Page 38 of Blood as Sweet as Roses

Paige

Trembling, I pull my arm out of Sabina’s grasp. It takes everything in me to collect myself, as I try to understand what she’s saying.

The violet goes out of her eyes, and she smirks down at me.

“What’s the matter, pretty one?” she asks playfully, one eyebrow arching. “Did my words surprise you? Did anything…resonate within you?”

“I…it can’t be me,” I whisper, although the quiver in my voice betrays me.

“Can’t it?” Sabina asks, waving a careless hand in the air. Her nostrils flare as she sucks in a breath. “I always did think your blood smelled very floral.”

I shake my head emphatically, terrified to dwell on what this could mean. But then Sabina’s eyes flicker over my shoulder, and her demeanor immediately shifts, the mirth disappearing from her face.

“Good evening, Crimson,” she croons, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning ever so slightly away from me.

Relief floods through me as I turn toward Crimson. She’s staring at Sabina with a fierce, dark gaze.

“Get away from Paige, immediately,” she snaps. My heart flutters at the possessive tone of her voice.

“No need to get testy, my king. We were just catching up,” Sabina hums, the twist of a smile in her eyes as she floats down the steps of the raised platform. “Good night, Crimson. Good night, pretty rose…”

Crimson growls, and lurches forward, but I catch her by the elbow.

“Please don’t hurt her, sir,” I request, shocked at my boldness.

“Did she upset you?” Crimson asks, sharply.

“No, not at all,” I answer. I hate lying, but I don’t want to worry her. I put my best smile on, trying to distract her. She looks like she might pursue Sabina after all, but then an upbeat song reverberates through the thick air. It’s one of my favourites. “Oh! Will you dance with me?”

She tilts her head, intrigued. Before she can say anything, I take her cool hand, and pull her down onto the dance floor.

It’s dark, and the air is thick with the smell of sweat, blood and wine. There are many other couples dancing, twisted in each other’s embrace. Many of them are kissing, one vampire already has her fangs deep in the throat of the human she dances with.

I sway my hips to the sound of the music and Crimson’s grey eyes travel over my body. The bass is so deep I can feel the vibrations through the dance floor. It electrifies my skin and calls forth a radiating warmth deep inside me.

The vampire bends down over me, claiming me with her touch, pulling my body closer to her’s. But she moves slowly, carefully, as though I’m something precious to her.

Could it be me? The one that’s meant to give myself to her, to complete her, to love her…

To die in her arms…

The thought is impossible to wrap my head around.

Sabina said that the human in the prophecy would be her soulmate. Destined to find her, to be her undoing. But that’s impossible, right? I don’t believe in prophecies, in telling the future…do I?

Everything has changed so much since I’ve come to the mansion. I had no idea about the complex, magical forces that were at work. Could it be possible that I’m intrinsically bound to this vampire…that I could be destined for Roslyn Night?

My hips oscillate against her, syncing with the motion of her hands across my body. Then she leans down, and kisses me softly. Her tongue dances in smooth circles, sending a shiver down my spine.

The upbeat song transitions into a slower, steady tempo. Crimson spins me around to face her.

There’s something unusual in her expression. It’s hard to see in the dark, but it’s almost like she’s unsure about something. I reach up, and caress the line of her jaw.

“Did the mission go well?” I ask her. “Are Kai and the other vampires all right?”

“Yes, it was very successful,” she answers. “No one was lost or injured.”

“That’s good,” I reply, real relief in my chest. The more time I spend here, the more I feel like the Night vampires are…well, home, I suppose. It’s weird, but I’m genuinely glad that they all came back safely.

Crimson nods. Then her lip twitches, and there’s a hesitant expression in her eyes. It’s unlike her, and makes me a little nervous. But I don’t want to rush her. I watch her as she finds her words.

Finally, she speaks, in a voice like the final rays of twilight, quiet but bold against a quickly darkening sky. “I should tell you that…I didn’t mean to became angry with you, when we spoke the other night. It was hasty of me.”

I shake my head emphatically. “It’s all right, sir. I’m sorry that I tried to tell you what to do…”

“No,” she counters. “Don’t apologize. I admire your boldness, and I’m grateful for your counsel.” She furrows her brow, looking down at me with a frown. “And I was sorry to hear about your mother. That must have been quite difficult for you.”

A lump forms in my throat, and I can’t respond. Instead, I press my face against her chest, as another slow song fills the lounge.

In the foggy haze of the early morning, we lie together under the expansive canopy of her four-poster bed. I’m still caught in the last wisps of her glamour, my skin sensitive and glowing with magic. But somehow, I feel more clear than I have in a long time.

“Good morning, Paige,” Crimson whispers, her lips brushing against my temple.

“Don’t go,” I beg her, reaching out to catch the sleeve of her oxford shirt. “Please…hold me a little longer.”

I can feel the weight of her undead bones, the heaviness in her grey eyes as she regards me. She gives me that look again, like she’s seeing me for the first time, like she’s trying to figure me out.

Like she’s trying to remember me…

So much stretches out between us, both binding us together and keeping us apart.

I love you, Crimson, I think to myself, although I’m too afraid to say the words out loud.

Silently, she reclines back, pulling me tightly to her chest.