Part 7 (1/2)

”You will obey me, you are mine. I sired you! That thing that you cling to could not bring himself to make you one of us once he'd already drained you of your blood. He fought the good fight to leave you dead, but I have had my eye on you for some time, Linnea, and now you are mine.”

I looked down at my back and saw that he'd slit it open in much the same fas.h.i.+on that he'd done Kerr's face in. I should have been scared, but I wasn't. I smiled and watched as my skin pulled back together. There wasn't so much as a drop of blood left on my pale white skin.

Valentino reached out to touch me and I flung my hand up at him. His body flew back against the wall. Kerr grabbed me by my shoulders and turned my face to him. His blue eyes locked on me and he looked worried. ”Linnea, you mustn't provoke him, he's a monster.”

I caught sight of Kerr's fangs and let my tongue run over my own. ”So are we,” I said pulling his mouth towards me. He threw me down and lunged over the top of me. At first I thought he came at me, but then I realized that he was headed for Valentino. Kerr's body slammed into his and the two flew up, off the ground, and into the wall. The room shook, and I jumped to my feet. I no longer cared if my body was covered or not.

Kerr was bleeding again, but now so was Valentino. I tried to push my way between them, but was met with a fist to the face. My head snapped back and my cheek felt like it was going to explode. I staggered backwards and tried to steady myself using a chair. My fingers ran over the smooth wood and a thought came to mind. I kicked out hard and the chair slammed into the wall, shattering into pieces in the process. I slid my foot under a piece of wood and kicked it up high into the air. I put my hand out and caught it without thought.

I raced at the men and saw that Kerr had just pressed Valentino's body to the wall. I ran past him with the wooden leg of the chair held firmly in my hand. I knew how to end this, somewhere deep inside of me I knew. I pulled my arm back and went to drive the stake into Valentino's chest. Kerr caught my wrist and jerked my body back. ”NO!”

I looked at him with wild eyes. Valentino laughed as he wiped the blood from his lip. ”If you kill me, Linnea, you die too. It is the price you pay for being mine. Now, come to me and obey your master. I have needs, and your mouth can attend to them.”

There was something in his voice, something that made me want to do as he said. I put my hand out and Kerr touched it lightly.

Any thought I had of going to Valentino left the moment Kerr's fingers slid around mine.

Valentino turned and stormed towards the door. Kerr pulled me to him and I didn't fight when he lifted me into his arms. He took me and set me down on the edge of the bed. He turned and went to the chest nearest him, and came back with a long white nightgown.

”Here, put this on. He'll be back you know, and you can be sure he'll think of a way to separate us. He and I have not seen eye to eye since we met, he'll not be takin' the loss of you lightly. I expect that he'll come after you harder, now that he knows how I feel about you.” He began to turn away, but I reached out and touched his hand. It was so large and rough. It looked like it should be smooth and silky, but it wasn't. I pulled it to my face and put the palm of his hand on my cheek. I didn't care that it was rough. I just wanted to feel his touch.

He dropped down in front of me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and let his head fall into my lap. ”Linnea, I never thought I'd see you again. I prayed.” He let out a laugh as he said this and then went on. ”I prayed everyday that you'd fall from the sky near me and we'd be together again. I never met to hurt you. I did not know it was you until it was too late. So many times before I've thought a woman was you, only to find out that it was just my imagination running wild again.” He hugged me tighter and kissed my thigh. ”You finally come to me and I end up handing you right to the demons I died trying to save you from. I'm so sorry, Linnea, can you ever forgive me?”

I touched his head and let my fingers run through his red hair. I had no idea what he talked about, but he was upset and wanted my forgiveness, so I gave it to him. ”It's okay, everything will be fine.” Kerr lifted his head slowly and planted a kiss on my lower abdomen. My body tightened under his touch. I put my hand on his cheek and tried to remember him. I tried to remember anything about myself. I came up empty. Kerr's eyes closed and his head tipped to the side.

”Do not strain yerself. You won't remember who I am for a long, long time, but when you do I will be there. I have seen it, and it gives me hope. We will be together again, as we once were, as we had planned on being, but not for a very long time.”

Every word that fell from his lips sounded so sweet. I loved listening to him speak. There was something about him, something that I couldn't put my finger on, and I knew that he was wrong. We'd be together sooner than he thought.

I lifted his head and brought my lips to his. He didn't respond to my advances. ”No, Linnea, you do not have to do this out of pity for me. One day you will see me the way you once did, and I am willing to wait for the centuries for that to happen. I do not want you to have any regrets about us.”

He rose to his feet and handed the gown to me. I took it from him and dropped it on the bed next to me. I stood up and let the sheets fall away as I walked towards the door.

”Linnea, where do you think yer goin'?”

”I need to feed.”

”You fed from me, and my blood should sustain you for several days.”

I turned to him and looked into his blue eyes. ”That's not the hunger that I need to feed.”

I saw the realization of what I told him cross over his strong face. ”What have I done to you?”

I shrugged my shoulders and took another step towards the door. The air s.h.i.+fted slightly behind me and I knew that Kerr was there. His hands hovered near my back. I could sense the struggle within him, but I didn't care. I'd known him all of a day. I may have felt an attachment to him, but it wasn't stronger than my need for s.e.x. Glancing back, I saw the hesitation on his face.

”Either f.u.c.k me, or let me leave to go and find someone who will,” I said, void of any real emotion.

”Linnea, all I've wanted to do for the past thirty-five years is be in you, and hold you again, but I want it to be you, not whatever it is that stands before me now.” He grabbed me and spun me around. He shook my shoulders as he yelled at me to remember him.

”I don't know you! Don't you understand that?”

He let go of me and I fell backwards. He tried to pick me up, but I jerked my arm away from him. ”Linnea, if I told you our history you'd be in great danger. Valentino would destroy you, just to get back at me. He hates that I am not quite forty years dead and as powerful as he is. He has been alive for many centuries and he does not share power well.”

I pushed off the floor and ran for the door. Kerr tackled me and we both hit the floor. I looked up at him, strangely excited by his aggression. He started to apologize to me, but I licked his neck. ”Do it again,” I said.

”Linnea,” he said, pinning my body to the floor. I could feel him growing hard under his pants, and I could smell his desire for me.

Each breath I took made my body grow damp. I tried to kiss him, but he turned his head from me. Anger spread throughout me quickly. Heat flared and I looked up to see that I held a small ball of fire. Kerr saw it too. ”No, Linnea, you don't want to do this.

When you remember me you will regret this.”

I looked up at the fire that seemed to spin in my hand and smiled. ”You'll regret this more if you don't get off of me.”

Chapter 21

I pushed the inn to the door open. After I'd left Kerr I'd felt drawn to here. I had gotten some odd looks from pa.s.serby in the street, no doubt from my wearing only a thin night gown, but I didn't care. I needed to get to the inn, but I didn't know why. I felt someone watching me again, and knew that Kerr was still there. I'd been sensing him since I'd left. I hadn't actually seen him yet, but I knew that he was there.

”Madame, what are you doing walking around in that,” a short pudgy man asked as I walked into the inn. ”Your party has been looking for you for three days now. Where have you been?”

I moved closer to him. He had a smell about him, not offensive, but rather the smell of something wrong-something evil. I took a deeper breath and closed my eyes. I saw this fat little man touching little boys, in ways that he shouldn't. He forced himself on them, using them to pleasure himself. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was evil, even more than me. I couldn't allow him to hurt another child so I took matters into my own hands. I grabbed hold of him and bared his neck. My teeth grew, as I knew they would and I sank them deep into him. I drank until I could drink no more, and then I drained him, careful not to get blood all over my white gown.

I dropped his limp body to the floor and licked my lips clean of him. I heard something then, something familiar. I moved towards the staircase and listened closer.

”I don't give a d.a.m.n what Alodie says. We need more men here to find Valerie,” a deep voice said.

”Beau, we can't risk the men. I love her too. She just finally agreed to marry me.”

I knew that voice. I took the stairs two at a time and ran towards the voices. I hit the door and it burst open. Two men stood before me. One with short, dark brown hair and tanned skin, the other with long blonde hair and pale skin, both looked shocked to see me.

”Valerie,” the brown-haired said, running towards me. He swept me up in his arms and spun me around. ”Gregory and I thought you were dead, we thought that ... oh, G.o.d, Val, you're ... cold.” He touched my cheek as he put me down. ”You're ice cold, Val, what's wrong?”

”Get away from it, Beau!” the blonde one yelled.

Beau turned to the tall blonde and I could sense his confusion. ”Gregory, what's going on ... Val's back. She's....”

Gregory lifted his hand and Beau was sent hurtling away from me. I looked down at the man on the floor and smiled. My tongue ran over my fangs and his eyes widened. I turned to Gregory and started towards him. He flicked his wrist in my direction and I felt like someone had just hit me with a bat in the stomach. I clutched my midriff and fell to my knees.

Beau screamed out and tried to run to me, but Gregory stopped him. ”She'd kill you without a second thought. That's not Valerie.”

I was confused. ”Why do you call me this? My name is Linnea.” I tried to stand up, but he sent another wave of his magic at me. I screamed out and clutched the rug. ”Why do hurt me? I am drawn to you, and you hurt me?” I could feel the tears welling up, and wasn't sure why.

Gregory looked at Beau and ordered him out of the room. Beau protested and Gregory looked at me. ”I made you a promise in South America. We promised to destroy the other if we ever fell victim to the demon side.”

”NO!” Beau screamed out. Gregory sent his power out at Beau and hit him with such a force that he was knocked unconscious.