Date with a Vampire (21 page)

“But you’re going to marry her.” Gelda’s voice came out as a croak.

Theo took hold of her hand and rubbed his thumb over it. “It’s a marriage of convenience, that’s all. You know that. And speaking of my marriage, I need to get dressed, and you need to go ready my bride.”

Gelda left his bed, clearly not happy. Her full lips were turned down and a frown line marred the usually smooth skin between her brows. She scooped her cape up off the floor and flung it over her shoulders, nearly knocking a candle from his bedside table.

Theo stood. He took hold of her arm and swung her to him, kissing her passionately. “Make Melody beautiful for me,” he murmured against her lips.

She smiled slyly. “Ah, you can be sure of that, but not as beautiful as me.” She strode from the room, tall and proud, her hips swinging seductively.

Theo knew she was aware that he watched her. She was full of fire and the only vampire that he’d let get away with having that sharp tongue.

He took a long, leisurely shower, then put on black pants and a white dress shirt. He studied his appearance in the gilt-framed wall mirror as he combed his hair. He was handsome. There was no doubt of that. Women adored him. There was no denying that either. Except Melody. She despised him. A slight smile curved his full mouth. He loved a challenge. He would enjoy changing her mind. She might never love him as Gelda did, but she would grow to care for him. He was sure of that. When he wanted to, he could charm a woman so that she found him irresistible.

A knock sounded on his door. He set his comb down and strode across the room. When he swung the door open, he was surprised to find Gelda back so soon. Her pale skin looked whiter than usual, and her emerald eyes were dark with worry.

“Come quick. Something’s wrong with your brother.”

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTEEN

G
uystof lay motionless on the bed. Theo touched his brother’s forehead. It was ice cold. He turned Guystof’s wrist over and felt for a pulse. There wasn’t one. “How could this have happened?”

Gelda twisted her hands in the folds of her cape. “I don’t know. I came to check on him…to make sure he’d been put in the correct bedchamber—you know how your guards can be careless at times—and found him like this. I’ve never know any vampire to be so cold.”

“That’s because he’s dead.” Theo’s words cut through the air like a sword.

“No, no. Don’t say that.” She stepped forward and rubbed Guystof’s hands between her own. “He’ll wake. You’ll see.”

Theo pushed Gelda away, and his brother’s arm hung limply over the side of the bed. “This is your fault. You did this.” Fury boiled his blood.

She stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. “I-I don’t know what you mean. I did everything you asked of me.”

“I let you drink from him. And what did you do? You drained him dry. Took too much of his blood with your greed.”

Gelda’s back visibly stiffened. Her green eyes turned black with fear. “No, that’s not true. I drank no more than the others. How can you blame me? This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t instructed us to feed on him.”

“Are you blaming me?” His voice echoed through the chamber.

Gelda backed up and cowered against the wall. “No, no. Of c-course not. I’m just s-saying it was no one’s fault. An accident.”

“An accident?” He looked down at his brother’s handsome features. A part of him truly cared for Guystof. A memory of when they were boys sprang to mind. They had hunted together back then, and his brother had been his protector. Looking out for him had been Guystof’s passion. His mother’s death had affected him deeply. He blamed himself for not being able to save her and made sure his younger brother would not meet the same fate. Theo’s eyelids grew hot. He took a deep breath and quickly pushed the memories of his youth from his mind. No use getting sentimental. Nothing would change what had happened.

“I suppose it will serve no purpose to cast blame now. That won’t bring him back.” He sat on the bed and rested his head in his hands. “But we have to deal with the consequences of his death. Father will be furious, and all my dreams of ruling Dragesa will be lost.”

Gelda came forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll come up with something. You always do.”

“Ah, but this time is different. I’ve gone too far. I’m responsible for the death of my own flesh and blood.”

“No one need know.”

“And how do you suggest I pull that off? It’s not as if my brother won’t be missed.”

“Guystof’s death doesn’t have to be blamed on you. Your father doesn’t know about any of this. Not about the caves. Not about your plot to steal Melody. Not about what happened last night. And he doesn’t have to know…ever. This can be our secret.”

“But Father will investigate Guystof’s death. It’s not common to find a vampire dead in his bed…”

“Not if there’s no mystery as to how he died.”

Theo narrowed his eyes as he tried to follow her train of thought.

“What if we staged it to look like your brother turned Melody into a vampire, and in her naïveté, she fed too long on him?”

“My dear brother killed by his beloved in a wild night of passion.” Theo thought hard about that, then sat up with a sly smile curving the corners of his mouth. “And poor Melody, a young vampire, vulnerable and alone. She’ll need a protector. And who better than the new heir to Dragesa.” He took hold of Gelda’s hand and kissed it. “You’re a very clever woman. I can have my wedding out in the open now, not in the cave’s shadows. And I will have Father’s best wishes.”

Gelda pulled her hand away from his. “You still want to marry her?”

“It’s not a matter of want. It’s out of necessity. I need her money for Dragesa.” He stood and pulled Gelda into his arms. “Melody means nothing to me.We need to hurry, though, and get her before she wakes.”

They traveled through the castle’s passageways, taking care not to be seen. Only when they reached the caves did Theo relax a little. He would remain on edge until this task had been fully executed. Luckily, they found Melody still asleep and it was without much trouble that they were able to deliver her to Guystof’s bedchamber and position her in bed beside him.

Theo scrutinized the scene. Melody’s painted skin, fishnet tights, corset, and petticoat were not his brother’s style. If he wanted to set this up to be believable, he would have to change Melody’s appearance. She needed some suitable sleepwear, and there wasn’t time to rummage through her room. There was only one way for him to fix that. The old-fashioned way. With magic. He closed his eyes and moved his hands over Melody’s body, envisioning her skin a pale ivory and her wearing a lacy, rose-colored nightgown. Guystof was a sucker for frills. He opened his eyes at Gelda’s startled gasp.

“Oh, Theo. That’s perfect. Melody looks like herself again.”

He smiled. “But we’re not finished yet. We have to deal with my brother now.”

“I don’t understand. What more needs to be done?”

Theo pointed to Guystof. “Look at him. He needs to look disheveled after his wild night with Melody. Mess up his hair.”

Gelda did as instructed. “How’s that?”

Theo studied the bed scene a little longer. They’d missed the most important details. “Guystof’s wounds have healed. We need fresh marks on his neck and blood on the sheet if this is to be truly believable.”

“It’s a good thing you’re so clever.’

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

Her jaw dropped open. “You have to be kidding. You want me to bite him?”

Theo nodded. “Is that a problem?”

Gelda looked at Guystof’s still body and grimaced. “That’s disgusting. He’s dead.”

“But it needs to be done.” Without giving it another thought, Theo leaned over his brother, then curled back his front lip and let his fangs protrude. He pierced two perfect holes in the side of Guystof’s neck. Soon the white pillowcase was stained red. Theo wiped his mouth on his shirtsleeve. The blood tasted bitter in death. “What do you think of this picture now?”

Gelda stepped closer to the bed. “It’s perfect.”

Melody would be in for a shock when she woke, finding her beloved dead beside her. She’d have no memory of the turning ceremony. New vampires never did. What she would have would be an almost insatiable appetite for blood. There was no doubt Melody would think she was responsible for Guystof’s death.

Theo chuckled softly, quite pleased with his work. However, he couldn’t stand there forever admiring it. He couldn’t run the risk that his father might still be suspicious. All evidence of his secret haven below the castle had to be erased.

They returned to the caves, and he closed his eyes to visualize the caverns the way they were before he’d inhabited them—pristine. He waited a few moments, then opened his eyes and all signs of occupancy had been erased. Only his vampires, roosting high in the ceiling, remained.

He called to them. His voice bounced off the flowstone walls. Each one lined up before him. “It’s no longer safe here. You all must leave.”

Gelda’s eyes were wide with surprise. “Even me?”

Theo placed his arm over her shoulders and pulled her to him. He kissed the side of her neck, then ran his mouth over her ear. “I’m sorry, but yes. It’s not safe for you here.”

The color drained from her face. “I don’t care. I’m not afraid. Not as long as I’m with you.”

“That’s very courageous, my dear, but you still need to go.” Theo kissed her hard, then held her out at arms’ length and studied her. He wanted to remember every curve of her body, the sparkle in her emerald eyes, and the way her lips curved up at the corners even when she wasn’t smiling. She was beautiful, loyal, and his, yet he had no idea when he might see her again.

“Then come with me,” she pleaded.

“I can’t. I have to stay at Dragesa.”

“But I can make you happy. We can travel the world together. Home is where you make it.”

“Ah, sounds lovely, my dear, but I only have one home. It’s right here; and I will not give it up unless I am forced to. The game is not quite over yet.”

She turned her head away and stared at the floor.

“This is not good-bye,” he whispered. “I will find you no matter where you are and bring you back here when it is safe.”

She looked up at him, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. “Promise?”

He kissed her tenderly. “I promise.”

— : : —

Melody rolled onto her back. She felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Every bone in her body ached. Her blurred vision took in her surroundings. Where the devil was she? In a bedchamber, but whose? She turned her head to the side and gasped. Guy! She was in Guy’s bed?

She squeezed her eyes shut. What had happened? The last thing she remembered… Well, she didn’t know what she remembered. Everything was fuzzy.

She stroked the side of his cheek. It was cold. Very cold. She put her hand over his. It too was cold. She sat up and took hold of his shoulders. She shook them gently at first, then, when he didn’t respond, she shook harder. “Guy! Wake up! What’s wrong with you?”

Though his features were relaxed as if in sleep, his white skin and pale blue lips told a different story. And a pool of red covered the sheet beneath him.

Her chest tightened, and she felt the air being sucked from her lungs. No, no, no. It couldn’t be true. Her beloved Guy couldn’t be dead. How could he? It wasn’t until she saw the trickle of dried blood from the two perfect holes piercing his neck that she had a suspicion of what had happened. Her stomach rumbled with hunger and saliva filled her mouth. She ran her tongue along her swollen gums and felt the prick of fangs. She was a vampire!

She ran her lips over Guy’s cold cheek, then covered his mouth with her own and tried to breathe life back into him. But he was cold, oh so cold. Had she done this to him? Had she somehow killed him? She scrunched her eyes shut, trying to remember how that could have happened.

A knock sounded on the door, rousing her from her misery. She opened her eyes.

“Master?”

It was Blakesley’s voice.

The door opened slowly, and the old butler peeked in. When he saw them on the bed, he appeared embarrassed; then a wide smile lit his withered features. “So sorry to interrupt, sir, but I’ve been so worried about you and Miss Melody. I was just about to go to your father, when I thought it best to check your room first.”

“He’s dead,” Melody cried.

Blakesley put a hand over his mouth in horror. He swayed, then reached for the doorframe to steady himself. “That’s not possible. Not Master Guystof. I told him it wasn’t safe to go after you alone. But he’s so stubborn. Wouldn’t listen to my warning.” He crossed the room to study Guy. “Theo is capable of just about anything, but I never thought he would kill his own brother.”

Melody stared at Blakesley in disbelief. “Theo? He did this?”

“You don’t remember?”

She shook her head. “Remember what?”

“Oh my! Theo kidnapped you and took you down into the caves beneath the castle. He was going to marry you. Master Guystof found out and went down into the caves after you, but Theo must have caught him and…”

Tears ran down her cheeks. “You mean I didn’t do this?”

“Why, how could you have thought so?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. My head is pounding, and everything is a blur.” She balled her hands into fists and rubbed furiously at her eyes. “The last thing I remember is opening the door to my room, thinking it was my luggage, but it was Theo.” Her voice rose in pitch. “Everything after that is blank…until now. I woke and found Guy dead.” She opened her mouth and exposed her new fangs. “I’m a vampire.”

Blakesley backed toward the door. “Miss, calm down. It’s probably best that you don’t remember.” He didn’t take his eyes off her face. “Your skin is becoming gray and your pupils yellow. You must need to feed.”

Melody stared at him in horror. “What do I do?” Her voice came out as little more than a croak now.

“You’ll need to hunt for your food, or find someone you can feed on.” Blakesley was nearly at the door, and she could see that his hands were shaking.