Defying Eternity (An Obscure Magic Book 5) (7 page)

Leo didn’t say a word. She listened.

“I felt myself leaving my body, but then, a cool touch on my lips woke me, brought me back. A bough from the tree was bent, and instead of the red sluggish sap my brother had taken, I was given bright, green life. The tree fed me through the night and into the next morning. When I was strong enough, I asked for the fruit, and the tree gave it, whispering how to use it in my mind.”

“I ran home as fast as I could, but as fast as I could move, I could not outrun death. He had already visited and gone.”

He sighed. “There was no one to save, so I went out looking for other victims of the demon-witch who had destroyed my family. I found another village near a rich mine, and it was in the early stages of the plague. I fed them from the fruit and healed them. One of the young survivors had lost her parents in the first wave of disease, and she asked to come with me. I felt the whisper in my mind of what I needed to do, and I made my first vampire. I gave her purpose, and she followed me.”

“A century later, my followers and I met the followers of my brother, and we stopped their rampage of gore and abuse. It was the first fight between us. He had created hundreds of those just like him. We sought them out, looking for the source, until the day came that I faced my brother, and I did what I had to.”

She wanted to ask, but she kept quiet.

“I gave him an eternity of silence. I retrieved what he had taken from the tree and returned it to the earth. I became the ruler of his followers and my own, but there was never peace between us. They are driven to kill; we are not.”

He flipped the pages again. “In my lifetime, I have spoken with the tree at length. I asked it why I had to be alone.”

Leo was confused; he said he had followers.

“The tree told me that I had to find someone who valued life above anything, to make them my apprentice and teach them my ways. When they made the choice to join me permanently, it would be joyous and I would no longer be alone.”

She had to ask. “How many apprentices have you had?”

“Twenty-three. Each seemed a good choice when we began, but as time went on, we drew further and further apart until they sought out someone else.”

“Where are they now?”

“Most have surrendered to eternity after long and happy lives.”

She blinked. “They were human?”

“Until the day they died. This will not change what you are, but it will provide a layer of protection that you currently do not have.”

He looked at her, and his gaze drifted southward and then up again. “The dress isn’t strictly necessary, but I do enjoy it.”

She blushed. “Dorn brought it.”

“Dorn will have you dressed like a hooker if you let him.”

She laughed at the frank statement. “What comes next?”

“I mark you. It won’t be anywhere that can be misconstrued as a maker’s mark, but it will be a definite mark that connects us.”

“How long will it last?”

“A year from tonight. If you don’t wish to continue under my protection after that, it will fade away.” He got to his feet, put the book down and offered her his hand.

A raised stone was around the corner of a glowing hedge.

Leo bit her lip. “If you are looking for a virgin sacrifice, you are a little late.”

His laugh rang out and the flowers quivered. “Good to know. In full disclosure, this will stop you from aging for the next year, which means that your moon time will not occur.”

She deciphered it and blushed. “Oh. Right. No great loss.”

He turned with a sudden move and picked her up, placing her gently on the stone. Her legs were draped over the edge, and when he parted her thighs, she felt herself panicking again. “Where exactly is this mark going?”

“Your inner thigh. It should not hurt.” He stroked her dress up and carefully arranged the lace so that she was still completely covered.

It made her feel more exposed than just lying there naked would have, but she held still when his cool hands smoothed her skin, holding the lace down.

She didn’t feel his breath, but his tongue flicked out. Leo jumped a little. He held her thigh and pressed his teeth into her with the lightest pressure.

The word
femoral artery
ran through her mind as the teeth sank deeper. The sudden suction on her inner thigh sent pulses of arousal through her. Leo flailed around and gripped the edges of the stone, and she arched and hissed as he continued to drink.

This was more than marking.

Her self-control was wearing thin, and the moment he shifted his hand to cover her sex, it broke. She jerked and shivered, gasping as her body tried to clench down on an invader that wasn’t inside her.

She was sweating lightly and completely limp when Matthias licked the small wounds closed. He lifted his head and licked his lips. “That was new.”

Her blush could have started a fire. “I...” She couldn’t finish it. Aside from a slight lightheaded feeling, there was something new inside her.

“I must say, that was definitely a stirring reaction.” He eased her dress back over her thighs and moved to help her sit up.

It took some effort to unclench her hands from the stone, but he managed to get her to a sitting position. She was mortified.

“I am sorry that I... you know.”

“Came? Do not apologize. It is the first time I have caused that reaction while tagging an apprentice. You held back, so well done.”

“How do you know that?”

“Leonora, I have known you for a week, and you always hold back.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I guess it is back to work then.”

He laughed. “First, we will go to the dining room and you will have a large meal. I didn’t intend to, but I drank quite a bit. I got a little carried away. The link has been forged, so while we got distracted, we managed to get the job done.”

She froze when he picked her up again.

“What are you doing?”

“I am carrying you in to the dining room. Trust me, you are in no shape to walk, and our connection won’t kick in until sunrise.”

“Oh, I guess that was in the fine print.” She tried to stay flippant, but it was difficult when all she wanted to do was lean against his shoulder and enjoy the ride.

He held her carefully as if afraid she would break. She was happy that they didn’t meet up with Reed. Her current position put her at a disadvantage.

The dining room was empty except for some covered dishes at one end. Matthias walked right to the chair, and instead of setting her down, he settled into it himself.

“Please, eat.”

She slowly turned in his lap and accepted him as her personal chair. Leo wasn’t one to ignore her stomach, so she uncovered the plates and grabbed a fork.

Being a human sacrifice was hungry work.

When she tasted a food that she really enjoyed, she felt a shiver run through Matthias. After her immediate hunger was satisfied, she turned and stared into his eyes.

“The link works both ways?”

He was sitting with his eyes closed and a blissful expression on his cool features. “Yes, it does. You have an exceptionally sensitive sense of taste. It dissects everything and enjoys the components.”

She shrugged. “It has always been that way. It makes it easier to reproduce the food I like.”

She tried to ease herself off his lap, but his hands gripped her hips and his eyes opened. “Where are you going?”

“I was going to my room to get changed and get to work.”

He sighed. “You have not eaten enough, and you definitely did not drink enough.”

She grumbled and pivoted back toward the table, filling her glass with water before chugging it down. The burp when she finished was inevitable. Leo glared at him. “Better?”

“A start. Reed will bring you a tray.” He let her go.

She wobbled a bit when she stood, but she didn’t want him to carry her again. With tremendous effort, she left the dining room and headed for her chambers.

Reed saw her and smiled brightly. “Come this way, Ms. Wicks. Your quarters have been moved closer to the mayor’s.”

She was a little foggy. “Why?”

“You are his apprentice now. Your proximity will help if you or he require anything during quiet hours.” Reed smiled happily. “There have not been any apprentices in the last five decades, so the staff is very excited.”

She swayed. “Excited?”

“It means that the mayor will be in a much better mood. That is a win-win situation for all of the staff.”

He turned to lead her to the new quarters, but he was fading into a tunnel as her vision blurred. Hands caught her, and Matthias lifted her again.

She looked up at him and muttered, “Dammit,” before she fainted.

* * * *

Matthias looked down at the woman in his arms, and he sighed. “She is stubborn.”

Reed inclined his head. “I believe that is why you chose her, sir.”

Matthias chuckled. “I believe you are right. She has a devotion to family that I found admirable and a self-possession that is truly amazing.”

“She is definitely a force to be reckoned with, sir. I have put her in the silver room.”

“Good.” Matthias moved with speed and settled her in her bed before going into her closet and selecting a dress, underwear and shoes for her. He kept the heels low because she was going to be unstable until she got some proper rest and her body embraced the small bit of the tree that he had pressed into her bloodstream.

“Where am I?”

He sat next to her and waited for her to sit up. “You are in your new rooms. We have a bit of work to finish tonight, so if you could get dressed and meet me in the office, I would appreciate it.”

He gave her a small kiss on her pursed lips, and her eyes widened in surprise.

He was still grinning twenty minutes later when she entered the office with her laptop and her phone in tow.

She settled at her desk and flicked him a quick glance. He watched the colour rise in her cheeks.

Matthias had tasted women for the last few thousand years and none had struck him with the clear purity of soul that Leonora had exhibited. She spent most of her time holding back her passion, her enthusiasm and her enjoyment of the world around her. She felt it; she just hid it.

Matthias was going to enjoy the link between himself and this woman who spent more time holding herself back than she did living her life. He was going to see what he could do to shift that balance.

* * * *

Leo glanced up and blushed. Matthias was staring at her with a smirk on his lips. It was a calculated look that appeared to be analyzing her.

“Yes, Mr. Mayor? Was there something you needed?”

He inclined his head. “I would like to go over your schedule with you. I have gotten some correspondence that requires action, but I am unable to go myself. Come here and I will explain what needs to be done.”

He got up from his desk and took a seat on one of the couches near the fireplace.

She grabbed her phone and left her desk to sit a polite distance from him.

He held up some of the heavy linen paper, similar to what he used for his own personal correspondence. “I have received a request for a mediator.”

“All right. What is that?”

He smiled and laid out the situation. A dragon’s wife—the vampire healer Zora—wished to buy a friend’s freedom from the vampire king Olvadi. The problem arose in that Octavia—the vampire in question—was one of Olvadi’s favourites.

“What do I have to do?”

“Represent me and keep both parties calm. Regick will have his lawyers speaking for him, but Olvadi likes the attack and retreat of negotiations. It is what makes him feel alive.”

“So, he is a taken vampire.”

“He is. I have heard that Zora’s healing has managed to regenerate him to some extent, and he is using that new energy to inflict himself on anything that crosses his path. He will take you if you don’t defend yourself.”

Leo was more than a little nervous at that. “Why send me at all?”

“Because Regick is a strong ally and a good friend. If he has asked me for help, I will offer it. Do not worry. I am sending you with my most trusted guards.” He reached out and touched her hand.

Her burgeoning panic eased, and she breathed evenly. “All right. When do I go?”

“You will need to fly out today at dusk. You will only be gone for two days; if there is anything additionally needed, I will send someone to replace you.”

She swallowed. “Today? Wow. That is quick.”

“I know. I have been putting this off as long as I could, but now that you are my apprentice, you are in the perfect position to take over some of my distant representation.”

“Why?”

He squeezed her hand again. “Vampires are territorial and I have killed far too many of them in my life. If my presence can be accepted without my being there, it is a step forward.”

“And it expands your control.”

Matthias shrugged slightly. “That as well.”

She sighed. “Right. Well, can I get some rest before I go?”

He nodded. “Of course. The helicopter will pick you up in front of the manor at seven this evening.”

She nodded. “Right, so where am I going?”

“The shadow city of Arbor. Daysiders and nightsiders split the population, but Olvadi rules them all. Regick owns most of the city. He has the resources to barter with, but he is not in the correct position to strike a deal.”

“Because of his wife.”

“Because he and Olvadi have a truce. If Olvadi gives in, he loses face; if Regick insists, he starts a war.”

“That would be bad.”

“Indeed. You have the rest of today to learn what you can about the parties involved, and then, you must get some rest. At midnight tonight, the link between us will be sealed.”

“And I will be in another city.” It made her feel nervous. Sealing seemed like something that would be visible.

He shrugged. “It can’t be helped.”

“Right. Well, in that case, I should go over the donations to the museum before I crash for a while. The director is probably rushing the morning couriers daily.”