Cazi's Journey Ch. 04

The next few weeks passed quickly for Cazi. She was back at her home with her lifelong friend. Gradually Amina relaxed completely around Cazi. Although she never mentioned it, she knew when Cazi had gone out to feed and Cazi could sense that she disapproved. Whenever she brought it up, Amina changed the subject as fast as she could. Cazi eventually stopped trying to talk to her about it. Amina slowly accustomed her sleeping habits to match Cazi's. They both went to bed with the dawn and awoke after the sun had set. At times Amina even slept in the same bed with Cazi despite Cazi's misgivings about the danger.

One night, Cazi and Amina were out walking in the garden when Cazi sensed something, a distant sound almost. She looked over at Amina. "Go back to the house and wait for me." When Amina opened her mouth to say something Cazi interrupted her. Go to the house. A vampire is coming. I do not want you to be mistaken for a meal.

Amina nodded, her lips set in a thin line. I will, Cazi. You be careful. Cazi assured her that she would and Amina headed back to the house.

Cazi closed her eyes, opening her mind to the night around her. Her control had grown over the months since she was first turned. She reached out further slowly, trying to pinpoint the sound. When she heard it again she focused her attention in that direction. She caught a faint sense of intense hunger and she felt her fangs extending as her own hunger responded to it.

Who are you? What are you doing here? There are no humans to feed on here, vampire. Go back to London. She sent the thoughts out, letting her anger seep into the words. This was her house and she would not have some vagrant vampire trying to feed near it. She did not even feed within miles of her house.

The sense of hunger grew. Cazi frowned. Apparently this vampire was going to be stubborn. Then she sensed... amusement along with the undercurrent of hunger. The whoosh sound grew louder she suddenly caught sight of the vampire rushing towards her.

Aelfric! She cried out with her mind as the ground blurred around her. They met in the middle with an impact that knocked the breath from both of them. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, kissing him shamelessly as she felt his arms wrap around her. Up close the sense of hunger emanating from him was almost overwhelming. As they kissed she realized that hunger was not the only sensation she was getting from him.

Breathlessly she broke the kiss, murmuring "You have got to meet, Amina" as she looked at him, her fingers caressing his face. He was very pale and his face was gaunt. Concern surged within her and she was about to ask him about his time in the Box.

Later. He growled as his lips again found hers. Cazi kissed him back eagerly, her arms going around his neck to hold him tight, almost scared to let go. She gasped as he shredded her dress with an almost mindless jerk of his hand. As her dress dropped to the ground in tatters he reached around her and picked her up, his hands gripping her ass tightly.

Cazi felt her arousal explode within her as the hunger she was feeling from him was pushed to the back of her mind, replaced with sheer, unadulterated lust. He held her up with one hand on her ass, the other going down and unlacing his pants as his lips moved against hers hungrily. Without another word he lowered her just slightly and thrust his hard cock deep into her.

Cazi felt his thick cock powering up into her and just tightened her arms around his neck. She did not care that she was crying her pleasure out for anyone passing by to hear. All she cared about was that Aelfric had returned. Her body jarred against his as he drove into her, just ramming into her like an animal. "Yes! Oh God yes, Aelfric!" she cried out, her arms tightening even more around his neck, feeling herself perched on the edge of an abyss.

Her body thrashed wildly as the pounding of his thick cock knocked her head over heels into the abyss, her pleasure crashing through her in wave after wave of bliss. While his cock powered into her savagely his hands tightened even more on her ass, holding her jerking body still as he powered his hard cock into her again and again. Hard on the tail of the first, another orgasm crashed through her.

She felt a tickle at the base of her neck and thought she heard a soft gasp in her mind, but the pleasure coursing through her gave her no leave to think as Aelfric gripped her tightly. She heard his growled "Bite, Cazi" muffled against her neck. As she felt his own teeth sink into her soft skin she cried out as yet another orgasm slammed drove through her like lightning. She sank her teeth into Aelfric's neck and as he powered hard into her, drinking her blood, she drank his.

As his blood flowed over her tongue she moaned, her entire body, already tingling from one orgasm after another, burst into life, yet another orgasm coursing through her, this one, though just as intense as the first, sliding slowly through her. She felt Aelfric reach the crest of his own pleasure and spill himself into her, his hands holding her tightly as they reveled in the feeling of their shared pleasure as they shared their blood.

She held to Aelfric, impaled on his thick shaft as they continued to feed from each other. She was not sure how long she was held off of the ground and no matter how much she tried she could not bring herself to care. She had her Aelfric back. Finally she heard Aelfric give a low rumbling moan as his teeth slid from her neck. She whimpered against his neck as she let her own fangs pull from it. She felt Aelfric lick her neck and smiled, flicking her own tongue against a fang before licking at the marks of her teeth.

"God Above, Cazi." Aelfric gasped as he set her back down on her shaky legs, keeping an arm around her to help support her despite looking none-too-steady himself. She looked up at him, her arms still tight around him. "I missed you so much, Cazi."

She reluctantly let her arms slide down from around his neck, smiling widely. "I missed you too, Aelfric. I was so worried when you did not return." As she caught her breath her legs felt more steady and she slowly realized that she was standing amidst the ruins of her clothes.

Aelfric saw her blush and swung his jacket off and put it over her shoulders. She held it closed with one hand and smiled her thanks at him. "I am sorry about your dress, Cazi." Aelfric said, his eyes still glowing in the semi-dark. "But as soon as I saw you I had to have you."

"That is all right, Aelfric." She replied, her eyes sparkling. "Just try to be more careful in the future. I am going to have to face Amina's wrath now for the shredded dress." She laughed softly. "I guess there is no way to hide what we did from her now."

She could not miss how Aelfric's eyes hardened. "You did not release her from your service? Does she know what you are? What I am?"

Cazi straightened up, nodding curtly, inexplicably hurt by the angry, accusatory tone in his voice. "Yes, she does, Aelfric." She turned away from him so that he would not see the pain in her eyes. "She knew before I ever said a word to her about it. She called me a... rakshasa or something."

She heard Aelfric sigh felt him step up behind her. He took her by the shoulders and turned her around. "I am sorry, Cazi. I just do not want to see you go through what I have gone through." He stopped talking and just hugged her.

"Amina will not leave me, Aelfric," Cazi said, hugging him back, almost losing his jacket as she did. If his arms had not been around her she probably would have. "We have been friends since childhood."

Aelfric still did not speak but he relaxed his arms around her. "Do I get to meet Amina now?" He laughed softly as Cazi grabbed the jacket, holding it around her, blushing.

"Of course, Aelfric. Come on. She will be wondering who was coming. I sent her to the house when I sensed someone coming." She turned and, with Aelfric by her side, made her way to the house. As they walked into the house, Amina met them at the doorway. Cazi smiled gratefully as Amina held out her dressing robe. She frowned at Aelfric as he laughed when Amina put herself and the robe between Cazi and himself.

Aelfric bowed deeply to Amina. "You must be Amina." As Cazi shrugged into the dressing robe and tied the belt around her waist Amina took Aelfric's jacket and turned around to face him.

Her eyes looking him over appraisingly, she nodded her head and murmured "And you must be Aelfric." She held his jacket out to him and he took it, putting it on and smiling.

Cazi sensed something different about Amina and looked at her closely. With a start she realized what it was. Amina! You... heard. You read my thoughts while we were... She trailed off, flushing brightly as she realized what the sensation she was feeling from Amina was.

Amina blushed herself as she nodded ever so slightly. Yes, Cazi. I did. Cazi blushed harder as a rush of emotion swept through her from Amina. I could not believe it. As soon as my mind touched yours, I...

Cazi smiled as Amina trailed off. She was about to answer her when Amina shook her head slightly, her cheeks still flushed. Cazi took the hint and smiled at her, turning to Aelfric. "I suppose you know that Cadeyrn came here."

Aelfric nodded and smiled grimly. "Yes, I know that he did. He told me as soon as I was let out of that cursed Box. Three months indeed." He muttered to himself and looked at Cazi. "My sire is quite impressed with you, Cazi. Just as I told you that he would be." Cazi smiled and blushed. "He seems quite eager for me to bring you to a meeting of the Houses to be 'introduced' properly."

Cazi was about to ask Aelfric about the Box when Amina spoke up, beating her to it. "What is it like in that... what was it? The Box of Silence?"

Aelfric's smile slipped somewhat and Cazi could see the shudder run through him. "It is hell on earth. That is what it is like. Total blackness. No way to tell the passage of time. No way to move around at all. The Box is really nothing but a coffin that is just barely big enough for you to lay in without being twisted over. Nothing to occupy your time except your thoughts."

He looked at Cazi, the smile returning. "I had plenty of thoughts to occupy myself with. That helped to offset the hunger that gnawed at me daily. Though by the end, I was unable to think about anything but feeding."

He shrugged and sighed. "But apparently my duty to my King is not done yet."

"What do you mean Aelfric?" Cazi said, a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had just gotten him back. She would not lose him again!

"Cadeyrn has decreed that, as a condition of my punishment, I must go to America." He held a hand up to stop Cazi's outburst as she opened her mouth. "It is my duty as the Heir to the Throne. I have to go and speak to King Niccolo Cesare, the vampire King of North America, and visit the various eastern dominions there." He sighed and shook his head. "Chances are I will spend most of my time meeting with his daughter, Maria. She does more of the running of his kingdom than he does."

"You do not want to go?" Cazi asked, stepping closer to Aelfric although she did not realize that she had.

It was Aelfric's turn to blush though he hid it well. "Cazi, I have never been outside of the British Isles except for a trip to Normandy that I took not long after I was turned. That was also the reason for my first trip to the Box." Seeing Cazi's curious look he grinned boyishly. "Shortly after the Norman Invasion I went to Normandy to try and kill the Duke William of Normandy. Cadeyrn found out about it though and caught me outside of William's castle. He knocked me out and brought me back to England." He chuckled. "I woke up already in the Box. Apparently Cadeyrn had decided not to give me a trial that time."

Cazi nodded, frowning. "When do you have to leave, Aelfric?"

"Not for a few months, Cazi," Aelfric said, taking her hand and squeezing gently. Cazi squeezed his hand back tightly. "Cadeyrn wanted to be sure I had recovered from my time in the Box before sending me to America." He saw the look on Cazi's face and laughed. "No I do not know how long I will be there, Cazi. I will send you messages when I find out where I will be."

Cazi could not believe it. She just could not believe it. Aelfric had just returned to her and already he was going to be leaving again. She fought back the tears threatening to escape her eyes and resolved to make the most of the time she had with him. She took his arm and Amina accompanied them to the back parlor overlooking the garden.

The next several hours passed by in a blur for Cazi. The combination of joy that Aelfric was back mixed with anger that he was going to be taken from her again was a heady mix indeed. The conversation was purposely kept to menial things. She replied when spoken to, but otherwise stayed lost in her thoughts. Aelfric and Amina, realizing that she was preoccupied and guessing the reason why, left her alone with her preoccupation.

Snapping out of her reverie, Cazi realized that Aelfric was standing and bowing to Amina. "It was a pleasure to meet you Amina. I had heard a lot about you from Cazi." Amina smiled and gave a bit of a curtsy to him. Aelfric turned to Cazi as she stood. "Dawn is coming. I have to get back to my apartment in London." He smiled and stepped closer, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips to lightly brush her knuckles. "I will see you tomorrow night Cazi."

Cazi shook her head and tightened her hand around his. "No, Aelfric. You can sleep here. You do not have to go back to London." Do not leave me, Aelfric. Please stay with me. Cazi ignored Amina's disapproving sniff. Her attention was all on Aelfric.

Aelfric caught Amina's disapproval and laughed softly. "It seems that Amina does not like that idea, Cazi. I do not want to cause any problems between you. I will go back to London and return tomorrow night. With your permission that is."

Cazi's heart leaped into her throat. He was going to leave! She opened her mouth to ask him to stay again when Amina spoke, her Indian accent exotic still despite her years in England. "No, Aelfric. Please. The Lady of the house has asked you to stay. I am in no position to say you yea or nay. I was merely doing my job of looking after my mistress in trying to keep her publicly 'proper'."

Cazi flushed as Amina looked at her with one delicate brow arched slightly. "Not that Cazi has ever really cared what other people thought about her." Amina gave a soft chuckle. "That is what she keeps me around for."

Mourning? Cazi heard Amina's voice in her head as she opened her mouth to protest that she did not keep Amina around for that reason. She felt Amina's amusement as memories rushed through her mind at that one simple word.

Cassandra looked into the mirror and sighed. She had never thought that she could grow to hate black so much. In the months since her beloved Henry had died, her entire wardrobe had become nothing but black. Just the thought of her deceased husband was enough to send pain searing through her anew. I am so sorry, Henry. Tears began to run down her face as her pain and guilt crashed through her.

She turned away from the door as she heard it open. "Miss Cazi, I ordered the dresses like you asked." When she heard Amina's voice she turned back around. Amina saw the wetness of her tears on her cheeks and closed the door, hurrying over to her. "Oh, Cazi," she said, speaking quietly, "I wish you would change your mind about this." She hugged Cassandra tightly, not caring about how it looked since the door was closed and they were alone. Cassandra relished her maid's ability to go from proper servant to lifelong friend in the blink of an eye, always knowing just when to do it. It made her love Amina all the more.

"Amina, I will always mourn my Henry." Cassandra said, wiping her face with her hands. "But it is a new century coming up. The year 1900, Amina! I think Henry would understand. This is the only century that you or I will see in. I am going to put off the mourning clothes for the New Year party." She raised her chin stubbornly without even being aware that she did it.

Amina sighed, recognizing the signs that Cassandra was through listening. Despite that she plowed on ahead. "But, Cazi, what will people think? It has only been a couple of month's since the funeral. The Queen is still wearing black after thirty-eight years!"

Cassandra felt her face burning as her anger exploded within her. "I do not care what people think, Amina! Not a one of those people that you are concerned about me offending care about me at all. They are..." She stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "They were Henry's friends. If it was not for him few of them would never have even spoken to me." She sighed and stepped back from Amina. "And I am not Queen Victoria, Amina! I do not have the eyes of an entire world watching me and everything that I do."

As Amina opened her mouth to continue the argument Cassandra spun on her heel and walked over to the window in her bedroom and looked out at the grounds her house stood on. "No, Amina. It is decided. For the most part these people think that I am beneath them. I will not be bound by what they feel is proper or not. This is my life, Amina. I will live it the way that I want to live it."

Amina, seeing that she was going to get nowhere by continuing to argue with her friend, merely bowed her head. "As you wish, Cazi." Cassandra almost relented as she heard the soft sigh escape Amina's lips. "I was just doing my best to look out for you like I am supposed to do."

Cassandra's eyes widened and she spun back around to face Amina. "I am not a child, Amina. I do not need 'looking out for'. I am a woman grown and I can make decisions for myself."

Amina merely nodded and said "Yes, Cazi" quietly. Cassandra felt her heart pull at the sadness in her friend's voice.

Taking another deep breath, Cassandra said, "I will wait until after the New Year's Eve Dinner that Lord Bevington is throwing to come out of my period of mourning." She walked over to Amina and took her hands. "Will that be 'proper' enough, Amina?"

Amina looked at her and smiled softly. "It most likely will not be, Cazi. But I think that it will have to do. I can tell you are going to be stubborn about it." Her smile grew wider as her eyes sparkled.

Cassandra smiled at her friend as she kissed her cheek softly. "Thank you for trying to look out for my best interests, Amina. I truthfully do appreciate it. But this is something that I have to do."

Amina nodded. "I know that you do. Shall we get you dressed for Lord Bevington's party?" She smiled at Cassandra and hugged her gently again. At Cassandra's nod she began to help her dress for the party.

Lord Bevington's party was a typically snobbish affair. People clustered together talking and moving about the room as if propelled by a current. Amina accompanied Cassandra to the party so that she would have someone to talk with. Cassandra was glad that she had insisted on it. Since Henry's death the number of people who had called themselves her friends had dwindled down to a bare handful. She was snubbed repeatedly at the party.

Cassandra could sense Amina's growing unease and wished that the new year would hurry and arrive so that she could go home. When the new year finally came around, Lord Bevington had spoken to his widowed daughter-in-law a grand total of twice. By Cassandra's reckoning that was twice too often. After the traditional new year's toast by Lord Bevington, she had taken Amina and left Bevington Manor, hoping that she would never have to set foot on its grounds again.