I tried to think of these things in order to distract myself while Luther helped me into my costume. I was so nervous that I didn't even care if he saw me naked. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it all before anyway. Maybe I was just being stupid and paranoid about him watching me change. He was a werewolf after all, and that definitely changed people in more ways than one. But I knew what really had me so worked up and it wasn't Luther or the performance we were preparing for. It was Dracula.
When the opening song began to play my heart gave an unpleasant leap.
"Fuck it," Tina whispered in my ear. "It's now or never," she said as she rushed out onto the stage.
I was really beginning to like Tina. The house was packed and the audience responded well when I was introduced. The great thing about theatre lighting is that you can't really see the audience, you just know they're there.
But once Dracula appeared they were not. No one was there. He used his seductive voice on the crowd and I opened myself up to his power. I welcomed him inside my mind because it brought out the best in me and my performance.
When we reached the scene where Christine removes The Phantom's mask for the first time he hid his face completely in his hands, just like he was supposed to. The audience isn't really allowed a glimpse at his deformity yet, but Christine is supposed to see. Lucky for me, I didn't. He knew what he was doing, and I didn't see a thing. But I knew he wouldn't put a glamour on the crowd tonight. Before the night was over I would see what had been done to my beautiful vampire, I just hoped my heart could take it.
At last it was time for our final and most dramatic song together. This was the scene we had rehearsed before when I let myself go completely. I'd been so caught up in his seduction that I'd removed the mask without thinking and tonight I would have to do it consciously.
I looked up to Luther sitting in the balcony and smiled at him. But then Dracula began to sing, and Luther no longer existed. His voice caressed me long before his hands touched my skin. I wanted him to touch me. I needed to lose myself in the magic that his voice promised. I longed to find the deep unspoken secrets he sang about in his embrace.
I turned to look at him as he stepped away and swished his cape dramatically while I sang my response. Since the night I'd spent with Dracula, I couldn't count the times my eyes had held him. It was about time my arms got another chance.
We were nearing the climax of the scene and his arms were around me. Once again I was completely under his spell, and so was the audience. After a moment's pause he sang again, asking me to share my love and my life with him. My heart consented, but my hand rose to remove the mask.
Alek was right, the eyes of love see things differently. As gasps and screams could be heard from both the cast and the audience I simply cried. Dracula's eyes filled with tears as I reached to touch his face. He didn't stop me. His skin was still red in places as if the burns were fresh. From just above his eyebrow to halfway down his cheek, the right side of his face resembled melted candle wax. The corner of his right eye drooped as the scars pulled it downward. His ruined skin felt rough beneath my hand and I wept for what had been done to my vampire.
When he grabbed me and jumped through the trap door I was still crying. I'm sure the audience just thought it was good acting, but I was genuinely disturbed. However, I wasn't horrified for the reasons Dracula obviously thought. He hid his face from me as we hurried behind the stage for the last part of the story. From this point on he didn't wear a mask. He led me by the hand through the cast members who were all congratulating him on an amazing makeup job. He didn't respond and I nearly couldn't stop crying to go back on stage.
As the final scene drew to an end I offered myself to The Phantom in exchange for Raoul's life. Even though this was part of the script, my offer was genuine. The right side of his face was turned to the audience and as I caressed his scared visage I could hear people weeping openly. For a moment all I saw was him standing before me, perfect once again and bathed in candlelight. It was this image I held in my mind as I kissed him and fire shot through my veins. I wrapped myself around him with an abandon neither of us had expected, but the audience seemed to approve.
I trembled as he took a step back and removed my hand from his face, placing it instead over his heart. He leaned toward me and rested his forehead against mine. I moved my other hand to the back of his neck as I stood on tiptoe and pressed a trembling kiss against his face.
People were now crying loudly in the front row as he told me to go and to take Raoul with me. I didn't want to leave him there crying on the stage, but that's how the story went.
When the show was over the roar from the audience was awe inspiring. We were a hit. As everyone assembled for a curtain call I noticed that he wore the mask. We held hands and took our bows while everyone smiled for the cameras. But through his touch I knew that Dracula was dying inside.
After I finally made it back to my dressing room, I found it filled with flowers from admirers and well-wishers. I stripped out of the gown I'd worn for the final act and threw on a robe. I tied it as I ran down the hall to Dracula's office. There I found him sitting behind his desk.
"You did well tonight, my angel," he said with a smile.
"Let me stay with you tonight," I said, disposing of all pretenses.
He sighed. "You finally see my face. And now your pity inspires you."
"No," I said. "I don't come to you out of pity."
"What about Marco?" he asked, taking a step toward me.
"I come to you freely without magical persuasion of any kind. What I offer is mine to give."
"And that is?"
"The part of my heart that already belongs to you," I whispered. "You told me when we spent the night together before that you did not expect me to love you in the morning, but to pretend I did that night." I moved closer and reached out to touch his chest. "I've got a confession to make," I said as I looked into his eyes. "I have never pretended."
He hugged me to him with a fierceness I hadn't expected.
"Let me stay with you tonight. I want to see the soul behind your eyes." As he pulled back to look at me I said, "If what I feel for you is not enough to heal your injuries then it isn't possible beyond the touch of God."
?
Chapter Twenty Four
Neither of us spoke as we made our way back down to his castle. We left the rest of the cast while they all got dressed for the after party. Once we were safely locked away in his bedroom Dracula built a fire before kissing me again. His lips were soft and gentle, as if he was afraid I would change my mind and run screaming from his chambers at any minute.
"What will you do?" he asked.
"I've healed before by instinct, and I'll make love to you the same way," I promised. "Let me touch you the way I see fit and I doubt we will need any further instruction."
"You are indeed The Seducer reborn," he said appreciatively. "What would you have of me?"
I told Dracula what I wanted and he helped me to place candles about the room. Within a few minutes the warm scent of vanilla filled the air, the fire crackled, and incense burned on a nearby table.
"Now come here," I whispered silkily.
He was still in full costume, but I planned to remedy that.
"Remove your mask," I said.
"It is a dangerous game you play, my angel."
"If I get burned at least I'll enjoy the warmth of the fire first," I said. "Now take it off."
He removed the mask slowly and tossed it into the chair behind me, but he wouldn't look up. He turned his head so that his hair spilled across his face, hiding his imperfection.
"I never loved you because you were perfect," I said softly as I reached underneath his long dark hair to touch his face.
He leaned into my touch, placing his hand over mine as he asked, "Then why?"
"Because you're a part of me and I could no sooner turn my back on you than I could go somewhere and leave my heart behind. Look at me," I whispered fervently. "There is no part of you that could frighten me."
"And would you have the man tonight, or the monster?" he asked softly.
"I would have whichever one loves me."
"That would be both," he answered.
Dracula turned to me then and all the love he felt was in his eyes. No amount of scarring could disguise how the look of love enhanced his features. I pulled his sultry lips closer to me and as I kissed him gently I began to remove his black silk scarf. As I recalled, every part of Dracula was beautiful and I intended to take my time revealing him.
I let the scarf fall to the floor as I began to unbutton his shirt. I pressed fevered kisses against his throat as I removed his jacket and it too fell to the floor. I stepped back from him as I removed my robe and shoes and let my eyes promise what my body was about to provide.
"If you can follow through with what your eyes promise, this is going to be one hell of a night," he whispered seductively.
"Undress me," I commanded him and my voice had begun to take on a hypnotic velvety quality.
Dracula stepped forward and I watched as his long fingered hands removed my corset as easily as if he were unlacing a pair of shoes. I wasn't wearing a bra and my lace panties were removed just as smoothly.
When I reached inside the pocket of my robe and pulled out Mathias's necklace he gasped.
"Where did you get that?"
"From Mathias. You know this necklace?" I asked, offering it to him to examine.
"Yes. It is said to have great power as well as healing properties. It was in the book I read when you were here last, but everyone thought it had been lost."
"Obviously they didn't know Mathias," I said as I put the necklace over my head. The rose quartz stone which hung from the long chain fell to the middle of my chest, directly over my heart.
"Whatever you feel for me," I said as I placed his hand over the stone, "now's the time to show it."
I kissed Dracula again and opened his shirt wider. I kissed each part of him as it was revealed, worshiping him with my mouth. Once his shirt was opened I knelt at his feet and removed his pants.
I ran my hands and my lips over his thighs, savoring the perfection of his form as I touched him. He cried out as I took him unexpectedly with my mouth. I moaned as his long fingers gripped my hair and he pressed his shaft further inside my mouth. My desire was so great that I nearly devoured him.
I felt as if I were running a fever and knew my eyes had turned amber as I looked up at him from my knees and said, "On the bed … now."
The room was cold and he slipped on his black silk robe on his way across the room. I knew the cold didn't affect him and assumed he did this because he knew how good he looked in the robe.
He crawled to the middle of the bed and waited there on his knees. His hair covered the right side of his face once again and the robe fell open to reveal his beautiful body. He was once again every bit the fantasy I held so dear, a vision so long denied and a dream once forbidden.
I moved toward him slowly like an animal stalking its prey. I slithered up from the foot of the bed as is if I were a snake enamored with his charms.
"Turn around," he whispered, and I obeyed.
Dracula wrapped his arms around me, running one hand between my thighs as the other cupped my breast. I moaned as his fingers caressed me, bringing me so close to the release I sought.
"Not yet," he said, turning me to face him.
Dracula's head lowered to my breasts and I growled as I grabbed his hair and pressed his face against my flesh.
"I need you inside of me," I panted as I pulled his hair hard enough to lift his head.
With one hand against the back of my thighs, Dracula lowered me to the bed with a practiced ease. His hair spilled across my face as he kissed me and my body ached with the need for him to end my suffering. I slid the robe down his shoulders, caressing the muscles of his back and when I reached his ass I wrapped my legs around him.
I wanted to know all that he felt. I needed his emotion, his passion to fuel my own. I ran my hands over the scars on his back as if they were brail. And as he pressed himself against me I suddenly knew what I needed to do.
"No," I panted and he stopped just short of penetrating me.
"No," I repeated more softly as I slid from underneath him.
Dracula sat up and I straddled his waist as I whispered, "I will take you."
"I will take you," I whispered against his lips as I took his warm shaft in my hand. I guided him to meet my body and as we became one I looked into his eyes. "Let me see the soul behind your eyes," I moaned. "I need to know all of you." He moved against me and I gasped. "Not your memories, I need to feel your emotion."
As I moved slowly I gazed intently into Dracula's dark emerald eyes. Within a matter of minutes his eyes held all he felt for me, all he'd felt in the past, and all the love I would ever need.
"I accept the part of your heart which is mine," he said hoarsely as he bent to my throat.
He began to lick across my skin as I panted, "Not yet."
Dracula looked back to me and I moved his hair so that I could see his face. The pain this caused him was evident in his expression as I pressed my lips once more to his ruined skin.
"I love you," I whispered, kissing his cheek. "I love you," I repeated as I kissed the skin that drooped beneath his eye. "I give you my love, my heart, and part of my soul." I cried softly, pressing my face against his.
"I accept," he whispered, and I felt the texture of his skin beneath my hand begin to change.
I pulled back and caressed his face. His skin became like putty beneath my hand and I stared in astonishment as I began to reshape his face. It was almost like my dream. I began to cry harder as I erased the horrible damage from his flesh. I don't understand how it worked or why, but as I took his face in my hands to kiss him my release flooded my body and Dracula's healing was complete.