderful, full of life.  I don't know how long we lay together on the floor.  Beta House had been a den of evil for more than a hundred years, but in Mander's arms, I felt completely safe.  Two long, sleep-deprived nights crashed down on me, and I fell into a dreamless slumber as he cradled my exhausted body.

The aroma of sizzling bacon woke me, and I found myself on a long couch.  Blinking, I sat up and saw that I was in a luxuriously appointed den that looked more like a high-end country club than a fraternity house.  Thick drapes concealed tall floor-to-ceiling windows, and only the faintest trace of daylight shone beneath the hem.  I'd gone down into the tunnels just before noon, but now I couldn't tell what time it was - or even what day.

"Mander?" I called.  Footsteps echoed on granite, and he appeared in an entryway holding a tray laden with greasy breakfast food and accompanied by a tall glass of milk.  I pushed my tangled hair back out of my face.  "How long did I sleep?"

"Not long enough, he said as he set the tray down atop my thighs.  "Yesterday took too much from you.  You need rest and food."

My stomach did its best imitation of a rabid wolf, and the plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes looked suddenly irresistible.  Heedless of what Mander might think, I dug in while he sat beside me and watched.  The thinly-masked amusement in his eyes might have irritated me if I couldn't also feel his love.

Images of our frenzied lovemaking flashed through my mind, a wild whirl of desperation and lust barely softened by loving affection.  I reached up and touched the spot on my neck where he'd bitten me and found only smooth, unbroken skin.

Then a terrible memory reared its ugly head - the taste of his blood in my mouth.  My stomach flopped over, and I pushed the food away.  "Mander, am I a..."  I couldn't bear to finish the question.  
A vampire.

Mander's next words flooded me with relief.  "It's not that simple, darling.  What you did has never been done.  Each man in Beta House gave himself to the demon, knowing the price of its gifts and still willing to invite it into his soul.  When you took hold of the demon's energies, you made no such bargain, and the demon was suffering its final moments.  You may have formed a bond with it, but that bond was broken within minutes by its death."

My appetite returned immediately once Mander assured me that I hadn't become a monster, and now I began shoveling food into my mouth again.  But something he said bothered me.  "You made the same bargain as Le Moyne and all the rest?"

He looked at me for a long moment, then nodded reluctantly.  "Yes, even me."  He stood and walked to the room's massive hearth, where he stared into the black ashes and avoided my eyes.

I'd seen into his heart and knew Mander as a gentle, honorable man who had lived too long in the dark.  "What could ever make you do that?" I asked.

"It's a sad tale, and it happened such a long time ago.  Another time, perhaps."  Mander turned back to me.  "Besides, no reason I could give you would ever excuse the things I've done."  A warm smile brightened his face.  "Let's leave the past where it is, my dear.  I may yet have a chance to repent, thanks to you.  I owe you my life, Danielle."

"I couldn't let him kill you," I said.

Mander walked to the windows and touched the heavy curtain with one finger.  "It's not that, my dear.  Whether you killed Le Moyne or Le Moyne killed me, it would have been better if I died."  His voice grew low and tight.  "I've never been so afraid, Danielle.  I couldn't stop feeding on you last night.  I could feel it dragging me down as the rest of the coven died, and I grabbed at your essence the way a drowning man will fight those who try to save him.  You must have felt my hunger."

I nodded my head.  "I was scared too."

Mander looked ashamed.  "Yet you fought through your fear, and you seized on the very source of energy that would have killed me.  Instead of letting it escape, you took it into yourself and saved us both."

"How?" I asked through a mouthful of eggs.

"I told you once that your virginity was a powerful defense," Mander explained.  "The demon that ruled us fed on life, but corruption was the tool it used to do that, perverting our nature to turn us into weapons.  Corruption and purity are like oil and water.  When I was inside you, when you drank of my blood, we were one flesh.  I took your virginity, and that alone might have given me the power to survive.  But more than that, the lingering effects of your purity protected us both.  You felt the energy leaving the Heart, drawn like poison from a wound.  My essence should have been part of that exodus.  But you pulled me free."

Free.
  The impact of his words jolted me, and for a wild moment, I considered something that I hadn't dreamed possible.  "Does this mean you're... normal again?"

Mander's long sigh was answer enough to dash my hopes.  He looked down at the ribbon of daylight beneath the curtains, then stepped back.  "No, what I am hasn't changed.  If these curtains fell away, I would burn away to ash.  But I'm no longer a slave, shackled to this evil place and forced to serve a master I'd rather kill."

I glanced down at my empty plate, amazed by how much I'd eaten.  I wanted more, but I sat the tray on the couch and went to Mander.  "So... what happens now?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder.

Mander laughed as he stroked my hair.  "Well, you've got the story of a lifetime, but I wouldn't recommend writing it."

"Why not?"

Mander's voice turned serious.  "This wasn't the only coven in the world.  There are many who would kill you to keep our existence a secret."

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant," I reminded him, repeating the Brandeis quote we'd shared in our first conversation.

"But the word of one woman is just a candle.  And no one will notice if a candle winks out."

That sent a chill down my spine, but I wanted so badly to expose what we'd seen.  "Won't everything come out when the world discovers what happened here?"

Mander pulled back and looked at me.  "And what is that exactly?  Several fraternity members disappear?  Police find a strange basement room in an abandoned mansion?  I think you'll be surprised how little attention this will garner.  Especially in Baton Rouge, where the police have learned to turn a blind eye."

He was probably right.  And ultimately, what did it matter?  With Le Moyne and his coven destroyed, there were no good answers to any questions that might be asked.  All that really mattered was that the vampires were dead.  Except Mander.

I looked around at the opulent room.  "So what happens to all of this?"

Mander chuckled.  "The house?  The house is nothing.  The Elder had billions hidden away in offshore accounts and shell corporations.  I suppose it's all mine now."

I didn't like the wicked smile on his face.  Power had corrupted Le Moyne, and Mander had fallen to the same temptation long ago.  How much had he changed?  I knew he balanced on the edge of a knife.  His feelings for me had given him the courage to act against the Elder.  He needed some new and better purpose; without one, he might become as bad as Le Moyne.  With no 
petro loa
 to control him, he might become worse.

My time at Romanus University was done.  I'd intended to study journalism so I could make a difference in the world.  Now I saw a new path.  "Have you thought about what you'll do next?" I asked.  His frown suggested he hadn't.  "You're free, Mander.  And apparently wealthy beyond imagination.  You can go anywhere or do anything."

"As long as I'm indoors by dawn," he reminded me.  "And as long as I feed."  His voice shook at this last bit, and at last I understood.  Mander's fear was the same as mine - that he would become a monster.

I went to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.  "You can take what you need from me," I said.

"No, Danielle.  I can't ask you to stay."  He shook his head and tried to push me away, but I held fast.

"I won't stay," I said.  " But I can ask you to come with me.  I'm leaving Baton Rouge, Mander."

"What will you do?" he asked.

"You said there were others like Le Moyne.  I want to find them and bring them down."

"Don't be foolish," Mander said.  "What happened here was as much luck as anything."

"That's why I'll need your help.  I'm just a woman.  You have their powers.  Together, we might stand a chance."  I held my breath, hoping he would see the opportunity I'd offered him, a chance to do something good with his power.  A chance to avoid becoming a monster again.

Mander looked doubtful.  "What you ask is dangerous."

"Now that I know, I can't stand by and do nothing," I said.  "Kara Thompson showed me the price of inaction."

"It will be hard for me to travel.  I can only move at night."

"With as much money as you claim to have, I'm sure we'll manage."

"So that's what you're after.  My newfound riches."  He smirked.

I ignored his attempt at humor.  "Speaking of that, I want you to set up trust funds for Kara and all the other women like her.  It's time Beta House paid for its sins."

"Done," he said without hesitation.

A great weight seemed to slide from my shoulders; I'd been afraid Mander would refuse me despite the love we shared."Thank you.  Will you come with me?"

"As soon as the sun sets," Mander said.  He bent and kissed me, and I lost myself in the feel of his lips against mine.  Great danger lay ahead of us, but also wonderful possibility.  The strange man who had thrown an airplane through my dorm room window a lifetime ago was a part of me now, and together we would change the world.