Vampyre Bride ✔️

XXVII⎮A Madness Of Truth

The sudden quiet tapping at the library door swept the nebulous concupiscence from Emma's head. She ripped her eyes from the fuscous, obliterating depths of his — wherein she had nearly drowned.

Then, from without, her sister's voice was heard, soft and uncertain as Milli called her name. Emma knew she ought to have felt the crimson blast of shame at her cheeks, but, strangely, no compunctions were forthcoming; not even the while Markus leaned motionless atop her, his hand still splayed at her naked thigh.

Her fateful answer now given, she turned a deaf ear to the protestations still raging within. Moreover, there was no use in denying such a one as he — a veritable god amongst men. But, truly, vampyre or no, she wanted this creature as she had wanted nothing before. And though she might not scruple at the imminent loss of her virtue, it did not follow that she should mortify or scandalize her dear sister. To be discovered in such shameless dishabille was not to be borne!

She raised a pert brow at her would-be lover. "Are you going to let me up?"

"I had not intended to."

With a roll of her eyes she made to push him off her, but he proved himself perversely incommodious. Her brow furrowed briefly when he remained as he was — fixed as a monticule. But thus he stayed only a moment, and merely to tease her abominably. But he finally removed himself, his lips curling deviously, and effortlessly pulled her up with him before he strode to the door. It was late in the afternoon, nearly the dinner hour, and Milli had evidently slept the better part of the day away. Was likely already dressed for the evening meal.

Only once Emma's pins had been hurriedly rescued from the rug, her hair somewhat smoothed out, and her skirts straightened — with very little help from a grinning Winterly who stood nonchalantly at the library door, hand poised at the handle — was Milli, at long last, admitted entry.

The younger Miss Lucas glided shyly past his Lordship, who now stood impenetrably grave, her eyes darting askance between her sister and the stately man in whose company Emma had allowed herself to be secluded.

Perhaps the sight of her sister's knowing looks might finally have elicited a blush from Emma, but, as Milli drew nearer she felt, instead, her skin grow cold with dread. Where usually there were deep pink roses in Milli's young cheeks, today there were none. Her countenance was in fact decidedly waxen, and the flesh beneath her eyes an awful grey that was better suited to a corpse than a woman supposedly in her blush of youth!

"Good Lord, Milli!" Emma instantly rushed forward, taking her little sister's clammy hands and folding them in hers. They were as ice to touch. "You are ill!"

The younger girl gave a dismissive wave of a delicate hand. "Don't fuss, Em" — she sank wearily into the master's armchair — "I am only a little exhausted from the ball."

"The devil you are!" Emma then whirled on the silent vampyre who had not moved from the open door. "Explain to me, sir," said she with deadly calm, "why my sister appears bloodless this morning."

He said nothing at first, but his face was like marble as he closed the door and, with animalistic fluidity, betook himself directly to where she stood glaring at him. When he halted before her — closer than any gentleman would have dared — he spoke at last. "Why would I explain a thing to you already known."

Emma gasped, outraged, and, without thinking the better of it, struck him. Hard. Had he been of mortal flesh and bone he might have given some indication that he'd felt the blow, but, as it was, he maintained his unnatural immutability.

"Emma!" Milli threw her hands up to her mouth, horrified. "No!"

She hardly noticed her sister's shocked outcry, her fulmination too focused on another. In Winterly's obsidian eyes there lurked an ominous glint that warned her not to strike him again; but she, perforce, disregarded it and pulled her hand back to plant another at his jaw. He, however, caught her wrist ere her smarting palm contacted his granite flesh a second time.