The Unknown Mistress - An Erotica and Romance Paranormal/Historical Novella (9 page)

The baroness turned back to Jany. “Do you understand my dilemma?” she asked.

“I do,” Jany said, hoping the baroness would not see through the lie.

“Then you see why I must turn to you with this desperate, sinful and ungodly plea.” The baroness moved closer to Jany and rested her fingers on her arm. “Please,” she said in a pained voice, “save the woman. What I ask you to do may seem crude or even depraved, but if we allow the flames to end her life, would not that be a greater evil?”

Jany stood dumbstruck while wind and rain struck the windows. Part of her had anticipated this, but another part refused to believe what the baroness suggested. In the background of the confusion loomed her survival instincts, and they were not happy. Making love to a bound vampire. It was wicked, act of salvation or not.

Yet Jany was trapped between her conscience and her guilt. No one should take advantage of another human the way the baroness proposed, but a good person would not let another woman die if salvation was within reach. It was a choice between two cruelties.

Except that one of the two was a lesser cruelty. Jany had spent endless hours and countless nights dreaming of touching and being touched, in all the ways and places that only another woman would know. Subjecting the maid to these fantasies was immoral, but Jany was not spiteful. In difference, she longed to give another woman pleasure. Was that enough to justify doing what the baroness asked?

Jany turned to look at the maid again. Now that Jany’s eyes had adapted to the gloom, it was easier to make out the woman’s features. She lay still, breathing heavily and watching Jany. She was agonizingly beautiful and unbearably tempting. And cursed, destined to burn in a few hours. Unless Jany saved her.

Jany felt lightheaded, as if she had left reality outside the room and entered a dreamlike state in which anything could happen. The strong and aromatic wine added to the effect. Most of all, the baroness’s sheer presence was making her heady; her determination and thoughts seemed to wither before those large, impossibly blue eyes. Outside, the storm was becoming fiercer. Rain bashed the windows as if whipped into frenzy by an unseen force. The maid was still looking at Jany, who saw a new light in the woman’s eyes.

It was, Jany thought, the light of hope.

“Yes,” Jany whispered. “I’ll do it. For the sake of her soul, I’ll save her.”

That was only half of the truth; she wanted to make love to the maid.
It did not matter if she was on the edge of becoming a supernatural being. Deep down, Jany was terrified that she would die without ever having been with a woman. This may be her only chance. A twisted opportunity framed with darkness and fear, but for a good cause.

The baroness smiled widely and nodded. “I knew you would see reason,” she said. “Remember that it is for a good cause.” Without waiting for Jany to reply, she reached around Jany’s neck and undid the clasp that held Jany’s tunic in place. Jany started in surprise; she often had to struggle to open the clasp when she undressed, but the baroness had loosened it without problem.

Underneath the thin coat, Jany wore a thick plain shirt and a loose long skirt, both wet from the rain. Even though she was still dressed, she already felt exposed. On the other hand, the sensation of being undressed by another woman – especially a woman like this – was exhilarating. By the time the baroness tossed Jany’s tunic aside, Jany’s face was burning again.

Jany’s grasp of the situation was slipping. Was she really about to force herself upon another human being? Had someone described this scene to her, she would have thought it offensive and depraved. Making love was meant to be a private act. Merely undressing was indecent; a sleeping with someone else in front of another person was unthinkable.

Only Jany found herself eager to save the maid. The woman’s life was in peril. From the perspective of an outsider, it might be easy to object to the plan, but that person was not in Jany’s position: cornered and forced to choose between two great wrongs. No, there were no alternatives. She had to go along with the baroness’s idea.

Besides, anything was possible in this room, or so it felt. Enveloped in the baroness’s overpowering presence, and surrounded by shadows and firelight, the space felt detached from reality, a void separated from the laws and morals that governed everyday life. The baroness was at the absolute centre of this sensation; the woman seemed to twist perceptions with her raw, unstoppable charisma. No wonder she was such a renowned nobility. Kings and queens alike would throw themselves at the baroness’s feet after a few minutes in her company. Jany would not hesitate to do much more than that.

As soon as the baroness had dispatched of Jany’s tunic, she turned her fingers to the buttons on Jany’s shirt. Gasping, Jany raised her hand to fend off the baroness, but when then baroness gave her a surprisingly stern look, Jany lowered her hand.  With a swift series of flicks, the baroness unbuttoned the shirt and then, slowly and almost ceremoniously, parted its front to reveal Jany’s breasts. The baroness’s eyes were so intense that Jany was unnerved for a moment.

When the baroness saw Jany flinch, she smiled. “You are extraordinary,” she said in a slightly choked voice. “Who would have known that those simple rags hid such a treasure?”

“My lady is too kind,” Jany said, determined to hold together a little longer.

“Nonsense,” the baroness said. “The maid is a lucky woman. Apart from the curse, of course.” She made an apologetic face. “I should be quiet. This is a sacred moment.” Glancing down, the baroness let her fingers trace the sides of Jany’s breasts. Her eyes were filled with yearning.

“My lady,” Jany managed, but lost the rest of the sentence. She was half naked in front of a baroness who barely could conceal her desire. An obvious longing for
her.
And the baroness had touched her in a decidedly sensual way. To complicate matters even more, this aristocrat would soon be nearby – perhaps even watch – as Jany would attempt to save a maid’s soul by making love to her. Jany’s mind threatened to shut down in sheer panic.

At the same time, Jany was more alive than she ever had been before. While she was nervous beyond reason, pure lust filled her every nerve. Trembling, she allowed the baroness to pull off her shirt and untie the ribbons that held up her skirt, and soon her skirt joined her other clothes on the floor.

Sliding her fingers inside Jany’s smallclothes, the baroness stepped closer to Jany. The woman’s lips were an inch from Jany’s ear as she spoke.

“You must make her climax,” the baroness whispered and slowly pushed Jany’s smallclothes down her legs. “The stories I have heard says so. Make her come, and the curse is removed, fleeing her body with she screams.” The baroness kneeled and continued to undress Jany, confidently but reverently.

“I thought my lady had read it in a book,” Jany mumbled in a state of near-panic. Keeping still while the baroness ran her hands along her body was nearly impossible. Carefully, she took a step backwards to let the baroness remove her last clothes.

Unclothed and shivering, Jany stood naked while facing one of the most beautiful women she had ever met. And nearby was another, equally stunning woman, who had been bitten by a vampire. People could lose their minds for less. And yet, this was only the beginning.

 Still kneeling, the baroness looked up at Jany with a shy smile, and Jany’s body responded with a tremor. Something inside Jany shifted, as if the baroness’s intense gaze burned away all concern and left only lust in its wake. Thunder rumbled again, closer this time. The hard rain and the wild winds blended into a loud, continual hiss. Sounds and scents seemed to gain in strength.

“Book or tales,” the baroness said briskly and stood up again. “What does sources matter now? You are about to save a life.” Smiling wistfully, she turned to the bed. “Go to her now,” she said. “Bless her soul from the mare that rides her. You know what you must do.”

“I do,” Jany replied. Speaking was difficult, but not from fear; her hesitation came from her desire. What had started as a calm surge was now a fierce, roaring river.

The baroness reached behind her back, produced a large fan and sprung it open. Waiting, she watched Jany over the edge. Her eyes were unreadable.

A thought came to Jany, and her heart skipped a beat. “What if she bites me?” she asked.

“She cannot.” The baroness fanned herself and shook her head. “I understood from my readings – and the stories I have heard – that it takes many days for them to develop their bloodlust and their fangs. Right now, she is merely an unusually handsome woman, suffering from an illness only you can dispel.” There was an edge of desperation to the baroness’s voice; clearly, the tension was getting to her too.

“Of course,” Jany whispered. “But still –”

“Go.” The baroness gently urged Jany forward. “I will remain here. Eyes adverted, of course.”

Nodding, Jany took a step forward while thoughts raced through her mind. What was happening to her? From what dark recess in her mind had this mad, reckless hunger exploded? She was helplessly in the grip of her own desire for the maid. Unless she controlled herself, she did not know what would happen. The baroness’s influence was dangerous; she was charismatic enough to make anyone agree to anything. 

Jany crossed the floor and approached the bed. She felt half in trance, at once numb and electrified. The maid was watching her while she came closer. Perhaps she knew what was about to happen; Jany saw the slim woman breathe heavily and tremble. She hoped the maid was not afraid. While the baroness had told Jany that the maid looked to women rather than men, Jany was not a monster. She would be gentle and tactful.  This endeavour was for the sake of a hurt woman, not her own lust.

But that did not stop the maid from being painfully attractive. Writhing in her ropes, she moaned softly and bit her lip when Jany stopped next to the bed. Her eyes were wide and alert. Jany knew it was an illusion, but the woman looked as excited as she was herself.

The maid wore a thin and simple night shift, and her wild twisting had pulled it far up along her long, slender legs. Thankfully, the ropes did not seem to hurt the woman; there was no blood or bruises, not even a slightest mark on her skin. Whoever bound the maid had been both competent and gentle.

She is astonishing
, Jany thought.
So beautiful and strong, and still so fragile.
Slowly, gingerly, she pressed her fingertips to the maid’s thigh, just above her knee. To Jany’s surprise, the woman’s skin was warm and soft; she had expected it to be cold and damp from fear.

With a gasp, the maid closed her eyes. She strained in her ropes, but instead of shying away, she moved towards Jany as if trying to get closer. Her firm thigh quivered under Jany’s fingers. It was not the flinch of a terrified prisoner; the maid took pleasure from Jany’s nearness, and she wanted more.

The touch changed everything. When the baroness had explained how the maid could be saved, Jany had feared that she would have to force herself onto the woman – an act so opposite lo love that it sickened her. Only the fact that the woman was doomed had made Jany agree to this plan.

But seeing this made all the difference. The maid
wanted
her. Jany’s craving for the maid was rivalled only by her desire for the baroness, and her lust was fuelled with dammed-up need of years constant restraint. Now her needs were answered. Everything except the woman before Jany faded into the background. She knew the baroness was watching, but she did not care. This night was magical.

Jany moved her fingers along the maid’s thigh, sliding her hand in under her sleeping dress and continuing up towards the woman’s belly. The maid breathed in so sharply Jany heard her over the furious storm outside. A shiver went through the maid’s body, and a smile passed over her face before she looked nervous again. But she had smiled. Jany knew what she had seen.

Besides, the woman could have cried out if she was appalled, but she was quiet. Silent and excited. The maid
should
have been scared, or at least unwilling, however there was no trace of disgust on her face. That was strange, but Jany was past caring. Normal behaviour had been expelled from this room.

This was the first time Jany was with a woman, so she decided to follow her instincts. That was hard; none of her fantasies had ever been this vivid or confusing. With no time of chance to think, she had to rely on what she knew about her own body. Carefully, Jany climbed into the bed and straddled the maid, and to her continual surprise and relief, there was only nervousness and longing in the maid’s eyes.