The Dark Rising (27 page)

“Thank you,” I said, pulling back to look at him.

“No problem,” he said with a smile, and I narrowed my eyes slightly.  He seemed so normal, like the guy I’d fallen in love with.  “What is it?” he asked.

“Please don’t be offended when I say this bluntly, but you’re so much like the old you at times it’s hard for me to associate you with the demon killer I know you’ve become.”  I held my breath not knowing how he was going to react.

“Portia,” he said with a confused sigh, and he suddenly seemed very tired.  “What’re you talking about?”  His hands dropped away, back to his sides.

“How could you kill all of those people in cold blood, just to drink from them?” I asked.

“What people?” he asked with a perplexed look.  “I haven’t killed anyone, innocent at least.  I did kill Catriona.”

Now I was the confused one.  “The blood of thirteen innocent witches and warlocks is in your refrigerator at this very moment,” I stated, pointing back down the stairs in the direction of the kitchen.

“Ah, that!” he said, light dawning in his eyes.  “You’re correct about the blood, but I didn’t kill any of those people.  Mayla’s coven did.  After I couldn’t find you in the bayou, she came after me.  She brought me back to the shack and gave me a lot of blood.  She sent the others out for more.”

I looked at him skeptically. “Then what about the pretty little witch you were stalking down the road?  I’ve seen you feed on others with my own eyes.”

He laughed then.  “I’ve attacked innocents to feed from them, I just haven’t killed any of them,” he replied nonchalantly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world for him to be doing.

“What about the night when I first came here?  You seemed pretty intent on killing me then.”

“That night was different,” he said all of a sudden reflective.  “I’d spent the evening with the coven, drinking fine blood and equally fine wine.  Mayla had been showing me things …,” his voice trailed off.  He got a faraway look in his eyes, before he suddenly shook his head as if to clear it.  “What were we talking about?”

A little shiver crept up my spine.  Something wasn’t right here, and I was beginning to have suspicions Mayla might be drugging him somehow.

“We were talking about how Mayla wants me dead,” I responded even though it wasn’t exactly what we’d been saying.

“Mayla will have to get over herself.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me.  “You belong to me and I won’t ever let you go … not for any reason,” he added possessively before sliding his mouth over mine, kissing me hard.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his heated embrace, our passions burning together in perfect unity.  We stood, just kissing on the stairs, until he swept me off my feet, carrying me back upstairs.

We got showered and cleaned up for the rest of the day before we went downstairs again.  I was surprised to find lots of clothing for me in the drawers and closet.  Vance apparently had no doubt he would get me back and had prepared accordingly.

I pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.  Vance asked me if I wanted to help him uncover all of the furniture in the house so we could see what was beneath the dust covers.  I was very excited, feeling kind of like a kid opening Christmas presents, but on a very grand scale.

We started in the parlor and found the house was loaded with beautiful antique period furniture.  It was like taking a step back in time.  Everything was in pristine condition and perfect for the style of the house.

I was like a little school girl as I ran my hands over native hardwoods which had been built into custom furniture.  It was breathtaking.

I was truly having a fun day with him, though I noticed he would disappear for several minutes at a time without warning. I presumed he was slipping away to drink blood to help him keep a handle on things.  I didn’t question him about it though, choosing instead to pretend to be oblivious to the threat he still posed to me.

We made it through about half the house when Vance came up and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“So are you liking any of this old stuff or shall we throw it all out and get new?” he asked.

“Don’t you touch a thing!” I said playfully slapping his shoulder.  “It’s perfect!  You’ve bought yourself a beautiful home.”

“No. 
We
have a beautiful home,” he said, correcting me.  “This place is ours.  It belongs to you as much as it does to me.  I want you to be happy here.”

Though I tried not to, my face clouded over a little.  He noticed it right away of course.

“What’s the matter?” he asked with a puzzled look of concern on his face.  “Don’t you like it here?”

“I love it here,” I said, reaching out to stroke the side of his face.   I decided to be completely honest.  “I don’t want to become a demon, Vance.  It isn’t that I don’t want to be with you, I do—more than anything else in the world. That’s why I’m here with you now.  But I like who I am, and I don’t want to change.”

He sighed heavily. I saw several emotions flash briefly in his expression—hurt, anger, and frustration to name a few.

“I think it might just be the natural end to this road, Portia.  The more I feed from you the stronger your attraction to the dark magic will become.  Eventually, a blood exchange will be the next thing to do. Picture it as a way to come into stronger powers instead.” he said his eyes searching mine.  “It really isn’t as awful as you think.”

I knew better than to believe that.  This experience had been horrible for both of us.  I wasn’t going to push the issue with him though.  I didn’t want to make him angry.

“I just wanted you to know how I felt,” I said, leaning in to peck him lightly on the lips.  “Promise me you’ll think about it, okay?”

He didn’t speak, but nodded.  He was very silent throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon, and I hoped I hadn’t offended him too much. 

Vance asked me to go on a picnic for dinner, which surprised me.  I found I needed to readjust my preconceived notions of what a demon acted like.  Maybe Vance was different, or maybe he was just different with me.  I could tell he was genuinely trying to please me.

I discovered a basket in the house and soon had it packed up with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, and blood of all things.  I figured I better get used to the idea of the blood if I intended on spending any amount of time with him.  It was part of who he was now.

“You ready to go?” Vance asked when he walked into the room carrying a plush looking quilt rolled up under one arm.

“Yes, I am,” I replied with a smile.  “Just let me clean this stuff up first,” I added, carrying the dirty knife to the sink.

He waited patiently while I put away the food and wiped off the counter, his eyes never leaving me as he silently followed my every move.

“Okay,” I said when I was finished.  “Let’s go.”

He grabbed the basket before I could reach for it, placing it in the hand which was holding the blanket before reaching out to take my hand in his.

“What’re you doing?” I laughed at him while we were walking out of the house.  “I can carry something too!”

“Nah.”  He smiled over at me.  “I got it.  Just relax and enjoy yourself,” he added with a wink.  It never ceased to amaze me how he could make my whole body flush with desire with just one little expression.

“Ah, so there’s that pretty blush of yours again,” he commented, but he said it through gritted teeth this time.  I realized my reaction was causing an adverse reaction in him.

He closed his eyes briefly and released my hand. “Did you pack any blood?” he asked.

“Yes,” I replied, my heart beginning to race.

“You walk on ahead, okay?  I will catch up to you.”

“But I …” I started to reply when he cut me off.

“Portia!”  He opened his flaming eyes to me.  “Go now!” I noticed his teeth were lengthening slightly.

I didn’t wait for him to tell me again, turning to walk briskly away from him.  I moved across the wide expanse of lush lawn toward an area where a large Magnolia tree graced the banks of the swampy river which ran by the property.

Standing under the shade of the old tree, I looked out into the murky water and I absently rubbed my arms as I observed the patterns of the light from the dusk colored sky dancing across its surface.  I wondered what predators might be lying in its depths watching me at this very moment, like I was being watched by the predator behind me.  I could feel Vance’s stare penetrating into me, the hunger practically rolling off of him in waves.

I wanted so badly to turn and look at him, but I was afraid to, as if making eye contact with him would hurt or make him thirst for me more.

Slowly, I wandered further under the tree until I was deep in the shadow of it and mostly hidden behind the massive trunk.  I slid down to sit at the base.

It was still very humid. The heat surrounded me while I listened to the sounds of crickets humming in the air.  The noise was peaceful, and I soon found myself being lulled to sleep while I waited for Vance, even though I struggled to stay awake and alert to my surroundings.

I realized I’d fallen asleep when I suddenly found myself being lifted in Vance’s arms.  He cradled me carefully, carrying me over to the thick blanket which was now spread out on the ground under the leafy tree.  He placed me gently on it before he joined me at my side, pulling me into his arms.

I snuggled easily up against him, craving the feel of his body against mine.  I nuzzled against his chest.

“Are you better now?” I mumbled against his skin.

“For the moment, yes,” he replied, stoking my hair.  “I went back inside for a … drink,” he said.  “Sorry I took so long.”

“Will it always be this way?” I asked softly.

He didn’t answer me for a moment and I could feel him struggling with some sort of inner conflict.

“Yes,” he finally said.  “As long as you are the way you are now.”

“Is it difficult?  To be with me, I mean.”

He let out a sound that was half snort, half chuckle.  “It’s the most difficult thing I’ve ever faced,” he said point blank.  He rolled me over on my back.  “I can’t get enough of you.”  He kissed the corner of my mouth lightly.  “You’re completely intoxicating.”  He kissed the other corner of my mouth.  “In every way possible,” he added and he nudged my nose with the tip of his.

He lowered his head and kissed me, gently at first before deepening the kiss much further, wrapping his arms tighter around me while he lay over the top of me.  I arched my back and he slipped a hand up to my neck, turning my head slightly before he left my lips to kiss my neck down to my collarbone.

His teeth lengthened and his tongue licked over my skin.  I arched my back, crying out in pain when he bit into me, but he sucked softly, gently drinking the blood from my wound and I could tell he was trying to maintain some control.

Suddenly he lifted his head, all of his senses on alert.  He placed a hand over my neck, his healing powers seeping into my skin.

“Portia,” he said, looking down at me seriously.  “We’re not alone out here.  I need you to pop back into the house.  Stay in the bedroom until I come for you, okay?”

“Let me stay here and help you,” I said, but he was already shaking his head in denial. 

“Please trust me on this and do as I say,” he replied, watching me closely.

I nodded.  “Okay,” I said, and my body dissolved from beneath him.

As soon as I was in the room I ran to the window to peer out through the curtain.  I could see him standing near the tree and a woman appeared out of the deepening shadows.  She approached him.

Mayla.  She was soon joined by several others, all men and they moved to form a half circle around her and Vance.  Mayla was carrying something in her hands.  She stepped forward, handing it to Vance.

Vance’s mind was closed tightly, but I could tell he was very agitated with Mayla.  He kept waving one of his arms in frustration while he spoke with her before he finally turned and stormed off toward the house.

A couple of the others attempted to follow after him, but Mayla stilled them with a raise of her hand and she watched Vance move away.

Once Vance entered the house, Mayla disappeared with her demon henchmen back into the tree line.

I heard Vance’s heavy footfalls as he climbed the stairs.  The door opened and he came inside, his face a determined scowl.

“What was that about?” I asked him and I realized the thing Mayla had given him was a container full of blood which he still held in his hands.

“Mayla’s upset with me,” he replied shortly.

“Why?”

“Because you’re still alive,” he said looking at me.  “I’m defying a direct order from her.”

“To kill me?”  He nodded before popping the top of the container open, taking a hefty drink from it.

“What did she say?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied taking another large swallow.  “I’ll take care of it.”

“But there may be some way I can help.”

“Portia, I don’t want to talk about this right now,” he said firmly.  “You might’ve been kind enough to let me know you killed one of the demons from my coven though.  I can defend you better if I’m not being caught by surprise.”

“You shouldn’t have sent him to stalk my family,” I replied, not feeling the least bit remorseful about my actions.

“It was the only way I knew to get your attention.  You wouldn’t listen to me and you kept jumping in and out of places before I could talk to you.”

“Forgive me for that, but I was kind of obsessed with trying to stay alive.  You seemed pretty bent on hurting me every time I showed up,” I reminded, glaring at him and daring him to deny it.

He stared hard in my direction, sparks flashing in his eyes as he clenched his jaw.

“You didn’t get to eat earlier and I’ve fed from you,” he said finally, changing the subject.  “Let’s get some food into you.”

I nodded and followed him, realizing this discussion was completely closed.

“Why’d she bring you more blood?” I asked him as we entered the kitchen together.  “You have plenty in the fridge.”

“This is fresh.” He glanced in my direction.  “Fresh is always better than cold,” he explained.  “She’s very considerate to bring me some when she has it.”