myself.”
His grey eyes were bloodshot and rolled in their sockets. I’d never seen him so drunk. His presence unnerved me. I turned to walk away, still without saying a word, but his hand reached out and latched onto my arm.
“Don’t you like it?”
Normally, his advances were irritating, or awkward at best. But this night was different. I scoured the crowd more closely for the first time, hoping I might see Matteo or Saira sitting there. That was when I caught sight of red eyes glinting at me from the shadows.
I looked back at Giles.
“Let go, Giles,” I hissed.
With my free hand, I reached for the dagger I kept strapped to my belt. But, dropping the shell, he caught that hand too. Despite him being intoxicated, it frightened me how fast his reflexes were.
“And if I don’t leave you alone?” he whispered, a grin forming on his lips.
The vampire’s grip tightened. When I looked around again, everyone seemed too busy merrymaking to notice my predicament. Except Kiev, who sat alone. He held my gaze with his dark crimson eyes.
Then he stood up, and in what felt like less than two seconds, he had reached us. He placed a hand on Giles’ shoulder and—to my shock—said in a low menacing voice, “Don’t touch her.”
Giles swiveled his neck around, blinking at Kiev.
“And who are you? Her uncle?” He chuckled.
Kiev’s glare didn’t let up. He caught both of Giles’ forearms and gripped them. Kiev’s arm muscles bulged from the force he was applying to Giles, who was now wincing.
“Let go,” Kiev said, his voice steady. “The lady doesn’t want to be touched.”
Giles looked indignant. I thought he was about to fight back. He stood staring at Kiev for several moments. But then he took a step back and, scowling, resumed his seat by the fire.
I looked up at Kiev, unable to hide my surprise.
“Why?” I whispered.
Wordlessly, he walked over to a plate in front of the fire, bent down and returned with another skewer of sea vegetables. I looked at the one I had been eating, now squashed on the ground, and took it from him, still eyeing him suspiciously as I bit in.
“Why what?” He crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at me.
“Why did you just do that?”
“That should be obvious.”
“Well, it’s not,” I said, widening my eyes at him.
“Witch, you were utterly clueless. If I hadn’t interfered, you’d be in that vampire’s bedroom right now. I’ll accompany you back home too.”
I didn’t know what had possessed me, but for a moment I had been expecting him to tell me that he had done it to apologize for his behavior the other night.
“You pompous ass,” I muttered.
I threw my unfinished skewer into the fire and stalked off.
Chapter 23: Kiev
Damn it.
Ungrateful witch.
My first attempt had backfired. It was disappointing, but my failure only served to fuel the fire to conquer the challenge that was Mona.
And the sooner I win at this, the sooner this nonsense is over.
The next evening, as soon as the sun set, I rushed through the forest to the bank of the lake and, discarding my shirt, jumped in. The clear water was cool and pleasant to swim in, and it wasn’t long before I had reached her cabin.
I gripped hold of the edge of the wooden platform that led to her front door and hoisted myself up. Dripping wet, I knocked three times. When she didn’t open the door after more than five seconds, I knocked again, more impatiently this time.
“Who is it?” the witch’s voice called.
“Kiev.”
“Go away.”
“I have something for you.”
“I don’t want it.”
I crept around to the large glass doors that opened onto the verandah. No sooner had I reached them than she ran around the cabin drawing all the curtains.
“Go away,” she called again.
I walked back round to the entrance and entertained the idea of just breaking down the door. But I paused as my hand wrapped around the doorknob.
Wait. I can’t do that. It will make her more
His grey eyes were bloodshot and rolled in their sockets. I’d never seen him so drunk. His presence unnerved me. I turned to walk away, still without saying a word, but his hand reached out and latched onto my arm.
“Don’t you like it?”
Normally, his advances were irritating, or awkward at best. But this night was different. I scoured the crowd more closely for the first time, hoping I might see Matteo or Saira sitting there. That was when I caught sight of red eyes glinting at me from the shadows.
I looked back at Giles.
“Let go, Giles,” I hissed.
With my free hand, I reached for the dagger I kept strapped to my belt. But, dropping the shell, he caught that hand too. Despite him being intoxicated, it frightened me how fast his reflexes were.
“And if I don’t leave you alone?” he whispered, a grin forming on his lips.
The vampire’s grip tightened. When I looked around again, everyone seemed too busy merrymaking to notice my predicament. Except Kiev, who sat alone. He held my gaze with his dark crimson eyes.
Then he stood up, and in what felt like less than two seconds, he had reached us. He placed a hand on Giles’ shoulder and—to my shock—said in a low menacing voice, “Don’t touch her.”
Giles swiveled his neck around, blinking at Kiev.
“And who are you? Her uncle?” He chuckled.
Kiev’s glare didn’t let up. He caught both of Giles’ forearms and gripped them. Kiev’s arm muscles bulged from the force he was applying to Giles, who was now wincing.
“Let go,” Kiev said, his voice steady. “The lady doesn’t want to be touched.”
Giles looked indignant. I thought he was about to fight back. He stood staring at Kiev for several moments. But then he took a step back and, scowling, resumed his seat by the fire.
I looked up at Kiev, unable to hide my surprise.
“Why?” I whispered.
Wordlessly, he walked over to a plate in front of the fire, bent down and returned with another skewer of sea vegetables. I looked at the one I had been eating, now squashed on the ground, and took it from him, still eyeing him suspiciously as I bit in.
“Why what?” He crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at me.
“Why did you just do that?”
“That should be obvious.”
“Well, it’s not,” I said, widening my eyes at him.
“Witch, you were utterly clueless. If I hadn’t interfered, you’d be in that vampire’s bedroom right now. I’ll accompany you back home too.”
I didn’t know what had possessed me, but for a moment I had been expecting him to tell me that he had done it to apologize for his behavior the other night.
“You pompous ass,” I muttered.
I threw my unfinished skewer into the fire and stalked off.
Chapter 23: Kiev
Damn it.
Ungrateful witch.
My first attempt had backfired. It was disappointing, but my failure only served to fuel the fire to conquer the challenge that was Mona.
And the sooner I win at this, the sooner this nonsense is over.
The next evening, as soon as the sun set, I rushed through the forest to the bank of the lake and, discarding my shirt, jumped in. The clear water was cool and pleasant to swim in, and it wasn’t long before I had reached her cabin.
I gripped hold of the edge of the wooden platform that led to her front door and hoisted myself up. Dripping wet, I knocked three times. When she didn’t open the door after more than five seconds, I knocked again, more impatiently this time.
“Who is it?” the witch’s voice called.
“Kiev.”
“Go away.”
“I have something for you.”
“I don’t want it.”
I crept around to the large glass doors that opened onto the verandah. No sooner had I reached them than she ran around the cabin drawing all the curtains.
“Go away,” she called again.
I walked back round to the entrance and entertained the idea of just breaking down the door. But I paused as my hand wrapped around the doorknob.
Wait. I can’t do that. It will make her more
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