Crimson Desire (13 page)

Annabelle responded, “We’re going to a party, Sang. Now follow me outside.”

He gave me a confused expression, and I whispered that it would be okay. We strode along the narrow corridors until we reached the huge double doors. They opened by themselves, and we went outside. Waiting for us was a sleek white limo. We all filed inside, and I noticed that Priscilla was already in the back seat where Annabelle sat. She beckoned for me to sit next to her, and I did. Then Sang occupied the spot next to me, and we were all crammed into the very back as the driver sped off.

I peered out the window as trees and cars flew by in an endless blur and thought about what was happening. We were going to meet the werewolf that ruined Annabelle’s life, right? The one who overthrew her parents and took the throne for himself. Excitement rippled through me. Were we going to fight? Were we just going to talk it out? And why did Annabelle need me so much? I sighed and propped my chin on the back of my right hand and nestled my head on Sang’s shoulder.

Annabelle grabbed my left hand, and I almost jumped at the iciness of her touch. “Don’t doze off now,” she said.

I grumbled, “I won’t.” I snatched my hand back. Her eyes lowered to the floor as I did so, and it made me feel bad. Did I hurt her feelings? I grunted and offered her back my hand which she scooped up and petted gently.

Sang snored loudly already, and I supposed that when he wasn’t the one driving he got bored easily. And tired. His neck lolled to the side, and I shifted my position so that his head rested on my shoulder instead of the other way around.

Annabelle barked to the driver, “Music, please.” And some crappy classical song blew through the speakers. I didn’t hate classical, I just didn’t like it. Rock was more my style.

Finally, the car began to slow down and parked. It was dark outside, and a thick fog smothered everything. We piled out of the limo and stood near it, the fog disrupting any view I might have had of the enemy.

Annabelle’s voice soothed, “now, relax. Just relax and let me do everything that needs to be done.”

I closed my eyes and imagined myself being cradled in a blanket of warm water on a beach. The sand was velvety between my toes, and the salty breeze tousled my hair.

Annabelle took my hand again and led me to the inside of a clearing of bushes. I glanced around for someone else, anyone else, and saw a woman approaching us. She had short brunette hair and almond-shaped brown eyes. She wore a simple outfit of jeans and a blue camisole, and raw electricity buzzed in the air around her.

I tightened my grip on Annabelle’s hand and instantly knew that something wasn’t right.

“This woman isn’t a werewolf,” I said almost robotically. How did I know that? I continued, “She’s a witch.”

Annabelle then hugged me close to her and said, “Yes, she’s a witch, Lily. The witch that will bind us together for eternity.”

I was so lost and confused. “What do you mean?”

Annabelle’s lips curled into a sadistic grin. “There is no werewolf, Lily. I killed him ages ago. Instead, this witch, Lyra, will sever the bonds of you and Darius and bind you to me instead.”

I tried to push her away, to get away from her hold, but she was too strong. “No. No.” I grunted, dazed and puzzled. “You lied to me.”

“Sometimes one has to lie to get what they want,” she replied sharply. I wriggled and writhed, but she was just too strong, and then my whole body went limp, and she set me down onto the wet, dewy grass.

“Sang!” I yelled. “Sang!”

“He won’t be coming. He’s under my control.” Annabelle laughed like a hyena.

Lyra stepped closer to me and knelt down. “You’re sure you want this girl to belong to you?” she asked Annabelle.

“Yes, I most certainly do.”

I ground my teeth. “You,” I whispered. “You’re the one who cursed Darius.”

Lyra smiled faintly. “Yes, that would be me.”

I wanted to just sock her right in the nose. “Why do you listen to Annabelle? Why do you do these things?” My lips became numb as well. How could Annabelle do this? Make me feel pity for her and then stab me in the back? What did I ever do to her? How could someone do this?

Annabelle spoke, “Lyra, you may begin the ritual.”

I saw Priscilla walk toward Annabelle, rope her arm around hers, and settle her head inside the crook of her neck. Lyra began to chant some foreign language and draw a circle around me in white chalk. I saw Sang out of the corner of my eye standing still, crimson eyes glazed over with silent obedience.

As Lyra chanted more and more, the circle began to glow and hum, and my body felt heavy, so, so heavy. It was like everything around me was becoming lighter as I became a weight of a million tons. The circle glowed a bright blue and buzzed as the witch continued her ceremony and then everything stopped, suspended in time as Annabelle sliced her hand with a fingernail and pressed the wound to my mouth. She pinched my cheeks and made me swallow the salty, sweet blood as she pierced my own arm and drank my blood herself.

Lyra began to chant again, and the circle surrounding me grew brighter, so bright it was blinding. My whole body began to ache and throb with the ritual; I felt so heavy and out of place. Annabelle got onto her knees and lowered her mouth to my throat.

Lyra told her, “You may now drink from your servant.”

Just as Annabelle’s fangs grazed my neck, a flash of metal flew in front of my eyes, and a familiar voice penetrated the darkness. “It appears I’ve arrived in time.”

I squinted my eyes to see Darius step from the fog and into the circle.

Darius’s aura was enormous, a giant mass of swirling black and white that penetrated the fog and the magical circle easily. It rolled and thrummed like a thundercloud, his anger reflecting inside it, and I noticed a colossal lion of dark energy towering above all of us l. Annabelle shielded her eyes from the light, and in that instant, Darius took me into his arms and dashed backward a good fifty feet. I was like a doll in his grasp, but I didn’t care so long as I wasn’t going to be Annabelle’s servant. A sense of relief washed over me in a calming bubble as Darius released her hold, and my body could move again. He set me on my feet, hand tightly holding mine, teeth bared in anger.

“How dare you try and steal my servant,” he growled. The lion above us roared loudly like a thunderstorm, and lightning cracked the sky. Annabelle’s hair whipped around her face as a strong wind began to stir around us.

“She would be better off in my care,” she snarled.

Darius pointed a finger at her, a rapier materialized in his hand, and he shook it menacingly. “You are a fool, Annabelle. An insane, blinded fool.” He turned to me. “Now, Lily, stay here and do not move. I will finish this ridiculous feud once and for all.”

I nodded. He was at Annabelle in a flash, rapier clashing against sword. The metal scraped against each other as the two vampires dueled it out, slicing the air and hitting each other’s weapons. Blood sprayed from Darius’ shoulder as Annabelle’s sword buried itself deep within, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, and his rapier dug into her stomach and twisted so that scarlet blood gushed forth like a waterfall.

I winced at what I saw. It was a bloodbath. An unrestrained bloodbath. Annabelle’s sword cut into Darius’ other shoulder, emitting another geyser of blood while Darius’ rapier pierced her right side, which brought forth a stream of steady carmine liquid.

Darius growled as more blood spilled from the wound on his stomach, blossoming onto his shirt like a scarlet rose. “I really had taken a liking to this shirt.”

As I watched, I reached out a hand to him but was soon enfolded in Priscilla’s hold as the vampiress took me into her arms. “Move again and I’ll cut off Lily’s arm,” she threatened, determined.

I was pissed. Really pissed. My arm could technically grow back but that was beside the point. My pink aura spilled off me like a bottle of wine and formed into the roaring form of a lioness. Her jaw dropped down as my lioness scratched and closed her powerful jaws around her black mamba like aura, and it vanished with a shriek as I rose victorious. My spirit animal, Darius told me in my thoughts.

Darius and Annabelle’s duel was still ongoing as each parried and blocked each other’s attacks and offense with unmatched skill. Then Darius’s rapier scratched against the sword, and he snatched the opportunity to punch her in the gut. She flew back a hundred feet and landed face down on the ground.

Pricscilla’s black mamba aura wouldn’t give up and struck my lioness on the leg. My lioness snarled in frustration, gathered the snake into her mouth, and shook her until the snake collapsed and she crumpled down with it and blacked out

Darius knelt by Annabelle’s side, his rapier on her throat. “You can surrender,” he spoke smoothly, “or die peacefully.”

She chuckled and fingered the deadly weapon, “I choose to live,” she said, while taking Priscilla’s fainted body into her arms bridal–style.

Darius sheathed his rapier and it dissolved into nothing. “So be it.”

He glided to me and inspected for any wounds. When he was thoroughly pleased, he snapped his fingers, and Sang came out of his trance.

He took me into his arms like Annabelle had Priscilla and began to walk away, Sang hurrying after us.

“It’s finished,” he said proudly. Blood spotted the ground from his open wounds

I said drowsily, “You’re late. Why’re you so late? And you’re bleeding everywhere.”

He replied, “Annabelle’s witch had cast a barrier spell around her castle. I had to get my own witch to dispel the black art so that I could sense the presence of the castle. I know I’m bleeding and it will cease very soon,” he sighed. “And I rather liked this shirt, by the way.”

I didn’t really understand what he said as blackness engulfed my vision, a creeping web of darkness that crawled over my eyes.

But what about Johanna and Kristy? Could I just leave them there? Could I really just leave them there with those sadistic bitches from hell? I would have to think about it later. One thing’s for sure—I will, someday, go back for them.

My thoughts slipped away, and I began to drown in a deep, deep slumber.

* * * *

“I told you I would come,” Darius said with a smug look on his face.

I felt around and found a soft velvet comforter was wrapped around me. It was a dark carmine color, and then I realized that I was Darius’s bed. He lay beside me, amber eyes locked onto mine. I threw my arms around him and shut my eyes, glad that the whole ordeal was over.

He chuckled and wiped a tear from my eye as I began to weep quietly. “You came. You really came,” I whispered.

He said, “Of course I came. Did you not believe me when I promised I would come?”

I laughed. “Well, maybe a teensy bit.”

He growled, “Then I’ll show you that what I was saying was true. That I love you and would never abandon you.” His lips crushed against mine, our tongue danced in a loving ballet as mine swiped against his fangs, and he explored my mouth as if it were a treasure trove. We broke the kiss and lay breathlessly, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Where’s Sang?” I asked.

Darius replied, “He’s coming.”

I shut up and kissed him again, long and hard, enjoying the sweet taste of him as I nibbled on his lower lip and drew blood. He said, “Go on. Drink from me.”

“But what about your wound?” I asked.

He lifted his robe, and I gingerly touched where I’d seen Annabelle’s sword enter his stomach. There was nothing there. No scars or anything. Just smooth, pale flesh.

“Now drink from me,” he commanded rather irritated.

I opened my mouth wide and struck his neck like a snake. The rich coppery fluid entered my mouth in cold torrents, and I gulped it down hungrily. It was so much sweeter than Annabelle’s, like syrup or honey, and coated the walls of my mouth. When I was full, I pulled back, and my fangs receded. I brushed a hand through the thick locks of Darius’ hair and questioned, “But what about Annabelle? How is she?”

He answered, “Oh, she is fine. Now stop worrying about everyone and worry about me. Only me,” he said pointedly, taking my mouth upon his hungrily.

I pressed back and enjoyed the smoothness of his pale lips and salty taste. Then I wriggled out of the pink nightgown I was in and threw it on the floor. Darius raised a brow and asked if I was sure to which I responded yes. He planted a row of fiery kisses along my neck and then my mouth. He lowered his head to my chest, took a nipple between his teeth, and grazed it so a tiny drop of blood oozed out, and he lapped it up.

Sang entered the room and immediately jumped onto the bed, hastily unbuttoned his shirt he borrowed from Darius and joined in on the lovemaking. I couldn’t have wanted more.

Sang’s mouth engulfed mine as Darius’ had moments before. I relished the sweet, tangy taste of him and pulled away, letting a trail of saliva end the kiss. He gave me a bear hug and then proceeded to Darius, who welcomed it with open arms.

“Darius,” I spoke, “you said that that lioness saw was a spirit animal. What’s that?” I asked quickly.

He answered, “Oh, every vampire has a spirit animal. It just takes a while to manifest. Since mine is a lion, yours is a lioness. Since Annabelle’s is a cobra, and Priscilla’s is a black mamba, Sang’s is also a snake. It all goes according to bloodline.”

Sang said matter-of-factly, “Actually, mine is a Gaboon viper.”

Darius continued, “So then Lune’s spirit animal is also some kind of snake.”

I nodded. “Okay. I get it.” I stared into his deep honey pools. “Thanks for coming on time.”

He scoffed, “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” And his lips pushed to mine.

“Ahem.” Sang cleared his throat and reminded us of his presence.

“We could never forget you, Sang,” Darius said apologetically.

Sang yelled, “You better never forget me!” Then he dove into the blankets. He tossed every one off the bed except the one covering me and grinned proudly. “Now the stage is set,” he said.

The crescent moon spilled into the room in a silver swathe as I was pressed against the foot of the bed. The blankets had been thrown aside onto the floor in a frenzied fit, revealing the smooth red silk sheets beneath. Darius locked me into another hungry kiss, tongue swiping along my fangs in a rolling, wave-like motion that sent shivers throughout my back. My hands grabbed a fistful of his long, curly chocolate hair and forced his head back so I could lick the expanse of his alabaster neck and plunge my fangs into the supple flesh.