His eyes flash red. The big grump isn’t any more immune to our attraction than I and he’s certainly not used to having his every word not immediately obeyed. Well, if he and I are going to have a mutually satisfying agreement, then he’s going to have to learn to give up control a little bit, even when not in the bedroom. And that’s a damn fact.
His intense eyes sear me with their heat.Not likely in this lifetime, love.
Damn that vampire’s ability to read my flippin mind. I take a sip of the Descallia Red, letting the blood and wine mixture seep into my veins, calming me as we wait until it’s time to go. The large mahogany and brass grandfather clock in the corner cuts through the quiet of the night. The haunting chime lets us all know as it strikes the eight o'clock hour.
Finally dark enough now to sneak out, and early enough to give us all the time we need before daylight breaks. We may not anticipate being out long, but when sunlight can fry you in an instant you need to make sure you have a plan that gets you inside before it peaks.
Raven’s eyes meet mine from across the room, then she turns back to Romano who pushes a short strand of her short black pixie style hair behind her ears, bending to whisper something in her ear. When she turns and walks toward me, Raven flashes her bright green eyes and mouths, “It’s time.”
I put my finished wine glass on the marble bar as Corvinus goes to discuss something with Romano and Raven joins my side. I gesture to her mate with a tip of my head and a grin. “Is he going to let you go alone with me and Lord Corvinus or is the possessive master coming too?”
She leans in and whispers, but the guys are talking so intently in the corner of the room that I doubt for a minute they would hear a word we said. “He has to stay neutral in some respects. He’s looked upon to keep the peace and I respect it. He’s not stopping me from going but did warn me that if we get caught, it could cause a ton of trouble that no one needs, and he’s right.”
I sigh. “He’s not wrong, Raven. Look, don’t feel obligated to go with us. I need to do this. Something drew me to this place, my gramma did, for whatever reason, and I feel like it’s because I need to unearth something for the vampires, find myself or learn something about her. I don’t know for sure what I feel.” I shrug, “I honestly don’t know what to call it but I’m doing it. You though, you don’t have to go. Especially if it’s going to put you in a bad position with both your Aunt Devora and Master Romano.”
She looks up at me and her eyes flash with all the colors of a kaleidoscope. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for a thing. She calls over to her mate. “We won’t be long, Romano. Besides, what trouble could we possibly get into?”
Master Romano’s eyebrow arches and she gives him an adorable wink. “Coming, vampire?” I ask Lord Corvinus, before all three of us disappear into the night.
5
CORVINUS
All three of us are vigilant, keeping our eyes peeled, scanning the surrounding trees and perimeter of Master Romano’s home. Raven gestures toward the tops of the trees. “Auntie Devora relaxed the perimeter patrol with the truce between the witches and vampires but with everything that happened yesterday, I’d put money on her bringing them back to guard any day. We should get in and get out while we have our chance.”
Raven points to a tall wrought iron gateway almost completely obscured with hanging vines. “I’ve been trying to bring myself up to speed on the virtues of the Mystic Forest and the caverns that dwell in and among the woods. The very reason I’m armed with more than one mighty magic wand tonight. It seems that they are all heavily guarded and all in the name of keeping prying vampire eyes from seeing things that aren’t meant for them to see. Whatever that means, I honestly have no clue, but we need to find out. The shadow books should tell us,” she says.
“It would explain why they were upset when Corvinus followed me into the forest,” Embry says, carefully stepping around a pile of dry twigs that would crack under the weight of her boots.
The witches’ academy sits far enough away across the tall fence and is obscured by large trees that have been in place for hundreds of years, but still, right next door, in an area as vast as Romania. Embry holds Raven’s hand and I take hers. The transport to the witch academy does not take long and all is quiet along the edge of the house. Maybe just too quiet.
Raven gestures us around the back. “We’ll transport downstairs. Bypass all the academy floors. Students will still be studying, and the head mistresses and others will be patrolling the halls making sure all the ladies are heading to bed, and not sneaking out windows,” she says with a grin. Oh dear lord, I’ve heard about those sneaky witches and their trips into town at night.
Embry’s wide purple eyes meet mine. “You stay with me. If I tell you to do something I want you to do it without hesitation, understand?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I am not a child.”
My eyes and position don’t waiver. “This isn’t a laughing matter. I mean what I say.”
Raven’s eyes circle, the kaleidoscope color going round and round. Embry laughs at her dramatics. It’s not like Master Romano is not the dominant type too and I have no doubt she’s kowtowing to some of his orders herself.
Embry gives her wide eyes and then looks up at me with a smile, while I simply wait for an answer. “Yes sir,” she says sweetly, running a seductive tongue across her lower lip just to see if it will get a reaction.
Coming, vampire?
She’ll find out what my reaction is later.
Devora and her cackling witches are no doubt asleep. “You sure the pesky witches aren’t downstairs where we’re going, concocting some brew or another to put some spell or hoaxon the vampires?” I ask. “I’m going to be pissed if I wake up tomorrow as a frog.”
She laughs up at me. “Relax. Raven has us covered. She’s got her trusty little wand in that pocket of hers. One word of trouble and she’ll freeze everyone to fucking stone, right?”
Raven laughs. “Something like that. Come on, let’s go now and be quick. I’ll take you to the room where we keep the shadow books, but you’ll have to scout around on your own while I keep lookout by the stairs. You just never know who’s lurking around a corner at the academy.”
The minute we’re in the lower level, true to her word Raven opens a vault-like door but the old rusty hinges screech loudly as it opens. The large witches’ W symbol is displayed prominently, as if one last warning to keep out of their domain. The same ornate looking W that is carved into the front of cavern doors hidden behind moss from the forest floors warning everyone of the witches’ lairs inside.
Embry gestures to the door. “This is just like the door in the Mystic Forest, that as a vampire I shouldn’t have access to, but with Gramma’s instruction can open with ease too.”
Raven gestures us in while standing watch by the door. I allow Embry in after giving the modest room a scan with my laser vision eyes, ensuring we are alone, and that the pesky witches are not waiting to pounce. I may trust Master Romano, and have heard how trustworthy his mate Raven is, but that doesn’t mean I’m allowing us both to go into a room that can be locked.
