Charlotte still reeled from the idea that she could possibly be a blood rose, but again she felt compelled to answer the woman’s questions. Planting a hand against her sternum, she said, “I feel liberated, although for a few hours before Willem fed, my heart felt laden. But I can’t be a blood rose. I’m just me. I’m not anything special. I’m human, although I guess that’s up for grabs as well.”
Vojalie chuckled softly. “I won’t argue your choice of words when you say you’re not special, because I understand what you mean. None of us really comprehends why we’re called to a higher place of performance and ability, but you’ve essentially been called. And I would suspect that it began the day that Mastyr Willem entered your world.”
Charlotte turned, glanced at Willem, then thought back to the class he’d lectured and how she’d felt just looking at him. She’d fallen hard, but she’d presumed it was a silly crush a student might feel for an extremely handsome man who spoke with confidence and authority. “I swear I never thought of it as more than simple attraction.”
For some reason, this made Willem smile and the usually severe look in his eyes softened.
She added, speaking to him. “I was so into you.”
“As I recall, I couldn’t keep my gaze from your side of the room, either. You were like a beacon to me that night.”
Vojalie interjected. “How long ago was that?”
“Six months,” Charlotte said, still staring at Willem.
Once, more Vojalie asked, “So have you dated long?”
Both Charlotte and Willem turned toward Vojalie and said the same thing at the same time. “No.”
Charlotte added. “This is our first date?”
Vojalie’s eyes went wide. Davido, on the other hand, slapped his thigh and chortled gleefully. “I love a good romance. Nothing brightens my old, troll heart more than to see so much love.” He then once more clasped both hands around his wife’s. Turning toward her, he said, “And I still love you as I have from the first.”
The marriage of two such dissimilar types was always a subject of discussion among realm-folk. How had the ugly troll, Davido, won the beautiful Vojalie? But Charlotte understood: Davido loved her passionately and told her so a lot.
Willem slid his arm from around Charlotte and rose to his feet. “The thing is, we didn’t know we were bonding when it happened. It’s shocked us both. What I need to know is can the bond be reversed?”
“Is that your desire?” Davido asked, looking way up at Willem. “To be separated from this delightful woman?”
Charlotte looked from Davido to Willem, then back. She felt complimented by being called ‘delightful’, especially by someone so universally respected as Davido the Wise.
Willem turned toward her. “I can’t be bound to anyone.” His hazel eyes took on a wild look and he thrust a hand through his hair, creating a new, disheveled look. He was so handsome and maybe it was the nature of the blood rose, but she felt drawn to him as never before.
Desire for him vibrated through her, a longing to take him back to bed and to feed him all over again.
He frowned and his voice was suddenly in her head. What’s going on? The room smells full of wisteria suddenly. I don’t understand.
She shook her head, then rose to her feet as well, moving to stand beside him. “Mistress Vojalie, I long for this man. I have from the first time I saw him, I remember my heart pounding so hard. I thought it was just because he’s so damn easy on the eyes. Now, it must have been because of this thing I am: A blood rose. But are you sure, about all of it?”
Vojalie lifted her hand, gesturing palm up toward Willem. “Since you’ve already fed him, he can answer the question right now. How’s the blood starvation, mastyr?”
***
Chapter Five
For the first time in the strange sequence of events, Willem only now realized how different he felt. Stunned, he turned to stare at Charlotte. “I have no pain. Nothing. I haven’t felt this way since I reached mastyr status all those years ago. Sweet Goddess!”
Charlotte’s softly arched brows rose and a look of wonder filled her eyes. “And my blood did that for you?”
He nodded slowly. The selfish part of him suddenly wanted to keep her with him forever. Her gift represented the latest phenomenon moving through the Nine Realms: A blood rose, with the ability to ease mastyr suffering.
And he was bonded to her. He really could keep her with him if he wanted to.
Other thoughts, however, intruded, other deep horrible sensations.
He turned away, but Charlotte grabbed his arm. “What is it, Willem? I can feel your distress like a fire on my skin.”
But he pulled his arm gently from her clasp and moved to stand in front of the window that overlooked Maris Sol. “I can’t do this. Bonding with Charlotte is wrong on every level. I can’t let this continue.”
“Then I’ll help you disintegrate the bond,” Vojalie stated. “If that’s what you truly want. It’s clear to me that your mating frequencies came together not by love and commitment but in the heat of passion. And though I wouldn’t ordinarily say this is a bad thing, a bond of this sort would not thrive over the years. Joined purpose and mutual commitment must always come first.”
Again, in a moment of pure self-interest, Willem glanced at Charlotte. He wondered, despite the fact that he didn’t think bonding was at all wise, if she’d be willing to become his doneuse. He had no pain, so he really was tempted.
Yet even the thought of asking her to feed him on a regular basis seemed wrong in this situation, though he couldn’t exactly say why. His donors served a function in his life, like a cook or a housekeeper. He hated the thought of relegating the offerings from her vein into the status of domestic service.
He’d never felt so confused.
Davido finally left his wife’s side and moved to sit in a chair near the fireplace. “I have a question I would like to pose.”
All eyes turned toward him. He crossed his legs at the knees, his feet a good six inches off the floor. He was one of the ugliest trolls Willem had ever seen, but his charisma made him look like a god sitting with his hands clasped loosely on his lap.
“What’s that?” Willem asked.
Davido turned to level his gaze at Charlotte. “My dear, what do you want, I mean really want, in this situation? What would please your soul?”
Once more, she seemed surprised and for a moment didn’t speak, but she shifted her gaze to Willem. “The truth is, I don’t know. This whole experience, from the moment that Willem and I chatted for the first time just a few hours ago until right now, has been full of so many surprises. I feel like a migrating bird knocked hundreds of miles off course by a hurricane.”
Davido chuckled. “Excellent analogy. But what’s in your heart, my dear, and this time, your metaphorical one.” He smiled at his wife, dipping his chin in her direction and acknowledging her earlier remark.
Charlotte once more moved slowly to sit down on the couch, shaking her head. “I guess the answer to that is simple: I want more of Willem.” A blush rose on her cheeks as she met his gaze.
The simplicity of her statement focused Willem’s attention on her. She wanted more of him and the truth was, he wanted more of her as well, a lot more. His chest swelled with a mixture of pride and desire.
She added, “We’ve hardly had time to get to know each other.” She glanced at Davido. “But, I did some surfing. I mean I really know a lot about the man.”
“Got on the Realm Internet, did you?”
She smiled sheepishly at Davido. “We both did. I think we’re alike in that way.”
Davido nodded and smiled. “Well it’s a tough situation, I’ll admit, but I do have a suggestion.”
Willem finally tore his gaze away from Charlotte. “Your advice would be welcome, as always.”
Davido nodded, but addressed his wife first. “My love, is it not possible to move the bond back to an intermediate stage? It seems to me that the theory of
these bonds came up in a conversation recently, that the ancient documents mentioned something about setting a temporary adjustment period.”
Vojalie once more plucked at her skirt. “Following my fae instincts from earlier, I researched the matter before coming here. And you are correct, I can push the bond back to a temporary state.” Here she turned first to Willem then to Charlotte. “And though it might give you some time to think, to explore what exists between the two of you, there are problems doing it this way.
“For one thing, the temporary condition has a very short window, only twenty-four hours, no more, and a final decision must be made during that time. If you choose to sever the bond, you won’t be able to initiate it a second time. Rejection is final. And if you do embrace the bond, within the time-frame, it will be permanent. I know these qualifications must seem overwhelming and I’m sorry that you’re both being pushed so hard right now. But I fear these are the limitations you must work with.”
Willem met Charlotte’s gaze. “What do you want to do?”
She shrugged, a half-smile on her lips. “I realize we barely know each other, but there must be a reason why we’ve come together as we have, with so much going on between us. I think we need time, even if it’s only a day and a night.”
“Well, said,” Vojalie added. “A very realm point-of-view.”
Willem nodded. “I agree.”
Davido addressed Willem once more. “And what’s your biggest concern, my friend?”
Willem scrubbed his hand through his hair. “That I would be taking advantage of an innocent young woman by continuing down this path. I know what I am. And the job I do in our world keeps me mired in the worst part of our culture. How can I ask Charlotte, or any worthy woman, to be connected to so much evil?”
David leaned forward slightly. His light blue eyes shone as he spoke. “Because the evil isn’t in you, Willem. It’s outside of you. But I must warn you to take care right now. You’ve reached a critical crossroad in your life and if you take the wrong path, you will be depriving yourself and therefore your world of many good, noble, and extraordinary things.”
Willem’s nostrils flared as he stared at Davido. “You’re delusional about what I truly have to offer.”
“I could say the same about you for not seeing who you really are.”
Davido held Willem’s gaze mercilessly, refusing to give ground. Willem could count on one hand the men who wouldn’t have backed down right now because of Willem’s size and level of rage. He’d been a good soldier and an excellent RIU agent because of his military mind and his ability to meet the enemy head on.
But the short troll was not in the least cowed and so he stared back, challenging Willem silently.
Finally, Willem drew a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. “We will never agree on this subject.”
Davido levitated suddenly, leaving his seat and lifting into the air in such a way that he could meet Willem eye-to-eye as he drew close. “Release your past and do it quick, or your future will turn to mud.”
The words rankled. “A bit melodramatic, Davido, even for you.”
But Davido merely lifted a brow. “I repeat, mud!” The air vibrated from the strength and tone of his voice.
Willem took a step back, shaken by Davido’s conviction.
After a moment, Davido slowly lowered himself to the carpet and moved to stand beside his wife, taking hold of her hand. He glanced up at her, affection as always shining in his eyes. The couple had been married a long time, and even though Willem had not seen them in years, their relationship remained the same mutually adoring partnership he remembered.
Davido lifted their joined hands to his lips, kissing the backs of her fingers. “Bernice will be needing us now. We should return home soon.”
Vojalie turned and though she had to lean down to reach him, she cupped his face and kissed him on the lips. “You are so right my love. Let me perform the chants and shift the bond for these dear people.”
To Willem, Davido pathed, And that is what you will be missing – the love of a good woman – if you don’t figure this out. I’m serious, my lad. And if you don’t see it, my dear idiot friend, Charlotte is ready to give her heart to you. So don’t be a fool!
Willem held the troll’s gaze once more. He wanted to rail at the man, but Davido would have just glared at him. Willem understood Charlotte’s value; he just didn’t believe in his own. But he felt in his bones that Davido was right, that this time with Charlotte was a crossroad for him.
Taking a deep breath, he pathed, I’ll try.
Vojalie gestured for Charlotte to join her and once Willem and Charlotte stood side-by-side, Vojalie’s eyes turned silver again, just as they had when she’d enthralled Charlotte earlier. She put a hand on top of each head and closed her eyes.
Her lips moved but the words were inaudible. Even if she’d spoken them aloud, they were probably in the ancient language, which Willem had never learned.
A warmth flowed through his mind and a moment later he reached the bond deep within his body that he now shared with Charlotte, the strange mingling of their mating vibrations. Little by little, the bond began to ease back to a different, less intense sensation.
Suddenly Willem didn’t want to lose this connection to Charlotte, and in response, his mating vibration reached for her. But nothing happened. The slight distance Vojalie had created, a space that seemed to hurt Willem as nothing else could have, also couldn’t be breached.
The chanting stopped and Vojalie opened her eyes, which had returned to the usual lustrous brown. But it was to Willem that she spoke. “Charlotte is at peace, but you are not. My husband is right. You must overcome your resistance, Willem, or you will lose everything you’ve gained this night. And now we must be away. But we will return tomorrow evening, and I will restore the bond if it’s what you both wish. Peace be upon you.”
Vojalie kissed Charlotte on the cheek, then once more took her husband’s hand. “We can leave now.”
Davido bid them farewell, then just like that, the pair vanished. Only Davido had that kind of power. Everyone else levitated and flew, but Davido simply disappeared.
Willem turned to Charlotte, uncertain what to say.
Charlotte put her hand on his arm. “Willem, I want you to know that the bond we share has made something very clear to me about your blood-starvation. And I want you to know that no matter what happens between us, even if we decide not to embrace the bond, I will happily donate whenever you need me to.”
He was overwhelmed by her generosity, but not surprised. He’d talked to a lot of people about Charlotte, including several of her professors. This one quality had come through time and again, that she always helped out her friends, no matter what.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that you’ve offered, but I’m afraid it won’t be that simple.”
“Why’s that? Of course the reality is that I know very little about what it is to be a blood rose.”
“Well, I have a friend in Bergisson. You might know who he is. Detective Yolen? He works crime in the city of Cameron.”
“Oh, right. He was a guest lecturer about a year ago.”
“He recently hooked up with his own blood rose, although in his case he’d been dating her for months. At any rate, when I spoke to him, he said one of the main issues that came up right away was that the condition of being a blood rose sends a signal to all mastyr vampires.”
She put a hand to her chest. “Oh, God. I’ll be pursued.”
“Like hawks after prey.”
Her hand slid to her throat and his gaze followed. He’d just fed, but suddenly he wanted to tap into her vein again. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I know.” She shifted her gaze away from him, her brow pinched. “A blood rose.” She took a deep breath, then another. “Well, I guess this is something I’ll have to deal with myself, but I won’t worry about that until Vojalie returns to break the bond.”
This
time, he drew close to her and stroked his hand up and down her back. “I won’t leave you to the wolves, Charlotte. I’ll protect you, no matter how this goes. Not all mastyr vampires are decent men.”
“Thank you, and you know what? That’s exactly what I would have expected of you.”
His smile was crooked. “And is that the opinion you derived from the spying you did on me?”
This time she laughed. “Yes. Exactly.”
His thoughts turned toward Davido’s comment about his life being mud if he didn’t get his act together. But how could the old troll actually know what Willem lived with, and how the deep pain of what he’d been through would always destroy whatever woman he was with. He couldn’t help that he believed Charlotte would be better off far away from him.
He thought back to the counseling he’d received from Davido and murmured, “He saved my life.”
“What?”
“Sorry, I guess I spoke the words out loud.”
“Who saved your life?”
“Davido.” When he met Charlotte’s gaze this time, something within his spirit leaned toward her. The bond he shared told him he could trust her and he wondered if this was the time to tell her the ugly truth about himself. He wanted to, but the words got stuck in his throat.
Davido had told him if he had any shot at a decent, normal life he’d have to release what happened to him. But if Charlotte knew the truth, would she ever want to have anything to do with him again?
On the other hand, he couldn’t bear the thought of continuing without Charlotte knowing what had happened all those years ago. The time had come to own the truth, all of it.
“I need to tell you why I can’t remain bonded to you, Charlotte, and it has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with what I’m going to show you.”
***
Chapter Six
When Willem held his hand out to Charlotte, she took it quickly, knowing that what was about to follow was at Willem’s core, maybe even the reason his relationships always lasted about a half minute.