Chapter 19
My latest plan had backfired tremendously. In fact, it did so horrible that now instead of only seeing Blackthorn occasionally and at dinner, he would sporadically pop up during the day as well.
Fran and I were once again buried in piles of magical books, looking for some way to break the spell that bound me to Rumple, when in walked Blackthorn, looking more dashing than ever.
Since last night’s conversation, I’d felt an unease... no, that wasn’t the right word... an awareness. Before, he had been the person who had kidnapped me, but now...? Well, I didn’t know exactly what to call him.
I’d always brushed off his promises of protection as nothing but words. And yet, last night, something in the way he told me I’d never be put in the bin again made me want to believe him. It made that tiny flame of hope in my chest so large, I had to fight to squash it back down where it belonged.
Now, as he walked toward me, I found myself looking at him. Really taking him in.
Blackthorn was handsome in an unconventional way. To some, his nose may be too pointed and his lips too thin. His eyes were so dark, his pupil was almost nonexistent.
But then there was the way he carried himself, shoulders back an air of confidence like he was the most powerful man in the room.
Except not in a way that made me feel like a victim.
Everything about him should scream predator and I should run in the other direction, especially when he flashed his fangs.
Now, though, I found myself watching for the telltale signs of his fangs, getting a slight thrill at seeing them when he seemed to otherwise hide them behind closed lipped smiles.
I told my heart to calm as it picked up speed at his presence. Knowing he could hear it only made my face heat and my pulse race even more.
“Mara, my savior,” Blackthorn purred, coming to my side to lift my hand and brush his lips along the inside of my wrist. “Please... walk with me.”
Brows furrowed, my gaze flicked to Fran’s briefly before I allowed him to assist me out of my seat.
I fluffed out the skirts of the viridian-colored fabric of my dress, having let Fran again choose my outfit for the day.
While I preferred the simpler attire, it did feel nice to look like a princess or fancy lady of the house every once in a while.
And who knew how long I had to play this part before I was back to dreary browns and grays at the factory?
Blackthorn looped my arm through his, a hand on mine and walked me out of the bedroom. We strolled down the hallway in a tense silence. Or at least on my part. I kept thinking about how fast my heart was pumping and if Blackthorn could hear it. While he looked perfectly at ease.
When he didn’t say a word even as we descended the stairs and passed the main entrance, I couldn’t take it any longer.
“Where are we going?”
Blackthorn glanced down at me with a small smile. “Patience. You will see.”
I swallowed down my follow-up question, knowing it would only make him even more tightlipped. Unfortunately, the further into the castle we went and away from where all the others spent their day, the more nervous I became.
Had Blackthorn finally gotten tired of me and my antics? Was this where he threw me in the dungeon or hung me upside down to bleed me dry?
Blackthorn’s fingers stroked over mine. “Breathe, Mara.”
I blew out the heavy breath I’d been holding, blinking rapidly to remove the spots in my vision.
“If I wanted to harm you, I’d done so already,” Blackthorn reminded me, his voice a low purr in my ear so intimate that my heart raced for an entirely different reason.
Not knowing how to respond, I focused on breathing and evening my racing heart.
Eventually, Blackthorn brought us to a set of glass doors with a colorful depiction of a woman receiving a rose from a kneeling man. He released my arm to open both doors at once, ushering me inside.
My mouth dropped. A large glass dome filled the ceiling above us, the walls encased in colorful glass images like the doors. Little lights hung from the ceiling, sprinkled throughout the rows and rows of flowers in all different shapes and hues.
“I’m told it’s most beautiful during the daytime.” Blackthorn gestured around the garden. “When the light can pour into the glass and the flowers stretch to reach the rays.”
There was a sort of sadness in his voice as he said it, making me wonder how long it’d been since he’d felt the sun warm on his face, or if he’d always been a vampire. The urge to ask the questions pushed against my lips. I swallowed them down, worried he’d see it as me acting out again.
“That must be something to see,” I commented, unable to find the words to portray how I felt. “This alone is... breathtaking.”
Surprisingly, Blackthorn released me so I could explore the enclosed garden.
Even with the sun setting behind the trees, there was still warmth filling the area making it feel like I was walking through a field of flowers on a summer’s day.
I could feel my soul lightening and the weight of trying to get home lifting from my shoulders.
I practically skipped from one bunch of flowers to the next, inhaling their scents, my eyes closed as I took it all in.
If I kept my eyes closed, I could almost pretend I was back on my island.
My mother was cooking in the kitchen with my father and brothers out in the fields.
And me, finding any excuse to daydream out in the wildflowers instead of doing my daily chores.
“Do you like it?”
I jumped and whirled around, my skirts hitting Blackthorn’s legs with how close he had gotten to me.
Regardless of the situation, I wasn’t able to erase the broad smile on my face.
“I love it.” I glanced around, my brows furrowing.
“I’m surprised this place has been kept up with the way the outer garden looks. ”
Blackthorn stepped into me, his chest brushing against my shoulder. “With so few servants, I thought their efforts were better served elsewhere.”
My head tilted back to meet his fathomless gaze. “Why do you have so few servants?”
His jaw tightened at my question before smoothing out. “A very long time ago, someone close to me showed me that I cannot trust everyone in my home.”
Compassion filled me with his words.
His lips twitched at the edges. “See? Even now, you do not know the whole story and yet you are sad for me.” His fingers brushed my cheek, and I found myself leaning into his touch.
“It must have taken something particularly bad for you to only keep a few trusted servants and lock down your castle.”
Blackthorn’s eyes dipped to my lips and then back to up to my eyes. “Yes,” his voice soft as his thumb brushed my chin to lift my face higher. “I never thought I’d trust anyone else again.”
“That’s unfortunate,” I murmured. Somehow, our bodies gravitated toward one another until his chest pressed against mine. My hands came up, fingers grasping at the lapels of his suit.
Time slowed. His face lowered toward mine.
My lashes fluttered, my heart racing in my chest. I knew without a doubt that he was about to kiss me.
The vampire I’d saved, the monster who had kidnapped me, and yet, a part of me wanted him to do it, curious to see where this warm feeling in my gut would lead me.
When his mouth pressed against mine, it wasn’t the sloppy rushed kisses I’d received in the past from when I was a teenager. It was light. Barely a brush of lips before he pulled away, My face chased after his, not satisfied with just the build-up to a kiss.
To my disappointment, his presence moved away from me. My eyes fluttered open, meeting his probing gaze. Realizing what had happened, my face heated, and my eyes darted down to the cobblestone floor.
Blackthorn put more distance between us, taking my hand in his as he bowed over it. His lips — those lips that had touched mine — brushed over the back of my hand, lingering enough to cause my heart to jump.
“Thank you for letting me share this with you.”
I didn’t get a chance to respond before the vampire was walking out of the garden, his jacket billowing behind him.
My fingers brushed my lips as I stared after him. What in the world just happened?