Avador Book 2, Night Shadows (12 page)

She had to admit, if only to herself, that his argument held merit. She may have been sheltered for much of her life, but she was no longer a naive child.  Not everyone is honorable; hadn't her real father said that more than once? A sudden wave of nostalgia washed over her. A hundred memories teased her brain, traces of people and places she might never see again. She missed her real father so much, this dear man who now dwelled in the Otherworld. Her mother and brother–would she ever see them again? Her village, her friends in Ros Creda, and Tillie, her horse–all these images flooded her mind and saddened her heart.

Gaderian stood, reaching his hand toward her. "Come, let's walk for a while. It's too lovely a night to sit on a bench so close to all the taverns." He smiled that smile of his that could melt the heart of a demon.

As if by mutual agreement, they headed for the meadow, hand-in-hand. She reveled in the breeze that bathed her face, the heavens bright with a full moon and millions of glimmering stars. But more than the moon or stars, Gaderian's nearness aroused her like a lover's kiss, like the beat of a thousand drums. She liked his tall, sinewy build, his erect posture and easy walk that spoke of confidence. With each step, a burning need kindled inside her, a fever in her blood, as though life had been a cold abyss up to now. With a look full of meaning, Gaderian wrapped his arm around her waist and eased her closer; her legs weak, her body heavy with passion.

After passing Aventina's Way with its magnificent structures and Talmora's Temple, they arrived at the meadow, the breeze stronger here, the waters of the Nantosuelta glimmering by the moonlight.

Needing no words, they reached for each other.  They kissed hungrily, as if they'd been

separated for years, as though there would be no tomorrow. To kiss him like this, to be held in his arms–ah, this was pure rapture, his kisses magic!  She tangled her fingers in his long locks, then let her hands roam to his neck and down his back, touching ever ridge and muscle, delighting in the joy she gave and received, the passion deep within her she never knew she possessed. Through the thin material of his tunic, she felt an unfamiliar pressure against her belly. With a swift awareness of the bulge, she gloried in his arousal, in his passion.  He slid his hands down to her buttocks and held her tight against him, then released, as if taunting her, teasing her, driving her out of her mind until Gaderian was her world, his kisses all that mattered. He feathered kisses from her lips to her throat, then up to her earlobe, his mouth settling on hers again, kissing her long and fully as his fingers made sensual magic on her skin. He eased her away from him and caressed her breast; she gasped with pure pleasure as a slow heat spread throughout her body, an ache in her feminine core, a need like nothing she'd ever known. Her legs felt weak, and she knew she would slide to the ground if he didn't support her. Yet she knew they must stop now, for if they didn't, they would never be able to. With a heart-wrenching reluctance, she drew back, sorry for the agony she was causing him.

"Ah, Fianna," he said with desperation in his voice. "What are we going to do?" He whispered in her ear, "I want you so much, more than anyone I've ever wanted in my life."

And it's the same with me, she wanted to say, but could only give him a look deep with yearning. She knew they must end this madness but didn't want to stop; she could stay with him all night long and never tire of his kisses, his caresses. Yes, and for all their nights to come, until the end of time

He stepped back, his face revealing his anguish. "You're driving me crazy, do you know that? Do you know what I want to do to you–with you? Do you know how I hunger for you?"

She could only nod, finding no words to reveal her desire for him, this sweet yearning inside her that she must deny herself–and him, for where would it lead them? Once they made love, she could never live without the pleasure he alone could give. And how much did she know about him? Would he still be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the next? But Goddess, would she ever satisfy this craving for him that still burned inside her, this reminder of how much she wanted to make love with him!

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You don't need to say a word, my darling. I had better take you back."

Chapter Ten

Returned from Ros Creda over two nine-days later, Stilo headed for Kane's apartment building, not far from his own, a magnificent structure of sarsen stone, with bas relief figures of gods and goddesses that embellished the outside. Splendid oak trees lined both sides of the cobblestone street that led to the apartment building, and an occasional rose bush added color and a lovely aroma. Mostly well-dressed men and women strolled the streets in this hour of early evening, when dusk had descended over the city and the air cooled with the sun's sinking on the eastern horizon. Grand apartment buildings and mansions comprised this area of the city on Granno's Way, where prosperous merchants and government officials resided, not to mention a few bandregas, unknown to the others.

Before he'd left Moytura, Stilo had torn down the sign the courier had posted to the village bulletin board, in which Angus Kendall had offered a reward for Fianna's capture. A spurt of optimism quickened his stride, for he intended to try again to ensnare this beautiful woman, first using his magic to erase the memory of his previous failure from her mind.

Rain fell from leaden skies, beginning as a drizzle, soon becoming a downpour. Men and women rushed for shelter, heading for their own homes. Stilo dashed through the streets, keeping close to the buildings as lightning scorched the sky and bursts of light fell all around him.

Brushing raindrops from his hair and clothes, Stilo knocked on Kane's door at the ground level and was ushered inside the spacious apartment, where oil lamps revealed a long blue velvet sofa, a few occasional chairs of the same material, and a thick sheepskin rug. Where Kane's wife was he didn't know and couldn't care less. The bandrega women had learned long ago to recognize the men as their masters and knew their subservient place in society, their purpose to provide sex, produce children, and manage the household.

He handed a leather satchel to Kane. "The rings, more to come very soon."

"Ah, yes." Kane gestured toward a chair. "Sit down," he said, taking a place across from him on the sofa. Since Stilo was with a fellow bandrega, he'd dropped the glamour upon his entrance, both men revealing a feral look to their faces, long ears and noses, their furry hands with claws.

"Only one hundred rings here," Stilo offered, "not nearly enough for all the bandregas."

The leader scratched his chin. "Almost time for our people to journey to the sacred well in Magh Eamhainn. That would be the best time to distribute the rings, when all of us are together." He opened the satchel and withdrew a ring, studying it from all angles by the light of an oil lamp on the table. "When I hand them out, it must be on a first-come, first-served basis. You know there are always stragglers who arrive at the well long after many of us have left. Perhaps when they see what they have missed, it will encourage them to arrive on time next moonphase. And some of our kind never do appear at Magh Eamhainn, preferring to stay as they are. Fools, who don't know what they are missing." He frowned. "I will enforce the rule, that all of our kind must appear at the sacred well at the beginning of every moonphase. If they don't, they will be ostracized, driven from the city."

Kane's eyes lit up. "As for the rings, do you see what this means? Any vampire who attacks us will find we disappear as soon as they bite and draw blood." His voice rose in anger. "For too long, we have existed at the mercy of the undead. Time we fought back. And now that we have fooled the mortals of Avador into thinking it is the vampires who are killing them, we will soon be rid of the undead. Only a matter of time." 

Stilo frowned. "Yet we still have not gained immortality, not even I, part vampire that I am."

"Ah, immortality!" Kane sat back, a look of cunning on his face. "Did you know I have several bandregas working on this very attribute? No, I can see you didn't know. That was the purpose of my visit to Fomoria, to discuss this matter with the bandrega leader there." He made a face. "A backward country, Fomoria, the mortals so primitive compared to those of Avador. But soon we will conquer them all," he said, gesturing widely, "the mortals of Avador and Fomoria, eventually the rest of the continent. Yes, and the vampires, too. We will defeat them all! But first, we must gain immortality, a matter of adding the right ingredients to the well water in Magh Eamhainn." He smiled slyly. "There will be no stopping us then."

"Let that day come soon!" Stilo pounded his clawed fist on his knee. "Get rid of the vampires and mortals of Avador, then the entire continent."

"Patience, my dear Stilo, patience." He leaned forward. "Until then, we still have our many skills. We can practice black magic and make ourselves look human. We can seduce mortal women by applying the glamour, to make ourselves appear handsome and virile."

Except that his planned seduction of Fianna hadn't worked, Stilo silently lamented, damn Gaderian Wade! But he would try again . . . and soon.

Kane's voice jerked him back to the moment. "A little less than one nine-day 'til the next moonphase. We shall all gather at the sacred well at Magh Eamhainn then."

Stilo snickered. "Strange that the humans have not caught on to us. Here we move among them and they don't know what we are." He paused. "No, not really strange. They think we disappeared long ago, stupid mortals! We are truly clever in applying the glamour. And now that we've made it look as if the vampires are killing the mortals–"

"Queen Keriam has offered a reward for the capture of the vampires," Kane finished with a sharp look Stilo's way.

"I could turn in every vampire I know," Stilo said, "and believe me, I know many. But it suits my purpose–our purpose–to mingle with them, discover their plans. Later, when the time is right, I'll tell on them. Let the authorities turn them out in the sunlight. It will soon be obvious that they are the undead." He smirked. "Let them burn to ashes. Only think of the reward money I'll collect. Their leader is feckless, no help at all to them. Spends more time with his mistresses than he does in guiding the undead." He paused. "I find my bandrega half growing stronger all the time. By the time I turn them in, I should be able to endure the sunlight myself."

"What about the vampire you were telling me about a few ninedays ago–what's his name?" Kane asked.

"Gaderian Wade. I've heard that he aims to become leader of the undead, a goal I will do everything possible to prevent. Much better for us if Orrick remains the vampire leader, lazy bastard that he is." He smiled slyly. "Funny how those vampires talk among themselves when they think no one else is listening. I pick up much information that way."

"I've seen Wade with that new scryer at the Snow Leopard." Kane licked his lips. "What a woman! Beautiful face, tempting body . . ."

"Angharad Cullain," Stilo said, irritation increasing his heartbeat. He didn't want to hear anyone else speak of Fianna, nor would he tell even his own leader her real name. "She fancies that she cares for Wade, but I intend to change her mind."

"Let us rid ourselves of Gaderian Wade. Something tells me he wants to destroy us." Kane spoke matter-of-factly. "A determined man such as he is a hindrance to our plans. Just as well that Orrick remains their leader." His harsh facial features tightened. "Destroy Gaderian Wade!"

"Oh, I intend to," Stilo agreed. "But give me time. For one thing, I need to revive myself at the sacred well, since it's about time for all of us to travel there again. Just as important, I mean to seduce Angharad Cullain, and I want to make Wade suffer by seeing that she belongs to me." He looked out the wide window, where blackness covered the city, with only street lamps illuminating the cobblestones. He turned back to Kane. "Just you wait. Soon enough, I will destroy Gaderian Wade."

* * *

Sporting his new ring less than one nineday later, a bandrega prowled the streets of Moytura, looking for sex with a mortal woman. Nighttime had long since fallen over the capital, most of the stores and shops locked up, their awnings secured. Mostly clothing shops lined both sides of the street, interspersed with an occasional hat shop or shoe store. In this, one of the less desirable parts of the city, a few vagrants wandered the streets, and here and there a shopkeeper hurried home after a long work day.

Ah, yes, he could have a good time with a bandrega woman, the man silently acknowledged, but sex with a mortal woman added much more spice and excitement, especially if that woman fought his hold. A struggle and the inevitable conquest heightened his enjoyment and gave him a sense of power. Driven wild with desire, his body hardened until it became near painful as his gaze covered the streets and alleys for a human female. He knew he looked his best, as handsome and appealing as any mortal man, with his dark hair and straight nose, full lips. But where was a woman for him to fornicate? He lightly caressed his engorged penis, and wave after wave of longing heated his body. He dropped his hand, and through force of will, dampened his passion, reluctant to give himself away too soon.

There! A few yards ahead, a young woman stepped out from a dress shop and locked the door, obviously done for the day. She was young and pretty, he observed as he approached her, studying her even features and trim figure, her provocative breasts, neither too full nor too small, just the way he liked them. He clenched his hand, imagining how he would fondle those breasts, squeezing the luscious fruit, sucking on her nipples. He wouldn't seek quick gratification, he vowed as he drew nearer, but liked to make his sexual experience last. And these shop girls were so easy to seduce.