Authors: Kelly Varesio
Insperatus (29 page)
She couldn’t see his response because she had closed her eyes.
“
Not really. I try to…”
Not really. I try to…”
She didn’t hear the end of that. She was falling in and out of consciousness. When she caught herself and opened her eyes a crack, she saw him sluggishly stand and sit carefully into an armchair beside the bed. He whispered a goodnight to her, though night had not yet come.
Then her eyes closed a final time as she drifted into sleep.
Chapter 37
She heard a rustle that caused her to open her eyes. It took her a few moments to work up the courage to look around in the darkness. The warm breeze blowing through the open balcony doors felt good against her skin.
Traith was gone.
She felt terrified. She had fallen asleep as he was talking last night. Rather, last day. It was night now. The thought that she had slept for more than two days in a row, waking only in the night, scared her.
But Traith was gone. He had been in the room with her. Then she recalled seeing him asleep in the armchair on the other side of the room once when she was turning over in her haziness of sleep. He had finally fallen asleep. But he was gone.
Panic began to set in. She stood and walked slowly to the dark, open balcony. She was walking on bare feet, and the cool stone was a reprieve from the hot weather and wind. She was still only in a corset and chemise. Nothing on her arms, nothing below her knees, making her cooler still.
There was nothing she could see out there, only the enormous pines and other trees swaying heavily in the wind below.
Why would he have left? She knew he had; she just heard him. That rustle. He had gotten up and gone, but where?
She wanted to call him, but a fear of breaking the silence stopped her. Clouds covered the sky, and the moon peeked through a hole in them. It was almost as if she could reach for it and pluck it from the sky.
She turned to check the bedroom further. Her steps were hesitant, and she tried to step as quietly as she could. Her hair stopped blowing in her face as she reentered the bedroom, leaving nothing but ominous stillness. The door to the hallway was closed. She approached it slowly, her hand out to turn the knob. Her nerves were making her throat feel as though she was being throttled.
The door creaked open as she pushed it. The hall was darker than the bedroom was. She left the only room truly familiar to her for the dark void beyond. Despite her novel, heightened sense of sight in the dark, she didn’t know what to expect. Anyone could be out there. She was beginning to feel ill with fear.
“
Rein.”
Rein.”
She spun around to face the bedroom entrance from the hall.
It was Traith.
She sighed. “You left me alone.”
His face was as black as their surroundings were, but she could still see it. “I was forced to leave for, well, I didn’t know how long, but thank God it was only for a few minutes.”
“
Who forced you?” she asked.
Who forced you?” she asked.
“
Mistress.” His voice was rougher. “There is a man in England that needs my help. I was
furious
. She bloody told me I have to leave Romania the day after I get back to my home. But I fought her request, and someone else is going in my place.”
Mistress.” His voice was rougher. “There is a man in England that needs my help. I was
furious
. She bloody told me I have to leave Romania the day after I get back to my home. But I fought her request, and someone else is going in my place.”
“
I don’t understand,” she said, nearing him. “What are you talking about? A man in England? Who?”
I don’t understand,” she said, nearing him. “What are you talking about? A man in England? Who?”
He sighed as though he thought the very idea of it was idiotic. “His name is Jacques Campbell. Some doctor that got bit by a—” he stopped abruptly. Then he sighed again. “I’m the Mistress’s First Hand, Rein. I’m the next in command, as foolish as it sounds, so when the council needs to find someone, I’m its detective, per se. That’s basically all the council is for: keeping evil at bay by going on missions to coax victims of immortality into our council, before the Marinial Council does. But I have you now, and I don’t want you to be exposed to such things yet. I don’t think you’re ready to leave here. You aren’t ready for this, so I finally persuaded her to get someone else to go in my place. See, they make me go on assignment, usually only two or three times a year. But now, over half our council has been destroyed, all when I was on the ship. So it might be even more often than that. This was one of those assignments.”
“
What happened to him?”
What happened to him?”
“
It wasn’t a vampire, Rein,” Traith sighed. “I don’t know any other vampires. It was a
werewolf
.”
It wasn’t a vampire, Rein,” Traith sighed. “I don’t know any other vampires. It was a
werewolf
.”
A chill took over the warmth she felt. “Who is going for you?”
He scratched his neck with a slight shake of his head. “A man named Magellan. I’m hardly familiar with him, save a near fight yesterday while you were asleep,” he smiled. “But I don’t care—”
“
A fight? A physical fight?”
A fight? A physical fight?”
He laughed quietly. “Yes, but never mind that. I told him then to take my next assignment, and he did. Mistress can be as angry as she wants, but I’m not going. I have too good of a reason to stay.”
She smiled.
He turned and went into the bedroom, and she followed. He fell limp onto the armchair he seemed to favor, and she took her seat on the bed again.
“
So you’re able to stay here for awhile now?” she asked.
So you’re able to stay here for awhile now?” she asked.
He tightened. “Yes.” His red eyes softened as if he saw her fear. He stood. “A werewolf, Rein,” he said, taking a few steps to the bedside next to her. “I was going to have to converse with a werewolf.” He looked down, shaking his head and sitting.
She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “You’re here now,” she said. “And for that I am thrilled.”
She was suddenly entwined within his heavenly embrace, and his face was in her hair. She moved it and sucked in the taste of his lips. She had no one in this world to call her friend but him; she had no one to stop her from making love to him, either.
“
Can I ask you something?” he said, pulling away from her.
Can I ask you something?” he said, pulling away from her.
She watched him closely. “Of course.”
His face was so handsome. He had a beauty in his expression that she couldn’t explain.
He left the bed suddenly and walked over to a bureau, opening a small drawer. “I bought this a long time ago,” he said, fiddling with something he drew from it. “It was the best one I could find…in hopes of one day finding a woman I loved. You won’t see another one like it—especially with its early-last-century authenticity.”
He walked back to her and held out a ring in his two fingers. It was a most brilliant ring: gold with sapphire and pearl within it—and diamonds…
“
Traith!” she said, her voice uncontained.
Traith!” she said, her voice uncontained.
“
It’s entirely gold of the highest purity. I never thought I would use it. In fact, for a long time, the thought of having bought it haunted me. I gave up on love, Rein,” he said softly. “But then I met
you
. You
are
the only woman I have ever loved, and the only one I ever will. And I want to solemnize our relationship.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t want to lose you, ever.”
It’s entirely gold of the highest purity. I never thought I would use it. In fact, for a long time, the thought of having bought it haunted me. I gave up on love, Rein,” he said softly. “But then I met
you
. You
are
the only woman I have ever loved, and the only one I ever will. And I want to solemnize our relationship.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t want to lose you, ever.”
Her eyes were swelling, this time, with tears of nothing close to sorrow.
“
So, Rein?” he asked, his voice as masculine yet as gentle as could be. “Do you think you could marry me?”
So, Rein?” he asked, his voice as masculine yet as gentle as could be. “Do you think you could marry me?”
Her heart seemed to burst with excitement, and she felt her mouth open in shock. She gasped with laughter a few times. She felt herself smiling hugely. “Oh, absolutely!” she said with exhilaration. “I will marry you! I love you! God—you’ll
never
lose me, Traith!”
never
lose me, Traith!”
He handed her the ring, and she put it on.
She threw her arms around him on the bed, lying nearly on top of him. “I love you,” she said into him. She pulled back to look at the ring again. “Traith, it is magnificent!”
He was laughing. They kissed again. She curled into him under the blankets, and laid her body on his, being careful about his back. She rested on his bare chest as he embraced her, taking in his sweet cologne.
She was
engaged
?
Engaged
! There was now an excitement within her worth everything in her world, and for a moment, she wasn’t scared.
engaged
?
Engaged
! There was now an excitement within her worth everything in her world, and for a moment, she wasn’t scared.
Chapter 38
She couldn’t recall the exact number of nights she had been with Traith at his castle, but she was deeply in love, something she knew was definitely a true feeling. It was a feeling that could not be taken from her, no matter what conflicts came their way. Even though she had been a fortnight on the ship, the entire terror of it seemed so distant in her mind. Having love recovered her sanity regarding vampires ten times as fast.
Making terror more distant still was the fact that Traith had taken her back to England, to enjoy time together among other things. To talk more about each other’s pasts; their likes and dislikes, only for Rein to find out that, beyond doubt, she really was
infatuated
with everything about him, a term she had never used in thought of herself in her entire life. Traith had taken her to some beautiful places in Yorkshire, mainly to buy whatever sort of clothing she wanted. She had only had a single bloodstained dress when she had arrived which they’d thrown out, so Traith went in the first shop and purchased a good one with her measurements. Once she had put that on, they continued to shop and bought more.
infatuated
with everything about him, a term she had never used in thought of herself in her entire life. Traith had taken her to some beautiful places in Yorkshire, mainly to buy whatever sort of clothing she wanted. She had only had a single bloodstained dress when she had arrived which they’d thrown out, so Traith went in the first shop and purchased a good one with her measurements. Once she had put that on, they continued to shop and bought more.
And that particular day, he was going to take her home—to Teesdale. To meet a sister she never knew.
She put on a beautiful ivory and blue bodice and skirt that she had purchased in order to go quickly to her home. Perhaps, if her things were still there, she’d take some of her old clothing back to the castle with her. She hoped, also, to regain her money she had left behind and keep it with Traith. She also thought she might speak to Mr. and Mrs. Kendrick. But the thought of doing that made her ill. It would be so painful—Saria’s death was still a fresh wound. But she knew pain was inevitable until she was familiar with each aspect of immortality, or
vampirism
for that matter.
vampirism
for that matter.
Traith knocked on the door of her dressing room. She finished tying up her bodice and spoke for him to come in. The door opened, and he entered with only a few steps before he leant on the wall. It was a room within a castle turret, at the end of the bedroom hall, so all the walls were circular.
A handsome smile rose up on his face. “I take it you’re excited to see your sister?” he said, his arms crossed.
“
I’m anxious,” she said, walking to him. “I don’t want to cry.” She forced a smile. “You know, crying honestly is something I never do. Hasn’t seemed that way lately, has it?”
I’m anxious,” she said, walking to him. “I don’t want to cry.” She forced a smile. “You know, crying honestly is something I never do. Hasn’t seemed that way lately, has it?”
“
Don’t think about it so grimly,” he said.
Don’t think about it so grimly,” he said.
His hands crawled up her shoulder blades, and she looked up, turning her head. She savored the taste of his lips and felt as if time stood still. But then he pulled back and pushed her away.
“
What is it?” she asked.
What is it?” she asked.
Her hands fell through his, as if he were only an apparition. He was disappearing. She would’ve fallen through him if he hadn’t pushed her back.
“
What is it?” Rein asked more keenly. “What?”
What is it?” Rein asked more keenly. “What?”
“
No,” he murmured.
No,” he murmured.
She searched his face for an answer. “
Traith
—”
Traith
—”
“
A meeting,” he muttered angrily, and his hand reached out to her face.
A meeting,” he muttered angrily, and his hand reached out to her face.
She couldn’t feel it.
The next thing she knew, she was in the council, with Mistress in front of her.
“
What is going on?” Rein demanded.
What is going on?” Rein demanded.
Staring with hostility at the old woman, Traith began to yell. “A meeting? Mistress, you’re assigning me to a—” his mouth was still open, but his speech was stopped. His eyes turned to Rein in apology, and his image slowly disappeared.
He was gone.
“
A meeting?” Rein asked, still staring at the spot where Traith had been only moments ago. “I don’t understand.”
A meeting?” Rein asked, still staring at the spot where Traith had been only moments ago. “I don’t understand.”
“
Yes, a meeting,” the woman said. “And perhaps he is angry with me, but I can deal with him later. Perhaps you are also, but he
is
my second in all of this, and there was something important for him to head. He was able to get out of going to England and chancing a werewolf for you, but I was gracious in letting him do so. I know his feelings about you—”
Yes, a meeting,” the woman said. “And perhaps he is angry with me, but I can deal with him later. Perhaps you are also, but he
is
my second in all of this, and there was something important for him to head. He was able to get out of going to England and chancing a werewolf for you, but I was gracious in letting him do so. I know his feelings about you—”
“
He proposed to me,” Rein said quietly with a smile, twisting the magnificent band she now wore on her left hand. “We’re going to—”
He proposed to me,” Rein said quietly with a smile, twisting the magnificent band she now wore on her left hand. “We’re going to—”
“
As important as that might be to
you
, I have no interest in the matter.”
As important as that might be to
you
, I have no interest in the matter.”
Rein stared, rather squinted, at her with disgust. “How could you have just said that?”
“
Listen, Rein,” she said. “I must speak with you about a matter more important than that. Follow me. He is right next to this room, leading the meeting. We mustn’t disturb them.”
Listen, Rein,” she said. “I must speak with you about a matter more important than that. Follow me. He is right next to this room, leading the meeting. We mustn’t disturb them.”
The woman took her hand, and she realized that the room had literally molded into another. It was completely white, as was every other room she had ever seen the Mistress in.
But she couldn’t think much about the room. She was still so stunned and disgusted by what that old lady had said…He had
proposed
to her. He was her
fiancé
, and she could say nothing to that news? After dedicating himself to her service for over a hundred years?
proposed
to her. He was her
fiancé
, and she could say nothing to that news? After dedicating himself to her service for over a hundred years?
Other books
Out of the Blues by Mercy Celeste
Do No Harm by Gregg Hurwitz
A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry
The War Within by Yolanda Wallace
My Mr. Rochester by L. K. Rigel
Dark of the Sun by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
The Orange Outlaw by Ron Roy
Convicted: A Mafia Romance by Macguire, Jacee
Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper