“Damion never mentioned anything about any guests arriving,” she muttered.
Damion must be the vampire who took me in.
“My name is Kiev Novalic.”
Her lips parted in a gasp.
“Kiev Novalic,” she whispered. She eyed me closely for several moments. I tried to read her expression, and could have sworn that I saw a flicker of attraction in her eyes. Eventually, she composed herself and asked, “What do you want?”
“I… I’m looking for somebody to show me around,” I said. “I just arrived a short while ago.”
“Why me?” She looked up at me coyly.
“I doubt I’ll find a prettier girl here than you to keep me company.”
She blushed a little.
“May I?” I asked, holding out my hand.
She hesitated, but then slipped her arm through mine. We walked out the door, through the courtyard and straight toward the woods, in the direction of the beach. My mind worked furiously as to what my plan of action could possibly be. I knew I couldn’t use any kind of force, or she could disappear into thin air. I had to somehow convince her to come with me. I had to think of some excuse, some reason why I wanted to take her to Matteo’s island.
Once we were there. I had no idea how I’d persuade her to stay. But one step at a time. First just get her off this island.
In the meantime, it was vital that I keep her interested in me. She already seemed quite taken with me—for whatever reason, she was impressed with Kiev Novalic. And blushing at my compliment was a good sign that she was easily impressed. Much easier to get through to than that other witch.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Celice,” she replied.
“Are you and Damion the only ones on this island?”
“No. My two older sisters are here too. I… I’m… we’re witches. In case you didn’t realize.”
“Oh, really?” I said, widening my eyes. “I suspected you might be human… your blood smells so sweet.”
She exhaled, but from the smile creeping across her lips, she took it as another compliment. I bent down and breathed into her neck, inhaling her scent.
As we walked deeper into the forest, I placed my arm round her waist and pulled her against me. Again, she didn’t resist, but rather seemed pleased by my advances.
This might just be easier than I thought.
“Actually, showing me around was just an excuse to take a walk with you,” I said in my huskiest voice. “I think you’re beautiful. I’d like to go on a boat ride with you and show you my dolphins.”
She stopped short.
Damn. Too much too soon. But I don’t have much time. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to spend alone with her. I also don’t know if her sisters will be this amenable. I’ve got to give this all that I’ve got.
“But… I don’t know you,” she stuttered.
“Ah, but I think you know more about me than you’re admitting to,” I whispered. “Isn’t that true?”
“It’s true, I suppose… and if you’re anything—”
She paused.
“Anything?” I reached for her face and lifted her chin up toward me. She was hiding something from me.
“Nothing…”
“Tell me, Celice.” I ran my hands down her back, drawing her closer against my chest.
Suddenly she spluttered out, “It’s just that they always steal the best-looking men for themselves!”
She betrayed at that moment what she was—a hot-headed teenager. The second she realized how those words sounded spoken out loud, she looked mortified.
“Who steals them?” I asked.
“My sisters,” she sighed. “I’m always stuck living in their shadow.”
I lifted both hands to her face and caressed her heated cheeks with my thumbs.
“I understand how you feel, Celice. And do you know a way that they’ll never take me away from you? Come with me. Because I can’t promise that I also won’t fall for their charms…”
She looked agitated just at the thought of it. This girl is more desperate than a drowning cat.
“Come away with me, Celice.” I ran my hands through her hair and gently massaged her scalp. She closed her eyes and parted her lips. I pressed my mouth against the base of her neck. “Then I’ll be yours. All yours. And only yours. No one will ever take me away.”
She seemed so naive—so full of gusto to outdo her sisters—that she might have agreed to any proposal that came out of my mouth.
She was on the verge of answering me when two female voices shouted out from the distance. The voices drifted through the woods, from the direction of the castle.
“Celice! Girl, where are you? They’re back early! Come here.”
No.
No.
I looked at Celice. This really could be my last chance. Everything would be ten times harder once the vampires arrived back on the island. And I doubted that her elder sisters would ever approve of me taking her—they would be older and wiser, and would become suspicious, unlike this naive girl.
“Listen to me, Celice,” I breathed into her ear. “Why don’t you come with me? I’ll take you now. We’ll go somewhere we can be together. Alone. Your sisters will never steal me from you. I’ll be yours all day… and all night…”
I gave her the most smoldering gaze I could manage before pressing my mouth against hers and kissing her slowly and tenderly. I let my lips linger against hers for several moments.
If that doesn’t do it, nothing will.
I breathed out a deep sigh of relief when she said, “Very well. Have your wicked way with me… Novalic.” She grinned mischievously. I’d sparked exactly what I’d needed to in this repressed teenager. Recklessness. Rebellion.
As soon as she uttered the words, I scooped her up in my arms and raced toward the beach.
“Who goes there?”
This time, it was a male voice.
But not that of Damion.
It came from behind me. I whirled around to see a crowd of vampires walking toward us along the sand. The great ship that was The Black Bell was moored in the distance behind them.
“It’s them! The Lord and Lady!” Celice squealed. “Kiev, hurry! I can make us vanish if you tell me…”
But I no longer heard what she was saying. Her voice faded away into the distance. I found myself rooted to the spot. For the Lord and Lady had just swept back their hoods, revealing their faces.