vampireinthebasement (4 page)

The other one stared at Tris, and he quieted immediately. It was clear that he was Tris’s boss if he could make them quiet with a look. A current of power flared over her, but it seemed to fluctuate. He turned his gaze to her, and it cut through her. She would have blushed if she could have.

“No, I’m not going to run away. I wouldn’t make it very far. Attila over there would have my head off in a clean minute. Besides, there are hardly any shadows here with all these lights.”

Joe smiled. “Good. And yes, that’s why I’ve chosen this wonderful place. There’s a reason, Tris, why I didn’t give you specific details who I wanted from the brood. They were a nuisance and had to be destroyed.”

“Why would you kill the only family I have? What good am I to you?” Daniella asked, not being able to contain her anger any longer.

“Be quiet!” Tris commanded her. “Learn to speak when you’re spoken to.”

“Tris, you
will
be kind to her. After all, she’s going to be your guest for a while.”

Tris’s expression went from shock to disbelief all in the same moment. It was rather amusing, and she would have laughed if she thought it was appropriate. He drew in a breath and pulled the curved dagger from his belt and held it to her throat. The sharp edge sliced into her skin but she remained perfectly still, praying that she would not be killed. Joe rose from his rock and went to him.

“Let her go!” Joe commanded.

“Why? Tell me what’s so special about her?” Tris demanded.

“Tris, do what Joe says. You don’t want to face the consequences.” Lori tried to convince him to lower the weapon.

She stared into Tris’s cool eyes and did not see any feeling for her except the pure loathing that made his eyes steel gray. Nothing would break him. She could see that. He was determined to take her life with one swipe of the curved blade. A cry strangled her throat as the weapon moved further into her flesh, only millimeters, but she could feel all of it. Daniella grabbed for his arm, but his free hand slipped into her hair and wrenched her head back.

“Hands off of me, filthy creature.”

“Let me go!” Daniella curled her fingers around his wrist, but she could not pull him away from her neck or break his hold. Her nails pressed into her flesh, but he was too strong.

Joe waved his hand. The blade disappeared from her throat, and Tris was thrown backward. His face was red, but he was pinned against one of the large palm trees. She ran her fingers over her skin and came away with them stained with blood. Her whole body shook. Daniella realized how close she had come to losing her head. Questions ran through her mind. She was nothing. Why would they want her? Joe walked over to Tris and stood before him.

“Tris, I’m getting tired of you talking back to me. We may have had disagreements before, and I’ve let you go to extra lengths in disparaging nests when you didn’t have to kill all of them. I understand your sordid past with the undead, but you will do as you’re told. She is important. Already her
Grigori
master has a raised interest in her because of you botching up and not being able to fetch her yesterday.”

“That was not our fault. We couldn’t find her. The nest had fled,” Lori tried to explain.

Joe turned. “I know that. There are factions even among the Fallen who are traitors. We do not know them yet.”

“What are you talking about? Who would betray us?” Tris asked.

Daniella listened intently and was surprised to hear that there was some dissention in their ranks.
Fallen.
That word rang something within her as though she should know exactly what it meant.

“We’ll talk about it later. You will listen to me. Is that understood?” Joe glanced back at them and flashed
her a
small smile.

Tris nodded.

“Good.” Joe waved his hand, and Tris was released. He fell to the ground and stood up slowly, readjusting his sword. “Now that we’ve all come to an understanding, I want you to listen up. You
will
be taking care of Daniella, and you
will
treat her with the same respect that you would any other woman. Is that understood, Tris?”

“But she’s—”

“It doesn’t matter if she’s a vampire or not. You will take her, make her comfortable, and cater to her every whim, no matter what it is.”

Tris was going to say something else, but he closed his mouth. She could see the anger in his eyes, but he straightened his coat and stood before her and Joe. “What’s your name?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“Daniella.”

“What am I going to do with her, Joe? Why not
have
Lori watch her?” Tris turned his back on her.

The butterflies hovered around her. Some of them landed on her shoulder, and another settled on her cheek. Its antennae flickered along her skin. She had never seen so many in one place before. Daniella reached out her hand, and a golden one settled on her fingers. It was there only for a minute before it flew away. Their words sifted through her mind.
What is it about me that
has
everyone so riled up? Why am I so different than the others?
This was not the first time she had posed the question to herself. She could put off her hunger for a longer time, and it did not consume her the way it did the others of the nest. She could pull away from killing, but she couldn’t reach into the shadows and ride them the way the others did. Daniella sensed the ability was within her, but it was beyond her reach like a light switch she was too short to flick. No matter how much she stretched, she could not pull the chain to make the light go on. Others in her brood thought it was a weakness.
Balthus
told her to ignore them because it did not matter what they thought.

“Because Lori is going on an errand for me and will be gone for some time, you’re the most logical one to watch her,” Joe explained.

Daniella turned her attention back to the two men who were talking and wondered why Lori was not watching after her. Tris hated her; that much was clear. And she did not want to have every little movement she did scrutinized or put her in harm’s way because he might think that it was wrong. She trailed her fingers over the spot where the blade had been pressed against her flesh and felt it was healed, but there was still a line of dried blood.

“Joe, I’ll do whatever you ask me, but in this case, I do agree with Tris. It’d be better for me—”

“No, and that’s final. Lori, I want you to remain here so we can talk. Tris, take Daniella back to your house. Find a place for her where she can be comfortable.” Joe turned back to her and rubbed his fingers over his chin, possibly rethinking his decision of telling his minions what to do with her. “Do you have any questions for me?”

A lump formed in her throat. Thousands of questions swam in her mind, but did not want to come out onto her tongue. Daniella gave him a weak smile, and the fog that captured her brain lifted. “What are you? I mean, besides being vampire hunters. You’re not human.”

Joe flashed
her a
grin. “Good question, my dear. I’m an angel. Tris and Lori are...well, you can ask them yourself.”

Her eyes widened. Did she hear him right?
“An angel?
Seriously?
Where are your wings?”

“Those are a closely guarded secret. Now go with Tris. I expect for you not to cause any problems. If I hear that he’s treated you poorly, then I’ll make sure he’s held accountable for it. Remember, Tris, you will make sure she is protected.
Balthus
will come looking for her, along with the
Grigori
who watches out for her.”

Tris grabbed her arm. He held her in his iron grip and stared at her. “Let him come. He’ll meet my blade. He’s long overdue for it.”

She knew his words were meant for her. In a whoosh of air, the garden disappeared and she was whisked away.

Chapter Three

Tris held the vampire while he flew and had to draw her closer to his body. Her nonexistent body heat made him uncomfortable. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. The whole situation made him uncomfortable. He should not have to put up with the vampire, but going against Joe was not an option. While he was pinned upon the tree, his superior had shown him what awaited him if he did not listen. The image of his wings torn from his back and the blood-soaked feathers strewn around him stuck in his mind. Or that of his wings turning completely black and leathery and the feathers falling off because he found himself truly falling and becoming the thing he most feared. Standing on the precipice of that knowledge, that he could truly fall, Tris knew he was not going to disobey. There was too much at stake. Still, he was glad when he landed because he pushed the bloodsucker away.

“You don’t have to be such an ass,” the woman muttered.

He looked up and saw her rubbing her shoulder and the indentation in the wall where she had hit it. It was not a big depression, but it was big enough. He shrugged.
What do I care?
Tris had to find a place for her. There was nowhere in the house for her to stay, and he was not sure what the three H’s would say about it. They each had their own private room. He could put her in the pantry where it was always dark, but he doubted Joe would want her to be stuffed into the food closet where there was barely room to turn around. His boss might consider it cruel and unusual for the vampire. The only other place was the basement.

“Look, I was told to watch over you and provide a place for you to stay.” Tris gritted his teeth and grabbed her wrist. “Follow me.” He dragged her through the kitchen and walked smack into
Hemeil
.

“Whoa, Tris!
Watch where you’re going,” the other angel said.

“Sorry,” he mumbled to his housemate.
“Didn’t see you.”

“I can see that.”
Hemeil
crossed his arms over his chest and eyed him. “So this is your squeeze for the night? I’ve never seen you with a woman.”

Tris felt the intense scrutiny from the other man. It was not unusual for them to bring women back to the house, but he never did. He waited for more comments from
Hemeil
and saw he was sweating from working out.

“It’s not a woman,” he explained. “It’s a vampire. And it’s going to be staying with us.”

Shock dotted his eyes, but he restrained his emotions, and a small smile crept along the other angel’s lips. He trained his eyes on Daniella, and let his gaze linger a bit longer than Tris liked. Tris glanced back at the vampire and saw her staring at the angel and wondered what she was thinking. He swore if she could blush, then her mocha skin would be darker.

“She might be a vampire, but she is very beautiful.”
Hemeil
lifted her chin so he could stare into her eyes.

Tris grabbed his arm and tried to pull it away. “She’s the very thing that we hunt.”

Hemeil
shook his head. “You don’t see it.”

“See what?” Daniella asked.

Hemeil
wrenched his arm from Tris’s grip. He smiled and ran his finger along Daniella’s cheek. She shivered and smiled back at him.

“Yes, see what,
Hemeil
?” Tris asked.

The other man glanced at him. “If you can’t see it, then I’m not going to be the one to tell you. Vampire you may be, but I’d never hunt you. I give you my promise on that. If you run into trouble with Tris, you can come to me.”

“Thank you.”

Hemeil
nodded and headed toward the stairs. Tris opened the basement door, grabbed Daniella’s arm, and yanked her down the stairs into the basement.
Hemeil’s
words went through his mind.
What couldn’t I see? What did he see when he looked into her eyes?
He walked around the basement-turned-into-workout room. In one corner there was a cot. Along the wall between it and the room to the showers was a large shelf where they placed their clothes before they went into the showers. There were only a few windows in the basement, and those were covered by shrubs. He doubted much light could get through, so the vampire would be safe in the basement.

“This is where you’ll stay. The door will be locked, so don’t try to escape. If you need anything, bang on the door. Someone will hear you.”

Tris pushed past her, but she clutched his arm. “You can’t leave me down here all by myself.”

He thought that he heard a bit of distress in her voice, but he had to be imagining it. “Why?
Afraid of the dark?”

A scowl painted her lips. She tossed her bouncy curls over her shoulder and stared at him. Daniella stuck her hand on her hip. “No. I’m not afraid of the dark. But you’re...going to leave me down here all alone? Aren’t you concerned that
Balthus
will come in here and try to spirit me away?”

Tris chuckled. “We don’t have to worry about that here. The property is protected against any demon spawn that might try to come.”

“Why do you abhor me so much?” Daniella asked.

“It’s not you I hate. It’s what you are.” Tris went back up into the kitchen and locked the door behind him. He waited to hear her coming up the stairs and was surprised that his charge did not start banging on the door to be let out.
At least she appears to be behaving. What was it that
Hemeil
saw in her that he was not going to tell me about? Good time to go ask him.

Tris went to the second floor to inquire with his brother angel and knocked on the door that swung open.
“Hey, Hem, you in here?”

There was no answer, so he stuck his head in and saw the room was empty. His clothes lay in a heap and were overflowing from the hamper. The bed was messy and the contents of the desk where he had his television was scattered with coins, bills, and bits of paper he must have pulled out of his pockets. A piece of red paper caught his attention. Tris stepped inside, grabbed the paper, and smoothed it out. It was an invitation to some kind of a club. When he saw the address, a cold chill went through him.

“Tris, anything the matter?”
Hemeil
asked.

Tris shoved the pamphlet into his pocket and turned around, forcing a smile.
“No, nothing.
I wanted to see what you meant by what you said downstairs with...our guest,” he forced himself to say.

Hemeil
nodded. “You don’t have anything to worry about from her. She’s special. I can see it in her eyes. I’m surprised you can’t.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

The other angel slapped him on the back hard enough that it nearly knocked him over. “You’ll see.
Try being nice to her.”

“How could I be nice to that creature?” Tris could not help the quiver of disgust that crawled up his spine.

“Because you judge her by your past; that doesn’t mean she’s the same as the one who lured you to her.”

The memory of the vampire’s face flashed in his mind. Long red curls that framed a round face with innocent eyes.
Caillech
was the one who had caught his eye, and everything about her had seduced him. Seduced him to the point... He shook his head. It was the past, and he had learned his lesson. He was not going to make the same mistake twice, no matter how much of a beautiful façade the monster put on. She might charm the others, but he had learned his lesson once already, and that was enough.

“They’re all the same. It doesn’t matter if you say she’s different. She’s just like the rest of them.” He walked out of the room and went back to his own. Joe had not told him he had to entertain the vampire, just that he had to watch her and make sure she was taken care of. He could do that, and he would not care in the least if she starved. Tris certainly was not going to provide her with human blood to drink. She would have to do with animal blood. Something in the way of a rat sounded good, or maybe a possum—they were vile creatures—or even a weasel. Something that would keep her going; that was all she needed

Once inside his room, he slammed the door, turned on the stereo, and slipped on his headphones. The music smashed into his ears and vibrated his brain.
Korn
helped to drown out his thoughts of the vampire in their basement.
Caillech’s
face popped into his mind. Even with her innocent eyes, her seductiveness had lured him in. He had never thought he would have been
bespelled
by her. Tris had never known such beauty and grace in another being. He had given up everything to be by her side. She awoke him to the pleasures of the flesh and so much more than there was in Heaven. The heavy bass filled his head, but it did little to stop his body’s reactions to the memories of
Caillech’s
hands trailing over his chest. The deft way she knew where to touch him and elicit the most passion with only the slightest brush of her lips along his collarbone or when her tongue flicked over his Adam’s apple. Tris felt his cock firm at the idea of being with her once more.

He closed his eyes and tried to force the images from his mind. A few songs played in his ears, and the CD player switched to something harder.
Cradle of Filth
pounded into his skull. For the first couple of songs, he was content and in peace listening to the shrieking lead singer. It helped to calm his nerves for a while. When the melody switched to something a little slower, darker, he sensed something in the room with him. Tris glanced down and saw Daniella kneeling before him on the floor. A smile twisted her lips into a seductive smirk. Those lips were more luscious than
Caillech’s
. He was going to shoo her away, but when she placed a finger to her lips he was struck silent. Daniella slithered up between his legs, trailing her nails over his pants so that the sharpness pierced through the fabric and he could feel them on his flesh. A moan stumbled from his lips when she placed kisses along the inside of his thigh, moving closer to his groin. His dick pressed against the seam of his trousers, yearning to break free of the cloth prison. She walked her fingers over his thighs and pulled his shirt from his waistband, yanking it so it ripped on the bottom.

Tris tried to move, but he was frozen to his chair. He gripped the armrests and tried to fight the pleasure racing through him. All his senses were obliterated with the ecstasy of her light touch from the electricity that singed his nerves. Daniella pushed the button of his pants through the hole and took the zipper between her lips slowly, easing it down until it was undone. As she did, he felt the silky flesh of her mouth brush along his shaft and forced his hips off the chair. He knew he should feel the revulsion he normally did when he associated with the vampires, but instead it was all about the pleasure. Again he tried to move, but found he was frozen to the very spot. He had to be dreaming. Somehow this demonic creature wove her spell on him and held him in a dream state against his will. Tris tried to ignore her fingers sliding over his dick, hardening it even more. Even in the dream, he should be able to call upon his powers. He used all his might and found the clarity and the will to speak.

“Leave me now, demon, before I defy my orders and take your head.”

Her lips widened into an even more enticing smile, trying to show him she was some innocent creature. “But I know you want this. I can feel it. We might not be together in the flesh, but your desire reaches through the walls and calls to me.”

“No, it doesn’t. I don’t want you. Release me from this spell.”

Daniella pulled his cock and stroked the smooth skin. He rolled his eyes and could no longer fight the control she had over him. She might be a vampire, but she was also something else. He realized that now.
Did she use this power on the others, and that’s why she is so special? Does she use it so the others won’t kill her?
Once she was out of his mind, Tris was going to make her pay for this forced seduction. The more he fought against her power, the more it tightened around him, a fist that had him in its grip of power. There was nothing he could do but surrender to it. When her lips slipped over his shaft, a bolt of sheer joy speared him. A rumble of passion clawed its way from his chest and along his throat until it spilled from his mouth. He hated himself for it as her tongue wrapped around his cock. Her fingers ran over his stomach and discovered a place where he was ticklish. All Tris could do was stay perched in his chair and let the beast work on him. He stared down at her head of dark curls, and for a moment envisioned the red curls of his old love
Caillech
. Even after everything she had done to him, part of him still loved her. Part of him yearned to be bitten again.