Macgrath evaded another elbow jab from Ava. "Hey, she's not scared of me anymore. Stop tickling me with your elbow."
Ava scowled at him. "I'm about to tickle you with something a lot more painful."
"So I should be safe to go back to the hotel, right?" I asked. "If Marcel is leaving town?"
The vampires and witch in the room shared a look, one that spoke volumes.
"Is there something else I should know?"
Ava glanced at the men, who suddenly found very interesting things on the walls, ceiling, and out the windows. She sighed.
"There's a few things you should know," she said. "I know you understand that Marcel is a vampire. Well, so is his boss, Andre Dumont. He's in town to form an alliance with us. And now we've basically shown him that you're under our protection, that you're valuable to us. As a human, he'll consider you a weak link and go after you the moment you're alone again."
"But I don't even know you. Any of you!" I exclaimed, lifting my arms. "It's ridiculous that he would think I'm important to you."
"As far as I'm concerned, any human who might be in danger because they've had contact with me is important," Ava said. "And I like what I know of you so far. I don't want to see you become a vampire snack."
I flinched at her words, curling my arms around my waist.
Ava paused and studied me. "Have you encountered vampires before?" she asked, her voice gentle.
"Yes," I whispered. "A vampire and the, uh, witch who created him. But he didn't drink my blood. He..." My throat was suddenly tight. "He..." I shook my head. "I can't truly describe it but it felt like he was sucking away my life, my ability to breathe and for my heart to beat. But somehow, she was worse. So much worse. She made me do things, made me help her."
I couldn't speak anymore because my vocal cords felt frozen, so I just kept shaking my head and hugging myself. I thought about going back to the hotel and my skin chilled. I found I could speak after all.
"I can't go through that again," I said. "I can't be at the mercy of someone without mercy."
"Then, it's settled," Ava said. "You'll stay here with Marcus and Callum for a while. At least until Dumont returns home and we know you'll be safe on your own."
The anxiety was growing, swelling, taking over my thoughts and turning them into pure panic. I couldn't catch my breath. I tried to fill my lungs but they seized as if in the grip of a giant.
Suddenly, Marcus was right in front of me, his wild blue eyes filling my vision, glowing with a faint light. His hands cupped my cheeks, his palms so hot they were nearly unbearable against my frigid skin. "One easy breath, Merry. In and out, nice and slow."
I focused on his eyes, the heat of his fingers, and the low rumble of his voice. Then, I was able to breathe.
I filled my lungs with air and released it, once, twice, before I spoke. "You're not using vampire mind tricks on me, are you?" I asked.
"No, I promise I'm not," he answered.
"Then why are your eyes glowing?"
He blinked and the light faded. "It happens sometimes when I sense heightened emotion."
"You mean blind panic?"
"Fear, anger, sadness, joy, any intense emotion can bring it out."
From the short distance away, I could see every nuance of his expression. He was sincere.
"Okay." I inhaled and exhaled again. "I'm okay now," I stated.
Marcus nodded and released my face before he took a couple of steps back.
I kept my eyes on him. "I know Ava said I could stay with you, but I need to know—are you okay with that?"
My question seemed to take him aback. "Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have brought you here."
"Yes, but that was with the expectation of a short stay. Now, it looks like I might be here for...a while."
