him, but he could block her too easily. And it might only provoke him. Not that she’d ever worried about that before, but, daring another glance at the menacing figure before her, this wasn’t the James she knew.
The sharp edges of rock dug into her back as she pressed her body up hard against the stone wall. She looked left then right. There was no room to run.
James stood only an arm’s length away. His pale skin shone in the darkness.
“I am vampire,” he whispered.
The world seemed to halt. Her stomach dropped as she stared into his eyes – familiar eyes that seemed more dangerous now.
Fuck. She would have to use magic. When she gathered a Bolt in her palms, James spanned their distance in one long stride.
“Ah, ah, ah,” he scolded and grasped her wrists. “We’re not going to have any of that.”
He squeezed until it hurt enough for her to stop the Bolt. Then he pointed to a spot on the ground. “Sit.”
What choice did she have? She sat , while plotting her next move.
He sat down beside her. “There are a few things you should know about me. First, like all vampires, I’m incredibly strong and fast. If you try to run from me, I will fin d you.” That was obvious. “And I won’t be happy about having to chase you. Two –”
In a flash, he grabbed her glowing wrist . “Damn it, Sage! Stop trying to kill me!”
The Bolt flickered out again. He let out a long sigh and yanked her body closer to his. “I’m going to make you sit on your hands!” Now he was starting to sound like the James she knew. “And stop looking at me like I’m your enemy. I’m still me. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Then stop acting like a creepy vampire!”
“Sorry.” He ran a hand across the back of his neck. “When I had to chase you it just…sort of happened. Instinct, I guess.”
James w as still James. So he said. She stared down at the dirty cave ground, contemplating the absurdity. How did she not notice that the man she’d lived with for the last couple of weeks was a fucking vampire?
“How is thi s possible?” she finally asked after a long awkward silence. “You seem normal. Well, normal for an up-tight, pompous sorcerer.”
“Yes, but if you were more observant you would have noticed I don’t eat.”
She thought back on the last few days of meals. There’d always been some reason he couldn’t eat with her. She’d thought the frequent take-out meals were just because he didn’t like to cook. But this explained the empty pantry. What about the coffee mug he always had in his hand? She shuddered. Maybe it was best not to ask too many questions.
“B ut I thought you hated vampires,” she said. “And that they were evil.”
“I do hate them and they are evil. That’s why Cadmael changed me. He knew it was a punishment worse than death.”
“ Cadmael did this?”
He hesitated then gave her a somber look. “Remember when I said I came close to killing him? In the last battle? I got too close. Cadmael turned me. He thought it was a fitting retribution for spoiling his attempt at Caerwyn.”
“Wow. That sucks.” How apropos. She’d never been any good with words.
James choked on a laugh.
“So, part of this whole mission thing is about revenge?”
He shrugged. “If you’re asking if I’d like to kill Cadmael myself, the answer is yes. But I’d go after him even if he didn’t turn me. Just for all the trouble he’s caused my people for the last five hundred years.”
“So, do you, like, thirst for my blood?” She cringed. Blood didn’t make her lightheaded like it did Erin, but the thought of someone drinking it made her stomach churn.
James cast her a dirt y look. “Of course not. I wouldn’t let myself near you if I didn’t have enough self-control.”
He gazed into the fire. Slumped shoulders and a distant look in his eyes made him look lonely. Then it hit her. His secret shame. James hated that he was a vampire.
“But you do drink blood?” she
The sharp edges of rock dug into her back as she pressed her body up hard against the stone wall. She looked left then right. There was no room to run.
James stood only an arm’s length away. His pale skin shone in the darkness.
“I am vampire,” he whispered.
The world seemed to halt. Her stomach dropped as she stared into his eyes – familiar eyes that seemed more dangerous now.
Fuck. She would have to use magic. When she gathered a Bolt in her palms, James spanned their distance in one long stride.
“Ah, ah, ah,” he scolded and grasped her wrists. “We’re not going to have any of that.”
He squeezed until it hurt enough for her to stop the Bolt. Then he pointed to a spot on the ground. “Sit.”
What choice did she have? She sat , while plotting her next move.
He sat down beside her. “There are a few things you should know about me. First, like all vampires, I’m incredibly strong and fast. If you try to run from me, I will fin d you.” That was obvious. “And I won’t be happy about having to chase you. Two –”
In a flash, he grabbed her glowing wrist . “Damn it, Sage! Stop trying to kill me!”
The Bolt flickered out again. He let out a long sigh and yanked her body closer to his. “I’m going to make you sit on your hands!” Now he was starting to sound like the James she knew. “And stop looking at me like I’m your enemy. I’m still me. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Then stop acting like a creepy vampire!”
“Sorry.” He ran a hand across the back of his neck. “When I had to chase you it just…sort of happened. Instinct, I guess.”
James w as still James. So he said. She stared down at the dirty cave ground, contemplating the absurdity. How did she not notice that the man she’d lived with for the last couple of weeks was a fucking vampire?
“How is thi s possible?” she finally asked after a long awkward silence. “You seem normal. Well, normal for an up-tight, pompous sorcerer.”
“Yes, but if you were more observant you would have noticed I don’t eat.”
She thought back on the last few days of meals. There’d always been some reason he couldn’t eat with her. She’d thought the frequent take-out meals were just because he didn’t like to cook. But this explained the empty pantry. What about the coffee mug he always had in his hand? She shuddered. Maybe it was best not to ask too many questions.
“B ut I thought you hated vampires,” she said. “And that they were evil.”
“I do hate them and they are evil. That’s why Cadmael changed me. He knew it was a punishment worse than death.”
“ Cadmael did this?”
He hesitated then gave her a somber look. “Remember when I said I came close to killing him? In the last battle? I got too close. Cadmael turned me. He thought it was a fitting retribution for spoiling his attempt at Caerwyn.”
“Wow. That sucks.” How apropos. She’d never been any good with words.
James choked on a laugh.
“So, part of this whole mission thing is about revenge?”
He shrugged. “If you’re asking if I’d like to kill Cadmael myself, the answer is yes. But I’d go after him even if he didn’t turn me. Just for all the trouble he’s caused my people for the last five hundred years.”
“So, do you, like, thirst for my blood?” She cringed. Blood didn’t make her lightheaded like it did Erin, but the thought of someone drinking it made her stomach churn.
James cast her a dirt y look. “Of course not. I wouldn’t let myself near you if I didn’t have enough self-control.”
He gazed into the fire. Slumped shoulders and a distant look in his eyes made him look lonely. Then it hit her. His secret shame. James hated that he was a vampire.
“But you do drink blood?” she
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