Immortal Confessions (16 page)

As expected, Anna’s vows were to honor, obey,
and love only me. I vowed to protect her and love her. But when I
also promised to honor her as my only lover, there was a collective
gasp from the vampire side so loud that Anna and I both turned to
look.

“Silence!” Uther thundered.

At once, the vampires shut up, and looked at
the ground.

I waited a moment, and then nodded for
Quentin to proceed.

That night as we danced, Anna told me over
and over that she loved me, that she was so happy, that this night
was the best of her life. I replied that it was surely the best of
mine, too.

Later, as we embraced, I told her what I’d
learned with trepidation. “I have to mark your throat with my
fangs,” I said gently. “On either side, Love. It will scar, and
that is the sign of an oathed human.”

Anna went rigid beneath me. “Eva wears scars
like those. I saw her tonight, dancing with Levi. I thought it had
to do with him being werewolf.”

“She was oathed to Guy, my predecessor,” I
said quickly. “Now she is with Levi, as Guy is dead. He is
negotiating with a witch Uther knows to heal her marks.”

Anna gave me an uneasy look “Will it
hurt?”

“Yes,” I said regretfully. “I’ll do it as
fast as I can. I’ve also procured some healing paste from that same
witch to take the pain away. I’m sorry, but I must do this,
Anna.”

She steeled herself. “Then get to it, Dev,
and stop talking.”

I bit into her neck as deeply as I could,
climaxing immediately the moment I tasted her sweet blood. Then I
withdrew, kissing the seeping wound lightly as I pressed some of
the paste to her neck.

Anna had gasped, but she was relaxing now, as
the pain ebbed.

“Do the other side quickly,” she hissed out.
“It’s like being bitten by a snake!”

I grimaced, and then bit into her again
deeply. This time she shrieked loudly, and again, I kissed her,
smoothing the balm onto the wounds. Anna was crying now, and I held
her, telling her I was sorry for the pain, asking her to please
forgive me.

“It’s a lot,” she said finally. “It’s a lot
to be with you, Devlin.”

“I know,” I said in a low voice. “Are you
sorry you left with me, and didn’t remain behind to marry
Marcus?”

“Never,” she said, clasping me to her.
“Never, Love.”

* * * *

A month passed, then two more, and then five
more. Then it was Christmas, our first one together. Anna had made
me a fine smoking jacket of wool and velvet. I had gotten her a
small Persian kitten, with bright blue eyes, that she named
L’Amour.

Everything was going well. My investments had
indeed doubled. The werebats had become strong allies with the
remaining vampires, business was going well, and no hunters had
attacked anything but other humans in the past eight months. A few
vampires and were-animals passing through had gotten a little
rowdy, but the werebats had stopped that on my orders with only a
little bloodshed. My new system of government was working. That
left me plenty of time with Anna, perusing poetry, going to the
theater, or just making love on our bearskin before a crackling
fire. And I also spent time with Levi, learning the piano.

In all this bliss, something bad eventually
had to happen, and finally something did. I got a letter from
Samuel, delivered by some kind of werebird.

For the most part, he congratulated me on my
taking the reins of power, and managing Fontainebleau. But the last
sentence said he wanted to meet me, and would be arriving in my
domain a few months time. Accompanying him would be Louis, Ruler of
France.

Quentin hyperventilated when he read the
letter, and Levi wasn’t much better, grabbing a bottle of wine and
nursing it, while growling under his breath.

Uther alone seemed thoughtful and unafraid.
“We must prepare,” he rasped. “We must get more power behind your
seat, while not appearing as though we wish to take France for our
own.”

“How?” Quentin squeaked. “Have you heard of
Louis? They say he is descended from Bonaparte himself. You have it
easy; you can just fly away. We’re going to be tortured alive, and
then staked in the sunlight!”

“That is a lie about Bonaparte, or he would
not be old enough to rule,” Uther said with a roll of his eyes.
“This is a formal visit, not an interrogation, or an inquisition.
Calm yourself, vampire.”

Quentin shot him a dirty look, but sat
down.

“We need a demon,” Uther said finally. “A
very well-known one.”

“Who do we know that knows demons?” Levi
said. “I don’t know of any demons, or how to hire them. Don’t they
want souls?”

“They want out of hell, or so it is said,”
Uther replied. “Souls are just a bonus.”

Stupendous. “Where must I go to get one,
Uther?”

“We’ll go to Rene,” Uther said, striding to
the door. “That witch will know how to summon one, for the right
price.”

* * * *

That next night, Uther took me to see Rene.
By took, I mean he carried me.

It was something, to cling to him as he dove
and flapped though the cloudy night sky in his bat form. It was
very cold and wet. The heavy fog was hard to see through, even with
my excellent night vision.

We finally arrived at a small cottage on the
edge of what were Uther’s lands. Rene was there, waiting for
us.

Strangely, she was in a long cape, which hid
her face and form. And she did not speak to me, refusing me
entrance to her cottage. Uther alone was allowed in. Yet she told
Uther what he needed to know.

That night, at my home, I summoned my first
demon. It was largely anticlimactic, mostly because instead of
summoning one out of hell, I was merely using a crystal to contact
one that was somehow already out. Quentin, Levi, and Uther were
with me. Eva was with Anna and L’Amour in the nearby room, with the
strongest guards watching their door.

Uther repeated some words, and the crystal
became cloudy. “Speak, Devlin. I’ve made the connection.”

Before my offer was out of my mouth, the
demon was standing before me, grinning a goofy smile with his many
teeth. There was an unsettling feeling emanating from him that was
making my hair want to stand on end.

“You’re it?” Uther said, looking him up and
down.

“Yes,” the demon said, looking affronted. “My
name is Darius. But you can call me Rip.”

“Like ‘tear’?” Quentin smirked.

“Like rip your head off,” the being said
pleasantly.

Quentin grumbled, and looked away. Levi tried
to hide a smirk.

“Rip,” Uther said formally. “Do you promise
to serve Devlin, until your earthly form is destroyed, and never
betray—”

“No need for all that, it’s implied,” Rip
said, coming forward and bowing before me. Then he went to one
knee. “I am yours to command, Master. Only give me a little of your
blood to seal the pact.”

I cut my wrist with a dagger, and he drank a
little, before the wound closed. He sat back, looking up at me in
shock.

“You are old,” he whispered. “Over two
hundred. And the power... it resides in your veins.”

“What power?” I said sharply.

“You have the power to make others of your
kind,” he whispered.

“How do you know this?” I demanded.

“It’s in your blood,” he said, getting to his
feet. “I can taste it, Master.”

“Say nothing of this,” Uther said, rubbing
his eyes. “Or we’ll all be dead in a day and a night. Louis will
never believe we don’t want to take his crown if he learns about
this.”

“Agreed,” Rip said, nodding furiously. “I am
just happy to have found work. Now what is my prime directive?”

“Guard Devlin, and his Oathed One,
Annabelle,” Uther rasped. “Especially in the day, when I cannot be
here myself. Kill anything that threatens his safety, and hers,
even if it costs your existence.”

“Agreed,” Rip said. “With the understanding
that if I’m sent to Hell in your service, Master, I’ll expect to be
summoned out again at the earliest available opportunity.”

“Agreed,” I said. “Anna is in a nearby room.
Get to work.”

Rip left, closing the door behind him.

“He is not as good as his brother Titus,”
Uther intoned regretfully. “But he’ll have to do.”

“Why can we not get Titus?” Levi asked. “Is
he too expensive?”

“Because he is currently Louis’s demon,”
Uther said, as he poured himself a shot. “I just hope the idea of
striking down his own brother will be enough to stay Titus’s hand,
if it comes to that.”

“Why would it come to that?” Levi growled
angrily. “You’ve been telling us that this is just a social
visit—”

“Because it’s better to be ready than to be
taken unawares,” Uther rasped. He turned and faced us. “And I know
enough of Louis not to trust him.”

“Can we hire more of your men, until this
threat passes?” Quentin interjected. “As second, I propose the idea
of that, and for any additional weapons you can suggest.”

“I agree. I’ll speak to Rene again,” Uther
said, nodding. “Levi, I suggest you train with our men. You’ll be a
more effective fighting force if you work together.”

Levi nodded. “Of course. Have the day shift
come see me. We’ll begin tomorrow morning.”

Uther looked at Quentin. “You should join the
night shift, and also take training. Leave the accounting for
now.”

Quentin made a sour face, but nodded. “I had
training in my youth in sword fighting. I’ll be there at midnight
at the latest. I’ll need to research what I can of old vampire
customs first, to make sure we are not taken by surprise.”

“Yes,” I said nodding. “We must be prepared
in every way, not just for fighting. This battle may be more of a
dance of words and actions than combat.”

“Regardless, Devlin, you should join him
training with the night shift,” Uther said, facing me. “It has been
months since you held a sword.”

I nodded reluctantly. “Agreed. I also will be
there.”

* * * *

Finally, in the first night of the New Year,
Samuel and Louis arrived by separate carriage.

Samuel was as I’d expected: short, heavily
muscled, very serious and formal. By his words and manners, it was
easy to see he’d been well bred. It was also easy to see he was
twice my age, at least.

A platoon of guards accompanied them on
horseback, almost like cavalry. To Uther’s relief and mine, they
were all left outside with the carriages when Samuel entered, Louis
behind him.

The latter shook my hand. “Devlin, it is good
to meet you,” he said pleasantly, his eyes twinkling. “I understand
you have a Lady?”

“Anna,” I said, nodding and beckoning her
forward. “Please say hello to our guest, Love.”

Anna curtsied, and then took up a position
slightly behind me.

“May I taste her?” Louis said, giving me an
evil smile. He was dark for a Frenchman, with black hair, and dark
blue eyes. His bearing was also regal, and it was clear he’d come
from aristocracy too. It was also clear he was as old as I was, if
not older.

“We are oathed,” I said, smiling back, though
I was sure my eyes had red glints in them. “So, regrettably,
no.”

“I apologize,” Louis said smoothly. “I was
not aware of that. Do you have another woman here I could
taste?”

“Yes,” I said cordially. “I have hired one
for the occasion. Quentin?”

Quentin brought out a young whore, clean,
primped, and dressed in finery. I don’t remember her name, but she
was youthful and fresh.

Louis shook his head. “No, I would prefer
that woman, there,” he said, motioning to Eva, who stood near Levi.
“She is more to my taste.”

Levi growled a little, and moved in front of
her.

“Sorry, but she is oathed to me, too,” I said
quickly. “Though I am not oathed to her, as I am to Anna.”

Thank God, Quentin had insisted on that a
week ago, when he had discovered the rules for a vampire host. My
bites and another bear choker now adorned Eva’s neck. Anna had not
been happy about me doing that then, but by her face, she
understood the reason clear as crystal now.

“She smells of your wolf,” Louis said
nastily. “You wouldn’t be trying to trick me, would you, young one,
saying she is yours when she is not—”

“Enough,” Samuel said amiably. “It is no
concern of ours, what he chooses to do with his Oathed Ones and
friends in his chambers. We are not here because of women. Let’s
get to business.”

“Yes,” Louis said agreeably. “My apologies,
sir.”

“I thank you for your hospitality, Devlin,”
Samuel said. He beckoned to the girl. “Come, my dear. Have no fear,
I’m a gentleman.”

Samuel took a polite drink from the young
whore, and then Louis did, too. Afterwards, Quentin led her away,
Eva and Anna in tow. As they left, Uther and his men filed in,
standing at the corners of the room.

“Would you care to sit down?” I offered,
indicating a small table before a fire.

Samuel and Louis both looked at me
suspiciously. Neither of them said anything.

Shit! In his research, Quentin had not been
able to discern just where the visit should take place. As they had
come to my home, I’d decided to prepare a spot to sit and talk.
Apparently, that was some kind of faux pas.

“We’d prefer outside, near our guards,”
Samuel said finally. “It would have been unseemly to ask you to
bring your Lady outside in this weather, her being human. But we
are made of sterner stuff, as are weres.” He sniffed. “At least,
the better ones.”

“If you like, you can bring a torch for
warmth,” Louis said sarcastically.

“I’ll be fine, as will my men,” I said
calmly. “Though I appreciate your concern.”

We ventured outside into the frosty night
air, our breath plumes, Uther and his men following me. At the foot
of my front stairs, Samuel and Louis turned as one. That must have
been a signal, as their guards began to dismount.