The Moon Garden #4
“I am,” I admitted, approaching him. “You sought me out, threatened me, convinced me to come to the palace, flirted with me—no, don’t deny it.
” I was close enough now to press my fingers into Dommik’s chest. He angled his back to the hedge and let me corner him.
“You flirted with me, then upon delivering me like a parcel to your regent, you’ve become a completely different person.
Then, when I ask you about your feelings, have the nerve to tell me I made it all up.
You did all that. You.” My flat palm met his chest to accentuate my point.
I expected hesitation or frustration, even defensiveness. But Dommik looked down his pointed nose at my hand still lingering on his chest and through a barely hidden smirk asked, “Feel better?”
A little, but not entirely.
Maybe it was the position of power he’d given me, or the lulling floral smell mixed with the pine of his natural musk, or maybe it was feeling the hard muscle of his chest beneath my palm, but something possessed me to press him further.
“I’ll feel even better if you just admit there was something between us. ”
His chuckle rumbled through his chest, wrapped itself around my fingers, and vibrated all the way up my arm.
“Never,” he growled, letting his head fall back into the foliage.
“Never?” I challenged. His dark hair shook with the rest of his head. “Never is a long time for a vampire.”
Dommik nodded silently, his lips upturned beneath his stubble. “It is, my lady.”
His eyes dropped to my chest, now pressed to his. I was crossing a line, and he was letting me. His jacket was covering most of my skin. He could touch me, create space between us if he wanted to, but he didn’t do that, either.
“My lady? Not, lovely?”
He adjusted his stance and a darkness settled over his features. “No, my lady.”
Fine, if this was the truth he wanted to live with, I would let him. I had much larger concerns to attend to. Dommik’s denial was his burden to carry.
“You’re a talented actor, Dommik Thorne. You remember your lines, you mostly look the part,” my lip curled as I lowered my voice into a near growl, “but you will not fool me again.”
I ripped my body from his, feeling like I’d won the exchange somehow, and marched away. My triumph lifted my lips into a proud smirk.
Dommik fell in step behind me, silently following as I retraced the steps I’d taken with Rhazien through the Moon Garden. The sounds of the party grew louder with each turn. I’d expected guards to be in sight by now.
They had followed us to the garden, hadn’t they?
“Reyva. Stop,” Dommik instructed in a harsh whisper.
I complied, startled by a tense shift in the air.
“Something… isn’t right,” I said as he closed the gap between us. The sounds of the evening insects had disappeared and an uneasy, eerie energy loomed.
We stood still and listened. My human ears strained but only found the muffled sound of the strings playing from the party still in progress.
Dommik’s hands found my shoulders and he whispered, “Listen. We’re going to walk slowly and calmly back to the ballroom. Eyes forward. Do not turn around. My jacket is masking your scent. Do not take this off. Do you understand?”
I nodded, mustering as much bravery as I could. What could possibly be lurking about that would make the Commander of the Hive this nervous?
Dommik placed his hand on the small of my back and urged me forward. We walked together, slowly, just like he’d instructed. His thumb traced my spine. I might have brushed him away if we hadn’t been in danger. I kept my breath even and eyes peeled.
We continued forward, passing stone planters, and approached the garden exit. When we reached the unprotected, open walkway to the doors of the Hive, it was empty.
Where are the guards?
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as a chill crept down my spine.
Something was nearby. And whatever it was, it was close. Too close.
Just a few more steps to safety.
But my dress…my long, elegant, constraining dress betrayed me. The beaded fabric caught under my shoe and I tripped as we climbed to the staircase landing.
Dommik reached to help me up and when I looked at him, I saw it.
And I couldn’t help but scream.
A shadowy mass loomed behind Dommik. Its floating wisps of darkness curled into a fluid, shapeless figure, illuminated by the nearby torches and moonlight.
But its eyes.
Evil overflowed from the crimson center of its burning red eyes.
“Thereeee youuuu areeee,” it hissed. The shadow stretched a misty claw toward my throat.
“Reyva, get up. Now. Get UP,” Dommik's distorted voice demanded behind me.
The doors to the Hive were five feet away. Five feet to safety. Where were the guards? Even if they were at their post, I’m not sure what anyone could do against a phantom.
I was frozen in place, the crimson eyes hypnotizing me into physical submission.
“Comeeee toooo meeee.”
All of my sense of purpose, all of my desire to live another day, all of it, siphoned completely out of my being in the matter of seconds, leaving my body a cold, unfeeling husk.
Muscled arms scooped me from the stone steps, and I was moving away from the dark mist and into the Hive. But the deep, red eyes stayed locked on mine.
“I’llll findddd youuuu.”