DraculaVille - New York - Book One (23 page)

She swallowed. She could only imagine what horrible death Maron and Lucilla could dream up.

The leader turned and took a skeleton key off a hook and unlocked the door. The great door creaked open.

Their guards gave them a shove toward the opening, then the door slammed behind them. Talia jumped, then realized neither Maron nor the guards had followed them into the room. The key clicked, locking them in. She tucked an arm through Drake’s elbow, holding tight.

Lanterns and candles provided minimal light in the cluttered room. Her skin crawled as she strained her eyes to make out details. Bookcases filled with leather bound books lined the walls. Heavy wooden tables held stacks of books, scrolls and scattered papers. A fire burned in a large stone fireplace at the back. The mantle above it held an elaborately carved ivory candelabra, three human skulls and a brass box embedded with shiny gems.

Drake nudged her with his elbow and jerked his head to the other side of the room. An old man sat in a dark brown velvet wing chair, nearly lost in the shadows. He held an open book on his lap, long thin fingers grasping the edges. His pure black eyes scrutinized them, shaded by long scraggly brown hair hanging over his forehead. He stared at them a moment, then placed his book on a small round table at his side.

“Welcome,” he said in a soft voice. He rose from his chair and came toward them, moving around one of many tables. “My name is Gosen.”

Something clinked as he neared them. A long chain anchored to one of his ankles trailed behind him. Her gaze flew to his face and she gasped.

“Yes, my dear. I, too, am a prisoner of Maron.” He gestured to the chain.

“I, I, I’m sorry.” Why did the Vampire leader have to keep his own elder chained up?

“Why are you a prisoner? I thought you were the flock’s elder?” Drake asked.

“Oh, I
am
the elder. I have been in these tunnels since long before Maron was made.” He motioned to the seating area he’d left to come greet them. “But that is a very long story. Come have a seat and we will discuss your little problem.”

She shared a glance with Drake then followed the old vampire to a Queen Anne couch and chairs where’d he’d been reading. She sat beside Drake on the sofa, and took in the old tapestries on stone walls, paintings, and plaques displaying coats of arms.

Gosen kicked the chain with one foot in a move that appeared practiced. He made his way to his chair.

“Did Maron chain you?” Drake asked.

Gosen steepled his long thin fingers and nodded. “He took over this flock about seven years ago, after killing the old patron, Ivan, in a challenge fight. Ivan was my friend. We had been together many years and built this flock into a strong group. Maron made new vampires against our wishes, and they supported his desire for change. When he won leadership, I told him I was leaving. A flock cannot survive without an elder, so he had his guards attack me in the middle of the night and chain me.”

“He keeps you here only to legitimize the flock?” she asked.

Gosen nodded.

“You’ve been imprisoned for seven years?” Maron was cruel and heartless. She couldn’t believe he do such a thing to his own kind. “What a bastard.”

“Yes, I was not harmed and I am given anything I ask for…except freedom.” Gosen looked at his lap.

Silence settled between them.

Gosen raised his head. “Enough about me. Maron has sent you so I can test your bond. He says you claim to be
armantor
.”

Talia nodded. “Yes, that’s what I told him.”

“I see.” He crossed a thin leg over the other. He looked elegant in his dapper suit, a double breasted charcoal color and white shirt with ruffles. She hardly believed such a well mannered individual had probably killed thousands of people in his life.

“So what’s the test?” Drake asked. He took Talia’s hand.

“There is really no test. I only told Maron that because it was what he sought. Plus I wanted to meet you.”

“Why?” Talia asked.

“First, you stood up to Maron. That took a great deal of inner fortitude.” He flicked a speck of dust from his sleeve with one bony finger. “I also want to know how a human knows about our traditions. It is most unusual.”

“I read a book about it,” Talia said. She didn’t care how dapper he looked. He was still a vampire, dangerous to both her and Lydia.

Gosen pursed his lips. “I see. And what book was this?”

She bit her lip. “Just some crumbly old thing I found in a used book store. I don’t remember the title.”

“Hmm.” He tapped his fingers on the carved wooden arm of his chair. “Very interesting. I would love to see such a book.”

“If you get us out of here, I’ll go get it for you,” she said.

He chuckled. “I’m sure you would.”

“So, if there’s no test, what are you going to tell Maron?” Drake leaned forward staring at the older vampire.

Gosen’s eyes glittered with hatred. “I will tell him the truth. You two are most definitely
armantor
. He will not like it, but there is nothing he can do about it.”

Sparks went off, burning in Talia’s stomach. “It’s true? How do you know?”

“I only have to look at you and feel your auras.” He flipped his hand over, palm up. “It is simple for someone as old as I. Fascinating. A human and vampire couple. It is very rare. I have lived for over five-hundred years, and I may have heard of such a thing, but I have never witnessed it. I had always assumed it to be rumor more than fact.”

Five hundred years? Talia’s head spun. He was that old? Incredible.

“Now what?” Drake asked.

“I tell Maron that you spoke the truth.”

“Will he let us go?” Talia squeezed Drake’s hand.

“That I cannot tell you. I certainly have no power over your futures.” He rubbed his chin. “Maron makes his own decisions, and no one can stop him.”

“Is there anything we can do to help you?” she asked. “Maybe there’s a way to break the chain.”

Gosen stared at her a moment then broke into laughter. “My dear, you are simply delightful. How surprising to find you want to help me when you are in so much trouble yourself. I am afraid there is no breaking this chain. Without the key, I am doomed to stay here forever.” He shrugged. “I suppose there are worse fates. I have come to accept it. At least I have my books to keep me company.”

“What are all these books?” she asked, her gaze sweeping over the thousands of tomes.

“The history of our kind. Elders of each flock maintain the knowledge of the past. This is why a flock cannot survive without one. Every question about our welfare rests in the elders’ hands. There is no way for someone to gain the knowledge I have unless they received it directly from an elder.”

“How do you receive the knowledge?” she asked.

“It is a mental link only the oldest of our kind can form. We pass our histories from one elder to another. Someone as young as Maron cannot receive this information. That is why he is afraid to kill me. He needs my knowledge and as long as he does, I will stay alive.” A smile curved his thin lips.

She imagined Gosen still hoped he had a chance to escape and kill Maron. She wished him luck. She’d love to point a shotgun at the patron’s head herself.

His door opened with a squeak of rusty hinges, and the evil leader stepped just inside the opening. “Gosen.”

“It has been a pleasure talking with you,” Gosen said as he rose from his chair. “I’m sorry I could not be of help.”

He actually reached out and shook their hands before walking around the table to face Maron. She and Drake moved to stand beside him.

“Well?” Maron glared at the old vampire.

“It is true, patron. They are indeed
armantor
.”

Maron hissed. He eyed Talia and then Drake, not speaking for several moments. Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Even if you are
armantor
, no human can come into the home of this flock and live.”

Talia sucked in a breath. He would kill her anyway? Drake’s arm went around her waist and pulled her against his side.

“But
Armantor
is a sacred relationship.” Maron’s eyes glittered. “Therefore, you must complete the ceremony and become mates in fact.”

“What do you mean?” Drake’s voice tightened. Talia felt his muscles tense.

A slow smile spread over the patron’s face. He pointed to Drake. “You must turn her and take her as your
armantor
in the ancient ceremony. Otherwise neither of you will ever leave this place.” His gaze flashed to Gosen, and Talia understood he meant he would be chain them like the elder for the rest of their days.

“Turn her?” Drake’s voice shook. “You mean…”

“Yes.” Maron leered at him. “You must kill her and make her a vampire.”

Chapter 27

Talia had been sentenced to death.

She paced the room where she’d been placed after Maron’s horrific announcement. The evil leader had separated them until they were bound as vampire mates. Her heart ached with missing Drake. His presence calmed her and gave her hope.

Her mind kept returning to Gosen saying they were
armantor
. She’d expected him to denounce her claim since she wasn’t a vampire. Part of her had wanted him to refute the possibility because it bound her to Drake permanently and brought her back to the discussion with Lydia.

However, the pronouncement explained a lot. Now she understood the crazy possessive jealousy. She wondered what Drake thought about it. He’d already stated he knew something existed between them, so he probably wasn’t too surprised.

She turned in a circle. At least this room provided more comfort than the chilly storage room. It blew her mind there was a typical human bedroom in the basement kingdom. Did all the vampires have rooms like this? Funny. She’d imagined them all in coffins. So much for Hollywood...

The walls were cinderblock, but covered with velvet hangings. A four-poster bed stood against one wall and the other walls held a dresser, an armoire, and a chair with a stuffed ottoman. Persian rugs covered the concrete floor.

She tried to turn up the single oil lamp to gain more light, but its wick already extended to its max. Coldness pervaded this room, despite the lush furnishings. Rubbing her hands and arms did little to help, but the pacing warmed her up a bit.

The scene from the elder’s chamber kept replaying over and over in her head. The memory stayed in a dreamlike realm, refusing to become real so she could deal with it. Drake was going to have to kill her and make her a vampire to save them both. Maron was determined to torture them. And she knew how much Drake suffered right now. He couldn’t refuse, and yet everything in him would revolt at such an act.

He wasn’t selfish and cruel like these vampires. He’d held onto a part of himself despite the changes he’d undergone, and maintained some element of a soul, unlike these monsters. She suspected he’d kill himself to keep from doing this dark deed except for the fact he knew they would kill her themselves after that, and not in a pleasant manner. He might kill her to save her.

She didn’t even know what turning involved. Did he have to drink all her blood to turn her? That’s what had happened to him, right? And Pip? She bit her fingernail and paced some more. Finally, the chill got to her. She climbed on the bed and pulled the thick comforter over her.

She glanced at her watch. It was nearly dawn. The vampires would sleep soon. So nothing would happen until tonight. She sighed. Visions of Drake’s sharp teeth floated in her mind. He had to kill her. Neither of them could do anything to stop it.

***

Talia woke to a knock on her door. It opened and two vampire women entered. One held something black draped over her arm. The other carried a tote bag, which she placed on the floor beside the dresser.

The taller of the two had dark red hair and a willowy figure. She stepped forward, her flowing black dress dragging the floor. “My name’s Kathleen,” she said, then gestured a thin white hand to her companion. “This is Ella. We’re going to prepare you for the ceremony.”

Talia yawned and sat up, staring at the two women. They didn’t smile but an air of anticipation hung about them. “So what does that mean exactly? Preparing me.”

Kathleen held up a long black velvet dress with flowing sleeves. “This is what you’ll wear for the ceremony. You can bathe, and we’ll help you dress. We can also do your hair and makeup.”

Talia’s insides cringed. It sounded too much like preparing the virgin to be thrown into the volcano for her comfort. “Why all the buildup?”

“A binding ceremony is a very special occasion in a flock,” Kathleen said. “We don’t have them very often and it’s a big celebration. Everyone is looking forward to this event with great anticipation.”

“I see,” Talia said and slipped off the side of the bed. She studied the dress.

“It will make everyone happy, and that’s what Maron wants,” Ella said.

Kathleen made a hissing sound and glared at the younger vampire. Apparently the vampires in this flock weren’t completely pleased with Maron’s reign. Talia tucked that little nugget of information away.

The flock surely had vampires who remembered the old patron and had sympathy for Gosen. Maybe friction existed between them and the group Maron had brought in. The patron probably hoped a traditional ceremony like the binding of
armantors
would placate the older members and settle any conflict that threatened his rule.

“You may bathe now.” Kathleen reached into the tote bag and pulled out a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo. She handed them to Talia and pointed to the bathroom attached to the bedroom.

She took the offerings and headed into the bath. Surprisingly, she had hot water in the claw footed tub. She ran it full then stepped in with a deep sigh. The warmth felt wonderful, inching out the frost in her bones. Being clean was a big plus, too. She hadn’t had a bath since Friday before the ill fated photo shoot. If only she could stay here in the bathtub forever.

A sharp rap on the door answered that question. Reluctantly, she crawled out of the tub and dried off. She wrapped the towel around her and opened the door to the bedroom.