Page 24 of Quintus

Her fiery eyes lifted to meet his as he strode into the room. Quintus slowed, taking in the sight of his fragile witch. Slumped over, she’d partially undressed, her bloodied clothes piled next to her feet. A wave of overwhelming sadness washed over him as she revealed her emotions.

“Gabriella.”

“Quintus,” she whispered.

“Are you okay, bella?” He approached slowly as if she were an injured animal.

“Okay?” She gave a small laugh, shaking her head. “That place.”

“I told you to stay in my office. You don’t listen.” He took a deep breath and reined back his temper. When she’d ignored his direction, he’d sought to teach her a lesson. “What happened in the club…”

“You…you tore off his head. I…It’s not like I didn’t know what vampires do. I’ve been in clubs…”

“I’ll protect you with my life, but this is who I am. I warned you. I told you stay…”

“Stay? I’m not a dog. I can take care of myself. I just…” Her words trailed off as tears sprang to her eyes. “Look. You don’t need to help me. I’ll figure it out. I need to do a spell before they find me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Anger rolled through him at the thought of her leaving.

“I’ve got some spells. I just need a few days to figure it out. I could go to others. No, no, no I’ve got this…” She went to reach for her clothes, and he knelt, placing his hand gently on her wrist.

“Gabriella,” he said, his voice soft. “You’ve got to trust me. No more running. No more lies.”

“How am I supposed to trust you? You keep flashing me anywhere you want. I get sick. Then you leave me alone. That woman in the club…” She sighed.

“You can trust me because I haven’t left you. Because I know what’s best…” As the words left his lips, he questioned his approach. He sighed, running the pad of his thumb over her wrist. “Gabby. I’m vampire. The donors…”

“Women…”

“Yes, the ones you’ve seen. I must have blood. This is my existence. There is no other way.” He’d held onto his humanity with a thread some days, but always made a point to remember what being human was like. “I love to cook. Do you know why?”

“What?”

“I cook because it reminds me that once upon a time I was human. I wasn’t born into magick like you. You’re so close to being human but you aren’t. You’re a magical creature, walking among them as if you were.” Quintus lifted her hand in his, bringing her to her feet. He closed the distance, his hand drifting to her cheek. “The day I turned, I had no choice but to feed.”

“That girl in the club. You feed from her?”

“Daisy? No, she’s not my type.”

“But you want more?”

“Yes, I need to eat.”

“Do you want my blood?”

Quintus gave a small laugh, unsure of how to respond to her question. He hungered for her blood with each moment he spent with her, yet he was becoming increasingly certain that if he bit her, he’d bond to her. “If that’s something you want, there’s no going back, sweet bella.”

“What is this between us?” she whispered, her eyes set on his.

“You have to trust me. There can be no other way.”

“I’ve never let anyone bite me,” she confessed. “None of them. My blood. I’ve sold it but I’ve never…”

“What are you, Gabriella?” Quintus had to know her secrets if he was to help her.

His question was answered by silence.

“I told you you can trust me. But if I’m going to help you…”