Lust For Her Master's Blood

One month later...

The moon was full and bright as I worked half heartedly outside, sweeping up the dead leaves that had fallen from the old trees that lined the great raised patio.

Things had quietened and settled back down into the old ways since Morrigan’s death after a moment of insanity. Vince and Viorel appeared a day later while I still slept and had to take an account from the many observers who had been in the ball room at the time. The master had explained to me that Eva was covering our backs once I had woken and expecting some sort of interrogation from the Elders after a young Black Blood managed to slay an old and very powerful Ancient. Apparently she was fabricating some sort of tale, a tale no one would believe but as Eva was the one telling it no one dared to question her which I was thankful for. It meant I could stay alive a little longer.

The sweeping motion hesitated and a faint blush covered my scowl as I remembered the time the Master and I made love. It was so passionate and lustful, I never thought anyone would want me as much as he. He refused to let me leave the room for the first couple of days and when we weren’t dozing in each other’s arms, we were in the throes of pleasure. I liked it. In fact I loved it. He was such a passionate yet gentle lover, always expressing his love for me in his mind while his body demanded mine. I did not like him seeing what I thought of him though, how I felt. Having such a weakness was not like me but he had been confident around me, being open about his affection even in front of other servants and vampires. It unnerved me slightly. He had never been like it before or at least had some sort of restraint. Now he always had this urge to touch me, whether it was to hold me or kiss my forehead, and he often did. It embarrassed me about how much I realised I wanted that. I wanted to feel him close to me, in both mind and body. So I kept pushing him away and trying to hide my happiness and embarrassment through anger and coldness. Of course that failed. He always felt my real feelings and urges and saw it on my face. It always amused him that I tried to hide it which in turn irritated me. I didn’t like the fact he could see through my facade so easily. It didn’t help that now I was aware of what I felt it was growing increasingly difficult to hide it. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him but at the same time I didn’t. It wasn’t the fear of rejection but it was the fear of loving someone so completely. I had never loved someone this much in my life and I didn’t quite know how to deal with it.

My mind was distracted when a sharp throb of pain ripped at my face. Wincing, I lifted my hand and gently fingered the four stitches that ran down from my ear to my jaw. The savage wound Morrigan had inflicted on me. It was going to scar and probably quite badly even though Lucius got Vince, a surprisingly adept healer, to do the surgery. My face was apparently extremely damaged and messy and took a few hours to fix.

Sighing heavily and pushing all thoughts from my mind, I returned to my job, a job I was extremely insistent that I kept, until I heard loud footsteps approach me rapidly. I didn’t bother to move myself out of the way when Ella catapulted herself at my back and wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace.

“Susan!” She half sang. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”

Not bothering to keep the smile from my face, I continued to sweep. I was ecstatic when I heard the news of Ella’s return a couple of days after my waking however it also came with a sense of depression. Her return was not to be a happy one. Alphonse was unconscious and wounded to the point that Vince could not tell whether or not he was going to live. And low and behold, after Ella’s enthusiastic welcome she retreated to Al’s temporary room, only to be thrown into a pit of despair and sorrow. I helped her through the few weeks, making sure she was eating and watched over Al with Lucius while she slept. It wasn’t until the third week that Al woke, weary and in a lot of pain, but alive and apparently on the mend. When Lucius told him that I had killed Morrigan he had a happy yet grim expression which was twisted into shock when he heard of Arnold.

I coughed to clear my throat when it suddenly tightened. My mind was still struggling to come to terms with Arnold’s death. Mostly I tried to ignore it but sometimes I found it hard to.

“Any particular reason why?” I asked roughly.

“It is Al,” She announced happily as she pranced around to stand before me. “He is getting stronger, strong enough to be able to stand now.”

I smiled warmly at her. “I am pleased to hear that Ella.”

Ella grinned and grasped her hands behind her, making me wary when a strange knowing expression formed on her elfin face.

“You’ve become softer.” She stated.

My eyebrows snapped down and my mouth became a hard thin line. “I have not.” I replied firmly.

“You have. You smile more even though you are far easier to annoy than you were before. But you’re gentler.” Ella mused then smiled once again. “And your comforting technique has gotten better.”

I stared at her, my face showing that I was not enjoying this topic. The idea that I was getting soft was not something I wanted to address.

“And I think I know why.” Ella said, almost jumping up and down on the spot while clapping her hands together in glee.

“Please inform me of your theory.” I said bluntly, still keeping my expression carefully annoyed.

“It’s because of the Master. The whole house is talking about it.” She said triumphantly and grinned broadly when a red shade started to beat its way onto my face.

I glared furiously at the floor, not liking the fact that the household knew of my new place in the master’s life, and decided it was a good time to start sweeping again which only made Ella laugh.

“You’re so easy to read sometimes Susan.” She stated.

I growled in annoyance and turned my scowl on her. Ella, finding that her time for teasing was over, said a quick farewell and fled from me before I could find anything snide to say. Not that I could. When the subject of Lucius and what I felt for him came up, my brain always failed me in the retaliation department.

After a strong gust of wind ploughed its way through the large pile of brown and red leaves I had built, dispersing it in an ungraceful manner, I decided enough was enough and gave up. Swinging the broom on my shoulder I stood for a moment, chewing the inside of my mouth before decided grudgingly on what to do. With slow movements I walked towards the steps and down into the garden path. Making my way through the many different mazes of flowers and hedges, all brown from the grip of autumn, I swung the broom this way and that absentmindedly. Before I knew it I found the mini graveyard of Arnold.

It was a strange place. There was a single cross that stuck out from the ground in the centre of a hedge of white roses. And now a body occupied it. The tradition with Dunstan was that every time Arnold died, his body was burned and his ashes scattered on this spot. Only once he died in his final life was his body to be buried beneath the earth. Even though Arnold was in his second to last life, the fact he was decapitated before he died meant he was not to be reborn. And so Lucius buried him, the old butler of the Rain household who had served them for 6 of his lives.

Glumly I stood with my broom clutched to my chest. I had been avoiding this place. It hurt me to think he was dead and not coming back. Ever since I was a child it had never occurred to me he could die. In a strange way I viewed him as if he was immortal, a never ending presence who scolded me whenever I did something wrong and praised when I did well.

Much to my dismay, my brain was insistent that the memories of his death replayed over and over again in my head. It was like my head wanted to torture me. But as I kept thinking about it, something began to bother me. Something about his death wasn’t quite what I thought it was at first.

Giving the grave one last look I turned and trotted back towards the house with a feeling of confusion and very mild hope. I located Lucius quickly though the bond and honed in on him, darting through the house until I found him in his study as usual.

The instant my eyes latched onto him my heart stuttered and my mind became blank momentarily when he smiled warmly at me. I watched him stand warily, taking a few steps back as he moved to lean against the front of his desk.

“What is it Susan? You do not normally seek me out these days.” He said, not bothering to hide the surprise and tenderness that was growing in his mind.

Smothering the embarrassment I always felt when I saw him as my own overwhelming feelings burst into life, I focused on the memory of Arnold’s death, zoning in on the one moment that bothered me.

“I don’t think Arnold was alive when Morrigan cut his head off.” I said bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Lucius raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What?” He asked simply.

“I was going over the moments of his death and I was certain at first that he was still alive when Morrigan decapitated him however now I am not so sure. I don't remember hearing his heartbeat for about thirty seconds before she removed his head.” I stated.

Lucius frowned. “It is a big jump Susan, to think he had died before from half a minute. You might not remember correctly and your mind is just grasping at straws.”

I glared at him furiously. “That is what I remember Lucius. Arnold was dead before his head was hacked off which means his ninth life is still available to him.” I snapped.

Watching me stew with hope and an even stare, Lucius eventually nodded. “But either way we do not know for sure yet. Give it thirty years and if Arnold has not returned to us by then, he is dead.”

Grudgingly I nodded. “Thirty years then.” I agreed. “But until then he is still alive to me.”

He smiled at me. “Agreed.”

I nodded my head firmly then turned to leave. “I am going back to work then.” I grumbled, more to myself than to him.

“Wait Susan. I have one thing I do need to give you.” Lucius called to me, unintentionally making my heart stop.

Red faced and scowling, I turned to him. “What do you want?”

He approached me with an amused gaze which irked me. I hated that whenever I clumsily hid my feelings it only ended up in making him laugh. Gently he cupped my face and titled my head up to face him. I panicked then and tried to wriggle free, not wanting to feel the usual burst of warmth that his touch created within, but his mouth was already pressed again my forehead. I felt a strange snap in my head and instantly I knew what he had done as the Matter I once had full access to for over a month vanished. Still cupping my face he looked down at me with mirth in his dark eyes. At first shock filled my face until anger quickly invaded.

“Lucius!” Was all I could think to shout.

“It is for your own good Susan.” He stated in a matter of fact tone.

“But Morrigan is dead!” I yelled hotly.

“She is only one of many enemies we currently have.” He said calmly which forced me to shut up. “The fact you are a Black Blood witch is still a matter that we must keep to ourselves and well hidden from the Clans and Elders. I shall keep you sealed, as I have always done, unless it is necessary to release your Matter.”

As I couldn’t argue with his point I glared furiously at him instead. It was true though. I was still in danger from the other Old ones. If they found out about me being a Black blood, both Lucius and I would be torn limb from limb.

While I was in my own thoughts and grumbling mentally to myself, what he said next came as a complete shock.

“Now I have one more request.” He said. “Tell me you love me.”

I stared at him wide eyed and very red in the face. Tell him I loved him? I tried to shake my head firmly but as my face was sort of stuck between his large hands I couldn’t, so instead I gave him an extremely hostile glare.

“No.” I said firmly.

“And why not?” He asked, more out of amused curiosity than any actual need to know.

“Because.” I said simply as I failed to come up with an answer in my head other than it was extremely embarrassing and I wasn’t about to tell him that.

“I can feel you do in my mind. Emotionally you often tell me you love me through the bond and you also do it physically. So it can’t be much different telling me through words.” He stated and I swore I nearly died then. I thought I had been keeping the friggin’ bond blocked!

I stared at him for one long moment with my annoyance and embarrassment piling up before I came to a decision of what to say.

“I loathe you.” I replied, my red face a strange mix of hostility and gentleness.

He gave me a half smile that forced me to glance away before pulled me close and nuzzled my head.

“That will do.” He said happily. Gently he let me go and pushed me towards the door. “Now go back to your task then as you seem to insist that you want to keep it even though there is no need.” He muttered the last part of the sentence with confusion, obviously still puzzled why I refused to give up my old job as a servant when I was practically his equal in the house’s hierarchy.

Knowing that I was virtually glowing from my red face, I turned to leave almost hurriedly although I stopped suddenly with the door open when he spoke again.

“And I do hope you are right Susan.” He told me quietly with a gentle expression, one of a mixture of hope and sadness. “It would be nice to have Arnold back again.”

I looked back at him, all embarrassment gone, and smiled wanly. “It would be.” I agreed.

When the sadness continued in his mind, like a pale mist that fogged up his thoughts, I slowly closed the door and stepped back into the room.

“I will work in here for a while,” I announced firmly. “It has not been cleaned for a while.” I lied. I knew that it had in fact been cleaned by Mo and Sall only two days ago.

Smiling knowingly at me, Lucius nodded and returned to his desk to take up his task of whatever paperwork he needed to finish.

Quietly I worked in the room, letting my mind fill his with comfort and hope about Arnold. I was certain now that his ninth life was still available to him and that the old jaguar would return to us for one last time. But until then I would take over his role of advising Lucius and keeping the house safe. Silently I vowed that nothing like Morrigan would step into this family and mess it up again or give them any sort of chance to create the misery that had hovered over them. I would kill anyone who posed so much as a threat to my family and Clan. I paused for a moment in polishing the fire place then glanced over at the Master who was bent over, his face stern as he worked. Letting my attention to vaguely return to my new chore, I smiled warmly to myself. That man was my family now, the man I adored and loved. So was my young charge Ella and the young master Al. They were all members my precious family. And never again would I let someone take my family from me. I made that mistake in the past but never will I repeat it in the future.

I was the Master’s bride, his mate and lover until the day we no longer walked the earth. I was also this house’s maid and guard and I would sooner die than let it be harmed again.

And that is my silent creed until the day I die.