The Oath by Tara Fox Hall Page B

lot.”
    At first, her candidness took me aback, but
then I decided I liked that she was so forthright. “Why did the
vampire do it?”
    “He thought I wouldn’t resist him. He had
other thoughts after I clawed him up.”
    “Was he someone powerful here in Europe? I
know there’s a vampire hierarchy for each country.”
    “Theo tells me you’ve had a few run-ins with
him yourself. Chap by the name of Devlin?”
    Danial’s brother, the spawn of hell. “I know him,” I said with a sigh. “I’m glad you clawed him.”
    The food came and we ate. Then Tawny and I
decided to go back to bed.
    I want to be awake and ready for Theo,” she
said, grinning licentiously.
    I smiled in return, thinking how different
the women in Europe were. Womankind might be better off if all
women were so honest with themselves about their needs.
    I couldn’t sleep sat first, so I read for a
while and finally drifted off. I awoke early the next morning to
find Danial beside me, positively shining with the luster that
meant he’d fed well. I kissed his cheek gently so as not to wake
him, and went to take a shower. Tawny didn’t make an appearance,
and I left her a note asking her to find me in the hotel restaurant
when she was ready to go out exploring.
    To my surprise, I met Theo coming up in the
elevator with a doughnut in his mouth, a large bag in his hand. He
saw me and coughed, removing the doughnut. “Hi.”
    “Bringing her breakfast in bed?” I
quipped.
    “Uh...yes,” he said, a flush creeping up his
cheeks. “She likes the cream filled ones.”
    I’ll bet . I blushed myself at my
thought. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
    Theo was all business. “Are you heading down
to the restaurant?”
    “Yes.”
    He walked past me towards the room. “I’ll go
with you, then. Danial didn’t want you leaving the hotel
unescorted, and the hotel restaurant isn’t open for another
half-hour. We can go the café down the street. The food’s better
there anyway. Let me leave these inside the door.”
    “What about Tawny?”
    “She’s sleeping. She won’t miss me until she
wakes up. And my job is guarding you and Danial. He’s less at risk
in his room than you are wandering the streets alone. Let’s
go.”
    I rolled my eyes at his brusqueness, but
followed him.
    A few minutes later, we were at a sidewalk
café, eating several types of delectable pastries. “These are
good,” I said as I finished my second one. “Do you and Danial come
to this area often?”
    “We go all over, depending on the clients we
need to see. When we come to Switzerland, we stay here.”
    “Is that because Tawny lives nearby?” I
jested.
    “She lives in France,” he said uncomfortably.
“But she knew I was coming here, so she arranged to be in
town.”
    “Are you serious?” I asked, before I
thought.
    He gave me a confused look, then nodded, his
face smoothing. “Sorry, I didn’t understand what you were asking.
You want to know if she and I are an item, and the answer is it
isn’t any of your business.”
    “Sorry,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean to
pry.”
    His only reply was to sip his coffee. The
longer I sat there, the more uncomfortable I felt with his silence
and what I had said. I finally got to my feet. “I’m heading back.
You’ll probably need your rest.”
    “Where do you get off making comments about
my sex life?” he said angrily. “We aren’t friends. You’re my best
friend’s girl. Show some respect.”
    I couldn’t get out the words fast enough, I
was so angry. “When I have to hear you and she so much that I’m
dreaming of lions, I’m allowed to comment on it. Besides, I wasn’t
making a crack, I was trying to be thoughtful. You’re going to be
up all night guarding Danial and I don’t want something to happen
to him because you’re too slow on the draw, jerk.”
    I stalked back to the hotel. Theo tried to
catch me in the elevator, but I closed the doors before he got
there. When the door