A Day in the Life: Lilith F E Heaton
Copyright © 2010 Felicity Heaton All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. The right of Felicity Heaton to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First printed August 2010 First Edition Layout and design by Felicity Heaton All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Cover by Felicity Heaton
The following short story follows on from:
Seventh Circle Dark, sensual and fast-paced, Seventh Circle is a story of forbidden love so strong that it will save the world. Born with strange powers similar to a vampire’s, Lilith has spent her life hunting demons for Section Seven. Now, on the very same night that she watches a vampire kill her best friend, she’s faced with her worst nightmare. A client who is not only attractive, but a vampire. Lincoln, a powerful pure blood vampire, has a problem. The prophecy he’s caught up in is coming to pass and his only chance of survival is relying on those he hates most—vampire hunters. It has been foretold that one will save him, a female hunter, and when he meets her, the attraction he feels is both instantaneous and forbidden. Their mutual attraction becomes difficult to deny as they work to unravel the mystery of a contract between Lincoln’s lord and the Devil. The barriers around their hearts fall, but is there only pain ahead of them? With Lincoln’s life on the line, can Lilith find the strength to protect him and embrace a side of herself that she wished didn’t exist? Can Lincoln overcome his fear in order to save Lilith even if it means parting from her forever? What price will they pay to be together? Read an excerpt or buy here: http://bit.ly/cDJ92F SAVE 25% on this story by entering this code during checkout:
LILITH
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
A Day in the Life: Lilith It was beautiful tonight. The full moon gently grazed the shadowed mountains across the lake, scattering splintered white light on the dark water. It was the third time that she had watched the full moon rise since becoming a vampire, and each time it mesmerised her. Every time she sat here on the picnic table at the shore of the huge lake, she felt more comfortable with herself and her new life. Lilith held her knees to her chest, sitting with her booted feet on the edge of the table. A chill wind blew strands of her long fair hair, so they danced across the moon like waves, and snuck icy fingers through her thick black jumper to drain her skin of what little heat she had, but she didn’t move from the spot. She didn’t mind the cold, not when there was so much beauty surrounding her. She wanted to drink it in, make the most of such a rare moment, and listen to the call of the night and hear the silence of the deep woods around her. There was a feeling growing inside her though, one which couldn’t be quietened so easily anymore and one which even stole into her time out in the night, whispering to her. She couldn’t deny what it said. She was hiding out at the cabin. Lincoln had gone into Oslo to see the bloodline again. He had been going more and more often since her arrival at the cabin with him and she knew that they were becoming restless without their true leader. 1
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
Her. She also knew that Lincoln was growing tired of having to try to control the bloodline for her. He would never say it, but she could sense his fatigue and the stress that always lingered around him whenever he returned to her. Which he was due to do tonight. She could feel him getting closer already, could sense him through the bond they shared, and she knew that when he came to her, it would be with more news of unrest and he would again ask her to go to the bloodline and take command. Lilith was afraid though. The thought of taking command of a bloodline and being responsible for any human death at their hands frightened her. The vampire hunter in her didn’t want to go. The vampire in her was ashamed of her weakness. She rested her chin on her black jean-clad knees and sighed. The water lapped softly at the stony shore of the lake but the sense of peace it should have given her wouldn’t come tonight. Her new abilities didn’t bother her. They were so similar to her old ones that she was already accustomed to them. It was drinking blood and becoming a leader that she couldn’t grow used to. Lincoln often gave his own blood to her, or packs stolen from the main hospital in Oslo. She knew that he only did it to be kind to her, and she appreciated his understanding, but she also knew that one day she would have to drink human blood from the source. She couldn’t always deny that part of her, the part that lusted for the hunt and the kill. As she grew stronger, it did too, and now she was beginning to feel a dark need to make her first kill. 2
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
Lincoln had told her that she couldn’t merely feed and let the human live. It was against the law and she had seen enough of the Law Keepers to last her eternity. She didn’t want to stand before them again. It would be her death this time. They had only been lenient on them because Lord Hyperion had given her, as the new master of her bloodline, the final word on the verdict. She had chosen to save their lives. If she exposed their existence to the world by taking blood without killing the human, then she would face the Law Keepers and the sentence would be death. Her word wouldn’t matter this time. The fat moon rose higher, clearing the mountains and casting white light down on their snow-capped peaks. Lincoln was closer. She could feel him stronger now. Lilith sighed and stared at the moon, asking it with her heart what she should do. It spoke to her as it did all vampires, calling her to hunt and to feed, to surrender to her true nature. She was stronger. Perhaps it was time that she faced her bloodline and accepted responsibility for them. It was time that she accepted herself. She had chosen to give her life to Lincoln and be reborn as a vampire. She had to start living life again and no longer hide in the dark wilderness. A car stopped near the cabin up the slope behind her. She listened to the engine cease, and then the door close, and then smiled when she heard footsteps coming towards her. Lincoln. 3
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
“I thought I would find you here,” he said, his deep voice soothing to her ears, laced with his strange mixed accent. It was somewhere between English and Scandinavian. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and squeezed them. “You feel tense.” Lilith smiled, not taking her eyes off the moon. It was the bond. It allowed him to sense her feelings and, in return, she could feel the fatigue in him and the irritation. “Another unsuccessful trip?” she whispered, afraid of asking him when he was going through so much stress because of her weakness. He had been gone three days this time, longer than usual. She had missed him so much in that time, alone in the cabin, feeling vulnerable without him there to protect her. He had assured her that the vampire hunters wouldn’t find her. She had found that ironic. She was afraid of vampire hunters now when she had been one only a few short months ago. “They are growing more restless.” He sounded as tired as he felt to her. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the curve of her throat. She closed her eyes at the brief contact, absorbing how it felt to have him close to her again. She felt safe with him near. Stronger. She hated to be alone, had always felt that way since she had been small. Her twin sister had been close to her, so deeply connected that they had felt keen loneliness whenever they had been separated, even as adults. They had hated to be apart, leaving the other behind, both feeling alone. When her sister had disappeared, Lilith had felt as though she would be alone in the world forever. She had constructed barriers around her heart, used her hatred 4
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
of vampires to protect her and drive her, to bury her feelings so she didn’t have to face them. Lincoln had changed all that for her. In so many more ways than just his love for her. He had done so much for her. “I have news.” He pressed another kiss to her throat, lingering there this time with his lips against her skin, his breath softly washing over it and tickling. He lifted his mouth to her ear. “We are shortly to have the arrival of a new vampire and the return of an old one.” Lilith couldn’t dare hope that he was going to say what her heart so desperately wanted to hear. Lincoln kissed her shoulder, her bare neck below her jaw, and then her earlobe. He was teasing her and it was nothing short of torture to have to wait to hear what he had to say. Unable to bear it, she turned and knelt on the table facing him. He smiled at her, handsome in the soft moonlight. It cast silvery light on his long black winter coat, left bright white highlights in his short dark hair, and turned his eyes fathomless black but there was nothing dark about them. They twinkled with the love that she could sense in him. He reached out and ran long slender fingers through her blonde hair, sweeping it back from her face, and then grazed her cheek with his thumb. Her eyes threatened to close at the feel of the caress, the way it made her calm inside and relaxed, a soothing balm that eased the worries and loneliness that had plagued her since he had left for Oslo. “Oneiric has found Eve.” 5
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
Those words made her heart feel as though it was beating again, painfully hard against her chest. Her blood father had found her sister. She had hoped for this moment since she had discovered that her sister was alive and had become a vampire of the Vehemens bloodline, just like her father and Lincoln. Just like her. “He has been introducing her slowly into his life, and making sure that she is recovering from her ordeal.” Lilith’s dark eyes widened. “What happened to her?” Lincoln stroked her cheek, his eyes soft with affection. “It is better you hear it from her... if you will come to the mansion. Your bloodline are waiting, and we have little time to prepare for your sister’s arrival with your father.” Lilith thought about it. It had been a long time since she had heard anything from Oneiric. She had thought that he had given up on both finding Eve and becoming a part of Lilith’s life, that he had left her alone again. Lincoln had always reassured her that her father would never do such a thing, and her father had been very kind to her when they had met and had helped her a great deal in her fight to save Lincoln, but she had been so afraid. She had lost her mother, taken from her by Section Seven, the demon hunting organisation who had raised her, and then she had lost her sister to the vampires. She had been alone so long until Lincoln had come to her and then she had discovered that she had a father, and that her sister was alive. “When are they coming?” she said without the tremble in her voice that she had expected. 6
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
“Only a week or two from now.” His fingers fell from her face and he took hold of her hand. The strength that flowed through her from his touch gave her the courage to face her fears. No matter what happened, Lincoln would be there with her, for her, and she was sure that if her strength failed, he would lend his to her. The bloodline needed their lady, their ruler, and her family were arriving soon. She was stronger and she had been hiding too long. She would lead her bloodline and be with her family again. She would show her father that she was strong, just like him, and would give her twin sister a safe place to live. Lilith knelt on the picnic table and looked up into Lincoln’s dark eyes. He was watching her closely, clearly monitoring her feelings. Before she could speak, he stepped closer and then kneeled on the seat of the picnic table in front of her. He cupped both of her cheeks in his palms and looked deep into her eyes. “You are strong enough to do this, Lilith, I know that you are... I believe that you are,” he whispered and his gaze followed his fingers as he stroked her brow and then her cheek. She could feel so much love in him, could sense the strength of his belief. It touched her deeply and threatened to bring a smile to her face. “You are beautiful. I thought that from the moment I met you. I lost my heart to you so quickly... fell in love with you so deeply. You are my mate, and the bond we have is incredibly strong, and I can feel that you are still afraid of taking responsibility and facing what you have become. I am here for you though, and will support you through the trials ahead. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it. The bloodline will come to respect you in time. 7
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
They are eager to meet you and see the strength of their new leader. You will be a great leader, Lilith. I will always be there for you if you need me. I promise.” Lilith leaned forwards and kissed him softly, gently teasing his lips with hers and savouring the feeling of his love and hers combining, joining as one within her and giving her the strength that he spoke of. He wrapped his strong arms around her and she found comfort in them, and in his feelings. “I will go to Oslo tomorrow night,” she whispered against his lips and then rested her forehead against his for a second before sitting back on her heels. His dark eyes were wide and his shock ran through her. She was surprised too. She had considered asking him to give her another week, or at least a few more days here, but she had to take responsibility just as he had said and that meant going as soon as possible. “I will lead them... or at least do my best.” He nodded. “You do not have to rush.” Lilith took hold of his hand and squeezed it, bringing it up to her chest and holding it there over her heart. Her eyes locked with his and she opened her heart to him, so he could feel the strength inside her that was in part due to him. “You’ve looked after them for long enough. You’ve given me time to adjust and I’m grateful for it, but I can’t hide here anymore pretending that the trouble with the bloodline doesn’t exist and that it isn’t because of me. They need someone strong to lead them and I think I can be that person now, because of you.”
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A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
He smiled, boyish and charming, and dropped his gaze to her knees, as though her words had embarrassed him. When he raised his eyes again to meet hers, there was a shy edge to them. It always caught her off guard when he looked so human, let his guard down and stripped away the armour he wore around others, revealing his heart and his innermost feelings to her. He was beautiful when he looked at her like this—with love and devotion, deep affection, and a smile in his eyes that said that she was everything to him. She could almost guess at what he was going to say. “I love you, Lilith,” he whispered and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. “I would do anything for you. I have always promised you that I would be a good sire to you.” Lilith nodded and touched her throat, her fingers lingering over the scars there. He had bitten her several times in the same place since the night he had turned her and she loved the intense connection it opened between them, their feelings flooding each other. They hid nothing from the other when they were like that, and it always reassured her to feel the depth of his emotions and to know that whatever trouble he had to cope with at the bloodline, he didn’t resent her for it at all. She didn’t deserve someone so understanding and supportive. Several months ago when she had first met him, she hadn’t realised how human vampires really were. He felt more than most of the hunters she had known, and he felt it keenly. He had been so alone and afraid of dying, and she was glad that they had met, that she had been able to save him and that she had loved him enough to choose this path and be with him. “I love you too,” she said and ran the backs of her fingers down his cheek, over the thin scratchy layer of 9
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
dark stubble that masked his jaw. “I don’t regret what I did for you, becoming a vampire, because it gave me eternity to live with you and it’s been bliss so far.” He smiled. “And it will continue so. The bloodline will obey you if you are strong with them.” She wondered just how strong he was talking about. She had been reading about the histories of the seven pure bloodlines of Europe, and it was bloody, with new leaders often slaughtering vampires who opposed them until the others fell into line. She didn’t want to have to do that. She would rule them with a strong but gentle hand. Turning away from Lincoln, she sat on the picnic table again and leaned her back against his chest. He settled his arms around her waist, clasping his hands over her stomach, and rested his chin on her shoulder, occasionally pressing kisses to it. Lilith’s gaze rose to the full moon. The next time she saw it, she would be in Oslo and her sister would be with her. It was incredible to think that after all this time she would see her sister again. She would look older than her now, having been turned after her sister, but they would be together at last. The night spoke to her, words of sweet comfort and reassurance, giving her strength. She was strong now and she would rule her bloodline and take responsibility for her actions. She would do it because her sister and father were going to be there, and Lincoln would always support her and give his strength to her should she need it. 10
A Day in the Life: Lilith – F E Heaton
She loved him for the things that he had done for her. Because of him, she had a family again. She had a mate and someone who loved her more than anything, for all eternity. She was no longer alone. The End
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About the Author: Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances. Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures. To see her other novels, visit: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk If you have enjoyed this story, please take a moment to contact the author at
[email protected] or to post a review of the book online Follow the author on: Her blog – http://felicityheaton.blogspot.com Twitter – http://twitter.com/felicityheaton Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/feheaton Grouply – http://felicityheaton.grouply.com
Enjoyed this story? This short was based on: Seventh Circle
Dark, sensual and fast-paced, Seventh Circle is a story of forbidden love so strong that it will save the world. Born with strange powers similar to a vampire’s, Lilith has spent her life hunting demons for Section Seven. Now, on the very same night that she watches a vampire kill her best friend, she’s faced with her worst nightmare. A client who is not only attractive, but a vampire. Lincoln, a powerful pure blood vampire, has a problem. The prophecy he’s caught up in is coming to pass and his only chance of survival is relying on those he hates most—vampire hunters. It has been foretold that one will save him, a female hunter, and when he meets her, the attraction he feels is both instantaneous and forbidden. Their mutual attraction becomes difficult to deny as they work to unravel the mystery of a contract between Lincoln’s lord and the Devil. The barriers around their hearts fall, but is there only pain ahead of them? With Lincoln’s life on the line, can Lilith find the strength to protect him and embrace a side of herself that she wished didn’t exist? Can Lincoln overcome his fear in order to save Lilith even if it means parting from her forever? What price will they pay to be together? Read an excerpt or buy here: http://bit.ly/cDJ92F SAVE 25% on this story by entering this code during checkout:
LILITH
