Chapter Ivy
Ivy
Veldmoor began to feel more like a prison as a month crawled by. Although Leseldh seemed to believe the story she’d crafted with Killian, he took no chances when it came to her safety.
She was back to nightly feeds in the parlour, working her way through the full range of Sabor Sanguine’s staff.
The red car containing her meal pulled up the private drive at the same time each evening and departed as soon as the transaction was complete.
Her means of entertainment were limited.
She had to be creative when it came to staving off her old enemy, boredom.
Ivy wandered the gardens at the rear of the property when she needed a reprieve from the oppressive walls of the mansion.
She even donned some loose-fitting clothing and revisited her Human pastime of running.
This activity served to increase Leseldh’s anxiety, but Ivy persuaded him to allow it by having Phaedra watch over her.
The Erath soared in lazy circles overhead as she ran laps around the property.
Ivy’s first run was a startling experience—although her pace as a Human was decent, her Vampiric nature gifted her an unnatural speed.
She could run for hours without tiring, but it usually resulted in requiring more than one Human to feed from to feel satiated.
The biggest benefit to running was that allowed her to sort through her tangled thoughts.
Her night with Killian left her feeling conflicted.
She thought of him regularly. When flashbacks of their night together forced their way into her mind, a fresh wave of arousal would wash over her.
Each time Leseldh laid his caramel-coloured eyes on her, she was terrified that he’d be able to read her mind and uncover her traitorous thoughts.
But when Leseldh was near, her desire for him felt just as strong.
He was attentive and affectionate, and although he was inflexible about her confinement, he seemed genuinely pained to enforce the restrictions.
Leseldh spent more time within the mansion than usual, and while there was a time when she longed for him to be around during her isolation, his presence now complicated matters.
Ivy felt like an invisible tether was tied between her and the two males, and it was constantly being stretched taut.
She wasn’t sure which end of the tether was tied strongest.
Life resumed as normal for the rest of the Idthraki clan.
Finare continued to partake in the social scene, although Ivy could sense it didn’t satisfy him in the way he needed.
Whether it was because he was missing his partner in crime, or something else, Ivy didn’t know.
They spent time together when he was at home, but Ivy felt the strain on their relationship—Veldmoor was not a safe place to be candid, and it choked the life out of their usually colourful conversations.
Ivy’s contact with Voresta was limited, so she was unaware of his activities, other than the seemingly endless hours spent in the gym. He ventured into the city at least once a night, and Ivy presumed it was to feed or to run errands for Leseldh.
Although their outings had ceased for the moment, Leseldh still carved out time for romance.
He crafted a series of ‘dates’ and varied the experiences of each rendezvous.
Ivy knew a date was on the horizon when an outfit was hung upon her armoire door with a note pinned to it.
The note outlined where he wanted to meet her. On this evening, the note read:
Meet me in the garden.
Ivy was dressed in a floor-length, crushed velvet dress in a pale gold colour, with plain shoes and no jewellery. Her hair was unbound and fell in delicate waves. Leseldh stood before the pathway that led out to the garden.
He wore his usual black slacks with the emerald-green silken shirt she first saw him in when she awoke from her Creation. As their eyes met, she saw the caramel of his eyes turn to molten gold. He offered her his hand.
“You look magnificent, Ivy.” He leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her lips.
She gave him a genuine smile. “As do you.”
He tucked her arm into his and began to walk with her into the garden.
He led her down one of the pathways to the gardener’s hut at the rear of the property.
A soft glow could be seen through panelled windows, diffused by drawn white curtains.
Leseldh stopped outside the door and Ivy looked at him quizzically.
“Are we doing some gardening tonight, Leseldh?” She tilted her head at him, and he let out a small laugh in response.
“Not quite. Come.” Leseldh opened the door and stepped aside to allow Ivy to enter first.
Ivy peered inside and realised that this wasn’t a gardener’s hut—it was a sanctuary.
A round café-style table with two chairs sat in the centre of the room, topped with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
Strings of lights spanned across the ceiling, casting a magical glow.
The floor was covered in pebble-shaped tiles, and a veritable jungle of potted plants lined the walls.
A water feature in one of the corners trickled into a small pool, with colourful fish swimming around inside.
It seemed like the perfect place to enjoy nature away from prying eyes.
“This place is lovely. Why have you never brought me here before?”
“Because it didn’t exist in this form until this week.”
“How?” Ivy shook her head in disbelief.
“A lot of things happen while you’re asleep, my love.” He gave her a sly smile and raised a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. He took her hand once more and led her to the table.
“How spontaneous of you,” Ivy chuckled.
She settled in at the table and marvelled at her surroundings. Leseldh opened the bottle of wine and poured them both a glass. After a moment of comfortable silence, Leseldh ventured into a topic that made Ivy’s heart race.
“We’re finally on the precipice of your Ascension. Everything is in place.” Leseldh’s tone was businesslike but softened with his next words, “I wanted to make sure you are ready.”
Ivy had spent the last month trying not to think about her Ascension, but it became more difficult as the date loomed. “I’m nervous.”
“That’s understandable. How can I ease your mind?” Leseldh reached across the table, resting his hand palm-up on it. She placed her hand in his.
“The idea of being buried scares me. Will I be awake? Will I be able to breathe? Can anything go wrong?” With each of Ivy’s questions, the edge of panic in her voice sharpened. Leseldh squeezed her hand gently.
“Once you are buried, you will enter a trance-like state. It’s a sort of stasis. You will not need to breathe or feed. This ends when your Ascension is complete.” Leseldh raised his glass with his free hand and took a sip. He added, somewhat reluctantly, “Or if the process is interrupted.”
“If it’s interrupted, does that mean I can never Ascend?” Ivy’s heart was racing against her will, and she did her best to steady herself with deep breaths.
“That is correct. If the process is interrupted, it can never be completed.” Leseldh’s eyes bored into hers as he spoke, as if trying to imbue her with calmness through his gaze.
Leseldh rose from his seat and moved to stand behind Ivy. His hands swept her hair aside before resting on her shoulders.
Leseldh spoke again in a reassuring voice. “Please don’t worry about that. Voresta is going to ensure you complete your Ascension. He will not fail you.”
Disruption of the Ascension was of concern, but only because she wanted to ensure the Sire and Broodling bond was erased. She needed to determine if her feelings for Leseldh were genuine, and not just a byproduct of her Creation. But she wouldn’t dare voice her true fears with Leseldh.
Would it really be so bad to be Leseldh’s Resonant?
The last year of her life was luxurious compared to her lifetime in Naum.
This male cared for her, and she couldn’t deny that she found him handsome.
But although it all seemed perfect on the surface, a nagging thought in the back of her mind dragged her doubts into sharp focus.
She was still bombarded by that persistent desire for more, and she wondered what was missing.
Her thoughts immediately rushed to Killian.
She was undeniably attracted to him, but it also seemed crazy for her to be so drawn to someone who’d been intent on Ending her, right up until the moment they kissed.
She needed more information from Leseldh, but she needed to tread carefully.
“After I’ve Ascended, is the next step to confirm our Resonance?” She hoped her words sounded curious, rather than riddled with the anxiety she felt.
“Indeed. When you rise, the love that you feel for me will be stronger than ever before. We will confirm our Resonance as soon as you are ready.” He smiled at her as he raised his glass to his lips.
As the night progressed and their conversation turned to other things, the words Leseldh uttered to comfort her only left her feeling more ill at ease.