ADarkDesire (2 page)

“Nikalye?”

His eyes met hers.

“This is tea.” She held out a cup of steaming brown liquid. “Um, it hasn’t got sugar in it, but if you try it without and then with, we can see if anything happens.”

He took the cup from her and raised it to his lips. He inhaled deeply, taking in the aromatic scent and then took a sip. He shook his head. “It is bitter.”

“Okay, let’s try with sugar. One to start off with.”

Nikalye tried it again and shook his head.

Okay, this is going to be a long day.
Belia stifled a giggle behind her hand. “I’m sorry, I just…”

“Made a joke without realising it?”

Belia’s eyes widened. “Okay, that’s scary. How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Read my thoughts.”

“It is who I am. I have never thought about it.” He frowned. How could I read minds?

“Can you do it all the time? Or…or don’t you know?”

“Since waking to find you underneath me, I know that you know about vampires. You have been bitten from one and live here in the middle of the South Pole to keep safe, as vampires do not come out in the sunlight. You think I am incredibly handsome and have wondered what it would be like to kiss me.”

Belia’s face reddened.
Oh no.
She stood quickly, avoiding his eyes and headed towards her small kitchen.
Where’s the alcohol? I need a stiff one.

“A…stiff one?”

Belia’s face reddened further, her eyes darting down his body before she turned away and pulled a bottle out of one of the cupboards along with a small glass.
Crap, this was a bad idea.
She poured the brown contents into the small glass and swallowed it in one. She sighed happily.

Nikalye inhaled deeply, taking in the strong scent of spices and other tropical scents. His stomach grumbled loudly. “What is that?”

“Rum.” Belia poured him a glass.

Nikalye took it and swallowed it in one, just as she had. The flavours exploded on his tongue, burned his throat and made him tingle pleasantly.

Belia raised a questioning brow.

“This is nice.”

She sat forward. “Do you remember anything?”

Nikalye shook his head and she slumped back against the settee. “I am sorry.”

“You don’t need to be. Okay, let’s try this. Your name is Nikalye Rodriguez. Your Mother was human, which is why you have the human last name Rodriguez…that was her last name. She was psychic, which might explain how you can read minds. Your Father was, or is a very powerful vampire. He named you Nikalye, I think. That’s what I remember anyway.”

“How do you know this?” Nothing she said made him remember anything about who he was, or about his life.

“Y…you told me.”

Nikalye’s eyebrows rose. “I told you this stuff?”

Belia nodded quickly. “You saved me from…my attack. You helped me. Built this home for me to live in and promised I would be safe. Nothing is coming back?”

Nikalye shook his head and exhaled softly.

“Do you remember anything? Anything at all?”

An image of a dark haired, beautiful warrior flashed in his mind. He felt and saw her radiant smile, her eyes light up, the warmth and love she emitted—everything that covered her nightmares, her fears.

“Layla.”

Chapter Three

The name on his lips was like a kick in the stomach. The way his eyes lit up and his lips curved into a small smile told Belia that this
Layla
was important to him. Very important.

“Who is she?” Belia tried to keep her voice normal, but even she couldn’t miss the slight shake in her words.
Why do I care?

“Lady Layla Theraux. Princess Layla Theraux.”

Belia’s eyes widened. “She’s a royal?”

Nikalye met her eyes, but she knew his focus was entirely on Layla. “Her Mother is Queen of the Spirit Demons. Her Father the first of the first.”

Belia choked on her rum, coughing hard. She gasped in some air. “You’re joking?”

Nikalye shook his head slowly, his eyebrows turned down. “Something is wrong.”

“What?”

“I…do not know.”

“Okay, tell me about Layla. What does she look like? How do you know her? Tell me everything, from the beginning and then maybe you’ll remember what’s wrong.”

“I have been with her since birth. Layla and Akila, both identical, but completely different from one another—Akila loved to read and write, loved the history of the creatures of the darkness. Layla, she loved to fight. She was a born warrior.”

“Sounds like she’s a badass.”

“She has many scars. Scares she bears like a warrior, yet fears everyone seeing.”

“And…she is still beautiful?”

Nikalye focused on her for a second, his eyes sweeping across her face and making heat rise in her cheeks as she struggled not to shift. “Only I can see her scars.” He ran his fingers over her neck, just like he did in the snow. “Just as I can see yours.”

“How?” Belia couldn’t speak above a whisper.

“It is who I am. I see everything, hear everything. Layla, she was taken by the humans hunting us. Her sister and she were only fourteen years old, yet no amount of training prepared any of us for what happened.” Nikalye’s gaze went distant again.

Belia moved forward, causing his hand to run through her hair as she touched his cheek gently. “What happened?”

“They killed her sister, mutilated her. I did not see her, nor was I fast enough to save her, but she was always on Layla’s mind. Both when she was alive, and how Layla saw her when she was dead.” Nikalye shook his head. “Layla was with the humans for years before I could get to her. They tortured her badly, cutting her open, injecting her with silver as well as other creatures’ blood.” Nikalye fell silent, staring off into the distance.

Belia inhaled deeply, reached out and thought better of it. She let her hand drop to her side. “Nikalye?”

He focused on her again and lifted his hand to her face. “So many scars.” His fingers swept across her skin, tracing patterns across her forehead, around her eyes, across her cheeks and chin and down her neck, stopping where her top did.

“She…those are the scars you can see?”

“She has them over her entire body.”

“Okay…” Belia swallowed heavily, blinking back the tears forming in her eyes. She hated seeing Nikalye in pain. “Okay, so you got her back safely.”

“Yes. But she wasn’t stable. Nightmares frequently took over her dreams. Hunger took over her senses. She escaped from my watch and went on a rampage that no one will ever forget. So many dead, caused by an innocent dhampir hybrid that hungered for the blood of creatures surrounding her, all because of what the humans did. I got her back once more, but the damage was done. She never forgot what she did.” Nikalye exhaled softly. “I tried my hardest to bring her back.”

“Did you?” Belia kept her voice low, not wanting him to forget, but when Nikalye frowned, her stomach sank.

“I…can’t remember.”

Belia turned his face. “Okay, so these feelings you’re getting, that she’s in danger. Why do you feel that way?”

“Something dark rose,” Nikalye whispered.

Belia shivered, casting a quick glance around her. “Something…dark?”

Nikalye rubbed his forehead. “That’s all I remember.”

“Okay, so…so this is good.” Belia shifted closer. “You remember this…Layla. If we can find her, then maybe you’ll get your memories back.”

“What if I am too late to find her?”

Belia felt her heart break at the sadness she felt and saw in his eyes. She wanted to tell him he wasn’t too late, but not even she could get the words out. “What if you’re not? It’s a risk you have to take.” She inhaled deeply, calming her emotions. “We’ll find Layla, okay?” She waited until Nikalye nodded before smiling. She had no idea how she would help. They were in the middle of the South Pole with no way of getting anywhere. “We’ll sleep on it. Believe it or not, it’s pretty late.”

Nikalye’s eyes went to the only window in the small home and a smile played across his face. “I am glad one of us knows something around here.”

“Well, you do have amnesia. And you haven’t lived here for over nineteen years. I don’t even need a clock to tell me when it’s late and when it’s not.” Belia stood. “You can take my bed, I’ll take the settee. You’re much too big to sleep on here.”

“I couldn’t.”

“I could. I normally fall asleep on the settee watching TV anyway and I know you’re tired so don’t tell me you’re not. Go.” She pointed to the stairs.

“You’re a little demanding, aren’t you?”

Belia blushed, not saying a word. She nudged him off the settee and followed him up the stairs to her room.

It was small, the double bed taking up most of the space and a chest of draws squeezed next to it.

Belia grabbed two of the four pillows and the thick blanket that was folded neatly at the bottom of her bed. Hugging them to her chest, she smiled at Nikalye. “Hopefully you’ll find the bed as comfy as I do. I’ll see you…later.”
Stop loitering about. Just leave him to sleep and get his energy back.

From the corner of her eye, Nikalye smiled.

He took her hand in his and bowed his head to press his lips to the back of her hand.

Heat swept through her and an ache formed in between her legs. Her mouth opened, her eyebrows rising as Nikalye opened his eyes, his gaze sending electric shooting up her arm and across her entire body.
Oh God.

“Goodnight, Belia.”

Belia pulled her hand from his grasp and took a step back, still shocked.
What just happened?
When Nikalye stepped forward, Belia spun on her heel and headed out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She leant back against it, blowing out a long breath. “Holy crap.”

From behind the closed door, Nikalye chuckled, making Belia jump and head down the stairs quickly before she began to think of obscene thoughts that would surely get her into trouble.

Chapter Four

Belia jumped awake, a scream on the tip of her tongue when a hand closed over her mouth. She struggled to get away when Nikalye put his face close to hers, his warm breath playing across her face as he leant down and put his lips to her ear.

“There are men sneaking around outside.”

What?

Nikalye removed his hand so she could speak.

“What do we do?” She almost jumped at how loud her whisper sounded in the quiet room.

“You stay here.”

Before Belia could gather her thoughts, Nikalye shot up and was out of the house before she could blink. “Nikalye!” Belia untangled herself from the blanket and tiptoed to the slightly open door. She squinted through the bright daylight. Nikalye was nowhere to be seen.

Even if anyone had been outside, they couldn’t do much sneaking. Not in the white snow or the bright sky.

So where had Nikalye gone?
Maybe he’s around the back.

Belia shifted from foot to foot, waiting for when Nikalye came back into view. Everything was quiet. Even the wind didn’t make a sound.

A creak broke the silence, echoing from upstairs. Belia jumped and put her hand over her heart while it thumped hard. She pressed herself against the wall, keeping her eyes on the stairs as she moved to the side until her bedroom door came into view.

The door handle moved down slowly and the door creaked open.

Someone is here!

A man appeared, his gaze met hers and when he smiled, his fangs flashed in the darkness.

Belia sucked in air when he appeared in front of her, leering and reaching out.

Nikalye grabbed him around the throat and slammed him into the floor. He twisted, catching another vampire’s foot with his own and tripping him. He gazed at her while she cowered in the corner, his eyes sweeping over her before he turned, then grabbed the fallen vampire and threw him across the room, knocking the vampires descending the stairs into the wall with such force, the wood groaned and splintered.

Nikalye’s hand in hers was warm as he dragged her across the room and up the stairs quickly.

When a vampire charged out of the bedroom, Nikalye pushed Belia into the wall and punched the vampire in the face.

Belia’s breathing became heavier as she watched Nikalye advance and grab the vampire’s top before punching him hard and throwing him down the stairs, knocking the others down again.

Seeing the vampire walk casually out of her room sent a shock through Belia, she stared, open mouthed at him before she pulled her senses together.
Is that…it can’t be.

His blue-white eyes sent shivers running down her spine as he pulled out a silver dagger and advanced on Nikalye as another vampire closed in at the same time.

“Nikalye!”

Nikalye spun around and ducked the vampire’s attack, pulling Belia down with him. He kicked out, breaking the vampire’s knee and knocked him to the floor.

Belia turned away as the sickening crunch of broken bones made her stomach roll and inhaled hard as the vampire raised his dagger and brought it down on Nikalye.

He staggered into Belia as she gasped and growled, baring his fangs as he spun around.

The vampire disappeared before Nikalye could step towards him.

Belia put her hands over her mouth, her eyes filling with tears as her eyes followed the movement of blood sliding down Nikalye’s bare back.

He reached up and pulled the dagger from his back. More blood spilled down his back before the wound stitched back together.

Oh my God.
She watched as Nikalye stormed down the stairs and grabbed a vampire from the floor. Before she could even wonder what he was going to do, he bared his fangs and sank them into the vampire’s neck.

Belia’s heart thumped hard when the vampire’s screams echoed around the house as he struggled against Nikalye. It was no use. The vampire wasn’t going to escape.

Nikalye dropped him to the floor, licked the blood from his lips and met Belia’s eyes. “Pack your things, we’re leaving.”

Chapter Five

Nikalye leant against the door to Belia’s bedroom as she packed her clothes into a suitcase. He kept his distance, aware that she was afraid because of what he did. He hadn’t meant to lose control. He hadn’t meant to put Belia in danger.