Dominion (Book 1 of The Dominion Series) (2 page)

"Here it is."

He takes the envelope and sits on the chair across from me but doesn't look inside it yet. He's still looking at me with those way-too-blue eyes.

"
Eve
," he says, drawing the name out. "That's such a lovely name. Is it short for Evelyn?"

I shake my head, surprised at the personal question.

"No, I was named after the biblical Eve. My mother wanted to name me Lilith but my dad said no. Lilith was too defiant, too opinionated, and too independent and he was hoping for a sweet-natured girl." I bite my tongue. I don't know why I'm telling him this except that I'm suddenly nervous.

"And are you?" he says, his French accent soft.

"Am I what?" I have to say for I've forgotten the direction of the question.

"Sweet natured or defiant, opinionated and too independent? Was his naming you after the biblical Eve successful?"

I frown at his too-personal questions and my too personal answers.

"I don't know," I say. "That's for someone else to say, not me."

"You don't know yourself?" He gives that lopsided grin again, as if he already knows. "I'm sorry. It's just that it would be ironic if you turned out exactly as he feared despite the more innocuous name. Besides, Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and led Adam to his downfall." He raises his eyebrows at that. "Sounds to me as if Eve was a bit too independent as well."

I don't respond for fear I say something even more personal.

Finally, he turns to the envelope and opens it methodically, removing the manuscript with extreme care. He takes in a deep breath when he sees it in its entirety.

"Oh, it's very
old
." He runs his fingers over the extremely fine vellum on which the text is written. "Beautiful," he says in a soft voice. He turns the pages, his index finger tracing the lines as if he's greedy to translate it already and on his finger is a thick gold signet ring. I try to make out the initials, but can't from this distance.

"I should have gloves on to even touch this." He looks up at me. "Where did you get it?"

I look at his nose, at the space between his dark brows, and an imaginary point in the distance – anywhere but in his eyes.

I swallow. "My
mother?
"

"Is she a collector? How did she come by this? It's priceless."

"She was a researcher," I say and glance away.

"Do you have any idea where she got this?"

"I don't have a clue." When I look back at him, he's staring at me expectantly as if he wants more of an explanation – or doesn't believe the one I've given. "I didn't steal it or anything, if that's what you mean." Actually, I'm a bit insulted by his expression, as if he doubts my story – which, of course, he
should
given I'm being deceptive.

"I mean no offense," he says quickly, his voice still soft. "I'm just curious how this manuscript came into your hands. It should be behind glass in an archive somewhere in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment."

"That's all I can tell you."

Of course, I
could
tell him that it belonged to the vampire who wrote it eight hundred years earlier, and that he gave it to my mother a week before she died so she could use it to understand vampires so she could better kill them, but that's not going to happen.

"So, any idea how long it will take to translate?" I say, hoping to move on from personal questions. "I'm really interested in reading it. I think it was important to my mother's research."

"What was she researching?"

I hesitate. More lies. I truly hate telling them, because I don't have a poker face.

I swallow again, my throat dry. "Medieval
literature
?"

"Of course." He closes the manuscript and replaces it in the envelope. "It won't take long to translate. I can dictate it and have it printed out fairly quickly using new software. But I'm afraid there's a bit of a
problem
," he says and pats the manuscript. "I have to investigate this a bit more. This document is extremely rare and valuable. I want to authenticate it, just in case it was stolen and given to your mother illegally." He looks at me pointedly. "You must understand."

"No, actually. I don't." I don't want him to take it and start digging into it. For all I know, no one's ever even documented its existence. "I happen to know that the original owner gave it to my mother."

"The
original
owner?" His voice sounds amused, that grin that could be a smirk starting again.

"I mean," I say, fumbling to recover. "The
legitimate
owner."

"And how do you know the owner is," he says and pauses, tilting his head to the side. "'Legitimate?'"

"There was a note enclosed with it from the owner. He gave it to my mother to use in her research."

"Yes, but how do you
know
that this –
person
– was the legitimate owner?"

I sit silent, my mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for breath.

"Well…" I stand, reaching for the manuscript. "Maybe I'll just take it back and find someone else."

He shakes his head and grabs the manuscript, holding it in his arms.

"My apologies, Eve, but I really can't give this back to you until I'm certain."

"Listen, Professor, this was my mother's property." I'm starting to get angry. "When she died, it became mine. Give it back to me or I'll have to call the authorities."

He's really smirking now but it's not a rude smirk, more of a knowing smirk. Like he knows he's got me.

"I'm curious. Which authorities would these be? The stolen ancient documents authorities?"

His accent is just so superior in its soft Frenchness that I hate him. I reach out to grab the manuscript, figuring I'll just run. Surely he wouldn't actually chase me like some cop after a bank robber. I get only the corner in my fingers before he pulls it back.

I'm really flustered now, my cheeks hot. We're standing across from each other, staring each other down, but he's almost a foot taller than me and much stronger, the manuscript in his arms protectively. There's no way I can wrestle it away from him without looking like a complete crazy person.

"I'm not very happy about this," I say, digging my nails into my palms to control my emotions.

"I can tell, Eve. I'm truly sorry."

I stand there fuming, worried that he won't give it back to me and then I'll never know why the vampire thought my mother should have it.

"Look, that's sensitive material. I
do
know that it's supposed to remain in private hands. I don't want its contents becoming public knowledge." I struggle to find the right words without giving too much away.

"I assure you that I'll treat this with the utmost discretion."

He's being serious now, but I'm just not ready to give in. Maybe I could phone campus security … and tell them what? That some professor of linguistics has stolen my ancient vampire manuscript that I can't admit even exists? I don't
think
so.

Damn
. Frustration builds in me. Here I am, just starting my career as a vampire hunter like my mother and I've already screwed things up.

"It's just that this is such a valuable manuscript," I say, my voice breaking. "I don't know if I can trust you with it."

His face softens for a moment, and he tilts his head to the side again as if he's feeling real sympathy for me.

"Oh,
Eve
. So emotional over an ancient manuscript? You're making me feel like an old monster. But I just can't let you take this back."

He shrugs and raises his eyebrows like he's helpless. He puts the manuscript down on the coffee table and steps towards the door as if he wants me to leave. I eye the manuscript, wondering if I can snatch it and run. I'm a very fast runner, but who knows how fast he might be?

"I wouldn't even think of it," he says.

Damn
– am I that transparent? Yes, of course I am.
I can't lie.
I can't cheat without giving myself away. My mother always said I wear my heart on my sleeve.

I finally give in and push past him, my face hot, determined to just leave without another word and grab my coat from the coat tree but he beats me to the door and closes it with one hand, blocking my exit.

Oh,
double
damn… This is creep territory. Now, my frustration is replaced by fear.

"You're not going to let me leave?"

He smiles sadly. "Not until I make you forget all about our little meeting. I just can't have you walking around knowing this manuscript exists."

"What?" A sick feeling comes over me. What does he mean,
make me forget
?

He steps closer to me, and now that I see him up close, his lips have a slight bluish tint to them. I didn't notice it before because I was trying not to ogle him. He smiles, baring his teeth and his canines are just a little bit longer and sharper than all the others.

Oh,
crap
…

He touches my cheek for a moment with the back of his fingers and this wave of emotion goes through me. I have to close my eyes, dropping my backpack and coat, leaning against the wall for support. It's like he's searching my memories for in the brief seconds he touches me, I am back to that day – the day my mother died and all I can see is her face, the blood frothing at her mouth. When I'm able to open my eyes again, his face is just inches from mine, but it's blurry for my eyes are filled with tears.

"Poor Eve," he says, his voice soft, his gaze moving over my face. "Your first instincts are usually right and you should learn to trust them. I
am
a vampire, and you should have run when you had the chance. I'm not going to let you have this manuscript. I'm not going to translate it for you, either. I'm going to make you forget about it. Forget about me."

CHAPTER TWO

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable."

Sydney Smith

"You're not Professor Cormier, are you?"

"No, luckily," the vampire says, a lopsided grin on his face. "He's a bit stuffy, lacks imagination but is very easy to compel."

He steps even closer, his arm on the wall beside my head. I can't help but ogle him and he's beautiful despite being a vampire.

"I've been looking for this manuscript for a decade, Eve, so I'm so glad you posted that message to the forum. You see, it's about my brother and me. It was written after we were both turned in 1224."

"You're one of the de Cernay twins," I say, blurting it out like they're a pair of rock stars and I'm a fan. "How did you find me so quickly?"

"I have a service that scans the web specifically for requests to translate 13th century French documents. Don't blame yourself, sweet Eve," he says and wipes tears off my cheek, slipping his finger into his mouth, his eyes closing like the taste arouses him. He keeps saying my name and I wonder if he isn't trying to mesmerize me – I
think
vampires can do that.

I'm standing there, pinned against the wall, barely able to breathe because he's so close and he's a vampire and could kill me in a second if he wants to and he's tasting my tears like some connoisseur of human bodily fluids.

Bloody
hell
.

"Please don't hurt me."

"Oh, I'm not going to
hurt
you, Eve. What do you think I am? A monster?"

Yes. I do think you're a monster
—
the most beautiful monster I've ever imagined and I'm breathless as he stares into my eyes, brushing the hair back from my cheek. He runs a finger over my bottom lip and leans closer and I fear he's going to kiss me.

"I know who you are as well," he says almost whispering. "I know
what
you are even though you don't. The last thing I want is to have you find out my secrets, and they're contained within that manuscript, just in case you decide to come after me one day with all your dreams of vengeance and your freakish vampire hunter skills."

I hold my breath, waiting for what he's going to do. I can't move, and I wish I'd had more time to read my mother's files. I don't really know much about vampires, except the usual folklore. Can he really make me forget about him and the manuscript?

"How do you know who I am?" I manage to whisper, barely able to speak from whatever it is he's doing to me.