Blood Spirit (18 page)

"You
can do whatever makes you happy. You won't have to work for money. I have more
than enough."

"A
kept woman?"

"Is
that so bad?"

"I've
seen how you keep your women. I told you I can't be like them."

Terek
pulled her up onto his lap so she straddled him and looked deep into her eyes.
"I have no one but you now. You don't have to be like anyone but
yourself."

He
held her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, wanting her to understand
whoever she chose to be didn't matter because she'd still be Ilona.

"Any
chance you need an administrative assistant?" she asked in a sultry voice.
"Someone to set up your appointments, do filing? I'd even get coffee, if
you asked nicely."

Shaking
his head, he answered, "I don't drink coffee, have filing or appointments.
Sorry."

Ilona
frowned and sighed. "Oh. Okay."

"I
guess you'll just have to settle for being the woman in my life."

Ilona
ran her hands over his chest and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I like
the sound of that. Does this job come with benefits?"

Trailing
his finger over her shirt, he felt her nipple harden beneath his touch. "I
can think of a few."

After
a good day's rest, Terek wanted to show Ilona the Marrakech he knew. At sunset,
they walked to the Djemaa el-Fna, a square with open-air food stalls selling
fragrant salads, snails, and even stuffed sheep heads.

As
she recoiled in disgust at the sight of the sheep, he was charmed even by that
response. To her, it was another world, exotic and strange, but he wanted to
give her that world too. More and more, he wanted to share every part of
himself with her, something he hadn't wanted in so long he'd forgotten how good
it made him feel.

He
guided her through the market spectacle to an area where jugglers, acrobats,
and more snake charmers entertained the crowds. He watched as she stood
mesmerized by a man as he made a snake dance, and Terek wrapped his arms around
her, holding her to his body as they watched the act.

He
bent down to nuzzle her neck as her attention remained on the performers
parading in front of them in colorful costumes. "You're like a child
experiencing Christmas for the first time," he said in her ear. "I'd
hoped you'd like this."

Turning
in his arms, she kissed him excitedly. Over the noise of the musicians and the
cheering audience, she said, "This is like nothing I've ever seen! It's so
wonderful!"

As
the acrobats came closer, he turned her around to watch them. "You don't
want to miss this."

In
front of them, acrobats flew through the air, defying gravity, and Ilona looked
back at him in wide-eyed amazement at the troupe's performance. They were
great, but for Terek, Ilona's reaction was even better.

When
they'd moved on, he bent down and said, "I have something else I want to
show you."

He
led her to a cafe where they enjoyed ice cream and watched the action from a
terrace above.

Savoring
the taste of the dessert as she took a spoonful into her mouth, she said, "I
can't believe I'm sitting in Morocco eating ice cream. I didn't even realize we
could eat ice cream!"

Her
naiveté charmed him. "Any flavor but chocolate."

A
look of curiosity came over her face. "Really? Why?"

Terek
laughed. "I'm just teasing you. We can have any flavor."

"Terek!
That's just mean. You know I don't know much about our world yet."

Leaning
across the table, he kissed her and tasted the coffee flavored ice cream on her
lips. "I'll show you everything you could ever want to know about being a
vampire."

The
night had been the most magical one he'd ever spent in this land, and as Terek
sat on their balcony, he wished they didn't have to go back so soon. Going back
meant Archons, prophecies, and the chance that hunter could be after Ilona.
Closing his eyes, he pushed all of that out of his mind and focused on the warm
Marrakech air on his skin and the woman he was quickly falling in love with.

He
heard the sound of her footsteps and opened his eyes to see her standing in a
white robe in the doorway to the balcony. Her blond hair was wet and hung below
the collar of her robe. She looked clean. New.

He
watched as she opened the robe and let it slip off her shoulders to the floor.
Naked, she stared into his eyes and smiled. "For my Moroccan lover."

Terek
had to hold himself back from having her right there on the balcony. Taking her
hand, he led her to the bed and laid her down. He kissed her deeply, taking her
tongue into his mouth and sucking gently. Cupping her breast, he teased the
pink nipple with his thumb.

"I
can give you the world if you'll let me, Ilona. Will you let me?"

Quietly,
she gave him the answer he'd hoped to hear from the moment he'd felt those
first twinges of love for her. "Yes."

Trailing
kisses over her supple skin, his lips caressed her stomach, making her muscles
flutter at his touch. He dropped to his knees and knelt on the cool marble
floor while he ran his hands over her hips and thighs. Ilona's legs fell open,
and Terek leaned in to kiss her tender core.

He
ran his tongue over the inside of her thigh, nipping her skin gently with this
teeth. Tugging on his hair, she moaned as he traveled closer to where she so
desperately wanted him.

"Not
yet," he whispered at he moved to tease her other thigh.

It
had been a long time since he'd devoted himself solely to giving a woman
pleasure. To know she quivered because of him and her very body ached for his
touch thrilled him. He'd willingly be a slave to her desires to feel her
finally be his.

"Please
Terek...give me what I need."

He
slipped a finger through her slickness, lingering on her needy clit before he
slid into her. Moving his finger in and out, he kissed closer and closer to her
core. As he softly pressed his lips to between her legs, he whispered, "My
Ilona."

She
arched her back, and he sucked her excited nub as he slowly flicked his tongue
over that spot he knew would give her the release she craved. The first of her
orgasm made the walls of her cunt squeeze against his finger, and he moved his
mouth to her entrance, plunging his tongue into her to lap up her juices as she
pulled him into her and cried out in pleasure.

As
the last of her orgasm passed, Ilona tugged on his hair, and he looked up to
see her wearing the look of a satisfied woman flushed with passion. He slid up
her body to kiss her lips, and she ran her hands down the length of his back to
pull his cock into her.

Looking
up into his eyes, she moaned, "I want you inside me."

As
he thrust into her, they joined in more than the mere physical act. She'd
accepted the gift of the new life he'd given her and accepted him. Turning his
head, he exposed his neck to her. "Take all you ever need from me. I'm
your sire, the one meant to fulfill your every want and desire."

He
closed his eyes and felt the tips of her fangs press into his flesh. She
pierced his vein, and he felt the gentle pull of her mouth on his neck as his
blood began to flow into her. The sound of her moans against his skin as she
eagerly took what she needed ratcheted up his desire, and he held her tightly
to him as he pumped into her body, needing her as much as she needed him.

Chapter Fifteen

Knull
impatiently waited for the Archon to return to his office, his excitement at
his news ready to explode out of him at any moment. For the first time since
he'd dusted Sampson, he could report some progress and not have to be on the
receiving end of Verrater's shit-storm of disapproval.

This
meeting would finally redeem him.

He
was no fool, even if he didn't understand many of those goddamn references the
Archon made. He understood what was important and what would help him succeed
in the world. He didn't need book learning for that.

As
he made plans for his own climb up the ladder of power, he looked around at the
Archon's office. Other than being far too boring for him, it was nice.
Expensive furniture, famous works of art he couldn't name but at least added
some color to the all-white room, and even a coffee maker with those special
individual servings of coffee.

He
could handle all this in exchange for never siring. What had siring vampires
ever done for him? He was lucky if he had a good handful who weren't anything
but giant pains in the ass.

Yeah.
He could have been an Archon. How hard could it be if guys like Verrater did
it?

"Knull,
get away from the coffee maker. Why are you here?"

Turning
around, he saw the Archon standing there with a look of irritation already on
his face. "I have good news, sir."

"Well,
stop fondling the fucking coffee cups and tell me your good news."

Marc
Verrater sat behind his desk and began writing in his day planner. Knull waited
for him to finish, but after watching him pencil in appointments for two weeks,
the hunter began to grow impatient. Just because he brought good news didn't
mean he had all night to waste.

Without
bothering to look up, the Archon snapped, "Stop wasting my time and get on
with it!"

Knull
took a seat in a chair in front of the desk. A nice cup of that gourmet coffee
would've been great, but he guessed maybe that would come after his news.

"I'm
happy to report we've found the girl, the last vampire Sampson sired."

The
Archon looked up from his calendar and narrowed his eyes into angry slits.
"Would this be the same girl you told me had died that night?"

"Well,
yeah, but none of that matters now. I found her and intend to finish the job
tonight."

The
Archon slowly closed his day planner and folded his hands on top of the leather
book. "Your screw ups displease me, Knull. I didn't get to this place in
our world by fucking up."

Knull
nodded. "I know, sir. I promise things will go smoothly from now on."

"And
the rest of Sampson's vampires?"

Stiffening
in fear, Knull cleared his throat. "Better. Much better. My men think they
have a line on a group of them. We'll get them."

"You
better or I'll make sure you're hunting in fucking Russia. You seem to like the
warmer climate of the south. Something tells me Siberia would be a real
punishment for you."

Knull
shifted nervously in his seat at the threat of transfer up north. Fuck, a
weekend in Scotland last fall had been pure hell. Wool was definitely not his
thing.

"You
can count on me, sir."

"What
about that special assignment I gave you? How are you doing on that?"

This
meeting had gone to the shits. Now he wanted to know what progress he'd made in
finding his girl. Knull's mind raced frantically to construct a believable lie.

"I
got a lead about her being in Paris. As soon as I take care of the girl
tonight, I'll be able to give my undivided attention to finding your
lady."

For
the first time, the Archon smiled. "Very good. But keep in mind what
awaits you if you fail."

Just
the threat of exile in that godforsaken land sent a chill through Knull's body.
No matter what he had to do—no matter how many of his own kind he had to
kill—he wouldn't be going to Siberia. He was a warm weather creature, and he
intended to stay that way.

"I
won't fail."

Verrater
opened up his calendar and began to write once again. "Let me know the
moment you kill the girl."

Knull
understood the meeting was over and rose to leave. As he walked out into the
Corsican night, he inhaled the warm air into his lungs, enjoying the fragrant
scent of flowers that hung heavy around him. Yes, he was definitely meant for
warmer climes.

Seconds
later, he materialized at the fountain where he'd dusted Sampson less than a
week earlier. Just as on that night, the square in Cocentaina was quiet. With
the humans tucked away snugly in their beds, creatures of the night like
himself held sway over the dark hours. All the better, he thought as he made
his way toward the path that led to the villa where he'd find the girl. Humans
tended to get in the way, and while he didn't mind collateral damage, tonight
he wanted the job to be quick and clean.

Not
that humans weren't useful. If it hadn't been for the chatty old woman who
worked at the bakery in the square, he might still be looking for Sampson's
vampire. Seems the vampire who owned the villa on the hill raised a few old
eyebrows with a houseful of women and none his wife.

Provincial
prudes.

And
hadn't it been a stroke of luck to meet one of the villa's females that very
night? A gentle soul, he actually regretted what he had to do to her. Too bad.
He would've liked spending time with her.

But
all was fair in love and war, and they were definitely at war. Naive, she
believed he was human and when he didn't run in fear from her after learning
what she was, she opened up, candidly revealing she'd like to sire him.

It
was almost too easy, but considering what life had dealt him so far, he'd take
easy.

She
rounded the corner of the small shop at the far end of the square and came into
view. Knull's confederates were usually hunters, like himself, but she was
definitely easier on the eyes. A little thing, she had big, innocent brown eyes
and long brown hair. That she'd taken to him confused Knull since she was
clearly out of his league, but it was neither here nor there to him.

Waving
to him as she approached, she said sweetly, "Hello! I'm so glad you came.
I was afraid you wouldn't."