Page 33 of Kiss of the Vampire

Arman’s face darkened. “At once, Levka.”

“Gently.”

Arman bowed his head, but Levka didn’t believe he was in the mood to be gentle.

Despite Arman always wanting to stay out of mortals’ affairs, it appeared Caitlin had gotten under his skin, too. She was like a siren of the sea, calling to Levka and his friends, and if they weren’t careful, she would pull them all under.

“What can I—?” Stasio started to ask.

“Stay with her. Come with me, Ruric.” Levka led him onto the balcony.

“What are we looking for, Levka?”

“The fishy sea breeze is so strong it nearly masks any other smell. But I can still catch a subtle whiff of Caitlin’s jasmine perfume if I concentrate hard enough.”

“Yes, I smell it.”

“Is there any other scent that you can make out?” Levka walked toward the chair stacked on the other furniture.

“Like?”

“Someone’s cologne?”

“You don’t think Alicia made Caitlin come out here?”

Levka took a deep breath and analyzed the air. “Her flowery perfume, different, more rose-like, is here, too. Probably because Alicia tried to get Caitlin to return to their stateroom.”

“I smell nothing else but the pungent fishy sea breeze. You suspect Dylan was here?”

“I smelled his cologne in the stateroom, the same as when he sat at our table.”

“Yes,” Ruric said. “The odor is as obnoxious as him.”

Levka and Ruric returned to the room, rejoining Caitlin and Stasio. “Would you like to play a game of cards with us?” Levka asked her again.

Her eyes gazed into his. They were full of questions for which he didn’t want to answer, not now, not in front of his friends.

“You…you talked to me like this.”

He took a deep breath. “And you responded in the same manner.”

She stared at him, and he could tell she didn’t trust her instinct to know it was really so.

“Caitlin, do you want to go to one of the lounges and get a soda? We could listen to a band, or play cards, or something.”

“You…you’re telepathic.”

He looked at his friends. They both gave him their best card faces, no emotion whatsoever. Though he knew behind those masks they felt plenty.

“Yes, Caitlin, I am.”

She looked at Stasio. “And him?”

Stasio bowed his head.

“And Ruric?”

Ruric reacted in the same polite manner.