Skin of a Goddess (Goddess Ascension Book 1) (19 page)

I look to the man for closer inspection. He doesn’t look as if he’s malnourished, but I suspect that the humans here are kept in style, if overlooked. Though he looks around forty, he seems well preserved, with few laugh lines.

“Darling, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. Fleur told me how lovely you taste, and I’ll admit that I thought she exaggerated. She didn’t at all! I believe I could feast on you for eternity and never grow bored,” Celeste says, and I smile, taking her comment as the compliment that it was clearly intended as.

“Celeste, I already told you that she’s off limits for now. Hopefully she’ll come visit us as soon as she’s free again. Trust me, Peitho, you would be well taken care of here. We’d have the greatest of fun,” Fleur says to me with a lusty smile.

I can’t help but believe her words. I’m sure we would all have an extremely satisfactory time. “I’m sorry, but I’m currently in a monogamous relationship. Of course, when I’m not, you’ll be the first I contact. I’m sure it would be a most interesting experience.”

“Oh, believe me, it would be.” Fleur nods eagerly.

Celeste smiles. “Your flavor reminds me of the sirens, but so much stronger and more concentrated! You make them seem so pale in comparison, when among our kind they’re seen as a delicacy.”

“You flatter me.”

“It’s only the truth! Is this the lucky man you’re currently with?” Celeste asks, nodding her head to Hunter.

I answer quickly, “Yes, sorry for not introducing you sooner. This is Hunter, Prince of the Green Dragons. I have been with him most recently.”

“Ah, yes, the six-month tradition.” Celeste nods knowingly.

“Exactly.”

Fleur frowns slightly. “I know that six months shouldn’t seem long to me, for I have and will still live so long a life, but the wait seems like torture at this very moment.”

Celeste laughs indulgently at her. “You may borrow Owen if needed, as long as he is amiable.”

Fleur looks at the man in question. “My tastes run more to the feminine.”

I turn to Vivien, and she shrugs slightly to me. “Each of us has different preferences when it comes to companions. If they are purely a food source, we cannot afford to be nearly as picky.”

I can’t help but agree with that one. Since Celeste is offering her current human to Fleur, I can only assume that she doesn’t have one of her own. This means that she borrows from the vampires who don’t mind sharing, and the humans who don’t mind being shared. There are few kept around vampire households who are not particular to one vampire, but also don’t have an extended life because of it. I’m sure some vampires have close relationships to their humans, while others see certain ones only as food and a means of energy.

Owen turns to Celeste and says, “I’d prefer to stay with you.”

Celeste nods soothingly to them both. “There, it all works out for everyone. Neither of you really want the other.”

I can’t help but think that didn’t come out right.

“It seems that you’ve done well for yourself. He looks very strong and like he has good endurance,” Fleur comments after looking Hunter up and down.

I see him biting his cheeks, probably in an attempt to not laugh. I don’t feel possessive of him, or jealous that he’s amused and she’s admiring his body. In fact, those feelings that rise up in me are probably more alarming than any of those. I feel an odd amount of pride that they approve of my choice and see him as a fine male specimen. It shouldn’t matter. He won’t be around long enough for it to matter.

“Thank you, he does please me, for the most part.” I nod and accept her compliment, since it was directed toward me.

“Yes, he is lovely,” Vivien says, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “There’s still the matter of her and her consort being unproven. They don’t know any vampires who can speak on their behalf.”

Celeste and Fleur’s expressions turn eager.

“You never told me what the alternative would be,” I point out, suspicious.

“The simplest way to prove yourselves is to allow us to feed from you. We get certain benefits from feeding from someone. This includes being able to tell their intent toward us,” Vivien says with a small, anticipatory smile.

Hunter quickly shakes his head and says, “No way.”

All three women turn to him with sudden distaste. Before he spoke out, they all considered him a nicely trained pet. Now, they’re seeing flaws in his routine. I give him a look for their benefit, and to remind him that he’s supposed to be following my lead. Granted, I don’t want to agree to it either, let alone promise something of him that he’s not willing to give.

“Is that the only way?” I ask.

Vivien nods. “We need to confirm that you’re not a threat to our master before we allow you to meet with him. So yes, at this point, it’s the fastest means of doing so. That is, if you want to meet with him today, or even in the next few days.”

“That would be preferable,” I murmur thoughtfully. “I thought you had been feeding off of me already? Off of my lust vibes?”

“Oh no.” Fleur shakes her head emphatically. “We’ve just been getting light tastes of it, leaking from your aura.”

I frown further. “If I let you drink from me, will my word count for my consort as well?”

They look to one another and silently communicate. I glance to where Owen has faded off in a corner of the room. He listens as well, but his face is rather impassive, as if he’s seen all of this before. His gaze follows Celeste, and though it was apparent she doesn’t mind sharing him, he appears rather attached to her. I wonder if all humans are seen in the same way to them; as theirs, but an afterthought, just someone they expect to be there and do what they’re told. Not the kind of life I would enjoy.

“We will accept life blood from you as a show of faith for you and your consort,” Vivien finally says, and I know it’s because it’s my blood that they want a taste of, not Hunter’s.

I nod at them, despite Hunter elbowing my side and giving me a glare. I just shake my head at him slightly, hoping he’ll take the hint to stay out of it. If this is what it costs to get a meeting with Loren and clear up this mess, maybe even save a few lives, then I’m more than willing to give up a sip of my lovely immortal blood. He might see it as degrading, but I see it as a worthy price. What kind of person would I be if I was too selfish to pay it?

“Very well. Which of you wants to do it? I’m assuming it will be a taste, and the blood loss will not leave me weakened while my body recovers,” I say to them.

Fleur nods with interest. “I’d forgotten that you’re immortal in the fullest sense. I imagine that you would never be wanting for blood, no matter how much we fed. You would be the perfect companion for one of us, truly able to sustain a vampire.”

“Not an equal in every way. She is above many vampires in our coven,” Celeste tells her in an obvious show of superiority, clearly insinuating that Fleur’s reach is getting a bit too high.

Owen follows the exchange with some worry, probably over his position.

I say quickly, “I’m monogamous now, so I won’t be able to be a companion to anyone for some time.”

“Of course,” Celeste murmurs, though she seems no less determined.

“I offer one of you my life blood for the taking. I offer only blood, no glamour or sex,” I say firmly. “I have no opinion on who receives it, so I allow you to choose between yourselves.”

They all look to one another with meaning.

Finally, Vivien says, “As the highest-ranking coven member here, I claim the right to take your blood. It will only be a sip. You’ll feel some pain when my fangs penetrate you, since you have refused glamour, but it will be minor. I suggest you don’t struggle, as it will awaken my predatory instincts.”

“Very well,” I agree, and motion for Hunter to join Owen at the edge of the room.

Vivien stands from her chair and quickly crosses over to the couch. She sits beside me in the seat that Hunter so recently abandoned with extreme reluctance. Celeste moves to the other side of me, attention completely focused on us. Fleur crouches on the floor in front of me to watch avidly as Vivien lets her longer canines grow into fangs. I can feel Hunter’s eyes like a heavy, guilty weight on my soul, even as I carefully ignore him.

I pull my hair to the left, baring my neck. I then tilt my head dutifully to the side and wait. Vivien takes her time coming to me, building the suspense, as I’ve never been bitten by a vampire. I’m sure the experience is normally a pleasant one, with the added benefit of glamour. Right now, I don’t want to feel any false pleasure from the act, especially since its being done for such an impersonal reason.

Vivien lightly grips my shoulders, and I feel the heat of her mouth against my skin. My body reacts before I can try to control it. My natural shields, responding to the imminent pain, are triggered. Vivien’s teeth snap down to bite me, and there’s a sound of rock hitting rock.

Vivien cries out and pulls away, hand over her mouth, blood pouring down. Her lip is cut, and it seems that she’s chipped a fang. I know I’m in deep shit, especially when the other two vampires go to her while turning to look at me suspiciously.

“What have you done to her?” Celeste glares, not nearly as blinded with my supposed charms as she was earlier.

I shrug a little helplessly, trying to ignore the copper scent filling my nose and coating my mouth. “I have a natural defense; my skin becomes hard so my body cannot be harmed. I didn’t intend to, but it appears that my skin reacted when she tried to bite me.”

Fleur looks at my skin with interest. “You do look different.”

“Was it a mistake, or did you mean to protect yourself from Vivien’s bite, and cause her severe injury in doing so?” Celeste asks, looking down at Vivien critically.

“You broke my fang!” Vivien glares up at me once her lip has healed, eyes bleeding red.

“Sorry about that. Will it heal itself?” I ask.

“No!” she shrieks back. “It will never heal!”

“Fleur, help Vivien clean up and get someone who can help her. I’ll deal with this matter,” Celeste says.

Fleur gives her a pout before helping Vivien to a standing position. Both of them give me dark looks as they leave the room, though, luckily, Vivien has stopped with her annoying wailing. I look over to Hunter to see him quickly hide a satisfied grin. Owen looks puzzled and alarmed. I ignore the vampire blood soaking into the upholstery of the couch.

“What’s the new plan?” I ask Celeste, allowing myself an amused smirk when I see she’s taken Vivien’s chair as well as her power.

Celeste sighs and says, “I’m sorry, but the situation is still the same. No one will accept the blood of your consort for you as well, since you’re the more powerful of the two of you. If you hope for a meeting with the master anytime soon, you still need to be fed from.”

I give a puzzled frown. “What do you suggest? Nothing can break through my skin, if you’re hoping to cut me then lap the blood up.”

“No, I don’t suggest that we go that particular route again. We’re able to feed off of your emotion and feel your essence from that,” Celeste says with an indulgent smile.

“You can feed off of any emotion, correct?” I ask her.

Celeste nods easily. “Yes, although I suspect lust or passion are the strongest emotions for you to convey. It’s up to you what emotion you think you can offer that will be powerful enough for me to get enough substance from.”

“How powerful must it be? If I think of the last time someone made me particularly upset, will it be enough?” I ask.

“It may be, depending on how angry they made you and how recently it happened. It’s usually stronger if the emotion comes from the moment and not a memory,” Celeste explains.

“Your recommendation?” I ask, since she so clearly has one.

Celeste gives me a bright smile, confirming my suspicion. “If it were me, I would engage with the male you’ve brought with you. Depending on how much chemistry you two have, it may take just a kiss to satisfy me. If you have little, then it may take more. It depends on how … attracted you are to one another.”

I give a little grin. “Luckily, that’s never been one of our problems. What do you think, Hunter?”

He looks at me, obviously conflicted. I’ve never asked about his sex life. At least, not that much about it. I don’t know if he’s into giving shows, watching, or prefers none of the above. I myself have no problem with anything. I don’t mind having someone watch. In fact, I find it pretty erotic to give someone pleasure without even touching them.

“I’ve never been much of an exhibitionist,” Hunter says, eyes flashing to Celeste and Owen.

I know what that means. From what I can tell, he’s had a fairly basic and not overly exciting sex life. Which means having one partner and doing it in missionary in the dark. I may have to resort to the memory idea.

“You said it won’t have to be full-out sex?” Hunter asks Celeste.

She doesn’t look annoyed at him speaking to her directly, probably because she’s looking forward to things. “No, if you two are as attracted to one another as she says, then you’ll probably only need to make out for a while with light groping. That being said, if one of you is uncomfortable or not feeling it, then it won’t work. Or it will take more effort, and sex may be necessary. If you two get into the moment, I should warn you that I won’t stop you from doing anything you want to do in front of me.”