“I’m not showing you my ass,” I spat out at him. “And I wasn’t thanking you for the clothes either,” I continued, throwing my hands on my hips.
“Interesting. Then what were you thanking me for?” he inquired, his eyes narrowing as he studied me with a smirk.
I paused for a few seconds because I wasn’t sure what it was that I’d been thanking him for. “I was, uh, merely saying thanks for your compliment about how I filled out this outfit,” I said at last, going for the first idea that occurred to me.
“Well, you are quite welcome, my beautiful little heathen,” Sinjin responded. “Had I known you enjoyed compliments so much, I would have showered more upon you.”
“No,” I said abruptly. “I don’t enjoy compliments…I mean, I don’t care about them,” I corrected myself, feeling frustration burning me. “The truth is that I really don’t care what you think or don’t think about me.”
“Oh, rest assured that I do think about you, my little fury. Quite often, as a matter of fact,” Sinjin chuckled as he clapped his hands together. “Well, now that we have that little subject all cleared up, perhaps we should move on to the next one.”
“Which is?”
He didn’t reply, but simply held up his long index finger, indicating that I should stay where I was. He, meanwhile, disappeared into the bedroom, which was beside mine. He returned within moments, holding my dagger that I always kept strapped to my thigh. He extended his arm with the dagger in his hand, but I didn’t reach for it right away.
“You’re giving me my weapon back?” I asked, frowning as I wondered if this was some sort of test, or worse, a trick.
“I am returning your dagger to you for the immediate future,” Sinjin replied as he pushed his hand farther into my face, insisting that I should take the thing.
I narrowed my eyes on him, but reached for the dagger all the same. Once I felt the cold, hard metal in my hand, I wrapped my fingers around the hilt of the blade and pulled it away from him. I held it, with the blade pointing downward as I looked up at Sinjin again. “Why are you returning it to me?”
He smiled and his eyes seemed to glow white in his face. He looked like the devil, come to riddle my soul away. “I was reminded of a conversation you and I had earlier, little imp, in which you complained that it was unfair of me to spar with you when you were unarmed.”
I swallowed hard as I realized what his intentions were. “So you’re expecting me to fight you?” I asked, to which he nodded. “Now?”
“Is that not obvious?”
I studied him for another few seconds to discern if he were being completely serious. Then, once I realized he was, I decided I was game. Knowing I wouldn’t do well trying to fight in my sweatshirt, I pulled it over my head and walked into the center of the living room, draping it over the side of the couch. “We’ll have more room out here,” I said as I eyed my surroundings. We still wouldn’t have much space, but it was the biggest room in the house.
“Very good,” Sinjin responded.
I rotated the dagger in my palm and slowly brought it up into fighting position. I spread my feet so they were shoulder-width apart and slightly bent my knees. “Don’t get mad at me if I kill you,” I said with a sarcastic smile.
Sinjin chuckled. “Go for the kill, my little assassin, go straight for the kill.”
With that, he simply disappeared in front of me. I closed my eyes for a split second as I tried to detect him on the air. When vampires materialized or dematerialized, there was always a slight but detectable current that disrupted the otherwise stillness of the air. Feeling it, I spun around on the ball of my left foot and opened my eyes as I jumped backwards about a foot. Sinjin appeared in a split second, right in the exact place I’d just been occupying. “Not bad, princess, not bad,” he said with a licentious smile.
Taking a few steps back, and keeping my feet at shoulder-width distance, I didn’t respond. Instead, I just watched him. I watched his body, and how his movements were so fluid, he almost seemed to be one with the air. I was sizing him up, trying to judge how best to approach him. When it came to dagger fighting, speed was of the utmost essence. I had to get my weapon in and out as quickly as possible, so it was imperative that I devise some sort of plan. If the truth be told, the fight was already stacked against me, owing to Sinjin’s superior height, but so was life. All my attacks on Sinjin had to be below shoulder height, which was just as well, since his most sensitive area would be his heart …
“You are very observant,” Sinjin said with a nod of his head as if he approved of my approach. “Any good combatant must first take the time to determine her enemy’s strength.”
I didn’t answer because my focus was entirely on him. Sinjin was a master vampire, which meant he was the strongest of the vampires. His speed, strength and agility would be no joke. He would be a lethal opponent in a true fight. And that thought exhilarated me because there was nothing I enjoyed more than a bout that challenged all of my training and skills.
Sinjin struck out with his right hand, but I knew he was simply testing me. I didn’t duck out of the way, but merely stepped back. The first rule in dagger fighting was never to duck because you’d most likely get a knife in your face. It was always best to maintain an upright posture.
Deciding in another split second to go for the high guard position, I held the dagger in my right hand, up high and forward in the air, with my left hand held back, at medium height. I decided to go for the feint, a move to trick the vampire. It was one of my best defenses, and I could only hope Sinjin would fall for it.
I brought the blade down to Sinjin’s left side, pretending to go for his obliques, but at the last second, I turned the blade and brought it to the right, intending to cut across his stomach. The vampire leapt backward in a split second and disappeared into the air. I closed my eyes, detecting him right behind me. I opened my eyes before wheeling around, and thrust the dagger out directly in front of me. It was another feint. As soon as Sinjin appeared again, he started to reach for my dagger. I grabbed his right wrist with my left hand and slammed it as far to my left as I could. At the same time, I struck out with my right hand, in which I still held my blade. I managed to cut him across his stomach just as he jumped back.
He released himself from my hold and stood about six feet or so away from me. He briefly glanced down at the remains of his expensive, black, button-up shirt. There was a sizable slit in it that was maybe five inches long. He stared at me, and for a split second, I was afraid he might be furious not only because I’d destroyed his shirt, but also because he’d underestimated me. Sometimes men didn’t respond well to women who bested them. But, in contrast to my worries, Sinjin simply grinned at me.
“Very good, my little heathen. I am much impressed.” Then he started to unbutton the first few buttons of his shirt, and when the opening was large enough to fit over his head, he pulled the shirt off and tossed it on the floor.
My breath caught in my throat as I inadvertently stared at his naked chest. The slice I’d made in his stomach was already healing, although a few drops of crimson blood stained his otherwise tan skin. His muscles were clearly defined and he was a true vision to behold. His pectorals were large mounds in contrast to the flatness of his belly and the gentle slope of his abs. His biceps, traps and shoulders were well rounded and showed sinuous muscles. But the light dusting of black hair that started beneath his belly button and led into his pants was what I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes from staring at.
He disappeared from sight, and a second or so later, I realized my mistake. I tried to listen for him on the air, but was too late. As soon as I heard him, he was already directly behind me with his arm wrapped around my neck.
“Release it,” he said in a tight voice, referring to my dagger, which I still clasped in my hand. When I didn’t make any move, he tightened his arm around my neck and I sensed he might suffocate me until I did his bidding. I immediately dropped the dagger and it clanked on the ground
. Sinjin loosened his hold around my neck, but made no motion to release me. Instead, he chuckled. “You surprise me, little tempest.”
“Why?” I barked out at him, irritated that I’d allowed him to compromise me like this.
“You fell for the oldest trick in the book.”
“Which is?”
“Using your sexual interest in me to my own advantage,” the vampire smugly replied.
“What?” I repeated, mortified and shocked all at the same time. “That’s completely absurd! I have no sexual interest in you!” I cleared my throat. “I have no interest in you!”
He chuckled again and pulled me as close to him as possible. The coolness of his skin felt delicious against the burning of mine. “I removed my shirt and you lost your focus. Whether you choose to admit it to yourself or not, you are most definitely drawn to me.”
“That’s completely,” I started.
“Perhaps it is more apropos to say your lady parts are most definitely drawn to me,” he interrupted.
“That’s ridiculous,” I spat out, although the argument sounded weak even to my own ears. It was more than obvious that that was exactly what had happened. Sinjin took his shirt off and I basically surrendered the fight to him.
“That settles the score at one for the vampire, and zero for the little hellion,” Sinjin whispered into my ear.
SEVEN
“Mah maternal grandmother came from the oldest an’ noblest line o’ the fae,” Odran continued narrating an overly long and tedious story, revolving around the particulars of his family and its fae ancestry. “Och aye, mah grandmother could trace her lineage all the way ta Aimil an’ Beileag,” he finished before facing me expectantly.
“Who?” I asked, even though I actually couldn’t have cared less.
“Aimil an’ Beileag,” Odran repeated, as if that were answer enough. Then, apparently realizing I wasn’t up on fae history, he added: “They were the original male an’ female o’ fae bluid. They are the founders o’ the fae.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked with a sigh. His incessantly long, historical account about random people and places failed to interest me in the least.
He stopped ambling forward and turned to glare at me before crossing both of his monstrous arms over his enormous chest. The sunlight reflected the strands of his golden mane of hair and almost made it glow, like a halo. “Ye share mah bluid, sista ta the queen,” he explained with narrowed eyes and a tightened jaw. “As yer veins poomp fae bluid, Ah thought ye should learn ’bout yer kinfolk, an’ where ye come from.”
“My father wasn’t fae,” I argued immediately. I hated the idea that the fae, residents of the Underworld, had any claim to me whatsoever. After enduring a hell of a time just accepting that my mother was of fae heritage, and I was tainted with their blood, I couldn’t reconcile the truth. Instead, I chose to focus on my father who was one of my own tribe. “My father was an Elemental, and one of my people.”
“Aye, boot ye also cannae neglect that side o’ ya ’twas provided by yer mother,” Odran insisted with his left eyebrow keenly arched.
“I can neglect that side of me if I choose to,” I answered stubbornly, holding my chin up higher as I crossed my arms against my chest and mirrored the expression he was currently giving me. “As far as I’m concerned, that side of me is dead; just as dead as my mother is.”
Odran didn’t respond right away, but scrutinized me in a detached sort of way. “Ye are a difficult one, lass, Ah will say that mooch fer ya,” he said finally. With a sigh, he dropped his arms from across his chest and rubbed the back of his neck as if he were frustrated with the conversation, or maybe, with me. Probably with both.
“Well, I never asked for that history lesson to begin with,” I rebutted. Shaking my head, I stifled a yawn, and mentally made a note to try to get some more sleep at some point. It had become well beyond apparent that Sinjin didn’t like the idea of keeping himself company at night. That meant the only time I could sleep was during the day. And on that subject, it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least to find that Odran suffered from ADD just as much as the vampire did.
But, as to sleeping or not, the subject was basically moot because I had other plans and sleeping didn’t figure into them. No, my plans centered around first getting the hell out of Kinloch Kirk and, more specifically, out of Scotland. I was long overdue to get back to my own people; and I was tired of waiting around, wondering whether or not Luce would make contact with me. I was also tired of wondering if I’d done something wrong that might account for his protracted silence. Now I intended to take things into my own hands and be responsible for my own destiny. The time for waiting and procrastinating was over. Now was the time for action.
I’d been formulating a plan in my mind ever since Sinjin had retired earlier this morning and handed over his post to Odran. Unfortunately for Sinjin, he had to play the part of the sacrificial lamb when it came to my escape, but c’est la vie. If someone had to die, better him than me …
Bryn, I interrupted my train of thought. There has to be another way! Sinjin shouldn’t have to die just because you want to escape.
There’s no way around it, I argued with myself.
There has to be another way. And, what’s more, maybe the reason you’re condemning Sinjin is because you don’t like the feelings he’s making you feel.
Don’t be ridiculous! I yelled at myself. Sinjin is my enemy and he’s in my way which means I’m going to have to get him out of my way…
“If ye arenae interested in learnin’ o’ what ye come from,” Odran interrupted my internal argument. He studied me with a new glint in his eye, “perhaps ye would be interested in seein’ where ye come from?”
I narrowed my eyes on the fae king, trying to shelve the pang of anxiety that accompanied my thoughts about Sinjin and the part he had to play in my plan. There was something inside me that kept rebelling over the idea of killing Sinjin. I didn’t know why I felt that way, but it bothered me nonetheless.
A warrior should never have any qualms about killing her enemy...
But, I started up again.
Sinjin isn’t anything to you! I chided myself. It wasn’t a good enough argument though, so I decided to temporarily drop the subject, and instead, answered Odran. “What do you mean, seeing where I come from?”
Odran smiled smugly, as if he suddenly had me right where he wanted me, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, inhaling deeply, he walked a few paces ahead of me before stopping so abruptly, I nearly walked headlong into him. After barely managing to avoid him, and suddenly feeling irritated, I stood with my hands on my hips and tried to figure out just what in the hell had gotten into him. He cleared his throat, and with his back still facing me, held out his right arm. Flapping his arm in an arc-like motion in front of him, he appeared to be waving to someone. As soon as he dropped his arm, the scenery before him, which was mostly a grassy hillside and the ocean just beyond it, suddenly appeared very blurry. I blinked a few times, but the view was distorted by what appeared to be ripples in the air, as if the hillside was somehow underwater.
“What did you just do?” I asked the fae king warily.
He turned around and gave me a self-impressed grin before facing the horizon again. He took a few steps forward, and thrust his left arm into the ripples of the hillside. As soon as he did, his arm disappeared. I realized he must’ve opened some sort of a portal.
“Ah made an openin’ inta the fae realm,” he explained.
“Is that like a portal?” I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Aye. After ye, lass,” he said, but continued to stand there, half of his arm vanishing into the portal.
“I’m not going in there,” I replied staunchly, crossing my arms against my chest. “I have no idea where it leads to and it’s not as though I can trust you.”
“Whit do ye think Ah woulds do ta ye?” he demanded.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I barked back. “Maybe send me
off to prehistoric times and leave me there!”
Odran glowered at me, but soon replaced the expression with another arrogant one. “Then if ye willnae venture inta the portal, would ye prefer Ah continue explainin’ the history o’ the fae people?”
“No,” I replied immediately before inhaling a deep breath as I saw the determination in his eyes. Looking back at the portal, I noticed it was impossible to see into it. “Where does it lead?” I demanded. Meanwhile, I rationalized to myself that it wasn’t in Odran’s best interests to drop me off God only knew where since he would have my sister to answer to afterwards. And I didn’t imagine Jolie would respond well to knowing her sister was keeping company with Neanderthals.
“It leads ta one o’ mah fae lands, lass,” Odran answered matter-of-factly.
“Hmm,” I said as I studied him, still trying to decide if I should trust him or not.
“Ye should see fer yerself the lands where ye come from.”
I had to admit that my curiosity was piqued and, what was more, I could possibly use this little excursion at some later point. Maybe after I managed to make my way back to my own people. And, yes, it had crossed my mind that it was beyond strange that Odran was even interested in taking me to his lands. He was more than aware that I was his adversary. I just chalked it up to idiocy on his part. That, and I also had the feeling that Odran, as a king, was very proud and cocky. That was probably the real reason why he wanted to show me his realm and kingdoms. Yep, this was most likely just another case of the male ego showing off. Well, whatever it was, I preferred to view it as another tour of reconnaissance that might interest Luce.
Having made up my mind to trust Odran, I started forward and thrust my arm into the portal, watching it disappear into the nothingness beyond. I pulled it back out again and inspected it briefly, not really sure what I was looking for, but also glad my arm wasn’t in any way harmed. “Anything I should know before I get into it?” I asked, studying Odran pointedly.
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