CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE

SALVATION

ETIENNE LUCIER:

I gazed down at the twinkling lights of London at night as the plane flew over the city. I was going home. It had been a quick twenty four hours but I had achieved what I came here to do. Tilly, the witch had known I was coming. I didn't ask how or why, but when I'd entered her shop late afternoon she'd smiled and nodded. "Mr Lucier, a pleasure to meet you" she had purred huskily, grasping my cold hand with her deliciously warm one. I had nodded a greeting in reply. "Please call me Etienne" I had offered pleasantly. She had long scarlet red hair, perfect porcelain skin and sea green eyes. She certainly was beautiful. I hadn't expected this. I thought of witches as old and ugly, which had been very presumptive and wrong of me to do so! Tilly had put up the closed sign, locked the door and taken me into the back of the shop where she had pulled out the silver antique box that Kat had told Leah about. Before passing it to me she had gazed right into my topaz eyes then boldly asked me if I was a vampire. I had been taken aback at her forwardness. Not many humans knew of our existence. How was it possible that this wickedly gorgeous witch assumed I had been blessed or indeed cursed with immortality?

I had dazzled her with my smile in return. "Why do you enquire such a thing?" I had asked. She had smiled coquettishly at me, her green eyes twinkling mischievously in the dimmed lights of the small room. "I am fascinated by you Mr Etienne Lucier. I fell in love years ago with the strange and supernatural. Ever since I discovered my own unique talents I made it my mission to become an expert in such matters. I never, ever expected to meet a being such as yourself in the flesh. I read of you, I dreamed of you but never did I imagine I would meet a vampire like you!" she had gushed, her breathing quickening and her heart racing. Oh dear. This impossibly beautiful creature was bewitched by me, excuse the pun. She was very beguiling. She was very alive. I hadn't tasted human blood for centuries except when I changed Leah. That was different. Something about this witch had made me want to sink my sharp teeth into her pale slender neck and drink from her ravenously. Had she put a spell on me? I had questioned myself. My eyes had fixed on her pulse, beating quickly, pumping the precious blood around her body. My hungry eyes had roamed downwards to the swell of her breasts, accentuated by the smallness of her waist and down to the curve of her hips. I had to visibly shake myself as I had watched her walk slowly and purposefully towards me.

Her green eyes were mesmerising as she had approached. The silver box was in her hands behind her back. She had worn a low cut black dress which skimmed her curves in all the right places. Her smile was predatory, almost vampiric! Her lips had curved up into a smile as she came closer to me. So close I could smell her skin. I felt and heard her heart beat. I missed this. I had loved Leah as a human. Of course I loved her even more now. Visions of my darling wife had invaded my mind and stopped me in my tracks. What was I doing having lustful thoughts about another woman! She had leant in so very close, her rose pink lips inches from mine, tempting me with her beauty and humanity. "Etienne, I would love something in return for this precious item I hold" she had whispered seductively. I had once again fallen into the depths of her green eyes. They held me there like a fly trapped in a spider's web. Falling, falling into the dreamy sea of her hypnotic beautiful eyes. Her lips had been moving slowly, talking to me softly as I fell deeper and deeper. "Kiss me Etienne, kiss me beautiful vampire, unholy one, immortal devil. I want you to" she had intimated most perfectly as her lips inched closer.

I felt the softness of her mouth brush mine as gentle and as sweet as a butterfly wing. Oh the deliciousness of being close to a female human. It had overpowered all my vampire senses. I had growled with passion and hunger as I had pulled her towards me, the silver box falling onto the floor. Her lips were like honey and cinnamon, sweet as sugar and hot as fire. My mind was consumed by her. She had took her mouth from mine, I had missed it instantly and had went in quickly to crush her to me again. Her lips were bruised and swollen from my violent passionate kisses. I was shocked and disgusted at myself for my shockingly bad behaviour. What was wrong with me? I loved my Leah. How had this beguiling witch got to me? She had let her head drop to the side,her long red hair flowing like waves down one shoulder, exposing her pale neck to me invitingly. I had snarled softly, but hungrily "Bite me Etienne. Take me, do what you will with me, make me yours forever" she had demanded, lust and excitement colouring her voice. Her request had snapped me suddenly out of this strange trance I had found myself in. I had pushed her away from me in disgust. I had quickly picked up the silver box and slipped it into my overcoat pocket. "Leave me alone, witch!" I had cried out. She had laughed at me, her green eyes fierce and determined. "I have dreamed of this moment forever Etienne. A dark handsome stranger turning up on my doorstep to change my life, to take me away from this humble shop to exciting places and a different life!" she had confessed. Her hands were on her hips defiantly and her green eyes were fixed on me intently. She was still very beautiful to me, but the spell had been most definitely broken.

"I am not only a vampire Tilly, I am a married vampire who is very much in love with his wife. I am hers and she is mine. No one can change or erase that" I had spoken gently. "That's not what I heard!" she had snorted with a defiant toss of her luscious thick red hair. I had smiled savagely. "It is the truth. I am guessing you know why I need the apotropaic then? Daniel will never come between me and Leah. Not ever again. " I had growled with passionate anger. Tilly had stared at me, her eyes no longer held any allure for me though. "Your spell isn't strong enough for me my dear witch! Pity help the poor human you beguile with it though! It's very potent. You are a beautiful, fiery, determined and passionate woman who can go anywhere and do anything she likes. Do not be held back by people or places Tilly!" I had exclaimed to her, meaning every word. She had sighed as she smiled at me weakly. "It was an honour to meet you Etienne. It was also a pleasure, a great pleasure." she had said with a sexy wink. I had laughed out loud. She certainly was a character. In other circumstances, we might have made fantastic companions. A witch and a vampire? Indeed! I had bowed politely to the gorgeous Tilly, then quickly bid her farewell before I was off into the approaching evening in a flurry. I had quickly looked back as I sped off into the dark shadows of Tower Bridge. Tilly was locking up the shop, her eyes turned heavenwards, her lips moving silently. My vampire ears had easily picked up her words though. "Oh Goddess! You play such a cruel trick on me! Sending me such a fine specimen but one who could never be mine!" she had scolded. I laughed to myself as I had flagged down a black taxi so common to this city. It wouldn't do to go rushing at the speed of light to the airport, it was only early evening and many inhabitants of this fascinating city still roamed it's streets. I must blend in, if at all possible.

So, now I flew over the Atlantic, back towards home and Leah. I had told her not to go home until I instructed her to do so. The timing had to be perfect. We had a plan to trap Daniel so we could use the ancient plant on him as instructed by Kat via the angel Lukas. I hoped it worked. I wanted Leah back. I hated her being beholden to another man. I would tell her about my encounter with Tilly, of course. She would hate it but she would understand, she had to didn't she? That was harsh Etienne, I chided myself. Seems like neither of us were immune to compulsion. I couldn't wait to be back in her arms again, but first we must bind Daniel with the apotropaic. To do that we must use the one thing he wanted more than anything. My wife. My heart was heavy as I got closer to home. I would call Leah soon. I would tell her to seduce Daniel. It went against everything I held dear. We had to lure him though. False promises, kisses, touches and Leah's surrender would secure him so I could carry out the task in hand. I desperately wanted to kill him, but Leah wished to try this first and I wanted her to be happy. That's all. If she was happy, I was happy.

Salvation of Leah was my only goal, I didn't care much how we achieved it.