My Lord Immortality (15 page)
Read My Lord Immortality Online
Authors: Alexandra Ivy
The icy terror that had gripped Amelia was suddenly forgotten at the mention of her brother. Without a thought, she moved around the desk to confront Drake with a frantic expression.
“William? What do you mean?”
Drake lifted his golden brows with a faint smile. “Did I fail to mention that sweet William is now my guest at a rather remote cottage?”
“No,” she breathed, her heart squeezing in horror. Not William. She could not bear it.
Easily sensing her rising panic, Sebastian placed a comforting arm about her shoulders.
“Amelia . . . do not.”
She barely heard his words. Her attention was grimly focused upon the smiling vampire standing before her.
“What have you done to him?”
Drake lifted an indifferent shoulder. “For the moment he is merely my guest. I cannot promise, however, that he will remain unharmed for long. My servants will soon grow impatient if I do not appear with the Medallion.”
The image of William alone and afraid in some remote cabin brought tears to Amelia's eyes. What sort of monster would harm such an innocent soul?
“No . . . please . . .”
“Amelia.” Sebastian sternly turned her to meet his steady gaze. “Do not fear. I will retrieve William.”
“He will be dead before you even locate the cottage, Sebastian,” Drake retorted in icy tones. “The only way to save him is to hand over the Medallion.”
Sebastian's hands tightened upon Amelia's shoulders. “Amelia, you must not.”
Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, Amelia squarely met the warning gaze. She fully understood Sebastian's fierce desire to keep the Medallion from the vile traitor. He had to consider what was best for vampires. It was his duty.
She, however, had a duty to William. A duty that she would not deny, no matter how great the cost.
“Sebastian, I will not allow William to be harmed.”
His features hardened to forbidding lines. “Drake will kill your brother no matter what you do. And you as well. I will not allow you to do this.”
Her heart squeezed with regret, but her resolution never faltered. She loved this gentleman with all her heart and soul, but she could not abandon William. Not for anyone or anything.
“I am sorry, Sebastian, but it is not your decision to make,” she said in low tones.
His brows snapped together at the determined expression upon her pale features.
“You will sacrifice yourself, and perhaps all mortals, on the impossible hope that this traitor can be trusted?”
She bit her lip at the harshness in his voice. “I have no choice.”
“Amelia, you are being utterly irrational.”
Unnervingly aware of Drake's glittering gaze and the ominous chill that shivered over her skin, Amelia reached up to gently touch Sebastian's cheek. She could not hope that he would comprehend, or even forgive, her obligation to William. But she had to at least make the effort to explain her rash behavior.
“Perhaps it is irrational,” she admitted in sad tones, “but I will not allow William to be harmed. For his entire life he has been treated as an embarrassment, a mistake that his own family desired to hide away and forget. I am the only one who has ever fought to ensure that he is treated as a person of worth. I will not turn my back upon him now.”
Something that might have been pain rippled over his elegant features, but his mouth remained set in a frustrated grimace.
“You are not thinking clearly, my dear.”
There was an impatient rustle as Drake shifted closer to Amelia, filling the air with a stench of cold, relentless steel.
“On the contrary, Sebastian,” he drawled. “She has at last come to her senses. Now let us be done with this. I will have the Medallion.”
Reluctantly turning toward the ghastly intruder, Amelia forced herself to square her shoulders. A frightening plan was beginning to form in her mind. Unfortunately, she was uncertain that she possessed the nerve to carry it through.
She had always considered herself a bold, courageous woman. A woman who faced life and all of its troubles without flinching. Only now did she truly grasp the realization that it was a simple matter to be bold when confronted with meaningless fears. What did the censure of society, or the disappointment of her parents, or even organizing her own household mean when compared to the thought of what must now be done?
Courage without sacrifice was effortless.
“No,” she said firmly.
“What?” Drake snapped.
“Not until I can be with William and make sure that you keep your word that he will be allowed to leave.”
An ugly frown twisted the too-perfect features. Just for a moment, she feared that his arrogant temper would overcome his desperation for the Medallion. Then, with an obvious effort, he gave a stiff nod of his head.
“Very well. Come.”
Sebastian's low groan echoed through the air. “Amelia, no. Do not do this.”
She slowly moved closer to him, her eyes filled with remorse. “I am sorry, Sebastian.”
His gaze anxiously swept over her, almost as if he were aware of her dark scheme.
“You speak of saving William, and yet you expect me to allow you to walk into danger.”
“I . . .”
“Enough,” Drake snapped in annoyance. “I weary of waiting for what is mine. Either you join me, Miss Hadwell, or your brother dies.”
“Forgive me.” Keeping her gaze locked upon Sebastian, she covertly reached to slip the dagger from his fingers, tucking it into the sleeve of her gown before turning toward the impatient Drake. “I am ready.”
Reaching out, the vampire grasped her arm and roughly hauled her against him. He was wise enough, however, to keep a wary gaze trained upon the furious Sebastian.
“Do not think to follow,” he warned as he deliberately tightened his grip upon Amelia to a punishing level. “Unless you wish to have this delicate flower crushed beyond recognition.”
Visibly trembling, Sebastian clenched his hands at his side, the promise of dire retribution smoldering in his silver eyes.
“Drake, I will destroy you if you harm her.”
The vampire merely laughed at the threat. “Soon I will possess the Medallion and you, along with all vampires, will be bowing to me.”
Sebastian's nose flared with loathing. “It will never be.”
“Oh, yes. No one can stop me now.” With a sharp jerk, Drake sent Amelia stumbling toward the door. “Prepare to bend your knee to me, Sebastian.”
Feeling Sebastian's gaze upon her, Amelia refused to glance backward as she was roughly hustled from the library. She could not afford to witness the disappointment she was certain to see in his eyes. Not now.
William, and perhaps the entire race of vampires, depended upon her to maintain her staunch resolve.
She could not falter.
Her stoic resolve, however, did not prevent the tears from clouding her vision, or the ice-cold fear that was lodged in the pit of her stomach. She had never been so terrified in her entire life. Nor so heart-wrenchingly sad.
She had just discovered the man of her dreams. Now she would never, ever see him again.
Chapter 13
The drive through London and into the dark countryside was interminable. Perched stiffly on the edge of the carriage seat, Amelia did her best to ignore the vampire who lounged directly opposite her. Not an easy task when his cold eyes remained locked upon her pale face and the smell of him filled the air.
Somehow she had hoped that once she made the decision to go with Drake, a numb acceptance would protect her. Absurdly, however, as the miles rattled past, the thick, pulsing fear only increased.
With every turn of the wheel she was being hauled ever farther from Sebastian. She could physically feel the distance growing between them. Soon enough there would be no more than the faintest sense of him. She was forced to accept the knowledge that she was alone and at the mercy of a murderous, unfeeling monster.
In desperation she blocked out all thoughts of Sebastian. She should be considering William, she sternly reminded herself. The poor boy was no doubt hysterical by now. He was in a strange place with ruffians who had forced him from his bed, and who knew what else. He would be calling for her and unable to understand why she was not at his side.
Her heart gave a sharp twinge. If only she could save William, then all would be well. That would give her all the strength she needed.
She kept that thought foremost in her mind as they continued ever onward. And onward. She barely noticed the passing fields or the thickening woods about them. Not even when the carriage at last rolled to a halt.
Indeed, Amelia had barely assimilated the fact that the sickening sway had come to an end when Drake was thrusting her out of the door and up a twisting path.
“Move along,” the vampire growled.
Struggling to regain her balance, she hurried forward, her fogged senses briefly discerning a crumbling cottage with a thatched roof. It was just as remote and desolate as Drake had warned; only the faint glow of candlelight that could be seen through one of the broken windows assured her that someone was inside.
Reaching the door, she was briefly halted as the vampire reached out to grasp her arm. Warily, she turned to study his tight features.
“What is it?”
He paused for a long moment before giving an annoyed shake of his head. “Nothing. Let us be done with this.”
The bony hand reached out to shove the door open. Amelia did not wait to be pushed forward. Instead, she rushed into the cramped, dust-shrouded room with anxious haste.
It took but a moment to spot her brother huddled in a dark corner. With a soft cry, she moved to kneel beside him.
“William.” She placed her arms gently about his shoulders, not at all surprised to discover that he was trembling in fear and weariness. He had probably been curled in the corner since he had been brutally kidnapped. “My poor William.”
He slowly lifted his head to regard her with wounded eyes. “Bad man.”
Tears filled her eyes as she softly brushed his hair. “Yes, they are very bad men.”
A growl from behind her had Amelia shifting to face the vampire, who filled the small room with his repulsive presence.
“You see that he is alive,” Drake stated in flat tones. “Now give me the Medallion.”
Amelia reluctantly rose to her feet, her heart racing so fast she feared it might burst. It had come to the moment of crisis. She would now discover if her desperate ploy would work, or if she had lost all on a daring gamble.
“Not until William is released.”
His eyes glittered like shards of glass. “Do not attempt to play me the fool. Sebastian is pathetic enough to be seduced by your wiles, but I am far too clever for such games. If you do not believe me, I can reveal the corpses of any number of beautiful mortals who thought to please my fancy.”
She swallowed heavily, not allowing herself to remember the battered and abused bodies of those poor maidens. She had to concentrate upon William. Only William.
“You promised that my brother would be kept safe. I want him allowed to leave before I give you the Medallion.”
A dark, nerve-shattering silence descended as he regarded her with malicious fury. The very air seemed to crackle with his fierce desire to punish her for her audacity.
“You try my patience, wench,” he rasped, his lengthening fangs suddenly visible.
Amelia nearly balked. Saints above. He was a ruthless vampire. A beast that killed without mercy. How could she possibly hope to outwit him?
Then from behind her, she heard the faint sound of William's whimper. He had clearly sensed the danger in the air. A danger that only thickened as Drake glared at her with murderous intent. Much to her astonishment, she felt her chin tilting with a renewed determination.
“Do you desire the Medallion or not?”
Her fate hung upon a knife's edge as the pale gaze lowered to the amulet glowing with a tantalizing power. For a heartbeat she was icily aware that his lust to torture her for her daring far outweighed his need for the amulet. Only when her fingers closed protectively over the Medallion did he abruptly regain control of his anger and step back.
“Send him away.”
Urging William to his feet, Amelia warily led him across the room, her arms wrapped tightly about him. Once at the door she pulled it open and gazed into her brother's worried eyes.
“Listen to me carefully, William,” she said firmly. “I want you to run from here as fast as you can.”
His brow wrinkled in puzzlement. “Run?”
“Yes. Run to Mr. St. Ives. He will protect you.”
There was a moment of silence before he gave a reluctant nod of understanding. “Run.”
“As swiftly as you can.”
“Be on with it,” Drake interrupted sharply.
Drawing in a deep breath, Amelia shoved her brother with all her strength. “Do not look back, William.”
He stumbled, but thankfully he was swift to recover and was racing down the dark path with gratifying speed. Whatever his lack in intellectual prowess, William had always been large and physically strong. She offered up a silent prayer that Sebastian would rescue her brother before the henchmen who belonged to Drake could find him. She did not doubt for a moment that the stubborn vampire was following as closely as he dared.
Watching as William disappeared into the shadows, Amelia slowly turned back to the impatient Drake. She had done all that she could to protect her brother. Now it was time to pay the cost of that protection.
As if sensing her dark thoughts, the vampire stalked toward her, harsh greed etched upon his face.
“There will be no further delays.”
“No,” she agreed softly, pulling the dagger from her sleeve. “The time has come.”
Drake came to an abrupt halt, but his lips twisted with cruel amusement rather than fear.
“How very charming,” he drawled. “Do you think to frighten me with that bauble?”
She grimly lifted the dagger higher. “Do not come any closer.”
“Or what?” He deliberately stepped forward. “You will attempt to harm me? Fool. You are no match for my powers. Shall I demonstrate?”
The chill in the room abruptly deepened and to Amelia's shock, the solid form of the vampire began to blur and fade. An ominous fog began to swirl and Amelia was forced to choke back a scream as she realized that the vampire was shifting himself into that strange mist.
It was a bizarre, horrifying spectacle.
“No,” she breathed.
An eerily hollow laugh echoed through the cottage. “You are a pathetic animal who only lives because you possess my Medallion. You cannot harm me, Miss Hadwell.”
Grasping the last, frayed edges of her courage, Amelia lifted the dagger and firmly turned it about until the sharp point was painfully pressed to the frantic beat of her heart.
“I have no intention of harming you, Mr. Ramone. I intend to use the dagger upon myself.”
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Sebastian was aware he was being followed from the moment he entered the thick copse of woods. With fluid motions he slid behind a large tree and allowed the two shuffling men to walk past him.
He did not so much as blink before he was launching himself toward the two and knocking them to the ground. They remained inhumanly silent as he connected a blow to one in the chin and then leaped to his feet to kick the other in the side. Bones crunched beneath his attack but neither hesitated as they awkwardly pushed themselves upright and lunged toward him.
He grimaced at the realization that the men had been caught within Drake's Compulsion. He could already smell the stench of their decay. Nothing short of death would stop them now.
Easily avoiding their outstretched hands, he caught the nearest man about the neck. Holding him before him, he crushed his throat with a sense of regret. The second he dealt with just as easily, allowing the heavy body to drop to the soft ground.
Damn Drake, he silently cursed. The men would have died of starvation within days, or by the hand of the treacherous vampire, but he resented the fact that he had been forced to harm another.
With a shake of his head, he turned from the motionless bodies and sternly turned his thoughts back to the reason he had entered the woods in the first place.
Amelia.
Not far ahead he could sense her presence. She was still alive, but he was vividly aware of the horrible terror that clutched at her heart. Just as he could sense the reckless fury that filled Drake.
He had to reach her before she did something desperate.
He had barely taken more than a step, however, when there was a loud crashing in the trees ahead of him. Within moments, William came plunging through the overgrowth, his expression wild-eyed and his hair standing on end.
With a low growl of impatience, Sebastian waited for the boy to stumble to a halt before him.
“William.”
“Milly,” William panted as he reached out to grasp Sebastian's arm. “Bad man.”
“Yes, I know, William.”
“Milly, Milly,” he repeated, shaking in his frustration at not being able to speak of the danger to his beloved sister.
Reining in his the impatience, Sebastian placed his arm about the boy's trembling shoulders. Amelia would expect him to care for her brother with the same tender concern that she would offer. It was now his duty to ensure that the boy was kept safe and secure.
“Amelia will be fine, William. But I must go to her.” He firmly lifted William's face to meet his own gaze. “There is a carriage just beyond the trees. I want you to go to it and remain inside. Can you do that?”
He gave a slow nod. “Yes.”
“Good lad.”
Careful to escort the unnerved young man well away from the bodies lying on the ground, Sebastian pointed William toward the carriage he had left beside the narrow lane. Once he was assured his charge was safely headed in the proper direction, he sharply turned to make his way back through the trees. With the henchmen disposed of, the young man should be quite out of harm's way.
Nearly seething with impatience, he ran through the shadows, his need to reach Amelia so overwhelming that he barely noted the familiar tingles that rushed over his skin. He did not desire to be delayed yet again. Not when he could sense Amelia's dread shuddering through his body.
Unfortunately, Nefri was not a vampire to be ignored, no matter what the urgency. Stepping directly in his path, she held up a slender hand that brought him to a sharp halt.
“Sebastian,” she murmured.
Unable to do otherwise, Sebastian glared at the slim figure still attired in her ridiculous rag skirt and full-cut blouse. She appeared more a poor Gypsy than a powerful vampire. No Gypsy, however, could possibly have placed such a forbidding weave about his body. One that ensured he could not bolt past as he longed to do.
“Nefri, I must go. Drake holds Amelia captive.”
Her gentle smile was edged with sadness. “Yes, I know. Although I do not believe she is precisely being held against her will.”
“She went with him willingly,” he grudgingly conceded. “To save her brother.”
“Ah.” Nefri tilted her head to one side, her eyes glittering in the darkness. “Will she give him the Medallion?”
He flinched, the fierce pain he had been attempting to keep at bay slicing through his heart. He had suspected what she intended from the moment he had watched Amelia leave the room. Even without being able to read her thoughts, her dark sadness had been etched deep within her heart. But he had not allowed himself to ponder the horrible realization. Now, more than ever, he needed his wits clear and unclouded.
“No.” He swallowed through the thickness in his throat. “Now that William has been rescued, she will sacrifice herself to keep the Medallion from Drake's hands.”
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