Blood Bred - From The Heart Part 16

"You sent that man?"

"Yes." Her face brightened. "I take it one of them found you."

"Yes, one found me, but I wish I had known he had hack in his blood before I fed on him."

Deirdre frowned and bit her lip, her face the very picture of annoyance and frustration. "I should have known better. He vowed he wouldn't use it himself. He said he never touched it."

"Why did you send him with hack, Deirdre?"

Her frown deepened. "I...I thought you might need it, Baris. I wasn't sure how much you had. I...I didn't want you to suffer."

Baris studied her for a long moment. There was sincerity in her words, yet he remembered what Vail had said about her thespian skills. "What I really need, Deirdre, is not hack. What I really need is you."

Her frown vanished as he pulled her down on the bed and rolled atop her. With one hand he brushed the dark hair from her neck, then stroked her cheek gently.

"There is one problem," he said quietly. "I have not fed on a woman for many days. I may not be..."

She shushed him with a finger to his lips. "I am yours, Baris, in all ways."

Without another word, he bit into her neck.

He sucked ravenously at her blood, feeling it course like wildfire through his body, giving him a strength he had not felt for days. His body responded with equal power and intensity. He pressed against her, his heart pounding. He wanted her. By the Sovereign, how he wanted her! Yet, Vail's words hammered at the back of his mind, thoughts of Anika at his heart. Both kept him from fulfilling the desire. And he had to know the truth, had to know if Deirdre was really capable of all that Vail claimed. He needed proof. But how?

The answer came to him almost as quickly as the question. He tightened his grip, pulling her closer, feeding almost with a frenzy.

"Baris?" she protested, a note of fear in her husky voice. "Baris, slow down. Please."

He ignored her, tightening his grip even more. He heard her give a short gasp, then felt her push against him.

"Stop!" she ordered. "Stop! You're taking too much. You don't know what you're doing!"

But he did. He was going to force her to use magic. He was going to see for himself just how powerful she really was. Or he was going to kill her trying.

CHAPTER 20.

Sudden, severe pain tore through him, sending him rolling to one side with a gasp. Deirdre leapt from the bed, her hand at her still-bleeding neck. She glared at Baris as he sat up.

"Just what were you trying to do?" she demanded.

He sat still, trying to shake off the effects of the magic jolt she had delivered. Finally, he found his voice. "I thought you didn't have much magic, Deirdre."

"I...I don't," she stammered, going from rage to confusion so quickly it almost made him dizzy.

He rose, buoyed by the strength of her blood.

"I thought you couldn't focus on your magic when you were frightened." A wild look came into her eyes and Baris reached out to grip her by the wrist. He pulled her to him, his anger beginning to swell. "You didn't even ask me where I've been for the past week."

"I...I a.s.sumed you were lost, looking for Timmora. For me. After all, you're here."

"Because you brought me here," he pointed out.

"What? How could I bring you here? I didn't even know where you were!"

"And that man just happened to find me? Just happened to stumble upon me in that huge forest out there?"

"Yes! It was luck, Baris! I sent out more than one man. Someone was bound to find you."

"Stop!" he snapped. "I don't want to hear any more lies, Deirdre. You brought me here. You appeared to me, you guided me. It was your magic, Deirdre. Magic you claimed you didn't have. Just as it was your magic that made that man in the alley attack you, and that man at Quentin's house want to possess you. It was your magic that drove Anika away from me and then took me away from Anika."

She stared at him in astonishment, then tried to wrest away from him. He maintained his firm grip.

"No, Baris." She stopped fighting him and instead took a step closer, all innocent concern and sincerity. "You have it all wrong. I did nothing to Anika. Nothing to you. I swear."

He glared at her. "Do you swear by your G.o.d, Deirdre? Because if you do, you are d.a.m.ned."

"Baris, I don't know what you're talking about. Why are you so angry with me? What did I do to cause this?" Tears began to roll down her cheeks; her dark eyes were aswim with injured honor.

Baris swallowed hard, his emotions abruptly tumbling uncertainly.

"You lied to me," he accused plaintively, then felt his convictions returning as he remembered all that had happened, all that Vail had told him. "You kept me from the Lair, from my son, from finding Anika." He shoved her away so hard that she stumbled and fell to the floor by the bed. "Just what did you do with Anika anyway? Where did you send her?" Another thought abruptly crossed his mind. "And Thale? Did you cause that snake to attack him? Was that your doing as well? To get him out of the way?" He rubbed his face. "By the sovereign! Vail was right about everything!"

"Vail?" Deirdre spat.

"Yes, Vail. Who did you think was caring for me this past week? Who do you think helped me overcome my addiction? It was h.e.l.l, Deirdre. Pure h.e.l.l. And now--now it would seem that I will need to start over again. Why, Deirdre? Why did you do this to me?"

In that moment, she finally gave up the subterfuge. She drew a deep, slow breath, her lip curled in a savage sneer.

"I did not do anything to you, Baris," she snarled. "You did it to yourself. You were the one who enslaved Antyn, who used the hack even after he was dead. I tried to help you get off of it, Baris. Have you forgotten that?"

Baris frowned, rubbing at his temples as confusion returned. He could not clear his thoughts, could not seem to focus. "I haven't forgotten. But Vail said..."

"Vail!" She said the name as though it made her want to retch. "And you would believe him over me? He doesn't like me, Baris. He never has. He would like nothing more than to see me wedded to Holt, to become nothing more than a slave to another man. He would say anything to turn you against me."

"Why? Why should he?"

She threw up her hands. "Why? Because he's jealous. Jealous of my magic. And his lack of it. It's no small knowledge that he is inept. And even though I'm not considered gifted by any stretch of the imagination, he is not even close to my prowess. Why wouldn't he be jealous?"

Baris considered the words. True, he had not seen Vail display any great amount of magic at all. Perhaps it was as she said. He sagged onto the bed, his thoughts whirling in confusion. "This room reeks of magic. What were you doing?"

"I was trying to find Anika for you, Baris," Deirdre snapped. "Even after all that happened, the way you hurt me, I wanted to help you. And do you know what? I did find her. But she's with another Vector now. Apparently she has made her choice. Don't you see?" She approached him, dropped to her knees, gripped his hands in hers, kissed his palm. "She wasn't lying. She did indeed want you to leave. She doesn't want you, Baris. We can be together now. Like we were before. Don't you remember, Baris? Don't you remember how wonderful it was? I love you, Baris. I've loved you forever."

For a moment, his anger faltered. Memories crowded his mind, clutched his heart. Memories of holding her, caressing her, making pa.s.sionate love to her. He ached to do so again.

Yet, Vail's voice hammered at his mind. He shook himself. "You love me?" he cried. "You destroyed me!"

"No, Baris, no. I showed you life as it really was. I showed you how it could be with a woman who loved you, cared for you, wanted you. Anika couldn't offer you that. She doesn't love you the way I do. She never has."

Baris looked into the dark depths of her eyes, suddenly just very tired.

"I love you, Baris," she said softly. "I would do anything for you. Anika doesn't deserve you."

Baris hesitated, then decided to play his last card. "Just as she didn't deserve Ris?"

She seemed startled by his question. "Ris? How did you..." She drew back, anger again twisting her face. "Vail, no doubt. I'll have to do something about his mouth. He talks too much."

Baris yanked his hands away, tore his gaze from hers, stood up and moved out of her reach. "No, Deirdre, you won't be hurting anyone again. Not Vail, not Anika, not me."

She opened her mouth to retort, but at that moment the door slammed open. Vail and Baul stumbled inside, Honey close behind. Deirdre turned on them in a rage.

Baris felt magic snap outward and he gasped. Vail grimaced but stood his ground. His gaze s.h.i.+fted to Baris.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he managed. "What are you doing here?"

"We thought you might need some help."

"You've helped quite enough, Vail!" Deirdre spat. "What lies have you been filling his head with?"

"Lies?" Vail laughed aloud. "No lies, Deirdre, and you know it."

"What I know is that you have once again interfered in my life. What is it with you and Anika, Vail? Do you get some perverse pleasure out of seeing me unhappy?"

"What is it with you, Deirdre? Do you get some perverse pleasure from another's pain?"

"I do nothing of the sort! I helped Baris! I was there when Anika wasn't. I am not the one who told him to leave. I am not the one who refused to let him touch me."

"I'll just bet you weren't," Baul muttered.

Rage darkened Deirdre's face. Her hands balled into fists at her sides and her eyes narrowed, then she suddenly smirked, her gazed shooting to Vail.

"Oh, by the G.o.ds! This isn't still about that stupid lamb is it?" Her mocking tone rang through the room.

Baris looked from one to the other, confusion gripping him. Vail turned scarlet, his own hands doubling into fists, though he was shaking. Deirdre threw back her head and laughed.

"G.o.ds, Vail! It was a lamb! It was food!"

"It was a pet!" Vail nearly screamed. "It was a gift from my father. It was all I had left to remember him by. And you slaughtered it!"

"It was food!" Deirdre shrieked. "And it was delicious!"

Baris gasped out loud, not so much because of her words as from the tone of them. They were hard, cold and cruel, tormenting Vail even as tears gathered in his eyes. It may have been years gone past but it was clearly evident that Vail still carried a deep hurt from the incident.

Deirdre spun back to face Baris, her eyes wide, as if she had forgotten he stood there.

"It's not what you think, Baris," she cried. "He's making more of this than there was."

Everything Vail had said about Deirdre, about her calculating, manipulative ways, came flooding back to Baris. Watching her a moment ago as she berated Vail, he saw no compa.s.sion on her face, no warmth or love in her eyes. She had merely found a way to use words and past memories as a weapon. A very powerful weapon that left Vail trembling and gla.s.sy-eyed with renewed pain.

She must have guessed his thoughts, for she grasped his hand in hers. "Baris, don't! You can't believe him! He's just doing this to keep us apart! He would do anything to make me unhappy. I'll admit that I did a horrible thing. But I was a child. We had dozens of lambs, raised for meat. I simply chose the wrong one for dinner. I made a mistake."

"A mistake?" Vail cried, his voice catching. "It was no mistake, Deirdre and you know it. You stole s...o...b..ll right out of my " He broke off, flus.h.i.+ng, then startled when Honey gave him a gentle hug of understanding.

"You've lost, Deirdre," Vail said tightly. "Admit it and leave Baris alone."

"I think this is Baris' choice to make, Vail. Not yours. Why don't you be a good boy and run along?" Deirdre brushed one hand through the air.

"Not without Baris," Vail retorted. "In fact, I think some council elders will be very interested in the way you've been using your magic recently."

Deirdre whirled on him. "Don't you dare threaten me, Vail!" she snarled.

Baris felt magic explode outward, only it wasn't aimed at Vail. It went directly to Honey. The young woman's breath caught in her throat, her eyes went wide and she stumbled backward gasping, her smooth face contorted in agony.

"No!" Vail shrieked and brought his own magic forward. "Leave her alone!"

"Enough!" Baris snapped. He threw his Vector magic over Deirdre, trapping her in her own evil. Her magic rebounded and she shrieked with pain.

Honey collapsed into Vail's arms, trying to catch her breath even as Baris advanced on Deirdre.

"It is obvious you are not who I thought you were, Deirdre," he seethed. "Vail and Anika were right. You are far too powerful to remain with humans. And apparently you are too strong to be controlled by the priests or Holt. Still, I cannot allow you to continue to manipulate others, to hurt them, to tear their lives apart."

"What are you going to do?" Vail asked quietly.

"I don't know," Baris admitted, rubbing at his face with one hand.

"I do," Baul put in quietly. "I know someone who can control her and her magic."

Deirdre gasped, opening her mouth to protest, but the Vector Sovereign arrived in the room seconds later, as if he had been waiting for the call. Baris stared in outright shock. It was obvious Baul had seen what he could not. There was indeed a place for Deirdre, a place that would keep her from hurting anyone else.

Baris watched at the Sovereign approached Deirdre. He could see the desire in Darius' eyes as he appraised Deirdre thoughtfully, then extended his hand to her. She backed away. Baris felt her reach for her magic, then watched as her face paled when she found she could not. Her gaze shot to Baris, pleading in the dark depths.

"No. Don't let him take me, Baris. Please. We can go away together. Anika has Thale and--and another Vector to care for her. What do I have?"

Darius smiled. "You now have me."

Deirdre reluctantly s.h.i.+fted her gaze to meet the Sovereign's. Again, Baris felt her attempt to repel his hypnotic magic but he was far too strong for her. Trembling, she accepted his hand, though tears stood in her eyes. Darius drew her close.

Despite what she had done, it broke Baris' heart to see her like this, looking like a lost child being punished. Still, he knew it had to be. She had eyes only for the Sovereign now. He had completely enchanted her and, with a wave of his hand, they both disappeared.