Hidden Mortality (20 page)

Chapter 20

Cara leaned forward to brush his mouth with hers. He was obviously in so much pain. All she wanted to do was comfort him. “Then make me go, because I’m not leaving you like this.”

“I keep telling myself you’re different. When I don’t age the pain of losing you will be bearable, but it won’t. I’ll want to die.” Seth laughed wryly.

He broke her heart to hear the way the sound caught in his throat.

He turned back to the pile of rubble and laughed again. “And I’ll know I can’t. I’ve controlled the anger and frustration so far. I’m afraid at some point I’ll hurt people. Kill people. What will they do, put me in prison, for how long?”

Cara’s fingers touched his elbow. She didn’t caress but needed to let him know she was there for him. She picked up the broken stone that had once been a part of her head. One side of the face was smashed in, but the other side was more intact. For some reason she felt incredibly calm as she stared across at him. She truly felt no fear, which might show foolishness rather than common sense. “Was it me?”

Seth nodded.

“I hope you made my hips smaller. I always liked the idea of artistic license.” Cara kissed his cheek.

He shivered beneath her fingers.

“Why are you here? Why are you smiling? I just smashed you to pieces.”

“Many reasons,” Cara said, a blush seeping into her cheeks. “Some of them I’m too embarrassed to say. The main reason is because I can’t seem to stay away from you.”

She touched his cheek gently, a feather light touch and then went on, “Secondly I saw something today which may help us get closer to finding Rosie’s and Shona’s killer. Apart from you and your body, that’s something I want more than anything. I want to stop the killing and get the bastard.”

“Come with me.” Seth took her hand and led her from the forge. The night air caused her to shiver but he put his arm around her and pulled her close. “I don’t want to be near this anymore.”

When they were inside the cottage, she heard Janet moving around upstairs. Seth went to the stairs and called her. He poured three glasses of wine and sat down at the kitchen table. “Let’s wait for her to join us. Then, you’ll only have to tell the story once.”

He watched Cara breathing as she lay snuggled up against him. The warmth of having her there intoxicated him. She slept peacefully after they made love. His mind couldn’t let sleep take over. He had another chance to find out something about what happened so long ago.

She deserved more than this. Touching her hair, he knew he loved her. This need for closure had gone on so long though. He couldn’t give it up and he hated a part of himself for that. He had loved and lost before. He was tired of fighting and losing. It was too late for such thoughts.

The sun was coming up and a beam of light shone in illuminating his beloved. Cara stretched and turned over. The sheet fell back revealing her breasts. The cool morning air made her nipples harden. She was still asleep, but he could see the goose bumps on her areola. She was so beautiful and she wanted him. How did he deserve this?

Leaning forward he closed his lips around her nipple. It was so hard, cold and firm. He moved across to the other nipple sucking on its taut peak. His hand moved slowly down the smooth skin of her abdomen until he threaded his fingers through her tight curls. His fingers slipped into her as she groaned. He had lived so long and touched so many women, but this was different.

Wherever their naked bodies touched felt like life being lived. He wanted to remember each fold, each movement she made when he touched her. She was wet and he was hard. Opening her eyes, she yawned and blinked at him. Then she smiled.

He was losing himself in her again. Moving on top of her, her legs encircled his waist as he entered her. This was a place he was content to lose himself.

She gasped. He worried he hurt her with his impatience. He no longer felt the sensation of moving in and out of her body. They flowed together as one. This wasn’t enough. He needed to be even more a part of her.

Looking her in the face, he plunged deeper and harder. He couldn’t stop now. His fingers felt for her clitoris gently massaging. He felt himself entering and withdrawing from her. Her muscles tightened around him, matching the shudder that went through his body. She groaned. She yelled. He gloried in the sound he would remember forever.

“I don’t care how long you’ve lived, Seth.” She smiled up at him. “I have to say that was the best orgasm I’ve ever had.”

“So far.” Seth watched her eyes crinkle up as she giggled. He wondered yet again why he deserved this, deserved her. “Janet’s a light sleeper. I want to watch you go red when she says something, which I know she will.”

“She won’t be angry at me. I think she likes me. She probably thinks I’m going to steal her recipes, which I would, if I could. She will be angrier at you for the pile of rubble in the forge that she has to clean up.” Cara bit her bottom lip.

Seth leaned on one elbow and gazed at her. “Are you frightened of me?”

She hesitated before answering. “You look scary sometimes. You’re huge in more than one way. I like that, as was just witnessed. When you found Tony hiding in my apartment, I thought you would kill him. I mean literally kill him. I don’t know anyone else in my life that is as intense as you. That’s intimidating. It’s taking me somewhere I haven’t been before, but no, you don’t scare me.”

“I know what I did to the statue. You must believe I would never hurt you.”

She touched his cheek. “I’m not frightened at all when I’m with you. I was frightened of dying when I lost the baby. I was frightened of living without love again. I’m frightened of the fact I may never have a child. To be honest at the moment, the only thing that really frightens me is that I might die like Shona and Rosie.”

“I won’t let that happen.” He took her hand and kissed her palm.

“I know you won’t.”

Seth enjoyed the laughter as he stood outside the kitchen. The cottage needed this sense of happiness. Too many years of sadness and anger had dwelled here. He smelled bacon and eggs as he entered the room and the two women turned to look at him.

“Well, it’s about time. Cara and I thought you’d left the country. You better have the decency to show your face as you woke me up earlier.” Janet waved a whisk at him.

“I think I was the one who woke you up, Janet.” Cara giggled.

Seth realized he was the one going red. These women were ganging up on him. Janet had obviously not been out to the forge. If she’d seen the mess he’d made, she would be giving him a much harder time.

“You know when I was in Paris, the same thing happened to me. On the way out of Henri’s apartment, this woman swore at me in French. From the splattering of English, I knew she was on about us making noise the night before. I’ve decided to do an evening class in French. If someone’s swearing about the sex I’ve had, I want to know what they’re saying.” Janet piled food onto a plate.

Seth realized he was hungry.

“So Cara, you accept this extended life of Seth’s. Why?” Janet asked.

“When he sliced himself open and it immediately healed, I was freaked out. It convinced me at the same time. It may sound crazy but it made the other things happening to me make sense.”

“I dread to think what other things that could be, for him to make sense.”

Cara’s hand came across and touched his. Janet listened while Cara explained. She told about Shona’s death, her dreams, her Nanna and witchcraft and how much she cared for him. Seth sat back and watched them talk.

“You come over so levelheaded, Cara. Now, I realize you’re as mad as the rest of us. Welcome, dear. We’re a very select club. I’m not sure how I’ll introduce Henri to it.” Janet went around to Cara’s side of the table and hugged her.

This felt good. He had lived long enough to know that. He had also lived long enough to know it wouldn’t last. A taste of bile entered his throat. He couldn’t join in with the laughter. He knew one thing for sure as he smiled and watched Janet and Cara talk. This was the end. He would not live to remember these two people as distant memories. There had to be some way he could avenge Rosie’s death and still live to be with Cara.

He pulled up down the street from the address Cara had mentioned. He turned off the engine to his bike. She was not joking when she said the house was impressive. No lights were on. Should he risk breaking in? The security system was probably connected to the local police station.

He hated the idea, but he would have to let Cara deal with this. He had a feeling she wasn’t telling him everything. Maybe he could find out for himself.

A car came along the street, a Mercedes. The gates at the end of the driveway opened and the vehicle disappeared inside. It stopped outside of the house. Unfortunately the windows on the car were tinted. He hadn’t been able to see what the driver looked like.

Cara said he was an antiques dealer with a love for weaponry. Seth wondered if a call to his agent might get him an invite to this party.

Chapter 21

No sooner had Vincent placed the champagne flute next to the bath then Melanie picked it up and drained it. She burped and screwed up her nose. Why was he wasting good champagne on her? He just needed her dead.

She held out the glass for more alcohol. “It’s a bit dry, isn’t it?”

“The best always is.” He refilled the flute. It always worked to get them going, Champagne, bubbles and a Jacuzzi. The fact that there were medications in the drink couldn’t hurt. While she drank, he let his bathrobe fall and stepped into the bath. He wanted to make sure she was clean before he copulated with her.

As it was, she had been half drunk when he picked her up at a public house in Fishponds. He reassured her he would cover her payment for the whole night. Plus he had offered a bit extra if she wouldn’t mind a bit of roughing up. She said she was okay with it. He had even bought a cheap car for cash and would take it to the crushers tomorrow. It would not do to have someone notice his Mercedes in such an area. She cuddled up next to him as the bubbles floated around them. He needed to get this over and done with.

Once out of the bath and clean, she sauntered to his bed. She lay down and indicated for him to come over by patting the sheet. He would burn the sheets later. His nostril flared in disgust. He wouldn’t want the smell of her to linger. Kissing her, he felt nothing. It was always the same. Pressing his naked body against hers, he closed his eyes and thought of blood. In his mind, his hand held a knife. He pushed it into her chest and imagining the warm sensation of blood flowing over his skin.

“What do you want to do next?” She asked in invitation.

He turned her over and pushed a pillow beneath her hips as she giggled. He grabbed the condom packet from his bedside table. His body would cure him of any disease. The last time he had contracted syphilis, it made him sick for too long. He couldn’t afford such delays right now.

Pulling her buttocks slightly apart, he plunged from behind. In his mind, he ripped her to shreds. Her blood flowed over his groin and down his thighs. The fantasy made him plunge deeper. Expelling his seed, he withdrew quickly. He was glad she would never be able to live to have his child.

He ignored Melanie as she sprawled on the bed drunk. Damn it. The pain in his shoulder consumed him. The dark mark ached despite the drugs he had taken.

Damn Shona for breaking his dagger. No relief had come from the pain when he killed her. When he looked at the knife afterwards, he’d seen the fine line breaking the words inscribed on the blade. He had heard of a new sword-smith in the area. He would get Stephan to contact him.

Black spider veins spread from the mark down his arm. He would not allow this to happen. He would not become mortal again.

A hand touched his shoulder. Melanie smiled at him. He needed to kill her now. It was the only way the pain would ease. He thought back as always to Rosie. If he had her here now, he would kill her so slowly. He had been too rash, too young back then. If only he had gotten it right the first time, he wouldn’t need to kill Cara.

It wasn’t just the immortality though. He enjoyed the cat and mouse game he played as he made friends with his victims. He would kill even if he hadn’t needed to.

Melanie didn’t take much prompting to visit the cellar and his extensive wine collection. It wasn’t as if he would let her touch anything. The drugs he had given her should have been working better. There were no tram tracks on her arms so she was not a user, but she had offered him pills.

Perhaps a fight would make things more interesting and take his mind off the pain. Melanie touched his arm. He flinched.

“I’ve a special bottle of wine I think would be appropriate after such a wonderful evening,” Vincent said, leading the way further into the room. Wine racks covered two walls. The stairs crossed another. A large table was pushed up against the last wall. There was a bottle of red wine already opened. Next to it were two old wooden chairs. Vincent led Melanie to one of the chairs.

“I want you to experience how special this wine is. Will you let me blindfold you?”

Melanie smiled and nodded. Vincent placed the scarf from his pocket around her head, covering her eyes. Pouring the wine he added another ampoule to the liquid.

“I want you to breathe in the fragrance. Tell me what you smell.”

“It smells fruity.” She giggled.

He frowned. “Now drink it. There’s not that much in the glass.”

Melanie downed the contents. Taking off the blindfold he refilled her glass. Two glasses later, she was unconscious.

He usually liked them to squirm when he killed. Tonight though he needed to get on with this. He lifted her onto the table and undid her robe. Walking over to one of the wine racks, he removed the special bottle. He took the dagger from its hiding place. It was still cracked but he had no choice. A slight relief from the pain would be better than no relief at all.

She barely moved when he made the slits to her forehead. The other drugs and the added alcohol had finally kicked in. With her abdomen sliced up, Vincent plunged the knife into her heart.

Nothing happened. Before, there was always a surge of energy. Pain would be relieved. Even with Shona, he had gained some relief. Pulling open his robe, he noticed there wasn’t any change. The mark on his shoulder was as livid as ever. The pain throbbed. This wasn’t meant to happen.

Grabbing the dagger, he stabbed her again and again. He slashed her abdomen open, so the bowel protruded. Throwing the dagger aside, he plunged his hands into the warm bloody mess of flesh.

Again nothing happened. Grabbing the empty wine bottle he bought it down on her head with a thud. He smashed repeatedly until Melanie’s face looked like a bloodied pulp. He would not wait for mortality to catch up with him.

He would kill Cara and soon. If he didn’t, all these years would be for nothing. Teasing and tempting her with her own death had been stimulating. Playing her parents for fools as they offered up their daughter on a platter for him was satisfying. He needed her power now and nothing would stop him.