The Bathory Curse
Page 30
“I think there is someone here who wants to speak to you.” Mihail winked and hand-in-hand, he and Stasi walked away.
Nea could feel him before he even came on the porch, “Vlad.”
He stood before her, handsome, strong and deliciously dark, brooding and powerful. Nothing about him made her want to weep and she loved that.
“You wish to stay and live here while Ella goes to school?” He asked, eyes peering into hers.
“Yes.”
“Then we shall stay here together.”
“Together?”
“You promised once you broke the curse you would come back to me, as my wife, did you not?”
“Yes” Nea smiled, slowly, unable to believe this was happening. She had thought so long that she would never be able to be with her husband again, her family and now it seemed like she could have all of it, and “this feels too good to be true.”
“Why? You have spent centuries doing for others, why can’t you have some peace and quiet?” Vlad placed both hands on the side of her face.
“I am grieving for Ruxandra, sometimes that damned artifact makes me feel almost too human,” he added with a frown.
“I grieve for her as well.” Nea began to laugh and stopped abruptly as Vlad kissed the tip of her nose down to the side of her neck, scraping her skin with his fangs, causing her to shiver.
“Later tonight I will make love to you in such a way you will forget we were ever apart,” he murmured against her skin.
“Later?” Nea asked, her mind a little fuzzy from the work his mouth was doing on her skin.
“Yes. I believe our granddaughter wants you to go swimming with her.” Vlad raised his head, a sardonic smile on his wide and perfect mouth.
“No, I hate how bathing suits are fashioned.” Nea gave a pretend shudder.
“I believe Sabine left one on our bed that will be to your liking. She said she made Bendis go on a future shopping spree; she didn’t know if her daughter would be as welcoming with the clothing,” Vlad chortled quietly.
“Are you going to go swimming?”
“No, I am King of the Vampires, I do not…swim.” He looked aghast she had even asked, “However I will enjoy watching you in minimal clothing, all wet.”
“That is an evil look in your eyes.” Nea shook her head and then went in search of her bathing suit.
Not thirty minutes later, Nea was walking with her towel and listening to the happy sounds of her family splashing and swimming, there were torches blazing all around the pond. Vlad sat in a chair many feet from the water, watching with a bemused expression on his face. When he saw her it turned to heat, she was in a one piece suit in a royal blue; it had capped sleeves and a skirt that brushed the top of her thighs.
“Isn’t grandma beautiful?” Daniela asked, dropping her towel anxious to get in the water.
“Beautiful.” Vlad agreed, though he did not stand up, Nea figured he probably couldn’t even if he wanted to.
Later, his voice flittered through her mind. She glared at him, was he trying to give her a headache to use against him? She did, however, enjoy knowing her body still affected him like it had when they were first married.
“Go swim Ella, your parents are waiting.” Nea watched as her granddaughter ran down the dock and jumped into the water, such a courageous girl.
“Come on, Nea!” Sabine called from the middle of the pond.
“Yes, I can’t wait to see that outfit wet,” Vlad encouraged, Nea sauntered past him and down to the sand that created the ponds shore line. She waded into the water, it wasn’t too cold and felt good against the lingering heat of the day.
She dunked under the water and stood up, laying on her back, floating and looking up at the sky as stars began to appear, half in and half out of the water. She crooked her neck to watch Mihail lift Daniela over his head and toss her back into the pond.
Waves sloshed over her suit, she closed her eyes, hearing only the water and mumbled sounds of talking, letting herself relax. Hearing her named being called by Vlad, Cneajna, Princess of Transylvania and Strega, opened her eyes, blinked, took in a deep breath and made her way back up the sandy shore to sit by her husband.