CHAPTER 19

INTERLUDE

Tipping point

TOMASSO WASN'T IN the dining room when I came down for my comestrio the next morning, not that I missed him. I did miss Rosetta, however, and I didn't see her in the kitchen or around the manor as I made my way outside after eating.

When she still hadn't appeared by the time the evening meal came around, I started to get worried. I was in my room waiting for her when there was a knock at my door. Rosetta never knocked, so I was curious when I opened it to find one of the other kitchen maids standing there with my toiletry.

"Where's Rosetta?' I asked as she entered and dropped off the items. She seemed anxious to be gone, but I grabbed her arm as she passed and spun her around to face me. "I asked you a question. "

The girl fidgeted nervously. "I must go," she insisted without meeting my eyes.

I was getting a bad feeling about this, especially after my conversation with Rosetta yesterday. "Answer my question and I'll release you."

The girl looked everywhere but my face. "She is not well today," she murmured.

"Not well how? Is she sick?"

She looked up at me then, a spark of defiance in her eyes. "Why would you care what happens to one of us?"

I felt my stomach clench. "Did someone hurt her?"

"She is in her room."

"Take me there."

"I cannot."

"Yes you can and you will. Take me there now."

My tone left no room for argument. The girl wrenched her arm away from me and ran toward the door, but I was there before she could open it, spinning her around to face me. "I only want to help her."

"How? You have no more power here than we do."

I didn't know how to answer that, but I'd figure that out once I saw Rosetta. "Take me to her room. And don't tell anyone you did it."

She searched my face. "You care for her." She shook her head. "Too bad for you."

"Let's go," I said, shoving her ahead of me out of the door. This time I wasn't letting go of her until I was sure she was taking me to Rosetta.

We made our way down the hall to the staircase then followed it up to the third floor. This hallway was more modest, with plain plaster walls and dark wood doors. The lighting here was dimmer and the floor bare of carpets. I assumed it was the servants' quarters.

The girl took me to a door halfway down the hall and stopped. "This is her room?" She nodded. "Thank you. I won't tell anyone you brought me here. I'd appreciate it if you did the same."

"You think I want to be punished?" she asked as she spun around and scurried away.

I knocked on the door and waited. When there was no answer, I tried the knob and, finding it unlocked, let myself into the room.

The curtains were shut, leaving the room in shadows, but what I could see was a Spartan quarters. A narrow bed with a table next to it, a straight back chair by the fireplace, and a small wardrobe in the corner were the only furnishings. A wool rug covered part of the wood plank floor, the only comfort to be found in the space.

Rosetta was asleep in the bed, and as I approached her, I could tell something wasn't right. The covers were pulled halfway up, leaving her upper body exposed, and from what I could see in the murky light, her neck was bloodied and bruised. A slow rage kindled in my chest. Someone had hurt her, and someone was going to pay.

"Rosetta?"

I touched my hand to her cheek and found her skin to be dry and feverish. I bent over and pressed my lips to her forehead. "Rosetta?"

She startled awake and gasped, drawing back away from me.

"Easy. It's me. Julianus."

She looked around, her eyes wide. "Julianus? What are you doing here? "

"I was worried about you. What happened? Who hurt you?"

"You shouldn't be here. If they find out–"

"I don't care about that," I interrupted her. "Was it Christopher? Did he put those marks on your neck?"

I would kill him. I didn't know how, but I would find a way.

She nodded, her eyes tearing up. "He…tortured me. Laughed while he did it. While she stood by and watched."

My rage was instant. "When did this happen?"

"Last night. After they took you back to your room. I was on my way up here when Christopher grabbed me. Said he was still hungry. He dragged me out to the garden."

She started to cry softly and I had all I could do to keep hold of my temper. I reached for her hand and noticed her wrist, like her neck, was rimmed with cuts and bruises. "He did this?" She nodded. "I'll fucking murder him."

"You can't do anything," she whimpered. "They're too strong. I tried to fight him, but that only seemed to excite him more."

There had to be a way to stop them. Did they sleep during the day, I wondered? I never saw the Contessa during the day and wondered if perhaps the legends were true. That the vampira spent their days like the dead. If so, were they vulnerable then?

"I'm going to kill them both."

"You cannot. They're too powerful."

"Everything can be killed. I just have to find the right way to do it."

"Listen to me, Julianus. If they find out you're here, they'll do to you what they did to me. "

"No one knows I'm here." No one but the maid. Would she talk? I supposed if they tortured her, she would. "We'll leave then."

"Leave? How? Franco watches the gate and Lucia and Tomasso would report anything they saw to the Contessa. If they even suspected we were thinking about leaving, they'd throw us both in the cellar."

"Then we won't let them suspect. We'll leave as soon as you're able to walk."

She grabbed my hand in her smaller one, pulling my eyes to hers. "I know you mean well, but you don't know her like I do. Even if we somehow managed to get off the property, she wouldn't rest until she found us. We belong to her."

"My father has resources. He could get us far enough away that she could never find us."

"I love the idea that you're willing to do this for me, but I don't believe it is possible."

I bent down and placed a kiss on her lips. "Let me worry about what's possible. You just promise me you'll stay here until I come for you. I can't…I can't lose you."

She squeezed my hand. "Do you love me, Julianus?"

Did I? I'd only known her a few weeks, but during that time she had grown to be the most important person to me in this place. Whether that was love or not, I had no idea. But she was watching me with such hope, I had to say something.

"I know I'd do whatever it takes to keep you safe. If that's love, then so be it."

"I think it is," she replied. "And I think I love you, too."

? ? ?

She loved me, but did I return the sentiment? The question kept turning itself over in my head as I made my way back to my room. Did I love Rosetta? I had known many girls in my time, most of them meaningless flings I forgot almost as soon as they were gone. A night of passion spent under the stars or in the back of a stable that were no more than bragging rights to my friends Francisco and Gianni. Some nights it was a contest between us to see who could bed the most maidens. I held my own and often came out on top because from an early age I made it a point to observe and learn from the young men in town as they wooed women into their beds. I had even bedded some of those same women myself, courtesans looking for adventure and unconcerned with how young or inexperienced their partners might be. I liked to think it was what I learned from those encounters that allowed me to satisfy the Contessa's insatiable lust.

But what I felt for Rosetta was different. I wasn't driven by a desire to bed her. I wanted to protect her. To cherish her. I looked forward to every encounter with her and missed her when we were apart. If that's what love was, then that's what I felt for her.

Regardless of what it was, I knew I was not going to let Christopher or the Contessa hurt her again. It was too late today to find a way off the estate, but tomorrow as soon as I rose, I would make that a priority. The Contessa's men couldn't be everywhere at once, and I intended to exploit that.

But first I had to get through tonight.

Because the maid had brought my toiletry, I knew the Contessa was expecting me in her room. And I had no doubt Christopher would be there. I washed and dressed quickly and tamped down my anger as I made my way down the hall. Rosetta's life depended on my ability to play the role of the dutiful lover. Tonight I would give them everything they wanted, for as long as they wanted. I needed Christopher to be sated so he wouldn't go looking to satisfy his appetites elsewhere.

He was the one who opened the door when I knocked. He was nude, as was the Contessa, and I could smell the telltale scent of sex in the air.

"Julianus! Just the man I wanted to see," Christopher greeted as he draped an arm around my neck and pulled me closer to the bed. "You fell asleep last night just as we were getting started. I had to prowl the hallways in search of relief."

I swallowed my rage and smiled through gritted teeth. "Sorry. I'll do better tonight."

"You see, Anastacia? He's sorry. That can only mean he intends to make it up to me."

"As long as you leave something for me," she purred.

"I'm sure there's more than enough to go around. He's young and durable, not like the rest of your staff. Honestly, darling, as I've told you before, you need to upgrade. Find some lusty, brood-aged women who can take a beating."

"I'll take that under advisement," she replied, reaching for me.

I steeled myself for her touch as she stripped my shurt then indicated for me to remove my breeches. When I was naked, she drew me toward her, pulling me onto the bed.

"I need you to fuck me," she breathed.

I nodded and started to crawl toward her but Christopher grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Just a minute. Before he does that, I want him to suck my cock."

"You can wait. "

He pretended to pout, though on him it looked more like a scowl. "And what am I supposed to do with this while he's fucking you?" He grabbed his hard on and waved it in our direction, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from scolding him like a child.

The Contessa narrowed her eyes at him but finally sighed and shrugged. "Very well. You are my guest."

"Indeed I am," he replied brightly, then looked at me. "On your knees, then."

He pulled me off the bed and shoved me down to the floor, where I was the right height to face his cock. "Now don't tell me you've never done this before," he warned. "I'm sure you're a quick study, so I expect you to excel at it."

He shoved his cock against my lips, forcing me to open my mouth and take him. His taste reminded me of the Contessa's pussy, a salted, musky flavor that seemed to overwhelm my senses and stir my own hunger. Was it something in what they were that caused this reaction in me, making me want to devour them with no will to resist?

I ran my tongue up his length and circled his head, rimming his foreskin and sliding my tongue beneath it then up to his slit. He bucked against me, his hand on the back of my head, forcing me to swallow his length. I gagged as his cock hit the back of my throat, opening my mouth wider to suck in some air, but he didn't give me a chance to pull back. He began fucking my mouth, building a rhythm as he shoved his cock against me, leaving me breathless. Tears streaked down my cheeks, mixing with the drool that leaked from my mouth.

"That's it," he moaned, his hand tangling in my hair. "You're a natural at this. "

As much as I didn't want to be here doing this, I couldn't deny the effect his praise had on me. I began sucking harder on his cock, willing myself to take him deeper, to run my tongue up and down his length as he moved in and out of my mouth. My own cock was rock hard, aching for relief, but when I reached down to stroke it, he slapped my hand away.

"Uh uh. You don't get to cum yet."

A frustrated whimper escaped my lips and I pressed up against him, at least trying to get some traction. Anything to relieve this raging boner. He chuckled deep in his throat and backed himself away from my efforts while keeping my head pressed to his cock. It was an awkward position, and I nearly fell forward, but his grip on my neck kept me upright.

"That's it. Suck my big cock deep. Make me cum all over your sweet face."

One thing I had learned about Christopher in the short time I'd known him. He was a talker, his mouth spewing all sorts of filthy suggestions during sex. I was used to quiet maidens who occasionally moaned or whimpered, not this lewd running dialogue, and I was surprised how much it aroused me.

I became aware of the Contessa leaving the bed to stand behind me, her nails trailing up and down my back, sending shivers of lust coursing through me. I silently begged her to grab my cock, to give it even a little attention, but her hands trailed over me everywhere but where I needed them. The vibration of my groan caused Christopher to fist my hair and throw his head back with a gasp.

"Ah yes, do that again, pretty boy. What a fuckable mouth you have."

I started moaning deep in my throat and his own moans carried on a duet with me while his cock grew stiffer, his breathing more ragged. I knew he was close now. The Contessa knelt and molded her body to my back, reaching around me to cradle his balls while he kept a death grip on my head.

"Ah yes!" he finally groaned as his cock exploded, sending his hot cum spewing into my mouth. I gagged trying to swallow it, but some of it leaked past my lips and down my chin. The Contessa stood up and reached around me for Christopher as they lost themselves in a fevered kiss over my head while I remained trapped between them with his wilting cock in my mouth.

At last they separated and he pulled away from me, his fingers raising my chin up to meet his eyes. "Not bad for your first time, pretty boy. You'll get better as you practice."

I didn't say I had no intention of practicing any more with him. That I intended to be gone from here before I spent another evening servicing his sexual whims. Right now, however, my focus was on my own cock. I needed relief, and soon. I stood on shaky legs and turned toward the Contessa.

"I believe you wanted to be fucked."

She smiled at me and pulled me toward the bed, climbing on in front of me and turning onto her back with her legs open, her pussy calling to me. Christopher followed us onto the bed, for what reason I didn't know, but for the moment I was more concerned with addressing my own needs. I crawled up between her legs and dipped a finger into her pussy, finding it already dripping for me.

"Seems you're ready," I murmured as I positioned the head of my cock against her lips.

"I'm always ready," she chuckled, nuzzling her mouth against my neck as I shoved my cock into her with a single stroke .

I knew what she was, I knew that she would kill me in a heartbeat, but I couldn't deny that hers was the most satisfying cunt I had ever fucked. When I was near her, I couldn't get enough of it. She was like an addiction that clouded my mind and lit my blood on fire, and some part of me mourned the fact that she had probably ruined me for every woman after her.

I fucked her like a madman, pounding her relentlessly as she wrapped her legs around me and squeezed me close. Her nails scored my back and ass, her teeth ravaged my throat, and still I didn't slow my pace, like I was chasing some wild demon through the depths of hell.

Even when I felt Christopher behind me massaging the cheeks of my ass I didn't alter my rhythm, my cock so stiff it was almost painful until finally release came. Her pussy spasmed around me as she came, milking me dry and leaving me breathless as I collapsed on top of her.

I felt Christopher's hand dip between us, coating his fingers in our cum and rubbing it around my ass. No, he couldn't possibly be meaning to fuck me now. Not after I just sucked him off. Did being a vampira give him the stamina of a bull?

I could feel the Contessa lapping at the wound she'd created on my throat as Christopher inched his cock into my ass. I tried to move off of her, to at least break free of her grip, but once again they had me trapped between them. He grabbed my hips and raised my ass so he could slide all the way inside me, and despite my reluctance, I found myself pushing back against him, chasing my own satisfaction. I met him, thrust for thrust for a few minutes, but his appetite was relentless, and gradually I found myself flagging. I let go an exhausted grunt, unsure how much longer I could go.

It's not like I hadn't fucked more than once in a night. I had bedded two and even three maidens in a night more than once in the past, but always there was at least enough of a break between them to recover myself. And there certainly wasn't someone sucking the life out of my neck while I did it. The blood loss caused my head to spin, my vision growing spotty, and I felt myself nearly passing out.

Then I remembered Rosetta. I had to stay conscious for her sake. I couldn't take the chance that Christopher would grow bored or unsatisfied and leave this room. So I took what he gave me and endured the Contessa's assault on my neck, fighting to remain conscious.

You can do this, I urged myself. You have to do this.

For Rosetta.