fresh rain on a spring day. Whenever she smiled, it made me feel really special.
She was very petite, too, because I remember her barely reaching my father’s chest, and he was a large, raw-boned man.” A small smile touched her lips as the memories slowly came back to her.
“She sounds absolutely enchanting.”
“Oh, she was.”
Kyriakis 1: Kyriakis Curse
59
“What did she look like, facially, I mean?”
Sarah frowned. “Why do you want to know all these things?”
“Humor me.”
“Well, she was really dark, but she had the nicest skin I’ve ever touched. My mother liked to wear her hair wild and loose around her shoulders. I used to sit on her lap for hours, just running my fingers through that soft mane.” Tears sprang to her eyes. It shouldn’t have hurt after all this time, but the thought of someone brutally murdering her gentle mother tore at Sarah’s heart.
“My sincere condolences for your loss. I know you may think I’m a little crazy, but you remind me of someone I used to know, and I thought--”
“What?”
“I thought you could possibly be her daughter, but you’re rather young -- twenty-nine I’ve been told.”
“Thirty soon.”
“Yes, well, you’ll thank me for forcing you to stay with us when Constantine takes you to our island. You’ll be safe there, and when you go into heat, which will be soon--”
“Hold on. Do I even want to hear this?”
“You need to know what to expect.”
Though Constantine had brought up the matter at Aries’s apartment, Sarah had had
enough. She needed to get away from this place. “Look, I refuse to deal with this right now, because I’m out of here, with or without your permission.” She rose and headed to the door, but Paris was in front of it almost as if he’d teleported there. She kept forgetting these people were not human.
“Please, Mr. Kyriakis.”
“It’s Paris, and for the last time, the answer is no.”
She shook her head, but something caught her eye. A painting in the corner of the
room, near the entrance. Why hadn’t she noticed it? Had she not been so tense, Sarah wouldn’t be so oblivious. That had to be the reason, otherwise, she would have recognized the portrait right away. “That painting.”
Paris looked at it, too. “Lovely, isn’t it? Do you like it?”
“I can’t believe Stella did this to me,” she muttered.
“What are you talking about?”
“My art agent. She knew that piece wasn’t for sale, but she sold it anyway.”
A confused expression flitted across Paris’s face. “Your art agent? You’re not saying--”
“Yes, I painted it.” Suddenly, Paris grabbed her arms in a bruising grip, his eyes glowing that icy blue again. She slapped at his hands. “You’re hurting me.”
60 Eve Vaughn
Instead of apologizing and loosening his fingers, his hands dug harder into her arms.
“Who is she?” His teeth grew to sharp fangs.
“My-my mother...”
“You said her name was Anna!”
Sarah didn’t care for his accusatory tone, the loud voice in which he spoke, or the way he held her. “It was, I swear. Now, let me go!” She shoved him as hard as she could, breaking free from him before she yanked the door open and tore down the hall.
Come hell or high water, she was getting out of this madhouse.
* * * * *
Constantine heard the commotion as he descended the stairs. Sarah!
He headed toward the sound of her voice, which was coming from where his father’s
study lay. Just as he turned into the corridor, something slammed into him, knocking him back a few steps.
He caught the frantic half-breed in his arms, holding her close. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Constantine saw his father walk toward them. “I believe the blame rests squarely with me. I frightened her.”
Constantine glared at him. “What did you do? Why is she shaking like this?”
“I got a little carried away in questioning her. As it turns out, you completed your task for
She was very petite, too, because I remember her barely reaching my father’s chest, and he was a large, raw-boned man.” A small smile touched her lips as the memories slowly came back to her.
“She sounds absolutely enchanting.”
“Oh, she was.”
Kyriakis 1: Kyriakis Curse
59
“What did she look like, facially, I mean?”
Sarah frowned. “Why do you want to know all these things?”
“Humor me.”
“Well, she was really dark, but she had the nicest skin I’ve ever touched. My mother liked to wear her hair wild and loose around her shoulders. I used to sit on her lap for hours, just running my fingers through that soft mane.” Tears sprang to her eyes. It shouldn’t have hurt after all this time, but the thought of someone brutally murdering her gentle mother tore at Sarah’s heart.
“My sincere condolences for your loss. I know you may think I’m a little crazy, but you remind me of someone I used to know, and I thought--”
“What?”
“I thought you could possibly be her daughter, but you’re rather young -- twenty-nine I’ve been told.”
“Thirty soon.”
“Yes, well, you’ll thank me for forcing you to stay with us when Constantine takes you to our island. You’ll be safe there, and when you go into heat, which will be soon--”
“Hold on. Do I even want to hear this?”
“You need to know what to expect.”
Though Constantine had brought up the matter at Aries’s apartment, Sarah had had
enough. She needed to get away from this place. “Look, I refuse to deal with this right now, because I’m out of here, with or without your permission.” She rose and headed to the door, but Paris was in front of it almost as if he’d teleported there. She kept forgetting these people were not human.
“Please, Mr. Kyriakis.”
“It’s Paris, and for the last time, the answer is no.”
She shook her head, but something caught her eye. A painting in the corner of the
room, near the entrance. Why hadn’t she noticed it? Had she not been so tense, Sarah wouldn’t be so oblivious. That had to be the reason, otherwise, she would have recognized the portrait right away. “That painting.”
Paris looked at it, too. “Lovely, isn’t it? Do you like it?”
“I can’t believe Stella did this to me,” she muttered.
“What are you talking about?”
“My art agent. She knew that piece wasn’t for sale, but she sold it anyway.”
A confused expression flitted across Paris’s face. “Your art agent? You’re not saying--”
“Yes, I painted it.” Suddenly, Paris grabbed her arms in a bruising grip, his eyes glowing that icy blue again. She slapped at his hands. “You’re hurting me.”
60 Eve Vaughn
Instead of apologizing and loosening his fingers, his hands dug harder into her arms.
“Who is she?” His teeth grew to sharp fangs.
“My-my mother...”
“You said her name was Anna!”
Sarah didn’t care for his accusatory tone, the loud voice in which he spoke, or the way he held her. “It was, I swear. Now, let me go!” She shoved him as hard as she could, breaking free from him before she yanked the door open and tore down the hall.
Come hell or high water, she was getting out of this madhouse.
* * * * *
Constantine heard the commotion as he descended the stairs. Sarah!
He headed toward the sound of her voice, which was coming from where his father’s
study lay. Just as he turned into the corridor, something slammed into him, knocking him back a few steps.
He caught the frantic half-breed in his arms, holding her close. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Constantine saw his father walk toward them. “I believe the blame rests squarely with me. I frightened her.”
Constantine glared at him. “What did you do? Why is she shaking like this?”
“I got a little carried away in questioning her. As it turns out, you completed your task for
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