Page 38 of Potion of Deception (Potion of Deception #1)

“I know. Rela told me, everyone knows. Why do you think it's so empty here?”

Another head peeked around the corner.

“There you are!” The guy with cold eyes gaped at the young lady and then his eyes darted to the guests.

The stillness of his gaze made Violette's heart quiver like she just touched ice with her fingertips; she could feel his bloodthirstiness.

She flinched, Dante could feel it the way he glanced over.

Her nails dug in his palm but before any of the vampires continued their speech he backed up, shielding her with his back.

“Caidas waits for us. I wouldn’t want to make him angry,” he said callously, his tone not accepting any excuses.

The smile on the woman's face faded but the eyes of the young man shone in the light with silver, a threat, when he glared at Violette again. She felt like someone took her jacket away and placed her in the middle of a frozen garden.

“So sad,” the guy purred and then hugging the woman by her shoulder, they turned around, walking away down the hallway.

Violette would sigh with relief if her breath hadn't stuck in her lungs. She was almost numb. She couldn't even imagine it would affect her that much. At that moment, she felt so tiny and insignificant that she couldn't even bring herself to hide it.

Dante glanced at her again. He didn't say anything, instead he squeezed her hand. Violette's eyes twinkled at him, the brows arched in bewilderment, her lips parted just a bit before pressing together tight and then she turned away, deciding to share the same silence, instead of saying anything.

Their steps were leading them deeper through the hallway, which seemed to be endless.

The walls repeated the same patterns, the same light escorted them all the way.

Violette would start thinking they were rambling in circles if her eyes didn't lay on the two tall vampires appearing ahead.

Dante noticeably tensed, however his face remained calmer than the water.

He looked rather bored but she knew for sure he wasn't happy to be here.

She might think he'd sooner be anywhere else, for whatever reason it was.

One of the vampires with shoulder-length red hair traced his sight to them, while talking to his friend.

The closer they were coming the wider his smile grew. Violette felt her skin prickling as her eyes met his vicious smirk. She bowed her head to the floor, wishing to blend with the walls. For the first time she was ready to listen to Dante's instructions and be quiet without any complaints.

“Dante,” the vampire drawled with mirth in his voice. “What did we do to deserve such a visit?”

“Sinver, Verevor, I hoped such rogues would be already hunting up,” he said carelessly, his disaffection soared in the air.

“We are on our way. Want with us?” The blond vampire bared his teeth, hinting at his inability to really ‘hunt’ but Dante stayed still. In fact, he looked like he heard the oldest joke that walked this world.

And as much as Violette would like to stay invisible in the moment, she wasn't successful in this.

One of the vampires peered at her brazenly. “You brought a snack?”

Her face stranded in disgust, fighting the desire to respond. Dante remained static, although she felt how his muscles tightened.

“Certainly not for you,” he let out and pulled her closer by the waist.

Violette shrunk into herself.

“Don't be scared, pet, we don't bite.” The other vampire grinned.

“I'm not scared of two idiots,” Violette finally stood up, drawing back from Dante. The concern or traces of fear disappeared in seconds as soon as the last spoke. “And I have a name. Calling others pets is extremely disrespectful.”

“But I don't want to mislead you and make you think I respect you,” the red-haired vampire spoke again, the young man with a vicious smile. Now he looked half offended as if he stepped on some nasty thing with his shoe.

“You are disgusting.” Violette brows twisted together.

He frowned. “Dante, tame your little toy.”

Violette was nearing her breaking point, her eyes twitching and her hand clenched into a fist. Just as she was about to speak, Dante interrupted.

“You can say it directly to her. She has excellent hearing,” his voice carried a weight of condemnation.

“She must learn to respect others,” the vampire again ignored Violette as if she wasn't standing right in front of him.

“How ironic because I was thinking I'm too kind to you actually. The one who needs to learn respect here is you,” Violette spoke valiantly and proudly tilted her chin.

Sinver pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly irritated by her behavior, meanwhile the other vampire seemed to enjoy this conversation.

“Oh, she's daring. I like it,” the blond guy butted in.

“I might remind you that you are a human in the Vampire Kingdom,” Sinver pointed out.

Meanwhile Dante leaned closer to Violette and whispered to her, “If you want to slap his face I will highly approve of it and will pretend it didn't happen.” The corners of his mouth pulled up.

Violette darted her gaze to him but it didn't make her laugh, she was irritated and wanted to leave this company as soon as possible.

“So,” Dante cleared his throat, putting his hand on her shoulder. “It was not nice to meet you, and not nice to talk with you, but we must leave. We have much other business before the sunset,” he finished, taking her by the hand and pushing the vampires to the side, heading forward.

Violette glared at the red-haired vampire with malice – he shared that feeling.

“They are hideous,” she whispered, scowling.

“They are,” Dante simply confirmed.

He turned out to be right, these vampires definitely had no respect for any other kind of living beings.

They were rude and overbearing. It was hard to accept it but that is exactly what Dante warned her about and it felt sickening.

She couldn't believe someone would behave like this with her or with any other human, just like they owned her.

She was nothing more than a pretty doll who was expected to do anything they wanted and she must either say what they want or just shut her mouth.

Hard to believe these night demons once were humans – humanity left their souls a long time ago.

Violette started to believe the corridor seemed to be a maze. The same walls, the same candelabra and windows with maroon drapes with no view except of the blackness outside.

She felt the necessity to fill the silence formed between them. These walls were putting pressure on her, the air seemed heavy and the awkwardness she felt only grew inside her.

“They don't like you,” Violette stated clumsily.

Dante speared her with a withering look as if she said the most obvious thing.

“You don't like me either,” he responded simply.

“It's different. I have reasons.”

“Who said they don't?”

"What are the reasons then?”

“You don't stop surprising me, Little Witch.” His head turned in her direction as she did the same, meeting her baffled stare. “Thinking I will actually give you an answer,” he finished the sentence and Violette brows dropped immediately. “If you stay this naive, it can end badly for you.”

“Why do all your words sound like a threat?” Her forehead pinched.

“I am the least you have to be wary of.”

“That is exactly what the most dangerous person would say to its prey,” she pointed out, the corners of her mouth raised up and nose wrinkled.

“You see yourself as prey?” His voice filled with teasing.

“I see you as a predator.”

“Ohh, you'd kill me with that statement if I wasn't already dead.”

Now Violette was the one who gave him a withering look, causing him an even more satisfied smile.

Actually, of all of the vampires she saw today, Dante seemed to her the most innocent.

Perhaps it was a deceptive impression because, after all, he was the only vampire with a mask on his mouth.

But all of them were giving Violette an inescapable feeling like she was indeed in the predator's lair.

She suspected she had to be afraid of Dante the most and she had plenty of reasons for this, however, she'd be lying saying she doesn't feel somewhat safe around him.

She knew that he wouldn't harm her, after all he needed her, and there would be no use of a dead person.

He posed no danger to her, at least not now.

Though, other vampires wouldn't be averse to feasting on her blood.

How strange it was to realize that the most dangerous vampire hadn't inspired her with the proper fear as much as the other pawns.

Maybe it was because of their sparkling teeth and the fact that they were flashing them at her.

A thirst for the blood in their eyes was brightening with red, truly terrifying as if they already knew which part of the body to sink their teeth in.

Finally their eyes met the red wooden door at the end of the hallway, surrounded by a few other smaller ones. Her ears caught Dante's deep breath, her eyes darted to him just before they stopped.

“Ready?” he asked, raising his hand to the door to knock.

Violette nodded, however she had no idea what she had to be ready for.

She didn't know what to expect from this meeting, though Dante convinced her Caidas will definitely ask her about the connection they have and she must be a master of lies no matter what he'll ask her.

He was a vampire, she couldn't imagine how she was supposed to trick him but it didn't seem as as she had any other options.

A concise thud on a wooden surface rang down the corridor and the door opened with a strained creak.