Duella Book 3: The Witch and the Vampire Series (6 page)

Chapter Eight

Miriam was absent from her house when
Duella
arrived. He searched the main floor, lifted the lid of the coffin, only to find it empty,
then
felt a shard of regret at not finding her when the suns first rays rose above the treetops. He fled to the chamber beneath the floorboards of the old house, his eyes pained by the brightness of day.

* * * *

Duella
awakened, a breath catching in his throat. Miriam lay against his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder. He released a sigh and thought about the night previous. He was glad Miriam was safe, regardless of his futile search before daylight that forced him to go underground.

“I looked for you last night, but you were nowhere to be found.” His tone was filled with concern as he stroked her cheek with one finger. She was pale from lack of blood. He knew he shouldn’t detain her too long, should allow her to get up and go in search of food. He pushed a dark curl from her temple and followed his finger with his lips, kissing her lightly. He felt soothed by her presence. For a moment, he questioned the feeling. Perhaps he was just lonely and the presence of a woman—a vampire woman—served to remind him that he was a man. He felt the stirrings of his cock. He pulled Miriam closer and skimmed his hand across her breasts. “I want you.”

“It is early in the night,
Duella
. First, I must find nourishment.”

He groaned and lowered his hand to her crotch. He cupped her pussy. “I’m hard, Miriam. Place your hand on my cock. It’s hard because you arouse me, my sweet.” He kissed her temple and inched her long dress up, baring her crotch. He delved his fingers inside her, moaning against her ear when he felt her response.

“Take me then,
Duella
. Take me quick—before I die from lack of nourishment.”

He laughed at her comment. Then he parted her legs with his knee and released his hard cock through the opening in his pants. He entered her cavern quickly, bringing a sharp grunt from her mouth.

“You are very eager this new night.” She clutched his buttocks in either hand and arched her back to fully open her body up for his lunging thrusts. “And you are very big.”

“We fit together nicely, Miriam.” He thrust into her body, holding her tightly about the waist and shoulders, pinning her body against their bed of soil. The thought that she could be his woman bloomed in his mind. He shoved the notion aside. The danger was too great.
Drucella
had to be dealt with forthwith.

She moaned and increased her bucking, wrapping her legs around his thrusting hips and digging her nails into his back. “You give me much pleasure,
Duella
.” She came then, releasing a guttural moan as the sensations of orgasm filled her body.

Duella
increased his thrusts, bringing himself to the apex of climax. He closed his eyes while the orgasm shot through his insides. He pinned Miriam to the dirt, milking his cock until it was limp and all the sensations of climax had waned from his body. Only then, did he heave a big sigh and roll to his side, clutching her tightly against his chest.

“You are very possessive, my lover.” She laughed softly.

He hadn’t realized he might be giving her such an impression with his actions. He loosened his grip, but he didn’t release her altogether. “Tell me what happened to frighten you so badly at the library last night.”

She shuddered, her body shaking violently.

Duella
felt her fright and tightened his arm around her waist, hugging her close. “You’re safe. I assure you. I’ll protect you.”
I sound so certain. Can I really protect her from the likes of
Drucella
? The witch is ruthless and not to be underestimated.

Miriam turned in his arms. A smile graced her lips. She stroked his cheek with one palm. “You are very kind,
Duella
. I am glad you found me.” She kissed him softly, her lips moving tenderly against his. “And your offer of protection is
very
appreciated. But we both know that as vampires, we are very vulnerable during the daylight hours.” She drew in a long breath.

Duella
felt her concern. “What is it? Tell me what troubles you.”

She stared at him.

He tried to convey his reassurance with the caress of his hands along her body.

“Please,
Duella
. I must go and feed. I feel fatigued.”

He released her so she could leave their bed of soil. He lay on his back and watched her stand, then cross to the staircase leading up from the cellar. A feeling of loss encompassed his insides. For a second, he questioned the sensation,
then
hurried to catch up with Miriam. He shouldn’t let her go out alone—not with
Drucella
lurking about ready to do them harm. He caught Miriam at the door of the old house and took her elbow, pulling her to a halt. “We will feed together tonight, Miriam.”

She smiled and nodded her head.

They rose into the dark sky, silently, quickly.
Duella
held her hand and together they moved toward the old section of the city. The sounds of loud music came to their ears as they spied the lights of several bars below. A parade of people moved about the narrow streets, talking and laughing.

Victims are plentiful.
Duella
urged Miriam into the shadows of an alleyway and pressed her into a small niche between two buildings. “Wait here.”

He left her after hearing her promise she would wait for him and ventured into the street, merging with the foot traffic. After watching her
disrobe
for the two men she drank from last night, he intended to bring her a victim so he wouldn’t have to think of her showing her body to anyone else. He grimaced as he felt a flicker of caring waft through his insides. He would be wiser not to become involved with the she vampire—but circumstances seemed to dictate otherwise.

He clamped a hand atop a broad shoulder of a man and turned his feet in reverse, guiding him through the moving crowd and into the alley where Miriam waited. Unable to react because of the trance
Duella
placed him in, the man walked right up to Miriam and bent his head to one side, as though inviting her to drink his blood.

Miriam hissed and lunged at the man, sinking her fangs into his vein and clinging to his back with her long talons.
Duella
stood nearby and listened to her suck the man’s blood, greedily, noisily. His own thirst was immense, but he contained his blood lust, keeping a close eye on Miriam so that she didn’t drain the victim’s body in her exuberance.

Finally, growing concerned that she might kill the victim,
Duella
laid a hand on her shoulder and urged her to stop drinking. He sensed the man was showing signs of losing consciousness.

Miriam thrust the man from her grasp, pushing him across the alley. He stumbled and fell to his knees, then scrambled up and ran toward the lighted street. Miriam watched him leave, her eyes glowing red, blood dribbling down her chin. She swiped a forearm across her mouth and turned a grateful gaze on
Duella
. “Thank you. My thirst was great.” She straightened her dress, pushed her long hair over her shoulder and relaxed her body. Her eyes ceased to glow red and she withdrew her fangs, her body now nourished with fresh blood. “I’m ready to go with you to the library now.”

Duella
nodded his head. He swallowed down the urge to feed his own body in lieu of finding out what had taken place with Miriam at the library last night. He took her hand and they rose into the air.

The library was
dark,
they entered beneath the windowsill and materialized once they were safely inside.

“I was drawn to one of the books in the case,
Duella
. The sensation was very strong. The book was very old and heavy. Its cover was worn and its pages were tattered. I took it to the closest table and was looking through it when the woman appeared.” She shivered and crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her upper arms with her palms. “She didn’t say
anything,
she just jumped on me and started to choke me.”

Duella
pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest. “Your presence is comforting,
Duella
.”

After Miriam had calmed a bit,
Duella
urged her in the direction of the bookcase at the side of the room. “Show me the book, Miriam.” He followed her across the room, a bevy of sensations coming to his senses as they drew near the tall, ornate bookcase standing against the wall. A sense of foreboding gripped his insides as he drew near. He halted his feet, watching Miriam as she pulled the heavy book from the shelf.

His temples throbbed. His chest felt tight. He combed one hand through his hair, at a loss as to what he was feeling. He followed Miriam across the room to a long wooden table flanked with several chairs.

She laid the book on the table and backed away from it. “It scares me,
Duella
. I don’t want to touch it anymore.”

He fought the sensations assailing his senses, touching Miriam on the arm as he pushed her behind his body, protectively. He walked over to the table where the book lay and opened its cover. The spine cracked as the heavy leather back landed against the table. A puff of dust rose.

Duella
fanned a hand, dispersing the nose irritating fog. He gazed at the first page, his eyes blurring. He leaned one hand on the table beside the book and turned the page. His eyes began to burn as more dust wafted up from the old book. He felt the need to sit and dragged a chair over.

“Are you all right?”

He ignored Miriam’s question. His reaction to the old book was puzzling. He fought the continuing sensations as they increased to torment him. His eyes blurred, distorting the pages of the book as he continued to lift the old pages and fold them over onto the next one. Dust billowed up, forming a cloud that increased in size with every page turned. He
coughed,
his throat choking.

His strength was waning—he felt the weakening in his muscles. He pushed onward, turning more pages of the book. He rubbed a hand across his eyes. The pages were distorted, and despite his continued efforts, he found it increasingly difficult to see the printing on the old pages.

“You are weak. You need to feed.”

He barely heard Miriam’s words. He was puzzled beyond belief at the reaction he was having just being near the old book. Pressing on, he blinked his eyes and drew closer to the pages he turned, resisting the urge to fling the old relic against the closest wall.
What’s happening to me?

“Take my blood,
Duella
.”

He drew back slightly as Miriam thrust a wrist beneath his face.

“Drink and be nourished.”

He licked his parched lips. His blood lust rose in tormenting peaks as he considered the offer from the she vampire.

“Drink.
Please.”

He raised a hand and grasped her wrist, then opened his mouth and allowed his fangs to emerge. He lowered his mouth to her vein and sank his fangs in. Her hot blood filled his mouth. He closed his eyes and savored the renewing force as it coursed through his body.

Mindful that he was drinking from Miriam and not some victim he didn’t know, he soon pulled his fangs out and raised his head. He lathed the pricks on her wrist, closing the wound before releasing her arm.

Refreshed, he returned his attentions to the old book lying open on the table before him. The pages were yellowed with age, the writing faded and at times, illegible. Dust hung above the book in an ominous cloud, threatening to distort his vision and choke his throat again. His brows drew together in puzzlement as he considered his reaction to the text. He coughed, stirring the dust. He fanned one hand reviving the misty cloud and making it resume its swirling motion before his eyes.

What the hell?
A face materialized in the dust, a vision that whirled and tumbled, grew faint, then
came
soaring toward him, making him pull back. He blinked his eyes and tried to make out the likeness.

Drucella
?
The image was unfamiliar—but his thoughts were consumed with visions of
Drucella’s
face dancing before his eyes, laughing at him one second,
sneering
the next. He struggled to gain control of his senses, determined to learn the secret of the old book and why he was being tormented by something as common as a little dust. He squinted at the visions appearing and disappearing before his eyes.

“Maybe we should go.”

Perhaps it was Miriam’s words that caused the reaction. It was minuscule, but noticeable nonetheless. He paused and considered what had just taken place. The moment Miriam suggested they leave—the menacing dust retreated.