Duella Book 3: The Witch and the Vampire Series (2 page)

She was bare to his eyes. Her breasts were luminous in the faint light of the room. He splayed his fingers and encircled the mounds, reveling in the feel of her warmth and beauty. She held her breath and gazed down at his hands as they fondled her body. When he reached the waistband of her slacks, she released a shuddering sigh and slid lower on the couch cushion.

Her nipples had peaked, grew taut and rosy with his manipulation. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and nibbled nervously on the pink flesh. Her breathing increased in tempo, a raspy whisper that his keen hearing picked up as he rid her of her slacks and splayed her out on the couch. In a second, he shed his clothes and stood before her in naked splendor.

She raised her eyes and gazed upon his body, her surprise clearly evident by the sudden lust on her face. She made no movement to evade his touch as he returned his hands to her body and began a sensual play along her flesh that soon left her breathless.

Duella
groaned and climbed atop her body. She was warm and sweet smelling, the place between her legs, moist and inviting. He sank his cock inside her body, his hands grasping her buttocks as he thrust inside her core. He began to move, his face tucked into the warm niche between her shoulder and neck. He breathed in her scent, the sweet aroma of female body, so unlike his musty maleness afforded his dead state.
Don’t think, you fool! Just enjoy the fresh cunt you’re thrusting into!

She bucked her hips, clutched his back with her hands, dug her nails into his flesh,
skimmed
her palms over the ropy muscles of his back and buttocks. She panted loudly as her time grew near.

Duella
levered his upper body onto one elbow so he could look down into her face. Her eyes were closed and she breathed through her open mouth. She bit her bottom lip as her orgasm approached, then held him tightly, her arms clasped around his waist as she climaxed.

He came almost at the same instant as she, grunting loudly when the orgasm zinged through his insides. He thrust deeply into her body, pressing her forcefully against the plush cushions of the couch. He held her fleshy buttocks in his big hands and milked his cock. When the final visages of semen had left his body and the climax began to wane, he collapsed atop her, his breathing ragged.
I can’t think of a better way to begin 2007 than a good fuck.
He chuckled under his breath as the woman moved beneath his pinning weight.

“Who the hell are you?”

Chapter Two

She pushed at his naked body, forcing him to get off her. He relented, though he really didn’t want to. He released a long breath and got to his feet. He pulled on his clothes, ready to leave the woman. He hadn’t planned on their meeting to fuel his sexual lusts, or to bring about such heated sex play. He admitted silently that he felt refreshed—as refreshed as a creature of the night could possibly feel. He turned to find her staring at him, her body sprawled out on the couch, naked, her breasts topped with rosy nipples and her crotch wet with his semen.

“Did it ever occur to you that you might introduce yourself?”

He chuckled at her words,
then
gave a slight bow from the waist in her direction. “Allow me to introduce myself, my sweet. I am
Duella
Sutherland. And who might you be?”

She pursed her lips. “Are you in the habit of fucking strange women?”

He thought for a moment of all the sexual conquests he had since being turned into a vampire. As a matter of fact, every fuck he had garnered since that horrible moment in his life had been with strange women. He smiled at her, thinking she might not relish his reply.

She ran her fingers through her hair. “But then you could probably ask me the same question—about men, I mean. I’ve never been with a woman.”

“Pity.
Women are quite ravishing creatures.”

“Yeah.
Well.”

“Do you often fuck strange men?”

“It’s what I do best.”

His brows raised in surprise. He clasped his hands behind his back and strode toward the door of the room He didn’t feel guilty about biting her or fucking her. He wanted to leave, to forget that they had ever met. He threw a careless glance at her over his right shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The sight of her bounding off the couch as though he hadn’t incapacitated her caused him to draw up short. He whirled around as she came at him with raised fists. A loud scream left her mouth as she charged across the room. He leapt out of her way, landing on the other side of the room. She whirled around and pinning her gaze on him, mounted a new charge.

He caught her easily, laughing as he turned her in his arms and pinned her hands at her sides. “You recovered quite nicely, I see.”
What happened to the faint little female I carried in my arms only an hour ago?
He held her steady, her naked body pressed against his chest and the long length of his legs. Her warmth quickly penetrated his clothing, and for an instant, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the tantalizing feel of her womanly softness.

She pressed tightly against his big body, luring his mind into a false state of seduction until he felt her tremble against his length. He tightened his hold on her arms as she began to pull away from him. Her strength was immense. Immediately, he sensed she was something more than a mere woman he had encountered. His earlier thought of her luring him into a trap surfaced in his mind. She was no longer in his grasp. Black smoke billowed where she had once stood positioned so tightly against his body. He lurched backward and threw up both hands, warding off the offending stench as he tried to make out the apparition taking shape before his eyes.

A loud giggle rent the air.
Duella
braced his body, ready for the unexpected. The thick black smoke started to spin before his eyes, growing taller and faster in motion. He watched the transformation with caution, remembering the trick that
Drucella
had played on him so long ago.
Surely the witch has not come back to taunt me! My brother swore he slew her in her evil stronghold.

The stench filled the lavishly decorated room as the black smoke billowed and spun. Glimmers of light, colored at times, blinding white at others, shot forth from the towering cloud, spiking off the painted walls and reflecting across the furnishings. The room illuminated as though it were daylight.

Duella
clasped one hand across his nose to abate the smell. Surely, nothing good would come out of the sight. A loud noise had arose to accompany the black mass and, while he didn’t have any fear of what was materializing right before his eyes, the thought of transforming and leaving filled his mind.

The black spire halted. It hovered mere inches off the carpet, then began to take human form. A body appeared—female with large breasts and a trim waist. Arms formed and legs grew to make the torso complete. A cloud of yellow hair blended into the black smoke, then came to the fore, framing a cherub-like face that bore brilliant blue eyes and a pert mouth.

Duella
stared in disbelief.
Drucella
!
Surely, my eyes are deceiving me!
He glanced toward the door, then quickly clutched the amulet suspended around his neck as he saw the azure blue eyes clasp onto the gem.

The smoke cleared, the bright illumination waned, leaving the room in near darkness.
Duella
waved one hand and a candle jumped to light, its flame flickering as though defending itself against a threatening breeze. He stared at the witch standing in the center of the floor, her evil gaze pinned on the talisman he clutched in his fist.

“So we meet again,
Duella
.”

Her voice brought back the memory of when he had last laid eyes on her—the fateful night that he
fell
victim to her treachery. He swallowed, easing his dry throat. How foolish he had been to think he had fallen in love with her. Surely, he must have been under one of her sinister spells. He looked at her and promised himself that he would put as much distance between him and her as possible the second he managed to escape her presence. “I thought you were destroyed.” He pulled in a steadying breath. For all his vampire powers, he knew the witch could match his strengths with an equal ability.

She laughed loudly and shook her head, sending her blonde hair bouncing about her shoulders. She raised both hands to her hips and smiled at him. “You would think a lowly vampire could destroy me, my lover?” She took a step toward him,
then
halted, glancing at the sofa in the room. “You are still quite capable of satisfying a whore with your long cock—after all these years.” She laughed, throwing her head back on her shoulders and bellowing loudly into the quiet of the room. “And I trust you were satisfied as well?”

He smiled slightly. “Had I known I was fucking you,
Drucella
, I would have pulled out before you climaxed.”

She clicked her tongue. “But you were unaware that I was beneath you, my lover, as you thrust your long cock inside my silken passage. You thought you were fucking some street whore who would awaken from the weaken state you brought to her from your blood letting and thank you for the climax you gave her.”

“You speak as though you didn’t enjoy it,
Drucella
.” His tone was rancid.

“But I did enjoy it. I merely remind you of your thoughts,
Duella
, while the act was being performed.”

He turned and strode toward the door, intent on leaving. A flash of light struck the floor just in front of his body. He pulled up short, whirling around to face her. “Your magic does not scare me.”

She raised one hand and sent another bolt of lightning crashing around his body.

The sparks shimmered in the dim room, circling his body in a wave of electrifying currents that pressed against his form in heated warning. He drew on his strength, facing
Drucella
with a measure of force that belied her anger toward him.

“You should heed my warning,
Duella
. I will not allow you to leave my house.”

 
He glanced around the room. Had the witch been magically transported to that time—as he and his brothers had been? Did he dare believe that she could harm him more than she had in the past?

“You took my blood—now you must give me something in return.”

His brows rose in speculation. “Indeed. Had I known it was your neck I was piercing, I would have taken all your blood and been done with you.”

“Ah, but you chose to tend me, instead of leaving me to my own devices. You even felt remorseful that you drank from my vein. You are weak,
Duella
. You have not as yet done away with your desire to be human.”

Her words assailed him. She knew him well. But he was loath to admit it. “What do you want from me?”

Her eyes lowered to stare at the amulet he wore.

He followed her gaze, smiling ruefully.

“I want the amulet you stole from the coven.”

He laughed aloud and shook his head, watching the witch as she assessed his body. Her gaze traveled along his chest and lowered to encompass his legs, then settled on his crotch. “I didn’t steal the amulet,
Drucella
. I
took
it.” He clutched the gem in one tight fist. “And I destroyed the witch who wore it forever!” He glared at her. “How, pray tell, did you convince the dark power to return you to your evil state?”

She smiled slowly. “I am a worthy asset to the mighty one.”

“My brother threw your body into the fire.”

“Yes. And a terrible memory it was.” She pursed her lips and eyed him. “But your brother was not aware of all my powers,
Duella
.” She drew herself up to her full height, meeting
Duella’s
gaze on an even level. “I cannot be destroyed by fire, my pet. Had your brother not been so hasty to leave my bedchamber that fateful night, he would have seen my resurrection.”

Duella
listened and watched the witch. She was truly agitated at reliving the nightmarish trial again. He wondered if his brother had taken the amulet off her neck at that moment—thinking he had destroyed her for all eternity. He heaved a long sigh.
Alas.
He had been given a new chance at life—such as it was in his undead state—but now he was faced with having to deal with
Drucella
once more.

Could my existence become more futile?

Chapter Three

Why wasn’t
Drucella
destroyed when Marcus cast her into the fire?
Duella
contemplated his thought as he watched the witch from across the spacious living room.
Because she is more than a mere witch.
The realization shook him mentally. He pulled in a quick breath. He had no desire to learn of
Drucella’s
abilities beyond what he already knew, or to find out what other deity lent her power. He had to find a way to leave without raising her suspicion. He grasped the amulet and ran his fingers across its faceted surface. If only he knew its powers. He turned toward the door, set to leave.

The lightning sparked in front of his body again, slamming against the carpet and splintering into a million blinding sparks. He hissed, whirled around and lunged at
Drucella
. He grasped her by the throat and threw her across the room. She hit the wall and slid to the floor.

A spiel of laughter burst from her mouth as she bounded to her feet. “Ah, my lover, you are a worthy opponent.” She sneered, her eyes wild, her mouth gaping. She raised one hand and clenched her fist. “But your powers can not exceed mine.”

Duella
stood his ground. He grasped the amulet and squeezed it in his mighty fist. “I have the power of the dark one at my disposal. I cannot be defeated.”

She laughed a jeering bellow that echoed into the room. “You may have the amulet, but you are not of its command.”

He hid his surprise at her knowledge. His grip tightened around the jewel.
Reveal your powers to me!
His order failed to produce any action from the amulet. He turned to the door, disappointment filling his insides. Preparing to do battle with
Drucella
to leave her house, he steeled his emotions.

“
Duella
!”

Her voice was a loud screech as she took to the air and beat him to the door. Placing herself between him and his escape path, she waved a hand in the air.
An aura as strong as any
Duella
had ever felt surrounded the witch.
He paused his feet, fearing the protective shield.

“Give me the amulet.”

He shook his head. “No. I will not.”

“Then you will perish forever.”

He smiled. “You forget,
Drucella
. I am all ready dead. I do not have the mortality that you threaten to take from me.”

“I will drive a stake through your heart while you sleep.” She glared. “Then I will take the amulet from your neck while your body withers and fades forevermore.”

Enough said,
Duella
called upon his own powers and vaporized right before
Drucella’s
eyes. He melded with the air and seeped through the slit beneath the door, materializing into a bat once he reached the outside of the house. He took to the air, his thoughts muddled.
Drucella’s
threats were not to be disregarded. She was powerful.
Her witchcraft beyond rival.
He thought back to the time when she governed over her coven. Her witches didn’t dare disobey her commands. She would turn them into toads or other inanimate objects at the blink of an eye or send them into tortuous traumas until the time suited her to release them from their agony.

He tried to banish the past hours from his mind and concentrate on finding a place of shelter against the coming daylight, but the trap he had fallen into continued to haunt his thoughts. Had he known the woman he sought to quench his bloodlust was indeed
Drucella
in disguise, he would have fled the area and never looked back.

He flew over the towering buildings of the city, turning his path toward the edge of the town where the darkness held no illuminating lights. He thought of the direction he was headed. He was flying south. He could see the
East River
off to his left. A tremor of recognition grasped his insides.

How would I know any of this?
He tried to think, tried to reason. He was not of this time. There was no logical reason why he would be able to identify the river or the direction he was flying. He felt shaken inside. He folded his wings and soared, turning his path into a steep dive as he sought a place to perch. He needed to think and he needed to be in his human form to do just that. He thought of the amulet hanging around his neck.

He sought the sturdy branch of a tall tree. He lit,
then
leapt to the ground, changing into his vampire form. He grasped the amulet immediately. His thoughts felt scattered, as though he was unable to be rational about what was happening to him. He had managed to arrive in the present time, yet he had no prior knowledge of it. In fact, the decision to time travel had been hastily reached moments after his brother suggested it.

He combed his fingers through his hair. He paced beneath the low hanging boughs of the tree, the amulet held tightly in one hand. The notion to take to the air assailed him. He would continue south on his journey. He would fly to
New Orleans
and take up residence in the city. He would meld in with the inhabitants of the town. He felt at ease.

He opened his hand and gazed at the amulet lying in his palm. Its powers were his to utilize. He only had to trust in his own instincts. He only had to believe that the gem would lead him in the right direction. He closed his fingers around it and smiled.

No wonder
Drucella
wants to possess it.
His brows furrowed in contemplation.
How can I escape her?
He felt cowardly, fearing a woman.
But she’s not just any woman—she’s an evil witch that has managed to time travel to the present in search of me.
He fought the urge to return to her house and rip her body to shreds with his teeth, to drink her blood and grind her remains beneath his heel. His insides shook with the force of his anger.

If I felt that strongly about destroying her, why did I leave her house without ending her life? She will only haunt my thoughts—until I put an end to her.
He paced beneath the tree, thinking, contemplating his future should he not return and kill
Drucella
. There was much at stake. She would make his existence a living hell.
If it could get any worse.

“My, my, my.
Aren’t we in a stew?”

Duella
jerked his head up.

Drucella
floated to the ground mere inches from his body.

He reacted without thinking. He reached out one long arm and grabbed her throat, yanking her against his chest. He sank his fangs in her vein. He held her in a steel-like grip while she fought to get free. Her blood splashed against his tongue. He drank greedily, not giving any thought to curtailing his blood lust. He intended to drain her body, to consume every drop of her blood, to put an end to her finally.

He felt the blood gushing against his tongue, gripped the neck of the witch, suddenly he found himself grasping at thin air. The wretched body he clutched had disappeared as quickly as he had grabbed it and drank from it. He gnashed his teeth and bellowed his anguish, clenching his fists and railing at the darkness.

How can I destroy the bitch when she has so many powers?
Distraught, he tore at his hair with both hands. He hadn’t come this far only to be defeated by a witch—a witch as old as time
itself
. He pulled in a great gulp of air and tried to find reason within his thoughts. At least now, she knew he would attempt to annihilate her. He darted his keen gaze about the area, searching for a glimpse of her, huddled perhaps, in the shadows trying to regain her senses. He had managed to drink from her vein for a few seconds before she vanished altogether.

He searched the area, then deciding she had taken leave from him, at least for that night, transformed and took to the air, continuing his journey south.

* * * *

Duella
opened his eyes. Darkness surrounded him. He released his talons and spread his wings, flying from the roof of the cave toward its mouth. He saw the star-studded sky first,
then
felt the light breeze as he emerged from the underground hideaway. He rose into the sky, searching for the lights of the city. Hunger gnawed at his insides.

His senses heightened as he neared civilization and the thought of fresh blood. His hearing increased. His eyesight became keen. He hovered near the entrance of a building, then dropped to the ground and transformed. A victim was headed his way. He could hear the footsteps echoing through the darkness. He stood in the shadows and waited, his fangs bared.

A man approached, walking at a fast pace.
Duella
fell into step with him as he drew near. The man glanced his way, stopped and waited as
Duella
placed one hand on his shoulder and guided him into the dark alley. The man remained in a trance while
Duella
sank his fangs into his throat and sated his blood thirst.

He drank without fear of discovery. When his thirst was sated, he pulled his fangs from his victim and licked the wound, sealing the bite marks. He walked with the man to the mouth of the alley and sent him on his way down the sidewalk. Satisfied that he had acted as appropriately as a kindly vampire could, he swiped a hand across his lips, wiping away the blood smears,
then
took to the air, continuing his journey to
New Orleans
.