“So?”
“Maybe I don’t want you looking like swiss cheese. Call it an experiment. Viktor wants to know your limitations, and you can’t keep avoiding what makes you uncomfortable. Chitah bites don’t heal on a Mage, but you’re not exactly full-blooded, are you? Hurry up. I’m dripping.”
I gripped his wrist and held it to my mouth. “For someone who thinks blood sharing is a sacred act, you sure like to offer up a vein every chance you get.”
“Act now before the offer expires.”
“You sound like an infomercial.”
Our trip to Washington had confirmed that his blood had no lasting emotional effect on me, so I drew a few mouthfuls until the healing magic tingled on the bite wound and the soles of my feet, which were scraped up after running barefoot.
Christian withdrew his arm and then licked his wrist to heal the wound. “We need to work on testing your strength.”
“I’m not going to make this a regular habit.”
He pointed down below. “Perhaps you should go lift one of those cars and give Viktor a demonstration.”
I chuckled and slapped his arm.
He leaned back on one hand. “Why do you like it up here?”
There was no simple way to answer that question. “Because the alternative is down there,” I said, pointing to the madness ensuing on the front lawn.
“I can see that.”
“Don’t you have a place you go when you need to think?”
He smiled darkly. “My scenic retreat in the woods.”
“Château Cinderblock?”
“Reservation not required.”
I drew up my knees. “Back there when Glass accused you of killing those women and then charming me after an attack, I thought he just might get away with it. No one will question a lawman in public, and the evidence was stacked against you. That was a smart move on his part. But weren’t you afraid of the crowd turning on you and building a bonfire out back?”
He pulled up one of his long socks. “Most people don’t want to get involved in affairs that aren’t their own. Don’t you think I can fend for myself?”
“Against a mob?”
“You might be surprised to see what kind of damage I can do.”
I shivered and hugged my knees. “We would have never been invited to another party again.”
Christian scooted closer. “I didn’t bring my jacket.”
I looked over at his knees. “You can lend me your skirt. The material looks pretty warm.”
A line of cars headed down the road. Some grew impatient and sped through the open grounds.
“Why didn’t you jump over the banister to catch the boy?” I asked.
“I would have crushed him, to be sure. Is that why you’re vexed?”
I closed my eyes and tried to find my center of calm like Niko was always teaching me. “I keep replaying the scene in my head. I should have reacted faster. I could have flashed and maybe caught him before he went over. I just didn’t think he’d do it. It was the last thing I could have imagined.”
“The last thing is the first thing you should always consider.” Christian draped his arm over my shoulders. “You can spend the rest of your life living in the past, or you can pull up your trousers and move on.”
“Is that the Vampire motto?”
