Drown Under Earth - Shadows of the Night 3

Chapter 4

Hi!

Took me longer to finish and edit this one - or at least longer than I thought. I don't know, it took me a while to catch the right kind of mood for this one. Really hope you'll like it... Please let me know what you're thinking!

Lara

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Chapter 4

I stilled. "Now wait a second. The deal was being your servant once a week. I came here today, so my next duty as your servant-"

"Is due," Alexander cut in, crossing his arms in front of him.

The action made the muscles under his shirt move and contract, his biceps like an artful construction come to life. And I didn't want to find out what he could do with them. Really didn't.

"Overdue, in fact," Alexander said softly. "You still owe me two nights. Starting tonight you will make up for the time we lost due to my absence. Come, have a seat. After all you are my human servant."

The last few words lingered on his tongue longer than necessary. As if they held some sort of special ingredient or flavor he particularly savored.

Leaving straightaway sounded like a good idea, but was probably not the smartest thing to do. I folded my arms and remained where I was – somewhere between the oil-like satin curtain and the center of the room. I didn't plan on staying longer than absolutely necessary. According to my logics, remaining in my current position would gain me a few seconds.

"I'm fine where I'm now," I said. The words were clumsy, sounded flat in comparison to the musical threat of Alexander's voice. I must have lost the skill of diplomacy somewhere on the way to the Ryon Club. Not that I was any good at it before. I sighed. "Okay. What do I have to do, Alexander?"

I sounded tired. I heard it in my voice. Its texture was complex. Emotions and sackfuls of things that were somehow voiced, even though they remained unsaid. Somewhere at the bottom of my emotional repository I recognized instinctive fear. Which was a good thing, I decided. Maybe it would keep me more alert. And alive.

The master vampire was staring at me with unchanged impassivity. "I will explain everything in time, little witch. Why the hurry?"

He turned around, making his way to the blend of couch and bed in slow, graceful moves that were a subtle testimony to his age and power. Or what he was. The unnatural beauty of his face hit me like a blinding flash when he turned around and let himself down onto the bed-couch. He caught me off-guard.

Back to the starting point. We'd come full circle. Arms resting on the back of the soft-clothed furniture, he looked at me from underneath long eyelashes. Utterly sure of himself and in control. By all appearances Alexander lacked the small streak of self-doubt and insecurity most of us had. He didn't have a problem with who or what he was, at all.

"Why not drink to our master-servant-relationship first?"

I jerked. His voice was pure silk ghosting over my skin. He had opened the Pandora box of his vampiric nature and used that dark quality of his voice, the one that made you shiver and wonder whether it was for fear or something else – probably something worse.

I heard him use that kind of voice before, but something about it was different this night. Either he had never used it like this in my presence or I had never reacted in such a way. Anger, hot and ready, flamed up inside of me, tossing blood, pulse, and vocal cords into belated action.

"Not thirsty. Tell me what you want me to do. Give me orders," I almost gagged at the choice of words, but went on, "and do it fast, or I'll leave."