Immortal Confessions (23 page)

I looked at their entangled panting bodies,
the sweat gleaming on them. Then I realized that my fingers had
become talons that were now buried in the chair. Quickly, I made
them become normal fingers again, embarrassed at my desire.

Quentin pushed up from her. Jezebel stretched
beneath him like a cat in her satisfaction.

“You are one of the sensitive ones,” he said
slowly. “I’ve heard of them, but never experienced one before
myself.”

“We’re rare,” Jezebel said, stretching again
languidly. “We can be loved to death easily, yet we seek out
vampires always, almost self-destructive in our desire for the
pleasure they bring us.”

“I wanted to drink more,” Quentin said
drunkenly, rolling onto his back. “I wanted to not stop, for your
screams to go on and on.”

“They would have until you killed me,”
Jezebel said deliciously, shivering in anticipation. “But I trusted
Devlin to step in and save me.” She looked over at me. “You did
give me your protection, after all.”

What I wanted was her: to bury myself in her
and love her until she died. I thanked God silently that Quentin
was here, or I’d have done exactly that.

“Come, Devlin,” she said invitingly. “Your
turn.”

“I’ll watch over you,” Quentin said,
fastening his pants. “Take your pleasure, Devlin.”

I almost did it. She was there before the
fire, light shining on her soft skin, utterly irresistible. If I
had gotten up, I would have. Knowing that, I stayed where I
was.

“Come to me,” I said instead. “Wrap your body
first, please.”

Jezebel got to her feet, and draped a blanket
over her curves. Then she sat on my lap, throwing her head
back.

I bit into her as deeply as I could, not
caring I would hurt her, not caring about anything except the
insatiable need I had for her. She moaned loudly, and clutched at
me, her arms enfolding my head.

Her blood was rich, the richest I’d ever
tasted. It was sweet too, almost as sweet as Anna’s. Yet there was
something dark within it, something almost too thick. And laced
under the thick sweetness was something mature, over mature,
really.

Still, that was in the noise. All I could
think about was the sounds she was making, the moans and screams of
pleasure as she came again and again, holding onto me with a death
grip. I wanted her to keep making them, to keep drinking, until
every last cry had been wrung from her...

I drank until Quentin cuffed me hard. I took
my mouth off her to snarl at him.

“You must stop, she’s unconscious,” he said
quickly, moving out of range. “Look.”

I looked down. Jezebel was indeed
unconscious, her lips parted in ecstasy, her eyes half lidded. In
her writhing, her blanket had parted, and one large breast lay
temptingly before me, inches from my mouth.

I had a wild desire to seize it my mouth, to
bite into her again. Instead, I quickly covered her, wrapping her
blanket securely over it.

“That was something,” Quentin said, his mind
obviously blown. “God, her blood was so sweet. I’ve never tasted
anything that good before.”

It was on my lips to say I had many times,
but I kept silent. Anna’s blood was a secret I intended to keep.
“Yes. I thank you for stopping me.”

“I was a fool to protest coming here,”
Quentin said blissfully. “I beg you to take me the next time you
come, and not Danial. I’ll give you money, whatever you want.”

Looking down at Jezebel in my arms, I
wondered that Quentin’s infatuated mood hadn’t been intended for me
and Danial. I’d likely have felt the same, if it hadn’t been for my
experiences with Anna...

“Please, Devlin. I’ve never tasted anything
so good—”

The raw desire in Quentin’s voice was like
cold water down my back. If he thought Jezebel’s blood was good,
how much more would he desire Anna’s if he knew of its taste? I bit
my lip, drawing blood.

“—
you must let me return with you,
please—”

“Of course,” I said quickly. “Danial would
not participate in this manner of feeding, and I’ve no other
vampire I trust, save you and he.”

“Thanks for your charity,” Quentin said
sarcastically, coming back to himself abruptly.

“Let’s place her in her bed,” I said, getting
up with her limp form in my arms.

“No,” Quentin said quietly. “Leave her in the
sofa there, and cover her. If she had wanted us in her bedroom,
she’d have invited us there, and not copulated with me before the
fire. It is bad luck to explore a sorceress’s home uninvited.”

“All right.” I did as he asked, and then we
both left.

“Send a message,” I said as we were riding
back. “Tell her when she recovers her strength to send for us
again. And if she needs my protection, she has but to call.”

* * * *

Good news awaited us at home. Louis had sent
a letter, postponing his visit until the coming spring due to “war
troubles.”

The others breathed a sigh of relief to have
the ax stayed. My sigh alone was of anticipation and cunning. This
time I would be ready for Louis, with Jezebel’s help.

* * * *

Every two weeks, Jezebel sent me a letter,
saying she had recovered, that I and a companion of my choosing
were welcome to visit at our leisure. Quentin and I would wait for
it, grabbing it out of the courier’s hands in our eagerness.
Minutes later, we would be in the carriage, urging the driver to go
faster.

Despite my desire, I remained in control and
cautious, always letting Quentin have first taste. The wait was
short enough, as he spent himself utterly within mere minutes.

“I cannot last,” he said regretfully, as we
headed home from Jezebel’s one evening. “I have no control, as I
have with other women. She seems to suck my life force out along
with my semen.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t lay her, then,” I
retorted. “I never have and I always feel stronger after drinking
her blood. I am more powerful by far than I used to be.”

“I am as well,” Quentin admitted. “I’m just
dismayed I’ve not found a way to draw out the pleasure. Regular
blood seems almost tasteless now.”

Save Anna’s, I agreed with that. That led me
to make a huge mistake, when I asked Uther that spring if he knew
of any goblins in the area besides her.

“You fool,” he said scathingly. “I told you
to stay away from her.”

“I have things well in hand,” I said calmly.
“Jezebel wanted the pleasure of my bite. She is a sensitive one, as
Quentin calls it. I’ve given her nothing more than I’ve given the
other women who sell their blood to me.”

“She has some other motive in mind,” Uther
warned. “Do not let down your guard.”

“We shall see,” I said dismissively. “Now
tell me of other goblins.”

“There are none who would consent to be
donors,” Uther said flatly. “They mostly keep to themselves. None I
know of ever willingly gave up their blood, not to anyone.”

“Then never mind, I’ll just consider myself
lucky. Come, we’ve much to prepare. Louis arrives tomorrow.”

* * * *

Louis was just the same, a regal prince
overdressed and pompous. Yet he was diminished in my eyes. I knew
now I was stronger than he was, even if he did not sense it.

That was small comfort. For as soon as he
arrived, it was plain what his goal was: Anna. He brought her six
new dresses as “a trifling present,” and a jeweled necklace of
emerald and rubies, the largest of which was easily twelve carats.
Anna accepted these graciously, yet very uncomfortably. I was
raging in fury, or course, but could not protest straightforward
gifts. Worse, Anna was obligated to wear his necklace and dresses
for the duration of his visit, and he had brought clothes to match
hers, so they looked a couple at all the performances we
attended.

Still, this was not enough cause for me to
confront him, according to Quentin. I gritted my teeth and waited
for Louis to cross the line.

On that last night of his visit, it finally
happened.

“Include me in your oath,” he said suddenly,
as he sat with me before my fire, Anna beside us. “I will give you
double your territory, if you agree.”

I’d been waiting for this. “No,” I said
forcefully, leaping to my feet. “You have no right to ask and not a
chance in hell of my agreeing. Drop the matter.”

“I will not,” he said angrily, standing to
face me. “I made my intentions known with my gifts. A good host
would have offered me what I wanted right then, and not made me ask
myself.”

“Get out, Louis,” I growled, “It’s your life
if you ever set eyes on her again.”

“I shall leave,” he said maliciously, then
looked past me. “When next I visit you, Anna, you’ll be in black.
Be comforted, as you’ll not have to wear that color long—”

I punched him with everything I had. He flew
through the air to smash into the wall, going through it into the
next room, the tile floor cracking under his weight. He tried to
get to his feet, but I was there instantly, kicking him in the side
as I cursed him.

Danial was struggling with the vampire
guards, his greater strength matched by their numbers. Quentin was
fighting alongside him, his greater strength also in evidence.
Louis’s demon appeared, but Rip was there to meet him, keeping him
from helping his master.

Louis scrambled away from me, and held up his
right hand. “Stop, Devlin. It’s your life if you do not stop.”

“I will not stop!” I shouted, drawing a
dagger. “It is you who will stop. Stop harassing my woman, stop
coming into my territory uninvited, stop acting as though you are
my better. I do not want your title, Louis! I want to be left
alone, to run my own small piece of the world, to be as happy as I
am able. I tell you now, you come here ever again uninvited, and I
will hang you kicking and screaming from my front gate to roast in
the sun’s gentle morning rays.”

Louis’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth
to speak. I promptly cut off his thumb and forefinger, his screech
of pain reverberating off the walls.

Everyone froze around us, watching us.

“Your oath now, that you will never enter my
territory again uninvited,” I hissed. “Now, Louis. Or my small
trophy will be exchanged for one I can mount on my wall.”

“Yes,” Louis stammered. “Yes, I’ll stay out
of Fontainebleau.”

“Leave,” I said, giving him a clear path to
the door. “Before I change my mind about joining the ranks of the
elite.”

Louis got to his feet, and strode out as
regally as he could muster, his demon and vampires following him.
Levi followed after, as we had planned.

“They are sure to be disciplined,” Danial
said absently. “I didn’t think we could best them, not just the
three of us.”

“We’ve been preparing,” Quentin said proudly.
“Devlin and I have been drinking goblin blood, which imparts great
strength.”

Danial turned slowly to face me. “So that is
what you have been doing these months. I’d noticed it took you
longer than usual to return from your trips with Quentin.”

“You miss nothing, do you, Danial?” Quentin
said pleasantly. “Except this time the fuck of an eternity. Alas
for you.”

“Jezebel is divine, is she?” Danial said.
“You’re sure it’s not just smoke and mirrors, Dev?”

“You could have joined me instead,” I said
spitefully to Danial. “Quentin made good use of what you
declined.”

“He is welcome to it,” Danial said
disdainfully.

“Where is Anna?” Uther said suddenly.

I looked around in panic. “She was right
here.”

Without a word, we began searching. I finally
found her in our bedroom undressing.

“She is here!” I called loudly out the door
to the others. Then I turned to face her. “Why did you just leave
like that?”

“I did not want to hear any talk of Jezebel,”
Anna said stiffly. “Especially about her being the best lay in
town.”

I embraced her. “She’s given me blood,
dearest, nothing more. She lies with Quentin, but not me.”

“There is lust in your voice,” she said
accusingly. “Lust for her.”

“Her blood tastes very good,” I admitted,
staying my temper with difficulty. “It is not as good as yours,
Love.”

“I don’t care how good her blood is!” Anna
screeched. “I don’t want you to see her ever again, do you
understand?”

“You are being unreasonable,” I grated,
incredulous that she was so angry. “Her blood gave us enough power
to back off Louis. I need her, Anna.”

“More than you need me?” she said
tearfully.

“Stop with your melodrama!” I bellowed.
“Everything I have done I have done for you! And now, this very
night I’ve achieved safety for us, you attack me!”

I turned from her. “I’m going out. Don’t wait
up.”

“Going out to kill?” Anna said scathingly.
“Go ahead, what should a few more human lives matter?”

“They don’t,” I said honestly, liking the
revulsion and shock that spread across her face. “They never did,
Love. You alone matter to me.”

I walked out past Levi, who dropped his eyes,
and into the garden. Danial was there, looking at the stars.

“She thinks you have grown a taste for
death,” he said softly. “She doesn’t know you always had one.”

“I have not,” I grumbled. “You know what it
is, to be what we are. Your perspective shifts.” I touched a
sapling Anna and I had planted on our oathing anniversary. “Anna
will see this tree grow to maturity, if she is lucky. You and I
will see it die, and its seeds grow to trees themselves and mature
and die.”

“If we are lucky,” Danial said grimly. “Your
standoff with Louis may backfire. He has every reason to want
revenge.”

“Quentin is sending Samuel a letter tonight
via Rip, to tell him what Louis did. He clearly crossed a line.
Samuel will tell Louis to back down; his position on the sanctity
of Oathed Ones is well documented.”