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  Tahlia took his hand into hers. “We need to get away from here, James, before it is too late. My friends outside are already engaged in combat with the renegades.” She turned to Jemima “I do not know what I would do if anything happened to either of you. All I know is that the world will be too small for anyone who dares to try and hurt you.”

  Jemima saw the black eyes glint with menace and swallowed heavily just as her father had.

  “Please, follow me. I need to get you to safety.”

  “Get your stuff, Jemi. We are leaving now,” James ordered.

  “But…”

  “No ‘buts,’ Jemima. We are leaving now. Get your stuff.”

  After her father left the room, Jemima looked at Tahlia, fearful that the vampire was going to pounce on her the minute she turned her back.

  “If I had wanted to hurt you, Jemima, believe me you would not be standing here right now.” She took a step closer, and then stopped. “Just delve deeper into your memory, Jemima. You know me very well. Your only problem is that you refuse to remember me. Once you embrace your psychic abilities, you will meet me in your past, your present, and your future. When you have the knowledge of our time together, you will understand why I am in your life.” Tahlia went to the door. “I will be waiting for you downstairs.” .

  Chapter Eight

  The scene that greeted Tahlia when she stepped out of the house with James and Jemima made her hackles rise. A sharp angry hiss escaped her lips. Juan, Pierre, and Jonas were surrounded by ten renegades, all dressed in black leather outfits, their fangs exposed. The arrogance of these second-class vampires was enough to make her want to shape-shift into a wolf and tear them each limb from limb. Could they not sense that the ones they were about to fight were infinitely superior and that they stood no chance against them? She turned to James and Jemima who were staring in disbelief. She couldn’t take the chance of leaving them in the house. They would become sitting ducks for anyone who entered the house through the backdoor. At the same time, she couldn’t leave her friends to fight off these renegades alone.

  “Come with me, and stay behind me. Do not think of getting involved.” She was glad they didn’t ask any questions and followed her. “Stay close to me at all times.” Tahlia reached under her long black flowing jacket and slowly unsheathed a gleaming broadsword. Her hard eyes sized up the growling renegades. “Before we destroy you, I would like for you to know who we are and why we cannot allow abominations like you to walk the earth.”

  Tahlia gave James and Jemima a quick look and could see the horror in their eyes. “Your creator, Drake, once was a great warrior fighting alongside me. He also was once part of our race, but not anymore. He betrayed his vows of protecting the innocent and instead sacrificed his once noble soul to live for the kill. You, too, were made to be like him, and, because of that, your destruction is inevitable.”

  Tahlia gave an imperceptible nod. Without warning, the four master vampires burst into action moving so fast it was almost impossible for the human eye to follow. In a matter of minutes, the renegades were defeated, and Tahlia turned sharply to look at her human charges. She watched as James and Jemima took a quick step back. When she saw the alarm in their eyes, she quickly blinked and a flat expression covered her face. In one fluent movement, she wiped her sword on the grass before sliding it back into its sheath. She walked toward James and Jemima.

  “We need to go. More renegades will follow shortly.” She turned to Juan. “Get rid of the bodies.” She then quickly walked toward the garage. “We will need one of your cars, James. Hope you don’t mind.”

  After opening the door to the Jeep, Tahlia herself slid behind the wheel and waited while James and Jemima got in and closed their doors. After backing out of the garage, Tahlia put the car in drive and the tires screeched as she pulled away.

  †

  It was a short, hard drive to their destination. Tahlia saw James and Jemima stare at each other when the car stopped in front of the Melton Hotel. Three other vampires appeared behind them as she got out of the SUV and waited for the pair to follow suit. Tahlia sensed the two humans were spooked as the pair pushed closer to her. With Tahlia in the lead, the group entered the plush hotel. Tahlia knew that the people in the lobby were staring at her, but she coolly ignored their gazes.

  She led her entourage to a bank of elevators and stood in front of the one marked ‘Private’ in large gold letters. Only after they were all in the lift, did she speak again. “You will be safe where I am taking you. The hotel belongs to the Consortium of Human Vampire Slayers that works with us. We have put safeguards in place to prevent any renegades from entering the hotel.” Her eyes rested on Jemima, who looked pale. “I want to make it clear that you are not our prisoners and that you can come and go as you like. All I ask is that when I cannot go out with you that you take one of the bodyguards with you. By no means should you attempt to leave the hotel unaccompanied.”

  †

  Depleted emotionally, and drained by what she’d seen and heard, Jemima could only nod. She looked at her father and saw him do the same. The elevator alarm sounded and the doors slid open revealing a luxurious entry decorated with antiques and art pieces. The foyer was large and three passages snaked off from where they stood. The whole place reeked of money—old money. Jemima’s eyes were wide with wonder at the unexpected opulence. Invaluable paintings similar to those she had seen only in books adorned the walls. Expensive black Italian marble covered the floor. When she went down the one long hallway, Jemima saw more paintings that she thought belonged in private collections of the super-rich leaning against the wall. It was unbelievable that such a place existed underground.

  She noted a cool breeze ruffling her hair and turned to find a large air conditioning unit mounted in the wooden ceiling. They had thought of everything. But then—if her knowledge of vampire folklore served her right—because they were vampires, they had more than enough money to buy a couple small countries. Being alive for hundreds of years surely gave them the opportunity to amass a fortune in priceless antiques—not to speak about their business ventures. Jemima watched Tahlia step past them before giving them a soft nod that Jemima understood to mean they should follow.

  The three of them crossed the wide tiled expanse of the room and Jemima noted that the place seemed deserted. There was no sound except for the soft clicking of their footsteps.. The tall, dark vampire in front moved so softly it was as if she were gliding on the gleaming surface. Jemima’s eyes slowly caressed the broad, leather-clad shoulders down to Tahlia’s narrow waist as the vampire led them deeper into the opulent house. Distracted by her scrutiny of the woman, Jemima bumped into Tahlia’s tall, sturdy frame when the woman came to a sudden stop before a wide oak door. The air exploded out of her when a strong current surged through her body at the unexpected touch. When the dark head turned and dark eyes met hers, Jemima quickly averted her eyes. She still felt the intense gaze linger on her before the vampire turned away.

  When Tahlia pushed the door open, Jemima stumbled back at the sight before her and noticed that her dad did, too. The place was bustling with action. A large group of dangerous looking men and women dressed in ancient leather battle armor turned to face them. Jemima felt irritation when Tahlia turned to them and blocked her view of the hunters.

  “These are the finest vampire hunters from across the globe, and they are here to protect you. Please do not feel alarmed by their presence here.”

  As soon as they entered the room, Jemima saw the others bow and Tahlia acknowledged their greeting with a brief nod before going to stand in the middle of the room.

  “I welcome you all. Meet James and Jemima Marsden who are under my protection. I want to make sure they are comfortable first before I address you. In the meantime, I am sure Pierre and Jonas will fill you in on what has transpired.”

  Jemima was tongue-tied as she stared at the flint-eyed vampires who calmly stared back at them. She wasn’t entirely sure what to expect
from the vampires, but she slowly inched closer to the dark vampire who had turned to look back at them. What she saw in the dark eyes made her blow out the breath she had unconsciously been holding in since they’d entered the room. She realized they were amongst friends—albeit deadly friends.

  “I will show you to your rooms so you can settle in for the night. Please follow me,” Tahlia said.

  Jemima felt a soft hand on her shoulder and turned to look into her father’s eyes.

  “We would like that very much, Tahlia. Thank you,” James said.

  †

  In silence, Jemima followed Tahlia as they walked down a long corridor and came to stand in front of another huge oak door. When Jemima turned to look up at Tahlia, she found those unsettling black eyes already resting on her.

  “This is your room.”

  Jemima looked past Tahlia, down the corridor and swallowed hard. She was somewhat rattled when Tahlia had showed her father to his room, leaving her for last. Before leaving, she stared at him, and his eyes silently reassured her that he would not leave her alone with Tahlia if he didn’t trust the vampire implicitly. With a tender hug and a warm kiss on her cheek, James smiled at Jemima and entered his room. Now, as she looked back down the long corridor toward her father’s room, her fear returned. She was in a house filled with vampires, and her father’s room suddenly felt like it was light years away.

  “If it would make you feel more comfortable, you can bunk with your dad for the night.”

  “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you…Tahlia.” The hypnotic black eyes fixed on her made Jemima feel like she drowning in them.

  “I want to make sure you are okay with your room. Do you want me to check if there are any vampires lurking in there?”

  Jemima heard the teasing note in the dark husky voice, but still she couldn’t get herself to say no. What if there really are blood-thirsty vampires hiding in my room? She nodded, and stiffened when Tahlia leaned over her to push open the door and her arm brushed against Jemima’s right breast. Jemima heard the sharp intake of Tahlia’s breath. A quick look at her chest revealed the hard tips of her nipples pressing against her t-shirt. Jemima’s eyes met and held Tahlia’s for a few moments before the vampire pushed the door wide open.

  The room was beautiful. It had high ceilings, and a huge four-poster bed occupied the center of the lavish room. In the one corner was a beautiful antique dressing table and chair. They immediately drew Jemima’s attention. As she made her way toward the aged pieces, a thought suddenly crossed her mind and she shifted her gaze and tried to locate Tahlia’s reflection. She had read somewhere that vampires cast no reflection, but she stiffened when a dark intense gaze met hers. Was it amusement she saw in the vampire’s eyes, or was it just the play of light reflecting into the vampire’s burnished dark orbs? She turned away from the mirror and looked at Tahlia who gave her a small smile. The vampire proceeded to make quite a show of looking under the bed, opening and closing closets, and walking into the adjourning bathroom.

  Jemima looked around the room and her eyes widened at the sight of the painting against the wall. She stepped closer to inspect the artwork. It is impossible; there is no way that this could be an original piece. She studied the painting with the eye of an expert and stepped back after a few seconds. Oh my, it seems to be an original. She had never before seen Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s original work with her naked eye. The artist was a well-known painter of the same stable as his other illustrious countrymen: Michelangelo, Raphael, Titan, and El Greco. As part of her studies, Jemima had written a paper on his work. She had seen photographs of all of his paintings, but this one was totally unknown to her. What would’ve made the Great Master change from his symbolic portraits to a landscape? The painting showed a dark moonlight garden scene with vivid whites, blues, and blacks. The brush strokes were bold, thick, and forceful. It looked as if he was obsessed with hiding the dark shadowy images that lurked behind the trees and a water fountain.

  “I personally commissioned that painting. I knew you were going to like it,” Tahlia said.

  Jemima spun around to find Tahlia standing very close to her with her expressionless black eyes staring at her. A shiver of fear ran down her spine.

  “I will leave you now. You can contact me using our mental link if you need me. I will not be far from you…at all times.”

  Jemima stiffened as Tahlia took a quick step closer to her. She shivered when Tahlia’s long finger gently traced her full under lip.

  “I have wanted to do that for a while now.”

  Jemima quickly looked away when she saw the black eyes turn smoky hot—the desire blazing in them was scorching her. She didn’t know when Tahlia had moved away. The sound of the door clicking shut behind her made Jemima let out an audible sigh.

  How could I allow her to touch me? She…she isn’t even human.

  She lifted her head and her eyes immediately fell on the painting again. Yes, now it makes sense. The darkness in the painting definitely corresponded with its even darker owner.

 

  The words played in her mind. If she had any doubts about Tahlia and her supernatural origin, it had all disappeared with that casual statement. Arcimboldo lived and died in the fifteenth century. For Tahlia to have commissioned the painting she had to have been alive then. A shudder passed through her as she walked to the bed and sat. What the hell has happened to me in the past three days? Is this all a bad dream, and will I ever wake up from it? Jemima slowly pulled herself into the center of the bed and curled up into a ball.

  †

  On the other side of the thick oak door, Tahlia brought a shaky hand to her mouth. Her lips gently caressed the fingertip, which had touched the soft, warm lips of Jemima. Her heart ached at the familiar honeysuckle scent she picked up, and her blood thickened in desire at the memory of her own lips caressing those sweet lips the previous night. She pulled her hand away and stared at her hand as if it didn’t belong to her. She watched as it curled into a fist, the nails digging deep into her flesh, drawing blood.

  Just moments ago, she read Jemima’s mind and shamelessly planted a refusal in the young woman’s mind when she asked her if she wanted to stay with her father. It was her intention to go to her young lover’s room later that evening and she didn’t want Jemima sleeping in her father’s room. It was becoming more and more difficult for her to keep away from Jemima. Her beast, so aware of its mate so close yet so far, was bucking and snarling for release. Crazed with lust and the need to mate, she was scared that Jemima would be the first of all Aurora’s incarnations she would have to take by force. If that were the case, she had to find a way to protect Jemima from herself. Tahlia closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath as she tried to compose herself. What was it about the girl that made her teeter on the brink of insanity?

  Now was not the time to cave in to her desire. Jemima and James were in danger, and it was her duty to protect them. No, it was her love for the both of them, which inspired her intense sense of protection. She just hoped that the same love she felt for Jemima would protect the young woman from her beastly lusts. She pulled herself up to her full height and felt a coldness surge through her. Effortlessly, she donned her Vampire Queen persona and carefully hid her thoughts of Jemima and James in the only warm place she had—her heart. With her whole body radiating authority, she slowly made her way to the evening lounge.

  The conversation in the room died down the minute Tahlia entered. Pierre and Jason were standing in the middle of the room with their arms folded. When she joined them, they turned solemn eyes to her as she faced the hunters.

  “This is perhaps the only chance we will ever get to destroy Drake. His minions are weaklings. They are not skilled in the art of warfare. But what they lack in skills, they make up for in numbers. So do not underestimate them.” She looked at each of the hunters in the room. They were all very good friends, and she would hate to lose any of them to Drake. He was not worth
their lives. They were men and women of noble character who would not want to be on the sideline when the existence of their race was threatened.

  “We will wait for Drake to make the first move. When we go around tonight, make sure that you are on the lookout for any treachery from them.”

  Tahlia started to leave the room but stopped at the door and turned. “Thank you all for coming to our aid on such short notice. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.”

  †

  The moon was hanging high in the sky, bathing the urban landscape in a bright silver glow. Tahlia stood rigidly under the shade of a huge tree, its overhanging branches hiding the dangerous predator from sight. Her eyes pierced the darkness around her, searching for renegades as her nostrils fluttered to pick up their scent. At this time of the night, the park was deserted. The only sounds were those of a group of the city’s forgotten citizens curled into a thick nearby bush, trying to protect themselves from the elements and two-legged predators alike. A soft sound pierced her hearing and she relaxed.

  Pierre came to stand next to her, and they watched as the other hunters silently move out into the night. “Jonas and Juan are waiting for us.” They dissolved and streaked across the sky. A few minutes later, they landed on the roof of a huge warehouse complex. Tahlia knew that Juan, Jonas, and a group of hunters were already busy scanning the area.

  “There were no sentries; maybe this is an ambush,” Jonas said.

  Tahlia saw his dark eyes were glowing red in the moonlight.

  “The audacity of the man to think that he can best us,” he added.

  As if of one mind, Tahlia nodded, and they all dissolved and materialized inside the dark interior of the warehouse. Yes, Tahlia sniffed the air. Drake’s scent is very strong here. If I have my way, the traitor will not live to see another dawn. Slight movements to her right made her take a quick step back behind a pillar to analyze the sound before reacting to it. The sharp smell of gasoline filled her nostrils.