Ironic Sacrifice Read online

  The doctor’s eyes widened for a minute, then his cheeks reddened and he lowered his gaze. “It is a pleasure, Ms. Leigh.” She caught a brief glimpse of fangs as he spoke.

  Jayden smiled and inclined her head at his polite greeting. Shy vampires…she never would have guessed. The doctor conversed with Silas a little longer and left. The food arrived soon after and Jayden did her best not to devour her fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and crab Rangoon like a wild animal. Still, starvation was too familiar not to eat with gusto. Akasha gave her a knowing look and she realized that her hostess had experienced more than a nodding acquaintance with hunger. Jayden suppressed a shudder as her glimpse of Akasha’s memories came back. What the hell had the poor girl gone through that she’d been shot at, beaten, starved, raped, experimented on, and God knew what else?

  She remained silent throughout the meal and listened to the conversations going on around her. Before her life fell apart, Jayden had many friends, or so she thought. Now, as she witnessed the closeness between these vampires and humans—though she had her doubts about Akasha being human— surrounding her, she realized that all her previous relationships were artificial. She sighed and set down her chopsticks, no longer hungry. If one of them were having problems, the others would stick around.

  “It’s going to be all right, lass,” Silas said softly.

  Jayden looked up at him sharply. Was he eavesdropping on her thoughts? Her shoulders slumped. Hell, she did the same all the time, even though she couldn’t help it.

  “Thanks.”

  She offered to help clear the table, but Akasha refused, obviously afraid that she’d touch her. In the end, she sat in silence as Akasha and Max drank their beer and Silas and Razvan discussed vampire politics, which was a lot more boring than it sounded. They sounded more like corporate executives than powerful immortals.

  Razvan withdrew a Sherlock Holmes-looking pipe from his breast pocket and lit it. As the scent of cherry flavored tobacco filled the room, Jayden’s eyes were drawn to his slender fingers and sculpted lips on the pipe’s stem. She shivered as she remembered those hands and lips all over her body. Would he touch her again tonight? Could she refuse such intoxicating pleasure? She looked down at her hands, praying that no one was reading her internal struggle. She would have to refuse him. It was imperative that she know whether he truly thought of her as a toy, or if he had the slightest regard for her as a human being.

  As if he knew her thoughts, Razvan grasped a lock of her hair and twirled it about his fingers without breaking his conversation with Silas about quarterly taxes. Was this an omen? Akasha and Max gaped in obvious astonishment, but Silas merely blinked and rambled on about interest and capital gains. Apparently Razvan was not one for casual touching.

  Her scalp tingled at his touch and an unbidden sigh escaped her lips. This was awkward. Akasha threw a pointed glance at her, at Razvan’s hand, then back at her. Did she want him to stop? Well, it wasn’t like he was publically groping her… and his touch did feel good.

  She shifted closer to Razvan to convey that she didn’t need any interference. Akasha shrugged and asked Silas about annuities versus IRAs for a vampire’s fake retirement. Jayden was surprised that the foul-mouthed, beer swilling mechanic would have any interest in such a subject.

  Shame knotted her belly at the judgment as she remembered that Akasha owned her own business. Of course she would know. Further humiliation ate at her as she realized that everyone around her was a success, except for her. Hell, Akasha looked to be in her early twenties and she managed an auto shop. Akasha’s friends were a world renowned heavy metal band. And here Jayden was, homeless, half crazy, and at the mercy of all of them. Still, it was better than where she was yesterday. And they were all the most interesting individuals that she’d ever encountered.

  She studied them one by one. What was the story behind Akasha? Where did she get her incredible strength? How did she meet Silas? And was their love as real as it looked? It sure seemed to be. The Scottish vampire held more kindness and gentleness in his eyes and voice than Jayden could imagine Razvan possessing. But could Silas help her? And if he did… if she managed to get back to normal, what then? Her mind shied from the question.

  The combination of a full stomach and the boring conversations around her made Jayden drowsy. Her eyelids drooped and she dozed off.

  “I think it is bedtime for my pet,” Razvan’s voice rumbled in her ear. Jayden jolted awake and raised her head from his shoulder. The moment of truth was coming.

  Silas stood up. “Very well, Akasha and I shall show you to your room.”

  As they followed Silas and Akasha down the stone steps to the secret chambers below, Jayden’s heart tried to beat itself out of her chest. It was time to test Razvan’s honor. As much as he fascinated and attracted her, she must be strong. When they reached their bedroom and he tried to pull her into his arms and enslave her with his seduction, she would refuse him. And then what? Will he rape me? What will it prove? It seemed that with each step she took, a thousand questions screamed in her mind, the most frightening was: what if he gets angry? Will he hurt me? She had no doubt that, vampire or not, he could make her previous longing for death more paltry than a candy craving.

  She bit back a startled gasp when Silas opened a door, jerking her back into reality. “I wish you both a good day’s sleep. And Jayden?”

  “Yes?” she did her best to sound casual.

  “Your lessons begin tomorrow.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  Razvan led her down the hall into a room that put the Resort’s suite to shame with its sumptuous carpet and California king-sized bed. A wall-clock framed with silver curlicues read 4:30 A.M.

  He set her bag on the bed. “I will be back shortly.”

  Jayden sat down on the mattress hard as the door shut. Where the hell was he going? Then it occurred to her. He needed to feed. He was going out to hunt. Why didn’t he feed from me? She wondered. And how often do vampires need blood? Do they need it once, or is it three meals a night, like people? How much blood could she lose in a night? Jayden had no idea; she’d never donated blood before. It wasn’t that she was selfish; she just wasn’t at the right place at the right time.

  She changed into one of her new nightgowns and brushed her teeth, all the while psyching herself up for what would happen when Razvan returned. She sat back on the bed and watched the clock slowly turn closer to five. What time did the sun come up this time of year? Five-thirty? Six? Just as she was about to slap herself for dozing off again, she heard his footsteps on the stairs. It was time to refute the vampire’s advances. The door opened.

  “You are still awake,” Razvan said. “If I had known you meant to wait for me, I would have brought down some books from Silas’s library.”

  He turned down the covers and patted the mattress. “Come, now. You have a busy evening ahead.”

  Cautiously, she lay down. He turned off the lamp and pulled the covers over them as he put his arm around her. Now’s the time.

  “Good rest, Jayden,” he whispered.

  And that was it.

  ***

  Razvan breathed in Jayden’s delicious scent and congratulated himself on his restraint. Gently he whispered to her mind, coaxing her to relax and sleep. If only his body would heed the same command. He wanted her again, no. He hadn’t stopped wanting her. Gritting his teeth against the raging desire, he contented himself with breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. Perhaps tomorrow he would take her, when she was better rested. He didn’t know if he could wait any longer. And there was no place more restful than Silas’s home.

  A fond smile curved his lips as he remembered Jayden’s courage when meeting his friends. She had seen Akasha at her worst, yet she did not flee. And best of all, she seemed to take to Silas well. Razvan was surprised at the well of gratitude that filled him for Silas’s willingness to help. He only hoped that McNaught’s efforts would be a success. Jayden’s mind was so fragile, could she eve
r heal?

  Chapter Six

  The next evening, Jayden began her lessons with Silas, but it was exceedingly hard to concentrate. Why didn’t Razvan want me? She ached with disappointment, but couldn’t tell if it was because she didn’t get to test him, or because she wanted him to desire her.

  “Jayden, you need to focus,” Silas said again. “Now try to read my thoughts.”

  “Okay, sorry,” she replied. They had been at this ever since Akasha left for work. Razvan, Max, and one of Silas’s subordinate vampires had gone back to Spokane to get Jayden’s car. She was beginning to suspect that Razvan didn’t know how to drive.

  Already Silas had more than lived up to his promise to help her. She now knew what had triggered her visions. Unlike popular stories and myths, psychic powers did not usually manifest at puberty. Instead, they came with one’s wisdom teeth. Silas believed that it was the cranial pressure from the new teeth that triggered the part of the brain responsible for psychic abilities.

  Had that been why her mother had gone insane and ended up committed in a psych hospital when Jayden was five? Jayden had always thought it had been because of the stress of becoming a mother in the tenth grade. Instead, maybe her mother began having visions too.

  She had an insane urge to tell Razvan and see what he thought.

  Silas watched her with an impatient look. “Are you even trying?”

  She sighed. “I just don’t see how reading your thoughts will help me stop seeing other peoples’ secrets.”

  Silas tapped his pen on the table. “Well, if you had been listening to me instead of thinking about Razvan, you would have heard me explaining that if you can sense the barrier on my thoughts, you would get a better sense of how to construct one of your own.”

  “Oh, that makes sense,” Jayden began and then the rest of his words sank in. “Wait, you read my thoughts?” Her eyes darted around the vast dining room, looking for retreat.

  Silas chuckled. “Only the subject, not the details, lass. Unlike you, I have to be touching a person for my powers to work efficiently. Now, try to read my thoughts.”

  Jayden focused on him. Nothing happened.

  “You’re just too good.” She spread her hands wide in surrender. “I can’t sense anything.”

  Silas frowned. “I think it is mostly that I am more practiced and you are still not concentrating enough. Your powers far exceed mine.” She gave him a doubtful look and he sighed. “Fine, place your hand on mine and try again.”

  She looked down at the appendage in question. His hands were large and looked more suited to wielding one of the huge swords that hung on the walls rather than flipping through tax forms. Jayden placed her hand atop his, marveling at the cool rough texture of his skin. She couldn’t help but wonder how he and the tiny Akasha were able to make love. Her fingers didn’t even reach his wrist. She and Razvan, however, pulled it off wonderfully…

  A vision of Silas lying in a field surrounded by corpses in chain mail and plaids slammed into her mind. A hooded figure approached him and blotted out the moon.

  “Ah, ‘tis the specter o’ Death come for me now?” Silas croaked, “Come mon, finish this.”

  The figure did indeed resemble Death; his features were obscured in blackness. But his voice, achingly familiar, made her hair stand up on end.

  “Not yet, far-sighted one,” Razvan replied with a heavy Slavic sounding accent, “I’ve others to attend to.”

  What felt like a steel wall slammed into place, throwing her back into her own mind like a backhanded slap.

  “Well?” Silas said as she shook her head to clear it.

  “I felt it!” she gasped. “It almost hurt.”

  The vampire nodded. “I’m sorry for that. For a moment you got in. What did you see?”

  “I think I saw the night you became a vampire,” she said. “When did it happen?”

  “In 1513, after the battle of Flodden Field. I would have died if Razvan had not found me. Was that all you saw?”

  Jayden nodded. “Yes, then your shield forced me out.”

  Silas smiled in approval. “Do you think you can try to make one of your own?”

  Doubt hardened in her stomach like a stone, but instead of protesting she replied, “I think so.”

  It took a few tries for Jayden to build her own shield in her mind, but after awhile it seemed to be working. Her head ached from the strain, but Silas was a merciless taskmaster. He kept her at it until Max and Razvan returned with her car.

  “It’s got a bad C.V. joint, maybe two,” Max said and held out her keys. Razvan took them before she could grab them. It appeared that she would not be able to come and go as she pleased.

  She glared at him and his lips curved into the sinister smile that seemed to be his trademark. She was a prisoner here, but the people were kind to her and she was getting help. Still, did that make it right? Her head ached from the quandary.

  Max looked at them and shook his head before continuing as if nothing happened. “The fuel injectors need to be cleaned and I’m sure she needs a tune up. But I can get her purring like a kitten in no time.”

  “Thanks,” she said weakly. What was the point if she couldn’t drive anywhere?

  Razvan took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up as if he were about to kiss her. “You look very pale, my sweet. Why?”

  “I… uh, I’ve been working,” she murmured. “It’s harder than I thought.”

  Razvan turned to Silas. His black eyes glittered. “She will rest now and eat something.”

  “Think you can command me in ma ‘ain house?” Silas’s eyes flared neon green, and his brogue crept into his words, revealing his anger as he stalked forward.

  Razvan held his ground.

  “Actually, I am hungry,” Jayden said quickly, hoping to avoid a fight. “If you don’t mind, I would like a break.”

  “Go fetch a nibble and sit for a while, lass.” Silas glared at Razvan, who seemed pleased at his ire. “You, old friend, are a pain in the arse.”

  Razvan laughed and stalked out of the room with predatory grace. As he passed Isuzu, the cat laid his ears flat and hissed at him. The Siamese then meowed and wound his way around Silas’s legs before running to his empty food bowl, giving it a pointed glare.

  Max chuckled and turned to Jayden, “Come on, girl. I make a mean grilled cheese.”

  The man wasn’t kidding. As she bit into the sandwich her taste buds seemed to moan in ecstasy.

  “The secret is real butter…a lot of it.” Max offered her a beer, but she refused, noticing with amusement that he was looking for an excuse to sneak in an extra one.

  Silas glided into the kitchen on silent feet. “I am off to get sustenance as well. Max, may I ask a favor?”

  Max nodded, not taking his eyes from the frying pan. “Anything, boss man.”

  “I think it would be best if Jayden were able to practice shielding her powers with a normal human,” the vampire said. “Would you be willing?”

  Max smiled. “I don’t know if I’d exactly call myself normal, but sure. I got nothin’ to hide.” He yawned and stood up. “But not tonight, if you don’t mind; I’m beat. Being out of work is getting me back onto daytime hours. Tell Akasha I’m sorry I couldn’t wait up for her. Goodnight, y’all.”

  Silas nodded. “You did very well tonight, Jayden. I shall see you later.”

  Jayden got up and washed the dishes, wondering if Razvan went hunting with Silas. She was so distracted that she accidentally sprayed herself with the nozzle attached to the sink.

  “Damn,” she muttered, looking down at her dripping shirt. Hopefully it wasn’t made of some expensive fabric that was ruined easily.

  She went downstairs and pulled a new top out of her suitcase. A shadow fell over her just as she removed the wet shirt.

  “Well, Jayden, it seems we are alone now,” the vampire said with deceptive civility.

  As Razvan stalked towards her with predatory grace Jayden resisted the urge to fl
ee. Now her question would be answered.

  Chapter Seven

  Razvan’s hands tangled in her hair and his lips came down upon hers. She leaned into the kiss without thinking, yielding her mouth to his questing tongue. His scent teased her senses. Her knees went weak and moisture seeped between her legs as she felt his hardness pressing against her. She was falling under his spell again. The thought cleared her head somewhat and she raised her hand to his chest, pushing him away.

  “No,” she murmured when he lifted his mouth from hers.

  Razvan’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

  A large part of her said, yeah! Why not? But she pushed the inner voice away. She must know if he had any respect for her as a person, or if he really believed that she was a toy for his amusement.

  “I have the right to say no,” she said, then ruined the declaration by adding, “don’t I?”

  “What sort of game is this?” he asked, stepping away from her.

  His words irritated her, and the bereft feeling she had the moment he pulled away angered her further. “It’s not a game!” she shouted, “My body is not a thing for your sole pleasure!”

  His eyes raked her up and down. “I do not know about that, my dear, for it is a most pleasing sight,” he said. “But your mouth is certainly not pleasing at this moment.”

  He grabbed his jacket from the chair and headed to the door. “If you are not inclined to share my company, I shall take myself off for now. Good night, Jayden.”

  Razvan left the room and Jayden now knew one thing. The vampire who “owned” her life would not rape her. As for everything else, she was more confused than before.

  ***

  “What’s your problem?” Akasha asked when the vampire stomped into the living room.

  Razvan plopped down in Silas’s chair, poured a shot of whiskey, pounded it, then slammed the glass down on the table hard enough to crack it, and lit his pipe. His black eyes glittered with rage.

  “You’re going to get indigestion if you keep that up,” Akasha commented mildly. “So what’s wrong?”