lover.
Holding her hand out to him, she waited for him to take it before speaking.
“Come with me.”
He frowned.
“When I take the body to headquarters,” she said. “Come with me.”
He continued to frown for a few seconds and then the confusion in his eyes became incredulity. He opened his mouth but she answered his question before he had voiced it.
She kissed him.
CHAPTER 8
W hen Marise had left the Venia mansion it had been with a lighter heart and a new found love for her home. The return journey to the Law Keeper headquarters near Vilnius had been shorter than the outward one. With Jascha there and so much catching up to do, it had passed like minutes rather than hours.
She looked across at him as he walked beside her, carrying the body of the vampire hunter. They had placed it in a body bag back at the mansion and had kept it in the boot of the car during the journey. Jascha’s gaze slid across to meet hers and she smiled at him, trying to cover all the feelings colliding inside of her. She was no longer scared of her family’s home—she was petrified of this building instead.
Her eyes ran over the cold grey stone of the mansion. It was dark and foreboding against a backdrop of cloud strewn night sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen and the only light was that coming from one of the ground floor windows. The rest were dark, making them look like the hollow eyes of the building.
Jascha moved past her and stopped by the door, watching her. She managed another smile. This time he seemed to see straight through it. He walked back to her, dumping the body at her feet, and his look melted into one of concern. Marise caught his hand to stop it as it rose and held it tightly, squeezing it and taking comfort from his touch. She wanted him to caress her cheek as much as he did, but she was afraid that someone might see. She still didn’t know how to break things to her comrades.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice a little shaky and giving Jascha all the evidence he needed to pin down her feelings.
His thumb brushed against the back of her hand and then he stepped closer to her, bringing his body into contact with hers.
At this distance, he would easily be able to sense the bones of her emotions, enough to truly know how she felt.
She glanced at the house to make sure that no one was watching and then moved into his embrace, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes. She reached out a little, latching onto the feelings she could sense in him and using them to comfort and soothe her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her hair. She didn’t feel as strong as she had done when she had left this place to visit her home and discover who had attacked Timur. With Jascha being strong for her, she was letting herself be weak, relying on him to help her through.
He smiled when she stepped away from him and looked into his eyes.
She was strong. Her gaze dropped to the sleeve of her jacket. The servants had done an admirable job of repairing it, and although it would never be the same again, it was still her shield and it still gave her power and conviction. She wore this uniform for a reason. She had been chosen because of her strength and sense of duty. She wasn’t weak, she was just in love, and it was something that could make her stronger too. Her desire to return to Jascha, to protect him, would be another part of her shield now—it would give her the strength to do her job, regardless of the danger it involved.
Picking up the body, she carried it towards the house and knocked on the door. It opened within a few seconds, revealing the familiar low-lit interior and the Caelestis Law Keeper. He raised an eyebrow when he looked past her and she knew he had noticed Jascha.
Marise thanked him with a nod as he stepped to one side and gave her room to enter. She walked into the house and went straight to the library on the ground floor. As expected, the Vehemens and
Holding her hand out to him, she waited for him to take it before speaking.
“Come with me.”
He frowned.
“When I take the body to headquarters,” she said. “Come with me.”
He continued to frown for a few seconds and then the confusion in his eyes became incredulity. He opened his mouth but she answered his question before he had voiced it.
She kissed him.
CHAPTER 8
W hen Marise had left the Venia mansion it had been with a lighter heart and a new found love for her home. The return journey to the Law Keeper headquarters near Vilnius had been shorter than the outward one. With Jascha there and so much catching up to do, it had passed like minutes rather than hours.
She looked across at him as he walked beside her, carrying the body of the vampire hunter. They had placed it in a body bag back at the mansion and had kept it in the boot of the car during the journey. Jascha’s gaze slid across to meet hers and she smiled at him, trying to cover all the feelings colliding inside of her. She was no longer scared of her family’s home—she was petrified of this building instead.
Her eyes ran over the cold grey stone of the mansion. It was dark and foreboding against a backdrop of cloud strewn night sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen and the only light was that coming from one of the ground floor windows. The rest were dark, making them look like the hollow eyes of the building.
Jascha moved past her and stopped by the door, watching her. She managed another smile. This time he seemed to see straight through it. He walked back to her, dumping the body at her feet, and his look melted into one of concern. Marise caught his hand to stop it as it rose and held it tightly, squeezing it and taking comfort from his touch. She wanted him to caress her cheek as much as he did, but she was afraid that someone might see. She still didn’t know how to break things to her comrades.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice a little shaky and giving Jascha all the evidence he needed to pin down her feelings.
His thumb brushed against the back of her hand and then he stepped closer to her, bringing his body into contact with hers.
At this distance, he would easily be able to sense the bones of her emotions, enough to truly know how she felt.
She glanced at the house to make sure that no one was watching and then moved into his embrace, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes. She reached out a little, latching onto the feelings she could sense in him and using them to comfort and soothe her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her hair. She didn’t feel as strong as she had done when she had left this place to visit her home and discover who had attacked Timur. With Jascha being strong for her, she was letting herself be weak, relying on him to help her through.
He smiled when she stepped away from him and looked into his eyes.
She was strong. Her gaze dropped to the sleeve of her jacket. The servants had done an admirable job of repairing it, and although it would never be the same again, it was still her shield and it still gave her power and conviction. She wore this uniform for a reason. She had been chosen because of her strength and sense of duty. She wasn’t weak, she was just in love, and it was something that could make her stronger too. Her desire to return to Jascha, to protect him, would be another part of her shield now—it would give her the strength to do her job, regardless of the danger it involved.
Picking up the body, she carried it towards the house and knocked on the door. It opened within a few seconds, revealing the familiar low-lit interior and the Caelestis Law Keeper. He raised an eyebrow when he looked past her and she knew he had noticed Jascha.
Marise thanked him with a nod as he stepped to one side and gave her room to enter. She walked into the house and went straight to the library on the ground floor. As expected, the Vehemens and
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