Eternal Seduction (21 page)

Vouclade sat back in his chair, seemingly lost in thought until the machine her blood was in beeped. He turned his attention to the computer monitor. “As I suspected, your vitamin levels and immune system are severely depressed. And since you already seem to be informed of what it means to be a
Servio
, I see no reason not to take the shortest route between two points.”

She shifted again. The strange tugging sensation at the top of her spine said something wasn’t right here. “Why do I get the feeling something’s going on that I don’t know about?”

He smiled, shaving a bit off the edge she felt. “You’ll experience that quite often while you’re here. At this moment, twenty-two of my forty-six siblings are present in the castle. With the amount of telepathy and other magics in use, not to mention the sheer power of said individuals and the fact you are still very much human, you’re going to feel an egregious amount of movement around you. I would advise you pay it as little attention as possible.”

Logan relaxed a little. Maybe that was the reason, but the tingles just beneath her skin said his explanation was only a part of it. “I want you to know I’ll accept that answer for now, but I think you just fed me a line.”

He laughed. “I’m a scientist, Logan. I look for connections in everything, visible or not. Just because I pause doesn’t mean there’s something you should be concerned with. Now, shall we begin the healing process?”

She stood when he did. “Sure. What do I need to do?”

It wasn’t until he moved around the desk to stand right in front of her that she realized they were the same height. He pressed his cold palms flat against her abdomen. “Stand still. You’re going to feel a warm sensation throughout your body but it will subside in a few minutes. In the mean time, I’d like to ask you a question.”

“Shoot.”

“When I informed you Kerestyan had brushed your teeth in response to your numerous requests, your heartbeat and body language suggested you found it troublesome. I find it very intriguing that you have no issue being naked in front of me, have little difficulty discussing personal subjects with me, yet learning Kerestyan tended to you when you were in no condition to take care of yourself, upset you. Why?”

She blew out a breath. She thought she’d done a good job of dodging this subject. “It didn’t upset me. I just don’t know how I feel about it. It’s been a long time since someone’s taken care of me in any way.”

“I’m taking care of you now.”

She stared into his sharp grey eyes. “It’s not the same. You don’t look at me the way he does. You look at me like you’re trying to see through me, like you’re searching for my motivations and all that other psychobabble bullshit. He looks at me like, I don’t know. As if he wants to—”

“Know you?”

She started to nod but stopped when his eyes narrowed. “Yes. I’ve been alone for a long time. Not counting the time I was sleeping or half out of my mind, I’ve only known Kerestyan for about ten hours. It’s weird.”

His lips curved, slow and wide. “Yet you know how many hours you’ve spent with him, and you engaged in carnal activities with him.”

She blamed the overall warming of her body for the flash of heat she felt in her cheeks. “Believe it or not, Kerestyan’s been the most stable part of my life the last few days. And you should know, just for all that analyzing you’re doing, I didn’t start seeing him as a gorgeous man with a hard body until our dalliance in the kitchen. But when I woke up wrapped around him in the bathroom…like I said, sometimes you do things because they feel good.”

He made the evil sound again. “I’m not surprised Kerestyan has become a pillar of stability for you. He’s been that way the majority of his existence. But tell me, when was it you stopped seeing him as a vampire?”

“What do you mean?”

“Twice now, in my presence, you’ve referred to him as a man or a guy, but you directly referred to me as a vampire. I’m wondering why and when you began to draw a distinction, or if perhaps it’s entirely subconscious. Were you thinking of him as a vampire while you were having sex with him?”

She smiled. “You want the truth?”

“Of course.”

“At that moment, I really didn’t care. I was thinking he was the sexiest damn thing I’d ever seen, and all I wanted to do was to fuck him hard and fast until we couldn’t move anymore.”

“Your heart rate is elevating.”

She’d never realized how hard it was to laugh while standing still. “I’m not surprised. Your questions make me remember what we did. Thinking about him makes me hot, Vouclade. At this moment, I can honestly say he’s one of the best looking men I’ve ever seen.”

“Most vampires are, Logan. Even though I don’t exude the same type of appeal Kerestyan does, and I happen to be shielding you from it right now, if I walked into any nightclub in any city I wouldn’t leave alone.”

“So you’re telling me all vampires are hot?” She wagged her brows. “Even you?”

“No, I’m advising that you’ll find any vampire of substantial age attractive. Much the way certain animals have evolved camouflage capabilities to assist in hunting, vampires become more appealing as they age as a means to attract prey. Most Ancient vampires, those who were born thousands of years ago when the average height for a man was five feet, are now six and a half feet tall. Our curse assures our physical bodies adjust to suit the time period, but the damning aspect is that it doesn’t assist our minds. I’m sharing this information with you so that in the future, should you find yourself in the presence of someone who draws you like Kerestyan or my Father; you’ll know you’re dealing with a vampire of advanced age and power.”

Her mind kicked into overdrive. “You know, you talk a lot about old vampires, but what about the young ones? Are they all ugly? How are they supposed to compete for food against someone like Kerestyan? It doesn’t sound very fair.”

“A young vampire is no less attractive than they were as a human, but in terms of competition, they have to work harder. And nothing, Logan, nothing about being a younger vampire is fair. Since the moment the Eldest began passing their curse, it never has been. It never will be. Kerestyan told me he used a business analogy with you, yes?”

She couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, I’m in the cushy corner office for once in my life.”

He chuckled. “Yes, you are. Take the same business he described, but imagine what it would be like if you were one of those working in a cubicle. You put in day after day of hard work, but no one above you ever retires. There are no promotions, no advancements, unless of course, you manage to dispose of a supervisor. Could you imagine some of the Fledgling vampires you’ve witnessed in New York challenging someone like my Father, or even Odin for that matter?”

All she could picture was a thick haze of red and gold. “They wouldn’t stand a chance. Kerestyan didn’t even move and the three I ran into in the alley died.”

“That is what it is to be a Fledgling. However, they wield the power of their blood over humans the way I wield mine over them. This is how it’s been for thousands upon thousands of years. And in two thousand years, those Fledglings you’ve seen in New York this year, the ones who manage to survive, will treat the new vampires of that age the way they were once treated. They’ll manipulate their Fledglings, using them to amass power and prestige while the true Ancients continue to manipulate them. It’s a vicious circle.”

“Why the hell would anyone want to be a vampire then?”

“Most humans aren’t given a choice, Logan. I can count on one hand the vampires I know who sought an avenue to become what they are, and not a single one did so for any reason other than vengeance.”

“Okay. So let me be selfish for just a minute. In this warped circle of dysfunction, because that’s obviously what it is, where do
Servios
fit in?”

“
Servios
serve their Masters. In all honestly, the life of a
Servio
varies greatly pending who they serve. Alfred enjoys a very comfortable life here and is nearly as old as my Father. He maintains the castle and all its inner workings, as well as tending to my Father’s personal affairs. He’s also my Father’s closest friend and even his conscience on occasion. But there are many
Servios
, of varying ages, who are traded and treated like slaves by their Masters.”

Logan grimaced. That certainly didn’t make her feel good. “How so?”

“I could keep you here for a century recounting stories of the horrors
Servios
have undergone. Suffice it to say,
Servios
can be subject to the same atrocities any human could, except endure it for far longer considering their resistance to death. You, no matter which Nelek Child becomes your Master, won’t face such. My Father holds each of us to high standards when it comes to the treatment of our servants. You’ll be trained in our ways and treated with the respect you deserve. Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t be punished for your mistakes, but we only torture our enemies.”

A shiver ran the length of Logan’s body. The smile that crossed Vouclade’s face as he finished his sentence was inhuman at best, but she wasn’t sure that was the whole reason for the way she felt.

“What was that?” she asked. “Did you do that?”

“Yes.” He removed his hands from her stomach but caught both of her forearms. “The healing process is complete. However, I have a request of you.”

She was almost afraid to ask. “What?”

His face took on a more serious countenance. “Your life as nothing more than a street waif is now over. I’m asking that you allow me to remove the final traces of that life.” She glanced down to where his thumbs brushed over the dark blotches on her arms. “You are more than a drug addict. You are more than sunken eyes, pale skin and colorless lips. You are a beautiful, intelligent woman who sees the world through the eyes of a human, but processes it with the elegant mind of an Elder vampire. You, Logan Ellis, are a rarity in this age, and very much a Nelek.”

She wasn’t exactly sure how to take that. “Is there something wrong with the way I look?”

“Vampiric society is very brutal and maligning to someone who possesses obvious weakness. Although I’ve healed the internal damage your life on the streets has done, you still have the look of a street waif. I have no doubt that in New York’s society you will face ridicule, which will only reflect on your Master. I have no intention of changing your features, just adjusting your body to what it would be had you been more able to care for it. It truly is a question of whether you wish to look as you do now, for the rest of eternity.”

She closed her eyes. The concept of eternity was difficult to wrap her mind around. Hell, it was hard to wrap her mind around everything she’d been through in the last three days, let alone forever.

Vampires. Castles. Dragons.

Really, what the hell had she gotten herself into?

“It appears the decision has been made for you.”

She opened her eyes and stared at Vouclade. “What?”

“Father wishes for your body to be restored completely. He says it is the second step in you realizing you are more than what others believe you are.”

She arched a brow. “Wait, wouldn’t me staying as I am be saying I’m more than what people think I am?”

He smiled in a most devious way. “No. If someone were to look at you now, they would expect you have an intricate knowledge of the streets. If I restore you, you become extremely dangerous as no one would believe such.”

“Ooh. I like the sound of that. How long does…” before she was able to finish the question, she felt another tingle, only this time it rippled across her skin.

“It’s done.”

“Just like that?”

“Yes.”

She stared down at her arms almost unable to believe her own eyes. The needle tracks were completely gone, as if they’d never been there at all, and instead of a pale, sickly color, her skin was ivory and shimmered in a way she hadn’t seen since…she couldn’t even remember.

Her mouth all but fell open when she looked down. She cupped and squeezed her breasts. “Are my boobs bigger?”

He laughed. “Only slightly. Your bone structure wasn’t meant for anything more than what you already had. However, in my personal opinion, the more womanly curve of your hips compensate for whatever it is you feel your breasts lack.”

Logan ran her hands over her body. “I have hips!” She tried to look over her shoulder. “I think I have an ass.” She groped her behind, finding a bit more than she had before. “I do! I have an ass! This is fucked up. How the hell did you do this?”

He simply smiled again. “I’ve reached an age where the power of my blood allows me to accomplish many things. There’s nothing I can’t do to the human or vampiric body with but a thought or touch.”

“Can you give me more boobs?”

He frowned. “No. I told you I would only return your body to what it would be had you taken better care of it.” He motioned to a door across the room as a new set of clothes appeared in his hand. “Beyond that door your Master awaits you. I suggest you don’t make them wait any longer.”

“Holy shit, you look so good! Not that I didn’t approve before, but
damn
you’re hot!”

As the door disappeared under her outstretched hand, Logan found herself with the sudden urge to smile and cry at the same time. For some reason she’d believed Kerestyan would be the one sitting in the chair by the crackling fireplace, kicked back like he owned the place.

But instead, it was Trinity.

The vampiress swung her feet down from the dark coffee table. “You expected Kerestyan, didn’t you?”

Logan fought against the wide range of emotions swirling inside her. Tears heated and stung the rims of her eyes but she refused to give in. She forced a smile into place. “I guess I just assumed it would be him.”

“It can’t be him, Logan.” She motioned to the chair across from her. “It goes against Nelek decorum.”

Logan walked over and sank into the soft, maroon leather, silently reminding herself she needed to listen to the forthcoming answer with an open mind. “What’s Nelek decorum?”