Ashlynn Monroe - Vampires and Mistletoe

Suddenly the bliss of unexpected freedom left her fighting for breath like a fish out of water. Confused, she realized her assailant was under attack. Vaguely, she realized how quiet the scuffle was. She listened in terror, unsure what she should do. Someone must be using magic in her room, to make it so disorienting. A cracking noise put an end to the battle. Having heard the sound before, in the Other World, Tessa knew it was the sound of someone's neck being broken. But whose?

Even as the darkness lightened slightly, the adrenaline-fueled fear remained, and as a tall form approached her and Tessa cringed, terrified. Was her attacker coming to finish the job, could she trust her rescuer?

* * * *

Gideon's vision was perfect in the darkness he'd created; even the demon couldn't see him. He looked down at her; she was exquisite. When the hunter had silently broken the lock to her room Gideon had followed him in and called the darkness to them. It slowed the attacker down enough for Gideon to gauge his best options for attack as he glanced around the room for his charge.

His first view of the sleeping woman had made him catch his breath. Her long black hair had spread across the pillow, highlighted by the ivory perfection of her skin. Long lashes lay peacefully on her checks. Her perfect bone structure and small cute nose made him wonder if she was really the biological daughter of the Grand Master, because this woman was beautiful. One small hand curled innocently under her face, and she sighed restfully in her sleep.

When the hunter had grabbed her, Gideon felt an unusual wave of protectiveness toward the woman the Grand Master commanded him to rescue.

Having dispatched the human hunter easily enough, Gideon hovered over the girl. So this was the one who never appeared in public; the heir no one ever saw. The demon who wanted to be human. It was certainly a conundrum, but he just wanted to get her home and be done with her.

Terror shimmered in her bright blue eyes. He'd never seen a demon with blue eyes and it took him aback for a moment. She looked delicate and fair, except for the thick lush mop of black hair. For an irrational moment he wanted to bury his face in it. Coming closer he smelled her blood, it smelled very human. A piecing moment of hunger surprised him. Her blood should most certainly be demon, but something very human ran through her veins. Vampires could not drink from a pure-blood demon because it was poisonous to them. But this girl was most assuredly appetizing! The scent of her blood confirmed it would be safe for consumption. Involuntarily, his fangs lengthened. Stepping back, he almost tripped over the body of the hunter.

His quiet movements seemed to frighten her even more as she sat almost naked in the chilly darkness; looking up at him like a lost little lamb. Her innocence belied her demon nature. Strangely, he felt the purity of her soul and was moved. Rumors of her rejection of her heritage and place as heir had abounded, but until that moment he'd put no belief in them.

Needing to comfort a being he wanted to hate left him feeling uncomfortable. Clearing his throat and banishing his darkness he spoke with quiet, firm confidence. "There is no need to fear. You're safe now. I'm here to take you home."

A tear leaked from her eye and she opened her mouth. "Please, don't do that to me. I can't go back to that place. I just want to be free. I just want go back to my life and the human world." Her words took him completely by surprise.

The rumors were true; she didn't plan to be the future Grand Mistress of Other World. A moment of pity almost made him agree to let her go. Then he remembered that the future of his species hinged on her return. Reaching out, he was ready to take her home. He'd take her by force if necessary. When he touched the woman a red flash lit the soft blue eyes and he felt electricity pulse inside his body. As he snatched his arm back, she looked sadly up at him.

"I can't let you take me back; I have to hide. I don't want to live in an eternal prison. Humans need to live and die a mortal lifespan. Without death, life has no meaning. I'm not a demon, I'm human. I won't let you take me back to that place." Her soft words angered him.

Crackling all around them the electricity filled the room as it filled his body. This is not good, not good at all, he decided, as the glow in her eyes increased in proportion to her desperation. A soft wind filled the room. Long strands of her silky hair rose up and floated about her as if she sat immersed in water. His gooseflesh had little to do with the coolness of the supernatural air. She looked glorious filled with frightening intensity. Suddenly, his cock was very hard, even as he knew he was not going to like the end result of her actions.

Her small delicate hand rose up and she snapped her fingers. He felt a pressing weight against his supernatural senses. Tessa was using her power to keep him from removing her from room. Cringing, he saw it was obvious that no matter how harmless she looked, her reservoir of power was vast. He knew many demons, but none could do what she had done with a snap of their fingers. No wonder she was the heir and future Grand Mistress. How she rejected that much power was beyond his imagination.

The woman's fear made her power all that much more awesome and strong. Stopping the escalation of her terror was his only chance for escape. Choosing his words carefully, he made sure to speak in a quiet but confident tone. "Lady Tessa, you need to understand why I'm here. That man would have killed you. We need to insure your safety. Release me from your power and I will make sure you are safe."

He could see that his words hadn't helped at all. She'd tucked her body up into a ball and lay shivering, her fear still fueling her power. Sighing, he pulled the plush comforter off the bed, wrapping it around her slight form. Sitting down on the bed he watched her as the shock slowly began to wear off. When she sat up and looked up at him, he could see that she was coming around because her eyes were no longer wide and frightened.

"I won't go back. I just want my freedom. I'm sorry, but I'm not what you think I am. I choose to be human, and I won't go live in Other World ever again. My sisters might accept that parody of an existence, but not me. I want to live with other humans." Her soft voice was like a caress.

Gritting his teeth, he managed to keep his anger in check. It was her freedom or his species. Trying to sound understanding, he hid his urgency.

"I know you want to think you're human, but you're not. A human tried to kill you tonight. That should tell you something about what you are. A human wouldn't have the sort of power you do, either. I'm taking you home. I'm sorry; but you'll thank me when you're alive in the morning."

She stood. He was at least a foot taller, but she glared up at him anyway. "I'm not going anywhere."

He could feel that her lockdown on the room had weakened her; vampires were very sensitive to the energy of other beings. If he was lucky she would fall asleep and her magic would fade enough for him to leave with her before daylight. He glanced at the body by his feet.

"I think our guest might start to smell after awhile, don't you?"

Tiredly, she sighed, and she snapped her fingers again.

He glanced down, alarmed. "What did you do with him?"

"His body is at the bottom of the lake, buried ten feet under the ground. No one's going to find him; so don't worry." Tessa sighed again, and Gideon could feel her energy levels dropping more quickly than they should.

Her body sagged abruptly.

Gideon rushed to catch her before her head hit the hard floor. Only his unnatural speed kept her from having a headache when she woke. The future Grand Mistress was in his arms and deeply unconscious. Unable to stop himself he inhaled her scent. She smelled delicious, and her shampoo gave off a fresh floral scent that made his cock instantly hard. He gritted his teeth, feeling his fangs lengthen and cut into his bottom lip. This is going to be harder than I thought, he decided, annoyed.

She looked so soft and innocent. Gideon was not a gentle creature, yet he found himself holding her as though she were delicate glass. Like a precious treasure, he laid her on the bed and stood back. An image of her lying under him as he sank his fangs in her neck and his cock in her pussy made him groan. Turning away from her, he took a deep breath to regain his control. What magic is she working on me? he wondered.

Closing his eyes, Gideon felt the energy of her magical lockdown. Annoyingly, it felt stronger, not weaker, than before. With a sigh, he looked at the window. Dawn was less than an hour away.

He closed the heavy drapes. If he'd had any idea he would be in the human realm in daylight he would have brought supplies. He was safe in Other World, but on this side of the boundary daylight would weaken him drastically, and too much sun could kill him. Sitting in a chair as far from the window as he could, Gideon crossed his arms over his chest and watched the girl sleep.

December 24th

Groggily, Tessa sat up. Seeing the man sleeping in the chair across from her bed she gasped. The memories of how he'd come to be in her room came rushing back and brought her anger to the surface. Her father had sent a vampire after her. He hated vampires; just the act of sending one showed her how little he thought of her. She had nothing against the species, herself, but for Victor to send an errand boy after her was too much. Granted, vampire movies in the human world got it mostly wrong, but not the blood drinking. Tessa cringed. Blood. Icky and gross, and being only half demon, she was human enough to be drinkable. Rubbing her neck, she was relieved to find smooth, uninjured skin. He hadn't drunk from her.