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Vivian and Rhys spent the day in each other’s arms, kissing and touching and laughing together, treasuring each bittersweet moment. At dusk, he took her with him when he went out to hunt, showing her that a vampire’s bite did not harm a person. That relieved Vivian more than any verbal assurances he’d given her. If she were to become a vampire, she never wanted to hurt anyone.
Rhys also took her to a restaurant, where she dined on roast beef and buttered potatoes. She felt a slight twinge of guilt when he used his preternatural powers to convince the proprietor that they’d paid. Did all vampires do this, or was it only rogues who were forced to steal?
When they returned to the cave, she asked him.
“Legitimate vampires are usually set up for some manner of employment by their Lord. I imagine the less wealthy ones don’t hesitate to filch money and things from time to time, but that is generally frowned upon.” Rhys built up the fire and then came to sit beside her. “Are you afraid of what life will be like if your uncle Changes you into a vampire?”
“Yes.” Vivian had to pry the word out. She’d tried to conceal her trepidation at the prospect of becoming a blood-drinking immortal, but the realization that she and Rhys would soon be parted compelled her to confess. “Could you tell me how the process works? I mean, will it hurt?”
“Some,” he admitted. The sympathy in his eyes made her wish she could take back the question. She did not want him to pity her. “When your fangs grow and the magic spreads through your body, it hurts a great deal. The first hunger for blood is painful as well, but not as bad as the teeth growing. That was the worst, from what I remember. Thankfully, it doesn’t last long, and your uncle will have a fresh source of blood on hand for your first feeding.” He grasped her hand and squeezed it. “I wish I could be there for you during the transformation. Teach you to wield your powers, the joy of the hunt, and show you the beauty of the night.”
“I wish you could be with me as well.” Vivian threaded her fingers through his. “But you still have not fully answered my question. How is the magic done?”
“Your uncle will drink as much of your blood as he can, then he will cut his wrist and feed it back to you,” Rhys looked down at his boots, as if avoiding her censure.
Vivian cringed at such a macabre process. However, at least it was straightforward, and did not sound like a long, ceremonial affair. “If it is so simple, why isn’t the world full of vampires?”
“Because it takes a century or thereabouts for a vampire to build the power to make another. And they can only make one at a time, for the most part. Although I did hear of an ancient vampire Changing mortal twin boys on the same night, hundreds of years ago.” Rhys filled the kettle for tea. “Also, one must petition their Lord Vampire before they are permitted to Change a mortal.”
Vivian blinked. If her uncle was already a Lord Vampire, then... “Who is my uncle’s lord?”
Something flickered in Rhys’s eyes that looked like fear. “I’ll let your uncle tell you.”
“Why?” Curiosity bubbled within her at his sudden reluctance to divulge information.
“Because there are some aspects of our world that even I won’t risk discussing. Certain parties whose attention I do not wish to attract.” His voice quaked with definite terror.
Vivian dropped the subject with Rhys, but she would most definitely discuss it with her uncle. Vampires must have a higher authority than lords. A king, perhaps? Or maybe some sort of parliament? Whoever they were, they frightened Rhys like a boggart from children’s tales. “You said that the first craving for blood is painful. Does it always hurt?”
Rhys shook his head. “It is only painful for the first few weeks, as you learn to control it. Because of that, a new vampire must always be accompanied by an older mentor, to ensure that they do not accidentally harm a mortal during feeding. Since you are such a quick learner, you should master the hunt in no time.”
“Your confidence in me is reassuring.” She poured the tea when the kettle whistled. “I pray it is not misplaced. What can kill a vampire?”
Again, his expression shuttered. “You’ve already observed that the sun is one method, but I will leave the rest to your uncle to explain.”
“You’re not giving me much reason to be optimistic.” She frowned into her teacup. “Can you share any positive aspects of your existence?”
“Oh yes.” Rhys favored her with his first genuine smile of the night. “You will be able to move faster than the blink of an eye. You’ll never sicken or grow old. If you are wounded, you will heal rapidly. You’ll be able to see and hear things that humans cannot perceive. And you will have the strength of ten men. Some vampires can read people’s thoughts. Others can make objects move with their minds. A few can even fly.”
“Fly?” she echoed in awe. “Can you?”
He shook his head. “Thus far, I am not so blessed. Some say it is an ability gained with age, others say it depends on the bloodline of who Changed you.”
For the rest of the night, he regaled her with tales of him reveling in his powers, the knowledge he’d gained, and the benefit of having time at one’s disposal. Vivian could tell that he was skirting around the less pleasant facts about being a vampire, and only doing his best to reassure her.
However, she was grateful for everything he could tell her. She drank an entire pot of tea as she listened to him. They then went out to the beach to fence for their last time before dawn. After Rhys shut them inside for the day, he made love to her with such fervent devotion that tears sprung to her eyes.
She tried to stay awake as she held him, savoring her last minutes in his arms. Tonight, Rhys would visit the human he’d instructed to collect the ransom. If the money was there, that meant that Rhys would take her to an inn tonight and her uncle would collect her tomorrow.
But sleep was relentless and sucked her down into a world of fractured dreams and incessant fears.
When Rhys kissed her awake, she clung to him, not wanting to let him go. “What if my uncle has laid a trap?”
“Then it will be him who returns here instead of me.” Despite his attempt at dismissing her worry, she detected a note of trepidation in his tone.
“Take me with you to meet with your contact then.” If Uncle Aldric tried to capture Rhys, maybe Vivian could persuade him to see reason.
“No. It is far too dangerous. If any vampires see a rogue in company with a mortal woman, it won’t take long to reach the ears of your uncle. I’m fortunate that the rogues who tried to take shelter with me haven’t spread the gossip.” He kissed her somewhat roughly before leaving the bed to dress. “With luck, I’ll be back shortly.”
After he departed, Vivian paced the cave, wringing her hands with worry that Rhys would be caught. Between praying that he would receive the ransom money and return safely, a selfish part of her hoped that her uncle would again refuse to pay. If that proved to be the case, then perhaps she could convince Rhys to let her stay with him. Maybe they could both go to the Americas and build a life together and Rhys would be safe.
What about Madame Renarde? Vivian’s conscience prodded her. Guilt knotted her belly. She’d hardly spared a thought for her dearest friend in the past few nights. Was her uncle taking care of her and had he sent for a doctor? Was he treating her with kindness or cruelty?
Vivian slumped back on the cot and sighed. She couldn’t abandon her best friend. But she didn’t want to be parted from Rhys either.
Why did this situation have to be so hopeless?
A key rattled in the lock of the cave door. Vivian’s heart leapt in her throat. Rhys had made it back safely. She ran to his side the moment he entered the cave.
“He paid the ransom,” Rhys said hollowly, withdrawing a sack of jingling coins from his pocket. He took out a few pounds and put the sack in a hidden compartment behind his bunk.
For a few moments, Vivian’s heart refused to beat. It lay frozen and aching in her breast. Her time with Rhys was over. In mere hours, she’d never see him again.
She struggled to form a smile. “Your family is saved at last.”
“Yes.” He did not sound as pleased as she’d expected. “Soon I will have accomplished all I set out to achieve. Emily can pay off the mortgage, and the farm will be restored to my family at last.”
“Where will you go after you’ve given the money to Emily?” Impossible as it was, she hoped there was some slim chance that she’d see him again.
“I will have to leave the country. It is no longer safe for me to remain here after what I’ve done.” Something in his tone conveyed less optimism than his words. “I’m going to try to find passage for the Americas. I’m told that rogues can find a fresh start there.”
“I hope you make it there safely and no longer have to run.” Still, a sudden anger filled her. It shouldn’t be that way in the first place. “It’s not fair. My uncle will be getting back the money he paid, and you will have to flee anyway. I wish there was some way that—”
“There is no way.” Rhys paced in front of the cave door, his head down so his hair concealed his expression. “What I’ve done is unforgivable in vampire society. There is no Lord Vampire who would shelter me. Even most rogues would slay me if they knew of my deeds.”
When he looked up, Vivian saw the hopelessness in his eyes. She remembered that he’d been resolved to die the last time they’d spoken of his fate after the ransom was paid. Only now he tried to reassure her, but she knew the truth. He didn’t expect to make it out of the country. He expected to be caught and killed. If his family didn’t need the money, she would have begged him to take her with him. Perhaps together, they could be safe and happy.
With utmost reluctance, she abandoned that dream. Besides, she couldn’t leave Madame Renarde anymore than Rhys could allow his family to lose their home. “When are you returning me to my uncle?”
“Tonight.” Rhys’s voice sounded hoarse. “I will take you to an inn in Lytham, where you may send a note to him tomorrow morning.”
She gasped in shock. “So soon? But I thought we’d have a little more time together.”
Rhys shook his head, his features contorted with pain. “I’m sorry. The journey is long, and I must be able to return to the cave before sunrise.” He took a shuddering breath. “Let’s pack your things.”
Vivian opened her mouth to refuse, but the bleak reality froze the words in her throat, reducing them to a heavy lump. Together, they filled a valise he’d previously stolen with a nightgown, the dress she’d worn the night he abducted her, and the carved animals she and Madame Renarde had chosen.
“I also want you to take my sword,” Rhys said. “Not only in case anyone tries to accost you during the day while you wait for your uncle, but also because you’re the only one I know who will appreciate it.”
He unlocked his sword case and withdrew the blade from an intricate tooled leather scabbard. The rapier’s hilt had an elaborately crafted silver hand guard that she’d admired when they’d dueled. The pommel was carved in the shape of a queen chess piece, something she hadn’t notice before.
She spoke through the heavy lump in her throat. “It’s beautiful.”
“I took it from the captain of a Spanish galleon in the late seventeenth century.” Sadness infused Rhys’s smile. “It’s the only thing I have left from my mortal life.”
“I will treasure it always,” she said as he handed her the blade and scabbard. Not even the sword that Uncle had given her was so fine and well-balanced as this one.
“You should give the other to Madame Renarde.”
“No!” Vivian said quickly. “Not that she wouldn’t appreciate another sword for her meager collection. But you must have something to defend yourself with.”
He sighed. “You have a point, though I fear it will do me little good if Lord Thornton catches me. I will not harm your kin.”
“He can heal quick as you,” she said, unable to hide her bitterness. “I’m afraid I cannot feel charitable towards him if he seeks to kill the man I love.”
Rhys uttered a humorless laugh. “The man you love is a criminal whom your uncle is fully justified to execute.” He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. “But I don’t want to spend our last moments quibbling.”
“I don’t either.” Vivian wrapped her arms around his waist. “Make love to me one last time?”
He undressed and had her clothing off so quickly it was like magic. Kissing her hungrily, he lifted her against the wall of the cave and thrust inside her so hard she gasped. Vivian clung to his shoulders and gave herself over to the new sensations.
From this angle, her pleasure was threefold. She felt him reach a place deep inside her that sang with every thrust, even as the walls of her sheathe clenched his hardness. But the best part was that the base of his shaft ground against her swollen bud, which sang with the sweet friction of his movements.
The climax swept over her in a sudden storm, making her scream his name as lightning seemed to flicker through her clitoris while a heavier explosion erupted deeper within.
“I love you,” Rhys groaned and shuddered inside her, his thrusts rocking her into another cascade of bliss.
Too soon, it was over, and he set her down. Vivian placed her hand on the wall to steady herself as she caught her breath and willed her knees to stop quaking.
Adoration shone in his eyes as he smiled. “I wish there was time for another round, but we must go now.”
After they dressed, Rhys shoved her valise in his pack, along with the sword. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to blindfold you again.”
Vivian’s heart sank as her last hope of somehow finding him again was crushed. “Why?”
“It is very likely that Lord Thornton will drink your blood to see your memories. I’d rather them not lead him back here.” Rhys pulled a scarf from his pack and tied it behind her head.
He lifted her in his arms and she jolted as he took off running. She couldn’t feel his footsteps, only a rapid jouncing and a strong wind against her face and body. How fast was he going? After what seemed like an hour, he set her down, panting with exertion. If not for his firm grip on her shoulders, she would have toppled from dizziness.
When he removed the blindfold, Vivian saw a sign with a carved owl swinging in the wind. The Owl Inn, it read. Rhys pressed a few coins into her palm. “This is where I must leave you, so the innkeeper doesn’t see me.”
Her chest ached with the sense of impending loss as she threw herself into his arms. “Oh, Rhys, I can’t bear it!”
“You’ll have to.” He kissed her long and deep, and Vivian sought to memorize the taste of his mouth and the softness of his lips.
Tears ran down her cheeks as he released her. “Forever,” she whispered, her soul contorting with grief. “My love will be forever.”
“Goodbye, Vivian,” he said. “I’ll love you always.”
And then he was gone.
Numb with agony, Vivian shouldered the heavy valise and trudged into the inn. The innkeeper regarded her with a querulous glare at her late arrival, but changed his tune when he saw her coin.
After a servant led her up to her room, Vivian collapsed on the bed unable to hold in her sobs. Only minutes after being parted from Rhys and she already missed him like a severed limb.
A creaking sound made her lift her head. The window had blown open. She began to rise from the bed to close it when strong arms enfolded her.
“Not just yet,” Rhys whispered, pulling her into his lap. “It will be the death of me, but I’ll stay until dawn.”
Vivian couldn’t summon the words to voice her joy. Instead, she covered his face with kisses and plunged her hands in his long, silken hair. He removed her dress and worshipped every inch of her with his hands and mouth. She tore at his shirt, impatient to have him bared before her one last time.
As he thrust inside her, he looked down at her and smiled. “It feels so good to have you in a real bed.”
And have her he did, long and well. He had her a second time, and a third, giving Vivian more memories to cherish.
“I love you,” he whispered again and again as he held her in his arms.
She fell asleep listening to the beating of his heart.
But when she awoke in the morning, a ray of white light streamed through the window across place where Rhys had been only hours ago.
Vivian had never hated the sight of the sun as much as she did that moment.