Last Enchantment

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Tegan had never liked Orlando, which was why she and Virginia chose it for their secret meetings. Nobody would look for them here, because Virginia disliked it as much as she did. All that mess, all those tacky tourist stores, all those people talking internally and out in various languages, all excited because they were on vacation. Not a good place for sorcerers.

Over the years they’d met a few times when they were supposed to be somewhere else. It was fun at first, somewhere to catch up, their secret. And they always used the same hotel. At the time that was all they could afford, but the modest two-star represented something to them now. The rooms were clean, the place usually filled with tourists, which put off anyone looking for them. Except nobody had.

She couldn’t remember when she’d got the call, but she remembered it. On her phone, a text. “Usual place, I need to see you urgently. Mum.”

The last was to tell her it was Virginia for real and not to tell anyone. Keep mum, an English term they’d picked up reading old English school stories, another passion they’d shared in their youth. Most of the stories were based in boarding schools, and the experiences in them were the closest to their own they’d come across. Except the camaraderie and friendship was largely missing in real life. It hurt too much. Physically. Until she’d learned to control her senses, the pain was excruciating, worse than anything else she’d ever known. She shuddered to think about it.

“Is there anything wrong, ma’am?” The desk clerk swiped her card. It wasn’t under her name, but she only used it to register the room. She’d pay cash, had a wedge of it in her bag. He glanced at her, and then under the counter. “There’s a letter for you, Ms. French.”

She glanced at the writing. Virginia’s. She’d open it in her room. Murmuring a word of thanks to the clerk she turned. No bellboys here. Exhausted after her long flight in economy, she dragged her carry-on case out the reception area. And walked straight into a hard chest.

She recognized the scent first. Fresh, with a touch of musk and spice and as always seemed to happen around him, her body melted for him. She glanced up at Oliver, smiling despite herself. “How did you know I was here?”

“I saw the place online.” His hands came up to cover hers, as if afraid she’d get away.

She frowned. She hadn’t done anything online. She’d bought her ticket at the airport and went the long way, via Paris and Atlanta. Cash. Used one of the fake passports she had as part of her job. She had no idea why she felt the need to be so secretive, except that something in Virginia’s text had unnerved her. “Didn’t you get my note?”

“Oh, yes.” His smile turned grimmer. He dragged her out of the building. The heat of a Florida spring day beat down on them. He wore a jacket over his shirt and pants, but he looked cool, yet hot and bothered at the same time.

“Have you fed?”

“They fed me on the plane. But I’m exhausted.”

“Ah, shit, Tegan, don’t you remember anything?”

She glanced around, worried that someone would hear. “Of course I do,” she hissed. “I was just being careful, that’s all. They fed me on the plane, and I fed from one of them later on. That’s why I came here to see my sister. Virginia needs help. She was in love with Marcus, and she misses him. She wants a girly weekend, like we used to have.” He led her up the street, but only when he grabbed the handle of her bag, easing it from her grasp, did she realize he was taking her away from the hotel. “Where are we going?”

His hold on her arm gentled, but she could see he was in a bad way. Furious, upset—something. “To my hotel. Yours is shabby.”

“Snob.” She glanced around, at the people staring at them. “Are you fuzzing? They’re looking at you and then looking away.”

“The news gets around fast these days, so yes, I’m fuzzing.” He glanced down at her, his sunglasses glinting. “Ah, fuck, the sun must be killing you.”

Strange, but it was, draining her. She had a long-sleeved T-shirt on, but the heat seemed to penetrate it effortlessly. And was that a blister on the back of her hand? Shit, how hot was this sun, anyway?”

“Fuck.” He tore off his jacket and tossed it around her shoulders, pulling up the collar to cover her neck. Then he removed his baseball cap and jammed it on her head. “Keep your head down until we get there.”

She felt the blur in her mind that told her he was fuzzing. People wouldn’t recognize him.

He quickened his pace, almost dragging her past the wide buildings until they got to the four-star on the corner. He pulled her inside, and at the first wave of the air conditioning, she let out a sigh of relief. “What’s wrong with me?”

“When you’re newly made, that’ll happen. Resistance to the sun will build up. Small doses won’t hurt you, but this is far too intense for you. And I’m betting Virginia knows that.”

Before she could ask what he meant, he tugged her through the reception area and along a glass hallway to a door at the end. He swiped his keycard through the slot and dragged her inside the room. She shrugged off his jacket and went to hand it to him, but he grabbed it and tossed it aside. Groaning her name, he pulled her close and into a deep, passionate kiss.

It felt strangely familiar, and she wasn’t averse to it. His tongue plunged into her mouth, ravaging her with no mercy, and she responded. This felt right, felt good, and what the fuck, she had nothing to lose. It wasn’t as if she was a virgin anymore. Maybe she should have done this long ago.

Memories seeped back, of her state, of how she’d become vampire. Marcus. That was why Virginia wanted to see her. She had some of him in her, and Virginia probably wanted to talk about him without anyone else present.

That wasn’t why he was here. Oliver kissed her like a man possessed. Like a vampire possessed. That was it, she was a vampire. They probably did this on a regular basis. But not her, she’d just been turned. But what he did felt strangely familiar. That small scar just above his right nipple… How did she know he had one? Had she seen it before, touched it, kissed it?

She didn’t care. It felt good. Wonderful.

He bent, put his arms under her, and carried her to the bed. All the time she kissed him, traced her tongue around his nipple and sucked it, as she’d—no, she hadn’t. This was their first time. But she didn’t care. She wanted it so badly. Wanted him. And by the expression on his face, the way he stared at her with such hunger, he wanted her.

He groaned and laid her gently on the bed. She’d bet the bed in her hotel wasn’t as soft as this one, not covered with smooth white sheets and a duvet as soft as clouds. But there was nothing soft or gentle at the way he dragged off her clothing, as if he couldn’t wait, afraid she’d get away.

Then he stripped, watching her with an avid hunger she found irresistible. When she heated and felt the liquid between her legs, she opened her thighs to ease them, and his murmur of her name turned her on even more. “You look so beautiful like that, sweetheart. Just stay there. Right there.”

She did just that. He climbed over her, and she opened her legs before he had to ask or urge her. Thank God they didn’t have to find protection, because if he didn’t get inside her in the next few seconds, she’d die. Every part of her needed this, and she vaguely wondered at the desire she felt, something she never thought she’d be comfortable with, before he guided his cock to her, bathed it in her juices, and slid inside.

He didn’t stop until he was fully embedded. All the time, he kept her gaze, his own darkening. The connection was almost too much. They linked in every way, including mentally, and she welcomed him into her mind as she did into her body.

Sliding her arms around him, she held him tight, covered his buttocks, and felt his muscles tighten as he plunged in and out of her willing body. She lifted her legs and curved her feet around his waist, clutching him as he worked her. Changing their position slightly gave her a new sensation, that part of her that responded the most, had more nerve endings concentrated there, but although she knew the facts, the reality was different. So very different, she knew she’d never be the same again after this. Knowing and experiencing, pushing her to heights of pleasure.

She didn’t close her eyes. She wanted to watch him, as he gazed at her, so intently it was as if he were trying to convey something, send her a message, through their sight instead of her mind. When he entered her senses, she opened one barrier, two, three, but no more. That might threaten bonding, and it would be foolish to do that. Foolish, but so wanted. Tegan wondered at herself. Why should she want that when she’d fought all her life to retain her independence of mind and spirit? But she wanted it with this man, wanted never to be alone again.

I want it, too. His words, projected deep inside her, seemed more intimate than if she’d spoken them. And all the time he set up a driving, steady rhythm. He could tell he’d reached her sweet spot because she was sharing it with him, trying to show him the sensations he was giving her, the steady drive to the edge of the cliff, the tip of the iceberg—

“Oh, God!” She could do nothing but gasp and push harder, arching her body up to him, trying to keep in contact with that one, ecstatic spot.

Balancing on one hand, he brought the other to her pussy, touched her clit, pulled it between thumb and forefinger, as if working a miniature cock. “Come on, sweetheart. Come for me.”

She convulsed in ecstasy, losing the ability to control her body but trusting him to keep her safe.

And he did, he did. Until his turn came, and she held him close while he shouted out his joy and flooded her with his essence. It seeped out of her, soaking her pussy and trickling between the cleft in her buttocks to tease her other opening. Something stirred in her mind, and then disappeared.

She melted into a soft cloud of bliss, unable to think anymore, not wanting to.

“We’ve done this before, haven’t we?” Her head on his shoulder, playing with the hairs on his chest, Tegan felt more relaxed than she should, more comfortable. The answer was obvious, and yet terrifying, because it opened possibilities she didn’t want to think about. But she feared she’d have to.

He covered her hand with one of his, pressing it against his heart. It thudded under her palm. “Yes, we have.” He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You asked me to—have sex with you because you thought it might be good for you and dispel the terrors of the attack. It did, but it did more than that. We discovered something in each other that we wanted to pursue.”

Was he in love with her? It sounded a bit like that, but she found it hard to believe. The Oliver she knew was a hard-living, hard-loving man, not given to the gentler pursuits in life. She decided to let that part of the complications rest for the time being. They weren’t as urgent as the other things. Like her sister, for instance. And why she couldn’t remember. “Did someone mess with my memories?”

“Yes.” He sounded harder. She didn’t look up at his face but stared at his chest, the tempting buttons of his nipples, the fine scattering of dark hair. “G scanned you briefly after your conversion and thought he found everything intact, apart from your memories of sex. Either Marcus was being kind and removing the memories of your rape or being cruel and removing your memories of us.”

She searched her mind. “You’re right. But I know I’ve been raped. I just can’t remember it anymore. Any of it. I know it was Marcus, if you get my meaning, but not why.”

He stroked her waist. “He did it at the time of your conversion. You have to bond to convert, so he used psi.” He sighed. “If we’d known you meant to take off like you did, we’d have called a sorcerer to scan and help you right away. We’ve kept them away from you up to now.”

“Ah.” At times, she’d wondered why they hadn’t called sorcerers in, but at first she’d felt too vulnerable to allow one near her, even her sister, and later on, they must have decided to continue that policy. But she didn’t mind. She had her psi back, or some of it. She hadn’t tested it all, but she’d used fuzzing on the plane to stop people recognizing her, and she’d communicated telepathically, practiced as discreetly as she could. Not as strong as she was used to and not as effortless, but maybe she was just rusty and needed more practice. But something else bothered her. “Vampires are more passionate. They feel more. They want more. Is that just a myth?”

He chuckled. “Can’t you tell? No, it’s not just a myth. We do tend to have more immediate and vivid emotions about things. You’ll learn to cope. You’re an intelligent woman.” He kissed her. “Also a very beautiful one.”

Her mind rejected it, but her body reveled in the compliment. She wanted to bask for him, show him how beautiful she could be. Clever man. She contented herself with insinuating her body against his and received a very satisfactory groan in response.

She would have lifted her head and demanded a kiss, given up on rational conversation, but she needed more. For her own preservation and for his. “From that, it seems the intent was malicious. Why would Marcus do that? Who was running him?” She prayed he wouldn’t give her the answer she dreaded.

“Virginia.” Her prayers, as so often in the past, were in vain. He tightened his hold on her, as if afraid she’d pull away.

Okay, so she had to control what she felt. Immediate denial, refusal to accept a truth that was all too unpalatable. “Why? She has her own business, has all the power and wealth that I do. She doesn’t have my powers, but to make up for that, she had the ability to use her body. She didn’t have to remain in a constant state of denial.”

“Is that what it was like?” He sounded startled, and she lifted her chin to meet his gaze. Those pale eyes held no fears for her, only attraction and friendship, and just possibly, something else. “A constant state of denial?”

“You’re trained for it from an early age. That’s why the sorcerers who want to try to be lifelong virgins and have all the capabilities are separated from the others. The training in self-control starts early, and it’s far more vigorous than for the others, and theirs is hard enough.” She paused. “I still have that training.”

“I know.” Their gazes met in a moment of absolute honesty. “We’re still here.” He laughed, the sound slightly bitter. “No thanks to your sister.” His gaze immediately gentled, and he kissed her on the lips very softly. “I’m sorry.”

“We’re all each other had at some points. Our parents didn’t and don’t care. Why should they? They did their duty and moved on. It’s the sorcerer way. Virginia was funny and caring, but not in a way that would threaten what I was and what I had to retain.” She tried to be perfectly honest with herself. “I can’t see why she would do this. I’m not sure I entirely believe you.”

“Then you’re in the same situation I was. When they told me Marcus was involved, I wouldn’t believe it. We’d been friends for a long time.” He gave a short, derisory laugh. “At least, I thought so. We did many business deals together. We even shared women.”

“I know that part.”

“So you do.” He paused as if he wanted to say something else, then must have refrained. But she wanted to know what it was, and she intended to find out, in time. “It worked, but in a way we didn’t imagine, because it wasn’t Marcus but your sister. She had taken him over completely. She wanted me, and she wanted you.” He paused, and this time she wouldn’t let him hide his thoughts. But she didn’t want to discover them using telepathy. He had to tell her. She needed to hear it.

“Tell me. What did she want?”

He stared at her, not speaking, not opening his mind any more than the outer layer. So by that she knew it was bad. “She wanted you dead.”

Then she did pull away, scrambling to get into the bathroom before the tears came, before she could disgrace herself.

He pulled her back. “It wasn’t you.”

“How wasn’t it me?”

“She’s a sociopath, Tegan.”

That made her pause in her struggles to escape him. It made horrible sense. Not because she knew Virginia, but because she knew sorcerers.

His grip on her loosened, but she didn’t leave. Instead, she rolled on to her back and turned her head to look at him. He opened more of his mind to her, and yes, he was speaking the truth, as far as she could tell.

“How did I not know?”

“By the time you came into regular contact, she’d perfected her act. She could imitate the emotions she needed, but she never really felt anything. Not above a desire to use people so she could have the life she wanted.”

She hated this. Virginia was the one point of stability in her life, the one person she could be free to love and link with. And she had linked with her, she realized with a sinking feeling of horror. Though not to the point of bonding. If they’d bonded, their lives would be as one and they would die with each other.

But she couldn’t disbelieve him because of that seed of truth. She’d probably helped with her emotional connection with her sister, something considered healthy by their tutors. As long as it wasn’t dangerous to their sexuality and both sisters had been classed as mainly heterosexual after puberty. Another screening she’d come to find deeply distasteful over the years, but necessary, if she was to avoid feelings like those she was setting free now.

That must be why it scared her so much. Not that she’d let it get in the way if she was sure of the truth. She couldn’t afford to, because if he was right, it was a duel to the death between sisters.

“So I gave all my love and trust to a person I didn’t really know.”

“As I did with Marcus, at least for the year he was a vampire.” He leaned up, resting on one elbow. “I did it, too. I assumed things I shouldn’t. I didn’t see him as much in that last year, but when he made excuses, I accepted them. He was furious when he discovered what I’d been keeping from him, and I believe he never forgave me. I think Virginia told him before I did, and then gave him the chance to become a vampire.”

“How?”

“Probably illegally. You said she was well-off. She could have paid someone, right?”

Yes, she could, but it was incredibly hard to get a vampire to convert someone against his own will. Even drugs were uncertain, because the vampire might pass out or throw up. Concentration was important to override the urge to separate from the victim before the spark happened, before victim became predator. But there was something Virginia was very good at. “She could have found a vampire and used all her powers of compulsion on him. Made him do the deed.”

“That’s illegal.”

“Sociopath,” she reminded him. The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. “But it’s not certain, is it?”

“More or less.”

She thought again. “I should go back to the other hotel. She’s expecting me there.”

He touched his lips to her forehead. “Too risky. She’s too dangerous and too unpredictable. She might want you to convert her, and your psi powers are new and they’re also less than hers. She could overpower you that way. She wants you dead, but if you convert her at the same time, where’s the harm in that? No, we’ll wait. Spartan is watching the hotel from another place across the street. When she shows, we’ll be ready.”

She lifted her hand, spread her fingers wide and spread them over his chest in a gesture that felt strangely familiar. Oh, yes, she’d done that before, too, although she couldn’t remember. Déjà vu for real. “So why didn’t she just buy it like she did before?”

“She probably will, but she’ll lose much of her psi powers. It will take time for her to adjust. As it will you.” He leaned down and kissed her. She let her arm go back, but that little spot of resistance remained, and she enjoyed it. She could control this, push him away if she wanted to. The fact that she didn’t was her decision. And he knew it, too, she read that in his mind. He was waiting for her response, and he’d abide by it.

She slid her hand slowly up his chest, let her fingers tickle his nipple, gave it a light pinch so he drew a sharp breath and then up to his shoulder, around his neck and up to the back of his head, threading her fingers into his thick, dark hair.

With a sigh of contentment, he deepened the kiss and took his time tasting her. She ventured to taste him back. He welcomed her tentative explorations, opened his mouth wider for her to explore him, and supported her tongue with his when she wanted to curl up to the roof of his mouth, wondering if he’d like her to caress that tender place.

He did. With a controlled move that spoke of his strength, even during the daytime, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she was on top. Still in the kiss, he leaned back, rimmed her inner lips with his tongue and returned to plunge in deeply. He moved under her, freeing his cock to lie in the crease between her legs. It pushed urgently against her, their juices commingling. The head met her opening.

She was surprised by how easily he slid inside her, although she adjusted her body almost automatically to accept him and bore down as he pushed up. They achieved their joining together, neither dominating their encounter. And she couldn’t believe she’d lived without this for so long.

He sank inside. Then he ground against her, rotating, so inside she felt every part of him touch every part of her. She pulled away from the kiss. She had to, to catch her breath. His hip swivels did something, but for all her analytical skills, she couldn’t tell what it was. Fuck, as long as he kept doing it, she didn’t care.

After their first, frantic coupling, she expected more of the same, looked forward to it, but he surprised her again, taking her with delicate tenderness. Long, slow strokes, all the time gazing into her eyes until she came apart in his arms.

She opened her eyes, aware he hadn’t come, although she was suffused with a dreamy, dozy feeling that she wanted to sink into, a respite from her worries and fears. He rolled away and she thought he meant to pull her into his arms, but he didn’t. Instead, he sat upright, his back to the pillows and smiled down at her. “Come here.”

Wondering, she went, but soon go the picture when he took her elbows and urged her to straddle him. He released her elbows to grasp her waist and steady her. “Trust me?”

She nodded.

“Sit.”

He held his cock steady as she descended, slowly in order to make no mistakes. Open and wet for him, it proved easier than she’d thought. She felt every inch of his body sliding into hers, filling her completely, and it was the best sensation of her life. He released his cock, returned his hand to her waist, and held her as she put her hands on his shoulders. They sat, sharing each other’s space, enjoying the togetherness that came so rarely, gazing at each other like long-established lovers.

Then she began to move. Guided by him, she raised and lowered her body, leaning forward slightly to increase the power of her thrusts, watching his avid gaze on her breasts as they swayed with her motion. “So pretty,” he murmured, and she bent her head and kissed him, bringing her lips to his mouth when he raised his head, for the first time initiating their kiss. It felt good. This time she explored him, took her time with his mouth, and he responded but let her take the lead.

She loved it, wanted to do it more, so she did. His low groan into her mouth quivered through her, and she hummed back, gave him her appreciation in her mind, and opened to him. He accepted eagerly, opened his in return, and they merged, far deeper than she’d ever joined with anyone before. But then, until recently she’d never fucked anyone before. If she’d known what she was missing, she’d have done it long ago. Or maybe she wouldn’t have done, because she wasn’t sure it would be like this with anyone else.

Watching him, she rose up, sank down. “Do what you want,” he said, his voice an intimate growl. “Whatever makes you feel good. Learn your own body.” His smile broadened. “I’ll help you any way I can.”

Her breath caught at the back of her throat as she changed the angle a little. Interesting. His mind underwent a change, like an aura warming under pressure, a shift in the level of arousal.

Recognizing that she’d done that to him ratcheted up her own level of arousal and clicked it up another notch. Together they brought each other up, noting the stages, passing on. It was something like meditation, a technique she’d studied as a way to control her sexual impulses. Now she was doing it another way, enhancing her experience by sinking into the moment, not letting tomorrow or yesterday intrude, pushing her conscious thoughts as far away as she could.

He picked up what she was doing and emulated her, easily copying her techniques. Together, they were more than they were apart as he showed her when he flooded his mind with color, a warm, yellowish orange, the color of the sun as it was setting. It enhanced the mood, kept their mutual rhythm steady and instinctive, and meant they could concentrate on what they were doing to themselves and each other.

They didn’t speak, didn’t kiss, only held each other and moved in perfect harmony. Emotions flickered across their faces, making his lips quirk in a slight smile one minute, then his mouth dropped open and a long, low groan filled the quiet air, soon followed by hers, then a gasp, low in her throat.

She traced every moment of her orgasm, every time it built, and it was amazing, wonderful, transcendental.

The moment of culmination was indescribable.

****

She came to in his arms, and darkness had fallen, but she gauged instantly that it hadn’t been that way for long. Bolting upright, she reached for her watch, but he pulled her back into his arms. “It’s just after seven,” he said and waved his watch in front of her face. “I could just reach it so I strapped it on. I knew you’d panic.”

“I’m not panicking,” she protested, but he laughed and wrapped her in his arms, rolling her onto her back before he kissed her soundly. He took his time, too, and despite her sense of urgency, she couldn’t resist his subtle blend of passion and tenderness. He drew back, smiling, and gazed down at her face. “That’s better. You needed the rest, but I needed you.”

She cradled his face in her hand, and he turned his head to kiss her palm. “I really have to go. I need to see this through.”

“Yes, you do. And so do I.”

“I know. I don’t mind, not anymore. My powers will never be what they were, but I have some compensations.” She smiled and pushed her doubts away. She’d probably feel regret for a time to come, but she’d learn to cope with them and one day it wouldn’t hurt at all. She lowered her gaze. “I’m a vampire.” She felt different, stronger, and she could feel the hunger building in her.

“You should feed soon. Spartan will help you. If I could do it, I would, but you won’t get enough sustenance from me.”

“Is it normal to fuck the person you mentor?” She was only half joking, and because they were still closely linked, she felt him pick up her anxiety.

“No. And you’re the first person I’ve mentored. Likely to be the only one, too.” He stroked her from shoulder to ass, making her feel like stretching her body under his caress like a cat seeking more. “You have things to learn.”

“Like flashing?”

He grinned. “You really do remember most of it, don’t you?” He stroked her hair, as if he couldn’t stop touching her. “No, not flashing, not yet. Instant teleportation isn’t an easy thing to learn, and if you get it wrong, you can die. Besides which, it’s exhausting. Not a good thing in the present circumstances.”

“I love your accent.” She didn’t know why she said that. Probably because she had the strong urge to say “I love you” and chickened out at the last minute. But it was true; his cultivated British accent was the sexiest she’d ever heard.

He gazed at her, still stroking her, but said nothing and his mind was still. Then he sat up in a sudden swish of sheets. “Let’s shower and go to see how Spartan is getting on. You can feed, and we can relieve him for a few hours.”

“That sounds good.”

He helped her out of bed and chased her into the shower, turning the taps on full and waiting for the water to heat.

Which was why, when the explosion ripped their room apart, they were both naked and wet.