Next up, a lovely 2.7k word f/f romance between a pair of side characters from the universe of my upcoming book series, The Bloodline Chronicles! There’s nothing too explicit, but this is an adult paranormal romance and should be read by adults.

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Pomegranate Sonata

by Evelyn Silver

Thriti loved her home in Boston, where she ruled the city and corresponding state on behalf of the secret vampire kingdom that operated in the shadows. As the Duchess of Massachusetts, there were a lot of perks she took advantage of. Her home was a small mansion. Nothing that would hold a candle to the palaces of ancient Persia, but more than enough for herself, guests, a lover or two when she chose to take them, and human staff to feed from. Her salary permitted her luxuries, and she enjoyed commissioning artists who would create custom paintings and sculptures for her walls and halls, as well as jewelers and tailors to adorn her body. 

Not that it needed much adornment. She had been beautiful in life, and vampirism had simply enhanced the gifts she already knew how to wield. She had curves, brown skin, black hair, and brown eyes, often framed by extravagant and heavy gold earrings that would have caused a human pain to wear for too long. Her long hair she liked to keep half up, half cascaded in waves, and enjoyed the way the black locks cascaded about her, not a strand ever out of place. 

Her home had not only new pieces of art, but numerous antiques as well. Of course, they hadn’t been antiques when she first purchased most of them, but that was of little consequence. One of the antiques was a beautiful, black grand piano, the old kind from back when such things were still made with real ivory keys. Thriti had an ear for music, though favored a lyre and rarely played the piano herself. But she made sure that it was well tuned so that whenever the mood struck her, she wouldn’t be stuck with an off instrument. 

Usually, no one else played the piano in her home, though occasionally a visiting vampire would pick out a melody for everyone to relax to after a sex party. It surprised Thriti to hear the trills of a song echoing from the music room one day just before getting ready for bed, and she left the relative quiet of her chambers to see the source. 

A human girl in a nightgown and linen robe sat there. She was a young brunette, with soft pale skin and tightly pursed lips. Her eyes were focused on the keys, ignoring the notes up in front of her as her fingers performed a dance. Thriti noted the odd wrong note, a few too many pauses in rhythm. But despite that, the girl seemed to have some talent.

When the song finished, Thriti clapped. The girl shot up, straight backed and terrified. 

“I, I’m sorry!” she gasped as she stumbled to her feet. “I, did I wake you up? I just… I didn’t realize anyone was here, I thought all you went to sleep at sunrise and this was far away enough from the bedrooms it would be okay, so-“

“Relax, relax,” Thriti chided. “Take a breath. It was lovely; you’re not in any trouble.”

“Oh. Oh, okay.” She looked visibly relieved. 

“I don’t recognize you,” Thriti said.

The girl stood up and curtsied. “Amanda Harper, Your Grace, at your service. I just transferred to your household last week.”

“A pleasure, Miss Harper. You look very young. How old are you?” 

“Twenty, Your Grace.” 

Young, but an adult. A cute one, with veins close enough to her pale skin that even a human could have seen the lovely pulsing of her blood. 

“Have you been playing for long?” 

“Almost a year now. Since I began working for you, uh, for vampires. There was a keyboard at the place I was staying at before. I transferred here to you because I want a shot at the Boston Conservatory, that’s my dream. Maybe… maybe when I get good enough. And when I learn to read notes.”

Thriti raised an eyebrow. “You played that by sound and memory?”

“Yes, Your Grace. I’ve been told I have something called perfect pitch.”

Thriti darted forward, causing Amanda to gasp and nearly fall backward. “Very talented.” 

The human girl looked up, transfixed. Thriti could hear the little thing’s heart pounding, smell adrenaline in the air… but also something else. The scent of desire made her smile. Thriti loved lesbians. 

“We should nurture your talents here, Miss Harper. We vampires adore the arts, you know. I would be glad to sponsor you as your patron.” 

“My… patron?”

“I would pay for your lessons, provide you with instruments, and whatever you might need for your studies. You already have a stipend and rent covered by your arrangement with us for your blood, but this would grant you further benefits. I know talent when I see it, and talent should be nurtured.”

“You… want to nurture me?” Amanda giggled. “I… that’s amazing. I didn’t mean to laugh at you, just the nurture thing. Used to nurturing vampires, not the other way around.” 

“If feedings get in the way or distract you from your studies, we can discuss less duties for you.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said quickly. “I, I kinda love it. Being bitten and feeding you. Well, not you specifically, since you haven’t with me, but you know, just generally.” She blushed. Thriti chuckled to herself. Humans became addicted to the process often, which ensured their loyalty and continued donations once they agreed to feeding vampires. This girl was clearly hooked.

“Would you like me to feed from you?” Thriti said, reaching out to slowly caress Amanda’s warm cheek with a cold finger. She trailed down to her chin and tilted the girl’s head up to look into her green eyes. The pupils had widened, a clear sign of attraction. “Would you like to feel my lips on that pretty pale throat? My teeth against your skin?” 

“I…” Amanda’s heart pounded in her chest, tantalizing Thriti. “Is that part of having a patron?” 

“It’s completely unrelated. I always love to support the arts. But when the artist is as adorable as you are, well… sometimes I can’t help myself.” Thriti smiled and leaned forward to press her lips against Amanda’s. The girl melted into the kiss in an instant. Her lips were soft and sweet, as most women’s were. Thriti preferred that softness to the firmness of a man’s mouth, though had been known to dabble in flings with them. Women were more fun, their bodies more giving. At least, the ones Thriti was drawn to were. Amanda was just her type, the way she kissed. 

“Not too much?” Thriti asked as she pulled away. Amanda looked like she had stood in front of an exploding bomb. 

“A little faster than I’m used to,” she admitted. “But, but that’s not a bad thing. I… I could go for more.” 

Thriti slid an arm around her waist, circling the girl, who leaned into her body. The warmth was delicious, and the way Amanda surrendered to the sensation was just what Thriti wanted. 

“How much more? I like to take everything,” Thriti whispered in her ear, then grabbed her by her hips and pulled her back sharply against her. 

“Everything,” Amanda gasped. “You can take everything. Anything you want.” 

****

The way the vampire duchess touched her made it hard to think. Amanda had been warned by some of the other humans who had been in the game longer than her that vampires could sense attraction and would act on it if they were inclined, but hadn’t expected to get so lucky. Duchess Thriti was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life. She knew on some level that anything the vampire asked of her, she would do.

“Do you want my blood?” Amanda asked hopefully, tilting her head to the side to expose her neck. Cool lips pressed to her sensitive skin and she moaned. 

“Not yet,” the duchess teased. “I want to play first. What kind of play do you like?” 

“I, uh…” How honest should she be? Amanda felt embarrassed admitting what she liked, as if it were a shameful or dirty secret she had to hide. But vampires were annoyingly good at noticing lies. She had to be honest. “I like… kinky things.” 

“Kinky things? Be specific.” 

“Um, you know.” Amanda moaned as the vampire kissed her neck again. “I, I like biting. And being tied up. And, and being hurt.” 

“All good things to like. Don’t move from this spot.”

In the blink of an eye, the vampire was gone, and Amanda felt rooted by the command, wanting to obey. Less than a minute later, she felt the vampire’s cold hands on her shoulders from behind, slowly removing the robe. Under it was a white polyester nightgown with a sweetheart neckline, straps instead of sleeves, and a lace trim at the bottom. 

“Cute. But you aren’t looking for cute, are you? You want kinky,” Thriti said. 

“I like lace. I just like feeling, you know, a little delicate sometimes.”

“I like delicate too. Delicate things are fun to break.” 

Amanda’s toes curled as she tried to keep herself still and calm despite the need and anticipation coursing through her at those words. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the vampire. She smelled sweet, like some sort of fruit. “Are you going to break me?” she breathed.

“Do you want to be broken?” 

Amanda nodded vigorously. 

“Then sit.” 

She sat back down on the piano bench, and the duchess dropped a rope over the girl’s shoulders. Amanda loved the feel of it against her skin, the promise of restraint. As Thriti wrapped it expertly around the human girl’s chest, Amanda caught that sweet scent again. 

“You smell like pomegranate,” she noted. 

“It’s the soap I use,” said the vampire. “Pomegranate was my favorite fruit as a child in Persia. I cannot eat it now, but the scent is still one I enjoy.”

“It’s like Persephone,” Amanda said. “You know, the Greek myth with the underworld and the seeds?”

“I know it. But I am no Persephone…” Thriti grinned down at her. “I’m Hades.” 

The rope tightened, causing Amanda to gasp. It was a harness. 

“I, I’ve never had this done before. Just, you know, my wrists to the headboard, legs to the bed, some spanking, wax play, that kind of thing.” 

“So you’re an innocent?” Thriti teased, her eyes gleaming at the new information. 

Amanda blushed. “Well, not innocent. Just could do with more experience.” 

“Let me show you. With the ropes like this, I can control you.” The duchess circled around her and gripped the ropes at her back. “Like so.” She pulled Amanda in one direction, then the other, then forced her to lean back. There was such strength in Thriti’s movements, it made the human girl feel weak and small in the best way. 

“I like it,” Amanda breathed. 

Thriti smiled and kissed her forehead. “We’re going to play a little game while we’re here, Miss Harper.” Thriti held the human’s face in both hands and forced her to look forward at the piano. “I want you to play for me. My personal pianist. Pick something you know well. And try your best to focus. Think about what you want to play for me while I finish tying you.” The duchess returned to working with her rope, securing Amanda to the piano bench, even tying her left ankle to the leg of the bench. Amanda’s hands and right foot were all that were free, yet she could hardly move an inch. She ran her hands over the ropes across her chest, testing them. There was no give. She could breathe, but escape would be impossible.

“Have you picked a song for me?” Thriti asked.

Amanda hesitated, then replied, “The first movement of Moonlight Sonata, Your Grace.” She knew it well enough that she felt confident in performing for an audience.

“Beethoven, a classic.” The duchess brought a riding crop down with a loud slap on the wood of the bench next to Amanda, who flinched reflexively. “Play for me, Miss Harper.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Amanda whispered, and began the melody. It was one of her favorites, slow and rich. The muscle memory in her fingers knew every move to make with hardly any effort. The tip of the riding crop trailed down from the nape of her neck down the curve of her spine, and she lost the mental metronome keeping her song’s pace. The response was instant, a sharp smack to her rear. She yelped, and stopped. 

“No, you don’t stop, Miss Harper,” Thriti said and hit her again, a little harder. Amanda jumped slightly, but was fixed to the bench and unable to move out of the way. “You play for me. And every mistake will be punished. Understand the game?” 

Amanda bit her lip to keep from grinning. She liked this game. 

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Good. Now start again, from the beginning.” 

Another strike motivated her, and Amanda began to play again. She tried to keep focus, to keep pace and hit every note to perfection. But Thriti wouldn’t make it easy. Playing the song was fine. Playing it while the vampire nipped and kissed her tender neck, while she ran her fingers down the pianist’s body, that was something else. When Thriti pulled the hem of the nightgown up past Amanda’s thighs, she stumbled, her fingers slipping on the wrong notes. 

The riding crop hit, hard, biting the vulnerable flesh of Amanda’s inner right thigh.

“From the top, Miss Harper.” 

Amanda took several deep breaths, letting the pain wash over her, then began again with more determination, only for her left inner thigh to be hit, causing her to cry out. 

“Not like that. Don’t rush. Do it right, Miss Harper.” 

“Yes, Your Grace,” Amanda gasped. She took a few more moments to collect herself before starting again. Thriti began trying to distract her again, her hands wandering over exposed skin and pulling back the nightgown to reveal more skin to touch. Between the sensations and the seductive smell of rich pomegranate, it was the most difficult performance Amanda had ever attempted. But she focused, the aroma became the song in her mind. With that perspective, she neared the end of the song. At the last few bars, she felt cold lips at her neck, and the threat of two sharp needles. 

“Focus,” the duchess teased. “Get to the climax. Remember your fingering.” She punctuated the word with a sudden, intimate touch that caused Amanda to moan, tending and pressing against the attention as much as she could given the ropes. 

As she reached the very last cord, pain pierced her neck. She cried out, her fingers pressed flat against the ivory keys, the tips flushed white from the pressure. She’d been bitten by vampires before, but it was always so much more professional, and they usually took from her wrist or arm. This was better. She felt helpless and immobile. If she tried to struggle, it would risk tearing open the wounds. If she even could struggle; Thriti’s strength and the ropes kept Amanda trapped. She closed her eyes in surrender, limp in the vampire’s arms. 

Her cry of pain soon morphed into a moan of pleasure. The fangs slid out, but Thriti’s mouth was still latched to the wound, drinking deeply. Then there was a new sensation, one that Amanda recognized instantly, that made donating her blood to vampires worth every moment. Thriti had cut her tongue on her fang and pressed the drops of vampire blood to the wound, causing pleasure to flow through Amanda’s body as it healed.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Amanda whispered, lost in bliss. 

“No, my darling Miss Harper, thank you,” Thriti murmured and kissed the spot she’d bitten, then began to undo the knots. “Your music is lovely, and your blood is divine.” 

Amanda blushed a deep red from her cheeks to her ears.

“Can we do this again?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m counting on it. Properly learning an instrument requires at least an hour of practice every day… I’ll see you again tomorrow, Miss Harper.” 

Amanda was certain that Thriti and her piano were the best things to ever happen to her. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

****

If you liked this story, give a like and follow for more content. Be sure to check me out on twitter at @EternalEvelyn or Facebook and stay tuned for information on my upcoming paranormal romance novel, The Bloodline Chronicles! Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with new developments here.

If you’d like to read more short stories in my book’s universe, check out sub+Human for a fang-tastic kinky good time, Galit’s Golem for a little witchy romance, and Breathless for the tale of a marine biologist vampire!