Page 6 of Forbidden Obsession
A knock from the top of the stairs startles us from the tale. Vander nearly jumps out of his satchel, and I chuckle. It’s only Bessa coming to check on us.
“I’m for bed.” She’s unaware we’re all coiled like springs. “You lot need anything before I go?”
“No, Bessa, thanks,” I call out. “We’re good.”
“Thanks, Bessa,” the others chime.
“Night, night, then. Sweet dreams.” Her footsteps creep away, and we’re alone again.
“Now, where were we?” I ask.
“The Gatekeeper is losing his fight against the vampire,” says Salah.
“What happens next?” asks Lemon.
I sit up straighter to finish the tale. “With great sorrow, the Gatekeeper realized all hope was lost. His defeat was inevitable. The gate would be unprotected for the first time in millennia. The monster would be free to continue his onslaught of the innocent people of his palace. And our realm would be in mortal peril.” The last two words I emphasize with a dire tone.
No matter how unsavory the Gatekeeper might be, we all know we owe our lives to his protection. Even if he’s just as scary as whatever lies on the other side of the great northern gate. He stands guard so the rest of us can live in peace.
I paint the picture with my words. “Blood coated his hands, ran in crimson rivulets down his neck, and slicked the stone ground beneath his feet as he struggled. He’d go down fighting, but it wouldn’t be enough. The creature’s snarling growls echoed loudly in his ears. He couldn’t let that be the last sound he’d ever hear.
“A spark of an idea formed, dim at first, then flaming with intensity. ‘Turn me!’ the Gatekeeper howled. ‘Turn me into a vampire like you!’
“‘Why should I when I could kill you instead?’ demanded the vampire. The Gatekeeper’s blood stained his lips a gruesome red.
“‘You will need a guide in this realm. Who better than me? You’ve seen my strength. My will to live. Turn me, and I’ll be your willing slave. Think of the power you’ll wield, with me in your thrall.’
“The vampire narrowed his eyes, considering the plea. The offer. He studied the Gatekeeper, gaze roaming from head to toe to the tip of each mighty black wing. He gave a slow nod. ‘Yes, yes, you might prove useful to me. I will do it.’ He beckoned with the crook of his skeletal finger. ‘Come here.’
“The Gatekeeper’s gut sank. Though it was his own idea, and though it was the only way out, he didn’t want to give up his life to the fiend. What would happen? When humans were turned, they became vampires, undead, unable to walk in the sunlight or feel the beating of their hearts ever again. But the Gatekeeper was full fae. Would it be different for him? Was it worth what he would lose?
“None of that mattered. He had no other choice but to die a true death and leave his beloved realm unprotected. He had to try this, no matter the cost.
“On shaky legs, the Gatekeeper crept forward. The vampire lunged, growling his delight with a cackling laugh that sent shivers down the Gatekeeper’s spine.
“Trapped in the arms of the fiend with nothing to do but surrender, the Gatekeeper focused on the strongthump thump thumpof his heart. If this was to be the last time he’d feel it, he wished to remember.
“Fangs pierced his throat, fast and deep. He cried out as the vampire closed his jaws over the vulnerable flesh. He told himself he wasn’t really giving in. He was stealing the creature’s strength, stealing the curse for himself, and becoming powerful enough to fight back and win.
“His eyes shuttered closed at the thought.I will win. I must.”
I pause, glancing around the room at the others. They’re leaning in. Salah and Lemon clutch each other’s hands. Jindal has bitten his lower lip raw. But best of all, Vander is hugging his arms around himself, just as enthralled as the rest. I’m definitely winning our little bet. I raise my brows at him to let him know it. He scowls but makes no protest.
“As the vampire swallowed his life’s blood down his gullet one greedy gulp at a time, the Gatekeeper grew weak in his arms. The rotten, sickly scent of death became stronger, and he feared he would be next. He’d made a terrible mistake. But just when he thought the worst would come to pass, the vampire stopped. Drew back. And with a wicked, glinting grin, brought his wrist to his mouth and bit.
“The wound bled freely. The Gatekeeper’s gaze was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. His stomach rumbled, and an incredible thirst rose like lava from an erupting volcano. A compulsion unlike any other gripped him. He must drink. He needed that blood. Would do anything to get it.
“Though the very idea revolted him, the Gatekeeper parted his lips as the vampire pressed the wound to his mouth. Fighting back nausea, he resigned himself to his fate. A blood drinker. Cursed. But the first taste shocked him with its delicious decadence. Hot, savory, and spiced like copper cookware, it burned a path down his throat to his core. He lit up from the inside. ‘More! Give me more!’
“The vampire let him drink his fill, and the Gatekeeper was greedy in his thirst. His heart never stopped beating. It only grew louder and louder. The racingthump thump thumppounded like a mallet on a drum, faster and faster as he consumed the most forbidden of nectars.
“The vampire ripped the bloody wound away from him, and the Gatekeeper yowled at the loss. ‘Enough,’ said the vampire, but the Gatekeeper yearned for more. Already his strength was returning. Doubling. Tripling. His muscles tensed and fluttered beneath his skin, eager to finish the fight. Fangs burst through his gums, new and deadly sharp, cutting his lower lip in two places.
“His ragged breaths huffed cool air through his lungs, not icy like his home but not warm like other living beings either. He shuddered. What had he done?”
Salah chimed in, “Did it work?”
“Did the Gatekeeper defeat the vampire?” asked Lemon.
