Date with a Vampire (18 page)

She went back into the bedroom and swung the door open. Her heart did a flip-flop. No servant stood before her. It was the sexy Romanian with the curly blond hair and deep chocolate eyes. Guy’s brother.

— : : —

“Melody, it’s so nice to see you again.” Theo smiled broadly and pushed past her before she could slam the door on him.

“What do you want?” She glared at him, fear evident in her gorgeous eyes.

He reached out and took hold of her hand, bringing it up to his mouth. He ran his lips over her soft, smooth skin before kissing it.

She pulled back, wiping her hand on her jeans. “Get out!”

Theo laughed at her attempt to order him, as if her words would cause him to leave. “My dear, why on earth would I do that when I’ve only just arrived?”

“Guy will be here any second, and he won’t be happy to find you in my room.”

He chuckled again. “Is that what you call him? Guy? How very endearing.”

“That’s not his name?”

“Well, yes, I suppose it is. I’ve just never heard anyone call him that before. He’s known here as Guystof.”

She glared at him. “As I said, Guy will not be happy to find you in my room.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not staying. And neither are you.”

“What?” She took a step toward the door, but he grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her to him.

“Ah, you don’t think I’d let you go, now do you?”

She pummeled his chest with her fist.

“While I do find your resistance arousing, I can’t have you fighting me right now.” He pulled a white linen handkerchief from his pocket and placed it under her nose. Her body relaxed, and she fell against him, limp as a rag doll.

He carried her out of the room. Melody’s golden hair fell in long spirals over his arm. Her lashes fanned the tops of her high cheekbones, and her facial muscles were relaxed as if she were merely asleep. It would be quite some time before she woke, though. Theo was very familiar with the drug he’d used on her. The root of the tamerine plant, mixed with some ten other herbs, made a powerful sedative when inhaled. He’d been using the concoction for centuries on women he planned to turn into vampires and add to his harem.

He zigzagged through the dark corridors easily, for he knew them well. Soon, he came to a wing of the castle which hadn’t been used for centuries. When he came to a narrow stairwell, he stepped carefully down the slick, mold-covered stairs. At the bottom, he used his magic to open a trapdoor in the floor. The passage was low, and Theo had to crouch as he walked.

It was a relief when he reached the cavern with its twenty-foot ceiling. He placed Melody down gently at the edge of an underground lake. Ripples broke the surface of the otherwise still water, and he watched the red-haired beauty row a small boat toward him. Saliva formed in his mouth, and his fangs broke through his gum line.

Gelda brought the boat ashore and stepped out gracefully. It took all his willpower to keep from sinking his teeth into her sweet flesh. She took great pleasure in being fed upon, but today, despite how tempting the vampire might be, he had more important matters to attend to.

“A new member of our family?” Gelda’s brows rose as her gaze scanned over Melody.

“She will be soon. I need you to prepare her for the turning ceremony.”

Gelda smiled, exposing long, pearly fangs. “With pleasure.” She reached for Melody, but Theo caught her by the waist first.

“Not so fast. There’s no hurry. The girl won’t wake for a while yet.” He ran his hands down Gelda’s muscular back. He’d almost forgotten how good she felt.

She purred with delight, and he teased her further by tracing his fingertip over her collarbone.

When she lifted up her hair, offering him her long, slender neck, he whispered in her ear, “Not now, love. There’ll be time for that later. Just checking to make sure you haven’t forgotten me.”

She kissed his cheek, then moved her mouth down, letting the tip of her fang press into his throat. “Never,” she whispered back.

“Good. Would be a pity to have to kill you.”

She laughed, but he knew she was fully aware that he wasn’t joking. Theo had killed vampires in his harem before. If one of them fell out of favor, he would let the others feed upon her until they had drained the offender of all blood.

He kissed Gelda’s soft lips before releasing her. “Have Melody ready at midnight.”

— : : —

Guystof leaned back in the leather chair, sipped a cup of tea—Earl Grey, black no sugar—and studied his father. A usually robust man, he now looked haggard. Dark bags hung beneath his clear blue eyes, the same shade of blue as Guystof’s. He came around the large mahogany desk that separated them and placed his hands on Guystof’s shoulders. “Have you some news for me, son?”

“Ah, you’ve been dying to ask, haven’t you?” With a chuckle, he set his teacup on the table. “Indeed I do. News that will be sure to please you.”

“Dare I wager a bet on what it is?” He offered his son a tired smile. “Or should I simply ask her name?”

Guystof placed a hand over his father’s and squeezed. “It’s Melody Johnson. And you’re going to love her.”

“If you do, then I shall too. Besides, it will be nice to have a daughter finally after all these years.” He walked over to the wall that held a row of family portraits and scanned each of them, stopping when he came to Guystof’s mother. “I loved her very much. She was a mortal too. Just like your Melody.” His voice was low, as if he spoke only to himself. “It’s a difficult path for them—those mortals who chose to become like us. Especially for woman. Painful. Right at the start and at the end.”

Guystof’s father was thinking back to long ago, rehashing old wounds. It would serve him no good, though he had to admit he’d also been thinking of his mother and of her death… No matter what, he would not let that happen to Melody. He would watch over her night and day. “Shall I bring her to you?”

“I can see you’re anxious to show her off, but we have some business to attend to first.”

Guystof knew exactly to what he referred. Dragesa. His legacy.

His father pulled a document from his desk drawer and smoothed the curled parchment with his hands. “Although I love Theo, he is my son, too, but he is not the rightful heir to the kingdom and would make a terrible ruler to boot. Much too selfish.” His father took out a feather pen and dipped it in the well. “And since you have fulfilled your obligation and have chosen a bride, I see no reason to wait any longer.” He scribbled his name at the bottom, then handed the pen to his son.

Guystof set it down on the table. “But you can’t be ready to retire. Not yet.”

His father picked it up and slipped it into Guystof’s hand. “My rule is finished. It’s time for a future generation to take over. A kinder, more considerate one.” Lines crinkled around the corners of his eyes as he smiled.

Guystof smiled back and put his signature beside his father’s.

“Well, son, all that’s required now to make it legal is the royal seal. We’ll set that upon it on your wedding day.” His father rolled the document back up. “And we mustn’t forget this.” He reached into the neckline of his cape and pulled out a black leather cord, on which hung a gold lion-head pendant. He took off the necklace, then put it around Guystof’s neck. “Now let’s have a look at that bride-to-be of yours.”

“Yes, sir.” Guystof raced out of the study and nearly bumped into Blakesley in the great hall.

“May I assume everything went well with your father, sir?”

Guystof flashed him a huge smile. “Indeed you may.” He bounded up the staircase two steps at a time. When halfway up, he turned and looked down over his shoulder. “Which room is—”

“Third floor, last door on your right,” Blakesley said, before he could finish asking the question.

Guystof raced up the rest of the stairs, then down the long, narrow hall. He couldn’t wait to tell Melody the news. Dragesa was almost his, and that meant Theo’s days of lying and cheating to get what he wanted were over. He would now have to abide by a new set of rules—Guystof’s rules.

Although out of breath when he reached Melody’s room, that didn’t take away his excitement about the future. Their future together. He knocked on her door. After getting no answer, he opened it a crack and peeked inside.

The room was dark. Only the glow of moonlight shining in through the window provided any light. His gaze immediately focused on the four-poster bed. The velvet draperies around it were closed. Poor darling. She must have fallen asleep. He could tell she’d been exhausted by their long trip. He contemplated whether to wake her or leave her to sleep a while longer, but a young servant boy arrived with her luggage and made such a racquet surely she’d wake on her own.

But she didn’t. What a sound sleeper she was! He stepped over to the bed and drew back the drapery. His chest tightened. The pounding of his heart thrummed in his ears. The bed was empty.

“Melody!” He looked around the room, then over to the bathroom. The door was ajar. He strode over to it in three large strides and pushed it open. The tiny room was empty. A glint of gold caught his eye. Melody’s cross lay on the edge of the sink. “I told you to never take it off.”

A murderous rage filled him. There was no doubt in his mind Theo had taken her. But where?

“If you hurt her in any way, brother, you will pay dearly,” he shouted at the empty room.

C
HAPTER
E
LEVEN

M
elody’s body ached. Her head pounded. When she opened her eyes, the room spun. A wave of nausea took hold, and she fought back the need to vomit. What in the world had happened to her? She blinked a few times to bring the room into focus. An eerie world of stalactites and stalagmites sparkled in the light of dozens of candles. Their flames eerily danced and flickered over slime-covered stone walls. A damp, moldy smell permeated her nose. Where the heck was she? Melody tried to sit up, but steel clamps held her wrists and ankles to a limestone table.

Her cloudy memory began to clear. The last thing she remembered was seeing Theo’s evil face. She shivered, not just from cold but at the thought of that monster. It was then that she realized she was naked. What happened to her clothes? Worse yet, who had taken them off her? Her stomach churned when she thought it may have been Theo.

“Help!” Her scream echoed through the cave. “Please, someone, anyone. Help me.”

From the shadows, a tall, Amazon-like woman approached. Her bright red hair was sleek and bobbed with short straight bangs that showed off dark, finely arched brows. The effect made her pale skin look alabaster. On top of her head, worn like a band, were silver goggles with a skull and crossbones etched in each eyepiece. She wore a black lace corset, baggy trousers tucked inside tall, shiny platform boots with lots of buckles. The woman was reminiscent of a 1920’s Amelia Earhart with a weird Goth twist. Her green eyes were rimmed with black liner, and they glistened like emeralds. Her full, blood-red lips curved up at the corners, not in a smile exactly, more like a smirk, and exposed a pair of pearly fangs. In her hands she held a black velvet robe.

“It will do you no good to scream. Only make your head ache more.” Her voice was low-pitched and gravelly.

“Who are you? And how do you know my head hurts?”

The woman raised a pencil-thin brow. “The drug you were given is very powerful. It makes everything hurt.”

“Please, let me go. Guy—Guystof—heir to this whole kingdom—and I are going to be married. If you help me, I’ll see that you’re rewarded.”

“Melody, you are so naïve.”

“You know my name?”

The woman laughed. “I know everything about you. And I know you are not going to marry the count, nor is he going to inherit Dragesa.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Because if he doesn’t marry you or some other rich woman by the end of this week, Theo inherits it all.”

She knew that. Guy had confessed everything. “You’re wrong. Guy loves me. Truly loves me.”

The woman dropped the robe and came to stand beside her. Using her pointer finger, she ran the tip of her long, red nail over Melody’s arm. “Oh, poor thing. You really do believe he was going to marry you for love.”

Of course she did, but maybe she could use the woman’s words to her advantage and play along with her. “Maybe I shouldn’t have believed him. If I promise not to marry him, will you let me go?”

Her red lips curled, almost into a snarl. “Of course not. Disobey Theo and risk my own life? I think not.”

“Then at least tell me what’s going to happen.”

“You want to know your future?”

“Yes.”

“You’re going to become one of us.”

“A vampire?”

“Not just a vampire. Part of Theo’s harem. Now shut up so I can prepare you for tonight’s ceremony.”

“Tonight? Ceremony?” Melody tried not to let her voice quiver, but fear shook her.

“Quiet!”

The woman walked out of view, and Melody thought perhaps she’d left the cave, but a few seconds later, she was back, carrying a gun. Oh Lord! The crazy vampire was going to shoot her. Melody’s heart skipped a beat. “Please, don’t shoot me. I promise to keep quiet. I won’t say another word.”

“Good.”

But to Melody’s horror, she took aim at her and pulled the trigger. Melody squeezed her eyes shut. In that tenth of a second before the bullet hit, her life flashed before her. She saw her mom and dad, Billy, Mags, Ann, and Gizmo. Thank goodness her friends would take care of her dog.

The last face she saw before the bullet’s scathing sting was Guy’s. Her impending death didn’t seem as tragic as the fact that she’d never see him again. They wouldn’t marry, and they’d never make love. A heaviness tightened her chest, and along with that, she felt blood—her blood—trickle down her side. Then the vampire’s hot breath was near her ear. What was she going to do now, finish Melody off with a bite to the neck? Afraid to look yet more afraid not to, she opened her eyes a sliver. A scream welled up in her throat at the sight of long fangs inches from her body. Oh, please, let it be over fast. Don’t make me suffer, she prayed, shutting her eyes again.