The Vampire's Goddess- Book 1

Chapter 23- Retaliation

Ettore's POV

It had been two weeks since I had kissed Annalise and I had tried several times to get her to talk to me but to no avail. Her words run through my mind over and over, like a broken record, since I had walked out that night. "When you walk out of my door don't you ever come back!"

Even yelling her name across the parking lot as we left class had not worked. As class let out for the second time that week I try again in vain to get her attention but again she continues walking like I hadn't opened my mouth. Damn this I huff and as soon as I'm out of everyone's sight, I vanish, reappearing in the passenger seat of her car. If I were still human I'm sure I'd be on the verge of a panic attack as she gets in the car slamming the door.

"Was that really necessary?" I ask making her shriek in surprise.

"Goddammit Ettore! What in the hell... how in the hell? You know what never mind!" She exclaims giving an exasperated sigh.

"Annalise..." I begin. "It's not what you thought. Please believe me. I never meant to hurt you." 

"Tell that to your fucking vampire mistress since she likes to make house calls!" She screams at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Your little girlfriend came to my house last night and did this to me!" She snaps pulling down the neck line of her shirt revealing two claw marks coming down her neck, crossing her chest and disappearing under her bra.

"She did that to you?!" I growl angrily.

"Yes she did and she also made it very clear that you two were together and I was a pastime." She spits equally angry.

"Annalise listen to me. She is not my girlfriend. We have never been together and we will never be together. I have no interest in her." 

"Why didn't you tell me what you were Ettore?" She screams on the verge of tears.

"Would you have talked to me if I had?" I return quietly.

"Get out of my car Ettore. We are both taken and I knew you could never have that kind of interest in me. I am nothing compared to her." 

"Annalise please." I beg. "He doesn't deserve you and for the record you are more woman than she could ever hope to be."

"Get out Ettore! You have made my life a living hell since day one!" She cries gripping the steering wheel tightly as the tears stream down her face. We sit there in silence as the minutes passe as I struggle to find the words to make her believe me but none come.

"And for the record, yes I would have talked to you. Now get out." She says quietly turning her head.

I couldn't bear to see her cry and taking one last look at her I vanish leaving her to cry in the silence of her car. I appear in Callindora's New York penthouse and find her lounging lazily on the white chaise of the spacious living room that had floor to ceiling views of the New York skyline. The entire penthouse is decorated in contemporary décor of white and chrome and even with the constant traffic of her male sex toys I had never seen the place dirty.

"I've been expecting you." She purrs from the chaise. She's wearing a hunter green teddy and gold heels. Her left leg hangs lazily off of the chaise,her right arm lay above her head, as she slowly caresses her breast with the other.

"I was made aware of your actions last night and I must say I found it very arousing." I whisper huskily in her ear. She sits up looking very confused at me.

"Excuse me?" 

"I said I found that very arousing." I repeat. "You know I thought a lot about what you said that night. About how powerful we could be, something that could never be achieved with an inferior like her." I reply walking over to stare out the window over the night skyline with my hands behind my back.

Walking up behind me she wrapped her arms around my waist. "Ummm I thought you would never come to me Alesandro. I thought you'd be furious with me." 

Turning to face her I grab her around the small of her back pulling her close. "I don't know why it has taken me so many centuries to realize what I had been missing. What we had been missing." I whisper nuzzling her neck.

"Well..." She says pulling back looking at me seductively. "I think this calls for a celebration before I show you exactly what you have been missing." She laughs. "Champagne?" 

I grab her by the arm gently. "Why don't you let me get that?" I answer running my finger over her breast.

"What really made you change your mind Alesandro?" I hear her call after me. Having popped the cork of the Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck champagne which cost $275,000.00 per bottle and pouring us both a glass, I return to the living area.

"You did Callindora. Annalise could never match what you have to offer." 

"What exactly is it that I can offer?" She questions taking the champagne flute from my hand.

"For one, that sexy ass body of yours" I reply looking her over slowly. "Second the power that would come from us being bonded and lastly that sexy fucking temper of yours." 

She looks at me hungrily raising her glass in toast. "To us!"

"To us." I smile clinking my glass to hers as I watch her down the champagne while I slowly sip.

Looking at me with renewed hunger I watch her emerald eyes glow brightly before slowly dimming as the glass falls from her hand to the white fur rug.

"What's wrong Callidora?" I ask cocking my head to the side curiously and I watch the black veins spread over her face and arms. Gasping she looks down in horror as it continues to spread slowly over her body.

"What did you do?" She manages to choke out. 

Taking a vile out of my pocket I set in on the table. "Did you know that the herb Vervain can kill a vampire? It burns like hell if it touches the skin. However, when ingested it has the ability to greatly weaken and immobilize even the strongest vampires." I reply flipping the top off the vile and pouring some of the clear liquid onto my finger to drag them horizontally across her chest.

"Of course you didn't! You've always had your head stuck too far up your own ass to truly learn about what you are!"

Vervain was not as well-known as it had been centuries ago but Ambrogio had made me ingest small amounts nightly in order to build a tolerance and now centuries later, Vervain had little effect on me. I smile with an almost sadistic satisfaction as her pain filled screams fill the air. "That first mark is for Tiet who you have repeatedly disrespected." I smile cruelly. These marks would never heal. Pouring some more of the Vervain on to my finger I make two more slow drags across her chest. "Those two my dear are repayment for the marks that you gave Annalise. Fair don't you think?" 

I look down at Callindora whose body is now covered in a web of black veins as she lay back on the chaise shuddering from the pain. "I warned you repeatedly Callindora and while we both know that I can't kill you, I can take great pleasure in making your ass suffer."

Rising from the chaise I turn to look at her for one last final thought before my departure. "With the amount of vervain that I added to your glass I can assure you, you will suffer pure agony before you recover. Your body will be wracked with fever and you will have little energy to continue your disgraceful existence. You will respect me or I will make every moment of your existence a living hell." I growl vanishing with a smile of satisfaction on my face. Although I was still troubled by my encounter with Annalise I sleep soundly with the satisfaction that Callidora is suffering.