The Blood Bride (Blood Secrets) (9 page)

The musicians had already left, and the army of nestlings who worked in the house descended quietly to complete the task of clearing away the evidence of the night. Trays and trolleys moved in silence, as others moved with brooms and brushes.

She sighed, and turned to talk to her parents, but realised with a start that they had left the room without a word to her. She was alone once more. Hot tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Cressida’s words played over and over in her mind, making her wonder at the anger she had seen. Her father had obviously upset Cressida—something about not following instructions sat oddly, as he was nothing if not loyal to his nest and the Council. But the hour was late and she was tired. The possibilities of trying to work out what should or shouldn’t be done confused her, and she knew it was time to retire. With a last look around, she turned to make for the hallway, when a hand shot out and she jumped with surprise, and a small dollop of fear. It went as quickly as it came, though, replaced by the feeling of warmth once more.

“Wha…? Xavier! You scared me.” She took a deep breath as the urge to put her hand to her chest rose. She controlled it with an effort, hoping to slow the mad beating of her heart.

“Cressida requested that we move you from your suite to the guest suites below. I have already had your friend…Lisi? Yes, anyway, she has moved some of your things.” The words were spoken with a stiffness of tone and his eyes glittered.

“What? Why?” This wasn’t at all what she’d expected. Why would Cressida give such a direction, and to Xavier? He was the Master, and members of the Council rarely intervened in the day-to-day running of the nests. Thoughts battled in Hope’s mind. Why she was being singled out?

All thoughts and questions left her head as he tugged her along the hall to the door at the end. The one she had always been told she was never to attempt to open. The one that led to the vampires’ private quarters below.

When the nest had purchased the manor, they had been cellars and kitchens. She had vague memories of watching the tradesmen come and go, day after day, as they prepared them for the new inhabitants, but never before had she entered.

He touched a point on the wall and a recess opened, hidden within the dark wood casing. The keypad came as a surprise—a high-tech security system was hidden within the wall. Of course, it made sense, but it had never occurred to her they would need something like that.

He depressed the keys and a green light glowed, a beep sounded and the click of the locks filled the air as tumblers moved, unlocking the entrance. He reached out and pushed the panel open, so she could see it led into a dark corridor beyond. She took a step forward, then another, and the passage closed behind her.

Chapter Three

Hope contained herself, a shriek fighting to escape and her lungs burning. Darkness. It was the one thing she’d dreaded since her abduction. Her hands moved forward of their own volition, while she shivered in the chill atmosphere. The corridor was cool and dark, the absence of light terrifying her. Stone rough and dry, though cool, caught her fingers and she tried to work out where she was. Xavier propelled her forward in the dark, and she knew her breath was audible, the panting sounds filling the silence.

“Be careful, there are steps here.” His voice at her ear made her shiver as the fear receded. She wasn’t alone at least. In her mind, she knew her reaction was a mix of anticipation and fear, but there was also an indefinable feeling that whipped through her senses.

She shivered again, and an arm pulled her closer, masculine and muscled. Warm.

The roughness of his coat grazed her arm, and a sensual thrill filled her.

“Let’s get you down to the chamber where there is some lighting.” His voice was deep, and she could feel the vibrations on her skin. Her nipples tightened. It was just the cold, she told herself. But she knew it was a lie.

A few more steps and Hope finally detected a glow ahead. She moved towards it a little faster, catching her heel on the edge of a step. Felt the stiletto catch on something, maybe a slightly uneven tile, but in the dark she couldn’t see. Hope pitched forward, wobbling, as her arms wheeled madly looking for something to grip. She threw her body backward, forgetting his presence for an instant, until his arm surrounded her, pulling her firmly against his lean, hard body once more. Xavier held her for a second longer than it took her to find her balance, his hands splayed over her stomach, then they retreated once more.

“Whoa. Slow down a bit. Once you get used to it, you’ll be fine, although maybe your eyesight isn’t going to be much help in this environment. I will organise some lighting for you, so you can see where you are going tomorrow evening.” His words centred her once more, and there was no trace of emotion that she could decipher in his voice.

They reached the bottom of the steps, and the dim lighting showed her a long corridor. The alignment mirrored the upstairs layout, except, instead of heavy wood and cream painting, there were rough-hewn walls of grey stone, teamed with slate flags on the floor. Doors dotted left and right, and she craned her head to see within.

“These are the sleeping quarters of the guards. Our rooms are at the end through the door.” He ushered her quickly along the long corridor. The large wooden door at the end opened without a squeak, and led into a luxurious apartment, decorated in pale colours, so unlike the overpowering dark woods upstairs. She glanced around quickly.

“Wow! I never thought about your suite. This is lovely.” Hope ran enchanted fingers lovingly over the light oak furnishings. A love seat sat on dark blue carpet, exquisite paintings she was sure were the works of old masters graced the walls covered in shimmering blue wallpaper, and beyond she spied a white cabinet filled with books. A large armchair nestled into a cosy corner.

“This is glorious!” The words were breathless as she looked around.

“Yes, from where I am standing the view is certainly lovely.”

She heard his softly spoken words, and turned, only to find, instead of looking at the furnishings and walls, his eyes were deep pools of molten desire, looking at her. Something shimmered through her like quicksilver.

“Umm, where do I sleep?” The words were husky and she nearly closed her eyes, cringing at the double meaning. He snorted quietly, obviously having also come to that conclusion, but she looked away, refusing to give in to an emotion she didn’t want to confront.

“Through here.” Xavier indicated a door that blended into the furnishings, then he turned the small handle and opened it wide, allowing her to see inside as he stood back.

Hope peered into the room. Instead of the pale blues she had seen within her suite, this room was decorated in gold and lush creamy tones that were warm and welcoming.

The bed was an antique carved four-poster of some dark wood, perhaps old English oak, thought Hope. She was bemused at the sight of such lush comfort and noticed the colour was similar to the upstairs bedroom furnishings. That was where the similarities ended.

The curtains of detailed velvet were inset with fine lace, matching the coverlet, and the bed was piled high with what looked to be soft fluffy pillows. To the side was a boudoir chair covered in the same material as the curtains and coverlet, and at the end of the bed sat a bench, padded and inviting, before an ornate dressing table. She took another step in. “This is exquisite.” She murmured the words as she took in the carved full-length mirror, and the series of doors along one wall.

“They lead to your bathroom and dressing chamber. I had all your clothing and personal items moved here, as soon as we became aware of the threat to the nest. Especially once Cressida made it clear your safety was paramount.”

The words stopped her cold. She whipped her head back to him. “Why? Why just me, and not my whole family?” She urged him with every fibre of her being to explain, but he shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know, but she said they would be fine. She is supposed to be contacting me tomorrow. But for now, you are safe here.” His eyes watched hers, the green of them reminding her of the river in summer, cool and enervating. Once more she shivered, and he took a step back, breaking the spell. She swayed at the loss of the connection between them.

“My rooms are through here.” He showed her back into the main room and opposite hers. “If you need me, all you need to do is call. I had a communications system installed here when I became the Master, so you will be able to be in contact with your family. Your computer is also being set up in my private office, through this door, and concealed behind one of the doors in your chamber is a multimedia entertainment system.” He watched her, and she felt as if she had lost all the control over her life.

“Meals?” She hated to seem forward and rude, but now her stomach was churning with hunger.

“They will be delivered here by one of the bodyguards to ensure your safety, as your maid Lisi is only allowed to come as far as the secure doorway. I have arranged for guardians to take on the daylight vigil outside the suite, and they will ensure our safety.”

They stood quietly for a moment and she nodded. “Right then. Maybe I should retire.” She started to back away when he reached out and gripped her firmly.

“Once Cressida shares what information she has, we can talk more. For now, though, retiring is probably wise.” He thrust a small tray she hadn’t seen behind him into her hands. Food. She smiled ruefully before nodding her thanks.

Hope turned and walked through the door, closing it firmly behind her.

* * * *

She woke, not sure what told her it was time to rise, but her body seemed to know it was morning. She had fallen into a dreamless sleep, after eating the cheeses and fruits that had been delivered for her.

Her stomach rumbled as she glanced around the room. It was a luxurious, but it still felt like a cage, one she couldn’t leave without permission. Gilded, beautiful and comfortable, certainly, but most definitely a cage and she was the prisoner.

Hope crawled to the side of the massive bed and swung her feet over. They touched the deep plush carpet, and she sighed as her senses went into overdrive at the feel of the deep pile. She made her way silently towards the bathroom door, and stepped into the bathroom, looking around to see an enormous corner spa unit deep and welcoming. In another corner sat a large open wall shower with an oversize removable head. The room was lit with subdued lighting, and she spied another door that opened into a toilet. Even vampires needed bathrooms, it seemed. She turned the lights up slightly using the dimmer switch, enough to see comfortably, but definitely not bright enough to hurt any vampire’s eyes, she thought.

Hope rushed through her ablutions, washing away the makeup she had been too tired to remove when falling into bed the night before. She avoided looking at herself in the mirror hanging above the deep sink, set into a marble stand, knowing her eyes would look tired and shadowed.

As she headed back to the bedroom, she snatched her robe off the end of the bed. No way was she wandering into the main area without the added cover. Her pyjamas might cover just about everything, and were way less revealing than a bikini, but she had seen the glimmer of interest in Xavier’s eyes the night before. Better to cover up and have a look around, find out the time and decide what to do next. Then she shook herself mentally. As if he would do anything, or show any interest in her. The thought was lowering.

The lounge room was deserted and she dragged in a sigh, thankful that being alone would give her time to take stock of the situation she found herself in. On the table she saw a tray, the highly polished dome telling her it was food once again, and her stomach rumbled at the sight.

Lifting the dome she saw a bowl filled with muesli, a tub of yogurt and a medley of her favourite fruits. Beside it sat a bright red cooler box, and perched on that was a small kettle, a coffee plunger, a teacup and some necessary cutlery. Hope looked around, relocating everything so it was usable, before opening the cooler.
Good
, she thought. They had delivered coffee, milk and bottled water. Someone upstairs had ensured she was adequately catered for. It was almost enough to make her feel comfortable for now, she reflected.

Feeling happier, she collected the kettle and plugged it in, poured water into the reservoir and waited for it to boil. Coffee always made her feel better, so she prepared the plunger and ate her breakfast while waiting for the kettle. The rich dark aroma filled the room, and she inhaled deeply.

Coffee in hand, she headed into the office where Xavier had promised her the laptop would be set up. A desk had been set up opposite what she guessed was his. Her small computer barely filled the tidy space. It reminded her of his rigidly controlled behaviour. The room was mainly office, with dark woods and heavy furnishings, though she suspected he didn’t use it much. Right now, though, she wasn’t interested in the surroundings or his use of them, as she headed over before she started booting up her computer.

It hummed to life and she smiled. Once the computer was on, she checked the time, waiting for the machine to make a connection to the Internet. Just a little after ten in the morning and she grimaced. What on earth would she do with the day, waiting for him to rise?

Opening her email programme, she waited as the messages downloaded. Nothing exciting, some spam mail, a few messages from friends who had reached their homes after leaving college, but nothing of any real importance. No one she felt a long-lasting connection to. She slumped back in the deep office chair. Now what? Maybe check the news, see if there was anything there. Hope checked the news, but nothing held her interest. She watched the time as she flicked around sites that caught her eye. Shopping sites didn’t interest her and movies on the small screen just irritated her. She logged out and turned off the computer, feeling lonely.