A Blood Seduction (Vamp City #1)(44)

"Why do your friends call you Ax?"

He glanced at her, secrets in his eyes. "It is a long story, cara. One you will be happier not knowing."

Finally, they reached another set of open double doors. "The banquet hall," Arturo murmured, ushering her inside.

Quinn stared, her pulse thrumming. This room was twice the size of the throne room and lacked the gilt splendor, but it was still colorful and intriguing in a disturbing kind of way. Flat chaises covered in bright, solid-color cushions ringed the room on rising heights like four levels of stadium seating . . . or bedding. In the center of the room, at ground level, stood what appeared to be a shallow, waterless pool, marble and rectangular, with several spigots protruding from each side.

Dozens of people . . . vampires, she assumed . . . sat or lounged on the chaises, their excited murmurs rising and falling. They were dressed in flowing, sleeveless, brightly colored gowns, the men's loose-fitting, the women's clingy and sheer. Several nearby saw her, their expressions turning hungry. One male's fangs began to lengthen, his pupils slowly turning white. Yep, definitely vampires.

Quinn's heart began to pound, and she found herself sidling closer to Arturo, watching as a couple of the vampires threw their heads back in pleasure. Fear-feeders.

Arturo's hand shifted from her arm to the back of her neck in a clear display of possession. "Calm yourself, cara," he said softly, and ushered her forward, tight against his side.

"Arturo," the vampires murmured as they passed. Many greeted him with deference, some with genuine warmth. Most appeared intensely curious about her. Quinn met those who stared at her with her best I'll-rip-your-eyeballs-out look.

Arturo led her to one of four sets of steps. As they started up, she saw Cristoff at the top in a gown of gold, surrounded by half a dozen guards dressed all in black. Her pulse escalated, but she remembered what Arturo had said, that Cristoff couldn't taste her fear, only see it. Clenching her jaw, she pasted a hard expression on her face and prepared to meet the dragon.

When they reached him, Cristoff rose and took her from Arturo, squeezing her arm painfully as he pulled her beside him and turned her to face the room. All eyes rose to stare at her.

Cristoff grabbed her hair. Quinn stifled a cry, then lost the battle and cried out as he jerked her head back in a wash of scalp pain, exposing her neck. The damn vampire made a sound of pleasure deep in his throat, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"I give you the last sorceress!" Gasps and exclamations erupted around the room, quickly followed by raucous cheers. Quinn trembled, tensing for his bite. "Vamp City and all who reside here are saved. Tonight, we celebrate. Bring in the feast!"

The cheers erupted all over again.

Cristoff released her as suddenly as he'd accosted her. Arturo gripped her arm far more gently than Cristoff had, steadying her, then seating her on the cool, peacock blue silk cushion between the two men. The two vampires. She blinked back the tears, knowing the worst thing she could do was show weakness. Of course, Cristoff knew he'd hurt her. Just as he'd intended to.

Double doors on either side of the room opened as if choreographed. Naked people started flooding the room. Slavas, by the looks of it, their hair faintly glowing in that weird way that meant immortal. She blinked. Cristoff had ordered the feast brought in. She'd expected servants carrying platters of food, but that was hardly a vampire feast, was it? No, the slaves themselves would be the feast. Some strode in with surprising confidence, others shuffling with misery. One light-haired female appeared to lose her nerve halfway into the room and turned to escape as a number of vampires threw their heads back, drinking her fear. The woman made it only as far as the door before a vampire grabbed her, gripping her chin as if to force her to stare into his eyes. To glamour her.

"Hold!" Cristoff commanded. "Put her in the basin as she is. Tonight she is mine."

The woman's color drained from her face, and she went absolutely hysterical, screaming, fighting to be free. The vampire picked her up and threw her into the marble pool with unnecessary force. The crack of bone preceded a horrifying scream. A different group of vampires gasped in pleasure. The pain-feeders.

Quinn began to shake. She had to get out of here.

Long, cool fingers curled around her arm. Arturo's. Control your emotions, cara, he murmured in her head. If you cannot watch, look elsewhere. Appear bored.

Bored? He was flipping crazy. But she forced herself to do as he instructed, ignoring the woman in the basin, pretending her screams weren't clawing at her nerves as she watched the other slaves instead.

Beside her, Cristoff rose. Her pulse stuttered, but he stepped past her and began to make his way down to the center of the room, leaving her behind. She thought again of the woman on the floor with the burn marks and wondered what agony the poor woman in the basin would endure. She did not want to be witness!

As Cristoff made his way down to his waiting victim, the other vampires, most of whom now wore rapturous expressions, grabbed a naked slave as they trooped past, deposited him or her on the nearest chaise, and sank their fangs into them. And, if they had them, their cocks.

Quinn turned to Arturo, her voice whisper-low. "They're going to kill them all."

"Most are virtually immortal by now. No matter how much blood is taken from them, they will survive without harm."

"That's why most of them don't seem to be afraid." Not only didn't they appear afraid, but most of the Slavas were now writhing in pleasure, active and eager participants in the sexual acts. "They're enjoying this."