The Heir - Blood Secret : The Chosen One - Secret Heir, page 11
Nodding “Yes, we do. I will fetch a female to watch over you.” he said.
I stopped, grabbing him by the arm “I don’t want anyone else, I trust you,” I said, knowing he would keep me far away from any harm.
He tensed up at my words, unsure of how to respond.
“I’m not asking you to join me, I’m only asking you to stay close by so I can shower.” a low chuckle escaped me at his awkwardness. I didn’t think it was in a vampire’s nature to get embarrassed, yet there he was with an incredibly uncomfortable look on his face that was obvious for anyone to see. If he could show other shades other than paleness, he would have been blushing for sure.
He leaned down closer to me, only inches away from me. “Very well Francesca, as you wish,” he replied, never taking his eyes off me. I was certain my ivory skin was visibly flushed, something he was all too quick to pick up on.
He leaned closer “I could listen to that sound all day long.” He said, whispering the words, his long beard tickled me as he softly placed a kiss on my flushed cheek.
I swallowed the hard lump that had formed in my throat. It was obvious that it was my heartbeat he was referring to, it felt as if it was about to burst out of my chest.
I looked up, taking a step back “I should....” I began, needing to catch my breath. His red eyes bore into me, as he stood in front of me clearly amused with himself. The energy between us was changing. Before it was just to let him satisfy his craving for me, now I had an overpowering urge to let him do anything he wanted to me. I was beginning to understand his primeval form of desire.
I opened the door to Anton’s room and walked towards the bed, placing the book down.
“We can put the grimoire in my vault,” Anton informed me, reaching over to where I had just laid it down. Within a split second of touching the grimoire, I saw him being thrown across the room as a bolt of lightning violently struck him from the book. He let out a loud groan from the pain of being thrown against the brick wall above the fireplace.
My mouth opened in shock, as I watched him fall hard onto the ground, landing in front of the flickering flames.
I rushed to his side. “What in the hell was that?” I hollered.
He stood up and stretched through the aches. “Eliza’s magic did not tolerate evil, only the purest at heart or magical like yourself can be around it,” he said “I should have known the grimoire would protect itself from something as black-hearted as myself. Very few have even had the opportunity to see it, let alone touch it.” he sighed heavily, still recovering from the magical blast.
“You’re not evil.” I scoffed. He was a vampire that much I knew. I understood his need to feed on human blood for survival. However, on the other hand, I also saw a side of him that I was sure no other human had the chance to see.
When Anton was with me, he had done nothing to harm me, he only protected and guided me.
“I’m a vampire, were known to be creatures, something unnatural, a ruthless monster without a soul,” he stated, unfazed by the cruel words he had chosen to describe himself.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would do that,” I said with an apologetic smile. I was relieved that the book protected itself, I was just shocked it took Anton getting hurt to figure it out.
He wouldn’t make eye contact with me. I placed my hands on his cheeks.
“I don’t see a monster when I look into your eyes” I whispered, tilting his face to me “I see a warrior. A protector” he looked at me, staring hard and long for a lingering second.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was embarrassed at what just happened.
“There’s no need to hide it, by the looks of it. The book seems to be doing a good enough job at protecting itself” he said.
He pulled away and walked toward the door. I could only assume his ego had been bruised.
We made our way to the shower room in silence.
Pristine white marble covered the floors up to the ceiling and rust had gathered from the tripping taps.
I decided to shower in the middle shoulder-length cubicle, not wanting to give anyone the chance to see me naked.
I reached for the rusty faucet mixer taps, turning the water on. I held my hand under the gushing water, but only cold water poured out.
Frustrated, I turned to Anton, who had his back turned to me. A proper gentleman.
“There’s no hot water,” I called out.
“You’re powerful, use magic” he glanced over his shoulder “We don’t have a need for water. If you want it, make it happen.” he advised me, as he watched curiously from a distance.
Suddenly, he walked away making his way out. “In the meantime, I will gather you some clean clothes that you can wear,” he informed me.
“Don’t leave me!” I shrieked, the last thing I wanted was to be left alone.
“I will be back before you know it,” he left in a blur of a second, leaving me to figure out how to tap into my powers to get the water to a reasonable temperature.
“Yeah…because I do this all the time.” I muttered sarcastically, talking to myself.
I took off my clothes I had been wearing for days and tossed them off to the side. I glided my hand through the cold water and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath in as I willed the water to heat up, but still, only cold water continued to pour out.
I frustratingly banged my hands on the pipes, upset at the fact nothing was happening.
“Come on!” I hollered, I tried to calm myself, relaxing into my environment in an attempt to clear my mind. I allowed the water to splash over both hands, feeling the coldness, listening to the rushing sound as it echoed through the empty room. Suddenly, the condensation of steam swarmed around me. I opened my eyes, and stepped under the showerhead, letting the water lash all over my body.
Splashing the refreshing water over my face a few times before washing away the stresses my body was holding on to. I rested both hands on the marble wall in front of me, embracing the silence.
My mind completely consumed in the thought of what I had become. I looked the same, but something inside me was more powerful than I could ever imagine.
“Francesca” Anton called out my name.
I turned the faucets off, holding my hand out within the cubicle space. I stood, waiting for a towel to dry myself, only to see it wasn’t Anton passing it to me.
I was shocked to see the blonde vampire who brought me the bagels, she was just standing there holding up my towel. My hands scattered over my body trying to cover myself up.
“Excuse me!” I screamed, quickly grabbing the fluffy black towel and wrapping it around myself. She sheepishly smiled before stepping back, keeping a safe distance but still a watchful eye on me.
For a vampire, she was timid.
There was something I still found unsettling about her, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
Anton stood by the doorway, casually leaning against the entrance, raising his eyebrows.
“My lord wishes for you to have Erika by your side at all times.” he declared, not in the least bit pleased with the situation either.
I looked over my shoulder to see the female vampire step closer with each step I took towards Anton.
“Why? I’m perfectly safe with you!” I snapped.
I could sense the girl behind me, getting closer. I turned to face her “Stop!” I urged her, she was infuriating me just being in my presence.
I secured my towel and made my way to Anton, needing to be as close to him as possible.
“Tell him to drop the bodyguard, I’m not a child!” I argued. The thought of having someone I didn’t know or trust watching our every move was very unsettling to me.
“Armacey read my mind, he was not in the least bit happy to find out his most trusted vampire has fallen for his daughter. I don’t know, maybe it’s for the best.” He said, leaning down whispering the words as if he was apologizing to me.
He had nothing to be sorry about as far as I was concerned.
Anger boiled within me at Armacey’s rude and disrespectful behavior towards Anton.
I stormed past him making my way through the hall towards the man who was going to regret being my father after I had finished telling him off. My temper was raging within me. I didn’t care that I only had a towel around me, Armacey was about to hear me at my worst.
I opened the door to the elder room with such force, that it hit the wall, a loud bang echoed throughout the room. The commotion made my father jump to his feet curious to know as to who would disturb an elder without permission.
I held my towel tight, feeling slightly uneasy all of a sudden. “How dare you insist on having a female vampire watch over me! You left Anton in charge of me and he has done a great job so far! Why change now?” I asked sternly.
My father glared at the female vampire “Fetch her some clothes, now!” he hissed. She rushed out of the room on foot. I watched her as she moved at a pace that could be mistaken for a human. I was surprised to see her not using the speed that I knew only vampires had the capability of. I turned my attention back to Armacey, waiting for an answer.
“Erica will be with you, alongside Anton, from here on out. Do I make myself clear?” he demanded to know.
I shook my head and gestured to the door “I don’t want her anywhere near me, I want Anton,” I argued back.
The female vampire entered the room and interrupted yet again.
“My lord,” Erika announced, making her way to the side of Armacey and holding up a pile of clothes for me to accept. She wasn’t as quick as vampires, yet she was faster than a human, something nagged at me with this one, she was peculiar, to say the least.
She gave only a nod, unable to look at either Armacey or myself in the eyes. I had a feeling that she was young or new to being a vampire, it was apparent she was unsure of herself and appeared to be nervous. She passed me the layer upon layer of black clothes.
I glanced at the pile of clothes.
Really, I have to make do with leather.
I accepted the neatly folded pile from her, placing them under my arm and refusing to budge an inch until he agreed to drop Erica from watching over me.
“Wait outside, Erica,” Armacey ordered. The vampire did as she was told, closing the door shut on her way out.
“I do not want or need anyone else watching over me,” I told him.
“It has come to my attention Anton has developed feelings for you. I will not have any distractions whatsoever” Armacey finally responded, raising his voice.
Preparing to make a stand. “It’s not your choice to make! So, what if he has feelings for me, the feelings are mutual. You can’t tell me what to do!” I snapped back at him.
Armacey stood with a cold stare, looking to Anton. “Enough...” he snarled “Dare I bring up the biting?”
Damn it! It’s true, he does know.
Shaking his head in disgust. “Of course, I know!” he snapped.
I was fuming at the thought of him reading Anton’s, let alone my thoughts. I was unsure if now was the time to fight or stay in my corner. I decided to stay quiet.
Armacey stepped off the stairs and made his way to Anton.
“You tasted her blood, you fulfilled your needs, that my boy was wrong! How dare you touch the daughter of an elder, you know it’s forbidden!” He said through clenched teeth.
Anton bowed his head.
“I’m sorry my lord, but my feelings for your daughter are true. She is the one who has stolen my heart,” he told Armacey, declaring his true feelings for me. I stood in shock at Anton’s words, Armacey was too quick to reply before I even had the chance to react.
“The only reason you’re still alive is that Francesca has bonded with you. I will cause her no more pain or heartache in killing someone she cares for. However, if you as much as touch a hair on my daughter’s head you will wish I had killed you back in Paris, by the time I am done with you” he said, in an angry tone advising him to keep the monster at bay.
Sick and tired of being treated like a fragile doll, I couldn’t hold back anymore.
“It’s my life, not yours!” I warned him.
My father looked at me sharply “Love is a distraction and you will do as you are told, Francesca!” he warned sternly.
I had only ever dreamt of having a love so intense, and here he was trying to deny me of it. “Love is unique, it’s what makes you whole!” I argued.
He turned and walked towards his chair “If I wasn’t so damn distracted by love, I would have been able to save Eliza. Love makes you weak!” he warned, resting back down on his chair.
This was not about me, it was about him not being able to save Eliza in time.
I decided now was not the time to argue or dig deeper. I already felt too vulnerable from standing in front of them with only a towel around me.
Without as much as a goodbye or sarcastic comment, I turned quickly on my heels keeping a tight grip on the towel that exposed a lot more than I was comfortable with.
I glanced over my shoulder, frustrated to see Anton being followed behind by Erika. As I got closer to Anton’s room door, the inner bitch in me snapped.
“Don’t! Both of you, just leave me alone!” I rushed in, slamming the door shut in their faces, needing space from everyone, even Anton.
I stormed towards the bed, ditching the clothes, and just laid there face down, feeling more isolated than ever. How did it come to this? My life was normal before all of this chaos. Not only do I have a vampire elder as a father, but I also had feelings towards the one vampire I was sure would be killed, if I even as much as looked at him now.
I turned over, lying on my back slowly taking deep breaths in, allowing my anger to fade. Eventually, I forced myself to get up and to get dressed in the clothes Erika gave me.
The leather pants were surprisingly comfortable, as was the leather crop top.
Maybe the styles not that bad after all.
Pulling on the fitted black leather jacket and the grungy biker boots, I glanced around the room, knowing I had seen a mirror somewhere. Sure enough, there in the corner was the mirror. I walked over and stared at myself in the clothes that looked more grunge style than my normal day to day casual wear. My hands skimmed over my bare midriff, I wasn’t one for showing off my body. But I couldn’t deny it, I felt like a badass.
My hair was close to drying from the heat of the fire that always seemed to be going. I found myself wondering if it was strictly for my benefit, being fully aware vampires don’t care for the heat.
Stepping closer, I stood staring at my reflection.
Pale and exhausted, my blue eyes radiated sadness.
A piece of me was numb from finding out my whole life was a lie. Everything, from who I thought I was, to the parents that had raised me. I was always content with feeling lonely and being alone by myself in my own misery and sorrow. Yet, I found myself in a castle surrounded by vampires, getting pulled into a war that I knew nothing about nor had any control over. My loneliness had become my hell, the light at the end of the tunnel was becoming more and more dim and distant.
A knock at the door startled me, I took a deep breath in and gathered my thoughts and gave myself one last look over before opening the door.
I was glad to see Anton and not Erika.
“I’m sorry,” I said offering him a genuine smile.
“You don’t need to apologize, it’s a lot for you to take in. It’s not every day someone finds out they’re magical and a vampire’s daughter, all within the span of just a couple of days,” he replied.
I peeked out of the room, “Where is Erika?” I asked, noticing she was nowhere in sight.
Anton glanced down to the bottom of the hallway.
“She was ordered to stand down, your father didn’t expect you to close the door on me earlier, and he made the decision to allow me and only me to be in your company.”
Puzzled “Surely it couldn’t have been that easy,” I said looking at him. I should have a tantrum more often.
He smiled, and reached up touching my cheek, allowing his fingers to trace the outline of my jaw.
“Just be careful what you think, he warned he will occasionally be invading our thoughts.”
“It’s not fair” I groaned.
I stepped out into the hallway and leaned into his tender touch wrapping my arms around him and closing my eyes.
Anton gripped me tighter and placed a gentle kiss on my head.
“I will try and find something in the book to help,” I told him, before pulling free from his embrace.
Anton brazenly stood staring at me, looking me up and down. He cleared his throat. A few seconds lingered before he finally spoke.
“You look…different,” he said, giving my outfit one last look up and down.
I could feel the heat of a blush rise in my face, so I stared down to myself hoping he couldn’t see how he made me react “You’re just being polite. I feel like a biker chick” I chuckled.
“I think you look beautiful,” he whispered.
My lips meshed together, gloating in his complement.
What could I say to that? I was lost for words.
“Time for training,” he announced, leading the way down the hallway.
I quickly scurried after him.
“What happened in Paris?” I asked, recalling Armacey’s threat.
Anton sighed heavily “Now, isn’t the time. Training is our number one priority.” he stressed.
“That serious, huh?”
“Not the time, Francesca,” he said tightly.
“Oh, come on” I moaned, “I told you about me having ancient magic, why can’t you tell me what happened in Paris?”
He stilled, fisting his hands by his side, I almost bumped into him
“My past is something I am not proud of” he finally said “I need you to pay less attention to me and more attention to training” I was disappointed he didn’t go into detail about his past, maybe one day he will tell me.
Changing the subject “Training…What kind of training?” I questioned, “I thought the grimoire was all I needed to study.”
Anton stopped and looked at me “You need to learn how to defend yourself against a breacher. I have ordered my best vampires to teach you.” He said before starting to walk again. We made our way down a steep turret of steps. The stairs eventually led us into a large open plan basement room, with several full-bodied vampires lined up, patiently waiting for us.
