He had teased her with his threats to pass the time by pleasuring her. It was entertaining to make her angry.
Maybe that was a sign he spent too much time alone.
“Does the power kill our kind?” he asked Jade. “Why the hell do you want it?”
“Yes, it does kill vampires.” Jade floated around him, her hair fluttering on the cool breeze. “It kills us very slowly. At least, it would kill you slowly for now, but her power will become stronger. If she keeps her power, it will become so strong she will be able to kill a mortal without touching him. And she will kill against her will. I mean, she will not want to hurt anyone, but she will not be able to control it. You, Ravenhunt, can take her power away from her. You would be doing something kind for her, freeing her of her curse.”
Poor kid. He knew what it was to be a monster—to kill against his control. But he did not trust Jade. “How would I take this power?”
“By making love to her.” The queen laughed. “Is that not always the way? By giving her pleasure, by touching her heart, you will cause her power to become stronger. Then you will have the ability to take it from her.”
“What does that do to her?”
Jade shrugged. “It might kill her. Such strong power could not be taken without a great cost.”
“I’m not interested.”
“You will be. For if you do not do it, your sister will be destroyed.”
He lunged for her, but Jade lifted her hand and he found he could not move. She was extremely powerful for a vampiress. “Remember, dear boy, if you kill me, you die. And I have acquired insurance. Other vampires are instructed to kill your precious sister if you do anything to me.”
Hades, he hated Jade. When he retreated, she gave peals of high-pitched laughter.
“If you are an obedient boy and bring me her power, nothing will happen to your sister.” Jade wagged an ivory white finger at him. “You will be tempted to drink Lady Ophelia’s blood,” she went on. “Insanely tempted. It will lure you. In truth, if you were to drink her blood, it would be the most pleasurable experience you’ve ever had.”
“I’ve had many pleasurable experiences,” he said coldly. “But I know I can’t drink her blood. That would kill her, and I can’t do that if I have to take her power to protect my sister.”
“No, you cannot drink from her,” Jade warned, her gaze haughty, “because it would not only kill her, it would also destroy you. I will give you a week to acquire her power. You must do it by making love to her.”
“How can I do that when I can’t touch her?”
“As I said—her power will kill you slowly. As you grow closer to the point where you can take her power, you will have developed immunity. But first, you must start giving her orgasms—without touching her. Unless you give her pleasure, unless you can make her climax, you cannot take her power. I will come to you again to tell you more.”
“Damn you, Queen, I need to know more now. How do I take her power? Is it by a spell? What in Hades am I supposed to do?”
“You begin by making her come. That is all you need to know for now.” She lifted her arms and rose into the dark sky.
Over the roof over his former home, he saw enormous bats circling.
If you hurt Frederica, Queen Jade, I will destroy you. He sent the threat through thought to Jade.
I will not touch her if you do as I say, Jade answered in his head. But the bats stay—they will not hurt her, but they will prevent you from double-crossing me.
Raven spat at the grass. There were dozens of bats. He could try to fight them, but he would lose. Then Frederica would be hurt.
He had no choice. To protect his sister, he had to do as Jade asked.
He had to seduce his captive.
It had been a long time since he had touched anyone without the intent to kill.
Arms folded over his chest, Raven leaned against the door frame and watched Lady Ophelia rattle the glass doors that led to the terrace. Ornate metalwork crossed each door, acting as bars. They covered all the windows and doors in the house, making an effective prison.
“Worked your way through the rest of the house, did you?” he asked.
A sharp gasp escaped her. She whirled around. Moonlight poured in, touching her pale oval face with a silver-white light. “How long have you been standing there, watching me?”
She amazed him. Most women would be swooning and weeping at being held prisoner. But fury radiated from Lady Ophelia.
“Not long,” he said.
Even when she was angry, her voice was husky and beautiful.
“I take it you’ve kept many prisoners here,” she said. Again, when she should show fear, she snapped at him. Her large indigo-blue eyes burned with condemnation.
“No, my dear. You are the first.”
“Then why is your house like a prison?”
“Look at it from the outside, Lady Ophelia.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“From the outside it’s not a prison. It’s a fortress. I am tempted to let you leave this house, just so you can learn what awaits you out there. You will come scurrying back.”
“I would not.”
Ravenhunt grasped her chin, forcing her blazing gaze to meet his frustrated one. “There are men out there waiting for the chance to drag you into a laboratory, strap you down, and cut you open to examine you. You wouldn’t survive it, and your death would be slow, lingering, painful.”
Smoke rose from his fingers, from the contact of his skin with hers.
“Don’t touch me,” she cried, shoving his hand away.
Her chest rose on fast breaths. Her face was white. So many emotions were written on her face he could not read them all. But one stood out—pain. He saw deep pain in her eyes. He knew what raw pain looked like. He’d seen it in his own eyes after the first time he’d killed. He’d seen it in the eyes of men on the battlefield. He’d seen it in Frederica’s eyes, after she’d been told of his “death.”
“You never touch anyone, do you?” he asked softly.
“Of course not. I can’t.”
“No kisses?”
“N—no.” She hesitated. She winced. So there was a tale there. She had kissed, so what had happened? The mortal must have died.
“No embraces. No holding hands. No dances?”
She wrapped her arms around her chest. “I cannot touch anyone at all. Even gloves don’t help if the touch is prolonged, like a dance.”
“Do you like to dance?”
Wistfulness replaced pain. “Yes.”
Raven stroked his chin. “There is something I want to do. It will hurt eventually, but not for a while.”
Before Ophelia could move away, he came to her, pulled her into his embrace. His head bent to hers, and as she reeled back, realizing what he meant to do, his mouth touched hers. Softly. Then he pressed more. His mouth opened, coaxing hers to open, too.
His tongue touched hers.
He was kissing her. An intimate, passionate kiss.
Her lips sizzled. A burning sensation washed over them. Smoke rose between her and Ravenhunt.
She fought to push him away. Her lips did not hurt, yet there was no question her kiss was burning him. Hurting him.
But he was not going to let the kiss end.
4
Rescued
Ravenhunt drew back from her sizzling lips. “Stop worrying and enjoy the kiss,” he urged. “I’m not going to die.”
“I wish you w—” Ophelia began, but his mouth covered hers again, capturing her words, as he drew her tight to his hard body and kissed her deeply.