My list lay forgotten on the table. Usually I would dictate such things to Leif or another one of my humans, but I did not want anyone around in case Jamie actually did come find me after he was done with the other humans.
I did not actually expect him to make any real headway with them, but at least he would have given them something to think about. It was not like they would have anything else to do.
But they, of course, were not what had captured my interest in the moment. Jamie was leaning on the back of my chair, looming over me, and there was no hope that I would be able to keep my attention on such boring matters as day to day affairs. In my position it was easy to forget that humans were effective predators in their own right, but I could see it in Jamie when he was like this, and it called to me.
I reached my arm up around his neck and pulled him down towards me and kissed him. He did not hesitate to return my action and I strongly felt the stillness beneath my ribs where there should have been rapid palpitations.
The feeling scattered as Jamie pulled me up from the chair and into his arms. He was warmth and movement and he warded away the yawning emptiness that haunted me.
He made me feel alive in a way I could barely remember.
I let myself get swept up in the motion of the moment and revelled in the memory of life.
* * * * *
The darkness was thick without awareness as it released me. As I woke from the void, I became aware of the presence of my body and the sensory information in the world around me. My humans moved about my home with the hum of their everyday activities, and there was light beyond my eyelids.
Even breathing met my ears, and I was quick to remember who had watched over me while I took my rest. I opened my eyes and instantly spotted Jamie.
He had left the bed and was in the chair, but I was pleased to see he was still only half dressed, not having bothered to put on a shirt. It was a glorious sight to wake up to, corded muscle and the line of hair leading downwards. I smiled at him.
"You're awake."
Some of my other humans had been aghast that I had decided to have Jamie stay with me while I was vulnerable, instead of my regular guards, and I was pleased I had been right to trust him. He could have staked me at any time, and yet here I was.
Of course, he well knew now that staking me would not finish the job, but I preferred to focus on the warm sensation that it seemed he no longer wanted to destroy me.
A part of me wanted to lure him back into my bed, but a bigger part of me wanted to rub the fact that I was right about Jamie in the faces of my overwrought humans. If I stayed in here too long, Leif or someone would barge in to see what was wrong.
I wasn't too concerned about being caught in a compromising situation, but the interruption would be most displeasing. Better to assuage their concerns.
Plus, I needed my coffee.
"Yes. It always feels like I won't wake up, but I always do." As I walked towards him I noted there was a tension in his face that had not been there before I had fallen into the dark. "What's bothering you?"
"Your sleep is..."
I smiled softly and brought my hand up to rest on the side of his face. "Unnerving?"
"That's not what I meant."
"You can say what you're thinking," I prodded.
"You looked as if you'd died."
"I know, it's always like that. I've been told, and back when we used to have proper cameras I was curious so I bullied my husband Alan into taking pictures so I could see too. Along with a few videos for me. I suppose it has something to do with the lack of movement."
He did not look happier so I twined my arms around his neck while I spoke. His heat diffused into me and it felt so nice.
"When humans sleep, there's still movement and sound. Heart pumps, breathing in and out, shifting, eye movement. Some humans talk, laugh, even sing. I've even seen more than one human sleep walk. During my rest, it's like I'm not even there, little better than a corpse. It's the one time when I truly need guarding. Don't tell the guards at the door all night that, though. They take their jobs very seriously," I told him with a little wink.
"They helped in dealing with the three council vampires," he pointed out.
"That is true. I would probably have been overwhelmed if I had been alone. Don't get me wrong, I do need help, that's why I have so many of you. Now, come with me, please, I need my coffee."
I kissed him again slowly before releasing him and watched as he put on his shirt. It was a shame. If things had gone differently and had joined my regular guard, I could have instituted a new shirtless uniform for them.
We walked past my guards and I smiled beatifically at them. I could read relief in Jeffry's eyes. I wondered if Jamie had proven himself trustworthy enough yet. Probably not, but I didn't care. No one said anything, but I imagined they were all aware of the change in the nature of my relationship with him.
We walked like we might have before, not touching, but there was an openness that I relished. I was going to miss him more than ever when he returned to New Haven. I was trying to think of an excuse to keep him with me, but I was not coming up with anything to justify doing exactly what I wanted.
Maybe after all the suspicions were waylaid, we could forge him a new identity, except then we would be back to branding... Drat.
"I can't wait to crush the council into dust," I told him conversationally.
"I'm with you there."
"It's rather nice to be able to say that openly in my home, for once. Of course, if they start nosing around it will be back to pretending all the time. Poor Leif is so stressed out that so many people know. I need to start compelling all my humans to resist other vampires, too. It's rather exhausting."
Jamie looked interested in that. "How does it work?"
"Honestly, I don't know, but it does take energy. I believe it's easier when well fed, too, although I haven't not been well fed in so long it's difficult to tell the difference."
"Is that the reason for the obsession with blood?" he asked.
I considered. "It's a rush, much like a drug, I suppose, except one that I desperately need. Perhaps the life is truly in the blood and that is what we siphon from our human victims. I also don't like the loss of control that comes with starvation, of course." I pushed away the dark memories of what I had done while desperately starving during the human suppression wars. I pushed open the door to the kitchen and Jamie followed me inside.
"Good day, Mistress," Nate said when he spotted me. He was the only human in the room and I supposed that put him on coffee duty. The pot was full of the other hot liquid of life.
"To you, too." I glanced at my handsome favourite. "Jamie, this is Nate, my favourite pool opponent. Nate, this is Jamie, my favourite vampire staker."
Jamie did not even flinch at the introduction, I supposed he was getting used to my methods. "Good to meet you." He held out his hand.
"I remember seeing you around before... everything," Nate said, shaking it.
I wandered to the fridge and took out my blood creamer and carried it over to the coffee pot. I opened the cupboard and blindly grabbed a cup and started pouring my coffee. Then I read the text on the side of the steaming vessel.
#1 Mistress
I snorted a laugh in a most unvampiric fashion. "I wasn't serious, Francis!"
Both of them looked over at me. I held the cup so that they could see the words.
"Oh, yeah. He wrote that on there last night." Nate looked confused.
"Francis doesn't understand my jokes. But I appreciate his willingness to please me. Tell him I love it, please, Nate."
"Yes," he agreed.
"Want some coffee, Jamie?"
"No thanks."
"I don't like it without blood, either," I told him conversationally while I added a generous portion of the red fluid. Setting it down, I brought the cup to my mouth and took a sip. Ah, this was wonderful.
"Need anything else?" Nate asked.
"Jamie?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he said.
"Thanks, Nate. Come on, Jamie."
We left the kitchen and wandered down the hall, before Jamie spoke. "When will I be heading back?"
I sighed, not liking the idea of him leaving in the slightest. We had only just reached our new accord. Was he still so anxious to get away from me? "I suppose it only makes sense for you to go along with Carter and the rest when they head back. A number of the leaders left today already, but your group is planning to leave tomorrow at noon, I believe."
He nodded and I wished again for reasonable excuse to keep him beside me. Unfortunately, the only reason was that I really wanted to, but doing what I wanted had brought us to all the current difficulties.
"Well, I should go and speak with Leif now, and as much as I want to take you with me, Jamie, I don't think it would be well received."
"I'm surprised you care about that."
"Keeping so many humans in balance is a delicate task. You're all not an easy bunch." I stopped and leaned up for a kiss, and then cast him a teasing smile as I spun away and walked down the hall.
* * * * *
Leif was in his office alone when I got there. I sat down and nursed my coffee in my lovely mug, and waited for him to begin talking. I did not have to wait long as he began a long rundown of what he and the other leaders of my rebellion had spoken about.
"Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but everyone is really uneasy right now."
"I'm well aware. Things got a bit shaken up." I was not going to start feeling guilty about what I could not change now, although I would try not to repeat it.
"A bit?"
I rolled my eyes at his tone. "Maybe nothing will come of it."
"Or maybe the council will execute you."
"I'd like to see them try," I said with a harsh laugh. "The only way they're getting their hands on me is if they peacefully allow me to transfer my holdings to my chosen heir. If not, they'll be the ones meeting the sun." My grin showed my prominent fangs.
Leif did not look convinced. "On to other matters. I've decided that Evan and Mark are to be released."
"Just those two?"
"Yes. Evan will be the easiest to deal with, and I want to split up the centre of Mark's and Travis' little rebellion. Once we get Mark on side, I think the other two will be easier. We'll let our little arsonist out next, and then we'll deal with the most difficult of the four. This time we'll divide them more so they can't form their little united front."
"Very well."
"How are my other recent purchases doing?"
"Well, they saw you reduce three vampires to ash so they're confused but much more receptive than the norm for new humans."
"And Magnus and company's humans?"
"Undernourished, but definitely not upset about the death of their masters from what's been reported to me. I haven't had any contact with them myself, but they're set to become avid supporters."
It was the first time I had violently liberated a human slave from a cruel vampire and it was a good sign my assumptions on future reactions might be correct.
"It's too much of a risk to keep them here. We'll have to send them to New Haven, of course, and their brands will need to be distorted."
Leif nodded. "Yes. I'll ensure they understand that."
"That's good. I feel optimistic."
Leif's stern face disagreed with my sentiment. "You would, when all our carefully laid plans might be crumbling."
"We'll manage, I promise."
"You shouldn't make promises you can't guarantee."
I rolled my eyes. "There are no guarantees, but we're in a good spot. Maybe not the perfect spot we had hoped for, but good."
He sighed. "I might not agree with all your choices, Mistress, but I am grateful for what you've done."
"Aw, thanks Leif. That almost makes me feel warm."
I took another sip of my lovely coffee and the liquid worked even better than the sentiment. I would need to feed off one of my humans soon, but like always, it tided me over. I would definitely need to feed again after a period of compelling humans.
"Well, I've got some things to do," I said as I stood, and unfortunately none of them were Jamie.