Immortal Confessions (17 page)

In moments, Uther and Levi were at my back.
Samuel’s guards fanned around him, as Louis’s did the same to him.
As I expected, Samuel’s were some type of wereeagle. To my
surprise, Louis’s guards were all vampires, by their smell.

Samuel cleared his throat, and began.
“Devlin, I congratulate you on taking this department of France.
There has been a definite improvement in commerce here, and a
decrease in killings, both vampire and other. You are to be
commended.”

That was not news to me. “Thank you.”

“However, we need to know your plans,” Louis
said seductively. “You are unknown to us, and you are clearly old.
So what are you hoping to accomplish by making this sudden bid for
power?”

He wanted to know if I wanted France for
myself, just as Uther had said he would. “I want a life of luxury
with my Oathed One, and for those of us that are were and vampire
to stop killing each other. Taking control from Guy was the easiest
way to make that happen.”

“I see,” Samuel said. “And you have no desire
to make more of our kind?” It was obvious that he knew that I
could.

“No,” I said honestly. “The vampires I have
met have been cowards for the most part, and also petty, present
company excluded. There is a large enough vampire population in
this city. We do not need more.” I gave him a penetrating look.
“Why would I want to make more?”

“For power,” Samuel said, holding my gaze.
“For planning your own throne.”

“I already have a throne, and it suits me,” I
said, shrugging. “I have lived long enough to learn that having
more power is not always a good thing.”

“True,” Samuel said in an old voice. He
nodded once, and started for his carriage, his guards
following.

That was it? “Was there something you
wanted?” I said flatly. “To have come all this way to ask me these
few questions seems a waste.”

“Not at all,” Samuel said, baring his fangs
at me. “I came to see what kind of man you are, from your bearing,
and your words. I’ve seen enough to know you are a man that bears
watching, Devlin Dalcon. Adieu.” He nodded once, holding my eyes,
and then left for his carriage, his guards trailing behind him.

I looked over at Louis, who was studying
me.

“What?” I said flatly.

“He is right, you bear watching,” Louis said.
“You must sense that you and I are not that far apart, in terms of
age and power.”

“That is interesting,” I said, sounding
pointedly bored. “But that is all it is, an interesting fact.
Because I do not want to spend the rest of my nights running a
country, this department is more than enough. As I said, I have an
Oathed One to love.”

“She’ll die before the year is out, unless
you turn her,” Louis said with a little relish. “The older you are
and the more powerful your blood, the less humans can withstand
it.”

I pretended to be dismayed, which wasn’t
hard. Inside, I was frantically trying to hold onto my emotions,
that my face not betray my panic. “Must it happen?”

“I’m afraid so,” he said with a kind of
resignation. “But know that a little of your blood will turn her
easily, so she does not have to die. As it is, you must be sharing
blood with her only once a week, if that, to not have turned her so
far. I know you have a demon, and probably at least access to a
witch, if not one of your own, to heal her, so you don’t have to
use your blood. That’s good. Take her blood sparingly. Even the
saliva in your kiss can be enough, with old ones such as us.
Sometimes, just an influx of our seed can be enough, if enough
blood has been shared already—”

Louis was earnest; he clearly meant his words
to help. As Anna was my spoken reason for staying small-town, he
had an interest in wanting to keep her alive. But his next words
were lost in the fear for Anna that threatened to consume me. God,
I hadn’t even considered my seed could turn her. Quentin had
alluded to that the very day I’d met him and I hadn’t even thought
about what that meant for Anna. We’d made love nearly every night
since we’d known each other, even with me only taking her blood
every other night. I always gave her my blood to heal, always! I
gritted my fangs painfully, and managed to keep a smooth face. Yet
it was for nothing, as that bastard knew anyway.

“Calm yourself,” Louis said. “I have turned a
great many females, and I scent no turning in her. She does have an
unbelievably sweet smell that I find intriguing.” He got to his
feet. “It’s a pity she is already oathed to you, and cannot be
shared.”

I stifled my anger. “It was informative to
meet you, sir.”

“And I, you,” he said, baring his fangs. Then
he laughed. “And who knows? You’ve no doubt made enemies, with your
fast rise to power.” He grinned again evilly. “Anna may yet come
under my fangs, if she manages to outlast you. But don’t fear,
Devlin, I’ll most certainly take good care of her, should something
happen to you.”

Louis walked to his carriage, his guards
after him. I was vibrating in anger, but Uther was holding me back
with Rip’s help, even as Levi changed to wolf and went after Louis
to verify he was really leaving Fontainebleau.

“Bastard!” I spat. “How dare he come into my
house and threaten my loved one! How dare he threaten me?”

“He is Lord here,” Rip said with a shrug.
“Lords are used to doing what they want.”

“He answers only to Samuel,” Uther rasped.
“And Samuel does not care what he does, so long as France’s
vampires do not complain to the point he must listen. Samuel has
his hands full with negotiating peace between feuding Rulers whose
countries have been at war, the Luddites in Britain, and the
several Spanish colonies that are leaving their motherland. Louis’s
leash is a long one.”

“I’m going to have to kill him to keep her
safe,” I said wearily.

“You are going to do nothing but run this
province, and keep your head down,” Uther rasped. “There is no
point in attacking him, as you’ll lose. He has more than demons
guarding him, Devlin.”

Who was master here? “What guards him, other
than vampires and a demon?”

“Those fanged guards are at least thirty in
mortal years, and most are thirty in vampire years also. Most are
ones that he has made. They are under his control.”

“Guy was,” Quentin said wretchedly. “Louis
made him, as he made many of the various city rulers in
France.”

“Why did you never mention this before?” I
said irritably. “I might have apologized for killing him, if I’d
known.”

“Louis had no love for him,” Quentin replied.
“He was just a tool, one that was fast becoming useless as Guy lost
more of himself to his debauchery, ignoring his duties. Louis
likely would have replaced Guy himself by now.” He caught my eyes.
“But it would have been with another lackey, not a wild card he
could not control.”

“The issue is not the vampires,” Uther said
angrily. “It is Anthony; the wereman Louis has working for him,
running things. He is fifth.”

I turned to Uther in confusion. “What’s that
mean, fifth?”

“There are men known as mercenaries,
fighters, assassins. Muscle for hire, if you will. The best are
ranked.”

I looked over at Levi. “Are you ranked?”

Levi looked mournful, and a little dejected.
“I’m not even remotely ranked, Master. I’m a plain bodyguard,
nothing special.”

Uther snorted. “You’d know if you had a
ranked bodyguard, Devlin. You’d be paying though the nose for
him.”

“So we do nothing?” I said wearily.

“That’s right,” Uther said, nodding. “But do
heed Louis’s advice about Annabelle.”

That night, much as it killed me, I did not
make love to Anna. The next night was the same. On the third night,
she asked me hesitantly what was wrong.

I wanted to lie to her, to tell her that
nothing was wrong. But she saw immediately on my face I was upset,
and as soon as I looked into her worried eyes, I told her all of
it.

“I have been fine so far,” she said,
snuggling into me. “I think he was trying to scare you, Dev. I have
never felt tired, or in any way odd.”

“Anna, are you willing to risk it? It is your
life we are speaking of.”

She looked up at me, resolute. “I know that!
What other choice is there? I know you Dev, and I know if you are
not with me, you are going to seek out another lover, before
long.”

I began to protest.

“Shh, I knew that about you from the first,
and there is nothing to say, it is how you are. If you are truly
worried, we can stop sharing blood for a while, if you like.”

I did not like, not at all. But I agreed it
was best.

* * * *

Another few months passed. Things were quiet,
quiet enough I journeyed with Quentin to Australia, and to Africa,
and to New Zealand, to see some of the investments that had born
fruit, leaving Anna in Levi and Uther’s care. Rip helped, as he was
able to teleport us, moving us with his mind, though back then he
could only go short distances, and even then, only once a day. And
even though it shortened a year’s trip into a month, I was still
gone from Anna a long time. Long enough that I admit I had Rip mix
me up a potion to subvert my desire, so I would not be tempted.
Problem was, he wasn’t a sorcerer, and the potion did not quell my
lust for flesh; it instead turned it into lust for blood. Lucky for
me, the lands we went to were flush with brothels, and there were
many pimps who cared little about the health of their women, so
long as they were paid well.

When I finally returned a month later,
bearing many presents for Anna, she was not waiting there for me.
Levi was there alone. I noticed he looked nervous at once.

I seized him. “Where is she?”

“In her rooms,” he said, whining in fear.
“She refused to let me contact you! She says she is tired, Devlin,
she has no appetite, and she is cold, cold as you are—”

I ran to our room without letting him finish,
dropping presents left and right. I got to our room and threw open
the door.

Anna lay there sleeping peacefully. Yet even
from where I stood, I could see she was far too pale. Her skin was
cold when I smoothed her hair back from her face.

“You’re home,” she mumbled. She reached for
me, but she couldn’t seem to make her fingers work to grab hold of
my hand.

“Shh,” I said, tears running down my face.
“I’m here, Love. Please, Love, what is wrong? What do you need?
I’ll do anything!”

“Please hold me. I’m so cold, Dev.”

I hesitated. I knew if I got in bed with her,
I was going to have her; have her and bite her, too, because all
I’d thought of for days was coming back to her and burying my cool
flesh in the warmth of hers, and drinking her sweet blood.

What if I killed her? What if I turned
her?

“Dev, please,” she whispered. “I need
you.”

I yanked at my clothes, ripping them off, and
then I crawled in beside her, taking her body in my arms. She
moaned at once in longing and began writhing.

“Take me,” she groaned. “Please, Dev, please,
God, I’ve wanted you for days, it’s like agony!”

I froze. Anna had always been an active
participant in our lovemaking, but she’d never acted like this.

“Fuck me,” she whispered eagerly. “I’ve
longed to feel your hardness inside me. Please, Dev!”

I shuddered, and parted her legs. I touched
her, and she was a river, she was so ready to be loved. With a loud
moan, I sank into her, and she let out a frantic scream.

“Bite me!” she shouted. “Take me!”

I lost it completely. I bit down hard,
swallowing, even as I came again and again, almost convulsing. I
felt her under me, climaxing over and over, her body spasming
around mine. I immersed myself in her body and blood. It was only
when she stopped moving that I realized she’d slipped into
unconsciousness.

I slipped my fangs and body out of her, and
took her still face in my hands.

“Anna? Anna!”

God, what if she was turning, and I didn’t
give her enough of my blood to turn? Would she wake up? What if I’d
killed her?

Frantically I shouted her name.

She didn’t stir.

I grabbed a penknife from the dresser drawer
and cut my neck vein. A gout of blood came out. I grabbed her still
form, and pressed her face to my neck, hoping it wouldn’t choke
her. She moved immediately, and I felt a stab of pain, as she bit
down hard. Then pleasure flooded my mind, as she began drinking
from me.

God, it was so good. To feel her there, her
flesh buried in mine. I moved her lower body over slightly, and
impaled her again, groaning. She bit down again, harder, and I came
again, spasming hard into her as I let out a scream.

God, this felt better than anything I’d ever
done with any woman in my life. It was like a never-ending orgasm.
It was incomparable.

I took breath to scream again in joy, and
noticed Anna’s scent was changing. It was becoming like mine, the
sweet scent oozing out to be replaced with bitterness.

I thrust her back from me even as she fought
me, snapping her teeth. I threw her off me forcefully, and she came
back snarling, her fangs bared, her eyes tinged with red. I grabbed
hold of her wrists, and she clawed at me.

“Stop, Anna! Please stop!”

She hissed at me, fangs again bared.

I steeled myself and slapped her sharply,
knocking her back on the bed. Anna lay there, breathing steadily,
and didn’t move. She was again unconscious.

I swallowed hard and brushed away tears,
hating myself for striking her, even if it had been necessary. I
got dressed and checked my throat. My wound had healed, as had
hers.

I covered us up carefully, and hugged her
body close to mine gently. Anna did not wake when I brought her
into my arms. I was glad of it, as she had fangs like mine, and I
thought it would probably terrify her to feel them with her tongue.
It was likely she’d cut herself with them, too, if she wasn’t
careful.