Chapter 23
Twenty-Three
VAUGHN
Istare at Sophie like a damn statue, completely paralyzed by her confession. But only my body is frozen. My brain is whirling, going at a hundred miles per hour. It’s like I manifested this scenario by thinking about it the other day.
At least she’s not Tatiana’s offspring. I snort in my head. What a cosmic joke. That’s exactly who she is.
“Vaughn… say something.”
I drop my hand from her face, and maybe she sees that as a sign of rejection. She moves away from me, scooching back on the grass. Her face is tear-streaked, but the hurt in her eyes is new.
With a shaky hand, I push my hair back. “I’m sorry. There’s a lot to unpack here. How can you be her daughter?”
She jumps to her feet, body coiled tight like a spring. “It’s very simple, Vaughn. Procreation works the same way for vampires as it does for humans. At least, it used to.”
“Wait. Are you mad at me?” I get back on my feet as well, not keen on my vulnerable position.
Her brow furrows. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for believing you would react differently.”
I raise my eyebrows. This is escalating too fast. “Whoa. Hold on a second. I think me being shocked is a natural reaction all things considered.”
“All things considered?” she shrieks.
“Yes. In the last forty-hours, you’ve fed from me—without permission, might I add—not once but twice.
You also kidnapped me, and when I tried to be a hero, all I accomplished was betraying the people who have my back, getting on the shit list of a deranged dragon kingpin, and developing a super-unhealthy crush on the daughter of my king’s mortal enemy! ”
The forest grows eerily quiet. Maybe the animals nearby have grabbed their popcorn to enjoy the show.
“You have a crush on me?”
I wince. Fuck. I said too much. But in for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. “I thought it was obvious.”
“I… I don’t have a lot of experience in the romantic relationships department.”
Hell and damn if that confession doesn’t stroke my ego like nothing else. “So… no ex-boyfriends I should worry about?”
Really, Vaughn? After she confessed that she’s Tatiana’s daughter, that’s your concern?
“No.” She presses her hand against her sternum and shuffles back.
She looks small and vulnerable now, and that reminds me that a couple of minutes ago, she was falling apart in my arms. Truth be told, I don’t really care that she’s Tatiana’s daughter.
I already knew who her father was. I just don’t want to see her like that.
She might not have had a boyfriend, but I know she was hurt by a guy.
“Permission to approach?”
She nods.
“I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since I met you.
That was even before I knew you were a vampire like me.
My instincts have always been to protect you.
I followed you when I saw that asshole had spiked your drink.
And after I knew who you were, my first instinct was to warn you that the Red Guard was coming for you.
All of that tells me I need to get my head checked. ”
“Because liking me is wrong?”
I cup her face. “Here’s the thing. I don’t think it’s wrong. I think we were meant to find each other. Maybe together we can end this damn war without more violence.”
“Isn’t that a little naive? How can we end a war that’s been fought for centuries?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. You’re a princess kept hidden, and I’m a vampire who shouldn’t exist. That’s gotta mean something.”
She angles her head to one side. “I didn’t realize you were such a romantic, Vaughn.”
My throat goes dry. I shift my weight, trying to focus on what she’s saying rather than how I want to kiss her again. “What? You didn’t glimpse that from my memories?”
Sophie blinks fast, her face draining of color, then she takes a step back.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“You drank my blood. You must have seen snippets of my memories too.”
“I… I’m not sure I did. At least nothing is coming to mind right this second.”
Her shoulders sag forward as she lets out a shaky exhale. “Oh, maybe because you were on the verge of going into hibernation.”
“I wouldn’t know. That was a first for me. Was there a memory you were afraid I had seen?”
She clasps her hands together, wriggling her fingers. “Yes. There are some things I’d rather not share with anyone.”
I bet it has to do with whatever triggered her to push me away. Something awful must have happened to her. I don’t want to pry, but I sure wish there was something I could do to help.
“Understandable. I’m glad you didn’t see a lot of my memories. I’ve had some pretty embarrassing moments in my life.” I grin to hide that I’d be truly mortified if she saw everything.
She stares at my mouth, and I wonder if she wants to kiss me again. I sure want to kiss her, but I don’t know if I should.
“So… what should we do now?” I ask.
Her gaze drops to my stomach, and to my surprise, she lifts my shirt. “Your cut is already healed. Feeding from me worked.”
“Yeah. Thank you for offering me your vein, and for kicking that biker’s ass. I didn’t realize you were such a powerful witch.”
She stares at her hands. “Truth be told, I don’t know where that power came from. I was never able to conjure up balls of energy like that, and after casting a few spells, I’m usually spent.”
“Maybe adrenaline gave you a boost.”
She looks at me with narrowed eyes. “Or maybe it was your blood. I still don’t know how Lucca was able to turn you into a vampire. What’s so special about him?”
She doesn’t know that Vivi is a Nightingale. Lucca had just fed from her, so the theory is that because he was full of Nightingale magic, he had the strength to change me. But I can’t tell Sophie about Vivi.
“I don’t know.”
Her lips become nothing but a thin, flat line, and her gaze hardens. Shit. I bet she can sniff the lie.
“Actually, I do know, but I can’t tell you,” I amend.
She crosses her arms and frowns. “Why not? I told you my biggest secret.”
“It’s not my secret to tell. But I have a feeling you’ll learn very soon.”
Her brow softens. I guess my answer mollified her a little. “Why is that?”
Throwing caution to the wind, I step closer, even though she’s tense and prickly. “Because I plan to keep seeing you.” I kiss her on the cheek and lean back. “Unless you tell me to get lost.”
“We’ll see,” she replies, but the corners of her lips twitch upward, making me happy.
“Okay.” I glance around, then fish my phone out of my pocket. “We need to figure out where we are.”
“Can you see our location using your phone?”
“I only have one bar, but it should be enough.”
“One bar? I don’t know what that means.”
I look at her. “The reception on the phone. It’s measured by bars.”
“Oh.” She fidgets from side to side, looking sheepish. “I’m not completely caught up on modern technology yet.”
I smile. “Your lack of current knowledge is adorable.”
She grimaces. “More like pathetic.”
“Not to me, but anyway. I know where we are.” I shake my phone.
“Please tell me we’re not far from civilization.”
“We’re behind Bloodstone Institute. We can probably lie low there—that is, if I can convince the guard to let us through. Without Solomon around—”
Her eyebrows arch, almost meeting her hairline. “Solomon Corvicus?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“I know of him. He’s the first familiar. He’s not well liked in my circle, and I bet he doesn’t like me either.”
I didn’t even consider the possibility that Solomon might know who Sophie is. That creature is a mystery to me. “Like I said, he isn’t around.”
“Oh? Where is he?”
Now it’s my turn to grimace. I can’t tell Sophie he went to Ellnesari without revealing Vivi’s secret. “He’s on a mission for the king.”
“What makes you think the guard at Bloodstone will let you through the gates?”
I thread my fingers through my hair, trying to hide my sudden anxiety. “I’ll tell him it’s an emergency. You can’t go back to your apartment, and I don’t want to deal with the Red Guard.”
“Do you think they know you helped me?”
“If they don’t suspect me, they aren’t very good at their jobs.”
The corners of her mouth tense. “I’m sorry you’re in trouble because of me.”
“It’ll be all right,” I lie.
I’m pretty sure I’m screwed, but I won’t worry about that now.