A Diamond at Midnight (4 page)

Cain raised his head and callously stared as the man started to choke, uselessly flailing his arms and legs. He wanted him to suffer, measure by measure, until he’d squeezed every bit of life from his body. In his mind, all he could see was
Diamonique’s
tongue stroking.
Diamonique’s
lips suckling. A killing frenzy blocked out every rational thought.

Then a whisper of sound registered. Only
Diamonique’s
soft voice could penetrate the layers of rage that was upon him. She was
pleading,
her desperation and grief stopped him cold. “Please don’t, Cain.”

The sadness in her voice was the only thing capable of bringing him back to reality.

“Please.”

Cain spun around and growled, “You wish for him to live?”

She nodded.

“Why? Do you care for this one?” If she said yes, he would snap the fop’s neck.

Diamond belonged to
him
. No mortal or immortal would have her and live.

She shook her head. “I don’t even know him. He was only a means of sustenance, nothing more, I swear it.” Her shoulders slumped.

Cain searched her gaze. Finally, he released his hold, satisfied that she was not attempting to deceive him. The human fell to the street like a clump of dirt, then gagged and coughed as he attempted to drag precious oxygen into his starving lungs. Cain merely stepped over him, grasped
Diamonique’s
arm and hauled her out of the alley. He needed to get her alone, out of the city, away from other males. Never had he experienced anything as intense as this feeling of…what?

Jealousy?

Cain wasn’t the type to get jealous. Women had simply never meant enough to him to inspire such powerful emotion.

Until now.

“Come with me,” Cain growled, grateful when
Diamonique
acquiesced.

Within seconds, they both shifted into the shape of dark-winged creatures and took to the night sky.
Diamonique’s
small, delicate form easily kept pace beside him. The memory of teaching her how to
shapeshift
and take flight came to him unbidden. He still heard
Diamonique’s
sweet laughter filling his mind as she teased him to keep up. Cain ruthlessly forced the memory away. It wouldn’t do to break concentration several hundred feet in the air.

He flew until he reached the edge of the city. When he spotted a clearing in a small patch of woods, Cain descended, changing back to his clothed human form as he landed and
Diamonique
followed suit. The instant her feet hit the ground he clutched her by the shoulders and brought her around to face him. They stood so close he could feel her quick choppy breaths on his neck, feel the rise and fall of her breasts. But the vision of her mouth on the man in the alley had yet to leave his mind.

“You have no idea what you do to my head, do you?” His words came out harsher than he’d intended.

She closed her eyes, as if gathering herself, then whispered, “What do you want from me? Why bring me out here?”

“You are in danger, Diamond.”

She shook her head, and he watched a tear trail down her cheek. Suddenly, her image blurred and too late she was gone. Lights and colors were already dancing on the ground and over the cliff’s edge, filling the spot where she stood with warmth.

Diamonique
was gone, and he hadn’t told her about the Dark Dominion. He hadn’t been able to tell her why her life was in danger. But he would find her. She might be able to hide her presence from others, but never him. Even though he’d left her alone these last one hundred years, he’d never truly been far away.

Cain closed his eyes and let his soul seek hers. It was easy enough, considering how many times he’d done it over the years. Her life essence was a sparkling light inside his dark soul. It only took seconds to see that she’d gone to her townhouse.

Predictable.
He would go to her, explain the peril she was in and then he would take her somewhere safe. Once he knew for certain he’d eliminated the threat to her life; he would take his time in coaxing out the Diamond he’d known so well. He’d show her immeasurable pleasure. Cain would bathe her in it, and once again, she would lower those damned walls and let him in.

When he dematerialized and reappeared outside her apartment building, Cain closed his eyes and sought his beautiful Diamond. Their blood bond brought her image to him with ease. She was standing in her living room, her mind a flurry of activity. Her thoughts were on fleeing the city. Damn good idea, but she’d be leaving with him, not alone.

He’d lost her for too long already. Suddenly, he no longer cared about his enemies. All he wanted was to feast on her body.
To seal their bond further.

Cain allowed his body to dissolve into a thousand particles of mist. He soared upwards and slipped inside her apartment, unnoticed. Once again solid muscle and flesh, he cleared his throat.

Diamonique
swung around, startled.

“You do not take proper precautions, love. It’s too dangerous for you to let down your defenses so completely. I taught you better than that.”

“Get out! You aren’t welcome here, Cain.”

Anger and passion warred inside his body. He flew across the room until he stood directly in front of her, grabbed her arms,
then
growled, “I go where you go. You are in danger, Diamond. You may not realize it, but you are no longer safe alone.”

“I’m not safe with
you
!” She flung back, rage showing in her gorgeous features, as she attempted to yank herself out of his arms.

In a calmer tone, he murmured, “I have enemies who know of you. They wish to hurt me by killing you. So, from now on, I am your shadow. Like it or not, I don’t really give a damn. I go where you go.”

Diamonique
rolled her eyes. “What are you talking about? You aren’t making any sense.”

Cain released her and sighed. “Sit down. I have a story to tell you.” She was hesitant, but in the end, she sat quietly and waited for him to continue. “
Sareena
knew about you, Diamond. She knew I cared for you, and she sought to make me pay by going to the Dark Dominion. They tortured her, after she told them all about the ancient blood that flows in your veins.
My
ancient blood.
They killed her.”

“Go on.”

“The Dominion will do anything for power. They’re twisted and depraved and believe that an ancient’s life force gives them immeasurable power, makes them stronger. It’s nonsense, of course, but there’s no reasoning with them. Their leader, Rafael, is deranged. He takes innocents and turns them immortal against their will. Crazy as it sounds Rafael thinks the stronger a person’s willpower the more potent the blood. He learned very quickly that I have a very strong will and he’ll do anything to harness that power for himself. I turned out to be the perfect prey because I had no ties. No family. My father had already tossed me to the street and forgotten about me.
A nobody
. More importantly, I was tough, determined. Rafael gets a real high off of forcing the stronger ones to their knees. It’s a form of pleasure to him. With me he had a lot of time to play because I refused to submit...at first.”
Diamonique
shuddered, but he continued. “Once you have Dark Dominion blood in your veins there is no escape. As part of the initiation, you’re put in a dark soundproof room. The sensory-deprivation brainwashing they put the new
recruits
 
through
is sheer hell.” He
shuddered
thinking back to those awful days. When no one was around, he’d prayed for death but was never granted such luxury.

“They don’t give you any blood for the first three days and nights,
then
on the fourth evening you’re given a few drops.
Barely enough to survive, but more than enough to start your cravings.”
Cain swallowed back the bile that rose up at the thought of how he’d begged for more. “Insanity comes quickly.”

She narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious. “I’ve heard horrible rumors of The Dominion, and I remember what you said they did to you, but why me? Why would they want me when they could just come for you?”

“With me they would have quite a fight on their hands. I figured out how to separate myself from them. But with you, a mere fledgling, they could drain you dry before you even realized what was happening.”

“How many of them are there? Can I fight them?”

Two strides and Cain was kneeling in front of her. “They are a small group, but you will have no chance against them. They have been around much longer than you, love; longer than me. If they come anywhere near this apartment, I would sense it immediately. No matter how much you wish me gone. It’s not safe.” Cain hoped he was telling the truth about keeping her safe. The alternative was too horrific to consider.

“Why would you sense them and I wouldn’t? What aren’t you telling me, Cain?”

Damn, she was too smart for her own good sometimes.

“The one who started the small band of rebels, Rafael, is my creator. He’s had it in for me since Lucas, his son, left The Dominion. He blames me because I helped Lucas escape.” He paused. “If Rafael comes sniffing around, I’ll sense it, which is a good thing. The bad is Rafael can also find
me
. ”

“It just figures that you would be able to pick out a twisted vampire at fifty paces. What I don’t understand is why Rafael has waited until now to hunt you.”

“I’m not sure. Maybe he didn’t think anything he could do to me personally would be enough. Since he learned about you, he knows my Achilles heel.”

“How nice, comparing me to a body part.”

He chuckled at her disgruntled attitude and stood.

She watched him, wary.

“So, you see now why I must stick to you like glue?”

She nodded and looked away.

He took that moment to examine her apartment. Cain liked the colorful décor. She’d always had a penchant towards ancient Egypt, and her choice of furniture and wall hangings clearly reflected that. “You have a nice place here.”

“Thank you, but don’t get too cozy, you’re only staying long enough to eliminate the threat,
then
you’re gone.”

He
grinned .“
Of course, love.”

Chapter Four

Diamonique
rose abruptly, dismissing Cain as if he were an insect, then started walking down the hallway. She could feel him following close behind. She turned and growled, “What are you doing?”

“Scanning our surroundings for any sign of a threat.
This is something you should be doing as well, Diamond.”