Free Duet in Blood by J. P. Bowie

within me, the vampire who had brought me news of Marcus, and who had given me his blood. The same powerful blood that flowed in their veins now was a part of me. I wished he did not remind me of Bernard quite so much, for it brought back too many painful memories and a deep rooted fear for Micah’s safety. A foolish fear, really, I told myself, for the vile creatures that had dragged Bernard from me were long dead and, therefore, no longer a danger to anyone. Still, sometimes in my nightmare visions, they were very much alive. In those same nightmares, Angelo would appear before me, begging me to save him—
    and I was helpless to do so.
    Some years after they had taken Angelo from me, they had moved me to another of
    their strongholds. Hidden deep in the subterranean caverns below an abandoned castle, they continued to terrorise me, keeping me weak so that I could not fight them off. They had learned that the change had made me stronger than most men. Once, in a fit of outrage, and not knowing how strong I had become, I had lashed out at the Master, breaking his cheekbone. My punishment had been terrible, and my supply of blood diminished to only enough to keep me alive. After all the years of praying that one day Marcus would hear of my captivity and come to rescue me, I had finally given up all hope. In my weakened state, I DUET IN BLOOD
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    resolved to let myself die. How many years had I lived anyway? Much more than mortal men can expect. My parents would be long dead, the world outside changed and uncaring of my existence.
    Die, Joseph , I would tell myself over and over. Just die . But I could not die, for those who held me would not allow it. Each day, they brought me just enough blood, and each day, I wept as I drank it.
    With a determined effort, I cleared my mind of those memories and glanced at my
    watch. A little after midnight. Time to assuage my hunger before the streets of West Hollywood emptied for the night. The bars would soon spill out their young and boisterous patrons who would be heading home early in preparation for the new workweek to come.
    Micah’s blood, pulsing sweet and strong under his skin, had been an almost
    overpowering temptation. One day, I would have to tell him my true identity, reveal to him the darker side of me—that part of me that sends me out into the night, as it now did, to find that which would quench my thirst and satisfy the hunger that never really left me.
    The streets and sidewalks of West Hollywood were damp from an earlier rainfall as I walked with measured nonchalance between the flashing lights and pounding music that beckoned passers-by into the anonymous ambience of the gay bars that lined both sides of Santa Monica Boulevard.
    “Hi, you look lonesome.” The sweet-faced young man, who stood smoking a cigarette outside one of the more popular bars, gave me a sly smile.
    “Can you take care of that for me?” I asked, preparing him for his affirmative answer.
    “You bet.” He took my hand and led me into a nearby, darkened doorway. “You’re
    hot,” he whispered, tugging at my fly.
    I cupped his face between my hands and kissed his mouth lightly. “Open your eyes,” I said. As his liquid blue eyes gazed into mine, I entered his mind and told him that all he would remember of this encounter was that it had been wonderful. I then added the thought that he would never want to smoke another cigarette ever again. He gazed back at me with the complete trust of one whose will has suddenly been taken from them.
    As my lips caressed his throat, his arousal pressed against my thigh. “Oh, feels so good,” he murmured. “So good…”
    DUET IN BLOOD
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    My bite was clean and deep. He stiffened in my arms for just a moment, then he was clinging to me, pushing his neck against my mouth, as he sent his sweet, life-sustaining blood pulsing over my tongue. He shuddered and moaned aloud as he orgasmed without my ever touching him. I