Seithe (15 page)

"Are you male?"

"Phoebe pay attention. I'm beginning to think you're in shock. My mother was human! I am not asexual or female. I am undoubtedly male. Or did that last orgasm manifest out of the ether on its own?"

"What does diablo mean?"

"Phoebe, maybe I should give you some alcohol to calm you down."

"No! Seithe, don't fuck with me!"

Leaning forward he caresses my neck with a hand, "But darling I really do enjoy fucking with you."

I smile despite my mind ricocheting off the walls.

"You are more comfortable calling us Vampyre."

I start to hyperventilate. I can't breathe. I keep breathing in and have no air! NO AIR!

Chapter 21: Scorching

I become aware of the best aromatherapy on planet earth. My eyes open to encounter him sitting patiently on the chaise in the kitchen with me, wafting the smell of freshly brewed coffee in my direction.

He waits for me to sit up, handing me a hot mug, before sliding a hand up my robed thigh in silent comfort.

"I really need you to remain calm. You work yourself up for no reason."

Holding the mug, sipping quietly, I watch him over the rim. A heavy sigh escapes.

"Seithe, how would you react? My taste in men is disgusting. I go from a complete asshole, to a blood sucking vampire. How can I have a happy ending in something this fucked up?"

"Do I threaten you? Do you look at me and see any of the things your myths tell you about Vampyre?"

"No. I don't get it. I've seen you in a mirror. You have a shadow. And although you obviously like my blood, I'm still human, you haven't turned me ..."

Distressed I place my mug on the floor as a sob wrenches out of me.

He picks me up, placing me on his legs, holding tightly, embracing me.

Soothing tones caresses my ears, "This is your chance to discover the truth. Half of those myths are lies we created. I will tell you again, you have free will. I refuse to take something from you that you are not willing to give."

His fingers gently rub down my spine, comforting me.

"Phoebe, I think I gave you too much information too soon. You need to have some normal. Drink your coffee, we'll take a long hot bath to soothe your frazzled nerves. I'll answer your questions, but think you need some tenderness, and space from my reality. We'll do some of your 'normal' before we go there. You need to calm down and regain your logical focus. You are reacting emotionally, and that clouds reason."

Wallowing in his reassuring embrace I find myself nodding. Agreeing. If I had one ounce of self-preservation I would be fleeing for my life. Blast it.

Releasing a weighted sigh, I'm fighting my own feelings for him. Lifting my head I stare at mercury irises.

"What does this mean?"

"It means I can protect you from my own kind. It means I'll never physically change. It means you will get to understand the oldest secret ... if you choose to."

Watching his lips while he speaks so I don't have to expose my soul to him through my eyes, I am drawn again. Delicately I place my lips over his. Closing my eyes I allow myself to simply indulge in feeling the touch.

Pulling away I refocus on his cupid's bow. "Do I love you because I love you? Or because you've glamoured me with illusion?"

"I taught you intuition. I knew you'd have doubts. Glamour can fool the eyes, but not the spirit. You love me because you were born for this. Not because it's my will to manipulate you."

Slipping my eyes up, I gaze into his, now blue. "What do you get? Why don't you just date another vampire?"

"We find the daughters of men beautiful. I'm attracted to you. This can work without you dying or giving up the life you know."

Why do I believe you?

"Come. Enough of this. Bring your coffee, it's time for a long bath before Ellindt gets here."

I slip off his legs and retrieve the mug, inhaling aromatic coffee deeply. His fingers wrap around mine, warm, silent strength, romantic contact without expectation.

"Do you drink coffee?"

As we dawdle slowly into the passage, he shoots me a delicious grin, "I can eat and drink everything you can. I particularly prefer strong tasting drinks and foods, because my experience isn't as acute as yours, the only substance I taste acutely, is blood."

"Who's Ellindt?"

"My twin."

My feet bond with the floor like a limpet mine.
There are two of you?
I doubt my hormones can handle two Seithe's.

"Female twin."

An embarrassed smile betrays me.

Chuckling, he pulls me into mobility again, "Although she's darn effective at causing lascivious thoughts."

I wander with him into a black bathroom off the room he first took me to. Staring around at the shiny black surfaces and the polished obsidian mirror, apprehension mounts. Absently I place the mug down between two basins.

"Why's everything black?"

He begins filling the dark granite tub before coming to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my form and staring at me using the mirror. He's so much taller.

"I am bright. This is my room. I required a room that would absorb most of the light I emit, when truly naked."

I notice the floor isn't shiny, matt black tiles.

A flare catches my attention, drawing my curious gaze back to the mirror. Fascinated, I stare into his eyes, emitting light. I turn inside his encompassing arms to stare up. He looks down, shuttering his eyes, returning them to silver. My peripheral vision notices wall torches igniting.

"Why aren't you afraid?"

Staring up into his visage, for some reason I find this amusing. "If you wanted me dead I'd already be dead. I find you irresistibly yummy."

In breath stealing speed, he picks me off the floor, moving me backwards in a nanosecond, resting me on the stone surface of the vanity, my back pressing against the mirror. Supple lips press hard against mine as his tongue snakes between my lips. I feel tremors in his touch. Withdrawing he gazes into my eyes, "I have never found a human so magnetic. I want you."

Yanking my knees, he pulls me hard against his hips. My pulse starts popping around my throat erratically. Black robed bodies in a black bathroom.

We have our own cult.

"The tub will overflow," I object in a shaky whisper.

He flicks his hand toward the tub and the water silences, engulfing us in vacuumed stillness.

"How do you do that?"

"I can manifest anything from my will. I was made this way. Your physical restraints don't apply to me. I understand the mechanics of manifestation."

Swallowing the nervousness in my throat, I can sense restrained power in here. From him.

"Close your eyes and keep them closed."

Gripping his arm tightly for balance and emotional security I comply in silence. My eyelids are illuminated. The same way as when you are outside sunbathing, staring at the sun through closed eyelids.

I half slide off the vanity when he pulls my hips off the edge. Hands hold my weight under my pelvis as my shoulders flatten down. I'm as nervous as I am excited. My breathing shallows. Breath flutters over my face and my lips part with kiss expectation. I wrap arms around his neck when he penetrates my mouth with his. It's fervent, urgent. He's yet to be like this with me, and adrenalin surges when my heart starts pounding so hard it feels bruised.

My body feels accosted with nerve ending overload; one hand teasing my breasts, his tongue in my mouth, his breath on my face, his body violating mine where he stands between my thighs. I'm finding breathing difficult. I think I may pass out again.

Desperately keeping my eyes squeezed shut, scorching heat covers my skin from his body leaning over mine. His touch scalds, even his breath is blisteringly hot. Where his body invades mine, I feel like I'm bubbling and boiling. Shakily I release a hand and press it against his chest, pushing; his head withdraws, his breath gasping over me.

"You're too hot."

The heat emanating from him makes me feel like I'm cast into the centre of a bonfire. I'm shaking. My body has tremors rippling through in fevered weakness. I feel ill. So pathetically weak, as if I've just been robbed of every ounce of energy. My consciousness struggles desperately with black moments. I'm going to faint.

Breathe. I must breathe.

Can't draw enough breath. Gasping raggedly, my hips lift as hot lava erupts inside me. I can't ... like being in an oven ... my body becomes rag-doll limp in his grasp as I pass out.

Awareness dawns on me.
Cold!
Shivering, inhaling in shock, recoil. My eyes spring open with alarm. He's holding me in the shower. Under fucking cold water. There's steam everywhere. Confusion, disorientation, wrinkling my brow.

"Seithe?"

"Baby!" He squeezes me so tightly against him.

"Gently, too tight," I eek out in half breath.

He relaxes his hold, and I stare at water cascading over him, rivulets following rippling shoulder muscles where they pop out with my weight.

Lifting me to kiss me. It's so soft. Such a delicate touch as if I'd break.

"Feel dizzy. C..cold."

I close my eyes against the wave of vertigo that grips me when he moves out of the shower. The water ceases.

"What must I do?"

You're asking me?

Forcing myself to think I open my eyes. We're on the floor, I'm still cradled in his arms.

"I feel really weak. I need sugar. Chocolate and something ice cold to drink. That usually works. I feel like I'm having a sugar low."

Both simply appear while he wraps me up in a towel. He helps me to drink. My hands are shaking violently.

"I feel like I've been sick with the flu."

"I'm so sorry. I should have known better."

I struggle to sit up properly. Leaning heavily against him, I nibble on the chocolate before broaching, "I thought vampires were cold."

"We're the opposite. We made up stories, fed them to superstitious minds, so we couldn't be recognised."

"I don't know if we can have a relationship if this is your normal."

He forces my face to stare into his eyes.

"It won't happen again. I just ... I ..."

Mr Confident is faltering. And I'm finding it amusing.

"Damn it, Phoebe. I needed to feel you. I didn't realise my body gets that hot."

His hands are so tight I'm sure I'm going to have bruises.

"I'm half human. It was an urgent need. My desire got the better of me."

"Seithe, if you squeeze me any tighter my head is going to explode a bloody mess all over this room."

He lifts me, removes the towel and lowers me into the tub. Placing the Cola and chocolate at my elbow on the surrounding ledge.

Lazily, weakly, I almost slip under.

I nearly drown again, swallowing water, wrestling with consciousness, when he steps in and urgently lifts me. He slips behind me, wiping away foamy suds that smell spicy. Resting me back against him.

Good thing he has such a huge tub.

His voice whispers deeply, thick with emotion into my ear, "I'm so sorry."

Hands trace my arms while I lay heavily against his torso, closing my eyes, trying to regain my internal balance. "You are such a delicate petal."

"Keep that up and I'll puke too."

"Hmm?"

"I'm not a freakin petal. If you want to have children don't call me anything to do with flowers."

"Who said I want children?"

"Your ability to have them will be permanently impaired."

Water jiggles when he starts laughing.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay."

"Sit up and lean your arms on your knees."

I move carefully, but no dizziness happens.

"
Hmmmmmmm,
you have magic hands."

I close my eyes and relish the soapy massage over my back.

"You relax, let demi-god Seithe take care of you"

"You don't half have an inflated opinion of yourself," I mumble in my relaxed daze.

His voice is a low rumble of laughter. He really is delicious.

"Seithe?"

"Yes my petal?"

"Bugger off."

He laughs again. I can't help but smile.

"Yes?"

"Where do you get your colouring from?"

"My mother was Venezuelan."

So that explains the tanned appearance.

"I get my brown eyes and hair from her. My father had white hair and blue eyes in his passive state."

"So how come you change?"

Lordy these hands could turn me into a puddle.