Immortal Ch. 06

"'tis a cold evening." Elizabeth countered, feeling the blood pump furiously through his veins, calling to her with its own sweet music. Her tongue darted between her lips, moistening them to a dusky pink color as she warred with herself, fangs poking gently into her tongue as she fought.

"Perhaps I can warm you up." The Duke commented, chuckling to himself as if he'd said the most humorous thing in the world.

She smiled as she allowed him to pull her from the room. "I have no doubt that you could," she kept her eyes on the Duke, ignoring as servants stopped in their wake and stared at them with surprised glances.

The human side of her that struggled so valiantly to hold out was quickly losing ground. The monster deep inside of her howled at the nearness of warm blood, the sound of his heart calling out to her as she was pulled to a sudden stop outside of two large wooden doors. Within lay his bedchamber and she knew that once she set foot inside, one of them would never reappear again. It would either be her hell or her salvation.

"How many girls have set foot in here?" She asked him with a pleasant smile as he pushed open the doors, dismissing the servants that were within with a flick of his wrist.

"My aren't you intelligent?" The Duke asked with a boisterous laugh as he escorted Elizabeth through the outer chambers until they were tucked deep within his inter sanctum where he knew they wouldn't be disturbed. "Well, my dear, many is the answer you are looking for."

She stepped around the room, running her fingertips over the rich woods and colorful tapestries that adorned the bed chamber. "Were they willing?" She murmured, peeking at him from around one of the bedposts with a sly smile. She could feel his blood begin to beat faster, a sense of disgust crossing her mind at the tightness in his pants.

"Some," He pulled at the ties of his doublet, a patch of unwashed skin appearing on his chest as he stepped up to the bed, beckoning her closer with a wave of his fingers. "Others did it for duty."

"Is that what you call it when they do not want your advances?" She asked, skirting around the bed and stepping closer to the fire that was burning in the hearth, the warmth sinking into her cold skin and igniting something deep within her. It was primal and grew with each passing moment.

"You do not know when to watch your tongue," The Duke said as he stepped up behind her, his hands tracing down her shoulders before stopping to rest on her upper arms. He dipped his head in to kiss her throat that was left bare by the neckline of her dress.

It all happened so quickly that he had no idea what was going on. Elizabeth had turned, her hand gripping his throat in a punishing hold as she glared at him with hard, unforgiving eyes. Her face was twisted in anger, a frown cutting deep lines in her soft skin as she squeezed her hand tighter, cutting off his air supply.

"Tell me, milord, did those women that did it for "duty" scream for mercy?" She asked as she released him, watching him collapse to the floor as he struggled for breath, his windpipe nearly crushed. She continued to circle him as he squirmed, her skirts rustling softly in the silence that surrounded them. Dropping to her knees, she straddled his body, a smile coming to her lips that was feral and dangerous.

"Will you scream for me?" She asked as she took his face between her hands, his eyes going wide as he saw her fangs as she loomed closer. The last thing he knew before the pain took him away from himself was the look of death in her eyes and he knew somewhere deep inside that it was a righteous one.

------------------------------------

"Where's Elizabeth?"

Gabriella heard Lothie's voice and looked up from her book, staring at him with a confused look as she looked towards the empty seat by the fire. Thinking back Gabriella couldn't remember the last time that she'd seen the girl.

"I have no idea. Perhaps she's in the music room."

Lothie nodded and turned to head down the corridor to the music room, the air too silent and tense to make him feel at ease. Something was wrong, he thought as he pulled himself to a stop at his destination and opened the door. Looking around the empty room, he could still feel the heat of a person, the scent in the air. It was then that he realized whose scent it was and he cursed under his breath, turning to run down the hallway to track down his wayward ward.

Gabriella stood with eyes wide as Lothie went racing past, a sense of dread passing through her body as she hurried after him. "What's the matter, Lothie?" She gasped after him, trying to keep up in her flurry of skirts.

He didn't answer, a growl coming to his lips as he smelled blood in the air, the beast within him trying to surface as he forced it violently down. He pulled open the chamber doors to the Duke's apartments, the wood threatening to splinter as he shoved his way through.

"Elizabeth!" He barked into the silence before he barged into the bedroom, stopping in his tracks at the horrors that were before him. He was barely aware of Gabriella coming up beside him, a gasp sharp in his ear as she grabbed hold of his arm to steady herself.

"What did you do, Princess?" Lothie asked, his mouth agape at the amount of blood that filled the air with its sweet metallic scent. The body of the Duke lay in the middle of the floor, the smell of his death mixing with the soil in his pants, the entire scene surreal. "Why did you do this?" He asked, his gaze finally averted from the body and to the woman that stood across from them, her gown soaked in blood, a gory mess that also seemed to stain her lips and chin.

She stared into the fire that was burning bright in the hearth, her form unmoving for a long moment before she turned her head to stare at the two. "He deserved it," She said with a shrug, her need for blood sated yet her mind oddly disgusted with the taste that remained in her mouth. "And as he died, he knew it deep in his soul. I did nothing wrong."

The last words were spoken in a hiss, Lothie taking in the way that she curled her lips over her teeth, baring them as she spoke of her first kill as if it were nothing. Lord help them if Xander heard about this or, even worse than him, the council of Immortals. They would surely kill them all if they caught wind; steak them to a hill in the sunlight to watch them burn. It was a fate that Lothie didn't wish to partake.

"We didn't teach you this, Elizabeth!" Gabriella's angry voice joined in causing a betrayed look to flit across Elizabeth's infuriated features. "Certainly not to kill in this way and not to kill someone of such importance."

"You did not teach me anything! You simply asked me to make a choice." Crystal clear tears sprang to Elizabeth's eyes as her cool exterior began to crumble and she raged, causing Lothie a moment of pause as he noticed this curious discrepancy. Why were her tears not of blood like theirs?

"You would have died. We gave you life." Gabriella tried to counter as a rage filled scream came from Elizabeth, both elder vampires taken back as the younger pulled her hair and screamed into the stones of the chamber.

"And now you talk of death! I am so sick of speaking on matters of life and death! My heart beats no more. I am no longer living." Elizabeth wheeled around on the both of them, her blue eyes burning bright in the light from the fire, her teeth bared as it appeared she was losing her mind. "I can go from sun up to sun down without breathing one breath and yet I'll survive. Never again will I feel the warmth of the sun upon my skin, but this is the life that I chose! You created me." She pointed at Lothie, her eyes accusing, breath ragged. "You made this and now you wish to destroy it all. I'm not a mistake that can just be gotten rid of; swept under the rug as if I'm nothing but dust."

"Elizabeth, you need to calm yourself." Lothie spoke, his voice sounding stern in his own ears, wondering just he was so collected.

"You wish to turn me in to the council." She had no idea what she spoke of, but she couldn't help the thoughts that seemed to flow from his mind and into hers. "Every word, Lothian, here in my head. I hear it all. Your blood is in my veins."

Lothie and Gabriella looked to one another, a wall instantly appearing around his thoughts as this new revelation came to light. It was true that Gabriella could read his thoughts if she tried, but even though she was his creation as well, the flow had never been as free as it was between himself and Elizabeth. Something very strange was happening, something that he'd never experienced nor heard of in his very long life.

'She's gone mad.' He heard Gabriella's voice in his mind and he shook his head knowing that it was only temporary.

'She's struggling with what she is. You did the same.'

'Lothian, I never killed anyone like that. We have to deal with this.'

Lothie began to growl deep in his chest, knowing that she was right, but not wanting to completely destroy the girl that he had come to love. The one that broke into his thoughts at night, invading his dreams until she were all he could think of. It was then that he realized what was wrong, his attention snapping back to the still upset vampire before them.

Her voice, the tears, the thoughts, the haunting quality of her very being, even the rage she felt now all added up in his mind and he was suddenly slapped hard with the fact that he and Gabriella had made a very grave mistake by changing this girl.

"Now." Lothie said, silently sending Gabriella more orders as he sprang into action, his arms wrapping around Elizabeth's body as she gave them both a startled gasp and tried to race away.

They were both too fast, Gabriella grabbing the struggling vampire's legs as they wrestled her to the ground, her muscles flexing furiously to get away. She pleaded frantically with Lothie, screaming at him not to kill her as she tried to push him off, screaming even louder when she felt his teeth pierce her neck.

The blood drained from her body as her struggles became weaker. This was so different from the other night, no pleasure to be found as she screamed in agony, thrashing as best she could until there was no fight left. Her harsh breathing, such an involuntary response, was the only noise that filled the chamber as she stared at the dead body of the Duke that was so close to theirs, knowing that she was being punished for that transgression.

Lothie lifted his head finally, lips stained red as he stared down at the girl, arms finally releasing her from their grasp as he stood, helping Gabriella to her feet. His mind shifted into the overtime as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. Elizabeth's sobs filtered around the room, the smell of blood causing a headache to appear in his temples. He watched as Gabriella knelt once more, her hand caressing Elizabeth's hair as she murmured comforting words.

"We have to leave." Gabriella's eyes went to Lothie as he spoke, her hand stopping it's motions as Elizabeth sniffled, her body too weak to dry her own tears.

"Lothie, even if we left now, someone would find this mess soon..."

"Leave that to me," His words were brief as he scooped Elizabeth from the floor, stalking from the room, leaving a stunned Gabriella in his wake.

"What do you mean leave this to you? This isn't a problem that's easily solved, Lothie!" She called after him as he raced through the halls of the manor, the weight in his arms of little hindrance. "You just could not leave her alone, could you?" She hissed at the still body across from her, snarling under her breath as she stood and hurried after Lothian, hoping to God that he had some plan that would get them out of this situation.

---------------------------------

The countryside was calm this evening, all the animals that were usually out hiding in the wake of the snow that had begun to fall. Lothian glanced out the windows of the carriage as the man he hired got them away as soon as possible, extra gold at stake as he urged the team forward.

Gabriella gripped his hand painfully tight, but it never registered in his befuddled mind. There was too much to think on, to reflect upon, and not much time to do it in. He didn't even begin to think where he'd finally found the wild dog that he'd tempted and then locked into the Duke's chambers without the servants knowing. Come morning, they'd think that the dog had done the damage and they wouldn't be named.

That just left the problem of Elizabeth. Thinking of her, he looked from the window to the girl that was bundled against the cold and seated in the seat across from them, her blue eyes full of pain and sorrow as she continued to cry for the guilt that she felt. She was a renegade, a momentary slip of her control and she'd almost single handedly given away their secrets. He had thoughts of destroying her, but something stopped him; an emotion that he couldn't name kept him loyal to the beauty.

"You must speak with Alexander. He can fix this." Gabriella murmured in the darkness of the carriage. Lothie knew that his mate was terrified, worried that word would get out to the Immortals and those of their kind that they had young one that was not in control. "Lothian, you have to fix this."

"Alexander would destroy her, I do not want to go to him unless it is my last resort." His voice was loud in the small space as he continued to stare at the girl, her eyes wide as she listened to them speak about her as if she were not there.

"They would destroy me?" Elizabeth asked in an impossibly small voice. She was startled when both turned their attentions towards her, the hard look in both sets of eyes made her grow quiet once more as she shrank back against cushioned seat of the carriage.

"While I should let them, princess, I will not. You are mine and I will try my best to protect you." As new tears appeared in her eyes, he gave a sigh of defeat and leaned his head back against the jarring carriage wall, willing this trip to be over quickly.

The ride was hard, the sun rising at least once before they made it to the manor, but the thick curtains kept the three safe. When the thick walls of the manor house appeared in the darkness of the next night, Lothie let out a sigh of relief. While he just wanted to sleep like the dead, he knew that there was more to be done.

Leaping out of the carriage, he was greeted by his staff, giving them a simple nod and telling them to have his horse ready as soon as possible. He helped Gabriella to the ground with a gentlemanly gesture before he reached in and lifted Elizabeth from her seat, waking her from her deep slumber.

"Welcome home, princess." He murmured as she simply lay in his arms, the strength to do anything else having been drained away.

As Gabriella ran around, trying to make herself at home with the staff once more, Lothie made his way to a plush room that had been set aside for guests, setting Elizabeth down on a chair next to a roaring fire that one of the servants had lit before their arrival. He meant to leave her and be on his way, but before he could get to the door, he heard her call his name.

"Are you angry?" Elizabeth asked, shivering beneath the thick rug she still had wrapped around her body. "I never meant for any of this to happen, Lothian. Something in me just snapped." Tears were flowing down her cheeks as he sighed and turned back.

"There is no anger, princess, just concern." He kneeled beside her chair and gently stroked her cheek, brushing the tears away. "I do not know how this will end and when word spreads there will be those that might come for you to sate their own curiosity. Let us pray that happens later. I must leave and take care of some business. You are safe here with the servants and Gabriella. If you need anything, just ask."

His cold lips brushed against her cheek, making her tears flow harder. She had done nothing but ruin his life, but he was still willing to fix everything. Elizabeth would be eternally grateful to this man.

He hurried through the halls, bidding goodbye to his love, kissing Gabriella passionately and telling her that he would be back before the sun rose. It was a hard journey, but one he knew he could make in time. He had to speak with the Immortals before the situation got too much further out of hand. Throwing a cloak about his shoulders, he made his way to the stables, finding his horse tacked and ready to ride.

"Sir?"

Lothie glanced over his shoulder at the call, spying his groomsman heading towards him with important news. "A moment of your time."

"Quickly." Lothie growled as he vaulted into the saddle, handling the horse expertly as he waited for the man to spit it out.

"A few men returning from town this evening said that they heard of two men asking about you and the Lady. We believe it's Xander."

Cursing beneath his breath, Lothie knew then that someone had to have been listening in during their flight and news had traveled faster than anticipated. He looked at the other vampire, one of few who he trusted to keep on staff.

"Do not inform Gabriella, Tatum. It will only cause her more worry. Keep me informed on anything that might happen and, for God's sake, keep an eye out."

"Aye, sir." Tatum bowed as he moved aside, letting his master out of the stables. "Safe journey."

"I shall return before the sun rises." He shouted over his shoulder as he spurred the horse into the night until the manor was nothing but a speck on the horizon before it disappeared all together.

--------------------------------

"Madame." Gabriella looked up as the butler made his presence known. "A guest has arrived for you. He's downstairs."

She simply stared at the butler before nodding and hurrying to finish her hair. Who could be coming to the estate at this hour, she wondered as she fixed the hood upon her hair and hurried out of the room. Better yet, who even knew that they were back at the castle? Her questions were soon answered when she pulled open the door to the great hall and saw the specter of her nightmares standing before her.

"Xander." She whispered breathlessly as the vampire turned to look at her, his weasly assistant making himself at home in an armchair beside his master. "Athos." She hissed his name, sending him a glare that would burn if she'd had the ability.

"Dear, dear Gabriella. I should come to expect it from you and Lothian that I would be pulled from a warm bed with a willing slave to inspect a new creature among our ranks." His voice was soft like velvet but all vampires knew that Xander hid his insanity very well behind his stone like demeanor.

"I am afraid that Lothie is not here. He's been called away on business. You will have to return at another time." She tried to sound convincing as Athos began to laugh, calling her a liar in his own subtle way that made her want to squeeze his skinny neck until it snapped in two. "How did you find out so quickly?"

"News travels fast, dear Gabriella. You didn't think that you could keep her a secret forever, did you?" His black eyes matched the black heart that no longer beat in his chest; here were no vampires that had done as many misdeeds in their afterlife as he and while most would have been destroyed by others, he came out on top.

"No, Xander, and you shall not see her this evening." Gabriella's voice was hard as she spoke, resisting the urge to scream in terror and drain the blood from their bodies.

"It seems she thinks she can tell you what to do, Xander." Athos said, flashing a pearly grin at the angered vampire. "I believe I could keep her busy while you see to the girl."

"See to it that you do. I'm going hunting." He said as he let his fingertips graze Gabriella's cheek when he turned to exit the room. She was in a panic and lunged after him, only to find herself jerked back by a hand on her wrist.