Lucy
Dominik wanted to wrap me up in an enormous white fur coat, but I’d prefer not to scream vampire’s consort, to the entire world, So instead, I grabbed his black wool cape, which almost drowns me, donning it over a pair of beige cashmere leggings and matching sweater.
I seem to have a wardrobe full of the stuff. Dominik was suitably cagey when I asked him about it, stating the human he had employed to assist him here in Pécs was limited to what he could order online for next day delivery. And adding he didn’t have much of an imagination.
His reaction to me asking to go out for some fresh air after all the bombshells which have been dropped (not least the one which involved us creating a mess in the kitchen in more ways than one) was suitably dramatic.
He would come with me. He would protect me. I could not go alone.
Before he grumbled something about fresh air being overrated, meaning I had to point out he was a vampire and as such mostly forgot to breathe.
He swings his ebony walking stick as we make our way through the narrow streets, snow piled on either side of where we are walking. It’s clearly an affectation, given he’s a big, powerful vampire, but obviously it wasn’t going to be left behind.
All of which makes me interested in how he can be out here at all.
“Does it not hurt?” I query, glancing up at him as he strides along as if he owns the city.
“What?”
“Being out in the daylight. Most vamps don’t dare.”
“I don’t burst into flames, if that’s what you mean,” he says. “It just itches.”
“It itches?”
He wrinkles his nose. By all which is unholy, he looks utterly, utterly gorgeous as he does it. And when he sees me looking, he stops immediately.
“Yes, it itches.” He increases his pace, clearly not wanting to expand on the whole itching thing.
All my life I’ve been taught about vampires, but it seems I wasn’t ever taught anything interesting other than how to kill them and by default where they hang out.
Sure, I’ve known vampires can daywalk, but that it itches is completely new.
“Couldn’t you just wear a sunblock or something?”
Dominik gazes down on me. “My skin is sensitive,” he intones. “I’ve had it for many centuries.”
My vampire king is sensitive?
Who knew…
The street opens out into a beautiful open area in the heart of the old town. It slopes away from us as I gaze around at the snow-covered cobbles.
“Up there is the Christian church which was once a mosque,” Dominik says, using his cane to point at a white stone building with a verdigris dome. “But we are going this way.”
He sets off down the shallow steps, and I follow, enjoying being outside with the frost nipping at my skin and the winter sunlight glinting off the snow and the colorful buildings surrounding the square.
A group of school children pass us, chattering excitedly in Hungarian.
“What are they saying?” I ask Dominik.
“They are looking forward to school,” he says.
I get it entirely, but only because school was my refuge from my uncle.
“That’s nice,” I reply.
“This way,” Dominik says, turning left down a street I happen to notice is called Kiraly Ucta.
“I only wanted a walk out, not a route march,” I grumble under my breath, but my vampire is already ahead of me, opening the door to a small cafe and ushering me inside.
Out of the cold, I instantly appreciate his choice. The place is warm, homely, not really what I’d expect from a vampire. I sort of imagine Dominik hanging around in high-end wine bars, haunting the spirit section and sipping from something which resembles red wine…but isn’t.
“Sit and wait here,” he says.
“Why, where are you…”
Before I can even ask the question, he has left, the bells on the door jangling at his departure.
I take a seat at the table and again, before I’ve asked for anything, a cup of hot tea is placed in front of me, along with a piece of dobos torta, a delicious cake with multiple layers of soft thin sponge and creamy chocolate filling.
I’m digging in when Dominik comes back into the cafe with a small bag in his hand. He sits in front of me and places it on the table, pushing it across with just one finger.
“For you,” he says.
I stare at the bag and take another bite of cake. It looks like it might contain jewelry.
“What is it?”
“Something I wish you to wear.”
“We didn’t discuss this.”
“No, we did not. But you accepted my offer, and it comes with this.” He gives the bag another poke for good measure.
I pull it closer, undo the fancy ribbon it’s tied with, and peer in.
There is a small box inside. I look up at Dominik, and he looks unusually discomfited for a vampire. I pick it out and open it. He makes a slight whining noise.
Inside has to be the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
“What is this?” I look at him.
“What does it look like?”
“It looks like a big fuck off engagement ring.”
“It is a consort ring,” Dominik says. “I am giving it to you.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary I wear a ring.”
“It is necessary.” His eyes burn into mine.
“Are you trying to hypnotize me, vampire?” I growl.
Dominik blinks, quite hard.
“Because I can’t be hypnotized. Neither can I be thralled. I also have a good tolerance to sedation, but that’s a different matter. What I’m saying is, your vampire tricks don’t work on me.”
“Good. Now put the ring on and we’ll go back to Budapest,” Dominik says, as if it’s a done deal.
And it is a done deal. I made a bargain with a vampire, and there’s no going back.
So I put on the ring, and the diamond sparkles at me, as brightly as the glittering snow outside.
I’m pregnant, I’m far from home, and I’m mated to a hot vampire.
Not how I envisioned my week in Budapest, but it could be worse.
I could be at the mercy of my family.