comes with it. In us, vampire blood gives us an urge to feed. But in you, the urges are largely different. But how could I – or any of us – blame you for being overwhelmed by your blood, when we have struggled with that same question for centuries? I will not lie – of course it hurts me to see you with Stuart, with Jaegar, even with…Aaron.” Octavius went quiet at the mention of the youngest Greystone brother, long since staked into oblivion. “But I understand how it must be for you. I’ve been there. I remember waking up that first morning in Ostia, feeling the hunger, my teeth sinking into the neck of a servant girl, a friend of mine, a girl I cared for…” He sighed at the remembrance. “I know how hard it is to control your needs, my love. Your desires. And when someone is as beautiful, as irresistible as you – you could have your pick of anyone, man or vampire. Your struggle is a noble one – you and I are not so different. We both struggle with longings we cannot control. Perhaps that is why my heart waited so long to find you – two thousand years without love, and then the day I met you all that changed. Perhaps…” He sighed...
She leaned into him, closing her eyes. She could think of nothing to say – there was no need for speaking. He could hear all her thoughts – coursing through her brain. Her fear about Justin, her terror that he would wake up a vampire, turned into one of Molotov’s minions. Her loss, her loneliness. And still, alongside it all – her love. Her brain was going wild – she could think of nothing but that sure refrain: I love you, her heart was saying, I love you, I love you, I love you.
“Why do I have to love you?” Kalina said at last out loud. “It would be so much easier if I didn’t, if you weren’t in my life. Then the choice wouldn’t be so hard. I’m so in love with you – I feel I’ll never be able to move on. And if as you say, this blood connects us more – it’ll be worse now than ever. For both of us.” Because she knew what she wanted, she could not have. The two of them could never be together – she would have to suffer her longing and loneliness in silence; she would have to bear losing him once more.
Octavius gave an ironic chuckle. “Fate, perhaps?” he said slowly. “Fate that has wrenched us apart, torn us apart over centuries, and yet which keeps thrusting us back together. Perhaps we should wait and see what Fate has in store for us this time?”
“It could be worse,” said Kalina, shuddering. “What if it had been Molotov’s blood? Already he’s got to Justin…” Saying it out loud made it more real. Tears came to her eyes and froze into snowflake on her lashes. “But you’ll be able to save him, won’t you?” Octavius had always come through for her before – she had to believe that he would come through for us again. She had to believe there was hope for Justin. “You won’t let him become a minion of Molotov’s, would you?” Her lips were trembling, pale and blue with the cold.
“I don’t know,” Octavius whispered. “I wish I could tell you sweet words to make the pain go away, my sweet Kal, but I cannot bear to lie to you. I do not know what will happen to your brother. I can only wait – and hope – and have faith…”
“I’m praying for him,” the droplet-snowflakes were falling fast down Kalina’s nose, wetting her fingers. “Right now. Will you pray for him too?”
He squeezed her hand. “I will, my love.”
“Then we have to go back,” she leaned into him. “Find out what happened.”
He nodded.
“Then I’m ready,” Kalina stood up, swaying as she did so. She was still dizzy from the blood loss and the pain. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
T he sun was beginning to spread its tendrils across the sky. Dragonish clouds of yellow and orange, purple and pink, were rising with the dawn. The air grew warmer as the moon faded
She leaned into him, closing her eyes. She could think of nothing to say – there was no need for speaking. He could hear all her thoughts – coursing through her brain. Her fear about Justin, her terror that he would wake up a vampire, turned into one of Molotov’s minions. Her loss, her loneliness. And still, alongside it all – her love. Her brain was going wild – she could think of nothing but that sure refrain: I love you, her heart was saying, I love you, I love you, I love you.
“Why do I have to love you?” Kalina said at last out loud. “It would be so much easier if I didn’t, if you weren’t in my life. Then the choice wouldn’t be so hard. I’m so in love with you – I feel I’ll never be able to move on. And if as you say, this blood connects us more – it’ll be worse now than ever. For both of us.” Because she knew what she wanted, she could not have. The two of them could never be together – she would have to suffer her longing and loneliness in silence; she would have to bear losing him once more.
Octavius gave an ironic chuckle. “Fate, perhaps?” he said slowly. “Fate that has wrenched us apart, torn us apart over centuries, and yet which keeps thrusting us back together. Perhaps we should wait and see what Fate has in store for us this time?”
“It could be worse,” said Kalina, shuddering. “What if it had been Molotov’s blood? Already he’s got to Justin…” Saying it out loud made it more real. Tears came to her eyes and froze into snowflake on her lashes. “But you’ll be able to save him, won’t you?” Octavius had always come through for her before – she had to believe that he would come through for us again. She had to believe there was hope for Justin. “You won’t let him become a minion of Molotov’s, would you?” Her lips were trembling, pale and blue with the cold.
“I don’t know,” Octavius whispered. “I wish I could tell you sweet words to make the pain go away, my sweet Kal, but I cannot bear to lie to you. I do not know what will happen to your brother. I can only wait – and hope – and have faith…”
“I’m praying for him,” the droplet-snowflakes were falling fast down Kalina’s nose, wetting her fingers. “Right now. Will you pray for him too?”
He squeezed her hand. “I will, my love.”
“Then we have to go back,” she leaned into him. “Find out what happened.”
He nodded.
“Then I’m ready,” Kalina stood up, swaying as she did so. She was still dizzy from the blood loss and the pain. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
T he sun was beginning to spread its tendrils across the sky. Dragonish clouds of yellow and orange, purple and pink, were rising with the dawn. The air grew warmer as the moon faded
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