Unknown (24 page)

“Seer… come to me.” Hissed in a whisper, and I took a step
backward. “Seer…” The hissing whisper grew louder. I turned and made a hasty retreat down the other connecting hall.

After getting lost, I fished my phone out of my purse and called Aleksi. To my surprise, I could hear it ring. Or at least I thought it was his phone, a clip from “Tear You Apart” by She Wants Revenge repeated.

“Where are you?” He snapped, his voice void of kindness and brimming with disapproval. I swallowed.

“I... I got lost.”

“Why didn’t you call sooner?”

“I…” My voice faded and a door down the hallway opened and Aleksi peeked his head out. He was shirtless and his skin was white pale. Where had all the blood gone?
Who the hell cares, did you see those muscles?

“Hurry up.”

I ran into the room and tripped over my skirt and almost tumbled to the ground. He grabbed me at the last minute, swooping me into a pseudo fish dive before pulling me over his shoulder. His skin was ice cold. He set me down in the bathroom on a small stool in front of a mirror and instantly I knew why he was so pale and so cold. The bathtub had a pinkish-brown ring around it and blood was still being sucked down the drain.

Without a word, he unzipped my dress and pulled the straps off my shoulders. I swallowed as the pink linen slipped silently to the floor leaving me practically naked in front of him. I pressed my knees together and started chewing on my bottom lip. In the mirror, he froze for a moment and I could see his jaw clench.

“Stay.” He clipped out as he left the room walking quickly. Watching him leave it dawned on me that he wasn’t wearing tuxedo pants anymore, he was wearing bright red pants that stopped at his knees and were fastened with two golden buttons. I knew the word for them… what is it…
It’s called you’re not going to be able to remember it because you’re still drunk.

Moments later he returned with a champagne flute and a champagne bucket. He set the bucket in the sink and filled the flute with pink champagne and handed it to me.

“Drink.” Without
hesitation,
I sipped the champagne. “Good girl.” He purred out as he reached behind me and unsnapped my bra. I gasped as instantly my heavy breasts were free. His hand trailed down my back and I writhed. He knew just how to skim his fingertips against my flesh to make me moan and shiver. “Finish the glass.”

I did as I was told, and he held his hand out and I passed him the empty glass. He set it aside for a moment and slipped my bra straps off my shoulders and let it fall to join my dress.

“Look at yourself.” He purred icily against my shoulder as he mimed his hands up my sides. The proximity of the icy flesh was enough to make me gasp. “Look.” My eyes flitted to the mirror. I still had the pink mask on and my hair and makeup were still expertly done, that combined with the fact that I was topless, standing in heels in front of Aleksi was almost sobering… almost. I moved my hand to cup my breasts and he slapped my hands away. “No, I said look, not touch.” He chided as he turned from me and poured another glass of champagne. “Drink.” I furrowed my brows and looked at him.

“I…” I started. I had already had a lot to drink, and fears of alcohol poisoning danced through my head.

“Do you trust me?”

After a moment of staring into those amazing eyes, I nodded slowly and took the glass. As I sipped it, he pressed his cold forehead to my shoulder and stared at us in the mirror.

“Why did…did
n’t… you want me…” I trailed off and he swallowed “—here.” I finished and his lips twitched.

“A Servant has to place a lot of trust in their Master at these things. You have to trust me not to kill you.”

“Oh…”

“You have no clue, lovely Autumn.” He purred. “Finish your champagne, you have one more glass to go.”

“Why?” I blushed and hung my head as I questioned. It felt wrong to ask him such a simple question. He only offered me a smile.

“Because humans aren’t allowed to see our celebrations sober. So I get to keep you just on this side of falling down drunk. I want that glass finished by the time I come back in here.” He snickered as he left the room. I slowly sipped the champagne and rubbed my fingertips looking down at them. Glancing at my fingernails I was thankful I went with a neutral French manicure and not the pink polish.

He returned before I finished the champagne and keened his eyes at me. I quickly upended the glass and he took it from me and set it on the sink with the champagne bucket. Without warning, he turned and swatted my white lace covered behind. I yelped, and he swatted me again. I knew what he was waiting for as he spanked me again and I whimpered. The swats were light, but still his hand stung and yet I could feel myself getting wet again.

“Thank you, Master.” I panted as I arched my back pressing my bottom into his hand. He rubbed the sore red flesh and let out the softest of sighs.

“These have to go.” He sighed as he stepped behind me and looped his thumbs into the
lace
he started to pull them down and then stopped when he noticed them sticking to my sex. “Someone is enjoying themselves.” He chuckled as he pulled them down the rest of the way. I stepped out of the white lace panties and kicked them off of the edge of the stool. He then reached up and untied the mask and dropped it to the floor. We stared in the mirror for a while, drinking each other in.

“Do you still love me?” The words fell out of my mouth, but he didn’t answer me. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead on my shoulder instead. After a
moment, he left the room once more and returned with an armful of garments all bright red and white. He set the clothes on the toilet seat and grabbed the stockings and returned to me. “I know I shouldn’t have ignored you. I was just so afraid of…” I trailed off as he roughly took my foot and pulled off my shoe tossing it carelessly to the side. He pulled a white stocking over my toes and up my leg. They were thigh highs and had bright red ribbon at the top with perfectly tied bows. He did the same with my other shoe, tossing it across the bathroom. As he pulled up the other stocking I touched the top of his head, his hair was so soft. Something felt off, I tilted my head to the side and realized his hair was loose and brushed for a change. “I didn’t know what… place I had if you had Kendra. She can be yours forever… I didn’t understand what you would want with me…” I trailed off and he sighed.

Again he didn’t respond he grabbed a bright red lacy collar and a mask from the pile and stood behind me and fastened it about my throat. The collar was thick like the last one but covered in satin and lace, and above the clip for the lead was a small white on red cameo. It took me a moment to realize that the cameo profile wasn’t stock but Aleksi. I fingered the collar. While I inspected the cameo in the mirror, he placed the little half mask over my eyes and tied it in place. It was covered in little roses and small red crystals.

“No one can be more mine than you are right now.” He whispered, his arms snaking around my waist. His hand slid down my stomach, his fingers reaching for my hungry, sopping slit. He stopped short and released me, leaving me panting.

A small,
frustrated noise broke my lips and he chuckled as he brought the last two garments over. Ruffled low-cut bright red panties and a bright red satin bra with thick, white lace straps and similar lace framing the cups and band. I stepped into the panties and he pulled them up taking care to smooth them over my still tingling bottom and between my legs. I bit my lip hard as his palm grazed against my clit. He watched me carefully as he teased me, my hips pressed greedily against his hand. But he was only teasing me, once I had dampened the new panties to his liking he slipped the lace straps over my shoulders and pulled the bra on.

After he fastened the bra, he poured another glass of champagne for me and left the room without another word. My body was trembling as I stood on the little stool sipping the champagne. I didn’t know if I was allowed off of the stool, I glanced into the bedroom. Aleksi slipped on black stockings and then pulled on a black shirt with poet sleeves and a wealth of lace at the wrists and tucked it into the knee pants. He dressed himself quickly, after the shirt was a black vest and then a bright red coat that matched the pants. He fastened the red mask back on his face and snatched a black tri-corner hat from the bed.

“The red coats are coming,
” I snickered from the stool and he turned and smirked at me as his fingers traced over the black embroidery that trimmed the coat. He walked over to a drawer, opened it and thumbed through whatever was in the drawer. After a moment, he took out something lacy and black and wrapped it around his neck like a tie
. It’s called a cravat… you know that.
I finished my glass of champagne and set it on the sink, but I stayed on the stool.

Aleksi smiled at me thoughtfully as he entered the bathroom and held out his hand. He didn’t need to speak a word, I stepped from the stool and he led me to the door. On the floor next to my discarded purse was a pair of white mules with little red ribbon roses on them. He steadied me as I slipped into them. Surprisingly they fit. With a grumble he slipped into his own pair of shoes, they were bright red with black embroidery like his pants and jacket. They also had a heel on them. I giggled and received a quick, playful swat on my bottom. I yelped and Aleksi giggled with pure delight as he opened the door for me. Once outside of the door he took a thin lace lead from his pocket and secured it to my collar.

“If something confuses you don’t hesitate to ask me. You are going to see a lot of things that will seem…out of the ordinary to you. When vampires celebrate a crowning—that’s what it’s called when a vampire gets the rank of Prince or Princess—it’s…” He trailed off and swallowed. “It’s an extreme form of celebration.” His tongue snaked out and licked his pale lips as he continued walking with me through the building.

Soft music seemed to build with every step. We turned into a ballroom that was mostly empty except for a few vampires sucking on dark-red popsicles. Bloodsicles? The party was clearly outside in the garden, I could see the swirling colors from behind the glass doors. As we neared the doors, Aleksi grabbed my hand and gave it a little squeeze. He glanced at me, his eyes lingering before he opened the doors.

Outside the garden was full of Vampires, there was a dance floor in the middle of the small courtyard that was awash with fuzzy swirling colors of satin dresses and embroidered coats. Everyone was dressed like we were for the most part. The vampires were easy to spot if their paper pale skin didn’t give them away their state of dress did. They all wore elaborate period costumes from the 18
^th
century like Aleksi did, but everyone wore a different color. With all the layers they wore it was like the heat didn’t bother them in the slightest.

There seemed to be at least a thousand vampires walking around the torch lit garden. It seemed every color in existence was represented. I spied Elizabeta, who was dressed in a pale blue that matched her eyes. Her hair was elegantly curled and tied over her shoulder. Lyra was kneeling on the ground beside her in nothing but a pair of mules like I wore and white stockings with pale blue ribbons that matched Elizabeta’s dress. Elizabeta was seated on a riser with a handful of other vampires, I guessed it was the table for important vampires.

Aleksi tugged gently on my lead and I followed him, turning my attention away from Elizabeta, who shot a smile in my direction.

“You can always tell the Victorian prudes.” Someone whispered as we walked passed a group of vampires with their naked servants on their knees beside them. I glanced at Aleksi and tilted my head to the side. Were they talking about us? Aleksi never let on if they were, he moved confidently through the crowd only occasionally returning nods. He didn’t stop until he found Leslie and Tristan.

Leslie was curled in Tristan’s lap, and as we approached he set his hat on her head. She wore an outfit similar to mine, only in garnet and she wasn’t covered by so much lace. Leslie didn’t seem to mind her state of undress as she hung off of Tristan; who in his pallor looked like a porcelain doll with his golden curls, big blue eyes, and snow white skin.

“I thought you’d be at the grownups table.” Aleksi smirked as he took a seat beside the two. Tristan blinked and turned to Aleksi.

“No, I won’t share Leslie and I won’t show her off.
That means I don’t get invited to be up where I should be until tomorrow.” Tristan said as he stroked Leslie’s back. She looked miles away as she stared at Tristan’s face like he was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen. I knew that look, Leslie had a habit of going mute when she got too drunk. I stood silently enjoying the swirling colors of the dancing vampires. I couldn’t sit... of course I could have but I hadn’t been invited to.
You should always act accordingly, Autumn.
I was just drunk enough that my inhibitions were fading away. “Well, look at her.
God. She’s beautiful like that, Aleksi.” Tristan purred looking me over. “You’re an idiot, I hope you realize this.”

“Oh, Tristan… go fuck yourself.” Aleksi chuckled out. “Autumn, come sit in my lap.” He held his hand out and I slid against him and crossed my legs as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

“Red is certainly your color, Autumn
,” Tristan whispered huskily and my cheeks blossomed with blush as I looked at Leslie.

“Thank you.” I looked down at my hands and they both chuckled. My eyes
glanced up and started to wander across the garden.

By a grouping of wicker benches, there was a tangle of limbs on the ground. Vampires were holding a human male down. I knew he was human because when they set on him he wore nothing but a loose white poet’s shirt and white knee stockings tied with yellow ribbons. They pulled his shirt over his head as a male vampire in a matching yellow coat laughed at him. The mob of Vampires set on him, petting
his tanned tone chest, twisting his nipples while a few of the women batted at his flaccid cock with their fans. He was just a body to them, a body to torment for their pleasure. This was made so much clearer when someone produced a dildo the size of a man’s forearm.