Our standoff persisted, each of us reluctant to yield an inch in this battle of wills. The air hung thick with defiant tensions; our gazes locked in a silent struggle for dominance.
I took a deep breath, breaking the silence. “Then I suppose we must learn to coexist … presuming you do not eat me in my sleep.”
Draven’s demeanor shifted, his eyes falling to the floor.
“Although I cannot promise to be friendly, considering recent events,” I added with a note of finality.
Draven looked up, his pale eyes boring into mine. “I would never harm you, Rosalia,” he said. “It pains me deeply that you would even consider such a thing.”
I met his gaze squarely, my own emotions raw and unfiltered. “After what happened yesterday, can you blame me for being cautious?” I retorted, unable to mask the bitterness in my tone.
Draven’s gaze softened, a hint of hurt flickering in his eyes. “And what did I do yesterday that would make you think that I would ever harm you? I am not the monster you fear me to be.”
“I did not recognize you,” I said. “You were not the Draven I married; you were a feral animal.”
Draven sighed, his fingers raking through his disheveled hair. “Was yesterday truly that different from how I have always been? Can you truly fault me for protecting what is mine?”
“You say you are a protector,” I began, my voice wavering with uncertainty. “But how can I trust that the predator lurking within you will not surface again?”
“Everything I do is to protect you. You were correct that night you believed a Blood Hunter was after you, but it was not me. I killed him. I also killed those two Blood Hunters at the ball after I saw you running off. I did it all for you, Rosalia. Do not ever say that I am not protecting you.”
I could not speak. I could barely look at him. I stood there staring at the floor, my heart beating rapidly, trying to process what he was saying.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
“About what?”
“About us.”
“There is no moreus,” I told him firmly as I turned and left his bedroom.
THIRTY-THREE
January 21, 2010
The shadows of the streetlights stretched across the pavement as I made my way home. The only sound was the soft squish of my steps on the melting snow. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I answered it, pressing it to my ear.
“Hurry, please,” Vail urged.
“I’m on my way back. Lakeview is a small town, so it’s not unusual to run into people. It will be fine, Vail,” I reassured her.
“Okay, see you soon,”
I couldn’t shake off the unease that clung to me like a second skin as I approached the house. I tightened my grip on the key, my knuckles turning white. The creak of the front gate sent a shiver down my spine, and my eyes darted to the shadows dancing along the hedges. Vail’s wards clearly didn’t affect me as I pushed open the front door.
“Vail, what the hell is going on?” I exclaimed as I stepped into the house, taking in the sight of Vail hurriedly carrying containers of salt and lighting white candles on every available surface.
She glanced up, her expression tense with concentration. “I’m finishing putting up more wards around the house,” she said while pouring lines of salt along the windows.
“Don’t you think you’re being overprotective?” I asked her, sitting down on the living room couch. I’d seen Vail ward before, but never to this extent. The room glowed with candlelight, which shimmered off the salt scattered everywhere.
“Rosie, you weren’t there. You didn’t see her eyes.” Vail turned to me, her hair like a halo around her head, illuminated by the candlelight. “She saw me, and she knew. Somehow, she knew what I was doing. Her eyes ... they were like daggers into me. I think she wants me dead.”
“I think you’re overreacting.”
“Ivy, Sam, Donovan, Diana, and Connor—they’re all Vampire Slayers. I know that. But for some reason beyond my understanding, you can’t grasp the concept that they are our enemies. I know we want information, but at what point will it be too dangerous?” Her frustration was palpable as she gestured emphatically. “I don’t care if you think I’m crazy for putting more protection on the house, but I’m trying to keep us safe,” she said, her gaze unwavering.
I could see the intensity in her eyes. How unyielding she had become since George died. I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her. Or to me.
