“If removing your father were an easy task, it would have undoubtedly been achieved before now,” Bram concluded.
I agreed with a nod that he had a good point. My father was a master at surviving, so really, it didn’t matter how many advantages we employed, deposing him would be no easy feat. ’Course, I’d never really managed to convince myself it was easy to begin with, but anyhoo ...
“That is all the advice I have to offer, Sweet,” Bram said with finality. He slapped his hands together as if he were ready to move on to bigger and better topics.
“Thanks,” I started before he took a few steps towards me. The look of hunger had returned in full force.
Don’t look into his eyes!
I reminded myself and immediately centered my attention on my shoes. I heard him chuckle, obviously finding it humorous that I preferred not to play the part of lovesick victim again. He didn’t say anything, though, but reached forward, taking a tress of my hair between his thumb and forefinger, and rubbing it together as if enjoying the tactile sensation. I started to pull away, but he prevented me from doing so by placing his palm in the small of my back.
“Didn’t we just go through this?” I snapped, finally focusing on his face.
“Fear not,” he quickly responded, dropping the tendril and releasing his hand so that it surreptitiously brushed past my butt before finding its place at his side. He was definitely an opportunist. “I could not abide your death, Sweet,” he said softly.
“Well, we both have that in common.”
“Perhaps you should leave the fighting to those who are not so indispensable?” he asked, cocking his head to the side as he studied me. “However, if you do decide to fight and if your little uprising fails, I am more than happy to provide you with shelter and a safe haven from your father.” He paused a moment or two. “I could promise you protection, Sweet.”
I ignored “the little uprising” statement, but the rest of it couldn’t be dismissed so easily. “Thanks for the offer, Bram, and I’m sure our soldiers would love to know you consider them dispensable,” I started, shaking my head. It irritated me that he was now trying to discourage me from doing what had to be done. My father had targeted me so it was only fair and just that I set my sights on him. “But this is my fight, and there’s no way I’m going to back out of it.”
Bram didn’t say anything for a few moments, but continued staring at me in an off-putting way that was uniquely his. “I do not know how I would tolerate you losing your life,” he began, studying me again as if I were on the auction block. “Although, one part of me might consider it a relief.”
“Thanks for that,” I said with a frown. I started for the entry to the dining room, having decided there was nothing more that needed to be said. Within a split-second, I felt my cheek slamming against his chest as he materialized directly in front of me, something he only rarely did. I stepped away from him, trying to conceal the shock that was already pumping through me. He gripped each of my wrists and held me in place, staring down at me with an urgency I’d never before seen in his eyes.
“I know you are drawn to me,” he started, his voice deep and throaty.
I didn’t want a repeat of the whole vampire glamour incident. “Let me go.”
“You can no longer pretend not to be attracted to me,” he continued. “For we both know the truth.”
“Um, let me remind you, fangs-for-brains, that you glamoured me! Whatever the hell you thought I was into had nothing to do with the real me. It was all your own doing.”
Bram smiled, revealing his fangs seductively. “Yes, I glamoured you, Sweet, but in order to glamour my prey, she must first come to me of her own free will.” He paused for a few seconds while I tried to decide if he was full of shit. Was I truly attracted to Bram? I mean, I had to say he was incredibly good looking, and yes, even sexy on occasion. But when it came right down to it, I had no interest in sex with Bram whatsoever. Especially not when I compared it to the almost bestial appetite I had for Knight.
“It is not possible to glamour someone who does not want to be glamoured, my dear,” he continued, smiling like he knew he had me.
“Let go of me, Bram,” I repeated in an icy tone.
“Give me one evening, Dulcie,” he ground out, his fangs sparkling in the low light. “Allow me to experience your body just this one evening and I will forever refrain from seducing you again.”
“No,” I said quickly, “and there might not be an again.” I shook my head as I realized this was his last ditch effort to shag me, since it appeared he wasn’t wholeheartedly convinced of my survival skills.
“Your body reacted to my touch,” he continued, his eyes traveling down from my face to my breasts and lower still. He brought his eyes back up to mine and they appeared to darken into navy blue again, his passion overtaking them. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw, refusing to succumb to his powers again.
“I observed you, Sweet, the twinkle in your eyes, the way you bit your lip. I watched your body respond to me, how you arched your back, how your nipples hardened at my touch.” I opened my eyes as he brought his gaze to my face again. “I heard the heaviness of your breathing, and I could smell your desire.”
I shook my head emphatically. “You manifested those reactions from me, Bram, and you’re damn well aware that none of it was real. You tricked me into feeling what you wanted me to feel.”
He shook his head, his eyes now pleading. “Your words only betray you, Sweet. You know as well as I do that you long for me to make love to you.”
I closed my eyes, refusing to ponder the possibility that I might have wanted him, as he kept intimating that I had. Was it possible? Was there truth to his insistence that he could only glamour a willing victim?
You know yourself, Dulcie,
I thought.
You know yourself well enough to know that if you are attracted to Bram at all, it’s only on the surface and you would never act on it if you were in your right mind.
“Allow me to make love to you just this once,” he crooned in words almost as quiet as a whisper.
I gulped down the fear that this situation might go south in a hurry. Was Bram the sort of person to force himself on me? I didn’t know. ’Course, he’d sort of come close just a few minutes ago with the whole glamouring incident, but I guessed since he hadn’t gone through with it, and I remembered him telling me to fight him, maybe he wasn’t the sort?
Well, it looked like I was about to find out.
“No,” I said simply, but every fiber of my being was on alert, ready to fight him if he so much as breathed in a way I didn’t approve of.
Bram didn’t release me right away. Instead, we both just stood there, staring at each other as if we were preparing to duel. Then, just when I began to wonder what he was going to do, and if I could really fend off the advances of such a powerful vampire, he simply released my wrists.
“Very well,” he said softly while stepping aside, allowing me more space. I didn’t say anything as he headed for the archway that led to the dining room, so I did the same. I followed him through the dining room, down the hallway and into the entryway. His steps were hurried and the silence between us was more than uncomfortable.
He reached for the doorknob on the front door before turning around and regarding me with what I can only describe as utter disappointment.
“I wish you much luck,” he said as he opened the door and allowed me to walk through it. He closed it behind us and beeped the Rolls-Royce unlocked. Saying nothing, he opened the passenger door wide as I seated myself.
“Thank you, Bram,” I said softly with an encouraging smile, not knowing what else I could say or do. After basically admitting that I wanted nothing to do with him romantically, much less sexually, I could only imagine how badly I’d wounded his masculine pride.
He nodded and we both just stared at each other for a few seconds before he broke the silence. “I hope you prevail against your father, Sweet.”
###
After traveling through three portals, we arrived at another of Bram’s estates, this one more modern and sitting atop a large hill in Hades only knew where. Bram hadn’t managed to say one word to me so I wasn’t about to make small talk. Instead, I just wanted to get in, get Christina, and get back to the Hotel Des Balances where Knight was awaiting us.
“I shall return shortly,” Bram said as he pulled up in front of the four-story, Spanish styled villa and left the Rolls running. I figured he was going to get Christina so I’d patiently wait for his return. Trying to find something to do, I played with the radio stations but didn’t encounter much other than static so eventually turned it off.
When Bram appeared at the front door, he was carrying Christina bride style and she appeared to be either asleep or passed out. I immediately stood up and opened my door, fearing the worst. “What’s wrong with her?” I called out as I watched him carry her across the olive-tree lined entryway and up to the Rolls. He opened the car door and plopped her in the backseat. She breathed out heavily and then returned to her previous state.
“There is nothing wrong with her,” Bram said quickly as he closed the rear door and opened his door, seating himself. He glanced over at me and frowned. “She is merely in a deep sleep as the
Blueliss
works its way from her body. She will be fully restored by morning.”
And that was apparently all he had to say about that because he turned the key in the ignition and we were off. It seemed only moments later that we pulled up to the hotel. Bram put the Rolls in park and then proceeded to act every ounce the undead gentleman. He not only opened my door, but then heaved Christina into his arms and walked us both through the lobby to the elevator.
“I previously made room arrangements for Christina,” he announced and then fished inside his pocket, handing me a room key.
“That was nice of you,” I said quickly.
Bram didn’t respond but simply started down the hallway as soon as the elevator beeped open. I was left with no choice but to follow him and glancing down at the key in my hand, read “304.” Christina’s room was at the end of the hall and Bram stood outside the door, patiently waiting for me to open the door. Once I did so, he deposited Christina on the bed, covered her with a nearby blanket and then retreated back into the hallway, being careful to close her door behind him. Then he glanced at me and offered me a quick smile before bowing low and kissing my hand. Even though he played up his customary role of gallant vampire, there was definitely something different between us now. That easy affability and informality that used to characterize our relationship was gone, leaving in its place something aloof and awkward. I couldn’t allow myself to worry about it though because I had way too much on my mind already.
Tomorrow we would attack the Netherworld and there was still so much information I needed to tell Knight. Not only that, but I was more than sure he had plenty of updates for me too.
Glancing at the clock at the end of the hall, I saw it was nearly two a.m., which meant the dawn was only a few hours away. I gave Bram one last smile as the elevator dinged, announcing it was headed downstairs. Bram wasted no time in entering it and seconds later, the doors closed and I was alone. A moment or so later, my elevator arrived and I entered it with a heavy heart. I expected Knight wouldn’t be too happy about the length of time I’d spent with Bram. In my defense, though, Bram had definitely provided more than useful information, but I was sure that Knight was about to read me the riot act.
The elevator doors opened with a “ding” and I hurried down the corridor to our room, knocking on the door sheepishly. Within seconds, the door flew open and an unhappy Loki stood peering down at me.
“Two o’clock in the morning?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. Even though he was obviously pissed, just the image of him standing there in his dark jeans and white T-shirt with his hair in disarray was enough for me to want to throw my arms around him and kiss him until my lips hurt.
“I’m sorry,” I said with an apologetic smile.
Saying nothing, he held the door open for me and I entered the room, without a word. Instead, I kicked off my sneakers and walked over to the windows, noticing the reflection of the streetlamps on the river. When I heard Knight close and lock the door behind us, I turned to face him.
“Christina is in a room on the third floor, sleeping off the
Blueliss
,” I started. “And I’ve got a lot of other good information for you,” I continued, but I could tell Knight’s attention wasn’t on that. Instead, he was busily scrutinizing my clothing.
“Why are you wearing a different outfit than you were when you left?” he demanded as he crossed his arms against his broad chest and regarded me angrily.
I gulped, striving to prove my innocence. “As part of our agreement, I have to wear a gown every time Bram and I dine together.”
Knight regarded me coolly, but his jaw was so tight, it seemed like he was about to shatter his teeth. “So why not change back into the clothes you were wearing before you put on the gown? Or, better yet, why not wear the gown home so I could enjoy seeing you in it?”
I cleared my throat, unsure of what excuse I could find to explain why I didn’t do exactly what Knight was asking. Unfortunately, I was a terrible liar.
“Dulcie, sometimes I can’t help but wonder what is going on between you and the vampire,” he said softly, shaking his head. “I want to believe you when you say he means nothing to you, but when these situations arise, I find my faith in you challenged.”
I knew I had to confess the truth of what happened, whether it meant Knight might hold a grudge against Bram or not. The way I looked at it, the truth was better than having him believe I was having an affair with Bram. “The truth is that Bram isn’t three hundred years old,” I started.
Knight wore an expression of surprise, which quickly gave way to puzzlement. “What the hell does that have to do …”
“Let me finish and I’ll tell you,” I snapped with a frown that told him I’d appreciate not being interrupted again. “Bram is actually seven hundred, which is significant because he glamoured me. And his power was so intense, I nearly succumbed.”