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"I see," I whispered, letting my head hang and focusing on my fists. "After seeing you fight for it with Anthony, I kept picturing you in a place like this, typing with that crazy speed and rhythm of yours," he said, a faint smile curving the corners of his mouth. |
"Yeah, I don't know about that." I dismissed his words, not wanting to think about writing. My idea for a vampire book had started all of this. When Anthony had demanded I stopped writing, I'd gone mad and fought him for it. Now... I just didn't know what I wanted anymore. This world I'd been dragged into, real and unf... |
"What do you mean? You're not going to give up on it, are you?" he asked, moving closer and taking both of my hands in his. I shied away from the contact and moved a little further from him. "I really don't know, Louis. I hope I won't. Right now, my life is a mess and the only thing I can think of is how to get through... |
"Sorry," he whispered. "It's not your fault. There's just been so much happening. Everything's upside-down and before I go back to writing, I need to figure out what's next for me, not just for a book I once tried to write." |
"Maybe when things calm down, we can find a place like this in Amsterdam. Or come here for a while." Louis pulled me close, holding me against his chest. I wanted to push him away, but I caught his scent and leaned into him instead. I inhaled deeply and relished the closeness of the moment. |
I looked up at him, wondering why he'd go to so much trouble to accommodate my writing. Then I started wondering why he'd speak of traveling to Prague again when he had gotten scared by a simple kiss. |
I smiled and thanked him. I decided that dreaming of a trip to Prague, even if the chance of it happening was slim, was just what the doctor ordered before nightfall, when the real danger that lurked in the shadows closed in on us. Well, we'd go looking for it, but there was danger involved nonetheless. |
After a few hours of tasty coffee and light conversation, we left the café. Darkness had fallen on the streets outside and we decided it was time to make our way to the bridge. Once outside, Louis didn't reach for my hand, and that cut deeper than I could've ever imagined. A few steps from the cafe, he put his arm arou... |
We got to the bridge and walked across. The signal we'd picked up had come from the other side, right under the tower adorning its foot. We went down the stairs and walked slowly on the street in front of us. A little further down the road, we stopped. Louis took his phone out and started typing. |
"To the left. Three baseborns guarding the door." I hadn't seen anything. I wondered how he knew they were vampires. Was it their scent or did he see something I didn't? |
I took his phone and typed fast. _"Think they spotted you?"_ "Yes. Maybe they thought I was out hunting." "Okay. What now?" "Walk behind me." |
He slid the phone back into his pocket and started back. Now that I was actually looking for them, I noticed the three men talking in front of a door leading... right under Charles Bridge! |
In the blink of an eye, Louis disappeared from right in front of me. One more blink and there he was, right in the middle of the three vampires, twisting and breaking the neck of one of them. The other two attacked and I could barely tell what was going on. They were all moving so fast that it looked like I was watchin... |
At one point, Louis fell down on the ground and the other two held him there. I watched in horror as they pushed a knife through his gut, his scream piercing the night. He struggled to push them off and failed. |
I clearly wasn't thinking, as I started running towards them. I took my backpack off my shoulder and hit one of them hard in the head. It couldn't have really hurt him, but it distracted him, and he turned on me. |
He laughed in my face, a truly evil sound, all fangs and glassy eyes. He grabbed me under my armpits and I sent me flying. I stopped when I slammed into the cold rocks at the foot of Charles Bridge. The impact was so strong, I bounced off the cold stone wall and crumbled down onto the pavement. Pain shot through my lef... |
I closed my eyes, pain making me dizzy. When I opened them again, Louis crouched in front of me. "Are you ok?" he asked. Even through my daze, I noticed the way he shook, wincing as he pressed his hand over his stomach. |
"No, but I'll survive," I said, then started coughing. "What the hell was that?" He sounded angry over the stunt I had pulled, but I could barely hear him. The smell was the first sign, then I saw it: blood pouring out of the wound in his gut, painting his hand red. There were a few more cuts on his legs and arms. Deep... |
"Let me help." I took my jacket off and pressed it over his wound. "How long will it take you to heal?" "The whole night. We have to go, then come back later." I brushed away a few strands of hair, hoping it would ease the deep frown on Louis's face. |
"The whole night? What kind of vampire are you?" I winced at my poor attempt at a joke. "I need blood to heal faster." He shrugged, letting his head fall and rest on the wall behind him. |
"So take mine." My heart surged, beating a wild rhythm at the idea of Louis's fangs piercing through my skin. A strange mix of excitement and fear flooded me, dizzying and thrilling. |
"Not enough..." "What do you mean not enough? You have to take it, heal, and go get her. Now!" I knew we couldn't wait, not for an entire night, and still expect her to be here. |
"I don't know how many more are waiting inside. Even if I did, I'd have to almost drain you to heal fast enough to attack before they sound the alarm." |
"So what? You'll heal me afterward. You did it before." "You won't be able to speak or move. You'd be completely exposed until I return" |
"Please, Louis," I begged. "Just do it and then try your best to save Hesrah. If we leave now, they'll move her. They'll find the tracking device and she'll be lost." |
"I'll find her again," he said, but he didn't sound like he believed it. "Oh, stop being such a pain. We'll be fine." "I said no!" Him shouting was not about to stop me. I zeroed in on the sword in his hand and reached out to it. I took a few breaths and hastily cut my right palm by swiping it along the sharpened blade... |
"No, please." He whimpered, turning his face to the side. "C'mon, drink. Save the day and make it worth it. If not, you can always blame me for our failure," I said and gave him a weak smile while brushing my palm along his lips. |
He started drinking slowly. I saw his eyes turn into something vicious, but his hand gently stroking my leg calmed me down. I lost all confidence when he pulled me close to him and bit my neck. I could feel the blood flowing out of me, and the pain was sharp and unyielding. He was breathing heavily and moaning while gu... |
He placed me close to the stone wall, trying to make me as comfortable as possible, but it was wasted effort. I couldn't feel much, and everything was a thick haze. All I saw was a shadow going in. Later, a shadow coming out. I wanted to call out, thinking it was Louis coming back, but the shadow walked past me. I clos... |
# Chapter XIX I OPENED MY EYES to hazy light. I felt cold, and my own shivering was what had awakened me. I couldn't tell where I was, but it felt comfortable and safe. A cold hand covered my forehead, and I heard a distant, but unmistakable voice. Louis. Then a second one, crying and talking at the same time. Loud. Al... |
"Glad to see you, too... but keep it down," I whispered. I tried to wave away the dizziness and to sit up. "Oh, no. Stay right there," Louis said, holding me down on the bed. |
"Please... I want to sit up." He arranged my pillows and helped me up. Hesrah came on the other side of the bed with a steaming bowl of soup. I could feel the iron scent, overpowering and twisting my stomach. I frowned and looked up at Louis. |
"Were you daydreaming when you made that and added too much blood?" "No." He chuckled and that sound did great things to my general well-being, probably more than the actual soup would. "Just drink it all and be quick about it." |
"It's all right, Alexa," Hesrah reassured me, her voice cracking. "You won't taste it much. He put tons of pepper in it." So he had told her. Or she'd guessed from the smell of blood. I took a few sips and then made what I imagined was a very disgusted face. "Jeez! I can taste it all right. And the only thing the peppe... |
"Please, you have to. You need to heal fast. They are surely looking for us and we need to get out of Prague yesterday," Louis said, helping me raise the bowl to my lips. |
I couldn't take the worry in his voice so I made an effort and downed the soup as fast as I could. I coughed, the taste and too much spice making me gag, but I held it in. I immediately felt invigorated, like I hadn't been sent flying into a wall by a superhuman bastard. I slid out of bed and went into the bathroom. I ... |
Clean and feeling somewhat human, I followed them out of the hotel and into a cab that took us to the parking lot where Louis had left the car. It was dark outside, which meant I'd slept through the whole night and the next day. But I felt great. Judging by the bruises on my body and the quantity of blood I'd lost, I s... |
We drove out of the city and the moment we were safely out of Prague, I made them stop and move me to the front seat. It wasn't very comfortable, but I was getting queasy in the back. Motion sickness was a bitch when you were already injured. Louis refused to stop until we made it to Germany, then found a small inn nea... |
By the time we were checked in, my burst of energy had worn off and I could barely keep my eyes open. Apparently, there was an expiration date on the benefits of the significant dose of blood Louis had fed me. I leaned on him and slowly walked to one of the rooms he had booked. After unlocking the door, he carried me t... |
"Please don't go," I whispered, tightening my grip on him. "I'll be back in an instant," he said and I heard him whispering with Hesrah. Doors banged shut, locks twisted, and then I finally felt him stretch next to me, his arm reaching over my waist and taking my hand in his. He was so close, his scent soothing me. |
"I am so, so tired," I complained. "I know, don't fight it. If you rest, you'll heal faster." I sighed, squirming on the bed to get closer to him, and closed my eyes. |
"I am so sorry this happened to you," he said, pressing his face into my hair. "Why on earth should you be sorry?" "I put you in this state. I could have taken less, but your blood is so intoxicating. And I was badly hurt. It was painfully difficult to control myself." He pulled me closer and buried his nose in the cro... |
"You saved her, and I am totally fine. There's nothing to apologize for." I knew he wouldn't let go of his guilt so easily, but I was willing to try to convince him it hadn't been his fault. I'd chosen this. I knew the risks, and I thought it had been worth it. Maybe it was better for us to sleep first. Rested minds ar... |
Waking up to an empty bed and breakfast set out in the room was more traumatic than I would have ever imagined. I panicked for a second and I couldn't move or breathe. I tried to calm down and think like a normal person. It was all fine. I was not alone in the middle of nowhere. Louis wouldn't do that. He was probably ... |
It wasn't working very well so I thought doing something might yield better results. I went to the small bathroom to clean up. The bruises were almost completely healed and once the panic and fear were gone, I noticed just how _good_ I felt. No pain, no tightness in my muscles, just this buzzing anxiety and budding pan... |
I found my bag and got dressed. I took the remote control from the desk and turned the TV on. Everything was in German, so I zapped a bit until I found a music channel. If the music was good, it did not matter that I could only understand three words of each song. |
A few minutes later, Louis walked in. "Hey," he said, a tentative smile on his lips. "You're up." The smile was a good start, even if his eyes roamed over me, trying to assess my state. |
"Yeah, I am. All clean, dressed and ready to go." He started to say something, but I shushed him and turned the TV up. The first notes of the song had caught my attention and I just wanted to hear the words surround everything. I loved the song currently playing. I loved the meaning behind the lyrics. I closed my eyes,... |
Louis lay right next to me, and I hadn't even felt him. He was looking at me intently, and I wished I could read his mind, at least for a second. I couldn't, though. All I could do was stare back and hope that expressionless face was not going to bring me any bad news in the next few moments. Instead, he leaned over an... |
I relaxed on the bed, pulling him with me and shuddering as he slowly rolled on top of me. I spread my legs, enough to make room for him to slide between them. He fit perfectly and felt right, the kiss deepening until it overwhelmed me. Kissing Louis came so naturally that I couldn't remember why we'd stopped before. H... |
All I wanted was for him to keep kissing me like that, tear all my clothes off, and get closer, until nothing stood between us. I wanted to feel him moving deep inside of me, get lost in him, and not care about any of the real-world problems waiting for us outside. A lingering thought about blood bonds and passion bein... |
He freed my mouth to kiss my neck. "Oh, god," I whispered, his hand burning my skin as it slid under my shirt, going up and reaching for my breast. He circled my hardened nipple, making me shudder. Every cell of my body ached with a deep need for him to touch me more, possess me. |
He kissed me again and I could feel his fangs now and then. He tensed in my arms, and I guessed he was trying to keep his feral side under control. I pushed against his chest and he immediately stopped, hovering on top of me. |
"Louis, why are you trying so hard to control yourself?" I asked in a hushed voice. He tried to roll away from me, but I put my other leg around his waist and stopped him. |
"I don't want to scare or hurt you," he said, resting his forehead on my shoulder. "Do I seem scared to you?" I could feel the corners of his mouth through my shirt, turning up into a smile. "No, but I still might hurt you. I really don't want that to happen." |
"Stop worrying so much," I said, tired of the conversation. I cupped his face and pulled him in for a kiss. Briefly wondering where all that boldness had come from, I struggled with his belt. I needed to unbuckle it, to reach inside and feel him, to prove to myself he wanted me as much as I wanted him. The deep moan in... |
"Hey, come on, you guys. We gotta go," Hesrah shouted, her fist slamming into our door. I couldn't care. My hand sliding inside his underwear and making him forget about her impatient knocking seemed to be the most important task in the world. Louis stopped me, though. He didn't stop the kiss or caressing my breast, bu... |
I knew he would move away and it physically hurt. I told myself I should remember to punch Hesrah for this sometime in the future. Louis stood and it wasn't just the cold and sudden end to a passionate moment that hurt, but the uncertainty of it all. What if we'd go back to playing hot and cold instead of getting back ... |
"In a second," he yelled when Hesrah wouldn't stop banging on the door. He opened it and let her in. "What's wrong?" she asked the moment she noticed our state. "You both look kind of angry. Is everything all right?" |
I just couldn't help laughing. It was hilarious. She was so worried and wouldn't even dream we were actually annoyed with her. "It's all good, Hesrah. Don't worry," I said, making an effort to get up from the bed. |
"Come on, you guys. I want to go." She fidgeted and played with the zipper of her hoodie. "Why so anxious?" Louis asked. "I just can't relax. I keep listening to every noise outside and I expected someone to force their way in and attack us again," she said, her voice breaking. |
"Wow, I never imagined a trueborn could be afraid," I said and immediately regretted it. "I'm not afraid," Hesrah hissed. "At least I don't think I am. I feel this need to make sure I never get taken again." |
"Don't worry. We're going to leave shortly and then stop somewhere on the way to buy some food," Louis reassured her. "I'm sure I will be a lot better in a moving car." She shrugged and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. |
"You will be," I said, giving her a hug in hopes it would help her. "Let's pack quickly and get out of here." I really didn't want to. I'd much rather have locked myself in the room with Louis and not go out for hours and hours, maybe even days. Who needed sunlight or food or anything when I could have him naked? But H... |
Hesrah nodded and went back to her room, Louis closing the door behind her. As I turned around to go pack, he caught my hand and pulled me close to him. Once I was in his arms, he pushed me against the door and devoured my mouth. |
"I really don't want to go anywhere," he whispered in my ear, hugging me so tightly I could barely breathe. "I am not a particularly big fan of leaving either, but it seems we have to." |
"Yes, we do. I just wanted to...I don't know, enjoy a few moments alone with you." He continued to whisper against my neck and I hated that I couldn't see his face. I realized I didn't need to because I could feel everything he was feeling. The stringent need to stay close was radiating strongly from him. |
"You sound as if we won't get another chance," I said, a wave of sadness washing over me. He released me from the embrace and stared into my eyes. "Don't frown like that, please. I didn't mean to sound so dramatic. It's just that everyone will want detailed reports of everything and it will take some time to get it all... |
"Well, that should make you anxious and restless, not whiny and upset." He looked at me, his playful smile brightening our mood, and kissed me again. "You are right. The world won't end and you will still be right next to me after all of this." |
"Of course I will. Now, let's go before Hesrah comes knocking again. I'm afraid she'll break the door this time." We made quick work of packing, as we hadn't taken much with us in the first place. We stopped to check out of the inn, then went to the car. Hesrah was already there and she had this huge, all-knowing grin ... |
"Hello, you two," she leered. For a moment, I couldn't get what was up with her, until I realized Louis and I were holding hands. Then it hit me she'd probably heard our conversation after returning to her room. So busted! |
"So that's why you were both so angry earlier," she said, dragging out the words and wiggling her eyebrows. "I get it now." "Oh, shut up and get in the car," I said, trying to sound pissed and failing. It wasn't easy, looking mean when you couldn't stop smiling. |
We stopped at the first gas station we found. We loaded up on coffee, some sandwiches, and sweets, then drove on. It took us a while to get back to Amsterdam so we put that time to good use and got our stories straight. My helping Louis and the blood infusion had to remain a secret from everyone. Apparently, other than... |
While rehashing the events, the extent of how traumatic Hesrah's experience had been finally sunk in. Stun guns, hard drugs, all on top of a bunch of vampires attacking her sounded terrifying. She'd fought them as best as she could. Yet one of them had been particularly strong, and with his help, they'd managed to subd... |
"I didn't know stun guns worked on vampires," I said, astonished that such a simple device would be enough to bring them down. "If you get close enough, they work for a short while. As do some drugs," Louis said. "They wouldn't help a human, but vampires against other vampires? That's a different story." |
"They kept asking me about Ankhsis and the portals," Hesrah said. "Each time they hurt me and poisoned my blood, they asked again and again how someone other than trueborns could go through the portal. After a while, I wished there was a different answer for me to give them." Her eyes darkened, her lips pressed into a ... |
"There is no way of going through the portals for anyone _but_ trueborns," Louis said, hitting the wheel in frustration. "Are you sure?" I asked. |
"Of course I am." He huffed and swore under his breath. "I was created by Magnus and have been part of all council meetings for centuries. Don't you think I'd know if there was a way?" |
"Okay, Prince of Darkness, get a grip." I felt his anger invading me and tried my best to dampen it. "Do you think they're all idiots and have no reason to ask about the portals?" |
"Sorry, portals are a sour subject for me." He shrugged and focused on the road ahead. "Why is that?" I asked, sensing he wouldn't explain further unless I insisted. |
"Another time, I promise," he said, his voice warm again. He took my hand in his and brought it to his mouth, kissing it. "Just some old wounds I don't particularly want to explore right now." |
"Some other time, then. Still, they might suspect there is a way in. Or maybe they desperately need one." "But what for?" Hesrah asked. "Even if there were a way to pass through, what could they do? Come fight us there?" |
It sounded completely ludicrous to me. Why go attack someone on their own turf especially when they were so much stronger? "If they could do that, they would most certainly try," Louis said. |
"I don't get it," I confessed. "It sounds to me like a bunch of rabbits going to attack the wolves in their den." "Things are different on Ankhsis," Louis said. |
"He's right," Hesrah shouted, making me jump. "There is absolutely no way of knowing how things stand on Ankhsis." "You're not making any sense. Either of you. What's so different about the vampire home world?" |
"We know what we become in other worlds," Hesrah said. "But as our portals have always worked only for us, we have no idea what effect Ankhsis would have on people from other realms." |
"So there is a possibility for them to come there and squash you like bugs?" I asked, frowning. "Yes. Luckily, it's impossible. The portal simply does not work for those who are not trueborn. The baseborn cannot activate it to cross and if someone else opens it for them, they cannot walk through it. Humans are killed i... |
"Sounds like the perfect defense," I mused. "You are superheroes wherever you go and no one can attack your home." "I cannot understand where this search for a way through the portals came from," Louis said, pinching the bridge of his nose. |
"I have no idea," Hesrah said. "I don't remember ever reading anything that hinted to people from other worlds ever traveling to Ankhsis." |
"Still, there has to be some smoke hinting at that particular fire," I said, eyes trained on the road ahead. "You might be right," Hesrah said after being lost in her thoughts for a while. "A lot of things are not covered by the records on Ankhsis. If it weren't for Magnus's book, there would be no document mentioning ... |
The moment Magnus was mentioned, Louis tensed. The reaction was so powerful, I immediately felt it in every cell of my body. "Louis, careful," I whispered. "It's much stronger this time." |
"What's wrong?" Hesrah asked, popping her head in between our seats. "I didn't know this stupid bond was evolving," I said in a whiny voice. |
"It took a while to sense its presence last time. This time it worked faster because of the more significant quantity," Louis said matter-of-factly. |
"Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Hesrah muttered, punching our headrests. "Just a side effect of my drinking his blood. Apparently, there's a rare connection going on between us. Basically, whatever one of us feels, the other one does, too, only it gets supercharged." |
"Sounds like a bitch trying to control that," Hesrah said with a huge grin on her face. I somehow knew exactly what she was thinking of. Her mind was no stranger to the gutter, it seemed. |
"It is quite difficult to control without others finding out," Louis tried to get her back on track. "No one knows about this. And no one can ever know." |
"Okay, so then my role tonight will be to make sure you two don't stick too close to each other or other people's throats, and try to tone you down," Hesrah said and nodded. |
"Sounds like a plan," Louis agreed, but I wasn't sure it would work. A few meters were not enough distance to dull the sensations. |
# Chapter XX ANUKH AND ANTHONY were waiting for us at the house when we arrived. Hesrah, who I discovered was surprisingly good at acting, pulled the weak and exhausted card, and I jumped in to help her upstairs. We left Louis with them to explain what had happened, but we could hear every word of their exchange. |
They listened to Louis recounting what had happened at first, but then the questions started flowing. What happened to the vampires who were guarding Hesrah? They were no longer there when Louis returned after taking Hesrah to the hotel we were staying at. Did he recognize them? No, he did not know the three at the doo... |
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