Ironic Sacrifice (6 page)

She bit back a startled gasp when Silas opened a door, jerking her back into reality. “I wish you both a good day’s sleep. And Jayden?”

“Yes?” she did her best to sound casual.

“Your lessons begin tomorrow.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Razvan led her down the hall into a room that put the Resort’s suite to shame with its sumptuous carpet and California king-sized bed. A wall-clock framed with silver curlicues read 4:30 A.M.

He set her bag on the bed. “I will be back shortly.”

Jayden sat down on the mattress hard as the door shut. Where the hell was he going? Then it occurred to her. He needed to feed. He was going out to hunt.
Why didn’t he feed from me?
She wondered.
And how often do vampires need blood?
Do they need it once, or is it three meals a night, like people? How much blood could she lose in a night? Jayden had no idea; she’d never donated blood before. It wasn’t that she was selfish; she just wasn’t at the right place at the right time.

She changed into one of her new nightgowns and brushed her teeth, all the while psyching herself up for what would happen when Razvan returned. She sat back on the bed and watched the clock slowly turn closer to five. What time did the sun come up this time of year? Five-thirty? Six? Just as she was about to slap herself for dozing off again, she heard his footsteps on the stairs. It was time to refute the vampire’s advances. The door opened.

“You are still awake,” Razvan said. “If I had known you meant to wait for me, I would have brought down some books from Silas’s library.”

He turned down the covers and patted the mattress. “Come, now. You have a busy evening ahead.”

Cautiously, she lay down. He turned off the lamp and pulled the covers over them as he put his arm around her.
Now’s the time.

“Good rest, Jayden,” he whispered.

And that was it.

***

Razvan breathed in Jayden’s delicious scent and congratulated himself on his restraint. Gently he whispered to her mind, coaxing her to relax and sleep. If only his body would heed the same command. He wanted her again, no. He hadn’t stopped wanting her. Gritting his teeth against the raging desire, he contented himself with breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. Perhaps tomorrow he would take her, when she was better rested. He didn’t know if he could wait any longer. And there was no place more restful than Silas’s home.

A fond smile curved his lips as he remembered Jayden’s courage when meeting his friends. She had seen Akasha at her worst, yet she did not flee. And best of all, she seemed to take to Silas well. Razvan was surprised at the well of gratitude that filled him for Silas’s willingness to help. He only hoped that McNaught’s efforts would be a success. Jayden’s mind was so fragile, could she ever heal?

The next evening, Jayden began her lessons with Silas, but it was exceedingly hard to concentrate.
Why didn’t Razvan want me?
She ached with disappointment, but couldn’t tell if it was because she didn’t get to test him, or because she wanted him to desire her.

“Jayden, you need to focus,” Silas said again. “Now try to read my thoughts.”

“Okay, sorry,” she replied. They had been at this ever since Akasha left for work. Razvan, Max, and one of Silas’s subordinate vampires had gone back to Spokane to get Jayden’s car. She was beginning to suspect that Razvan didn’t know how to drive.

Already Silas had more than lived up to his promise to help her. She now knew what had triggered her visions. Unlike popular stories and myths, psychic powers did not usually manifest at puberty. Instead, they came with one’s wisdom teeth. Silas believed that it was the cranial pressure from the new teeth that triggered the part of the brain responsible for psychic abilities.

Had that been why her mother had gone insane and ended up committed in a psych hospital when Jayden was five? Jayden had always thought it had been because of the stress of becoming a mother in the tenth grade. Instead, maybe her mother began having visions too.

She had an insane urge to tell Razvan and see what he thought.

Silas watched her with an impatient look. “Are you even trying?”

She sighed. “I just don’t see how reading your thoughts will help me stop seeing other peoples’ secrets.”

Silas tapped his pen on the table. “Well, if you had been listening to me instead of thinking about Razvan, you would have heard me explaining that if you can sense the barrier on my thoughts, you would get a better sense of how to construct one of your own.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Jayden began and then the rest of his words sank in. “Wait, you read my thoughts?” Her eyes darted around the vast dining room, looking for retreat.

Silas chuckled. “Only the subject, not the details, lass. Unlike you, I have to be touching a person for my powers to work efficiently. Now, try to read my thoughts.”

Jayden focused on him. Nothing happened.

“You’re just too good.” She spread her hands wide in surrender. “I can’t sense anything.”

Silas frowned. “I think it is mostly that I am more practiced and you are still not concentrating enough. Your powers far exceed mine.” She gave him a doubtful look and he sighed. “Fine, place your hand on mine and try again.”

She looked down at the appendage in question. His hands were large and looked more suited to wielding one of the huge swords that hung on the walls rather than flipping through tax forms. Jayden placed her hand atop his, marveling at the cool rough texture of his skin. She couldn’t help but wonder how he and the tiny Akasha were able to make love. Her fingers didn’t even reach his wrist. She and Razvan, however, pulled it off wonderfully…

A vision of Silas lying in a field surrounded by corpses in chain mail and plaids slammed into her mind. A hooded figure approached him and blotted out the moon.

“Ah, ‘tis the specter o’ Death come for me now?” Silas croaked, “Come mon, finish this.”

The figure did indeed resemble Death; his features were obscured in blackness. But his voice, achingly familiar, made her hair stand up on end.

“Not yet, far-sighted one,” Razvan replied with a heavy Slavic sounding accent, “I’ve others to attend to.”

What felt like a steel wall slammed into place, throwing her back into her own mind like a backhanded slap.

“Well?” Silas said as she shook her head to clear it.

“I felt it!” she gasped. “It almost hurt.”

The vampire nodded. “I’m sorry for that. For a moment you got in. What did you see?”

“I think I saw the night you became a vampire,” she said. “When did it happen?”

“In 1513, after the battle of Flodden Field. I would have died if Razvan had not found me. Was that all you saw?”

Jayden nodded. “Yes, then your shield forced me out.”

Silas smiled in approval. “Do you think you can try to make one of your own?”

Doubt hardened in her stomach like a stone, but instead of protesting she replied, “I think so.”

It took a few tries for Jayden to build her own shield in her mind, but after awhile it seemed to be working. Her head ached from the strain, but Silas was a merciless taskmaster. He kept her at it until Max and Razvan returned with her car.

“It’s got a bad C.V. joint, maybe two,” Max said and held out her keys. Razvan took them before she could grab them. It appeared that she would not be able to come and go as she pleased.

She glared at him and his lips curved into the sinister smile that seemed to be his trademark. She was a prisoner here, but the people were kind to her and she was getting help. Still, did that make it right? Her head ached from the quandary.

Max looked at them and shook his head before continuing as if nothing happened. “The fuel injectors need to be cleaned and I’m sure she needs a tune up. But I can get her purring like a kitten in no time.”

“Thanks,” she said weakly. What was the point if she couldn’t drive anywhere?

Razvan took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up as if he were about to kiss her. “You look very pale, my sweet. Why?”

“I… uh, I’ve been working,” she murmured. “It’s harder than I thought.”

Razvan turned to Silas. His black eyes glittered. “She will rest now and eat something.”

“Think you can command me in ma ‘ain house?” Silas’s eyes flared neon green, and his brogue crept into his words, revealing his anger as he stalked forward.

Razvan held his ground.

“Actually, I am hungry,” Jayden said quickly, hoping to avoid a fight. “If you don’t mind, I would like a break.”

“Go fetch a nibble and sit for a while, lass.” Silas glared at Razvan, who seemed pleased at his ire. “You, old friend, are a pain in the arse.”

Razvan laughed and stalked out of the room with predatory grace. As he passed Isuzu, the cat laid his ears flat and hissed at him. The Siamese then meowed and wound his way around Silas’s legs before running to his empty food bowl, giving it a pointed glare.

Max chuckled and turned to Jayden, “Come on, girl. I make a mean grilled cheese.”

The man wasn’t kidding. As she bit into the sandwich her taste buds seemed to moan in ecstasy.

“The secret is real butter…a lot of it.” Max offered her a beer, but she refused, noticing with amusement that he was looking for an excuse to sneak in an extra one.

Silas glided into the kitchen on silent feet. “I am off to get sustenance as well. Max, may I ask a favor?”

Max nodded, not taking his eyes from the frying pan. “Anything, boss man.”

“I think it would be best if Jayden were able to practice shielding her powers with a normal human,” the vampire said. “Would you be willing?”

Max smiled. “I don’t know if I’d exactly call myself
normal
, but sure. I got nothin’ to hide.” He yawned and stood up. “But not tonight, if you don’t mind; I’m beat. Being out of work is getting me back onto daytime hours. Tell Akasha I’m sorry I couldn’t wait up for her. Goodnight, y’all.”

Silas nodded. “You did very well tonight, Jayden. I shall see you later.”

Jayden got up and washed the dishes, wondering if Razvan went hunting with Silas. She was so distracted that she accidentally sprayed herself with the nozzle attached to the sink.

“Damn,” she muttered, looking down at her dripping shirt. Hopefully it wasn’t made of some expensive fabric that was ruined easily.

She went downstairs and pulled a new top out of her suitcase. A shadow fell over her just as she removed the wet shirt.

“Well, Jayden, it seems we are alone now,” the vampire said with deceptive civility.

As Razvan stalked towards her with predatory grace Jayden resisted the urge to flee. Now her question would be answered.

Razvan’s hands tangled in her hair and his lips came down upon hers. She leaned into the kiss without thinking, yielding her mouth to his questing tongue. His scent teased her senses. Her knees went weak and moisture seeped between her legs as she felt his hardness pressing against her. She was falling under his spell again. The thought cleared her head somewhat and she raised her hand to his chest, pushing him away.

“No,” she murmured when he lifted his mouth from hers.

Razvan’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

A large part of her said,
yeah! Why not?
But she pushed the inner voice away. She must know if he had any respect for her as a person, or if he really believed that she was a toy for his amusement.

“I have the right to say no,” she said, then ruined the declaration by adding, “don’t I?”

“What sort of game is this?” he asked, stepping away from her.

His words irritated her, and the bereft feeling she had the moment he pulled away angered her further. “It’s not a game!” she shouted, “My body is not a thing for your sole pleasure!”

His eyes raked her up and down. “I do not know about that, my dear, for it is a most pleasing sight,” he said. “But your mouth is certainly not pleasing at this moment.”

He grabbed his jacket from the chair and headed to the door. “If you are not inclined to share my company, I shall take myself off for now. Good night, Jayden.”

Razvan left the room and Jayden now knew one thing. The vampire who “owned” her life would not rape her. As for everything else, she was more confused than before.

***

“What’s your problem?” Akasha asked when the vampire stomped into the living room.

Razvan plopped down in Silas’s chair, poured a shot of whiskey, pounded it, then slammed the glass down on the table hard enough to crack it, and lit his pipe. His black eyes glittered with rage.

“You’re going to get indigestion if you keep that up,” Akasha commented mildly. “So what’s wrong?”

His expression softened slightly as he looked at her. “It’s not something best discussed with a female.” He raised a sardonic brow at her, unable to resist a taunt. “Not that you resemble such a creature at the moment.”

Akasha looked down at her grimy coveralls and attempted to wipe a smudge of oil from her cheek, missing it completely. “Dude, I just got home from work so it’s not like I’d be wearing something pink and frilly.” She leaned forward and met his gaze, completely undaunted with his vexation. “So Jayden cock-blocked you, then?” she asked.

The vulgar term made him choke on his smoke. When he had his coughing under control he met her gaze again. “Your command of the vernacular never ceases to amaze me, little one.” Then the meaning of her words appeared to sink in. “How did you reach that conclusion?”

She favored him with a mocking grin and took a deep drink of her beer. “I thought this wasn’t a ‘subject for females,’ despite the fact that I'm pretty sure the subject is a female.”

“Don’t try my patience tonight, woman,” Razvan growled.

To his obvious ire, her amusement only increased. “But it’s so fun!”

He sighed. “You women are all mad with your silly games. Now would you please tell me how you know that Jayden, ah, my pet, was unreceptive to my advances this evening?”

Akasha’s eyes widened at the slip. “You see her as a person, don’t you? It goes beyond her powers and her attempt at suicide. You actually care about her.” She polished off her beer and grabbed another from the mini fridge under the end table. “And apparently you didn’t rape her.”

“Rape her?” Razvan nearly spluttered in disbelief. “What in God’s name are you talking about?” Akasha’s attention was suddenly unduly focused on the fireplace. “Well?”

Her gaze crept back to his. “I had a talk with Jayden when you first brought her to my shop. I needed to confirm that she was with you willingly,” she said quickly. “And well, she let it slip that you…um…did her, and that she didn’t exactly say yes, but she didn’t say no either…and, well you made such a big deal about her being ‘your pet’ and ‘owning’ her life that I thought—”

“You thought I would rape her?” Razvan’s voice was low and dangerous. “Do you truly believe that I would do something so despicable?”

“Well,” Akasha said, studying the carpet. “You are kinda a prick.”

He ignored her. “And I suppose that Jayden is under the same misapprehension…Damn it!” The coffee table shuddered under his fist before he stood up and strode out of the room, the tails of his silk shirt flapping ominously.

“Holy shit,” Akasha breathed to the empty room. “I think that son of a bitch is falling in love.” She chuckled and lit a cigarette. “And the poor bastard doesn’t even know it.”

***

Jayden jerked the covers to her chin as the door opened. Razvan flicked on the light and regarded her with a terrifying sneer. “Must you cower like a frightened rabbit? If I’d wanted to hurt you, my fangs would have been buried in your throat seconds ago.”

“Oh,
that’s
reassuring,” she snapped before she could stop herself.

Razvan’s eyes glowed like banked coals. Every step he took towards her was rife with impending violence. Jayden’s eyes darted around searching for escape, or at least a weapon. She found none and was filled with impotent anger at her helplessness.

“What did I do?” she asked, sounding like a little girl and hating herself for it.

He stopped at the foot of the bed, looking way taller than he really was. “I understand that Akasha gave you the impression that I would force ah…my affections on you.”

Her cheeks flamed at his words even as relief surged through her that his anger was not directed on her…or was it?

“I know now that you won’t,” she said.

The vampire’s eyes narrowed. “You would have known if you had simply
asked
me, rather than playing a silly game.”

“I didn’t know that I could ask you!” Jayden protested, tossing the sheet away in frustration. “I don’t know how to act around you. I don’t know anything about you besides that you’re an ancient bloodsucker. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me!” She got up from the bed to face him. “Do
you
?”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, avoiding her gaze. “Well, you are going to learn to control your powers…”

“And then what?” she demanded, ire creeping back into her voice.

“I do not know.” His tone was unreadable.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she stalked forward. “You don’t know either. That’s just great. Well, what about now, then?”

He raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

Jayden’s head was spinning with desperation. “What am I now? Am I your slave, your snack, your girlfriend, or a burden you feel responsible for?” She stopped in touching distance of the vampire. Her spine tingled at the proximity, but she resisted the temptation to step backward.

Razvan’s eyes had stopped their eerie glow and he looked uncomfortable. “Must we have a specific label?”

Jayden fought back a groan. He may be centuries old, but he still sounded like a typical man. “I need to know where I stand. Not knowing is driving me crazy.”

He sat down on the bed hard enough to make the headboard smack the wall. “I haven’t been with a human woman in centuries. The rules have changed a lot since, although I suppose it wasn’t any easier then. Vampire females don’t seem to need so many words.”

She nodded, reassured a little by his clumsy apology. Still, jealousy surged up in her at the mention of other women, especially the vampire women. Surely they were better lovers, with all those years of practice.

“I’m just so confused,” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do.”

He took her hand and gently pulled her down to sit beside him. His fingers caressed her wrist. Jayden gasped, amazed at the intensity of such a soft touch. The strap of her nightgown slipped off her shoulder and he eyed her bare flesh like she was a prized treasure.

“What you can do, Jayden,” he leaned in to whisper, “is stop your worrying and just enjoy things as they are.” His other hand stroked her back in a soothing motion, even as his lips at her ear tantalized her. “Let me pleasure you, I can smell your arousal just as I did the other night. You wanted it then, and I know you want it now.”

“That was different,” she protested weakly. Every nerve ending on her body tingled.

“How is it different?” Razvan’s voice was like rich chocolate. His tongue flicked over her neck and she gasped in pleasure.

“Be-because,” she stammered, trying to regain her senses, “I thought I was going to die that night and I wanted to go out with pleasure.”

Razvan’s lips trailed up and down her neck and shoulder, making her weak with desire. “You want pleasure now.”

He made a very good argument. His teeth grazed her neck and she moaned.

“Please, Jayden, may I make love to you?”

“Yes…” The word escaped her lips a second before Razvan claimed them in a mind-bending kiss. They sank down onto the bed. His weight on top of her was filled with promise. She buried her hands in his hair, reveling in its texture and subtle spicy scent.

After what felt like a blissful eternity, the kiss ended. He gazed down at her with fathomless black eyes, and she was struck by his dark beauty.

“May I taste you, Jayden?” His deep voice rumbled through her body, making her tremble beneath him.

“Yes,” she whispered and turned her head to the side, exposing her neck. His weight lifted from her and she closed her eyes, preparing for the strike of his fangs.

That wasn’t what he meant, she realized as she felt his hands gripping the bottom of her nightgown, hiking the fabric up. He cupped her ass in his hands as he kissed the insides of her thighs. She cried out when he kissed her through her thin satin panties. Her core seemed to throb in excitement and he hadn’t even begun. Slowly his fingers grasped the cloth, sliding it down. Jayden gasped as cool air caressed her moist heated flesh. Then his tongue flicked across her clit and she bit back a scream at the powerful sensation.

Jayden gripped the blankets like a lifeline as her hips writhed beneath Razvan’s mouth of their own accord. His tongue worked dark magic on her flesh, sending her into spasms of ecstasy.

“Mmmm, you are delicious.” The vibration of his voice broke the tenuous hold on her senses.

The climax rushed through her, tearing a scream from her throat. It was too intense. She squirmed to get away, but he held her hips firmly as his mouth continued to ravage her and wave after wave of orgasm roared through her being.

“Please,” she gasped, not knowing what she was asking. “Please.”

He pulled away and she whimpered with mingled relief and sorrow. Her breath came in heaving gasps as she struggled to regain her awareness. She paid little attention to the noise of rustling fabric until she heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper. Jayden’s eyes snapped open and she was treated to the glorious sight of his naked body before he gripped her thighs and entered her in one smooth slow thrust.

The aftershock of the orgasm was still upon her and she could feel herself pulsating around him. From the awed look on his face, he could feel it too. His hands slid up her hips, across her stomach, and up her torso before he gripped her and pulled her up towards him.

“Wrap your legs around me,” he whispered.

Though her limbs were weak and trembling, she managed to comply. He held her in his arms tenderly as he thrust inside her hard. The contrast drove her insane with lust and her hips bucked against his, matching the furious rhythm.

Jayden leaned in to kiss him and her eyes widened as she saw his bared fangs and the feral look in his eyes.

“Do it,” she cried, tossing her hair back.

His fangs plunged into her throat the same moment another climax hit. She screamed and clung to him for dear life, afraid the intense pleasure would send her hurtling from her body never to return. Razvan continued to feed as she felt him spasm inside her, drawing the shock waves out until she collapsed in his arms.

“Are you all right?” he asked softly.

“Mmm hmmm,” she managed.

Razvan chuckled and lay down, not releasing her from his embrace. He stroked her hair and back until the tremors ceased.

Never before had she had a more attentive lover…or one that she knew almost nothing about. She thought about his sexy accent. That was as good a place to start as any.

“Razvan?” she began.

His eyes slowly opened. “Yes?”

“Where are you from?” She hoped the question wasn’t to forward.

He released her and propped up on his elbow. “You will laugh.”

She frowned, confused at his response, and indelibly curious. “No, I won’t, I promise!”

He sighed. “I was born and brought up in a village in a land that was once considered part of the Hungarian empire, but is now part of Romania.” At her blank expression, he added, “Transylvania.”

She took a deep breath to hold back a startled giggle. “You’re kidding. Transylvania? That’s where all the vampire stories come from.”

“There have always been vampires everywhere.” His stern frown seemed to dare her to contradict him.