Victoria couldn't speak as the warmth in his eyes enveloped her. Her blood raced as his lips found hers. It didn't last long.
Gently disentangling her arms, Christian pulled back. His eyes were excited, his body on edge. He'd explained to her that the feelings that flooded him weren't that different from the ones that ruled him when he was hunting. He wanted her. He wanted her blood. To him, it equated to the same thing ... and that meant he couldn't be trusted.
Christian cleared his throat, searching for a distraction and his eyes fell on the music box resting beside her.
"It's a family heirloom," Victoria said, noticing his gaze.
"It's very beautiful." Christian felt a strange sense of familiarity as he saw the box. The crest on the top of the box tugged at his memory but he couldn't for the life of him place it. But why would he have a memory that was related to a family heirloom of Victoria's?
"It was my great, great, great, great grandmother's box," she said. "Her name was Brigid and she was a duchess, the Duchess of Lancaster."
As she said the name, suddenly something clicked in Christian's head and he almost flew up in astonishment. Mon Dieu, Lucian was right! Victoria looked at him quizzically.
"What's the matter?" she asked. Christian searched her face, looking for anything, anything at all that could show that she was deceiving him, but he could see nothing.
"How much do you know about your ancestor, the duchess?" he asked finally.
Victoria deliberated. She wanted to be honest with Christian but she didn't want to betray any family secrets that should remain in confidence. Christian saw her hesitation and understood the reason for it. So he took the plunge and went first.
"Tori, we have a prophecy in the vampire world that goes back centuries. I am talking centuries before I was even born a human. It's based on the legend of a witch, a very powerful witch with amazing, nearly mythical powers." He paused and looked at her carefully expressionless face. Her hands gripped each other so tightly that her fingers were almost bloodless.
He continued, his voice soft, compassionate. "The part of the legend that applies to vampires and other supernatural beings was that she could take away the curse of what they were, make a vampire mortal or a werewolf a man, just by willing it to be so. And she could also make anyone, either mortal or immortal, more powerful than they had ever dreamed, again just from her own power. Her magic was consummate, said to be descended from gods or demons."
Victoria sank back into her chair, her eyes wide. He grasped her hands in his and squeezed reassuringly before continuing. "You see the key to all her vast power was her blood. We call it Le Sang Noir, which translates in English to 'black blood.' It was unique, and perfect—the source and strength of her power."
"And what happened to her according to your legend?" Her voice was raspy, raw with emotion.
"She disappeared. Some say she died by her own hand because she was unkillable and invincible, but not before she obliterated hundreds of witches, wizards and warlocks who had united to kill her and take her power. She killed anyone who opposed her, including vampires," he said softly.
Christian could barely hear Victoria's voice, it was so quiet. "It was the call of the blood," she whispered. "She couldn't control it."
He could feel her anguish but pushed himself to continue. "It is said that the blood cost to her soul was so great that she gave up her humanity for it. She killed herself in the end."
Victoria stared at Christian her eyes burning, vehemence making her voice shake. "She sacrificed herself ... for her family ... for me! She fought the blood. She found something to believe in, and won. She won!"
Christian folded her in his arms; her silent sobs shaking her body. He forced himself to finish the prophecy because he knew she had to know.
"Tori, there's something else," he said, tipping her chin up. "The legend was about the duchess, but the prophecy I speak of ... well, it's about ... you."
"W ... what?"
"You remember that day at my house when you were bleeding?" When she nodded, he kept going. "When I smelled the blood, I wanted it. I wanted you, Tori. The scent of it made me insane, I was delirious with it." Christian's eyes went dark with the mere recollection of it. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, banishing the memory.