Candy: Book 5 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga

When your on a roll; you gotta roll with it baby! I like Ripley. Booyah!!


Chapter 212: Whammy

Paul, my ever efficient Personal Assistant was in an absolute tizzy when the elevator to my office floor opened. I had never seen the young vampire look so frazzled. He actually had strands of hair out of place and it was only 10 a.m. He jumped to his feet as the telephone buzzed to life again.

He rounded the edge of his desk with a pile of messages in his hand. The man was actually sweating. “Paul?”

“Sir, You’ve been called by every member of the High Council...I mean, the Advisory Council. The Regency Councillor has demanded an explanation about becoming a King. A Lord Saitou from Toyko has called and your 8:45 appointment has been here waiting for you since 8:15.”
The little pink message slips were rather crumpled. Usually my messages were so crisp I thought he ironed them to heat set the ink so my hands didn’t get smudgy. “Contracts has been calling every ten minutes. There are a couple of time sensitive issues, from what I gather. Sir?” I think that was the quickest I have ever heard him speak.

I looked at him.

“King? Sir?”

“Long story, little time. I am now King of the Lycan only until Lady Arashi turns into an adult.”

His face lost the rest of his pale complexion and his free hand patted backwards for the edge of his desk. He was about two feet away from it.

“Armor help him before he falls down.”

I frowned. I didn’t think I had an early appointment today. I wouldn’t have gone all slippery when wet if I knew someone was waiting. “Who is it?”

“Mr. Silverstyx.”

Silverstyx? I don’t remember a Silverstyx unless you were thinking about hockey. I opened the door to my office and walked in. There wasn’t anyone in front of the wall of sound. There was no one in the office part of my office. Okay, that sounded strange but I had a bed room of to the side as well as full bath. I heard the bathroom sink run. That explains were the mysterious Silverstyx was.

The manila folder was laying open on my desk. I stopped. Contracts never left the file open then again if they were harassing Paul, maybe he had to look into something. It’s never a good thing to start accusing a potential client of corporate espionage without proof. Still....

I punched Hades number to his cell. “Hello, Xavier.”

Call display. Gotta love it. “Where are you?”

“I’m fine thank you. William is a little tired but once he gets a good night sleep he should be fine.”

“Why would Bil...William be tired?”

“I heard that slip of the tongue, Xavier. He’s tired because after I do a gig, I’m randy as a....”

“No need to get into details.”

Hades laughed. “I’m in the lobby.”

“Stay there. Armor will meet you. I was tired also and we got in late. We have two time sensitive deals to handle ASAP.”

“Right. I’m waiting.” Hades hung up. Armor walked in as I shuffled quickly through the file. There were only four contracts but one was due at 11 and the other was for 11:30.

“The telephone will not stop ringing.”

“Here.” I pulled the two out. “You can take your pick. Hades is down in the lobby waiting for the other one. I’ll handle the other two after I see this Mr. Silverstyx.” Armor glanced around with a frown. I jerked my thumb towards the side rooms, “Bathroom.”

“So, I should not have indulged in our...”

I lifted my head and smiled at him. “You didn’t hear me complaining. Time to pay the piper. Go. I’ll give you a call if I can finagle a free lunch hour.”

Armor leaned over and gave me a quick peck and a little butt pat. “You are just so hot when you play CEO.”

“Who’s playing? Go, Pretty.” Playful Armor was cute. I never would have thought that cute would be a word that described such a big kind of guy but when he walked like that. I pursed my lips. Faintly the taste of apples lingered on the softness of my lips. Damn. I wanted a week with my studly apple blossom o’ love. I think Sex had something here.

I closed the folder and slid it into my desk drawer. My bathroom wasn’t that massive that the client would be getting lost in it. I walked past my jukebox then paused. I punched a few buttons and music started. I hoped that this would draw Mr. Silverstyx out in the open. Nada.
Okay, he had just overstepped his boundaries. I turned the corner that turned into my small private bedroom and just stumbled to a halt. At the worst, I would find Silverstyx in the bathroom. I never expected this. Who the hell would have expected this?

“Hello, Lover.”

A dirty brunette surfer was sprawled out on my bed. A topless surfer was sprawled out on my bed, using my snow white pillows as a background to show just how tanned and well toned his torso was. He brought a hand up and spread it across his eight pack stomach then slowly stroked it upwards. I watched the French manicured tips of his nails sweep up his body. Nails? My eyes unbiddenly followed it up to his throat. A peanut butter cookie version of Keanu Reeves was sprawled temptingly on my bed.

“You need a little nibble in the morning, Lover?” He turned his head and offered up his carotid artery. When I didn’t run and jump on him he turned his face back towards me and flashed me white, white teeth. They seemed even more white because his skin was so dark.

“Hellcat got your tongue?”

“Ripley?”

“In the flesh. Queen Nightshade informed you that I would be arriving.” He laid back and spread his arms out from his shoulders re-draping himself artistically over my comforter.

“She never said that you would be in my bed.” I crossed my arms against his blatant invitation.

“She does kind of skip over the details. Nasty little habit of hers.”

“Yes, I did notice that. So, what are you doing in my bed?”

“Waiting for you to seal the deal.”

“I don’t know the deal.”

“You have a death cursian on you, Lover. I can read it from here.”

“Curtain?”

“Cur-sain. The evil eye. You’ve been whammied.” He artfully brought his forefinger up to his mouth and looked me up and down as if I was a new car. I didn’t like the feeling that he wanted a test drive before he sealed the deal. Whatever that entailed. “I’ve got your posters, Lover. Damn, they do not do you justice.”

“The whammy?” I tried to bring the conversation back up to business level. Yes, he was a gorgeous specimen of any male standards, but...there were no buts. I was over booked as it was.

He smiled at me and let out a big sigh. “Queen Nightshade saved my life back oh so many moons ago. I’ve been in her debt for centuries. This is all that she asked of me.”

“To get into my bed.” My voice was dry as I tried to find some wit and diplomacy in the situation. I can be charming if I put the effort into it.

Ripley Silverstyx slipped off the bed with all the ease and grace. He wasn’t as tall as he looked when he was laying prone. In fact, he was exactly eye level. This was a first in a long, long time. His skin was flawless. I caught my hand just before my finger tips touched his cheek. I glanced up and found myself trapped in the gaze of his eyes. They were a mix of grayish ash and liquid silver. They seemed to swirl around each other in his iris. I just stared at him.

He snapped his fingers in front of my face and I blinked back to awareness. Ripley the Fairy…uh, Fey was up in my personal space.

“Your father is a Mage of high regard, Lover. Surely he told you never to stare into a witch’s eyes. I could have enthralled you just now.” Ripley brought his hand up and cupped the side of my face. “Actually, Lover...I think I’ll take a kiss on account.”

Magic. I hated magic. I had no talent for it and no patience for it and this strange silver eyed fairy had just bound my physical being. I wanted to jerk away. I wanted to slap his hand from my skin but I just stood there. Ripley leaned in. I could feel his breath on the sensitive skin of my upper lip. He hovered a hair’s breath from my lips. He shifted his eyes up to mine and slowly straightened. I could feel my eyes burning blue and it wasn’t a prelude to ‘let’s get it on’. And he knew it. Smart cookie.

“I have a feeling that if I steal a kiss now, Lover. I will never get another from you.”

/Knock it off./

His eyebrows shot upwards. /Silent Speak, good. What I am about to tell you is for your ears and your ears alone. The wards that your people here were supposed to put up are flawed. If this is the best that they can pull off with a twenty four head start, you are in so much trouble. If you check the security recordings, there is no sign of me ever entering the building, much less laying in your private chambers. I couldn’t sneak past your secretary, he has a bit of the old way in him and he could see through my glamour but I was able to befuddle his mind. If you ask him now, he could not describe me./

Ripley opened his palm and laid it over my tie. /Your father gave you an amulet. If you had it on, I wouldn’t have been able to place you under a binding spell. Your enemy is strong. Her hatred is pure and is a physical presence. Serephina doesn’t mean to just cause you grief, she doesn’t mean to just mess with your financial spreadsheets. She means to strip of you every thing that is important in your life before she kills you. She has already wounded your heart and spirit./

/Who is this woman?/

Ripley shrugged. /She is protected by a blood charm. A well made blood charm. She has pieces of you, Lover. She has a piece of your past, your present and the future. While she has that, your Seer cannot see her. Your Lycan cannot scent her. Your Vampires cannot hunt her. You’re basically fucked./

Ripley did a quick hand gesture and I felt the invisible bonds fall away. I staggered slightly then pulled myself upright. “If I’m fucked, why are you here?”

“I’m your Surrogate.”

I snapped my mouth closed. Surrogate, that term was familiar. I remember Dad talking about it when I was a sullen bastard of a teenager. Someone had forged a surrogate. It was like, for the lack of a better word, voodoo in reverse. Instead of the practitioner using the object to inflict damage, the surrogate took all the harm onto, or into itself. It was high magic - Mage level skill magic. This art was lost to but a few, like my Dad, who love to read old Latinish moldy tombs. Familiar. Familiar?

“Why the hell would you become my Familiar? Why would I even have a familiar, I don’t have any magical abilities?”

“Do I look like a cat to you?”

Huh?

“You have grown up under the roof of the greatest human Mage since Merlin and you didn’t bother trying to learn a damned thing.”

I blinked at Ripley. My Dad? My corduroy pants wearing; flannel shirt was a staple of his daily wardrobe; chipmunk eating father was the greatest Magician since Merlin? My Dad?

“You have been surrounded by greatness all your life and you have never realized it. Your mother is renowned for her iron will. You father is a Mage unparalleled. Your sister is a formidable negotiator...” He turned and cocked an eyebrow at me. “and those are just the human side of your family tree. You are descended from the Progenitor. You have drunk from the source of all that is Vampire. You have awakened the old line of the House of Von Drachenfeld. You have breathed Empire back into the Blood Nations. I won’t even get into your shenanigans from last night. You have done this all in under twenty-five years, Lover. I’m surprised more enemies aren’t coming out of the wood work at you. As it is, you have centuries of work to do; are you going to forsake it all to keep one kiss from an ally?”

“I wasn’t trying...”

“I know, Lover. Could you image what you could accomplish if you did?” Ripley turned around and came back to me. I didn’t exactly avert my eyes, but I stared at his earlobe. “Good, you can be taught. I, known in this lifetime as Ripley Silverstyx, offer myself as surrogate as payment of a life debt owed to Queen Nightshade of the Blood Nation of Hellcats. What harm that comes from magic will be marked on my body. The price that must be paid for protection, will be paid with my blood. If death comes for you, I will take it into my bosom.”

I was taken aback by this. This was an oath. I could feel the hair on my arms and the back of my neck begin to prickle as power began to fill the room. Just because I couldn’t summon it, doesn’t mean I don’t know what it feels like. There was a shitload of magic stockpiling here.

“What do you want from me?”

Ripley flashed me his straight even teeth. “Well, Lover I would love to throw you down on that soft mattress and shag you hard until your eyes crossed and rolled up into your head. I would love to make you walk funny for a week.”

I blinked at him. Subtly knew nothing of this Ripley.

“But, since you reek of apples and you have a hickey the size of Idaho on your neck, I would say that you are quite taken...so, I simply want a kiss from you. I wouldn’t say no to a little tongue if you were feeling friendly.”

“What the hell would French kissing accomplish?”

“Yes, it would just get me all hot and bothered and no where to go. However, I am owed a kiss for my sacrifice.”

“I haven’t asked you to sacrifice yourself for me.”

“No, your most loyal ally has. The Hellcat Nation prays to you, Lover. Hellcats take the feline attitude to the extreme.”

“You don’t have to tell me that.”

Ripley tossed back his head and laughed. “Nightshade said that you were a joy. Well, she said you could be a pain in the ass but you made up for it in other areas. The Fey do not bow for any Blood. The fact that I am placing myself in front of your enemies, I consider you my equal.”

Oh my god, I had gotten so damned arrogant. Everyone was always bowing and scraping to me, I actually expected it. I could feel the blue flame drain out of my eyes. Ripley telegraphed his move giving me time to back the hell away from his hand if I wanted to. His thumb came up and stroked the flesh under my right eye.

“Jade green. Jade can be so cold to the touch, but when it’s warm...it’s like a lover’s kiss on your flesh. Shall we seal the deal, Blood Emperor?”

My voice was soft, almost a whisper. “Why do you call me that? Lover?”

“I can dream, can’t I?” His own voice was just as low and soft as mine.

“I won’t betray Armor.”

“I’m not asking you to. Your sorceress has a chunk of you. I cannot find if that chunk was willingly given or not. Something willed away is stronger than something taken by force. Will a kiss to me, Lover. Give me something pure so I can be your shield.”

“I have a shield.”

“Forcefield then. Picky, picky picky.”

I wasn’t being a uke for everyone, well, of my own choosing. I ran my palm along his shoulder to the nape of his neck. I was so used to having to crane my neck backwards to get a kiss. It felt it a little odd just to lean forward. “Close your eyes.”

Tanned eyelids closed over those stormy grey silver eyes. His hair was soft and he had the faint scent of the salt...sea salt. He smelled of the ocean. It went with the surfer image. Why would a Fey smell like the ocean? His lips were soft and yielding. He opened his mouth offering up access to his inner depths. I felt a gently brush of a hand against my waist, under my suit jacket but against the matching vest over my white dress shirt. I angled my head and deepened the kiss. I had expected him to ram his tongue past mine but he let me lead. As soon as the tip of my tongue touched his, an electrical shock ripped through me. Ripley’s hands dragged me up against his body. It hurt. And it didn’t.

Air was slammed out of my body as we landed backwards...on wet sand? I opened my eyes. We weren’t in my office any more. Wait....wait. This was like the beach...my beach. A thigh was pressed between my legs and Ripley settled the front of his hip against my crotch. I straight armed him off me, sending him slipping off sideways onto the sand. My mouth tingled. My tongue was numb.

/What the fuck did you do?/

Ripley lay on his back panting. /If this is just a kiss, where the hell would we go if you ever willing allowed me to be your partner?/

It took more effort than I thought it should to sit up. I wasn’t in my dove grey suit anymore. I had on an elaborately carved, embossed, bejewelled white leather kilt. My tongue wasn’t moving right. /Where the hell are we?/

Ripley was naked. He rolled towards me. He wasn’t naked but he damned well might have been. He had on a flesh toned breech cloth. He flicked his own tongue telling me that this nasty sensation wasn’t mine alone. /I should have know that all planes would recognize you as a power./ He gestured at my kilt. /I’m lucky to get clothing./

/Ripley./

He set his elbows into the sand and pushed himself upright. While were on a beach, it was nothing like the tropical one the brotherhood had. The sand was packed and dark brown beneath high towering cliffs. The water was a grey cast and it was cold. I could pick out scrubby evergreens on the cliffs above us. I got to my knees then had to stop because a wicked head rush almost toppled me face first back into the sand.

/We are now connected, Blood Emperor. Since you’re not freaking out, you’ve been the Unending Plane before. Only the powerful can get to them. Only those that the plane embraces can manipulate it. You can get to it by accident if your mucking around with powers you don’t understand, or you can get pulled into it by someone strong enough but unless you are so embraced, you’re stuck here./

I don’t think so. I concentrated and willed/wished myself back to my office. The dampness of the salty sea air was replaced with the shivering artificial cold of manufactured air conditioning. I was on my knees half propped by the mattress. I still was wearing the jewelled kilt. The numbness of my mouth was fading. It only felt like the freezing a dentist gave you now instead of it being so numb it might have been missing. Ripley was gone all together.

There was a shifting of power, like a hand pressing through a light waterfall diverting it around the object. I squinted as Ripley stepped back into my office like he had just walked through a beaded curtain. He was dressed back in the dark blue trousers he had on before we went on an impromptu vacation.

“You are fucking amazing, Lover. You’re only twenty?”

“What...what the hell are you doing? Where’s my clothes?”

Ripley’s eyes widened as he offered me a hand to get back to my feet. “You have been truly embraced. It is rare that the Unending Plane bestows gifts.” I slapped his hand away as he reached out to stroke the soft supple leather. “Her Majesty said that you burned up your protected kilt.”

“Protected?” I was light headed but not stupidly so.

“You marked it with your blood. The fires of the Oclanov that resides within you have taken on a greater intensity. This new kilt will not be affected by the flames. Our connection is a good thing, Lover. If we truly wished to lock it, we would give into our base desires and consummate our union.”

Union? “What union?”

“We have joined auras, energies, powers...” He turned his face towards me and locked gazes with me. I felt a whisper of power sweep over me but it was just like the brush of a gentle breeze. “I cannot bind you any more with my gaze.”

Ripley moved faster than I expected. He captured my head with both his hands and pulled me forward until we slammed torsos together. He pressed a hard kiss against my lips. I had opened my mouth in protest so he was able to shove his tongue up against mine. I braced myself to end up back on that cold wet beach but there was nothing but the taste of essence and desire. I brought my hands up and shoved at his shoulders. He was strong. /Enough./

/Not yet./

I called my wings and slapped them around us. The trailing edge slammed hard into his back and knocked him off balance. His hold on my head slipped. I thought my knee up into his midsection and twisted, catching his back with the full force of wing. He flew across the bedroom and slammed into the floor to ceiling glass wall. It crazed as it absorbed the force of impact. Riley hung there for a moment like a fly then just slipped down to land in a heap on limbs.

“When I say no, I mean no.”

Ripley sat on the carpet and brought a hand up to his face. His shoulders began to shake. I hurt him? The concern I was feeling drained away as I realized he was laughing. He lifted his head and blinked tears from his eyes.

“What’s so funny?”

“Myself. I was going to chastise you for allowing me to bind with you. I could have been anyone. I could have been a spy for the sorceress. You are too trusting, Blood Emperor.”

“That doesn’t explain the laughter.”

“I’m the fool. I should have been the one asking the questions. I didn’t think Her Majesty had it in her.”

My wings settled into a restful pose. The bedroom was willed with the sound of falling rain. Ripley looked over at me and the expression that held his face was one of appreciation. “I thought you were too good to be true. You’re a multiple personality. I have tied myself to your physical body and your essential essence. I have bound myself to all four of you, including this world’s future destruction. I was always distracted by a pretty face.”

“What was that about Skell?”

“Oh great, you all have different names.” Ripley leaned his head back against the cracked window. “Nightshade told me that I would regret my debt one day. I was the one that insisted that I would owe her.”

“What is the matter now?”

“I am your shield against magic. I have linked myself to your energies. Like the Hellcats and the Vampires, the Fey are immortal. I’ve just enslaved myself to you until eternity or death, which ever comes first or other Fey find out that I am bound to you.”

“Why would that bother other Fey?”

Ripley raised his right knee and rested his arm on it. He set his chin on it and looked at me with an expression I couldn’t read. “You do not link an ever ready battery to ultimate destruction, unless, you want to destroy the world. And that is what I am to you now, Lover. I draw from the Unending Plain, you draw from me. It's a not so delicious a menage a trois. And that is what my fellow Fey are going to see us as.”

I closed my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Oh, crap.

* * *