BloodGifted (16 page)

The woman, Mar
is, was a tall, stunning blonde. I may as well have been invisible, for she barely acknowledged me as she locked her lavender gaze on Alec. Her eyes narrowed at seeing our linked hands and I wondered if there was some history between them.

Kwame
, the most striking of the group, was a well-built black man who stood at least six-feet-five. There was a regal air about him but his smile was welcoming. It was difficult to place his age, but it could have been anywhere in his late thirties. The gold cloak made a perfect foil to his dark skin.

Beside
him stood Zhao, the shortest of the five. He stood about five-feet-ten. His bald head gleamed in the light and even though he didn’t smile, his eyes showed a depth of understanding that only came through great age. I wondered how old he really was.

‘Laura, I’d like you to meet my friends, Terens, Jake, Cal and Sam,’ Alec said as he introduced the four scarlet cloaked figures.

They were all so tall—like Alec—that I was glad I wore a pair of high-heeled shoes. It made looking up at them a bit easier.

Terens smiled and winked at me as Alec introduced us. His straight deep-auburn hair fell into his eyes when he
dipped his head in greeting and a diamond stud blinked in one ear. Next to Alec, he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen. But that wasn’t the reason why I took an instant liking to him. For one strange moment I felt as if I’d known him somewhere, a long time ago. Just as quickly I dismissed the idea.

Jake stepped forward, and he too gave me a low bow and broad smile. His long wavy brown hair, close-cropped beard and aquiline nose gave him an aristocratic appearance. ‘Welcome to the family, Laura,’ he said.

I liked him, too.

Of
the three, Cal had the stockiest build. With hair the colour of wet sand and dimples in both cheeks when his lips curled up into a closed-mouthed smile, he looked decidedly roguish. I had the feeling it wouldn’t take much to make him laugh.

But
then I could be wrong, for his right hand lovingly stroked the hilt of the sword at his side.

Lastly, there was Sam. L
ight brown hair, gentle lavender eyes and with looks a male model would envy, he also smiled at me but it soon faded as his eyes turned to the woman Maris and speared her with a—warning?—look. His hand too, rested on the hilt of his sword.

Just as I was determining whether I should be worried or not, Zhao came forward
, slipped a white silk cloak over Alec’s shoulders and tied the smooth, white fabric in place with silk ribbons.

Alec searched for my hand, grasped it and squeezed reassuringly. I felt a sudden surge of electricity.
It was not the first time this had happened and I really wanted to attribute this to the rings, yet something deep within told me otherwise. Whether he felt it too, I have no idea, as he gave no indication.

He lifted my hand to his lips and t
hat’s when I noticed the glow. His ring shone brightly and bathed his face and mine, in a ruby-like aura. In my own ring the eyes of the serpents blazed.

N
ow I knew its significance. No one seeing that would be crazy enough to challenge. My aunt looked overjoyed as she, and the officiates in white cloaks, took up their positions in front of us. The four-in-red took up the rear.

‘Ready?’ Luc
asked me as he threw a gold cloak over his own shoulders.

I
briefly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Ready.’

He pushed open the doors, which folded ba
ck on themselves, to reveal an expansive lawn area which led down to the water’s edge.

Directly in front of us a roped-off pathway had been created
leading to a white wisteria-covered pavilion. It stood on three sandstone platforms, elevating it above the level of the surrounding garden.

I gasped as
several hundred pale faces turned towards us. They rose from their seats and stood silently. Music played in the distance.

I was too aware of their eyes on me and it was enough to make me want to turn and run. There was
such a mix of people and some looked no older than their twenties. It was difficult to tell who was vampire and who was
donsang
, until I came close enough to make out their eyes. There wasn’t a fang or reptile-eye in sight.

Luc must have sensed my hesitation, for
like Alec, he grasped my other hand in his just as the Elders started the procession and we stepped down onto the grassy path. I was determined not to let my fear of being the centre of attention—especially among this particular company—paralyse me.

Taking slow, deep breaths, I lifted my chin and looked defiantly around me.

Alec squeezed my hand. ‘Good girl,’ he whispered.

T
he assembled guests were in formal wear; black tie for men, evening gowns for women. There wasn’t a black cape, swishy cloak or “Morticia” dress in sight. I hadn’t expected stunning designer creations.
Vampires have taste
, I silently admitted.

As we progressed
towards the pavilion, a few murmured “
Princeps”
and “
Ingenii”
came from individuals in the crowd. All inclined their heads slightly as we passed. Waiting for us under the arch was another tall, gold-cloaked figure—a strikingly handsome man with olive skin and dark hair. It was impossible to gauge his age. In his right hand gleamed the longest, most menacing sword I have ever seen.

‘Who is that?’ I whispered to Alec.

‘Marcus Antonius Pulcher, the Cardinal Elder and your ancestor. He’s leading the ceremony.’

I looked on, stunned,
until, out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a familiar face in the crowd—my Dad. Alec told me my parents would be here, but the seat next to him was empty. It didn’t surprise me. Mum simply wouldn’t have had the strength to cope with something like this.

Dad smiled
sadly at me as we passed.

We reached the pavilion steps and I desperately hoped no one would sudd
enly jump out and challenge Alec. Sometime during our procession the music stopped and the absolute silence was eerie. It was as if everyone waited for something to happen. My nervousness rose.

Light glinted on the silken cloaks of the Elders in front of us as they alighted on the sandstone steps. All
bowed their heads towards Marcus’s imposing figure. Alec and Luc, with me between, followed behind.

‘Marcus.’ Luc
dipped his head and placed my hand in the man’s large outstretched palm. He bowed to me and kissed my fingertips. I looked into the saddest pair of eyes I’d ever encountered.

‘So much like An
tonia,’ he said in a rich baritone voice before directing me to face the assembled crowd.

Alec released my
other hand and moved slightly to my right as the Elders arranged themselves in a crescent behind us. Aunt Judy stepped to my side, faced the crowd with me and took hold of my hand.

Everyone waited.

Marcus Antonius bowed deeply to the gathering and his voice boomed in the silence. ‘I, Marcus Antonius Pulcher, welcome you all, Brethren. We gather to recognise the new
Ingenii.
Child of the House of the Antonii, descendant of Antonia Pulchra, my daughter and her son, Paulus…’

I listen
ed rapt as he recited a long list of names. The first were all Latin, followed by French, until the last few. They were English and culminated in me. I realised he was individually naming each
Ingenii
, from the very beginning till the present, like some type of oral history.

After he
completed the recitation, my Aunt Judy spoke. ‘I, Judith Mary Dantonville, of the House of the Antonii, do this night in the presence of the Brethren, willingly relinquish my position as
Ingenii
and pass it to Laura Anne Dantonville, of the House of the Antonii.’

While she was still speaking, the woman Maris came up behind her, removed the cloak from around her shoulders
and placed it over mine. She let the silken ties hang loosely down the front of my gown. My aunt gave me a smile and squeezed my hand before stepping down off the dais to take her seat beside my dad.

Marcus Antonius leaned over
and whispered, ‘Laura, just repeat what I say.’

I n
odded. Alec’s presence close behind me made my body tingle.

‘I, Laura Anne Dantonvil
le, of the House of the Antonii,’ I repeated nervously after Marcus, ‘this night willingly accept, in the presence of the Brethren, my position by blood as
Ingenii
to him whom I choose as my guardian.’

‘Well done,’ Marcus whispered close
in my ear. He then raised my hand to expose the Serpent Ring and addressed the crowd. ‘The Ritual will now commence.
Sanguis ingenii, Laura, est deligere.
The
Ingenii
, Laura is to choose.’

I was surprised
to hear him speaking Latin. Just how old was this ceremony? I could only guess. And how many here could understand it? Maybe that’s why he repeated everything in English.

‘I choose Alec
Munro,’ I said.

‘Quid audient provocare?
Who dares challenge?’

A flash of red caught my eye
as four scarlet clad figures strode to the front of the dais, positioned themselves on either side of Alec and me and simultaneously threw back their cloaks to reveal their broad swords.

I held my breath.

No one moved. No one uttered a word, although a few glances through narrowed eyes were aimed at us. Marcus Antonius waited. Alec’s face was taut and a tightness around his mouth revealed his tenseness. Though not reptilian, his eyes were fierce.

Once again, Marcus Antonius’
s voice cut through the stillness.
‘Nullus.
No one’, he declared triumphantly. ‘
Sino serpens dicere!
Allow the serpents to speak!’

A
lec moved up to stand behind me and Marcus Antonius placed my hand in his, intertwined our fingers and raised them in the air with our rings facing the crowd. A ripple of sound grew into an acclamation and I caught my breath as a brilliant scarlet light flared from our linked hands. It illuminated the assembled crowd making them appear as if bathed in blood.

Alec turned his face to me. His
eyes were a deep jacaranda blue and the dazzling smile he wore took my breath away.

Gasps a
nd murmurs came from the crowd, but there was no time to ponder its significance as Marcus Antonius held up his hand for silence.

‘Consummato.
Consummate,’ he announced.

Alec released my hand and moved a step away. From the corner
of my eye I saw the movement of gold as Maris and Zhao stepped forward, removed our white silken cloaks and let them to drop to the floor. As he resumed his position in the crescent, Maris leaned over me, her breath cool on my neck as she slowly lowered the chiffon strap of my dress. Her proximity and the cold touch of her fingers on my skin made me shiver.

S
he swept my hair to one side exposing my throat and her hand seemed to linger there. I dared a quick glance. For the briefest of moments, naked hunger flashed from her eyes then just as suddenly was gone. Yet the image remained and with it the realisation I was surrounded by creatures who lived in darkness and thrived on human blood. How many here would want to kill Alec to possess me? My stomach tightened yet it was too late to turn and run, and showing fear among these creatures would be just as risky.

After exposing my left shoulder and neck, Maris too, resumed her place in the crescent, but the foul impression she left behind wrapped itself around me like a shroud.

‘Alec,’ I barely breathed.

‘Don’t show fear,’ he
whispered. ‘Remember what I told you.’

His voice had an instant comforting effect
. He moved to stand behind me once again and one hand encircled my waist, drawing me close to his body while his other hand gently lifted my chin and angled my head back onto his shoulder.

Okay, here it comes.

I heard his quick intake of breath and felt his heart beat strongly against my back. Mine beat just as hard. I whispered so low I may have been simply mouthing the words, but I knew he would hear. ‘Will it hurt?’

‘Just a sting
.’ His voice was thick. ‘I’ll make it as quick and painless as possible. Think of something to distract you,’ he whispered back.

Close my eyes and think of Australia, perhaps?
I gritted my teeth and hoped it would be over soon.

I felt his cool lips
on my naked shoulder as he made his slow, sensual way along my collarbone towards my neck. Was this part of the Ritual or was he deliberately trying to distract me? If it was the latter, then it was certainly working!

Then it came
—the sharp sting as his fangs penetrated my skin. I let out a faint, brief scream. My back arched which threw my head more deeply into the hard muscle of his shoulder. I clutched at his arm, Alec’s grip tightened, and the hand, which cupped my chin and jaw, held like a vice.