Seer: Thrall (39 page)

"And Amanda?"

"That depends upon what you dream."

I nodded. "Are you going to slurp?"

She sighed. "I really wish you'd come up with a different word."

I cocked my head so I could look up at her. She was smiling. "It amuses you."

"It does," she agreed. "Yes, I am going to slurp. And then later, you will."

Without another word, I squirmed around so I lay across her, providing unhindered access to my neck. I craned my head slightly, kissing
her
neck briefly, and she made a sound of appreciation. After that, I closed my eyes. "You may slurp, Solange."

She chuckled. "I am stunned by your romantic nature, Sidney."

"That's me," I admitted. "Sidney the romantic slurpee."

She didn't respond, but she began caressing my neck and nuzzling at me. This was typical. There were several reasons her fangs would appear, but when drinking from me, she preferred the more sensuous causes. She leaned over and brushed her lips along my neck.

"I wouldn't suppose I could talk you into offering this time a little more reverence."

"I would," I replied, "but you have trained me well."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The harder it is for you to get in the mood, the longer you pamper me like this."

She began laughing. "Tell me that's not really why you do it."

I laughed with her. "No. But it sounded good. Solange, it's just... You're
eating
me. If I don't make a joke of it, I freak out a little."

"Oh honey," she said. She leaned back in the bed. She continued to caress me lightly, but it felt absentmindedly.

"It's okay, Solange," I said. I reached up a hand and cupped the back of her head, trying to pull her lips back down to my neck, but she resisted me.

"Give me a minute, Sidney. You're not in a hurry, are you?"

"No," I said. I relaxed a little further and enjoyed the gentle caresses.

We lay like that for several minutes. Solange continued to caress and stroke me, and my thoughts felt free to roam, not settling on anything distinct.

"Sidney, when you share your blood with me, you are sharing life. In a way, it's a little like sharing a small portion of your soul. If I were to take too much, it would hurt you, but I don't take enough to hurt you. Your soul replenishes itself. But by sharing with me, you keep me alive."

I thought about it, but it still seemed like I was food.

"This is a sacred time for me," she went on. "And what you do here is sacred to me as well." She made a rude noise. "I don't think I'm explaining myself well. But what you do is a gift. Without this, I die."

"How is that different than if I stop eating or drinking?"

"I don't know. To me, it is. I admit. I used to see this only as food and hedonistic pleasure. But somewhere along the line it became sacred to me. I'm sorry; I'm not explaining it well."

I opened my eyes and tipped my head up to kiss the underside of her jaw. "Solange," I said gently. "I offer a portion of my life." I then tipped my chin the other way, giving her access.

"Oh, darling," she whispered. She lowered her head, and I felt her fangs extending as she kissed my neck. She brushed her fangs sideways across my neck. I made a small noise of appreciation to encourage her.

My body began to react to what she was doing and to what she was about to do. I remembered the intense pleasure of her bite, and I began to pant lightly in anticipation.

"Yes, Solange," I whispered. I reached up with my hand and cupped her head again, clutching at her.

She teased me with her fangs, brushing them against me, scratching me lightly, then more deeply. She licked the scratches away, and each touch of her tongue caused me to squirm.

"Oh Solange," I murmured. I opened my eyes and stared at the side of her face and her ear. Her eyes were closed, and so maybe she didn't know I watched her. I thought perhaps the next time we did this, I'd make her do it in front of a mirror so I could watch.

She lifted her head and her eyes opened. She caught me watching her.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied. But I moved my hand and caressed her fangs. She held still for me while I did it, and then I intentionally pierced a fingertip. I smiled at her as I painted my neck with a few drops of blood.

She growled, but it wasn't in anger, and then she clasped my wrist and took my finger in her mouth. I rubbed the finger over her tongue, but I knew the tiny wound healed nearly instantly. She sucked for a moment then pulled my finger from her mouth and lowered her lips to my neck, now stained with my blood. She lapped at me, cleaning the blood from me.

"You try to rush this?" she asked between licks.

"No, Solange," I said. "I only try to remain engaged." But I closed my eyes and squirmed as she grazed me with her fangs again.

She was taking her time; she usually did. And I responded to her foreplay, growing aroused myself. The more often she did this, the faster I responded. I knew in time she would only need to caress my neck and I would want her.

There may have been a time that thought would have bothered me, but now I felt my own need, and instead I relished the thought.

"Scratch harder," I whispered.

She didn't need more encouragement. It still hurt, and I winced, even though I'd been expecting it. But then she lapped at me, and it felt good.

I moaned, and I felt her need grow in response to my sounds of pleasure.

And then she bit, she bit deeply. I gasped from the pain, and as she always did, she stilled, her fangs buried in my neck, her lips wrapped around the wound. I knew my blood was welling into her mouth. The pain lingered for a moment, but then she sucked, and I gasped a new gasp, this one of pleasure.

This was right. This was proper.

I loved her. I knew I loved her. That hadn't ended. Indeed, over the last several months, the love had grown, even mixed as it was with anger and fear.

She needed this to survive, but I had grown to need this as well.

She sucked again, and I moaned, pulling her head more tightly against me. I began panting as the pleasure spread throughout me; I continued panting as conscious thoughts fled from my mind.

But I felt her with me, not just physically, but inside me somehow. And perhaps she hadn't bound me the way she'd once threatened, but I knew I was bound in another way.

"Solange," I whispered. "I am yours."

Beneath me, she shuddered at my words, and then she worked her mouth, driving her fangs deeper, and she sucked heavily.

I screamed out her name in joy. Then again, and then a third time.

She slowed down after that, drinking more lightly.

And then I felt her fangs withdraw, and it was only her lips and her tongue against my throat.

But I shuddered once more from the pleasure, an entire body orgasm, deep and lasting, and then I lay still against her, completely limp and spent.

But I managed a word.

"Yours."

She hummed at me; she hummed her pleasure.

We lay together like that for a long time afterwards, Solange eventually removing her lips from my neck but leaving our cheeks pressed together. But then she whispered, "And I am yours." I was too spent to respond.

But I remembered.

I could easily have slept, but I knew my duty; tonight, I would dream. When I was able to rouse myself, I slipped sideways until I lay next to Solange, working my way up so my head was on the pillow. I lay on my side facing her. She rolled over to face me in return.

"Thank you, Sidney," she said.

"You are welcome, Solange." I smiled. The pleasure from her bite had driven my fear of the dreams away. "I am ready to dream. Promise you'll stay."

"I'll stay right here beside your bed, Sidney."

I got comfortable then nodded. Solange began talking, and after a while, her eyes captured mine, and slowly I faded into sleep.

"How?" I screamed. I threw the papers across the room, but instead of hitting the opposite wall with a satisfying amount of breakage, they fluttered into the air and fell, scattered, to the floor.

"Garrett!" I screamed even more loudly. "Garrett!"

But Garrett wasn't coming. The fool had proven to be far too fragile. He should have known better than to get in my way.

"Someone is a spy!" I screamed, then I grew quiet, cold. "Someone is a spy," I said more quietly. "And there's only one person who knew how the girls died." I growled the next word. "Danette."

I didn't wait but instead moved quickly and promptly down to the cellar.

There were four cells. After disposing of the last two girls, I had restocked. Each cell was occupied, three with girls and one with a boy. By the time I had the basement door open, all four of them were on their knees, their foreheads pressed against the floor in supplication. They were silent.

I'd taught them not to cry.

I stopped in the main corridor, looking between all four cells, considering my choices. I stopped facing the traitor.

"Danette," I said in a sing-song voice. "Would you like to play?"

"Yes, Mistress!" she said immediately. "You know I'll please you."

"I am sure you will," I said. I stepped to her cell and opened the door. "The rest of you remain where you are."

I knew they wouldn't move. I could already feel their agony.

I gestured to the girl, and she led the way to the play room, waving her naked ass at me the entire time. The cheap little vixen thought she could fool me. She couldn't! I didn't know how she was betraying me, but she'd tell me. Oh, she would tell me.

She came to a stop in the center of the room and turned, about to sink to her knees, but from the doorway I told her, "Bind your legs with rope. Do it tightly."

"Yes, Mistress!"

She ran to the supply cabinet, grabbed a carefully coiled length of rope from the hook, and then moved to the center of the room. She sat down on the cold concrete and began tying her own legs, exactly as I'd taught her. I watched carefully as she pulled the ropes snuggly.

"Tie the knot in front," I directed. "And it better be tight!"

"It is, Mistress!" she said. "Just like you taught me."

She finished the knot then sat there, looking at the floor between us. I looked at her for a moment before walking to the cabinet and retrieving a second length of rope. I moved to stand behind her then pulled her to her feet, holding her until she was steady. I began wrapping her body with the rope, building a harness. Then I left her there and retrieved one more length of rope. She was already waiting with her hands behind her back when I returned, and I bound her arms behind her. I used one more length to tighten her elbows closer together, yanking on them tightly.

She cried out once, but then grew still.

"We're going to play a new game," I told her from over her shoulder. "It's called 'Interrogation'."

I caressed her with my fingers, paying particular attention to her neck. She shuddered with anticipation, but I wouldn't be biting her tonight. No, there would be no pleasure for her.

Then I set my hands on her arms and half carried, half dragged her over to the winch. I steadied her underneath the hook, then stepped over and released the handle. A moment later, I was pulling downwards on the cable and then hooked the cable around the ropes binding her legs.

Danette tried to watch me without making it obvious she was watching me. I should have punished her; she should have been staring at the floor in front of her. But I had bigger fish to fry.

I didn't bother helping her to sit. Instead, I began hauling on the cable and yanked her right off her feet. She fell with a thud and cried out. A moment later, I could smell her blood; she'd given herself a bump on the head.

"Poor thing," I said.

I cranked on the handle until she floated above the floor dangling upside down. I could smell her fear. I lifted her until her eyes were level with mine before locking the winch in place.

I stepped up to her. "I want to know who you've been telling. I want to know how you've been telling. And I want to know who they have been telling."

"I don't understand."

"I have been receiving drawings, and only you and I could have describe some of the scenes. I didn't do it, so it must have been you. Tell me who you told, and I'll kill you easily."

She began protesting immediately. I didn't bother calling her a liar. She knew what I wanted, after all. I moved to the supply cabinet and picked my first tool.

"Enough!" I said in my head. "Enough! Please, no more. Enough!"

And mercifully, the dream shifted.

* * * *

"Hello, Gideon."

"Bistra," I replied.

"You should know: your spy died loyal to you."

"My spies are, of course, utterly loyal," I replied. "What do you want, Bistra?"

"I am coming for you, Gideon. I don't know how she was getting word to you, but I am coming for you."

"Don't take too long," I replied before clicking off. I turned to my terrified human and caressed her face. "She won't hurt you, Lexie." I caressed her face. "If she calls again, be very polite and forward her along."

"Yes, Gideon," she replied. She laid her cheek in my hand and held my hand against her face. I curled my fingers under her chin and lifted her face, then bent over and kissed her slowly. The return kiss was hesitant, which I was sure as due to nerves; she was usually far more enthusiastic with her affection.

"Sleep in my bed tonight. Make sure I know when you are about to retire."

"Yes, Gideon," she said again. "Thank you."

I kissed her again, briefly, then slipped away from her, shaking my head.

What was I going to do about Bistra? I had calls to make. I headed for my office.

My chief of security was still waiting for me. She was a vampire, of course, four hundred years old. She wasn't my oldest offspring, but she was amongst the oldest. And she was very, very good.

"What do you think is going on?"

"The most obvious choice? Bistra has finally lost it. It was only a matter of time."

"She claims my spy was loyal. Did we have a spy in her home?"

"No," Reese replied. "We could never have placed a vampire, and she is way, way too hard on her humans. It's been fifty years since she had one last more than two years, and I wouldn't have wanted to be that human."

I moved and sat down at my desk. "Who do you think is sending these?"

"I think she is. I think she's playing a game."

"Next obvious choice?"

"One of her offspring."

I picked up one of the drawings. "Has there been any luck chasing the packages?"

"No. Both have come from the same FedEx location in Louisville. Human investigators can only verify they were dropped off by someone vaguely matching Bistra's physical description. I have not been willing to use more aggressive techniques, although I have investigators watching that location around the clock. I'm sorry, but it didn't occur me to place someone after the first package."

I waved it away.

"Gideon, you hate her. You have good cause to hate her. I've checked. We're not the only one receiving these packages, although Bistra isn't making threatening calls to anyone else. It's time to put her down, and I believe you'll have the support."

"Not yet," I replied. I picked up one of the drawings. "These are very good. Is there any chance of tracing the artist?"

"I doubt it. They're good, but they aren't distinctive enough to identify an artist. Even if we had more work by the same artist, I wouldn't be willing to place an accusation."

"Check for artists associated with our brethren," I told her.

"Everyone who is anyone has artists associated with his court," Reese replied. "You personally have four who could do this." She threw a packet of drawings on my desk. "See?"

I paged through what she'd given me. They were a variety of drawings of me, her, and other members of our household.

"This is Melanie's work," I said, waving one of the drawings.

"Yes," she agreed. "But the others?"

I studied them and compared them to the others. I couldn't have said a thing about the artists. I tossed everything down in disgust.

"Fingerprints?"

"The outside of the envelopes were rife with fingerprints. The insides were clean."

"Damn it. All right. Let's heat her up a little ourselves. I want plans on my desk by the end of next week."

"Criteria?"

"Don't get caught."

"Got it."

The dream faded.

* * * *

I woke slowly. The lights were dim, but I could see Solange and Aubree. I reached out a hand from under the covers. "Solange..."

Immediately she turned to me, and moments later she crawled into bed with me, pulling me to her. I clung to her.

"I'm here," she whispered. "I'm here, Sidney."

"Aubree, we'll need Amanda," I said. "I already shut off my computer, so you can move it downstairs."

"I'll take care of it, Sidney," Aubree said. She was on her phone before pulling the door closed behind her.

I didn't say anything for a while. I lay against Solange, clinging to her. She pulled the covers up tight around us and spoke soothingly. Inside, I felt more dead than anything.

Danette had been a human, and she had tried to treat that one girl right. Perhaps she was doing the best she could in the situation she was in. I wasn't sure whether I should grieve for her or not.

"Our actions are causing deaths. She killed the woman who helped her last time, but she has three more in cells, one is a man. Or boy. I couldn't be sure."

"We aren't causing deaths," Solange said. "She is. She is making her choices. If we leave her, she will continue to kill, dozens a year or more."

"Collateral damage?"

"Yes," Solange said. "I am sorry. But she would be killing people regardless of what we do. Maybe this way, we'll stop her."

"She's imploding," I said. "She made another call to Gideon." I gave her an overview of the dream. "There's something important. They're watching the FedEx office you've been using in Louisville."

"Bistra?"

"Someone named Reese. She's one of Gideon's."

"Reese." Solange said it like she knew the other vampire.

"Bad blood?" I asked.

"No. She's very good. You aren't as upset from this one."

"I wasn't forced to watch the worst," I said. "And I'm not sure whether I grieve for Danette. Those other prisoners are doomed though, aren't they?"

"Probably. Even if Gideon were to lead a force tonight, he probably wouldn't rescue them, but he'd give them an easier death."

"He's not leading a force. They're going to 'heat her up' themselves. He gave Reese a week to make plans."

After that we lay quietly. For a while, I thought about Bistra, Gideon, Reese, and the poor, hapless humans caught in the mess. But then my thoughts turned inward; I was a poor, hapless human caught in the mess, too.

But I had Solange.

That was the thought in my head. I had Solange.

Everything was so overwhelming. I didn't believe I was emotionally equipped to deal with everything. I had thought I had my resilience back, that it had recovered along with my body. I had thought her blood bank was the worst I would ever have to face, and with that behind me, I was ready to face anything.

I realized I had been wrong.

I was struck with an overwhelming urge to make one simple request, and then the words tumbled from my lips.

"Please take care of me, Solange."

"I will, darling," she promised. "I will."

* * * *

Aubree retrieved us perhaps another ten minutes later. By the time Solange had me out of the bed, Aubree was holding my robe and a pair of slippers. She slipped the robe about my shoulders, and Solange knelt in front of me to place the slippers onto my feet. Both were being amazingly gentle with me.

I noticed the incongruity of two vampires treating one human so delicately.

I never, ever would have thought I would need to be treated this way. My childhood had honed me to be stronger than this. Maybe if they weren't so gentle, I would be responding with more strength. But I realized I didn't need to. I didn't want to.

I wanted to be treated like this. I wanted to let Solange be my knight in shining armor. I chuckled as Solange stood up.

"It amuses you that I put your slippers on for you?"

"No," I said. "Your armor is shining, Solange."

She smiled at that then slipped an arm over my shoulders, and Aubree led the way downstairs.

Amanda and Cadence were both waiting. Amanda looked tired, but she moved to me the moment we entered the room, and I accepted the hug.