Vampire King of New York (23 page)

“My needing you desperately. You’re my addiction. It’s not fair that you have this power over me.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “You’re my addiction too, Evelyn. When I’m away from you, my body aches. And a vampire’s body never aches.”

“You’re going to say it’s a lifemate thing.”

“It is a lifemate thing.” He caressed the side of her face.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his caress. “Like I said, no fair, Max.”

“Are you going to tell me about your bad dream, the dream that made you need my presence to give you comfort and make you feel safe. I will listen to what you have to say.”

“When you were a Viking and went out on the last raid where you became a vampire, did you part well with your wife?”

Her question caught him unprepared. “No, I did not. She did not want me to go. She cried and pleaded with me.”

“Because she knew she would lose you forever?”

“Yes. She had a dream.”

“You did not believe her dream?”

Max felt a pain in his stomach. “It was unfocused and didn’t make sense. It was not like omen dreams are supposed to be.”

“There’s a lot of things, Max, that are not like they are supposed to be.”

“You’re saying?”

“Do not go after this master vampire alone. Promise me you will always have the Arnhem Knights with you. Promise me.”

Max stroked your hair. “You don’t think I could defeat this vampire?”

“I know only this. That if you go alone, something horrible will happen, something you won’t expect to defeat you. I could not bear it if you died, Max. I think that I would die too without you.” A tear streamed down her face.

In a thousand years, no one had ever said these words to him. He touched the tear and placed it on his tongue. Then he kissed her.

“I promise I will not face the master vampire alone. I will call on the Arnhem Knights.”

Evelyn smiled up at him. Her summer day, blue eyes sparkled for him, as if he was the source of their light. He knew better. Evelyn was her own light in the universe. She didn’t need him. It was he that was meant to worship her. He couldn’t help but kiss her.

It was hard, but he had to remember she was human. Her weariness flowed over him, and he let the building desire ebb and drift away. She sighed and embraced him as sleep touched her. Being a vampire, his desire was more prolonged, but he didn’t want to hurt her or worse scare her off again. He would guard her while she slept. Max was used to it. Used to it by the years he’d guarded Svenna. Now as Evelyn, her scent filled his nostrils and he breathed her in. Though he guarded his words, his heart proclaimed the bond. If only she would too.

“Max,” she whispered in her sleep. “Stay with me.”

He smiled. Their bond was growing. It was a shame she didn’t want to be a vampire because in her sleep, she was biting his arm.

Chapter 14

Evelyn wasn’t used to sleeping the day away. When she rolled over it was smack into Max. His eyes opened.

“Good evening, my love.” He imitated Bela Lugosi’s accent.

She giggled and poked him. “Don’t do that.”

He only laughed, his arms pulling her closer. His lips burned a hot trail of kisses on her neck. “What about this?”

“I thought we were going to go out. If we start up again, we’ll never leave this room.”

He leapt out of bed with a speed that was dizzying. “You’re absolutely right, beloved. I asked Noblesse to get me some tickets for a play, a comedy. We’ve all been depressed enough lately.”

“Is that a good idea? Yesterday two savages tried to attack us on your boat.”

“They captured the last one about an hour ago. He’s in custody in the holding cell at the Arnhem Society.”

It would be wonderful if that were true. She knew he had gotten his information by mindtalking with other Arnhem Knights. “How can you be sure?”

“All the teams are out, and they no longer sense any savages within the city limits.”

“What if they just went over to Jersey?”

He helped her off the bed. “You’ve seen too many mob movies.” He went to her closet and started pulling out clothes.

“I’m more than capable of choosing my own outfits. Now get out of here while I dress.”

He threw on one of David’s robes, which had recently found a home in her closet for Max’s convenience. “I believe Noblesse had a suit delivered,” he said over his shoulder and left the room.

Evelyn sat on the bed trembling. When was she going to get used to him? Was that even possible? She slipped on an ivory dress with touches of lavender lace. It was elegant in an understated way. She added lavender shoes and a matching sweater.

The knock at the door startled her.

“Come in.”

Max sauntered in with his usual radiance in a dark gray Gucci suit. He took her hand and spun her around. “You are adorable.” Suddenly he released her and backed to the door locking it.

“Max, what are you up to?”

“You’re not wearing stockings yet, are you?” He came toward her.

She put up her arms to ward him off. “No, Max, don’t you dare!”

“I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.” He kept coming closer.

“Max, I want to see the play.” She backed herself into the closet.

“Ah, the closet. An excellent idea.”

Before she knew it, they were in the closet with the door closed. He lifted her up and while she was tempted to wrap her legs around his waist, she didn’t.

“Max,” she leaned up and whispered in his ear. “Later.”

He nodded. “All right, my love.” He sighed and opened the door of the closet.

“Now turn around,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, we’ll never get out of this room.”

He turned. She put on her stockings and slipped on the shoes.

Evelyn retrieved her purse from the dresser and then took Max’s arm. “I’m ready. Let’s go have normal fun on Broadway.”

Never in her life had she sat front row center. It wasn’t a play, but the musical
Mary Poppins
. Evelyn had never smiled so much in her life.

Max whispered in her ear, “I think she’s really a vampire?”

“Why do you think that?” she whispered back.

“She flies,” he breathed.

Evelyn couldn’t stop giggling, but it wasn’t as if anyone noticed, because the entire audience was laughing and enjoying the musical number “Step in Time.” He’d rested his arm comfortably over her shoulders most of the time. Suddenly he jerked away.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered.

“You stay here. Something’s come up.” He rose from his seat.

She immediately rose and followed him. They got to the aisle.

“No, you should stay and enjoy it. I’ll be back.”

“No, I’m going with you.”

Evelyn was very conscious of leaving all that fun and laughter behind. It was almost symbolic of how she’d passed from a fun-loving innocent, who didn’t believe ill of anyone, into a dark world, where death reigned and sadness fell like rain. She couldn’t blame the darkness on the vampires in her life. She had fallen into the dark somewhere in her marriage to Jack, even though she deluded herself with a false happiness, not examining anything too closely, not wanting to know what was really going on.

The limo was waiting right outside the theater. Max helped her inside. “There’s trouble at the Arnhem Society. I’m taking you home first.”

“No, I’m sticking with you.”

“Evelyn, that could be a bad idea.”

She entwined her fingers with his. “I’m going with you.”

Not another word was spoken during the short trip to the society’s hall, an unassuming stately building just blocks from Battery Park. Stepping inside the door, they were met by Curtis, the doorman.

“Good evening, Mr. V., Ms. Cordelais.”

“Good evening,” they said in unison, looking at each other and smiling.

Evelyn had been to the Arnhem Society many times. The formal entryway was paneled in mahogany. Ivory Corinthian pillars held up a misty white ceiling. What stuck in her mind the most was the floor, each gold tile was inscribed with the same word only in a different language—eternity.

She kept close to Max, which was desirable since new vampires to the society usually had a hard time adjusting to close proximity to humans, or that was the way Laura had explained it to her. After Max signed her name into the guest book, they went down a hall elaborately decorated with Asian Art. All the while, he held her hand. Evelyn remained silent and struggled to keep up. They went up a flight of marble stairs and stopped in front of gold double doors. On a large carved marble sash above the door were written the three words foremost to the Arnhem Society: honor, protect, and preserve.

He walked her to the gold cushioned bench at the end of the stark white empty hallway. “Please, wait for me here.”

She nodded and sat down, while Max went to the double doors, knocked softly, and was admitted. Evelyn had had enough experiences at the Arnhem Society to know that humans were not privy to the matters of the Vampire Council. Being a council member, David would be inside. Her sister would be attending as an Arnhem Knight on duty.

Evelyn fidgeted at first, wondering what was happening behind those doors. Then her thoughts drifted to her last attempt to unleash what Laura kept calling her latent powers. She punched her hand into the air hoping flames would burst forth but nothing happened. Silence isolated her in a way Evelyn wasn’t used to. No one came up the stairs into the hall. Whatever was said in the council chambers was certainly safe from inadvertent listeners.

She stood up and paced. There were tons of things Evelyn could have thought over, but one in particular she avoided. Did she truly love Max? He had given her lots of outs, and tonight she refused them all insisting on being by his side. Vampire business was not her business, and if she were his lifemate and chose to live out that bond, then she would have to get used to waiting alone.

The doors burst open. The chalk-white savage ran into the hall. Seeing her, he screamed, rushing at her. In Evelyn’s brain, everything slowed down at this point. She threw out her arms to ward him off. No fire sprang from her fingers. He came at her so fast, grabbing her by the neck.

In that moment, Evelyn thought how sad it would be if she died. What would Max do? She had a flash of him encased in ice. She didn’t want Max to die.

Struggling with the savage, she growled, clawing at the hands that held her in place. His fangs extended, and he lowered his face to her neck to bite.

Max appeared out of nowhere. He stood directly behind the savage, looking at her. He ripped off the vampire’s head and threw it on the floor. Blood like a fountain spurted high into the air, splattering everywhere, drenching Evelyn from head to toe like a perverse rainstorm. First the blood was red, but seconds later the fountain gushed black. When the vampire’s body collapsed, it shivered and twisted moving like a snake, swelling and shrinking into terrible knots of flesh and bone. Then it puffed in sections, spewing white powder. The slushy black remains partially vaporized, partly steamed into dust. The blood on her clothes, her hands, her face, the walls, and the bench remained.

With its fangs inches from her neck, Max had ripped off its head while staring into her eyes. Evelyn stood there, not trembling, not speaking. Time was a clock that stopped in her head. Life had paused. Funny, how she didn’t think about death. Her brain acting under its own volition was too busy observing and analyzing how the creature died, how fast Max had intervened, and how he took a life without any hint of emotion, almost with mechanical precision. Her body stood frozen in terror, and she was locked inside.

“Evelyn?” he said.

She didn’t answer.

“Laura, please, take her home.”

Evelyn fought to break through, to move a muscle, to say a word. “No!” It came out in a shout, though she didn’t intend it.

Max stepped over the disintegrating remains and put his hands on her shoulders. “My dear, how can I help you?”

“Um, I need to change clothes.” It was the only thing that came to mind. It didn’t make sense in light of what had just happened, but Evelyn was at a loss to think of anything else to say. Part of her brain had shut down. She knew she should be screaming or running.

“Laura, please, take her up to my office to use my shower. Noblesse, please, find some clothes for her.”

Evelyn allowed her sister to help her walk up the stairs to the upper floor where Max had his office and other vampires that served the society had their living quarters. The office was paneled in mahogany and rosewood. Every wall had a bookcase, and on one wall was a dark stone fireplace. A fire blazed brightly on the hearth, and since the rest of the place was cold as a tomb, it was a welcome relief.

Laura held her by the arm. “Don’t worry, Evie. We’ll get you clean right away.” She went up to a beautifully carved wood panel that had a rendition of the Tree of Life on it and pressed on a leaf. The wall slid away to reveal a large, beautiful bathroom. There was a door on the other end.

“Where does that lead?”

“Max has a bedroom here for when he stays over, which isn’t often because he lives nearby. If you need to lay down after your shower, I know he wouldn’t mind.”

“You mean because I’m sleeping with Max anyway.” Evelyn hadn’t meant to say that. It slipped out of her mouth without any mental censor.

Laura led her by the hand into the bathroom and shut the door. She slipped the blood soaked clothes off her and put them in the sink. “No, because he loves you. Evie, you’re acting very weird.”

“I don’t feel connected to my body. I feel a little lost. Laura, do you think I’m sick and love starved, and that’s why I can’t help but sleep with Max.”

Laura helped her into the tub and adjusted the water temperature. “No, I think you and Max are lifemates. That’s why you’re irresistibly drawn to each other. You’re both love starved. You’ve been celebrating finding one another.”

The hot water poured over Evelyn. It felt good. The red swirling water curling around her feet then going down the drain hypnotized her. How long before the pure water dominated again? Where did the red go? Really? Would fish far out to sea sense the blood? She wondered this and many nonsensical thoughts.