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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Lucinda Dark
Read between
July 13 - July 14, 2020
My name’s Elizabeth and this is my husband, Jonathan.
the vampire named Arrius
Torin Priest.
“Arrius really thought he needed more for the Steeles?” Travis sounded befuddled and rather irritated. “This was easier than any of the others.”
That much damage might wound a vampire, but it wouldn’t kill a vampire, I knew. Dad had always said that to kill a vampire, you had to remove the head or stake the heart. But just running this creature through with my father’s prized blade wouldn’t do the trick either. It needed to be doused in holy water.
A vampire in need of blood would do almost anything to attain it. The pain so great and unbearable, it made them literally lose their minds until they quenched the thirst.
There—right out in the open, sitting on the counter—were the holy water vials. I grabbed a handful, stuffed them in my pockets before uncorking one and dumping it on the end of my reddened blade. The blood from both Kent and Travis immediately dried up and turned to ash.
“Eloise is one of Arrius’ most trusted advisors—”
I wasn’t like them. I was apart. Separate. While their hearts had long ago shriveled up and died as they were frozen in time at the age each of them were turned, I grew. I aged.
“Torin and Maverick were friends back in pre-school and up until two years ago, they were as close as two guys who aren’t boning could get.
While El and the like couldn't get headaches, that didn't mean I—half human as I was—couldn't, and the rising feeling of agony pounding at the inside of my skull made it difficult to think straight.
A shock of recognition. Katalin had said a vampire mated only once and rarely at that. Many killed their own mates so that they would have no weaknesses. I couldn’t imagine killing Barbie. If that was what she was, then all I wanted to do was get her far away from here.
“A dhampire is the product of a human and a vampire mating. I’m—” He paused and grimaced before continuing. “As far as I know, I’m the only one in existence, at least right now, I am.”
“Vampires were created by the mating between a minor blood god and humans when the creature escaped from hell thousands of years ago,” he started. “It was more of a powerful demon than an actual god, but vampire ancestors are particular about the difference between gods and demons. Those children were the original vampires and they found that, once born, they couldn’t procreate. The only way they could create lasting families was to turn already existing humans.” My fingers itched to reach for the whiskey, but this was important. “So, how did you come to be born?” I asked. Torin’s eyes held
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“I do think of her as my sister, but I guess she’s kind of my niece?” My eyebrows shot into my hairline. “What the fuck?” “Katalin was turned closer to the mid fifteenth century. When my father was turned, he left behind a wife and a son. His first son, my brother, went on to live a perfectly normal human life. Met and married a woman, they had children. Their children had children and so on until Katalin.” Torin waves a hand absently. “I don’t know how many generations down she went, but my father met her in Egypt around the time of her twenty-fifth birthday, realized the relation and turned
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The speed, the control he had over humans, the strength. Immortality agreed with him, but with the immortality of being a vampire, there also came weaknesses.” “Garlic?” I asked. He snorted. “No, garlic simply has a pungent smell. It has no effect on us. Holy water, however, does.” “Why?” He shrugged. “I suppose because it would have had an effect on the creature from which vampires were created. Waters and weapons blessed by those favored by God don’t necessarily agree with creatures from the pits of hell.”
“Suffice it to say—silver, holy water, and blessed weapons are the main weaknesses. Vampires can’t enter a home inhabited by humans without receiving permission—” “That’s why Barbie told me not to answer the door,” I surmised. “I wasn’t planning on giving her permission—the vampire—but when she commanded me to, I just … couldn’t stop myself.” He nodded. “Simple mind-control is something most vampires can do after they’ve grown older than a hundred or so,”
“But I do know that my father contracted a black witch from one of the Eastern continents. I don’t know specifics, but I do know that my father’s intention was to create something that had all of a vampire’s strengths and none of its weaknesses. I can walk in sunlight. I can eat. Holy water gives me a mild allergic reaction, but other than that, I can drink it or bathe in it just fine. I have the speed, night vision, and healing capabilities of a vampire. With that, however, I also have to drink blood to survive and if I don’t feed both sides, food and blood—I’ll lose control of the vampire.”
“Vampire mates are a huge weakness to exploit.”
“The side effects include an increased level of attraction to the one whose blood you consumed.”
The murderer wasn’t human and on top of that, it had more than likely been sent by my father. Katalin knew about Mav and Barbie. It was only a matter of time before he did too.
That mark isn’t going away; it’s mine and so are you for the foreseeable future.” I clenched my fists, but she powered on. “My name’s Satrina and that amulet you destroyed was my eternal resting place. My last hurrah, if you will. Whoever possessed my amulet allowed me to see through their eyes, to use their body as my own. Those with less than adequate resistance turned over almost all willpower to me.
“Sex,” she said simply. I sucked in a breath. “Arousal. Attraction. I’m not just any demon, darling. I’m a succubus. The best of the best. Strongest of the strong. What you desire is not unknown to me.”
“I am allowed full possession only in cases of emergencies,” she stated, tapping the end of the pen against the paper. “You will keep a channel open—you should anyway since it’ll allow you to pick up some of my own abilities—for conversation. At any point, if I feel your soul has weakened, however, you forfeit all of the restrictions I’ve put on myself.” She lifted her eyes to mine, the different colors shining with challenge. “Grow weak and I will take over. Utterly. Completely.”
“Oh, and just in case it wasn’t clear, you’ll need sex.” She paused, letting the announcement linger on the air. “Soon.” I choked. “What?” Shrugging lightly, she kept her eyes on me. “I’m a sex demon, what did you expect? My powers will grow within you, but the more you take on, the harder it’ll be for you to control. You need to relieve the tension—ergo—sex.”
But I might have forgotten to mention that having a succubus inside you heightens your emotions a bit. All of your emotions. Lust especially.
