Not Another Vampire Book (25 page)

She
shook her head emphatically.  “I’m not suggesting you’re lying to me.  I’m just
saying that Tanya has put you under a lot of stress and so have I.  You’re
confused.  Who can blame you?  We don’t need to say anything to undo the
magical bond or whatever, because it’s not really there.  I don’t even believe
in fate.”

He
really didn’t like that theory.  “You don’t need to believe.  You just need to
invoke
cariNa,
so I can let you go.”

Kara’s
eyes narrowed, not appreciating his patronizing attitude.  “If you want to
unmate with me, do the invoking yourself.”

“You
want
me
to do this?  No.  Please, don’t ask me for that.”  He regarded
her in something like anguish.  “I can’t invoke it.  I don’t have the
strength.  This is as much as I can give.”

“You
won’t do it?”

“I
cannot.  It must be you or we will remain as we are.”

Kara
didn’t say anything for a long beat, considering her options.  “So, if I invoke
this thing, I won’t be your mate, anymore?”  She asked, softly.  “If I ever was
your fated dream girl, it would –like-- divorce us?”  This was all in Damien’s
head, but she still felt a wrenching sensation at the idea of severing whatever
connection he’d hallucinated.

“
Cari
.” 
One big hand came over to touch the curve of her cheek.  “You’ll always be my
mate.”  He gave a small smile as if her question was amazingly simple.  “
CariNa
will mean that you refuse our mating, but there still never be other for me.  I
would not even want one.”

“But
you think
I
do.  You think I want Slade.”

Nothing.

“Not
yet.”  He finally admitted and his hand fell away.  “But, in time, you might. 
And I think it would be best for you to free yourself from me.”

“Bullshit. 
It’s best for
you
, Damien.  You think I’m your super-special other half
and you’re
still
blowing me off.  It’s just easier to get rid of me than
readjust your precious plans.”

He
hadn’t been expecting that take on his noble surrender.  “
What?
”  He gaped
at her like she’d completely lost her mind.  “No!  That is not...”

Kara
cut him off.  “Well, too bad.  I will
never
invoke that whatchmacallit
and I will never,
ever
run off and marry Slade.  As far as I’m
concerned, whatever’s going on between us can just stay that way.  If you want
to get rid of me, cowboy-up and dump me straight out.  I’m not gonna make it
easier for you to go off and commit suicide, by tying up loose ends for you.”

Damien
didn’t seem to have an answer for that.  He just stared at her in astonishment.

Kara’s
eyebrows arched ‘now what?’ style.

He
never really got a chance to respond to the dare.  Over the orchestra’s ridiculous
rendition of Enrique Iglesias’
Hero
, Slade’s epic theme music began
playing from the sky.  An Errol Flynn inspired ode of trumpets and drums.

Kara
and Damien looked up at the domed, glass ceiling in disgusted unison.

Two
seconds later, Slade’s voice boomed out like a cavalry charge.  “Prepare to die
sorcerer!  I am here to avenge my Eternal-One!”

“
You have such a magnificent stable, Slade.” 
Melessa petted the nose of the large black stallion. “Anyone would be proud to
care for such fine animals.”

“I know.  And now I must appoint a new stable boy.” 
He sighed, a mighty sigh.  “It has been such a difficult day for me and for all
the good beings who depend on my selfless protection.”

“I know, my gentle hero.”  Her eyes met his gently. 
“But all is not lost.  You have brought your grandmother’s cat back to life and
now you have me to share your other burdens.”

“This is true.”  He caught her in a tight hug, his
manly body surrounding her small, slim form.  “Soon I will have defeated Damien
and our lives will be perfect.  He is a dangerous, but predictable foe.  As the
greatest strategist of my people, I will easily out maneuver him and finally carry
you off into the sunset.”

“Except, you can’t go into the sunset, dearest.”

“I said moonset.”

Eternal Passion at Sunset- Chapter Thirteen

Kara
rolled her eyes as Slade bounded through the crowded ballroom, dressed exactly
like Brad Pitt in
Interview with a Vampire
.  Tanya took all the fun out
of mocking
Eternal Passion at Sunset
when she did stuff like that.  It
was almost like she was parodying it herself and Slade didn’t need her help to
be ridiculous.

For
no reason at all, the party guests began clapping and cheering his name as he
passed.

Slade
slowed his progress through the crowd to wave at his admirers.  He raised his
hand in careless, entitled acknowledgment, flashing his thousand megawatt
smile.  An honest-to-God, couldn’t-happen-outside-a-toothpaste-ad, star effect
gleamed off his boyish grin as he stopped to kiss a baby.

Someone
brought an infant to a formal ball?

Kara
gave up.

Ignoring
‘The Slade Show,’ she fluttered her lashes at Damien, tauntingly.  “So, shall I
tell him you’d like me to Eternally Bond with him
now
, or did you want
it to be a surprise?”  She still wasn’t ready to let Damien off the hook. 
Knowing she was in love with him just made her all the more annoyed with the
jerk.

Apparently,
he didn’t appreciate the sarcasm.

Damien’s
hand slashed over to grab Kara’s arm like she might make a run for it.  For a
guy who’d just been eager for her to start dating other super-beings, he sure
didn’t seem thrilled to see Slade within fifty feet of her.

He
stared down at Kara, breathing hard.

She
contrived to look innocent.  “
Reconsidering
your plan to pimp me out to
Edward Cullen?”

“I
tried to do what was right.”  Damien shook his head.  “To give you a choice,
like a mate should.  I did the best I could to be honorable.  But...  I can’t
release you.  Not really.  I just
can’t
.”  He sounded like he’d just had
the evil equivalent of an epiphany.  “You’re right.  I’m not the hero.”

Kara’s
breasts tightened at the intent look in his eye.  “I never wanted the hero.” 
She whispered.

“If
you leave with Slade, I will blow-up the world to get you back.”  He promised,
harshly.  “I don’t give a shit about the consequences, or if you consummate the
Eternal Bond with him, or if you’re hidden away on the golden island.  You are
mine
and I will
always
get you back.”

He
glared down at her as if he still expected an argument.  Did the guy just not
listen or was he really that insecure about Slade’s appeal with the ladies? 
“Vlad, you wouldn’t have to come get me.”  Kara switched her hand around so she
was squeezing his fingers.  “I would come back to you on my own.”

Damien
was on a roll, not processing that reassurance.  Clearly, he somehow felt like
he’d been the soul of patience up until now.  “To make you happy, I tried to
give you freedom, Kara Lynn.  I must have been out of my mind, but I tried. 
You did not appreciate it and I’m through kidding myself that I could have gone
through with it, anyway.”

“Good.”

He
ignored that, too, tugging her backwards, so she was behind him.  “When we get
home, you will mate with me.”  It was an order.  “You will take off your
clothes, you will lie on my bed, and you will willingly mate with me.  Understand?”

“Yeah,
okay.”  Kara agreed, readily.  “Good idea.”  
Wow
, did she love it when
he let his dark side loose.  He loomed over her, dominating the space and she
was suddenly so aroused she was close to spontaneous combustion.  Sleeping with
him was still a bad idea, but if she was bound for heartache anyway, she might
as well get see him naked first.  Where this man was concerned, she developed
the alternate personality of a really easy, sexually playful wanton.

It
was exciting.

Damien
pupil’s dilated, like he hadn’t expected such a fast agreement.  His gaze
flashed to her poofy skirts and Kara had the feeling he was remembering how
very, very naked she was under the dress.  Thanks to him, her underwear was
nothing but a tattered piece of lace.  He’d pocketed it when the left the
carriage and he hadn’t magically made her a new pair, yet.

She
could feel herself growing damp under his inspection.

His
mouth curved, like it was just occurring to him that his animalistic side of
his nature turned her on.  “You’ll let me do whatever I want to your body.”  He
was testing her and the jolt her body gave was probably a passing grade. 
“You’ll get on your hands and knees, and you’ll do just as I say, won’t you?”

“Uh-huh.” 
Kara licked her bottom lip, feeling Damien’s eyes burning through the layers of
fabric shielding the junction of her thighs.

“I’ll
hold you down and I’ll take you just as hard as I like, Kara Lynn.  Then, I’ll
start over.  Endlessly, so you’ll
never
tell me I’m not your mate,
again.  Until you admit you’re my
cari
and you believe it.”  He leaned
closer, so his lips brushed her ear.  “Then, I’ll tie you to the bed and take
you again, just because I fucking
can
.”

Holy
shit
.  Was he writing that dialogue himself?  He had this kind of talent
and he decided to reveal it in a ballroom?  What the hell had he been waiting
for?

Damien
smirked at her dazed expression.  “Such a good human.”  It was a purr.  “Now,
stay behind me while I deal with the Vampires.  I need to finish this very, very
quickly and get you home.”

Kara
blinked.  “What?”  Hang on...  “No,
I’m
going to deal with Slade.”  She
was more than willing to let Damien take the lead in the bedroom, but he wasn’t
going to boss her around outside of it.  “I have to tell him about Melessa. 
That’s the whole reason I captured her.”

Damien
frowned, impatiently.

“It’s
important.  I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

One
black eyebrow arched.  “Oh, I know you will.”

Her
stomach dipped at the meaningful drawl, even as she tried to regain control. 
“Here he comes.  Seriously, cut it out.  Slade has Vampire smell or whatever. 
If you keep it up, he’s gonna guess that I’m... That you made me... you know.” 
She trailed off, with a sigh.

“Aroused?” 
Black eyes began dancing with unholy amusement at her embarrassment.  “He has
Vampire hearing, too.  No doubt, he’ll listen in when I say that your body is
the softest, sweetest...”

Kara
slapped a hand over his mouth before he could finish that.

Damien’s
mouth curved against her palm.

Bastard.

Kara
had the sudden urge to giggle.  If she’d thought he’d said that as some kind of
pissing contest with Slade, she would have stabbed him.  But, Damien hadn’t
even glanced in the Vampire’s direction.  He was teasing
her
.  “You’re
blowing your nefarious man of mystery shtick, right now.  I hope you know
that.”  She dropped her palm and wound up grinning at him.  “Goof.”

He
smiled down at her, something vast and warm in his expression.  “My powers are
shrouding you,
cari
.  He can’t smell you.  He cannot hear us.  I would
not share anything with him.  Do not worry.”

God,
she really did love this guy.

She
cycled through about seventy emotions a minute around him.  He had a twisted
sense of humor and death wish.  He was probably gonna kill her from undiluted
sexual desire and their relationship was utterly hopeless.

But,
she still loved him beyond reason.

Her
thumb brushed over the scar on his chin.  “Thank you, Damien.”

“You
are welcome.”  He kissed her temple, straightening as Slade approached. 
“Enjoying the party, Vampire?”  He asked it casually, but his body was braced
in front of Kara, waiting for a fight.

“You
have gone too far this time!”  Slade never just talked.  Everything was
announced
or
proclaimed
.  It got old.  “I know of your vile trick and I shall see
you dead!”

“Yes,
so you’re said before.”  Damien sounded bored.  “It frustrates me that we can’t
just fight and get it over with.  Why can’t I kill him, right now?”  He glanced
down at Kara for a ruling.  “It seems like I should be able to, but I can’t.”

“The
book.”  She explained. 
Eternal Passion at Sunset
was like an
out-of-control train right now: No one at the helm, but still packing a lot of
power.  Poor Damien looked baffled that he couldn’t break free of its hold and
just behead Slade.  “I don’t think it will let you skip to the climatic end
scene.”

“The
book!”  Slade repeated with a triumphant stab of his finger.  “So, you admit
it!”

“Huh?” 
Kara frowned at him.

He
scowled down at her, not looking anything like the besotted Eternal-One he was
supposed to be.  “I know all!  There shall be a reckoning!

“Huh?” 
She repeated, blankly.

Damien
didn’t seem to care what Slade was jabbering about.  “Have you seen your
cousin, Vampire?  I suppose I can still kill
him
and just work my way up
your family tree.”

“Why
would you be after To’kel?”  Slade taunted.  “Because he knows the truth? 
Because you wish to hide your duplicity with this Witch?!”  He spat out the
word, his blue eyes fixed on Kara.  “Because To’kel might tell me that this
imposter is not my Eternal-One, but a Wizard Warlock whore sent to trick me?”

Uh-oh
.

To’kel
had gotten to Slade and told him his own version of the story.  That’s why
Slade was late and To’kel was nowhere to be seen.  Very not good.   The little
punk was improvising a new plan.  He’d sicced Slade on them.  “Hey, now I told
you that I wasn’t really your bride from the very beginning... 
Damien, no!
”

Kara’s
explanation ended with a shriek as Damien’s powers exploded.  Slade was
catapulted into the air, right through the dome of the ceiling and out into the
night.  His huge body flew like a comet, spinning out of sight.  The glass roof
spider-webbed around the hole he created, splintering apart with ominous
cracking sounds.

Partygoers
started screaming and taking off in all directions.  Crystal shards crashed to
the black and white marble floor, crunching under foot, as people ran for their
lives.  Kara gaped up at the shattered ceiling.  Very slowly, her head swiveled
in Damien’s direction.

He
was staring up at the damage, too.  “I
can
hurt him, then.”  He murmured
in satisfaction.  “I just have to want it bad enough.”

“Did
you kill Slade?”  She demanded.  “Damn it, we need him, Damien!”

“The
son-of-a-bitch called you a whore.”  Damien shot back.  “I
would
have
killed him, but I can’t, yet.  This was the next best thing.”

She
blew out an aggravated breath.  It was hard to lecture a guy when he said
something like that.  “Well, at least fix the roof before someone gets hurt,
then.”  She gestured at the fracturing dome suspended over their heads.  Kara
was the only human not dashing for the door.

Damien
wouldn’t let her be injured.  She believed it totally.

He
grunted and waved a negligent hand.  The glass on the floor shot upward, again,
melding back into the decorative ceiling like it had never been broken.  The
jagged edges smoothed themselves, the fissures healing back together.  It was
all so simple for Damien.

Magic.

Kara
glanced over at him.  “You’re just so talented.”  Genuine admiration colored
her tone.  “I would love to be able to do something like that.”

His
mouth curved.  “Would you?”

Slade
returned before she could answer.

He
slammed through the newly repaired roof, breaking it all over again.  For a
moment he stayed aloft, posing against the starry sky.  Then, swooping down
like Batman, he landed on the floor with the flourish of an Olympic gymnast.  Unhurt
and waiting for a round of applause, he straightened and surveyed the empty
ballroom.