Genevieve: A Witchblood Story (Witchblood Series) (5 page)

‘I don’t like corsets and panniers,’ she said
, disgust crumpling her features. ‘It’s impossible to move, and it’s hard enough just breathing.’

‘I know, you told me, remember? You wanted silk breeches and a ruffled blouse. It was difficult
, but I have sourced them for you… specially made. You can’t walk around naked Eva. Apart from anything, I’ll never get you out of my bed! Now come,’ he said, and with a slow, sexy smile lighting his face he threw an arm around her bare shoulders and led her back to the house.

It was as they turned the corner that Eva stopped suddenly and darted towards some rubbish. A small girl scrambled further back and hid her face sobbing. Her clothes were ragged and filthy, her face covered in grime. Her feet were bare and blue
with cold.

‘Eva
,
no
!’ In a split second Sebastian was behind Eva, his arms holding her tight, forcing her to listen to him. ‘Eva, we do not touch children. Leave her alone. Come with me.’

The iron shackles were again replaced and Eva could
do nothing but swiftly follow her master back to the house, leaving the small child wondering whether what she had seen was real or a hallucination.

‘She smelled amazing
, Sebastian. Nicer than that man. Please Sebastian I want her, just a taste,’ Eva pleaded once they were back in the house.

‘No, I’ve told you already. Look at me and listen. We do not ever feed from children. It is my one unbreakable and unforgiveable rule.
You break it and I will hand you in to The Council myself,’ he said, his face stormy.

As she watched his face
the words sank in, and suddenly her craving for the child disappeared. It even repulsed her slightly, as the sudden memory of herself as a child playing in the gardens, innocent and privileged came unbidden. She shook her head in confusion and looked at her toes. Sebastian’s arms wrapped around her, holding her tight, his breath tickling her neck as he spoke.

‘I know it’s confusing
, my love. It will get easier.’

His breath scorched her skin and awoke a new desire within her body
, leaving her thirst forgotten about for the time being.

She had never been touched by a man before, other than a brotherly hug, a pat on her head by her distant father or the unwanted surreptitious grope from her elderly fiancé… but it was never on her bare skin. Now she lay back on the bed watching Sebastian as he trailed his hand lazily down her body
, sending pinpricks of desire zipping all over. There hadn’t been time to dress after all once they had reached the house, and with the memory of his words ringing in the air she knew he’d been right. She
had
wanted him… badly. Every atom of her being sang out to him. He’d made love to her slowly, gently, but desire had taken over and she’d pushed him back and climbed on top, wanting more… needing more.

He lean
ed in and kissed her again, his lips soft and full, pressing against hers easily, now their fangs had retracted. Her insides quivered and she felt the connection between them grow, their subconscious entwining.

‘I can feel your soul,’ she whispered as
he pulled back slightly. ‘I thought we didn’t have one?’

‘You can’t lose your soul Eva, contrary to what the humans may say. Your soul is part of you, be it light or dark, good or evil. It’s the
essence of who you are, so you can’t lose it,’ he said bending back in for another kiss.

‘I’m thirsty again Sebastian,’ she said, a frown clouding her face as she felt the raw dryness begin to grow in her throat once more.’

‘I know. It takes time, but it will pass. I’ll hunt again for you in the morning before the sun gets too high. Now let’s see what I can do to distract you,’ he murmured, his eyes sparkling as he raked his fingers along her side and over her hip, making her groan with pleasure.

Ͼ

As the
days passed Sebastian brought a regular stream of oblivious blood donors to quench Eva’s endless thirst and after that first excursion out, Eva found her desire to escape the confines of the house faded. Instead she spent her days in bed with Sebastian or sat in front of a beautiful looking glass watching the change in her appearance. Her dark curls became rich and glossy; the scratches, bruises and marks her face had acquired over the recent months on the run all disappeared and her skin became like porcelain.  Her lips filled out and reddened, but it was her eyes that interested her the most. She had always had beautiful light hazel eyes which had a tendency to change colour between green and brown depending on her emotions, but with each new day she watched as they darkened, until one day they resembled Sebastian’s, deep chocolatey brown with flecks of fiery lava running through them.

‘Eva, it’s time you came out and hunted with me,’ Sebastian said one evening
, as they lay in bed satiated yet hungry.

‘Do I need to?’ Eva
stretched out her limbs like a cat uncurling from its sleep by the fire.

‘Come here
then and tell me what you wish to do,’ Sebastian said, pulling on his pants and striding over to the window. The moon’s glow shone on his smooth chest as Eva watched him, her eyes dancing.

‘Okay, but then can we go back to bed?’ she said
, before taking one smooth leap and landing next to him by the window.

He grinned at her and rested his hand at the base of her neck, massaging and scratching her skin, sending shivers down her naked spine.

‘Look out there, Eva. Look at those men over there, making their way to the tavern. Listen to their hearts beating… smell them,’ he said, opening the window just enough for the cold night breeze to pour into their sanctuary, disturbing the stale air.

Her eyes
became fixed upon the men as they disappeared down the lane and Eva sucked the air in sharply when he opened the window. Her nostrils burned as their scent intoxicated her and awoke the animal within.

‘Let’s go
… Now!’ she yelled, leaping back across the room towards the door.’

‘Eva
, you may have spent the last couple of weeks parading around this house tantalising me with your beauty, but if you want to explore the world outside you are going to have to wear some clothes,’ Sebastian said, smiling as he picked up her untouched garments and threw them at her. She caught them neatly with lightning quick reflexes.

‘Fine,’ she said
, pulling on the beautifully made black satin breeches, some white silk stockings and the white ruffled blouse. ‘Hmm, it needs something more,’ she said, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

‘Huh? Eva
, as it is they will try to arrest you if they find out you are a girl… wearing breeches. What more do you want?’ Sebastian asked.

‘I’m not sure… I think it needs some shape. Let me think. Where are my old clothes?’

‘In that drawer,’ Sebastian said, pointing to a mahogany dresser.

‘Do you have some scissors please?’

Frowning he fetched them and returned, watching as she proceeded to remove the lower half of her corset.

‘Here
, help me fasten this,’ she said pulling it tight round her tiny waist, over her blouse.

‘Are you mad? You can’t wear this over the top. It will draw
far too much attention,’ Sebastian said.

‘It looks good. The contrasting fabrics complement each other and the corset gives me feminine shape,’ she
retorted, head held high.

‘Eva
, we are supposed to blend in, not stand out…’Sebastian sighed.

‘What does it matter
? We can out-run them; we can keep to the shadows and you can do that hypnotising trick anyway. Not a single person you have brought here to feed from has batted an eyelid at my nakedness… not one!’

‘Fine, come on then, but keep to the shadows for goodness sake. We don’t want the entire guard after us on the first night out.’

The streets were frozen and all was quiet, but Eva knew where to find her prey. She could hear the laughter coming from the tavern, even though it was several lanes away.

‘This way,’ she said.

Sebastian shook his head. ‘You can’t walk into the tavern dressed like that and the scents would overwhelm you. It is too soon. This way,’ he said, leading her in the opposite direction, down a quiet lane towards the square.

Once again memories niggled at the back of Eva’s mind once they reached the square. She could see a large
, dark stain on the raised stone platform, and could still smell the old iron tang of blood. She was simultaneously drawn to it and disturbed by it.

‘Eva
, this way. We can’t stay here; it’s too exposed.’

‘What happened here? There is blood,’ she asked.

‘A death, a murder… there are many on the streets. The humans are fighting each other and we must make the most of it.’

She paused and glanced back at the dark stain; she closed her eyes. It was something she should know about, something that affected her, she was sure, but she couldn’t place it. Sebastian was out of sight, round the corner
, and she could hear a group of humans coming her way, so she darted out of the square and back into the shadows, scurrying down the lane after Sebastian.

She smelt the woman before she heard
her voice. She pulled up sharply and listened, her instinct telling her to spring round the corner and sink her teeth into the woman’s flesh and drink till she was quenched… but knowing her lover was there waiting for her, watching out for her reaction caused her to pause, smiling at her newfound control. Instead she slid round the corner as smoothly as a cobra winding its way through the tall grasses, hunting its prey, waiting for the right time to attack. 

‘And wha da we ave ere then?’ the woman said, her face lined with age and caked in cheap rouge. ‘A girl dressed like a boy or a boy tha looks like a girl?’ she cackled.

‘She’s mine,’ Sebastian said, stepping in front of Eva and partially blocking the woman from view.

‘As yer wish
, but I’ll take it off yer ‘ands when ye get bored of it,’ the woman said. ‘She’ll make me a pretty penny in my ‘ouse o’ girls.’

‘It’s one of your girls I’ve come for actually. Could we have an hour upstairs?’ he asked.

‘Er too?’ the woman asked, nodding towards Eva.

‘Yes, she needs training
; you know how it is,’ he said to the woman with a slow cold smile.

‘They all do, little sluts,’ she laughed. ‘But you’ll ave to pay extra for
‘er.’

‘Of course.
This should cover it,’ he added, placing several coins into the woman’s hand. ‘Eva, follow me,’ he commanded, turning and giving Eva a quick wink and soft smile, but Eva didn’t budge. There was something about the woman’s dress that seemed familiar. The curls of the golden brocade danced in her memory.

‘Eva? Come on,’ he urged.

Finding it impossible to disobey, Eva followed Sebastian into the dirty house and up some stairs. The doors were all shut and the scent of human blood and sweat became overwhelming.

‘Seba…’

‘Shhh! Calm, be calm,’ he whispered, looking at her and cooling the burning inside her.

‘Yer can ave Marie tonight,’ the woman said opening a door into a stuffy bedroom
, with a girl similar in age to Eva.

‘Thank you,’ Sebastian
nodded, stepping into the room. ‘Eva, come,’ he added as Eva stared once more at the woman in the doorway.

As the door closed on the proprietor
, Eva’s thoughts were disturbed and she suddenly became hyper-aware of the girl on the bed; of the blood pumping through her veins, her warmth, her life-force. With one easy jump Eva was on top of the startled girl, holding her hand across her mouth to stifle the sudden scream as she forced her back, her fangs erupting from her salivating mouth.

‘Eva
, go easy,’ Sebastian said, joining her by the bed and whispering something soothing in the girl’s ear, quieting her whimpers as Eva’s teeth sank into her neck, until the girl’s eyes glazed over and she stopped struggling.

‘Eva
, what did I say about drawing attention? You can’t terrify them like that. They will remember you!’

Eva looked up from the girl
. Sebastian looked cross, but with the girl’s fresh blood pooling on her tongue, cooling the fiery desert in her throat, she was unconcerned. She closed her eyes in ecstasy and shut out his disappointed face; and it was as she closed her eyes that the memory flitted across her eyelids. A soft face with tears flowing down her cheeks; a mother’s face full of love urging her to run away… her mother’s face. It was her mother! Her mother who wore that golden dress, her mother surrounded by peasants pulling at her clothes… That woman would pay!

‘No!’ Sebastian’s voice rang out, quick o
n her heels as she pulled away from the sleeping girl and darted to the door. ‘Eva, I know what you saw. Eva,
stop
!’ But it had happened too fast and he was too late. Eva was already out of the door and gone.

The woman’s scream ripped through the building seconds before Sebastian
caught them. The woman’s eyes were already lifeless, her head hanging unnaturally, Eva’s hands squeezing her neck, the woman’s toes scraping against the floor as Eva slammed her repeatedly against the stone wall.