CHAPTER SEVEN

Gerard entered the cavern and wound his way through the intricate pathways. Down, down through the darkened catacombs that were lit only by faintest of torchlight. The smell of sulfur was overpowering. He breathed the scent in deeply; glorying in the power it infused in his being. He approached the figure seated in the intricately carved throne. It was the color of pitch. It was the color of evil. The creature before him was enormous. His thick ebony horns spanned six feet apart and curved inward wickedly. The upper torso was heavily muscled and coarse. It’s bottom half was that of a goat. It was his true self.

Both things laughed then. The horrible sound echoed eerily off the sweating stone walls and traveled upward towards the heavens.

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Eve awoke with a sudden jolt. Bathed in sweat she rubbed her arms vigorously. They were pebbled with gooseflesh. She had a terrible nightmare but for the life of her she couldn’t remember what it was about. All she knew was that it scared the life out of her. She snapped on her bedside lamp and screamed.

Thomas was calmly seated in a rattan chair staring straight at her. He didn’t even bat an eye when the high-pitched scream was ripped out of her. He had one elegant leg crossed over the other and continued to stare impassively at her.

“What are you doing in my bedroom?” She exclaimed in fright. She put a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart.

“It sounded like you were having a nightmare, cherie,” he murmured. “I came in to see if you were alright. I decided to sit for a while to make sure. I did knock first,” he added as an afterthought.

Eve pulled on her robe and stood, belting it tightly around her. “I…I’m fine now,” she replied nervously.

Thomas raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Really?” He rose and squared off in front of her. “Now, why don’t I believe you, Eve?”

He looked keenly at her. “What did you dream about?”

Eve took a quick step back. He rapped the question out sharply and the way he was staring at her was unnerving to say the least. It was as if he expected some kind of answer from her, something specific…something that he wanted to extract from her.

“I don’t remember, monsieur. It was just a silly nightmare, that’s all.”

She ran a trembling hand through her hair wishing he wouldn’t invade her space. Even though they were a few feet apart it felt like he was only inches from her. Her lungs constricted as her oxygen was pulled bit by bit from her lungs.

“Very well, ma petite. I’ll bid you Bonne nuit.” He lifted her hand and bent to kiss the palm. He drew in a sharp breath. “Your hand, you injured it?” He ran his thumb over a small cut on her index finger. It bled slightly earlier, and now was a small red line.

Eve laughed a little. “It’s nothing, just a paper cut, I did it…” She stopped talking abruptly. Her breath left her body in one fell swoop. He brought her finger up to his mouth and sucked on the pad. His eyes were closed tight as the strong suction brought the blood to the surface. Eve stood spellbound as she watched him in morbid fascination. He raised his head and opened his eyes slowly.

Molten gold.

That was the only way she could describe the color. His pinpoint black irises stood out in sharp contrast. For a split second he didn’t look human at all.

Breathing harshly he drew her hand away from his mouth and clenched his jaw.

"You should bandage that before it gets infected,” he said tightly. He stepped back from her. His eyes returned to their normal color and he was once again cool and remote.

“Yes,” Eve said faintly. She was still reeling from shock. “I…I’ll see to it.”

He inclined his head. “Goodnight, mon chou.”

“Goodnight, Monsieur Lord.”

Eve sagged in relief when her door closed quietly behind him. She looked at her finger. She could barely see where the cut was. All traces of blood were gone.

This was too much. She pulled her suitcase out from underneath the bed. She could not work for him any longer. She was a fool to think that she could.

He scared her.

His household was hushed and secretive. She felt as though she stepped into another time and she wanted no part of it… or of him.

Now that was an odd thing to think.

He was not a part of her at all. She shook her head, angry that a stranger had this effect on her.

She hurriedly threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and began to quickly pack. She would leave immediately. She sat at the small desk and wrote Thomas a short note resigning from her position. She hoped he would understand.

Eve opened her door and peered down the hall. It was absolutely silent. She gripped the handle of her suitcase and padded carefully down the long corridor.

Her hands were slick with sweat as she turned the handle to the front door.

She made her way down the winding driveway without incident. The darkness was a living thing around her.

She tamped down her rising panic and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. She shivered violently, the January wind cut through her like a blade.

It whistled eerily throughout the trees that surrounded the property. She quickly walked to the large security gate. That’s when she heard it.

“Eve…”

She stopped dead in her tracks and looked around wildly. There was no one there. Someone called her name, she was sure of it. Or was she? Could it have been the wind?

“EVE…”

No…there it was again. She wasn’t hearing things. The flesh on her arms rose. It was a low whisper, almost like a breeze.

“Who’s there,” she said sharply. She felt a wave of anger hit her. Whoever it was, wasn’t going to have the satisfaction of scaring her. “I said who’s out there?”

Her heart began a rapid tattoo in her chest. She was being watched. She peered into the darkness. She squinted and her breath froze in her lungs. In the brush just outside Thomas’s gate she saw a pair of eyes staring motionlessly at her. They glowed red and evil.

She couldn’t make out the face. It was just those feral eyes slicing right through her.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, not quite believing what she was seeing.

“No…not God,” the sibilant voice hissed back. “Something else entirely.” The eyes narrowed and seemed to float out toward her. Eve scrabbled back and dropping her suitcase, she began running towards the house. She dared not look over her shoulder. She felt its eyes on her back. It was a physical presence. She heard its horrible laughter like a finger of death.

She yanked open the front door and screamed at the top of her lungs. Thomas was standing just inside the door. His face was tight and furious. He lifted her bodily and pulled her inside the house.

He set her none to gently on her feet and stared dourly at her. “Que-se passe-t-il? Huh? Are you in the habit of screaming every time you see me? What in the hell were you doing out there?”

Eve stood shaking as if she had palsy. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. She stared wide-eyed and uncomprehending.

“Dammit, Eve! Answer me!” Thomas shouted. He grasped her shoulders and shook her slightly. “What on earth is the matter with you?”

“St…stay away from me,” she said in a high thin voice. She twisted out of his arms and put a trembling hand up to ward him off. “You just keep away from me, you hear?”

Kato entered the room. He and Thomas exchanged looks.

Eve backed up against the wall and slid to the ground. She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked herself.

Thomas whispered something to Kato, who then disappeared.

“Eve? ‘tit ange?” He slowly but steadily advanced toward her. She had her head buried in her arms and was moaning softly trying unsuccessfully to comfort herself. He put his hands up in a non-threatening way and hunched down next to her.

“Please… tell me what’s got you so frightened, ma petite fleur.” He tipped her chin up with his forefinger and stared into her eyes.

“I just want to go home,” she whispered. She gulped suddenly and burst into tears.

Thomas gathered her in his arms and let her cry. “Shh… sa me fait de la pain. I’m so sorry.” He stroked her hair back from her face. “Won’t you tell me what happened, ma belle?”

Eve forced the tears to stop. “I…I was leaving. And when I went to the gate…that’s when I saw it.”

Thomas shifted her so he looked her in the eye. “What did you see?” He tensed and tried to remain impassive. But he knew…La Croix. That bastard dared come to his home.

“I saw…I saw…it was so evil, Monsieur. It was a pair of eyes. They were…they glowed. And… it spoke to me. It was horrible…horrible.” She shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut to ward off the image.

Thomas smiled gently. “Eve…there are a lot of wild animals that roam this area. It was most likely a raccoon or some other nocturnal creature. It’s easy to let your imagination get the best of you, especially at night.”

“I’m telling you the truth!” She cried. “It spoke to me, Thomas. It did! Why won’t you believe me?”

“I believe that you think you saw what you saw. I want you to put it out of your head, ma jolie fille. You are safe now.”

Kato came in just then carrying a tray. “Please Miss,” he said gently. Drink this, it’s an herbal tea and it will help calm your nerves.” He handed Thomas the mug.

“Thank you Kato. Why don’t you light a fire in Madmoiselle Knight’s suite? I’m sure that will also help relax her.”

“Very well Monsieur Lord,” Kato murmured. He quietly left the room the same way he entered.

Thomas held the mug up to Eve’s mouth. “Drink,” he commanded softly.

Eve swallowed deeply. She brought her hands up and curled them around his. She tipped more of the delicious tea into her mouth and drank gratefully.

“Thank you,” she said self-consciously. His face was mere inches from her own. She could count every one of his long lashes if she chose to. She fluttered her eyelids closed.

“That’s it little cat,” he whispered. “Drink it all down.” The herbal elixir was ancient and powerful. Her head began to loll against his chest.

“I’m so sleepy,” she said. Her hands fell away from his and landed heavily on her lap. Her breathing was steady and regular. She was sound asleep.

Thomas rose with her in his arms and strode into her bedroom. Thomas laid her gently on the bed and spoke to Kato. “Collect her suitcase from outside. I know that asshole, La Croix has crawled back under his little rock.”

Kato nodded. “What’s he doing skulking about?”

Thomas set his jaw. “I don’t know yet. But rest assured I will find out,” he said grimly.

“Poor little Miss,” Kato said with sympathy. “He frightened the life out of her.” He sighed deeply and left Thomas alone with Eve.

Thomas looked down at Eve. He took her shoes off and quickly divested her of her clothes. He pulled the covers over her arranging her arms comfortably. He was shaking and bathed in sweat. She was so lovely and desirable and undressing her was sheer torture.

Her black hair framed her pale face exquisitely. She looked innocent and peaceful. He smiled and ran his finger through the black silk, marveling at its texture. He pulled from his pocket a small vile. He opened it and touched his finger to the liquid. He made the sign of the cross on her forehead with the holy water.

“Sleep with the angels, mon coeur.” He bent down and kissed her lips.

“I promise, La Croix will pay dearly for what he did to you,” he whispered vengefully.

To be continued…

CHAPTER EIGHT

Eve woke slowly by degrees. She first heard the soft pit-pit of rain hitting the windowpane. Then she felt the warmth of the fire behind the grate. Her eyes cracked open and the room came into focus.

It was late, eleven o’clock in the evening. She had slept an entire day away. She sat up groggily and almost slumped back down against the feather soft pillows. Eve forced herself out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. She gasped as she sluiced icy cold water over her face. She blotted herself dry feeling only a tiny bit better. The events of the night before loomed before her. She shuddered and tried to push the unwelcome image from her mind.

She padded back to the cozy suite, pulled on her robe, and sat in front of the fire. Thomas was wrong. That was no animal; it was a person…a thing that came from hell. She was convinced of that.She glanced up when she heard a soft knocking on her door. “Yes?”

Thomas stuck his head in. “I wanted to see if you were okay.”

Eve smiled wanly. “Yeah…I’m fine.”

He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He’d obviously just come from his own suite because he was clad in an ancient pair of pajama bottoms. The cotton was soft and well worn. The front rode low on his navel.

On him they looked far from ordinary, they only made him look bigger and more male. His long hair was still wet from the shower and crystal drops of water clung to the silken strands like diamonds. He stretched out across from her and stared into the fire for a while. The silence between them was uneasy.

“Eve?”

“Yes?”

“Why were you leaving?” He turned and faced her. His eyes held a faint accusatory glint. “I thought we an arrangement? Or is it me you find so distasteful?”

Eve’s face suffused with color. It was hard not to squirm under his iron gaze.

“Of course I don’t find you distasteful,” she replied nervously. “Why would you think such a thing?” She broke eye contact and stared at her hands.

“Tu menti,” he whispered. “You lie…”

“I’m not lying, monsieur,. I just…”

“Viens ici,” he said roughly.

He raised an eyebrow when she sat motionless. “Come here,” he repeated.

Eve scooted closer to him. “What?” She began to vibrate from the inside out. He was no match for her physically.

He leaned over her and kissed her lightly on her trembling mouth. “Is this what you’re so frightened of, mon chou? Hmm?” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip.

Eve tried to ignore the sensations zinging through her body. “You shouldn’t be doing this, monsieur. We…we are business acquaintances only,” she whispered.

To her own ears the excuse sounded feeble at best. She thrilled at his touch like a guilty secret. She felt both excited and repelled at the same time.

“You wanna know what I think,” he breathed into her ear. “I think you’re afraid of me, little cat. I think you’re afraid of yourself as well.” He laughed softly when she shuddered. “Kiss me,” he said with a touch of arrogance. “I dare you to, Eve.”

Eve laughed a little. “I don’t want to,” she lied.

Her face was flooded with embarrassment. He was so far out of her realm of experience that she felt intimidated and unsure.

He tipped his head back and laughed. “Okay, ma bon pichouette. I release you from any and all obligation.”

Eve set her jaw. “I’m not a good little girl, Monsieur and I resent the implication,” she said stiffly.

Thomas smiled whitely. He was surprised that she understood Cajun French. He was starting to enjoy himself tremendously.

So…the kitten has claws.

He decided to see for himself how sharp they were. “Oh really now? So what you’re telling me that you’re not as saintly as you appear?” He shook his head in amazement. “I guess I misjudged you then…I guess you’re not innocent after all.”

He scorched her with a look. “And that’s very good, jolie fille. Because I haven’t been innocent for a long, long time.” He ran his tongue over his front teeth and smiled slyly.

Eve gulped in spite of herself. “I didn’t mean that I’m a bad girl. I just meant…I …I’m not all sugar and sweetness. And…and I’m a woman,” she declared.

Thomas lifted a sarcastic eyebrow. “Huh…sounds like you can’t make up your mind if you ask me. Funny, I never pegged you the wishy-washy kind. So…which is it?” He mocked. “Girl or woman? Good? Or not so good?”

“I’ll show you what I am,” she snapped.

She sat up quickly and cupped his face in her hands. She took a deep breath and kissed him full on his mouth. She pushed the tip of her tongue through the barrier of his lips and slid them across his teeth. They were smooth as glass to the touch.

He opened his mouth to allow her tongue full access. She flicked it all over the silken cave then sucked lightly on his bottom lip. She was trembling from head to toe, but she didn’t break contact with his lips. She heard him growl deep at the back of his throat and immediately stiffened. He sounded like a wild animal. She was in over her head. Thomas leaned up and flipped her so that he was on top of her. His eyes were shimmering with gold-fire. His incisors stretched long and sharp, ready to pierce her flesh.

He pressed his forehead against hers breathing harshly. He fought a war within himself and lost. He laced his hands through her hair and spanned his long fingers so they held her head steady. She was immobile. He whispered French love words against her temple and looked deeply into her eyes. The irises were motionless and penetrating. Eve was spellbound instantly.

“You came into my life for a reason, mon coeur. Do you believe that?” She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.

He kissed a feathery trail of kisses down the side of her face to the warm hollow of her neck. He tipped his head down and spotted her pulse instantly. “You belong with me now, Eve. There’s no turning back. You understand that, right?”

“No turning back,” she repeated. Her voice seemed to float on air it was so light.

He kissed her neck softly and with the utmost care he sank his teeth into her flesh.

Eve arched her back and moaned. Thomas held her in a tight embrace as he pulled the blood slowly from her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and climaxed violently.

His own eyes fluttered shut as her warm essence slipped down his throat. God…she was so innocent and pure. He known all along that she had never lay with a man before.

And that was good because she was his now. This was the first step of many. He forced himself to break the contact with her luscious throat. Her eyes were fixed and staring. He passed his hand over her neck and the puncture wounds disappeared.

He took a relatively small amount of blood from her, but he felt it’s perfumed taste down to the very bottom of his soul. He was trembling with longing. He wanted nothing more than to feast on her, to tutor her in the art of real lovemaking until there was nothing left of her…or of him.

“What’s happened…?” Eve said groggily. She was coming out of the rapture and struggled to sit up. “I feel so lightheaded,” she whispered.

Thomas swept her up in his arms and laid her on her bed. “Sleep, ‘tit ange. Tomorrow you’ll feel much better.” He gazed at her steadily. She was staring up at him with drowsy half-closed eyes that looked anything but innocent.

Eve smiled and languidly ran her hands through her black hair. “Will I?” She challenged lightly.

Thomas bent down and kissed her mouth. “Oui, ma petite. Everything will be much clearer in the morning.”

Eve gasped in wonder. Behind Thomas stood an enormous winged figure. It was there and gone so fast that she must have imagined it. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever beheld. It’s wings were the color of emerald. Its golden sword was as bright as the sun. A thousand colors refracted from the blade.

Her eyes fluttered shut. She struggled to keep them open. “What’s happening to me?” She asked faintly. She fell into the fathomless mist of sleep without another word.

Thomas stepped back from her and quietly left her chambers. Kato appeared from his quarters. “Then it’s done?” He inquired.

“Oui,” Thomas replied. “She will be my bride. We must tread carefully from now on, she frightens easily. Make the preparations.” Kato inclined his head and returned to his room.

Thomas entered his suite and quickly changed. Dressed in black with a flowing cloak he left the huge estate. It was time to pay La Croix a little visit.

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The park was filled with shadows. The man quickened his pace, uneasy and angry that he felt fear. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder and nearly tripped in the process.

The graveyard was suffused in light as the soul of Father Tobias ascended into heaven. Thomas smiled and once again took flight.

To be continued…