The Key to Erebus (The French Vampire Legend. Book 1) Read online

Chapter 9

  I woke up a few hours later feeling disorientated and with a blinding headache pounding at my brain like a ten tonne mallet. It took me a while to get my bearings and remember I wasn’t at the cottage anymore. My eyes focused on a large figure at the end of my bed. His head was in his hands, shoulders slumped and I jumped with shock when I saw who it was. Corvus turned and stood up, looking strangely nervous.

  I stared at him in alarm, wondering what fresh hell I was about to be subjected to when he spoke.

  “Just … hear me out, alright?” he said, holding out a hand in what I assumed was a peaceable gesture.

  I took a deep breath and nodded slowly, not quite able to meet his eyes. He raked his fingers through his hair, he seemed weary. “I’m ... sorry.” These two words seemed to take a considerable amount of effort and he paused before continuing. “I should not have said what I did. I should not have ...” He stopped and glanced up at me and looked quickly away. “It’s just … what Rodney suggested.” He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, revealing a flash of brilliant blue that was filled with all the emotions he was trying so hard to hide from me. I felt an ache in my chest. “You are not her. She died a very long time ago. I've had very many centuries to get used to that fact. The very idea is … ridiculous.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and seemed to force himself to look at me. “But I know I’ve behaved badly. None of this is your fault and considering what you’ve had to deal with recently I don’t think I’ve given you enough credit for how you’ve handled things.”

  He seemed to have finished and was looking at me for a reply.

  “Thank you.” My voice caught in my throat a little.

  He nodded awkwardly and left, closing the door behind him. I gave it a few minutes before I got up from the bed and followed him down, checking my face in a mirror before I left. Predictably I looked pretty crap, white faced and red eyed. Fabulous. Rodney was sitting in front of the fire and he winked at me and handed me a glass of something foul looking and green as I perched nervously on the edge the sofa.

  “Your Gran makes it, luv,” he said by way of explanation. “For yer 'eadache.”

  I grimaced and downed it with an exclamation of disgust.

  There was a soft tapping at the door and Rodney jumped up to answer it. Remé bustled into the room looking flustered and spoke urgently to Rodney in a low voice and whatever he said it clearly wasn’t good. Rodney looked distraught and rushed from the room without saying goodbye Corvus walked in moments later as Remé was fiddling with a large silver watch on a chain with nervous fingers.

  “I’m sorry to burst in on you like this, Corvus, but I’m afraid I’ve got bad news.” He said, before suddenly noticing me, staring in surprise for a moment, before giving me a warm smile.

  “Mademoiselle Corbeaux.” He held out a soft, manicured hand. “A pleasure, as always, I only wish the circumstances were happier. Corvus, I must apologise but really I had to come.”

  Corvus waved away his apology and invited him to sit down.

  “Please don’t concern yourself, Remé. I believe it was a friend of Rodney's?”

  “It’s nothing to do with Gran, is it?” I asked in alarm.

  Remé shook his head. “No child, Inés is fine, but she will be away a while longer I’m afraid. She’s gone to see what she can find out about what happened. She asked me to look after you in fact but I can see you’re in far better hands.” He smiled and I didn’t like to tell him that Gran would probably rather I stayed with the Devil himself.

  He turned back to Corvus with a worried expression. “It’s terrible, terrible,” he muttered, massaging his head with his hands. “Yes, Rodney's friend, Arthur Poinet has been murdered with the knife of Belial. That makes five now, first one of the immortals, then a nagual, two keepers and now a ghoul. Of course the rumours are running out of control, each group blaming the other. There will be reprisals, unless we can find out who is responsible.”

  “I don’t understand?” I asked, perplexed by Remé's explanation. “How can you kill an immortal, or a ghoul?” I knew that the nagual, whilst they had longer lives and were far stronger than any human were still basically mortal, but ghouls were already dead and an immortal, well that spoke for itself, didn’t it?

  Corvus scowled and turned to stare at the fire. “The knife of Belial can kill anything, even the strongest vampire. It’s one of the most feared weapons ever created. It was made by demons and was the greatest weapon to be handed over to the keepers and only then because the demons were given no option. When did this happen Remé?”

  “Only an hour or so ago, I came straight here.” He paused. “You will go and see Rafael won’t you?”

  Corvus grimaced, obviously not enamoured by the idea but he nodded. “Yes, Remé, I’ll go and speak with him. You think he’s involved?”

  “Oh no, not his style, but he is familiar with the knife, he may have heard something or at least know of a way of searching for it?” Remé looked uncomfortable and glanced at me. “Will you take Jéhenne?”

  Corvus looked horrified by the suggestion. “Certainly not. She will stay here.”

  I bristled immediately. Firstly, I didn't like being told what to do like I was a child. Secondly, although I wouldn’t have admitted it, the thought of staying here alone while a murderer was on the loose was infinitely worse than going anywhere with Corvus.

  “No, I’m coming with you.” I got up, ignoring Corvus' look of irritation.

  “Jéhenne, I’m going to see a demon,” he spoke as though he was talking to an small, and not especially bright child. “I am not taking you with me.”

  “You are not in charge of me, Corvus,” I replied, imitating his tone with relish. “I am capable of looking after myself you know.”

  He snorted. “Like you did with the korrigan?”

  I frowned at him, annoyed that he'd brought that up. “I wasn’t wearing the ring that day, you can be sure I’m never without it now.” I hoped he took the point. “If I can protect myself from you and Tacitus I should manage a demon, or are you telling me he’s more powerful than you?” I added with no little spite.

  Corvus gave me a look that made my knees quake and was about to cut me down in flames when Remé quietly put his hand on my arm.

  “Tacitus is back?” He looked shaken. “And you escaped him?”

  I cleared my throat, uncomfortable now, as though I'd been caught out in a lie. “Well, the ring protected us, me and Rodney that is.” I shrugged. “It wasn’t really me,” I admitted reluctantly, imagining Corvus would delight in using that against me.

  Remé shook his head. “No, Jéhenne, it takes great power to use the ring … it was you. You are quite correct that the demon will be of no threat to you if you can deal with one such as Tacitus, but in this case it is not so much a case of how dangerous Rafael is. I think Corvus is simply concerned for your ... er ... well-being.” He looked at my perplexed expression and continued. “Do you know what an incubus is?” I shook my head. He cast a glance at Corvus who was still glowering at us both and then looked back at me, clearly a little flustered. “Well I think you will understand more clearly when you meet him, but suffice to say that Rafael is … shall we say, hard to resist. Corvus, I don’t believe there is any real harm in Jéhenne going with you if she wishes. I’m sure that spending the evening alone in this huge place in the circumstances is not something she wants to do.” He winked at me mischievously and stood up to leave, “After all you will be there to protect her and it’s time she learnt that just because something looks enchanting, it does not mean it isn’t lethal.”

  I frowned at his words but didn't argue. I'd got my own way after all. Corvus did not look pleased however - at all. He nodded curtly at Remé though. “Very well, but I think it is a very bad idea.”

  I smiled smugly at him and at the door Remé said goodbye and that he would be waiting to hear from us.

  I grabbed my coat and I followed Corvus across to what l
ooked like a large barn. He opened the door and flicked a light switch. I guessed that was for my benefit since he didn’t need it on to see the row of incredibly expensive looking cars that were gleaming brightly in front of me. I decided there was no way I’d give him the satisfaction of looking impressed, so I said nothing. He picked a set of keys and pressed a remote so the big doors slid silently open.

  Half an hour later we pulled up outside an remarkably ordinary looking, modern house set well away from the road and surrounded by woodland.

  We reached the front door and I felt a surge of anticipation. Corvus hesitated slightly, before reaching forward and hitting the door with one solid, clenched fist. He seemed very tense.

  “It's open,” called a masculine voice from inside. Corvus looked at me and then pushed the door. I followed him in, through an entrance hall and into a large living room.

  It was lavishly furnished, the normality of the outside was deceptive. Expensive oil paintings and Persian rugs spanned the length of the rich, blood red walls that gave the room a strange feeling, like being trapped inside a heart. There was a large mirror on one side with an ornate gold frame and the bright flames from a roaring fire were reflected in the silver glass. An opulent carved table stood in the middle of the room, inlaid with dozens of precious stones and in fact the room was crammed full of art and ancient artefacts.

  None of that held my attention though. I wasn't remotely interested. Not once I'd seen him. My mouth fell open. I simply couldn’t help it. Lying across the length of a sofa was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen in my entire life. It made every part of me ache just to look at him. With his arms laid carelessly over mounds of velvet cushions, he was almost wearing a white silk shirt which was unbuttoned, revealing a broad muscular chest. His athletic frame melted over the furniture with an effortless sensuality and a gorgeous pair of legs stretched across the sofa and towards the carved wood table on which he was resting his bare feet. In the firelight, his skin glowed a deep, dark honey colour. Long hair fell in thick, brown tendrils, down past his jaw line to his shirt collar and his eyes made me want everything they seemed to be offering. Darkest blue, and sparkling with life they were framed with the longest, thickest eyelashes I’d ever seen on a man. A sensuous, full mouth was tilted upwards at the sight of us. Corvus shifted uncomfortably beside me.

  “Jéhenne, this is Rafael,” he growled.

  I sighed happily.

  Rafael moved, sinuous and even more seductive in motion as he walked from the sofa towards me. I’d given up on trying to control my heart which now seemed to be doing some kind of mad samba behind my ribs. I figured Corvus must be able to hear it as his scowl got more intense. He reached out for my hand, but Corvus moved, blocking him.

  “Don’t touch her.” His voice was cold and furious but Rafael laughed, unperturbed.

  “Is she yours then, Corvus?” He winked at me unashamedly over Corvus’ massive frame. “What a shame.”

  “No, I'm not his. I don’t belong to anyone. Not yet at least,” I said, wondering what the hell I was saying and where I'd learned to sound so flirtatious. I stepped nearer to Rafael. The only thing I was able to concentrate on was trying to get closer to him, but annoyingly there seemed to be a large vampire blocking my path.

  “Oh how lovely.” Rafael laughed. “Corvus why don’t we have a party?” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

  “I would rather burn for all eternity,” Corvus replied with no inflection in his voice, adding only, “and if you lay a finger on her, I promise … you will.”

  Rafael laughed again, and moved back to the sofa, draping his arms behind the frame and crossing his legs with elegant grace. I slumped down on the sofa across from him without any trace of finesse to admire the view, still utterly mesmerised. Corvus took the chair.

  Rafael pouted at me, eyes smouldering with heat. “Corvus is such a kill joy.” I nodded in agreement, smiling. I hadn’t taken stopped staring at him since we first came into the room and now my eyes fell to his mouth. “Such a waste too.” He chuckled, throwing Corvus an equally flirtatious look which was greeted with a stony glare. “Does she know what I am yet?” he asked, Corvus, looking back at me with a considering expression.

  “No,” he growled. “But I think she’s getting the idea.” Corvus said, sounding extremely irritated as he came to sit by my side. The movement as his muscular frame sat on the sofa made me turn my head to look at him, I felt like I'd forgotten he was there and blinked in confusion.

  “Jéhenne?” He reached over and gave me a hard pinch and I yelped.

  “What?” I asked, flustered. I’d lost track of what was going on. I shook my head to try and clear the fog that seemed to have encircled my brain and struggled to focus. “What’s happening?”

  Rafael’s eyebrows lifted a little, he seemed surprised.

  “That’s strange, isn’t it?” He conferred with Corvus as though I wasn't there. “Normally they can’t resist at all.”

  Corvus seemed a little relieved. “She’s not entirely human.”

  Rafael shrugged. “I knew you’d come of course, this is about the ghoul.” He pouted at Corvus. “It's not as if you'd visit me without a reason is it? Too much to hope for,” he added with a heavy sigh. “Well it was inevitable I guess, whoever took the knife from the keeper has a plan to make mischief. Unfortunately I missed the last council meeting. A shame, as I heard it was … illuminating.” He glanced at me, and then Corvus with undisguised interest.

  I couldn’t reply, so I just gazed instead. I had become fascinated by a heavy lock of hair that seemed to snake down his neck to his chest. I wondered what it would feel like to touch. Suddenly it seemed absurd not to go and find out, so I got up. Corvus glared at him and pulled me back down by yanking on my arm.

  I looked up in indignation. “What?” Annoyed with Corvus for interfering, I tossed my hair and went back to watching Rafael.

  “Now the main objective is going to be to find out who has the knife I suppose,” Rafael mused. “You can be assured that while the demon world has no interest in the murders, they are very keen to get the knife back.”

  “I bet they are,” muttered Corvus, scowling. It was an expression I was familiar with. I shuddered as I thought about the knife, remembering the blood stain on the boulder at the council meeting. Rafael looked at me with interest as I turned back and stared into his eyes. I caught a strand of my hair and twirled it between my fingers self-consciously.

  “Can I see it?” Corvus asked.

  “Certainly, it’s in the cabinet over there,” Rafael waved a lazy hand at a glass topped case standing against the wall behind him. “It’s only a replica of course.” He smiled at me, making my stomach do somersaults.

  Corvus glared at me for a moment and then got up and swiftly crossed the room to take a look. Before I even had time to blink Rafael was sitting beside me on the sofa and slid his hand over mine. I gasped and suddenly found I was no longer sitting on the sofa but standing on a balcony, apparently overlooking an endless cobalt blue sea. A warm breeze blew playfully over my shoulders and tickled my hair against my bare back. It swirled again, tugging at the silky material of my dress. Wait? What dress? I’d been wearing jeans when I came out. I looked down and caught the white silk in my fingers. It was so soft I could barely feel it against my skin. There were heavy clasps sitting on my shoulders and as I turned my head down to look at the pretty jewelled inlay, a pair of warm brown hands encircled my waist and pulled me backwards.

  “Jéhenne,” said Rafael, as he pulled my hair from my neck and brushed his lips gently across the bare skin. I gasped and closed my eyes, leaning back into him, against a warm, hard chest. A small voice at the back of my head seemed to be trying to tell me something, but it was so far away. Rafael’s hands left my waist and slid gently up my arms to the clasps on my shoulders. The voice got louder, but in a second they were undone and I watched, bemused, as the silk slithered and pooled around my feet. I moaned softly as
his hands touched bare flesh, sliding up my sides to cup my breasts, when suddenly I was slammed back onto the sofa and to reality, to find Corvus pining Rafael to the wall by his throat. I glanced down at myself and sighed in relief to see the jeans and jumper were still firmly in place.

  “Give me one good reason not to rip your throat out, parasite!” Corvus roared, his fangs only too evident. The demon was pulling at Corvus’ hand, although with little effect. Suddenly Rafael had vanished and Corvus spun around to find him on the other side of the room.

  “Oh, Corvus, really,” he said with a wicked smile. “As Oscar once said, ‘I can resist anything but temptation!’” He laughed, a warm throaty sound that made me catch my breath, but this time I resolutely pushed the feeling away.

  Before I could open my mouth to speak, Corvus had crossed the room and smashed Rafael into the massive gold framed mirror and shards of glass flew like tiny daggers all around the room. One hand pinned Rafael to the floor and in the other he held a large splinter of mirror.

  “It won’t kill me.” Rafael smirked, defiance sparking in his eyes.

  “Maybe not,” snarled Corvus. “But you won’t bother, Jéhenne anymore this evening, or anyone else for a week or two. Now tell me how we find the knife.”

  “Oh, Corvus it’s always business with you,” he complained, appearing completely unfazed by the large vampire pinning him to the floor. He sighed as though the whole thing was very tedious. “Very well, let me up and I’ll explain.”

  Corvus pressed the glass against his throat. “Don’t try anything Rafael.” His voice was low and filled with menace. “It’s been a while since I fed and I remember the taste of demon, it’s a particular favourite of mine.”

  Rafael laughed again, but this time it was less convincing. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

  The broken glass shattered as Corvus threw it against the wall. He obviously wasn’t bothered by the thought of seven years bad luck.

  Now that he was free, Rafael got elegantly to his feet.

  “If you want the knife the only way is to dowse for it.” He bent down and picked up a shard of glass and used it to tear a piece off of his shirt. “And the only thing you can dowse with is demon blood and the blood of someone murdered by the knife.”

  He sliced across his palm and let the drops fall onto the torn silk where they bloomed like tiny red roses. He held the stained cloth up to Corvus in his cut hand, taunting him with the smell of his blood. I could see Corvus swallow and his nostrils flare, but he snatched the cloth from Rafael and stuffed it in his pocket.

  “Time to go.” Corvus snatched hold of my arm, adding another set of bruises to my collection, and practically dragged me out of the door. I risked a final glance at Rafael who winked at me, and I was momentarily grateful that Corvus had such firm grip.

  “Ow, you’re hurting me,” I complained once outside, as my arm began to throb in protest.

  I was ignored, and he only let me go after he’d pulled me halfway down the path. I stopped mid-step and shuddered, caught by a sensation akin to having an ice-cube dropped down your shirt. A wave of realisation washed over me and I blinked as I remembered what had happened with Rafael.

  “Feeling better?” I saw the disgust in his eyes and panic gripped me.

  “What happened to me back there?” I asked in horror as I realised how I'd behaved.

  “Rafael isn’t just a demon, he’s an incubus.”

  “Yes Remé said that,” I snapped, feeling impatient and unsettled. “But what is it?” I demanded, glaring at him.

  “An incubus,” he said slowly, speaking to me like I was a moron. “Is a type of demon that usually preys specifically on women, although Rafael tends not to be so particular. The effect he had on you is the same effect he has on any female he comes across, though he prefers humans. He feeds on your life force.”

  My mouth dropped open. “And you knew about this? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  Corvus shrugged. “You wanted to come, remember, I told you not to. And I needed to hear from Rafael about the dagger. He’s the only one who knows exactly what the weapon looks like, apart from the keeper, and I needed to know how to find it.”

  I was speechless with anger and felt utterly humiliated. I just didn’t have the energy to yell at him yet. I was still fuming as we came to the car and I rounded on Corvus. He looked down at me in surprise.

  “What now?”

  “You should have told me what to expect, then maybe I wouldn’t have gone and, and…” I stopped, too embarrassed by my behaviour. It wasn't just him I was angry at, I hated that I'd been so out of control. Corvus frowned and I could feel his annoyance but I didn’t care now, I was really furious with him. Furious with the way he'd treated me earlier, despite his apology and no less so for his manner since. I had to concentrate to stay on my feet, a surge of emotion had been charging through me since we’d met Rafael and it was making me feel dizzy.

  “It wasn’t real, Jéhenne,” he said, sounding impatient. “It’s not my fault you reacted like that, it’s the effect he has on every female within a certain distance and it will pass. You don’t seem to understand what he is, everything about Rafael is sexual, it’s in his nature. You had no defence against him, it was bound to happen.”

  I wanted to stamp my foot on the ground.

  “Exactly! If you knew I was going to act like that you should have warned me, or at least given me some kind of idea that I was behaving like a bitch on heat.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice heavy with irony. “I didn’t realise that was such unusual behaviour for you.”

  For just a second I froze as his comment hit home. Then I lifted my hand and slapped him hard across the face. It was like hitting marble but the sudden contact with his skin was electric. I looked up into eyes that had seen the rise and fall of empires and shuddered at the emptiness I saw there. The power that I’d first felt in the caves during the council meeting, sparked in the atmosphere as his face clouded over. He stepped forwards so that he towered right over me. I was breathing heavily and my cheeks felt hot. Corvus lowered his face so that it was inches away from mine.

  “Now, why did you do that?”

  Because you're a cold bastard and I hate you! The words burned on my tongue and I swallowed, tried to speak, but couldn’t force a word out of my dry throat. His eyes burned into mine, searching for something. Frustrated, I raised a hand to push him away, but Corvus caught me by the wrist without looking away from my face. I tried to pull away from him, knowing it was futile. I hated him for making me feel so weak. I glared back, defiant and angry but got lost in his eyes again, there was such pain there, such ... loneliness.

  My body instinctively took a step towards him, even as I was telling myself furiously that this was the worst idea ever. My body seemed to be in a rebellious mood though and took another step, despite my brain screaming at me to stop. I suddenly wanted to kiss him so badly that my skin seemed to ache with need. I couldn’t help it. It wasn't even a choice. I lifted my head up and kissed him, full on the mouth.

  He jerked away from me as though my lips had burned him, and stared at me in shock. Undeterred I reached up and slid my free hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth back to mine. This time he didn’t resist. He moved closer, his mouth barely touching mine, the faintest touch of his lips. Not enough. Not nearly enough. I pressed closer, impatient, and the touch became another barely there kiss and then another. I shivered and pressed against him until my body was flush with his. He released my wrist, his arms snaking around me and kissed me back, hard. I felt his teeth rake across my bottom lip with a violent longing and I clung to him, my hands in his hair, moulding my body against his as the kiss became ever deeper, almost frenzied. He wrapped his arms tighter around my waist and almost lifted me from the ground, pulling me so hard against him I could hardly draw breath. And just as suddenly he stopped, and drew back a little, so our lips were almost but not quite touching. His breath came fas
t, fluttering across my mouth. So close. I wanted more. I moved closer and brushed my lips gently against his, seeking, asking for more. He pulled back even further and moved his head away from me, avoiding my eyes.

  “No,” he said, and let me go. That one word was ragged, too full of emotion and I stumbled away. The fact that he’d kissed me back had been a shock, a delight, some kind of miracle but the expression on his face now ... It was painful to see, he seemed to be trying to look everywhere except directly at me.

  I turned away, horrified at what I’d done. Was I really so desperate that I’d make him kiss me knowing full well he was thinking about someone else?

  He turned slowly away and got in the car and I followed. I walked unsteadily back around to my side and got in. He turned the key and we drove back to his place in unbearable silence.

  When we got back he dropped me at the front door without saying a word or even looking at me, and took the car around to the garage.

  I went inside feeling miserable, humiliated and terribly ashamed of myself. What on earth must he think of me? First I practically threw myself at Rafael - which wasn’t really my fault, but was none the less embarrassing - and then I do the same thing to Corvus, knowing that he was already finding it hard to be around me. What was wrong with me? I resolved to apologise to him the next night, no matter how embarrassing that would be and in the meantime to give myself a stern talking to.