The Power of One (The Forever series Book Two) (2 page)

I sink into an oblivious state as Constantine continues to
console me. Eventually I feel myself being pulled under his spell and I feel my
fangs retract. In a semi-conscious state, I hear my sire hiss to Devon, “Has
she not been drinking human blood?”

Devon replies, “Only his, only recently.”

“And before that?” comes the angry response.

“Not for a while, eight months I think since she last drank.
Her
choice,” he makes clear. “We thought we had more time,” he sighs.

CK sighs as well. “No matter, it’s done. Get Nico to bring
in another feeder. AB negative, sooner rather than later. She’ll need it to get
back under control,” he states.

I feel myself sink right under and all of a sudden I jolt
awake still in CK’s arms. I can tell it’s getting dark out now. How long was I
under?

“What time is it?” I ask, my head banging.

“A little after 9,” he says.

“Cole?”

“Still out, my sweet.”

“Gregor and Eloise?”

“No word,” he says shortly followed  by, “How do you feel?”

“Ugh. My head hurts. Speaking of heads you might have given
me one up, you know… considering…” I growl, but relax knowing that the other
two Council members have not turned up… yet.

He chuckles, “Had I known you were refraining, I would have.
Really Aefre, for the smartest woman on the planet, you really can be quite
dense sometimes.” He sighs, exasperated, then asks, “Why were you abstaining?”

“You know why,” I say mutinously.

“Trying to make up for the sins of the past? Oh Aefre. It
doesn’t work that way. Yes, you can thrive on Vampire blood, but when you start
to take human blood again, even the smallest amount, you might as well be back
where you started,” he admonishes.

“Mm,
Castel Gradile
. I wish I was there right now,” I
smirk and he indulges me with his glorious made-just-for-me smile before he
goes back to his scolding. “Liv, this is serious. Devon tells me you haven’t
drunk human blood in eight months apart from small amounts the last couple of
days and this much human blood in a long while. How much is a long while?”

“Are you really asking me how long it’s been since I
drained, or nearly drained, a human?” I ask in disbelief.

He looks at me as if to say “Well, yeah!”

I exhale in exasperation. “1810. His name was Patrick. I
drained him and killed him all because he looked like…” I trail off with tears
in my eyes.

“Oh hush, baby,” CK says quietly. “Don’t be upset. I’m
sorry. I should have known it had been so long. I really thought you had
indulged your killer instinct sooner than that.”

“Well, I haven’t!” I snap and leap up to go to Cole’s side.
He looks just he same.

CK joins me at his side. “Nico has a feeder here for you.
You should drink or the cravings will start to drive you crazy.”

I nod absently and let him lead me away to the back of the
chapel. I can feel the need to feed clawing at me and I am glad that CK had the
presence of mind to get someone for me.

I see her sat there. A human, provided specifically for me
to feed from in exchange for a hefty wad of cash and a threat of her death if
she ever told our secret. I know that she must already be on CK’s payroll for
Nico to have gotten her here so quickly.

A pretty young thing just sitting there, casually waiting
for me. She looks so smug to be a part of our secret and it inflames me. I
snarl at her and dive onto her neck in a move so sudden she didn’t expect it.
She tastes so good. In modern day research, Vampires have been proven to prefer
their own blood type. In light of such research it seems CK, Devon, and I are
all AB negative. And I knew this of Cole before I drank from him. Another “go
figure.”

I feel her blood pumping out of her heart and into my mouth
and I bite harder, hurting her. I go passed the limit, the safe amount for a
human to give, and now her life is in my hands. A small voice in the back of my
head calls to me, “Don’t do this. This isn’t you anymore. Cole wouldn’t want
you to be this because of him.” I listen to the voice and snap my fangs back.
She’s passed out, but she is alive. She’ll be fine. And probably well
compensated for my faux pas.

CK hauls me to the side. “For Christ’s sake Aefre, I haven’t
seen you this out of control, ever!” he snaps.

I look abashed. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous and thirsty. Get me
more wine. It will offset the cravings,” I say hopefully.

He motions to Nico who returns almost immediately with a
bottle of wine and Devon. I hand it to him and he does the honors while my eyes
never leave Cole. I take Devon’s hand and lead him to the discarded glasses on
the old pew. “Sit with me,” I say and of course he does. He pours out two
glasses and we sit in silence. Time ticks away and soon, it's midnight. I have
curled up in Devon’s lap and the others have left us alone.

At first I thought it was tiredness, bloodlust, and wine
that caused me to see it, but I sit up, jolting Devon who has fallen asleep,
awake. Cole’s fingers are twitching. I stand quickly and move to his side. I
take his hand and stroke his face. He turns instinctively into my hand and I
know he’s going to be okay.

“He’s waking, Devon,” I say excitedly.

Wide awake now, Devon jumps up in search of the others. I
continue to stroke his face as he comes to. Eventually his eyes open, the same
blue-gray eyes I love and Devon rushes back in with CK, Nico, and what I
presume is the feeder.

I turn to them in amazement. “He’s awake. Less than twelve
hours and he’s awake!” I exclaim in delight.

“Liv,” he croaks in confusion.

“Yes, baby. It’s me. I’m here. How do you feel?”

“Thirsty,” he says.

I turn to beckon the feeder over but CK is at my side with a
bottle of water. “This first, remember,” he chides.

Cole grabs it and gulps it down. He sits up and looks at all
of us, looking at him. I take his face in my hands. “Baby, you need to feed.
I’ll walk you through it, okay?”

Within seconds his fangs have dropped and he grabs me and
sinks them into my flesh.

Whoa, Mama!

I hear CK snicker behind me, “Oh like sire, like charge!”
and I know he is referring to me pouncing on him in a similar fashion.

I push Cole away and tell him he needs human blood. His
fangs snap back and he shakes his head. “No. I just want you,” he says.

I cast a glance at CK and he raises an eyebrow at me. “My,
my, he is yours isn’t he? I believe you said the same thing to me,” he smirks
in amusement.

“Not helping, D’Arcangelo!” I snap with indignation, my
English accent more pronounced than ever.

He chortles at my usage of his last name, something I only
tend to do when indignant, so I’ve been told.

“Baby, you need human blood,” I tell Cole. “In time you will
be able to live without it but now, you need to feed.” I push the feeder in
front of him.

Reluctantly he does as he is told as I watch expectantly.
“Enough,” I tell him when he’s reached the limit and he lets go, retracting his
fangs with ease as the feeder scampers off out of reach.

His eyes meet mine and I grin at him. “How do you feel?” I
ask again.

“Better,” he says grudgingly. “How long was I out?”

“Less than twelve hours,” I say proudly. “You did good,
baby.”

He leaps off the altar and draws me into a deep kiss. He
tastes of blood and Cole and I want to kiss him forever.

Everyone leaves us alone then and I hear CK mutter something
about The Council and it reminds me of the prophecy. Nothing has happened yet,
not that I know what to expect, so I keep my mental fingers crossed that
nothing does. I take Cole’s face in my hands. “You seem under control. How does
it feel?”

He pauses and thinks about it before saying, “Okay, I guess.
I don’t want to go on a rampage if that’s what you mean.”

That makes one of us then.

“Good sweetie. That’s really good. If you take a bit of
human blood every day you will build up a tolerance for the cravings.”

He looks at me curiously. “I don’t feel any different.
Except maybe with the senses. I can hear, like, everything!”

I smile at his words. “Wait until you decide to move!”

He grins and in a flash he is at the back of the chapel.
“What, you mean like that?” he laughs.

I am giggling in delight as I say, “Exactly like that!”

In an instant he is in front of me again. Taking my face in
his hands, he kisses me. “This…” he says, “this is different.” He leans his
forehead against mine and sighs. “I get it now,” he says quietly, “what Devon
feels for you. I love you completely but there is this need for you. For you to
love me, touch me, comfort me. I want to always be in your presence and do
anything to make you happy.”

I shiver at his words. “It’s the bond, my love. We are bound
together for eternity now. You are mine and I will love you until the end of
time.”

He kisses me again, tongue pushing against mine urgently,
desperately.

Suddenly he pulls back with a look on his face I can’t read.
“That’s how
you
feel about Constantine,” he states and steps back.

“Yes,” I say truthfully. “Now do you understand what I was
telling you last night? That we are bound and it will never go away.”

He looks away briefly but then he nods resolutely. “I do,”
he says softly. “I do get it. I feel it here.” He pats his chest. “I do get it
now, your batshit crazy possessive relationship with Devon and your very weird,
whatever-it-is with Constantine,” he grimaces.

“I love you so much,” is all I can say to him.

“I love you too, but more importantly, I am in love with
you.”

“As I am with you.”

We stroll out into the moonlight hand in hand, to a crowd
watching us.

“All good?” Devon asks.

“All good,” Cole replies with a smile at me.

“Well then. Welcome to the family, Brother,” Devon says and
slaps him on the back and Cole looks slightly startled at the term but then
chuckles and punches Devon on the arm. “Yeah, I guess we are family now.
Thanks, man. For everything,” he says.

Devon looks uncomfortable but says, ”Yeah, no worries,
dude.”

CK is watching us from a few feet away, a faraway look in
his eye. Cole to my surprise makes the first move. He walks over and extends
his hand to my sire and says, “Whatever it was that changed your mind, I thank
you. Liv is happy and I am grateful.”

CK stares at him in that unrelenting way of his for a few
moments and I hold my breath preparing for the worst, but then accepts the
handshake and I breathe out. “Her happiness is all I care about,” he says
quietly, and Cole nods, finally understanding – at least in part – the
complexities of Vampire relationships. CK nods back and I roll my eyes at them.
Men are so unforthcoming!

“Nico,” he says and turns to me. “The ring, please.”

“Of course,” Nico says and takes it out of his pocket and
hands it to me.

“Thank you,” I say and he nods.

Cole returns to my side and I open the box. A tiny glimmer
shines off the Faerie Silver ring. “This is for you, my love,” I say taking it
out of the box, “Do you accept it?”

“Yes,” He says and holds out his left hand. “Same as yours.
Will it fit?”

I smile. “It’s made to fit,” I say and slip it onto his
thumb as I did with Devon and CK did with me. He flexes his hand as a current
runs through him, protecting him from our limitations.

I feel a sting on my right shoulder and I hiss in surprise
at the same time Cole and Devon also say “Ow,” and then rub the inside of their
left wrists.

“What the fuck?” Devon peers at his wrist as Cole does the
same.

“What?” I ask urgently. “What is it?”

Before they can answer, CK is at my back pulling the strap
of my vest top down. He catches his breath and rubs his hand over the place
where I felt the pain.

“CK?” I ask peering over my shoulder trying to look at what
he is looking at.

“It
is
you,” he says quietly. “You are the Chosen
One.”

“What?” I exclaim trying again to peer over my shoulder.
“What do you see?”

“
Potentia Uno
, my love. The symbol Corinne saw for
the Power of One.”

My mouth drops open as Devon and Cole stand on either side
of CK and stare. They hold up their wrists as I turn around and there is a
small diamond-shaped symbol about an inch in diameter etched into their skin.

I shake my head in confusion, grabbing Devon’s wrist and
rubbing my thumb over it. It feels warm to the touch. Again I try to see over
my shoulder. Helpful as ever, Nico is at my back with a compact mirror which he
holds up and sure enough, there etched on my skin, is a one inch in diameter
◊
.

Looking back at CK in shock, I get an even bigger one when
on either side of him appear two people. A man and a woman. CK sighs, and I
scowl. Gregor and Eloise. The other two Council Members.

“Well, well, well. I might have known your bitch would have
something to do with this, Constantine,” Eloise sneers, a nasty look crossing
her cruelly beautiful face.

“Eloise,” Constantine growls a warning.

Snapping her evil green eyes from me to Cole, she licks her
lips seductively. In an instant I have pushed him behind me protectively. “Mm,
he is handsome, you certainly know how to pick them, don’t you? I bet he tastes
delicious,” she says.

I take a step forward, my protective sire side taking
control. “Look at him like that again and I will rip your eyes out and stuff
them down your throat,” I growl, not afraid of her even though she could squash
me like a bug, as I have my own sire at my side.

She cocks her eyebrow at my boldness and also takes a step
forward. Devon steps to my side as CK steps in between us, facing Eloise.
“Enough!” he barks. Glowering at him she eventually concedes to his, albeit
slight, superiority.