Page 14

The room was just large enough to fit a small table and chair, along with a freshly made bed. A bright fire roared in the corner, heating the space. The room was a palace compared to where I’d stayed at Greymere. The only issue with the space was that Raphael and I both were in it, alone.

“It’d be worth the gold for a second room,” I groused. “You can always just enthrall someone into giving you more.”

“How quickly you’ve changed your mind about my powers,” Raphael mused.

I was willing to throw away a lot of morals if it meant not spending the night locked in the same four walls with a vampire. Yes, we’d slept near each other in the forest, by necessity. But spending the night in a tiny room with him?

“I’d rather spend the night with Alphonse.”

Raphael snorted. “And I’m sure the stable boys who are sipping spirits in the empty stall would love your company. But that’s not going to happen.”

“Then you should be the one to leave. You’re a creature of the night.” I hated the way fear turned my voice petulant. I sounded like a whining child.

“I could go out and hunt for a more suitable dinner, if you prefer.” He gestured to the tray that had been sent up shortly after.

It was the worst looking goat leg I’d ever seen, courtesy of Thomas.

Of course, Raphael had no intention of eating it.

He’d planned to sit with us just to torture me, I was certain.

At my silence he arched a brow. “You’re even considering it. You find sharing a bed with me so distasteful?”

There was another reason I didn’t want to sleep in the bed, but I couldn’t make myself voice it. Couldn’t make myself admit how scared I felt.

“So be it.”

I tensed, but Raphael simply moved to the window and unlocked it, letting an icy chill into the room. In a single leap, he jumped from the window.

I sped over to the open window to see for myself, but he’d disappeared into the night.

I relatched the window. On the table by the spot where Raphael stood was a dry, folded tunic.

I glanced towards the latched window once more before changing and adjusting the fireplace, setting my original clothing to dry.

Then I stripped the bed of the largest blanket and pillow and slipped under the frame.

My sleep was fitful. Red eyes haunted it, twisting into blue ones. I woke just after dawn and crawled out from my hiding spot, mussing the bed so no one would know where I’d slept.

No sign of Raphael. I heated the food from last night over the low flames of the fire and ate it as breakfast before heading down.

The inn was quiet. No sign of the staff, aside from an older woman who swept the main floor.

I wandered outside, looking for the vampire.

Surely he wouldn’t have taken off on his own .

The thought caused me more distress than I expected.

I resolved to check the stables. To make sure he hadn’t slipped away on our single horse.

Instead of Raphael, I found Thomas.

Kissing a girl.

I must’ve made a sound, because both broke apart. Her blouse was unlaced slightly, and she hastily tied it while giggling at Thomas. Vaguely, I recalled her from the night before. Now, she darted past me and out of the barn.

I avoided Thomas’s eyes, moving over to Alphonse, who was still in his paddock.

My chest unclenched at the sight of the horse.

Why I was so shocked to see Thomas kissing another, I wasn’t quite sure.

Was it because he’d flirted with me in town and last night?

Had I thought it meant more? Not really.

I knew there couldn’t be more. But I also only knew what “more” was in vague terms. There had been no affection in Greymere, no pretty words, no soft lips against my own.

It was a world apart from how Tom lived.

I expected Thomas to disappear like the girl had, but instead he came closer, crowding me as I petted the horse.

“Err, good morning.”

“Morning, Sam.” He grinned at me, the dimple appearing the same as it had last night when he’d flirted with me.

The dimple annoyed me just a bit more than it had yesterday.

“Have you seen my brother?”

“Not a trace.” His grin widened. “Good thing for us. You disappeared so fast, Sam. I was hoping we’d have a chance to get to know each other.”

“I think you know enough women.” My words came out pointy, like tiny, ineffective daggers.

“Aww, that’s just Amy. She likes to tease me a little. It’s nothing.”

“I don’t care,” I said sincerely. “I just think it’s a little strange to act the way you do when you’re with her.”

“Don’t be jealous, Sam.” He placed a hand on my shoulder, pushing me slightly so I had to look at him. I barely hid my flinch. “I’d much rather get to know you than talk to her.”

“That wasn’t talking.” I tried to shrug his hand off, but it only drifted lower. I squirmed slightly.

“Thought I’d have the chance to get to know you better last night, but you disappeared on me,” he chastised, ignoring my correction the same way he ignored the fact I definitely didn’t want him touching me.

The accusation in his voice rankled, but he had a point. I had been rude. He’d fed me, given me a special dessert which I hadn’t gotten to drink because of Raphael, and I’d left.

“We’ll be leaving soon anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

” And really, it didn’t. I didn’t like that Thomas was two-faced about women, but I didn’t want him.

“I’m just going to get Alphonse ready while I wait for him.

” Never mind the fact I didn’t know how to set up a horse’s tack. I just wanted the boy gone.

“Oh, he’s probably going to be a while. I bet he went for his own roll in the hay, if you know what I mean. Gives us some time.” He winked.

My stomach twisted. Could Thomas have been right? Without his red eyes, he certainly passed for gorgeous, and could’ve had his pick of women at any stray tavern he’d gone off to.

Then again, he’d probably just enthrall them and steal their blood rather than go for a “roll in the hay” as Thomas put it .

Or both.

Somehow both was worse.

“He’ll be back soon,” I said with false confidence.

“Then we should make the best of the time we have.”

He leaned in. I leaned away. My back immediately landed against a wooden post, trapping me. I felt all at once too trapped, too claustrophobic, but the words to explain why Thomas should back away wouldn’t find their way off my tongue.

His palms were on my hips, pinning me.

Trapped .

A flash of darkness and Raphael was there, powerful hands on either side of Thomas’s head.

A twist. A crack ! And Thomas fell to the floor.

His eyes looked up at me, unseeing, accusing.

Dead .

I raised my gaze to stare at Raphael in open-mouthed shock.

“How could you?” My words wobbled off my tongue.

His eyes may have been blue, but there was nothing human in them. “It’s not all that hard, given my superior strength.”

“He was just a boy!” I was close to screaming, but the words came out hollow.

“He was an irritating nuisance. He had no value.”

“He was human.”

“He was weak. I was strong. I wanted him dead, so he’s dead. It’s not complicated. ”

I looked from the corpse to Raphael. “You’d kill me that easily,” I rasped. “Just another weak human.”

“Ah, but right now, I have use of you.”

“And if I cease to be useful?”

“Then you’d best take care not to,” was his chilling response.

He pushed past me and readied Alphonse. When he led the horse from the paddock, I could only stare, my body numb.

“Listen to me, Samara. You can tell yourself I killed him because I’m an evil vampire.

Or because I found his voice irritating and the wine he gave you smelled suspicious, or simply because I didn’t care for the way he looked for any excuse to put his hands on you.

It matters not. He’s dead, and you still have to travel with me.

As long as you’re in my care, you’re mine . No one else’s.”

My body was still numb as he pulled me atop the horse. I couldn’t help but look back at Thomas’s eyes. I wanted to reach for him, for what reason, I wasn’t sure. But Raphael moved us away quickly.

We reached the City of Answers the next day.