A Gift of the Darkest Magic (6 page)

“Many would have weak knees in your place, Mrs. Blair.”

“I would sacrifice my life for my husband’s. I made my choice and my bargain.”

“Good, this way please.”

She followed the man into the side door and he turned down an extremely short hallway.

At the end, he slipped a key in an almost completely obscured keyhole. The wall popped open

and a gaping darkness greeted them.

“Go down the stairs, Mrs. Blair.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?” She hated how frightened her voice sounded and how

much she wanted the man to walk with her.

“I’ve never been down there. Once you walk down the stairs and the door shuts, it

automatically locks, only his key will open it again.”

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “Could you walk with me?”

“I cannot. I hope to see you this time tomorrow. You are a very brave woman. I hope you

find your time with The Master worth the risk.”

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Chapter 6

Clarissa took her first step into the darkness. The driver watched. She went down another

step and then another. There was nothing to hold onto and the pitch-blackness left her feeling helpless.

“Hello.” She didn’t know why she called out, but even the vampire’s presence would be

an improvement over the buried-alive feeling the stairwell gave her. “Hello.”

“I forget what it was like to be mortal.” The sensual voice floated out of the darkness,

startling Clarissa.

“Ohh,” she cried.

“Forgive me.” A light glow illuminated the stairwell as candles flickered below. His

unnaturally handsome face was all of him she could see.

Carefully, Clarissa made her way toward the light. When she reached the bottom safely,

she sighed. Her relief disappeared the moment she realized that she stood locked in the tomb-like basement with a vampire. Her heart raced.

“This way.” He spoke quietly, directing her forward with a dramatic flourish of his arm.

She went forward and came to another door. He quickly opened it for her and she stepped

inside a large room. Beautiful antiques gleamed in soft candlelight. There was nothing modern about the room. Everything looked ancient, like the man who lived there. She hesitated before taking another step.

“I will not harm you.”

His large body was right behind her and she only realized it when he spoke. Clarissa

jumped and quickly scurried away from him. He sat down in a large plush chair, setting the

candelabra on a table next to him. There were no electric lights on. Clarissa wondered if he even had electricity in the room.

“I do have electricity. I’m not so set in my ways that I cannot enjoy viewing television.

Unnatural light bothers my eyes. As I said, I forget what it’s like to be mortal.”

“I hate that.”

“What?” He scowled with confusion.

“The mind reading. Stop it.” He chuckled, and she glared at him.

“Forgive me.”

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“You say that a lot. Stop doing stuff that irritates me and I’ll have nothing to forgive you

for.” Now he laughed with honest amusement, and it was her turn to scowl.

“You aren’t overwhelmed by my…power?” His voice held no censor, just curiosity.

“I’m afraid and unsure. What purpose do you have for inviting me here? Let me give you

whatever you want and finish this.”

“Humans are so impatient. Your finite number of days makes you this way, perhaps. I am

not sure you’re ready to learn of the gift I require.”

Those words sent a cold shiver of dread through her and she began shaking. He knelt

before her in the blink of an eye. His rapid change of locations startled her, and she felt like she might hyperventilate.

“Do not fear me.” His voice was hard and commanding, as if he could order her terror

away.

“How can I stop?” Clarissa’s emotions stretched in so many directions, she didn’t know

if she should laugh or cry. Lack of sleep only added to her instability.

His hand came up toward her face and she flinched. His beautiful dark eyes held a

glimmer of hurt and, when he did touch her, his touch was cold, but infinitely gentler than she’d expected.

“I could take your fear away, make this less frightening for you.” There was a hopeful

quality to his offer.

“No, that wouldn’t be fair. I don’t want to do anything that might jeopardize Matt’s

recovery. I saw an improvement in less than two hours. I want this, whatever it is.” She leaned closer to him, subconsciously trying to prove she could handle it, she realized.

“Are you certain? This is your last chance. Take your small triumph as my gift, but if you

desire the full result, you must be willing to give me
exactly
what I ask for.” His eyes flashed red briefly, but quickly returned to the unusual amber brown she found fascinating.

“What exactly are you expecting of me? I thought I’d have to give you my blood, but you

told me that’s not what you want. What do you want? I’d know if I could do it, if I knew what it is.”

He smiled, and there was wickedness to the expression. When she saw others smile, it

often made her smile in return, but not this time. He truly looked frightening.

“I want your human compassion. For one night, I want you to make love to me as if I

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were the man you love. I want you to hold me as if you could not live without me. Just one night is all I ask.” His face was a mask of sorrows as he finished, but the expression barely registered in her brain as she realized what he was asking of her.

Gasping, she stared at him slack jawed. “Adultery?” Clarissa squeaked.

“Do not think of it as such. I want you to love me as if I were the husband you long for. I

want to watch you blossom under my caress. I want to see your face as you come in my arms.”

She felt the heat of her blush creeping up her neck and cheeks. Uncomfortably warm and

filled with embarrassment, she wanted to run, but she didn’t.

“Why would you ask this of me? How could you choose such a gift when you know how

much my husband means to me?” Incredulous, her voice echoed in the small dim room. “There

must be something—anything else you want.”

“I have more wealth than you can possibly imagine. I have human women begging for

one night in my arms. The only thing I don’t have is someone with your face. Long ago, there

was a woman I cherished, when I was only a human man. She died, the same night I became

more than human. I survived, but she unfortunately did not. My sire killed all in my village, but I had the strength to awake from my death.” He paused and took her hands in his. “When I saw

you, I thought I was seeing a ghost. She was unique and made my life complete. She’s my only

regret in this better, stronger existence. I was never able to say goodbye to her, she’d been killed before I’d returned home. One night with you is all I ask. One night.”

There was a pleading in his tone. She knew how she’d feel if Matt died, how she felt

already. Strangely, she felt sympathy for this creature who demanded so much from her.

“If I do this, Matt will live, you swear it?” Clarissa held his eyes, refusing to let him look away.

“I swear it. If you give yourself to me completely, and just honestly let your heart love

me for one night, he will live. I will allow you to leave here. If you hold back, keep your soul from me, the gift will not work completely.”

Clarissa bit her lip. She noticed his eyes watched her mouth, hungry and predatory. If she

did this, she’d be unfaithful for the first time in all the years of their marriage, but if she didn’t, they might not get another year together. She felt caught between the frying pan and the fire and she didn’t like it, not one bit. This creature was beautiful, sensual, but she was sure it was mostly some sort of glamour. His truest self was probably something she didn’t want to see. She

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understood his pain. If she lost Matt, she’d be willing to fool herself for a moment more with him too.

“I accepted your terms. I told you I was willing to do anything. Yes. I will give you one

night, and make love to you as if I was your long lost lady, but that’s all you’ll have, one night of make-believe.”

His arms came around her, startling her. The strong vampire picked her up as if she were

made of air instead of flesh. She wrapped her arms around his neck because the weightless

feeling scared her. She didn’t know if he’d drop her.

“You are safe, sweet Clarissa.”

“Stop that,” she demanded. He chuckled.

He took her in the direction of the darkest corner of his domain. There was a large bed,

lavishly made with a big, puffy down comforter. All of the bedding was crimson red. Plush

pillows of various shapes and sizes were propped up against a large marble and oak headboard. It had four marble posters and red scarves twirled down each post.

He seated her gently between the end posts at the foot of the bed and knelt down before

her. His surreal, beautiful face gazed up at her with complete adoration, and then he took her left foot in his hand and ceremoniously removed her sandal. He repeated the process with her right leg. Even Matt hadn’t removed her shoes for her. It felt strange and, as he began rolling her thigh high stockings off her legs and down her ankles, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. This was different from what she expected. Not even Matt…

“Do not think of him now. This is our time, my gift. When you leave here, think of him,

love him, worship him for the rest of your mortal life, but tonight you are
mine
!” He gazed up at her and she could see the red fire burning in his eyes.

She said nothing. His eyes returned to normal and, for a moment, he held her gaze, then

he returned his attention to removing her stockings. Clarissa held her breath as his soft touch gently skimmed her skin. She’d never thought of her legs as sexual until this moment. Holding her breath, she fought the urge to push him away. Wanting Matt to live brought her here, but she hadn’t expected the rush of desire she experienced. The feeling caused her a massive surge of guilt.

“Clarissa, do not let your morality interfere. You know what I need from you, what the

magic of our exchange requires.”

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I hate it when you read my mind, vampire!
She projected the thought as loudly as she could. Lord Drago chuckled.

“Lord Drago…”

“I will give you the name I wish to hear from your lips. Braden. Call me this.” His voice

was soft and still he managed to sound commanding.

“Braden, are you making me feel like this?”

He glanced up at her and grinned. “Yes, but I need no vampire magic to stir you, sweet.

Your response is your own. I would have no enjoyment if I forced your reaction. Enjoy this night and know that it serves us both a higher purpose.”

She swallowed, her mouth felt dry. Shivering, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, he was studying her.

“That’s it, my lovely. Let me in,” Braden the Vampire Lord purred. He was nothing but

sensuality and her reaction hit her with phenomenal force.

Her stockings were gone. He gently massaged her legs and feet. She sighed. His touch

was like a fire that did not burn and she relished it, locking away the guilt in her mind, forcing herself to remain in the moment. The dark angel at her feet took her right leg in his hands and brought her foot to his lips. He placed a single reverent kiss on the top of her foot. Clarissa shivered. Braden carefully let go of her leg and ran his hands up her calves and thighs. When he reached the hem of her skirt, he stopped and stood. His hand extended and he held it out to her.

Mindlessly, she placed her hand in his and he easily pulled her up to stand beside him. She

looked up at him and realized just how much taller he was than she. She was of average height, but he seemed to tower over her like some mythical god-beast come to devour her.

Braden grinned lopsidedly.

Stop that!

“I cannot help it, you think very loudly. You entertain me, sweet Clarissa.”

“So glad I can provide you some evening entertainment. Oh wait, I should just be

thinking, it seems I don’t need to talk.” She rolled her eyes.

“I like hearing your beautiful voice. I’d rather be entertained in a different way tonight.

You modern women aren’t used to men who know how to possess a woman properly.”

She opened her mouth to protest. His head came down and his lips captured hers,

stopping her pending caustic comments. He held her head with one hand and she truly felt

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captured by his kiss. His mouth moved on hers tenderly, but with a demanding precision that left her breathless. She felt his free hand unzipping the side zipper on her skirt. Warning sirens blared in her brain, but she ignored them. Clarissa forced herself to focus on this moment, this man. Her love for her husband survived, but she tucked that loyalty deep within her heart, safe and

unaffected by her necessary lust. The vampire lord pulled back and his lips hovered just over hers.

“Only me,” he whispered, and she felt the breath of his words against her mouth.

“Yes,” she agreed, needing the passion kindling inside of her to burn him. She willed it to

blaze until the magic to save her beloved Matt worked. She’d save her husband by rocking this creature’s world.

“I am a creature, a very evil creature. Make me a man again, just for one night, sweet

Clarissa. Make me feel,” he begged quietly.

Feeling kindred with him for a moment upon hearing his broken plea, she understood his