Blood Vengeance [COMPLETED]

Chapter Nine - Desire

Vampires led humans, or humans led Vampires, out of the main hall, and Selene found herself surrounded by others making their way to places unknown to her.

"Arthur has a room reserved for me. I'm a regular customer." The Vampire who held her hand looked over his shoulder to check he had her attention. He raised an eyebrow and pulled her closer. "You're new aren't you? Where did he get another Selene, so late in the day?"

Selene smiled and shrugged her shoulders, hoping that she looked innocent and yet compliant: a willing participant in whatever he was about to force her to observe.

"You don't say much, do you?" He asked, smiling at her, his fangs already visible, wet with his salivation. Again Selene smiled and shook her head. "Well," he continued, "my name is Jonathan. Jonathan Masters. What's yours?"

"Whatever you want it to be," she whispered, hoping her answer was right, looking up at him through her false lashes, fluttering them slightly.

"What number are you?" he asked.

Her heart thudded; what if she gave the number of a girl he had already tried? Already slept with?

"Well?" he asked, stopping in the middle of the bustling crowd and looking at her; a quizzical look upon his face.

"Zero."

Selene waited for his reaction, hoping she had chosen a sensible number. She felt heat rising through her chest, and the throb of Hector's soul pulled at her heart.

"Not one I've had the pleasure of experiencing," he said, pulling her towards him and running the index finger of his free hand from her earlobe to her shoulder. It sent a shiver all through her body, and not one that was entirely unpleasant. "You'll enjoy this. Do you like what you see?" he asked, indicating his own face and body.

Selene pretended to appraise him, making him wait for a response, knowing all the while that she would say yes.

"You are very handsome."

"Thank you. And you," he said, bowing, "are very beautiful."

He turned and led her through the main entrance hall, where the other humans had leant over the banister only an hour or so earlier, watching her walk across the tiled floor entirely naked. At least now she had some semblance of clothing to cover herself, which relieved her as she passed through the crowd of over-excited Vampires. She glanced about, hoping to catch sight of Xander hiding somewhere in the shadows.

Jonathan began to climb the stairs, pulling her behind him, and she found it difficult to keep up on the towering heels she wore; they unbalanced her and threatened to throw her off. Her calf muscles were tight and hard, her toes curled, all with the strain of keeping them on her feet.

She followed him along the the upper balcony and up another staircase, where the crowds had begun to thin out; very few Vampires had bothered to ascend even further up inside Epershand, too eager to have their lust satisfied to bother.

He let go of her hand and turned down a narrow corridor, still carpeted in blood red, but much less ostentatiously rich than the lower floor. As she tottered along behind him she became aware of how dark the building was; there was not a single window in the entire place. Here, away from the sun, the Vampires could frolic for twenty-four hours a day. The thought increased her awareness of her own exhaustion, and she wondered when she would next be able to sleep; but for the moment the adrenaline pulsed through her veins keeping her alert.

Jonathan slipped his hand into his trouser pocket and stopped in front of a door that, apart from a plaque in gold that read 'J. Masters', was utterly plain and nondescript. He pulled out a golden key on a red velvet ribbon, and held it up to show her.