She pulled my hand away from her face and continued climbing down the branches, wincing with every movement she made.
I dropped myself down directly beneath her, blocking her next step.
“Where are you going?” I asked. She attempted to push me out of the way, but I gripped her arms and held her in place. “Do you know a way out of here?”
She let out a dry laugh. “As if I would tell you!”
A shrill scream sounded overhead, and then a rustling of leaves, close to us. She looked at me, desperation clouding her better judgment.
“I need to get to my boat. I’m sure it’s still moored on the beach about a mile away from where I was caught.”
“Climb onto my back,” I ordered.
She narrowed her eyes on me. “Why would I do that?”
I considered just taking her by force rather than wasting time arguing, but I had a better chance of escaping with her cooperation.
“Listen, witch. You said you have a boat. If I don’t escape this place, I face death or worse. I’m not going to hurt you because I need you.”
I held out my hand, my eyes drilling into hers, urging her to take it. She hesitated, her dark blue irises filled with fear and uncertainty. But then her warm hand clasped mine. I turned around so that my back faced her. Her weight slid onto me and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I clenched my jaw against the pain of her body brushing against the open wounds Arron had slashed into my back, and hurried downward.
“Faster!” Her breath was hot against my ear.
When my feet hit the ground, she pointed to my right. “That way!”
I lurched forward and continued to follow her directions, dodging the giant snakes that writhed in the undergrowth. More screeches echoed down from above. We both looked around, but nobody appeared to be following us. The hawks and Elders must still be keeping each other busy.
Soon enough, the salty breeze blowing through the trees was unmistakable. When we emerged on a rocky shore, the sun hit me and my skin erupted in pain. But I had no choice but to keep moving forward. I ran for about half a mile before we found what she was looking for.
“Down there.” She pointed to an area enclosed by rocks where a small boat was moored. I was relieved to see that it had a roof over it. I jumped down the rocks and leapt into the boat. As soon as the witch slid off my back, I retreated to the shadiest spot I could find.
“Oh, no. My engine!” The witch walked to the edge of the boat and cast her eyes around the empty waters. Fully clothed, she dove into the sea.
She swam around, ducking her head beneath the water and making strange moaning sounds. Then she disappeared completely. When she showed no signs of emerging after two minutes, I began to consider diving in after her. But then her head bobbed up above the water, followed by two sea creatures. I blinked several times. They were two large blue dolphins.
She guided both of them to the front of the boat and strapped them into thick leather harnesses. Catching hold of the reins, she hauled herself back onto the boat, joining me beneath the roof.
“I knew they wouldn’t abandon me,” she muttered to herself.
She tugged on the reins and we lurched forward at such a speed that it was hard to breathe for a few moments. I turned to face her. Her eyes were forward, concentrating on the open sea ahead, as though strapping reins on dolphins was the most normal thing in the world.
“What’s your name, vampire?” she asked.
“Uh, Kiev Novalic. Yours?”
She kept her gaze ahead.
“Mona. Just Mona.”
Chapter 4: Kiev
The fabric of my torn shirt irritated my singed skin. I removed it and threw it overboard. I found a bucket in a corner of the boat and, dipping it into the ocean, emptied it over my head. The salt stung, but at least the water was cool.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“The nearest place I can get rid of you.”
Her tone grated on my nerves. I was still keenly aware of the throbbing in my arm and my throat was parched for blood. At that moment, it took all the willpower I had to not sink my fangs into her neck. My survival was still dependent on her cooperation, so I had no choice but to rein in my annoyance and maintain a civil tone.
Dripping wet, I sat down next to her on the small bench in the center of the boat and turned to face her. She kept her eyes on the ocean.
“And where might that be?” I asked.
“The Cove. It’s also where I left my ship and crew. About a day away, providing Kai and Evie keep up their current speed.”
We had just entered a particularly rough set of waves and sitting on the bench became uncomfortable. I moved to the floor and looked up at her, now closer to her line of vision.
“What’s The Cove?”
“Home of the merfolk.”
Her answer was interesting to me on many levels. I was curious about the world outside of Aviary. I had lived on Earth for the majority of my life, at The Blood Keep—the Elder’s castle. Only recently had I travelled through the portal into this strange parallel realm of supernaturals. Even my experience of Aviary, the country of hawks, was limited—not to speak of all the other hundreds of territories ruled by different supernatural races.
“I wouldn’t expect a hearty welcome from them,” the witch continued. “In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a single race that embraces the spawn of the Elders with open arms.”
“Will I be any better off there than in Aviary?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever the case, it’s your problem.”
I breathed deeply.
“But is there shade there? You need to at least leave me somewhere I can find shelter from the sun.”
“I’ll drop you near a cave,” was all the assurance she gave me.
A particularly violent wave slammed my back against the side of the boat. I groaned, cursing the witch in my head for being unable to heal me with magic.
“That serum won’t be in your blood forever. I suspect it’ll be gone within a day. Just get some sleep. You’re going to need it.” She gave me a sour smile. “And I could do without your voice in my ears for a few hours.”
I didn’t know how I managed to fall asleep in that cramped corner of the boat, with the ocean knocking me about. But eventually, my body gave in to slumber.
Chapter 5: Kiev
My stunning human captive stood in my bathroom, undressed from the waist up. On seeing me enter, she reached for a towel and clutched it against her chest. I walked over and stood behind her, slipping my hands beneath her towel and running them along her skin. I shivered as I drew warmth from her pregnant body.