G R A C E L E S S

The Noble One

His gaze burned.

She felt like she was on fire in hell and nothing could make it go away.

His made her feel damned.
As damned as he was.

Why then, didn't she run away?

Elijah couldn't tear his gaze from the princess. It was if though Loki was playing a cruel trick on him. He wanted something he shouldn't. And he wanted it badly. Even with no hope of a future, he still wanted her. Her abominable heartbeat made the blood race through his cold veins and her eyes drove him nearly mad with want.

This room full of bodies be damned. None could sorely tempt him as Isabeau did.

Elijah could feel himself slipping away with each breath she drew. She was slowly killing him and she didn't even know it.

He willed himself to put the brass goblet down before he crushed it in front of all those humans. His family was the happiest that they had been in a hundred years and he would not take that away from them.

Even so, he could not will himself to halt his eyes from stalking her figure.

Obsession was creeping up on him at a pace he didn't enjoy.

"Where were you the other morning?" Kol asked mischievously as he handed Elijah another goblet of wine for appearance sake.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean, brother."

"I'm talking about the morning that the princess was attacked. Was it you?"

Elijah's silence was enough of an answer to sate Kol's curiosity. "Ah, so it was."

Annoyed at his brother's presence, Elijah turned away to get a better look at Isabeau's dancing form.

"I don't understand why you don't just go for her. You're obsessed. And by the looks she keeps giving you, she obviously likes what she sees. There's no harm in having a little fun Elijah. It's not as though she doesn't already have a reputation."

Elijah's heart sank.

"No. I won't be the reason she can't settle down here and find a good, honest husband."

"By Odin, you really do care for her." He said, feigning wonderment. "It's such a pity you can't simply ask her to keep a secret between the two of you."

A dangerous idea came to the vampire. One he would later regret.

Elijah had accidentally discovered something weeks ago. Something he now called Compulsion. While telling a milkmaid not to scream as he fed on her, she immediately obliged without complaint. The next time it happened, with the chambermaid, he found that she couldn't disobey him either.

It gave him a very dangerous idea indeed.

"Yes, what a great pity it is..." Elijah answered absentmindedly as he kept a sharp eye on the girl he was fascinated with.

"Have a dance with her at least." Kol scoffed, accepting his defeated attempt at cajoling his brother into taking a woman's bed. "If you don't, I don't think my ego could take it."

"I shall oblige you in your little request." Elijah smirked before getting up from the table to start his conquest of Isabeau de Marques.

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Thank you for tolerating this little teaser of a chapter. Sorry I'm not writing any more to add onto it. I'm super sick with stomach flu, but decided not to let you guys down.
Xxxxx