Authors: C S Winchester
“
Well any blood increases the strength of magic, though animal blood is hardly ideal. They don't live very long so the blood has less energy, less life-force,” Dante explained as he flicked through the pictures.
“
So what's your experience with the occult?” Will asked him.
Frankie glared at him; so much for keeping quiet!
“
Oh, I've just been around the block a few times,” Dante answered casually.
“
Do you have much experience of this blood magic?”
“
Will,” Frankie warned.
“
No personal experience,” Dante smiled. “Not of the magic anyway.”
“
Dante!” Frankie was regretting her decision to bring Will, more and more. Will was breaking his promise, Dante was being indiscreet and all in all, this was a perfect recipe for disaster.
Will was about to ask a question about his experience of blood, but decided to see how this interaction played out first.
“
Oh lighten up, Frankie,” Dante waved her concerns away.
Frankie stood up and took his hand; Dante allowed himself to be dragged into the kitchen.
“
What are you doing?” she hissed.
“
Helping you.”
“
No, you're dropping clues and if he figures out-” she looked behind her to check that Will wasn't eavesdropping. “If he figures out what you are, we will both be dead,” she finished.
“
Why?” Dante looked confused.
“
Because of our agreement with the council. We can't tell anyone about the existence of vampires.”
“
Wrong. You can't tell anyone. I can tell whoever I like because if they betray me, I can wipe their memories.”
Realisation dawned on Frankie.
“
My crime,” Dante continued, “was sharing documentation with you that could be used to prove our existence, not telling you that we existed.”
“
So he can find out from you and neither of us would be in trouble?”
Dante nodded and Frankie suddenly threw her arms around him, grinning.
“
Oh, you have no idea what a relief that would be, to have a friend to talk to about-”
“
Me?” he cut her off.
“
About vampires in general.” She released him and looked into his eyes. “Will is my best friend and I've been hiding this huge part of my life from him.”
Dante nodded in sympathy. “I understand. But-”
“
No,” Frankie out her finger over his lips. “No buts.”
“
However,” he mumbled through the finger.
“
That's cheating,” she admonished but she took her finger away, realising that she had to hear him out.
“
I have to put barriers in place,” he began to explain, “to prevent him from sharing any information about us with anyone other than you or I.”
“
Why?”
“
Simply because he isn't my lover and I personally don't trust him to keep my secret.”
“
Then we'll give him a choice,” Frankie said.
She went back into the living room and sat down next to Will as Dante resumed his seat.
“
Will, you know that thing I've been hiding from you? Well Dante can tell you about it if you agree to certain conditions first.”
“
Why can't you tell me?”
“
I'm forbidden to, but if you agree, I can then explain some of it.”
“
Only some?”
“
The less you know the better, but yes, I'll explain what you need to know.”
“
So what are the conditions?”
“
Dan... Dante will implant some post-hypnotic suggestions that will stop you speaking about what you learn to anyone but me.”
“
So he's going to hypnotise me?”
“
Not exactly but the result will be the same.”
“
Brainwashing?”
“
No, more like...” Frankie sighed in frustration. “I can't explain it properly until you agree to the terms.”
Will looked from Frankie to Dante as he considered the vague terms. He didn't believe they could hypnotise him, and he had been curious about Frankie's secret for almost a year now, so finally he nodded.
“
I agree.”
Frankie released the breath she'd been holding, then took another deep one.
“
Okay, Dante, tell him.”
“
Vampires are real,” Dante said, smiling sweetly.
Will looked from Dante to Frankie again. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated for a few moments.
“
Vampires?”
“
Yes,” Frankie answered.
“
O-kay. Um... I don't know what to do with that.”
“
Do you believe us?” she asked.
“
I'm not sure,” he answered honestly.
“
Then allow me to prove it,” Dante said, sitting forward.
Chapter Four
Dante opened his mouth just enough for Will to see his fangs extend.
Will leaned back warily. “How did you do that? They're fake, aren't they, some kind of fancy dress thing?”
“
No, Will, they aren't fake. A vampire's fangs extend when he needs them,” Frankie explained.
“
How do I know they aren't fake?” Will asked.
Frankie shook her head as she realised there was only one way to prove it. She moved onto the sofa Dante was sitting on and swept her hair over one shoulder, then she opened the top few buttons of her shirt and took her scarf off. She saw Will's eyes widen as he noticed the bruise that was forming on her throat, courtesy of Bloody Mackenzie's ghost. Her back was to Dante and she kept eye contact with Will as she tilted her head to one side, offering Dante her neck.
“
Are you sure?” Dante asked. She had never offered him her blood before.
“
Yes,” Frankie assured him.
Never one to turn down a warm meal, Dante didn't need to be told twice. He moved behind her, took hold of her shoulders and repositioned her slightly, then began kissing and licking her neck.
Frankie continued to look at Will as Dante focused his attention on her neck.
“
Their saliva turns pain into pleasure,” she explained, trying to keep her voice even as her neck became even more sensitive. “And promotes fast healing.”
Frankie gasped as Dante's teeth grazed her neck and sent shivers down her spine. She closed her eyes as she began to feel embarrassed under Will's gaze.
Suddenly Dante stopped teasing the area, leaned his head back so Will could clearly see his fangs, then bit down hard.
Frankie clenched her fists but couldn't stop the cry of pleasure that escaped her lips. She wanted to see Will's expression, but she was too afraid of seeing revulsion there to open her eyes. Her fingernails began to bite into her palms as she tried not to get too turned on by Dante's actions. Still, it had been six months since she'd done anything intimate with a man, and her body clearly felt that it was overdue.
Thankfully Dante made it quick. He licked the wound only to remove the excess blood, so that when he stopped and she raised her hand to her neck, she could still feel the slight puncture wounds that he had left, though they were healing quickly.
Dante took his hands from her shoulders and kissed her neck saying, “Thank you.”
Finally Frankie had no choice but to open her eyes. Will sat in stunned silence, looking revolted and slightly queasy.
“
Will?” she asked softly.
His jaw was clenched in anger and he wouldn't look at her.
“
This is crazy,” he said. “Insane.”
“
It's real, Will.”
He finally met her gaze, but she felt as though he was looking at a stranger.
“
Who are you?” he asked, getting to his feet. He headed for the door but in a blink, Dante blocked his path, standing just inside the door.
“
I can't permit you to leave yet,” Dante said.
“
Why? You want to feed of me too, leech?” he sounded angry.
Frankie went up them and stood just in front of Will. He pushed her hair back and looked at her neck, to see that the puncture wounds were now just slightly inflamed bumps, no bigger than a bug bite. Will glared at Dante, the muscles in his jaw working overtime.
“
Will, you have another choice now,” she said softly. “You can let Dante hypnotise you, like we talked about or... you can forget everything that you've seen here tonight. Go back to how you were, blissfully ignorant of vampires and everything that comes with them.”
Sometimes she wished that she could forget too.
Will looked at her. “I don't believe you can do that,” he answered flatly.
“
You don't have to believe it, Will, but if it was possible, would you rather know the truth or forget what you've seen here?”
“
It's always better to know the truth,” he said after a few moments.
“
Then you must let Dante hypnotise you.”
“
What if it doesn't work?”
“
It will.” Frankie smiled sadly.
Frankie felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to Dante, who was still standing just behind her. He nodded that she should step aside and she did. The two men glared at each other and she saw Dante's bright blue eyes darken to a shade closer to midnight blue. They continued to stare for minute or two and then Dante stepped back.
“
It's done,” he told Frankie.
“
What's done?” Will asked, watching Dante as he returned to his seat on the sofa. Frankie noticed that Will seemed calmer and more relaxed.
“
He hypnotised you, Will.” Frankie answered.
“
No he didn't.” Will shook his head.
“
Do you remember what we were talking about tonight?”
“
Vampires, sure.”
Frankie took out her mobile phone and dialled her home phone number. “Then try and leave a voicemail message about it,” she said, passing him the phone.
Will took the phone and listened to the standard message. As the beep sounded he opened his mouth to speak but didn't say anything. His eyes widened in shock and after a few more tries he hung up the phone.
“
What the hell was that?” he asked.
“
Post-hypnotic suggestion,” she said. “Now try writing a text message.”
He entered the texting application but then his hand froze.
“
No,” he whispered. He pulled his notepad from his coat and tried to write a message but again his hand froze. “This is impossible.” He glared at Frankie. “This is brainwashing!”
“
Mind control,” she corrected. His reaction hurt her but she swallowed down her emotions. “He can still make you forget,” she told him. “It's not too late.”
“
I need to think about this,” he headed for the door and Frankie went to follow him but he held his hand up to stop her. “No, I need to be alone, Frankie.”
Frankie nodded sadly and stepped back. Will shot a parting glare at Dante then left.
Frankie's strength deserted her but before she could crumple to the ground, Dante caught her and carried her to the sofa. She moved to the corner and pulled her legs under her, resting her chin on her knees. She looked like a scared child.
“
He will get over this,” Dante assured her. “I've seen worse reactions to the news before.”
“
He looked at me like I was a stranger,” she said.
“
Well, you have been hiding something pretty big from him.” He tried not to sound harsh or judgemental. Dante had been through this scenario many times and it never got any easier. “How about that drink?” he suggested.
Frankie shook her head. “Thank you, but I have to drive home.”
“
I can drop your car off to you later,” he suggested. “I don't think you should be alone right now.”
“
It's Will who shouldn't be alone,” she said with a sigh. “I have a report to type up tonight anyway.”
“
The report will wait. Besides, you need to calm down before I'll let you anywhere near the wheel of a car.”
“
Driving while distressed?” she said with the ghost of a smile.
“
Something like that. How about tea, don't British people find that soothing?”