A Dream Forbidden (Lillith Mercury ) Read online

  When we landed beneath the stage he asked me, "Are you alright?"

  "Yes."

  I heard Alek yelling and everyone frantically rearranging for the next scene. I hadn't snatched his mask off during the last run through. I didn't have the heart. But I was also afraid of what I might see and that made me feel even worse.

  "I'm going to talk to Mathias soon," I said quietly.

  Dracula had released me, but I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

  "You won't have to hide forever, I promise."

  He stroked my hair gently and I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was crying. "Do you really care so much for me?" he asked.

  "More than words," I thought. But I only held him tighter in response.

  Neither of us mentioned the dream we had shared, but I could tell it was on his mind.

  "I should return you," he said softly, but not like he really wanted to. "Luther will be missing you."

  We were rehearsing the scene next where Raoul asks Christine to marry him. I wouldn't require a full costume change just for practice. Dracula walked over to a small chest beneath the stage and pulled out the long cloak I would need for the scene.

  "I took the liberty of bringing part of your wardrobe down here, since I knew we would be here first," he explained.

  He wrapped the cherry-colored velvet cloak around my shoulders and pulled up the hood before pulling me against him again.

  "Hold on tight," he whispered before kissing me.

  I hadn't expected the kiss. But I was even more unprepared to levitate back through the trap door and onto the stage. He sat me down in front of Luther with a challenging smile that seemed to say, "Top that."

  ?

  Chapter Six

  In the few weeks we had been rehearsing, they had developed a friendly sort of rivalry. Each was convinced that the audience would think he was more worthy of my affection than the other. I tried to tell them it wouldn't matter. You either liked The Phantom or you didn't. Same goes for Raoul. As far as looks goes, Luther was definitely putting him to the test.

  His long blond hair had been given a few waves, and it was pulled back loosely with a black ribbon. He was wearing tight black pants and knee high boots also, but they looked different on Luther. With Dracula they accentuated his every curve. Luther's pants were not as tight, and instead made his long legs seem longer. He was wearing a white shirt with ruffles down the front. The shirt was open, and Alek was fussing at one of the stage hands about needing more buttons. Apparently Luther's wardrobe was not yet complete. But I wasn't complaining, they could leave it open for all I cared. He looked great.

  The stage had been transformed into a rooftop, and gargoyles were being put into place as artificial snow began to fall from the rafters. "Good, good," Alek was saying, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Luther.

  "Are you ready?" Dracula asked as he took my elbow to lead me offstage. When I nodded he said, "Good, now go running out there and pretend to be horrified because I just murdered someone."

  Even though this was how the story went, it made me laugh instead of being terrified. I took a moment to get back into character before I ran onto the stage followed by Luther. I hadn't heard Luther sing in a long time, and we had yet to rehearse this scene. My heart gave an unexpected flutter as he held his hands out to me underneath the falling snow. His hands were warm, and he gave my fingers a gentle squeeze as he began to sing. This was the part in the story where Christine and Raoul become engaged. The smile that spread over my features was genuine. Alek had made an excellent casting choice. It wasn't hard to imagine being in love with Luther, because I did love him. I had known him since I was eleven, and I would always love Luther.

  I sang my part in turn with all of the joy I felt evident in my voice. As we exited the stage hand in hand, The Phantom made his appearance once again to curse the lovers, and to damn Christine for her betrayal. I stopped and stared along with the rest of the cast. Dracula was a marvelous actor, and as he began to cry, so did I. Not because his acting was so convincing, but because I knew he too was displaying his true feelings in the hopes that everyone would think he was just acting.

  After rehearsal, I changed back into my jeans and t-shirt and met Luther outside. The sparks that had flown on stage were completely gone as I smiled at my childhood friend. It was amazing how attractive I could find him one minute, and the next he was just Luther. Whatever you wanted to call him, he was a perfect Raoul.

  "You better hurry," he said, smiling as he straddled Alek's motorcycle.

  "Why?"

  Even as I asked the question I quickened my pace. I had just wrapped my arms around his waist when the herd of reporters that had been lurking around the corner surged forward.

  "No comment," Luther called over his shoulder as I buried my face against his back to avoid the flashing cameras.

  "Fuck me," he exclaimed once we were out of the parking lot.

  "I might consider it if you'll put that ruffled shirt back on," I teased.

  He laughed. "I was talking about the reporters."

  "Yeah. Now they know who you are too."

  "Not exactly. Most of them think I'm your bodyguard."

  "Well, aren't you?"

  "Smartass," he said, glancing over his shoulder at me.

  As he did this his long hair hit me in the face. I wrapped his unruly mane around my hand and held it in place as we drove back to the house.

  When he reached to help me off the bike he said, "You know lots of people have sex with their bodyguard."

  "Don't push it, Raoul."

  We had practiced until after dark, so we all went to bed fairly early. Luther went back to his apartment at club Red, and Marco crawled into bed with me sometime during the night.

  * * * *

  Wednesday was the full moon, so I expected to spend an uneventfully day alone with Alek. Johnny was out house shopping again. He had yet to find anything to suit his tastes. Alek and I were sitting on the front porch enjoying the morning breeze when a large white pickup truck parked in front of my steps.

  This only mildly piqued my curiosity. That is until the man driving it stepped out. He was around six foot three, well built, and wearing a pair of faded blue jeans. His cowboy boots actually had spurs, and they clinked as he approached us. His confident swagger perfectly matched his smile. He had one of those goatees that comes to a point underneath the lips and a mustache. His hair was dark brown and stuck out beneath his faded brown cowboy hat. He needed a shave, but he smelled wonderful as he came to a stop at the bottom step and tipped his hat in my direction.

  "Ma'am," he said with a nod.

  When I nodded in return he said, "My name's James Matthew, and I heard you got yourselves a vampire problem in these parts."

  "Well, Mr. Matthew, I wouldn't exactly say it's a problem, but what brings you here if it was?" Alek asked.

  "Please, call me Matthew, everyone else does." He moved up the steps and I offered him a seat as Alek moved to the swing. "And that's not what I hear," he said as he sat down.

  "Who tells you otherwise?" I asked.

  He went on to explain that he was a vampire executioner in the state of Texas and "monster hunter extraordinaire." He also said he had been contacted by a vamp in this area.

  "See, it's not all vampires I hunt. Well, not anymore," he added with a smile. "I take jobs from the vamps occasionally to handle some, uh, less than desirable situations."

  "So, what's the problem here and why come to me?" I asked.

  He said he had been contacted by a vampire named Mason and instructed to find me. Mason ran an establishment about twenty minutes away known as The Dungeon, but I couldn't imagine why he would send an executioner to my doorstep.

  "Would you like some tea, Matthew? I think you and I have a lot to discuss."

  Alek listened quietly while I poured Matthew and I some iced tea. He explained the situation as best he understood it. Mason said there were some vampir
es who were new to the area and he was afraid they meant trouble. Since James Matthew wasn't here in his legal capacity, I didn't sweat the questions I had in mind.

  "So, why not kill them himself, why call you? And all the way from Texas?"

  "Because I'm the best," he said with a confident smile. "And Mason wasn't sure how many vamps were actually here."

  "But what are they here for? Why's he so worried?"

  "Assassination would be my guess."

  Matthew informed me he would be staying in town if I needed to contact him and wrote down his number. As soon as he left I took off for the theatre. It was after lunch, and I knew that even though he had to remain out of the sun, Dracula was up by noon. I wasn't actually sure where he spent the day, and was taking a chance on going to the theatre. I barely put the car in park before opening the door. I pounded on the theatre door like my life depended on it, and I had a feeling his did.

  He opened the door still wearing his black silk pajamas and carefully avoided the light as he closed the door behind me.

  "My angel," he said softly. He smiled and tilted his head forward, carefully covering the right side of his face with his hair.

  "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked helplessly. "You must know why they're here. Mason wouldn't keep something like this from you."

  He stood motionless while I ranted and raved about him needlessly taking risks. He resembled a very handsome statue as he stood looking down at me until I ran out of breath.

  "Would you like to come down to my castle?" he asked quietly.

  "You really have a castle?"

  He smiled slightly.

  "Actually the entrance is through my office in the club next door, but we can walk across."

  "In the daylight?"

  "Through a tunnel," he corrected.

  As we walked down the aisle I asked, "If you live next door, then what are you doing here so early?"

  "I have been expecting you," he sighed. "I knew Mr. Matthew was due to arrive shortly, and none of us would be up to receive him."

  That made sense. We went behind the stage and past the dressing rooms where I followed him to the office he shared with Alek. He secured the door behind us and I noticed it locked from the inside. I watched as he moved the large marble desk as if it were a paperweight. He then flipped back the carpet and removed a key from his pocket. Dracula hopped down into the trap door he had opened and reached for me.

  I swung my feet over the edge of the opening and he put his hands around my waist. Our bodies brushed together as he sat me down in front of him, and I tried not to think about the fact that only a thin piece of silk separated his body from my hands. He flipped a switch and lit the torches that lined the wall. Dracula held my hand as we walked down the long corridor which led to Original Sin.

  After a short walk we arrived at another trap door that he opened with the same key.

  "Where are we?" I asked.

  "Underneath my sofa."

  He opened the door before lifting me through it and moving the sofa back into place. There was a large bookshelf to the left as we stepped inside. It was covered with many thick volumes, just like the shelves in Marco's office. Dracula's desk was made of a black wood I had never seen anywhere else, but it was beautiful. His chair was massive, looking more like a throne with black leather padding. It suited him perfectly.

  He walked behind the desk and looked at the full length mirror with disgust. I watched as he made sure his hair was carefully arranged to cover the right side of his face before turning back to me with a smile.

  "Where to now?" I asked while he removed his long cloak from the coat rack.

  "It will be drafty," he said softly, wrapping the cloak around my shoulders.

  He took my hand and led me forward.

  "We're going into the mirror?" I asked incredulously.

  "Behind it," he corrected.

  I watched as he carefully pressed about three different places on the ornate gold frame. There was a creaking noise, and the mirror opened just a fraction. We stepped inside and more torches were lit. Dracula held my hand as we began the descent to his castle. The hallway he led me down was long, and neither of us spoke until we reached a large section of stairs. The winding staircase led down into complete darkness, and a draft blew up from what looked like a hole in the middle of the stairs. The staircase was wide enough you didn't have to worry about falling, but if someone got pushed they were in trouble. I didn't know where the pit led, and I didn't want to.

  "Watch your step," he said softly, still leading me downward.

  Once we reached the end of the stairs the floor was still noticeably slanted, but not enough to cause someone to stumble. He lit more torches and stepped into the narrow gondola I had seen in my dream.

  "You've got to be kidding me. You actually have one of these?"

  "Of course," he replied with a smile. "Come on."

  He reached for me, and I stepped down into the boat. Neither of us spoke as Dracula navigated us through the water. When the long corridor ended, I found myself staring at an enormous underground lake. The ceiling was so high it couldn't be seen from where I sat.

  "These were all just caverns once," Dracula explained while I nearly tipped over trying to get a look at the ceiling.

  The lake was very well lit. In fact, it seemed to glitter thanks to the dozens of moon flowers which grew all around it. This was only the second place I had ever seen them. These strange purple blooms only open at night, and give off a soft glow, much like tiny purple lanterns. They also grew outside the Council Tower back on Terra.

  I was impressed with the lake, but when I looked at what was on the other side, I was speechless. Sitting there, carved from the rocks around it was a real castle. Original Sin was a castle and it was impressive, but not like this. The cavern was so large, there were actually towers and ramparts. Many of the towers were topped with golden shingles which glinted in the faint light of the flowers. The castle itself seemed to glow. It was made of an almost white-colored stone, and it was beautiful.

  "You really have a castle," I breathed, as we stopped on the bank directly in front of the massive structure.

  "Is there only one entrance?" I asked looking at the enormous drawbridge while he helped me out of the boat.

  "Right this way," he said.

  He led me to what looked like a rock. To my horror, he ran his index finger over one of his fangs, slicing open his skin before my eyes.

  "Why did you …?"

  But before I could finish the sentence, he let a drop of his blood fall onto the rock, and the boulder moved aside.

  "To anyone else," he purred, "there is only one entrance."

  He licked his finger and the wound healed instantly.

  "Waste not, want not," he said with a smile.

  We entered what looked like a small sitting room, though it was lushly decorated. The entire castle was lushly decorated. It was beyond my wildest imagination. The floors were marble. Massive columns lined the hallways, and rich tapestries hung from nearly every wall. I expected to see servants, but Dracula was completely alone.

  "This is the keep," he explained. "I actually live across the courtyard."

  The courtyard was an open area filled with all types of weaponry. I assumed he used it to train. Once we passed through another door on the far end, I knew we were getting closer to Dracula's personal quarters. The halls were filled with artifacts from various time periods. Many I recognized, but many I did not. However it didn't take a genius to know they were all priceless. It made sense to have these things closer to him.

  We took a right turn into a much wider hallway. At the end of this hallway was a set of enormous mahogany doors. I knew without being told that those doors led to Dracula's bedroom.

  ?

  Chapter Seven

  He swung the doors open in welcome and I laughed.

  "All of this security and you don't even lock your bedroom door," I said in amazement.

  He smile
d and walked over to an enormous white marble fireplace while I gaped at my surroundings. His bed was even bigger than Marco's. Where do they find these things? The bedposts also looked to be mahogany, and they supported a magnificent canopy of the most unusual color I'd ever seen. I stared at it for a moment and remembered where I had seen that color before.

  I had a dream a few months ago about a rose. The rose was beautiful, and it was a color I could not describe. No matter how much I looked at it, I couldn't say for certain if it was red or pink. I had finally decided that if love were a color, it would be the color of that rose. I walked toward the enormous bed and ran my hand over his matching love-colored sheets.

  By the time I had finished my inspection, Dracula had a blazing fire. The hearth was nearly as tall as he was, and there was a small round cushion in front of it.

  I sat down beside him and we spent a few moments staring into the fire. As I rested my head on his shoulder I asked, "They've come to kill you haven't they?"

  "Yes," he said softly.

  "Why didn't you say anything?"

  "I did not wish to worry you."

  "Worry me? We're talking about your life."

  "I would not ask you to risk what you have for me," he said.

  "I know you wouldn't, but I didn't ask you." I stood up and stretched my hands toward the fire before asking, "Why have they come for you, who sent them?"

  Dracula was the oldest and the most powerful vampire, but that didn't mean he couldn't be killed. It would take more than a few strong vamps to do him in, but he wasn't sure how many had been sent. Vampirism was only legal in the U.S. and England. In other parts of the world monster hunting is not only common, but completely legal. The members of the Vampire Council who reside in Europe were against coming out of the coffin, but their vote wasn't enough to control the majority.

  They blamed Dracula for their public exposure. Most people didn't know they existed until he announced it, and they resented him for it. Many of them were in areas where vampirism wasn't legal, and were now being hunted with the blessing of various governments. He had acted in favor of the majority, and now the minority wanted him dead.