Bound (The Grandor Descendant Series Book 3) (50 page)

“Don’t let the blood lust consume you. Don’t forget who you are,” he said, throwing something small and silver at her.

With the reflexes of an immortal, Ari caught it. She looked down and realised that it was the charm bracelet that Ragon had given her. She stared in confusion at the small silver letter
J
, the tiny gold frangipani flower, the locket which she knew contained the image of her mother and father, and suddenly she knew. She was Ariana Sol; these people were her friends… her family. She would not hurt them. She had to get out of here.

“Give her some space,” said Ragon, looking angrily at the coven, as if her actions were their fault.

All around her the coven stood still, as if hoping to anticipate what she would do next, while trying not to alienate her. Slowly Ari shook her head. The desire for blood screamed at her, roared inside her core, demanding that she steal the precious life sources of those around her. Her eyes fell on Ragon. He was watching her carefully, an angry look on his face, though Ari thought it might have been guilt. She knew that there was nothing else she could do. She couldn’t stay in this house, not with all this blood. But what other option was there?

“I have to get out of here,” she said slowly, her eyes tracing the door, where tiny beams of bright sunshine crept through the gaps.

“No, you can’t go out there,” screamed Ragon. “The sun! Ari it will kill you. It’s ok… it’s ok. We’re all like this in the beginning. Just come with me. I’ll get you more blood. I promise, everything will be ok. Trust me.”

Her mind was screaming, a thousand strangled cries echoing inside her head, all telling her to do something different. Kill them all; drink their blood; save yourself; kill yourself. Jamie wasn’t a monster like she was when he became a vampire. He didn’t attack people like a crazed, blood thirsty fiend. Maybe she couldn’t handle vampirism? Maybe she was never meant to become an immortal?

Slowly Ari shook her head. She couldn’t fight with the impulse to attack for much longer. She could either stay here or leave, and though it took all her willpower, she raced to the front door. The moment she touched the handle, Ragon blurred towards her, reaching for her as he tried to pull her back. In an instant she threw the door open and hot sunshine poured inside. She heard Ragon scream, the sun hitting his marble body as it licked at his flesh, and she quickly raced through it, slamming it shut as she met the sunshine in a burst of icy fire. She had done it. She had saved them.      

“NO!” she heard Ragon shout again, and then there were other screams as the coven restrained him, clearly desperate to stop him from joining Ari’s fate.

Bright hot sunshine met her skin and Ari screamed as she felt it’s warmth against her frozen flesh. Instantly she fell to her knees, knowing what was coming and waited. This was the right thing to do. She couldn’t, no she wouldn’t be responsible for hurting her friends, not after everything they had already been through.

The milliseconds stretched into seconds and soon Ari became confused; she was not burning, but why? Slowly she opened her eyes, staring up at the cruel sun in disbelief. There was no doubt about it, the sky was perfect and blue, the large golden orb sitting high above the few fluffy white clouds, delivering what should have been the necessary light to snuff out her newly acquired immortal life. But it did not.

She held her hands out to the bright sunshine, which met her skin with nothing more than gentle warmth. Then she heard the sound of the door to Ragon’s house open and she raced away, blurring into the distance before anyone could see her, desperate to put as much distance between herself and the temptation of her friend’s blood.

As Ari ran, she watched the fields blur around her in a whirl of emerald green. But as an immortal her eyes were sharper. She could see every facet of the world more clearly than ever before. Many miles away there were birds in the trees, whose sweet song reached her as she ran, serenading her in chirps of perfect harmony. From the lakes that she passed, she could see the many fish that swam below, feeding on the moss that covered the rocks, their long silvery tails stirring the water, sending tiny bubbles up to ripple the water’s surface.

Finally, when she had reached the end of Ragon’s estate, she sat down, lying in the tall wet grass which lined a small pine forest. Her hair spread out majestically underneath her, and she allowed the nearby trees to feather her with sprinkles of pine needles as time stretched on. As each one fell against her body she beamed, admiring the way they brushed against her hard flesh, almost gently, as if they were twirling on her body.

Ari didn’t know how long she remained there. The shadows cast by the fading sun had begun to lengthen and soon the song birds of the day had been replaced by the gentle hoot of owls, searching for field mice or other prey that might come their way. Ari watched them carefully, taking mental notes as their silent wings glided through the still sky, thinking that she should learn how to mimic their predatory nature. Again the desire for blood was growing strong, but she tried to push away the thought of returning to Ragon’s house, where she knew Chris, Lea, Riley and Rya would be waiting. She couldn’t think about them at all, not the guilt or the desire; her emotions were too strong right now. 

Suddenly she felt the presence of someone near her and she crouched down, cat-like in the tall grass and waited. She knew it was Ragon even before she saw him. There was a presence about him, almost like an invisible force that pulled her to him. Slowly she stood up, appearing from the tall grass almost miraculously. Ari frowned; thick clear tears were streaming down his face and when he locked eyes with her, he near bolted her down as he blurred to her, pinning her to the ground then hugging her hard.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” he said, his eyes tracing her body, wanting to make quit certain that she was alright. “I thought you were dead. I watched you walk in the sun and then you were gone. But I could still fell you. I have been wandering around here since it got dark…”

But then his words seemed to fail him, and he let a few more wayward tears fall from his eyes.

“I thought I lost you,” he said, just as a loud rumble sounded above and the sky broke, sending thick raindrops down onto them. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t you burn? It was the middle of the day and… and there were no clouds.”

Ari, who had been captured by his perfect voice, shook herself, finally saying, “I don’t know. I thought I would. I knew it was the only way to keep Chris safe, but the sun didn’t hurt me. So I stayed here. I didn’t want to risk going back.”

Ragon laughed, and Ari felt the warmth of it hit her like a tonne of bricks, thinking how magical his voice sounded with laughter behind it. It reminded her of the first time she’d seen him smile. She’s watched him for years at the university, secretly wondering how handsome he would be if he laughed. Now, with her immortal vision, his smile filled her with joy.

“Your Grandor magic keeps surprising me,” he said, sitting upright as he stood and then pulled her up to join him.

Instantly Ari dug her feet into ground.

“I can’t go back there; what if I hurt Chris?” she said, then her eyes widened in fear and she added, “What if I hurt Rya?”

“Just listen to my voice,” said Ragon, his mouth moving slowly while many tiny rain droplets formed over his perfect marble lips. “You’re a good person Ari. You can control this.”

Ari tried hard to focus on the soothing sound of his voice, but the burning demon in her throat demanded feeding and she knew that she longed for blood more than anything else.

“I don’t think I can control myself. What if I can’t? Jamie, he could control himself from the beginning, almost from the moment he was turned, but I… I don’t think I can.”

“You’re so beautiful,” said Ragon, reaching for something in his coat. “It’s ok,” he added, for when Ari had seen him reach for his coat, she had stepped back, afraid.

Quickly he held out his hand, showing her what he had retrieved. Ari looked down at the small piece of glass in confusion. Inching closer, she realised that it was a mirror. He positioned it so that she could see her reflection. Seeing her mirror image, bought Ari back to reality; she wasn’t a monster… she was Ariana Sol. Her skin was white as snow and her dark brown hair was now a rich chocolate colour, as if immortality had highlighted it like no hairdresser could. One of her eyes remained green and the other blue, and when she smiled she saw her fangs. Quickly her hand raced to her lips, wiping the dried blood away, desperate to remove all reminders of attacking Chris.

“Is Chris… is he alright? What have I done?” she asked, moving to Ragon’s side and falling into his open arms. 

“It was only natural. Besides, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have dropped the tray. You would have had your first taste of blood and then you could have gone down and seen the others after feeding. The first time we feed, it’s impossible to control the thirst. I shouldn’t have left you.”

“Is Chris alright?” she asked again, wincing slightly as she recalled tearing through his flesh.

Ragon laughed and said, “He’s fine.”

Ari sighed. She felt so ashamed of her actions. She couldn’t let herself lose control ever again. She needed to find a way to curb her thirst while she adjusted to immortality.

“I need you to teach me how to hunt,” she said, standing suddenly and pulling Ragon with her.

As she moved, the rain seemed to slow around her, and when she looked up, she watched as each drop of water fell from the heavens and then settled in the world. It was soothing, watching their progression down to earth, and she let this feeling encase her, pushing away the longing for blood which still plagued her.   

Chapter 27- First Hunt

For the next few days, Ari did not return to the Young estate but remained in the nearby woods with Ragon, learning how to feed and control her thirst. After the first day, Ragon had suggested that they return but Ari had been adamant that she would not risk seeing her friends until she was sure she could control her cravings. The thought of attacking Rya was unbearable and it was this more than anything that spurred her on.

The pair hunted mainly in the nearby village, stalking their prey from a thick conifer forest that lined the narrow lane ways. Soon Ari had mastered not only her speed but also the act of taking blood without killing. Ragon had started her with animals to begin with and once she had mastered her thirst with them, had said that she could move onto people, something that she had been secretly longing for.

On their second night, Ari and Ragon had found a village pub with a small inn attached. The pair politely refused the plumb bartender who had offered them a table at the dingy restaurant, and instead stalked the bar, waiting for someone to come in. To Ari’s delight, three men from a local fishing village soon walked inside, sat down at the bar and ordered large frothy pints of beer.

“Just remember what we talked about,” said Ragon.

Ari and Ragon were opposite the men at the bar, watching as the trio sipped leisurely at their beers, while talking about their trawling for the day.

“Did ye see the salmon though?” said the youngest of the men.

He looked to be about thirty, with bright orange hair and an almost indiscernible Irish accent.

“Aye,” replied another of the men.

Ari watched as the red head drained his glass then moved over to the bathroom, where two crude representations of a male and a female sign hung above separate doors. As surreptitiously as she could manage, Ari tried not to blur after him, but kept her distance, hoping to personify the way that Ragon had told her to check with her senses that she wasn’t being watched. When she rounded the corner, she almost ran straight into her prey.

“Cuse me miss,” the red head said.

For a moment Ari stared at him. Thinking hard, she forced her face into a smile and then curled her finger at him, trying to be as seductive as possible.

“Follow me,” she said, walking straight past him and into the empty restaurant she had been shown earlier.

Ari had seen the look on the man’s face change in a flash. She could sense his confusion behind her, but then smiled to herself when she felt him race after her.

The restaurant was small, crammed with many tiny tables which were all set up elegantly for patrons, though no one was there. She closed her eyes, wanting to make quit sure that the room was empty, and then heard the door to the restaurant close behind her. Spinning around, she saw the red head, his hand still outstretched against the golden handle of the door. Only his heart beat drummed in her ears, confirming that she was indeed alone with him.  

“This must be me lucky night,” he said, a look of longing plain on his face.

Ari smiled ruefully; not his lucky night but mine, she thought.

The man took one step towards her and then froze. Ari’s fangs had unsheathed themselves. Instantly she lunged at him, annoyed at making her prey feel afraid before she could take the necessary bite that would allow her to command him. The moment her teeth sunk through his flesh, she felt his racing heart begin to slow. No longer did the coppery tang of blood taste foul but invigorating, and she felt lustful as she drank deeply.

Her tongue lashed against his wrist, collecting the blood that threatened to fall to the ground and be wasted. And then she felt her mind connect to his. It was a strange phenomenon; though she had heard about this ritualistic process so many times before from the other coven members, no amount of explanation could prepare her for the exchange that was taking place inside her mind. She could feel a part of herself coursing through the man’s system, binding to receptors as she sought to take control. When first she had bitten into him, she had been sure that she would not be able to stop herself, but there was something curious and tempting about the ability of commanding him, and so she pulled away and concentrated hard.

He stood, swaying on the spot, the vampire toxin rooting him to the ground as it paralysed his system.

Ari thought a command;
put pressure on your arm
, and instantly felt the man’s will battle against hers, fighting her venom. With all her might she forced her words into his head, finally saying them out loud in a whisper, desperate for him to obey.

“
Put pressure on your wrist
,” she said, and then she felt his mind conceit to hers.    

Slowly he raised his uninjured hand, pressing it against the bite mark and then staring blankly at Ari, as if waiting for her next instructions. She smiled and then felt a curious longing in her. She was lustful, almost possessive of him, and she moved towards him longingly, reaching out a hand to stroke his now pale face. Without really thinking, she lent close to him, her mouth only inches away from his, but then felt a powerful hand on her shoulder. Spinning around, she beared her fangs, desperate to protect the prey she had won.

“It’s just me,” Ragon said, removing his hand as he took a few paces back.

Ari frowned at him and then stared back at her victim. Her mind was foggy, clouded with desire, as she contemplated the two men around her.

“It’s the blood lust,” Ragon whispered, moving an inch closer to Ari.

Ari stared at him. How had he known that she wanted this man… wanted more than just his blood?

“It’s common for young vampires to feel a… connection with their prey,” he added, a jealous look clouding Ragon’s face.

“But you never mentioned…” she started to say, turning away from the red head as she stared in wonder at Ragon.

He really was magnificent. His face swam in and out of her mind, and she felt the desperate lust being refocused on him instead.

“It doesn’t happen to all fledglings, and I thought perhaps that you wouldn’t be affected by it; after your first experience...” his voice trailed off as he moved to take Ari’s hand. “I’m just glad that you didn’t try to jump Chris.”

But Ari wasn’t listening to him anymore. She had pulled him hard, intertwining their fingers as she kissed him passionately on the lips.

“Don’t you think you should command him to leave?” said Ragon, pulling away from their kiss to stare at the still dumbstruck fisherman.

Ari turned back to stare at the red head. He was watching her with a dull and lifeless expression, his lips slightly parted and his shoulders slouched. She could still feel his presence inside her head as she thought;
leave and cover your bite. Don’t tell anyone what happened here tonight. Forget you ever met me.

Ari watched as the red head moved back towards the door, reaching for the sleeves of his shirt that were pulled up to his elbow and slowly pushing them down to his fingertips, covering the bite.

“Where were we?” said Ari, smiling lightly as she refocused her attention on Ragon.

“Follow me,” he said, curling his index finger in the exact same seductive way that Ari had used to tempt the fisherman into the restaurant.

“Are you mocking me?”

Ragon laughed then blurred to the back of the restaurant and outside. Ari smiled and chased after him.

Ragon had led her to a moon bathed area just outside the pub. He was waiting for her, sitting on a large fallen tree that stretched over a small lake. Ari walked towards him slowly, hoping not to convey her eagerness. She watched as Ragon reached out a hand to help her onto the log, and then smiled when she jumped expertly into the air and landed lightly next to him.

“God I love you,” he said, reaching for her arm again and pulling her so that she was sitting next to him.

Slowly he reached up and tucked her dark hair behind her ears, then cupped his hand to each cheek. Ari was burning with desire by now, trying to use every ounce of restraint as she stared longingly at him.

“I know it’s selfish,” he said, “but I’m so happy you’re a vampire. I never wanted you to have to be one, but now that you are, I just can’t believe that we have forever together. It feels as if all my dreams have come true.”

Ari smiled, watching as Ragon leaned forwards to kiss her. Instantly Ari was on top of him, pulling his shirt free and letting it fall into the lake below. Ragon mirrored her actions, ripping her dress off her body, so that she was only wearing her bra and underwear. She looked down as her clothing rested on the still lake surface then sunk to the bottom. Turning back to Ragon, she wrapped her hands around his neck, kissing him along his jaw. Soon she felt hands reach behind her and unclasp her bra, then smiled as Ragon lent down and kissed her breasts. Instantly her hands were at his belt buckle.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” she said, and with one fast motion she had torn his jeans away, sending pieces of fabric into the lake below. “Don’t tell me they were your favourite jeans? Guess I will have to buy you a replacement pair.”

“I have a better idea,” he whispered, biting her earlobe playfully before wrapping his hands around her, almost vice like.

Slowly he lent backwards and before Ari knew what was happening, she felt herself falling with Ragon, finally landing in the water below. The splash that resulted was enormous, and Ari laughed as the pair continued to kiss in the dark lake. Suddenly the back door of the pub swung open and they heard hurried voices.

“What was that?” the plump lady who ran the inn said.

“Beats me,” a man replied.

Ari watched as the two people neared the lake. Before she had time to suggest they hide, she felt Ragon grasp her hand and pull her under the dark water. The water felt gentle and soothing against her skin, not freezing as it should have been. Though the bright moon bathed the lake they hid in, it would have been impossible for any mortal to see beyond its dark glassy surface. She watched from under the water as the old lady peered down into the depths of the water, frowning slightly.

“Must have been a branch,” said the woman, looking past the tree that Ragon and Ari had been sitting on only moments ago.

Suddenly Ari’s eyes bulged. Kicking off from the bottom of the lake, she thought desperately of oxygen, but before she could break the surface, something grabbed her ankle and she looked back to see Ragon holding onto her. He was smiling at her and for a moment she struggled against his grip, until she realised that the desire to breathe had gone. She had forgotten that she didn’t need oxygen anymore. Letting her marble body fall back to the bottom of the lake, she marvelled at her new found immortality. A large grin spread across Ragon’s face, just as a few bubbles escaped his mouth, signifying his laughter.

Once again, desperate lust filled her and she swam nearer to him. The moment that she was an arms-length away, Ragon reached out and pulled her hair, dragging her to him as he kissed her hard on the lips. It was the most amazing sensation. Though their lips were icy cold to the touch, the lake was warm, and for a second, just a second, it felt as if they were simply two humans kissing under water. Quickly the pair met each other and Ari let out a moan of pleasure, culminating in several bubbles escaping her lips.