Immortal Confessions (22 page)

“What’s her name? How did you meet? Where
does she live?” I couldn’t get my questions out fast enough.

“Her name is Justine. I met her one night
during an investigation. She was the wife of a tavern owner.”

“I’m guessing he’s no longer her husband,” I
joked. “Or have you been naughty?”

Danial rolled his eyes. “No, you fiend. He
was a large beefy man who liked to hurt those around him,
especially those he professed to love. He is rotting in pieces near
the river, what the werevultures left of him, anyway.”

“Fitting,” I said in approval. “But why have
you not brought Justine here to live? Anna would welcome the
company.”

“I do not want her involved in this life we
lead,” Danial said vehemently. “Not until I know for certain that
she wants to be.”

“She must be protected,” I said firmly.
“Bring her here, Danial. Anything could befall her in this city.
She’ll adjust in time.”

“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you,”
Danial grated out. “She is not a plaything; she is a woman who is
entitled to her own life. She is just beginning to come out of her
shell, to smile again. She does not need to add supernatural
horrors to all the human ones she’s already endured.”

“Have it your way,” I said grumpily. “But
don’t blame me if she is killed accidentally some night, as your
other lover was killed.”

“Your tact is amazing,” Danial said coldly,
getting to his feet. “I’ll be out working, if you should need me.”
He walked out.

That next week, Danial avoided me. I left him
alone, as I had my hands full mending fences with Uther. After
agreeing to mate him and his bride to be—I felt I had to, as she
was already pregnant—he agreed to come back, with an additional
raise in pay. I also began working with Quentin to prepare for
Louis’s arrival. There were performances for which tickets needed
to be purchased, accommodations and guards to arrange, and most of
all, blood to secure. Louis had a voracious appetite, and the first
time he came, I’d not laid in enough of a supply of humans—he
preferred neither sex to the other—and we’d been scrambling for
more. I wasn’t about to make that mistake, or any other, again.

In keeping with this, I told Anna that she
must not go anywhere outside of the house without at least one of
the werebats and Levi with her at all times. I sweetened the news
with the gift of several new evening gowns, as I thought that would
guarantee her acquiescence. Unexpectedly, she rebelled.

“I will go outside if I choose to, Dev, when
I choose to. There is no danger to befall me sitting in the sun
mere steps from the door of my own home.”

All that could still happen flooded my mind:
Anna seized by a magician and teleported instantly, Anna shot with
an arrow or bullet from the forest yards away, Anna ravaged and
killed by a human for her jewelry...

“There is danger. You will not do it.”

“Eva is with me at all times, except at night
when you or Danial is there. She is werewolf, and stronger than a
human—”

“I’ve said no, and I will not repeat it
again, Anna.”

“I’ll do as I please,” she shouted at me.
“You don’t own me, Devlin!”

“I do own you! You promised to obey me!”

“This is not for my safety,” she said
hatefully. “This is because you want me with you in bed, and not
enjoying the sunlight. I miss it, Devlin! I want to be outside, to
feel its warmth! Summer is nearly over!”

“That is not true,” I said angrily. “It hurts
me you would believe that.”

“I believe only what you give me cause to,”
she said pointedly, and stormed off.

Eva entered a second later. I waited for her
to defend Anna, but again I was surprised.

“I heard it all,” she said quietly. “I’ll
make sure she does not leave the house without additional
guards.”

That she accepted this so readily meant one
thing. “When was the attempt made on you?”

“When I was newly oathed,” she replied. “I
was sitting in the sun outside pressing flowers in a book. Guy was
sleeping inside. As you know, the werebats were our enemies then. A
large male swooped down and quickly carried me off. Luckily Levi
was nearby, and shot him with his long rifle, just before he got
out of range.”

“You must have fallen.”

“He caught me,” she said lovingly, her eyes
looking inward at her memory. “He beheaded the bat and burned the
body. I never again left the house during the day without him and
his musket.”

“Tell that to Anna,” I said, giving her a
quick cheek kiss of gratitude. “Please.”

Eva nodded, and left.

The next week, things greatly improved with
Anna. Some of that was likely Eva’s tale of warning, but I wagered
the rest was of my doing. I’d mastered Quentin’s teachings, and our
sex life had improved as a direct result. I admit, it is much more
fun to take your time recovering when you have no responsibilities
and have all night for lovemaking. When you are busy, being
experienced enough to recover quickly maximizes both your partner’s
pleasure and your own. But enough about that. Suffice to say that
Anna accepted her new rules, doing as I asked.

Then, a week before Louis was to appear, Lady
Jezebel sent me a letter, asking that I come to visit her. Anna was
invited, as was Danial.

I showed it to them later that evening.
“Danial, are you available? Anna should not go, of course, but I
think we should see what she has to say.”

“No,” Danial said, wrinkling his nose. “I
will not go under any circumstances. I met her once. That was more
than enough.”

“Why not?” I said cajolingly. “What do we
have to fear, especially together?”

“What does she say she wants?” he
replied.

“To meet us and Anna for food and drink at
her home.”

“We cannot eat, and I would not allow Anna to
eat anything that goblin served,” Danial said darkly. “Throw the
invite in the trash where it belongs.”

“Very well,” I said, putting it down on my
desk. “I must go out of town in a few days, just overnight. Quentin
will go with me, as will some werebats. Please watch over Anna, if
you would?”

“Of course,” Danial said. Then he excused
himself and left.

“Don’t go,” Anna said at once, coming over to
me. “I’m worried about Louis’s visit. It’s very soon. What if he
arrives early?”

“He will not arrive a week early,” I
reassured her. “I’ll only be gone one night. I must see those crops
for myself. Quentin says that some are being salvaged, that the
frost struck unevenly. There is hope they will not be a complete
loss.”

“Am I not more important than crops?” Anna
said angrily. “We have enough money, Devlin. Why must you spend so
much time trying to make more? We will never spend it all, and we
have no one to leave it to. Everyone is dead!”

“Must you constantly find fault with
everything I do?” I snapped at her. “I’m trying the best I can to
take care of you. I have to ensure you are safe and have everything
you desire.”

“You cannot give me everything I desire,” she
sneered, and went to leave.

This time, I went after her. “What do you
mean by that? Answer me, Anna.”

“You’ve changed,” she said despairingly. “I
believed you, when you said you loved me. But now I’m wondering if
you ever loved me.”

I was dumbfounded. “How can you say that? Of
course I love you.”

“You love that I am where you want me when
you want me,” she whispered. “That’s not love, Devlin. That’s
possession.”

“No more talk of owners and slaves,” I said
angrily. “I give you rules only to protect you, Anna. Do you think
I want you to have to be cooped up inside? I like to see your eyes
bright and alive, to hear your happiness in your voice, to touch
your skin darkened by the sun’s light. This is only for a short
time, until Louis leaves again.”

“He will always come back again,” she said,
despair again in her words. “Even if he dies, there will always be
some new danger, Devlin.”

The truth in those horrible words cut to the
heart of me. I hugged her close, searching for some words of
comfort to give not only to her, but also to myself.

A throat was cleared from behind us. I looked
over to see Quentin standing there.

“The coach is ready and waiting,” he said.
“We must leave, Devlin.”

“I’ll return soon,” I said, kissing Anna
lightly on her forehead. “I love you, dearest.”

I strode out with him, not looking back. He
didn’t speak until we were underway to the tavern where we would
meet Rip.

“She’s right, you know,” he said, matter of
fact. “It’s always going to be like this for her and for you.”

I didn’t reply, looking out into the night,
as if the stars might hold some answer for me.

* * * *

The crops were salvageable, at least my opium
and Danial’s cotton. Pleased with those results, I headed home the
next night with Quentin in the carriage, after leaving Rip to his
drinking.

“Where shall we go to celebrate?” Quentin
asked happily. “How about the tavern on the edges of the werebat
colony? They can fly us home after, if it gets too close to
sunrise.”

“No,” I said maliciously, my eyes glinting.
“Driver, take us to Lady Jezebel’s home.”

The driver turned the carriage, even as
Quentin began having a crisis.

“No! We cannot go to her, Devlin! She is a
witch, not just a goblin! She’ll do something to both of us!”

“I’ve been invited twice now,” I said coolly,
enjoying his panic. “I’m Lord here, and I will find out just what
she wants with me. You can be a man for once and accompany me.”

Quentin bared his fangs at me, but didn’t
reply.

We were there in about an hour. The estate
was lovely, with many lights on the driveway and in the house. Not
all were gaslight; some were magical, glowing balls of light that
seemed to hang in the air.

“She is an accomplished sorceress,” I said in
amazement. “Rene does not have any of these.”

We drove up to the door, where I got out,
pulling Quentin with me.

The main door opened. Silhouetted in the
light from within was a shapely buxom woman with long black
hair.

“So you’ve finally come,” she said sultrily.
“I was beginning to think you were afraid.”

“I’m here for dinner,” I said, striding up
the steps. “I’ve brought my friend with me, as Danial could not
make it.”

“Nor Anna, I see,” Jezebel said, her red lips
curving in a wide smile. “Pity. Do come in, my Lord.”

We followed her inside to her fireplace. She
sat in an elaborate chair before the steadily burning fire,
gesturing for us to do the same in the two chairs opposite her.

“What do you want?” I said when we were all
seated.

“An alliance with you,” she said sweetly. “I
have a bad reputation, you see.”

“That is well earned,” Quentin muttered.

Jezebel laughed. “So it is! I had a good time
earning it. The problem is I’ve all this and no one to share it
with, no friends, no lovers, not even an acquaintance.”

“You could pay people to be here,” I said
flatly. “I’ll ask one more time; what is it you want from me?”

“To be your ally, if not more.” She winked,
implying what “more” meant.

“I have a lover,” I replied. “You have
nothing to offer me I want.”

“But I do,” Jezebel said, eye flashing. “I
have myself. My blood, goblin blood, is very powerful. You could
gain power swiftly, if I was but to let you have a little on a
regular basis.”

“What would that cost me?”

“Just your protection,” she said, lowering
her eyes. “And affection.”

“I can offer you only protection,” I said.
“My affection is spoken for.”

“I am agreeable to that,” Jezebel said,
shrugging. “For now.”

“You are powerful enough not to need Devlin’s
protection,” Quentin said in a low voice.

“Yes, but I’m lonely,” Jezebel said. She
snapped her fingers, and a glass of wine appeared out of thin air.
She took it absently from midair, sipping the dark red fluid, then
put it down on the table at her side. “Even goblins get lonely, my
dear vampire.”

“Why not get another of your kind?” I asked,
curious. “You are comely enough.”

“It’s all an illusion,” Jezebel replied,
chuckling. “Illusion put on for you both. My real countenance is
ugly and twisted, even for a goblin. My own kind can see that. Our
nature makes all goblins resistant to any magical illusions.” She
drank her wine down in one long pull. “Just as vampires do not keep
company with vampires of the opposite sex, I cannot keep company
with other goblins. I am too vain to be thought ordinary, or worse,
ill-formed.” She put her glass down. “Enough of depressing
thoughts. Who will be first?”

“First?” Quentin echoed.

“Likely you, as your master will not want to
risk himself.” She got up, and unfastened her dress, letting it
fall to her feet. “Come to me, Quentin.”

I fell out of the chair, my lust for her was
so powerful. Her flesh was perfect, her breasts heavy and full, and
her hips curvy and ample. Her long black hair hung down her back,
glittering and glistening in the firelight.

Quentin went to her awkwardly, but as soon as
he touched her, he lost all control. Within seconds, he had her
down on the rug, his pants down as he pounded into her, his teeth
buried in one breast. That itself was enough to make me painfully
hard, but the moment he began drinking, Jezebel went wild. She
began moaning loudly, climaxing within minutes. As he drank and
loved her, she came again and again, her cries of passion driving
me wild with need to push him from her and seize her for my own.
Quentin was also crying out repeatedly, his cries muffled by her
flesh.

I fought myself, the minutes ticking by like
hours. Ten minutes later, Quentin screamed loudly one last time,
and collapsed on her.