Vampire Legacy (Book 4 of the Dragon Heat series) (4 page)

“So may the Gods in Apa Sâmbetei allow you to be fit enough to go as well, old friend,” Petran added. “If Kalaur’s magician is as good as he claims, the cure is within reach.”

“Of course, he is as good as I claim him to be,” Kalaur barked, but didn’t explore Petran’s bait any further. “And I plan to officially announce the engagement at the closing ball, so you better be there Somenski.”

“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” Somenski replied. “I’m still considering your proposal, Kalaur. Don’t push me.”

“Fine but for once, my neighbor, time is not our friend.” Kalaur stood up and started making his way back to the balcony. “I must go now. Those godforsaken outlaws are driving my militia mad.”

“Are you still having trouble with the rebels?” Petran asked in a nonchalant manner, but he knew very well, Kalaur and his so-called invincible dragons were taking a beating.

“Not for long,” the draco grunted in reply. “They’ll soon feel what it really means to oppose their Lord.”

Petran nodded in acknowledgement and watched Kalaur step out of the balcony and jump. After a heartbeat, a large black dragon emerged from the shadows and disappeared into the waterfall.

“I thought dragons weren’t allowed to shift at whim anymore,” Petran stated with a blank face. “Shouldn’t he have asked your permission first, Somenski, since he’s in your lands?”

Somenski threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. Yes, of course it had been a joke, just like Kalaur’s reign.

“Kalaur’s laws apply to anyone but him,” Natalia muttered quietly.

So she does have a mind of her own. Interesting
.

“Oh, my Talia, you won’t be doing me any favors by antagonizing Kalaur,” Somenski warned softly. “He may be my only chance for a cure.”

“I pray for Apa Dobrý every night, father,” Natalia replied. “They wouldn’t be so cruel to strand you this way.”

For a moment, Petran let himself admire the good daughter Natalia had become, and a hint of envy unsettled his heart. If only his own son was as compliant as she was. Tardieh refused to learn, to abide by Petran’s instructions. He was as indifferent to the rules as the rebels who ransacked the draconian states.

“Well, old sod, I too must be on my way,” Petran said standing up. “I don’t have rebels to deal with but I must find shelter for myself and my kind before sunrise.”

“Nonsense,” Somenski bellowed, then coughed furiously. When it subsided, he carried on. “You will spend the day here. I have enough dark rooms in this castle and Talia has already arranged proper accommodations for you and your entourage. I will not take no for an answer.”

Petran was counting on that. “If that is your will, your lordship,” he replied bowing low in friendly mockery. “I will not refuse.”

Somenski let out another loud laugh, and this time he managed to hold off the coughing fit. “You dare mock me in my own house, you blood sucking fool!”

“Of course, where else would I do it?” he replied with an impish shrug.

More laughter reverberated in the room and Petran’s was in the mix. His gaze met Lady Natalia’s for a fleeting moment. A shy smile lifted the corner of her cheeks. By Apa Dobrý, she was truly beautiful. He definitely understood why Kalaur was rushing to take her as his wife. But now Petran was in the race, and judging by the way her grey eyes gazed at him, Kalaur had a serious contender against him.

Chapter Three

Petran opened his eyes and stretched on the hard bed. Even though the room was completely devoid of windows, he could feel his greatest enemy, the sun, was yet to disappear behind the western mountains. His fangs tingled as thirst flooded his senses. It was time to feed. He sat on the bed and let his blood run its course, slowly waking every cell in his body. It had taken him a while to fall asleep the previous morning, after the overload of information he’d gained at his arrival. There was no time to waste, he had to stop Kalaur’s plot before the Curse consumed his neighbor. The proverbial clock was ticking.

Pushing off the bed, he called for Arthur. No answer. He called again with the same disappointing result. Where was that brainless servant? 

Making a mental note to make his chamberlain regret for the lapse, he put on his clothes and tried to tame his dark mane. He wasn’t fond of the latest trend of wearing wigs, so he simply ran his fingers along his hair and tied it back with a black ribbon. It looked...passable. Damned Arthur. Of course, he wouldn’t sack him—he was a good chamberlain most of the time—but Petran had a reputation to protect. As his friend Niccolò Machiavelli once wrote…it is much safer to be feared than loved.

“Apologies, your majesty!” Arthur’s desperate cry reached his ears as his servant’s feet rushed down the narrow stone stairs. “Please forgive me, your majesty, I…err…overslept.”

He was slightly blushed, and his always-impeccably-groomed outfit was completely out of whack. Who would have thought? His chamberlain might be an old vampire but he still had it in him. Petran decided to keep this approving thought to himself, though.

“If you continue to force me to dress myself, Arthur, I will eventually learn how to do so and need your services no longer.” Petran brushed past the panting vampire and walked out of the room.

“I was…I had to—” Arthur mumbled after him.

“Listen carefully, my dear chamberlain, because I’m going to give you an invaluable advice, and I’m going to give it only once. I don’t care how or rather
who
you spend your days with, just make sure your mind doesn’t stay behind when you put your clothes back on. You serve me, and me alone, understood? Love is for the weak and a warrior in love is a feeble one.”

Arthur stared back, blinking a few times. “I’m not a warrior, I’m a chamberlain.”

“Argh! Do not repeat this sacrilege, Arthur, not ever. You are with me, so you are a warrior. Understand? I expect nothing less of every member of my household.” His chamberlain’s blushed face almost made up for his setback. Truly, he might have been a century older than Petran, but he was only as street-smart as a lad in puberty. “Now, I need feeding. Go fetch me someone.”

He heard his servant murmur a
yes, your majesty
behind him as he climbed up the steep stone stairs toward the ground level of the castle.

Once at the top, the stench of cooked food overwhelmed him. Unlike vampires, who could only consume food and liquids when infused in fresh blood, dracos were notorious for their love for food.

Careful enough to avoid any sunlit areas, Petran took a few steps in the opposite direction but paused when a soft female voice reached his acute ears. He followed the melodic whispers until he reached a small alcove. Inside, Lady Natalia was knelt on the floor in front of a colorful shrine. She was reading something off a parchment, mumbling a prayer Petran had never heard before. An ocean blue mantua dress with matching petticoat covered her delightful curves. Even though it was old fashioned, the tight corset accentuated her narrow waistline and made her hips utterly inviting. Her beautiful hair was tied up in a simple braid which had been pulled up high into a loose bun, accentuating her long neck. Petran’s gaze zoomed in on the delicate and very much exposed skin on the columns of Natalia’s nape. Instinctively, his tongue moistened, his lips and fangs itched for a taste. His cock engorged with images of her innocent lips touching his, her sweet flower opening up to swallow his shaft whole.

Soon
, he told himself, trying to curb his appetite. He needed to woo the young lady first. It wouldn’t do him any good by scaring the little sheep away, now would it?

As if sensing danger lurking close, Natalia turned around startled. “Oh, forgive me, your majesty. I didn’t hear you approaching.”

Petran stepped out of the shadows. “It is I who needs apologizing, milady. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s nothing,” she replied shyly, standing up to face him properly. “I get so riveted in my prayers that sometimes I even lose track of time.”

A hint of remorse melted the predator inside him. She looked truly disconcerted. Despite her visible efforts to calm herself down, her grey eyes remained wide and her chest lifted up and down with every haggard breath. Petran’s gaze took on a life of its own and descended on her delicious chest, milky breasts tops pressed by the square-cut bodice. His cock came to life, roaring for her.

She must have noticed his hunger for she swallowed dry and shifted uncomfortably. Putting the small parchment away in her gown’s side pocket, she spoke, “What is your preference, your majesty, males or females?”

Petran frowned. “Excuse me?”

“I understand vampires cannot eat like us dracos, so I have organized a…supply of options to break your fast,” she replied with surprising confidence. “I have females and males in waiting, whichever you prefer. I ask a simple favor in return.”

“And what is that?”

“I ask for your majesty’s kindness to protect the life of the subjects you…err...drink from. Whichever one you chose, please be assured that they are healthy and young, and willing to cooperate. They won’t be a nuisance or cause trouble.”

“It is only fair,” he replied with a revering tone. “Females.”

“Excuse me?”

“I prefer females to drink from,” he drawled. “They have softer skin, easier for my fangs to pierce, and
penetrate
deeper inside. But fret not, my lady. No complaints have ever been heard from the women who serve me. On the contrary, they become addicted to the ecstasy I provide them.”

“Oh.” That was all Natalia could muster. It was very entertaining to watch her try to keep her composure at the sound of his blunt description.

He purposely dropped his gaze to her neck. “Have you ever been bitten, milady?”

Her lovely throat worked up and down as she swallowed, and shook her head.

“You see, our fangs release a toxin which numbs our victim’s nerves, preventing them from feeling any pain. If I bit you, for instance—” He took a step closer, and lowered his voice into a whisper. “You would only feel my arms around you, my body sheltering yours, my lips moist on your delicate skin.”

Natalia’s gaze roamed to his mouth, her chest working up and down, and the faint smell of desire reached Petran’s nose.

Yes, he had gotten her wondering. Perfect.

Time to leave.

“I am much appreciative of your offering, milady,” he uttered, purposely breaking the spell. “Please, send a girl to my chambers when you can.”

With that, he lowered his head in a short bow and left the room. Once he turned the corner, he let the smile that had been itching inside him lift his cheeks.

Chapter Four

Natalia swallowed dry as she watched King Petran disappear into the dark corridors of her father’s castle. Oh, Mighty Soartas.

How long had he been watching her from the shadows? Hopefully, not for long. He seemed too focused on her cleavage to have noticed the small parchment in her hands. More to the point,
why
had the King of Vampires been watching her? She knew not, but their encounter had left her breathless for more than one reason.

Absentmindedly, her fingers rested on her neck at the memory of King Petran’s words. His voice had been as smooth as pure velvet, hypnotizing her, luring her in.

Memories of her youth years came flooding out in her mind. The first time she’d seen him was at the Open Games, more than half a century ago. She was of a very young age but she understood why all her older cousins looked forward to the event. Every four years, the Open Games were held in homage to the five gods of Apa Sâmbetei, the Apa Dobrý. It aimed to bring the supernatural communities together in a friendly competition. Of course, the entire eastern ton was present, but King Petran was always one of the main attractions for the ladies. He was tall with broad shoulders, vibrant green eyes and a chiseled jaw. Back in the day, his well-trimmed beard had been long and his current mid-length brown hair ended past his shoulders, as the fashion dictated at the time. Natalia had promptly joined her cousins, sighing and giggling nervously every time the king passed by. He wasn’t as arrogant as the other royals were, he would nod in acknowledgement or even wink at them furtively, enticing even more giggles. Not long after that, however, she was sent away for boarding school. Growing up under the strict rules of a school for girls in the United Kingdom hadn’t given her much space to think about boys. She’d had a few Seasons in London but when she returned home, at the right age to find a suitor, her heart turned cold. All prospects introduced by her father were either brainless land lords who only talked about themselves, or heartless despots like Kalaur. In addition, soon after her return, the strange Curse struck her land finding its way into her own house. She had no time or mind for men, or kissing, for that matter. Well, at least, not until today.

But now, King Petran had stirred strange feelings in her. Despite his arrogance, he had an undercurrent charm mixed in with a promise of utter ecstasy, simply impossible to brush off.

When she turned around to find him watching her, her first reaction was fright. But then his hungry gaze ran over her body like an invisible hand, undressing her, caressing her, and all rational thought deserted her mind. His words were not overly indecent nor was she completely untried in the art of courtship, but his velvety, baritone voice added to those amazing emerald eyes lured her in like a moth to the candle light. Maybe it was a lingering thrill from knowing the handsome King of Vampires had finally noticed her, or maybe it was the way he talked about the act of feeding—no matter the reason, her stomach decided to flutter and her heart skipped a beat.

She shook her head awake. This was so very much like a moth and the candle light, where only death awaited.

No, she needed to be very wary of King Petran and alert to his every move for he was a dangerous man. His excuse for his visit, to collect unpaid rent for the land they had borrowed, was as feeble as her excuse of praying for the Gods a few moments ago. No, the mighty King Petran was famous for his cunning plots and royal mistresses. Talia had no business becoming one of his many preys.

Shoving aside the thoughts of her encounter with the Vampire King, she took the secret note from her pocket and lifted it above the lit candle. The small flame quickly consumed the delicate parchment erasing any signs of its existence, but its contents remained forefront in her mind. She needed to find an excuse to leave the castle. She only hoped the vampire’s unexpected interest in her was just a result of his physical need for blood. As soon as she found him a good servant to break his fast, she hoped he’d return his attention to her father, and leave her alone.