“If we’re lucky, Borya is wrong and the vampire will kill her. If not, we know she’ll come for me in order to fulfill the prophecy.” Strain was evident in his uncle’s voice.
“She can only get in via three places. Lady Aleksandra’s window, which is how she got in before, the back door, where she escaped with the hostages to the barn, and the front door itself. We have guards stationed all over the perimeter of the building,” Mihai said.
Nikolai had never really liked him. A little too self-serving for his taste, but that was probably because he was trying to stay alive in the regime of King Fydor, who should never have been given power in the first place. Chalk up another point in the guilt column. Oh, wait. He was out of room for even one more point. He swallowed against the bile taste in his mouth. He’d been chained to this wall for so long that his focus was slipping a bit. He had to get free soon.
“I would like to personally stand guard in Lady Aleksandra’s room,” Mihai said. It was no secret he’d always had a thing for her.
“Wouldn’t you just?” Fydor snapped. “No. She says she wants to take the Arcos bitch down herself. Aleksi has great pride and needs to avenge wrongs herself.” Nikolai could hear the smile in his uncle’s voice. “It’s one of the things I like most about her. Her need for revenge. You will stand guard at the front door.”
He could only hope his sister got her revenge against the bastard who had really hurt her: Fydor. And he would be only too happy to help.
“Yes, sir.”
“Stay alert. She’s coming. Borya has seen it. He’s also seen her burning at the stake. We just hope she shows up sooner rather than later.”
No shit, Nikolai agreed. And as for that burning at the stake bit. No fucking way was that going to happen. Fate was a bitch, but even she wouldn’t deal the world that bad a hand. She had to leave someone standing to screw over.
The vampire looked like a completely different person when he unlocked Elena’s door and gestured for her to follow him. Dressed all in black, he could have been a model or movie star playing the part of a special ops soldier, complete with weapons strapped to his chest, waist, and legs. His state of combat readiness should have been frightening, but it was anything but.
“Hum, Elena Arcos,” he warned as she followed him down the hallway. “Your thoughts, though flattering, are not helpful to anyone.”
“Finding you attractive doesn’t mean I want you.” She loved Nik, pure and simple. No one would ever appeal to her the way he did. “Looking and doing are two different activities.”
“Thank you for your insight.”
Jackass.
“Much better.”
She was seated at a long table to his right, and gobs of fantastic food were placed in front of them. An empty plate sat across from her. “Where’s Claude?” She hoped he hadn’t been hurt when the vamps went nuts.
“He will be here shortly.” He took a bite of fish from his plate and closed his eyes, savoring it.
“I thought vampires didn’t eat.”
“You thought wrong. We don’t have to eat. We like it, though.”
She placed her napkin in her lap. “Sun allergy?”
“Partially true. The younger the vampire, the more sun sensitive. We never fully overcome it, though, and can be in direct sunlight only for very brief periods. Our skin burns off easily. It won’t kill us, but it hurts like hell and takes a long time to grow back. Bright light also hurts our eyes.”
She looked around the room, and there were only two people. A man and a woman, and both appeared nervous.
“They are. It was a bad day here. I lost all but three pupils. Fortunately, none of the shifters had been killed when I arrived to put an end to it. I released all but these two and the cook for some time off.”
All because she had defied his orders and had lost her cool. Her stomach dropped to her feet. If only she could go back in time like Stefan and fix it.
“Your remorse is unwarranted. You know Stefan Darvaak?”
“Yes.”
His only reaction was to stare at her face for a moment, and then he went back to eating. “Friends in high places. Just like your father. That’s a good instinct.”
Yeah, only it hadn’t been her instinct. Nik had introduced them. Her whole body ached just thinking about what he was going through. She had to get him out of that cell.
“I know.”
She fiddled with the napkin in her lap. “I really hate that you can read my mind.”
“Then keep me out.”
She hummed an indistinct tune in her head, and he nodded. “You are still angry over what you perceive to be injustices distinct to our world under the Veil.”
“Real, not perceived.” She picked up her fork.
“Human reality.”
“My reality.”
“Fair enough. Were we at liberty to spend time exploring this, I would act as the Ghost of Christmas Past in that Dickens story and show you how wrong you are.”