how to do this?”
“Never underestimate a comarré.” She brushed her hands off. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take a bath before dinner.”
“How much of that was the Bellona and how much of that was you?”
She smiled. “Your eyes are so silver right now I can see myself reflected in them. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Wicked, improper thoughts about her. “I am trying to understand you.” And what it would be like to wake up next to her, if he was honest.
“ Buona fortuna .” Laughing softly, she leaned up, kissed his cheek, then walked out of the recreation hall.
Good luck might not be enough. He stared at the smattering of ash that had once been Nero. “What have I created?” He sank down into a chair. Maybe nothing. His serum may have made her faster and stronger, but it hadn’t taught her how to move or wield a sword.
Three things became very clear to him. One was that Marissa was a woman of many secrets. Two was that he was very glad he was not Arnaud. And three was that his desire for her showed no signs of diminishing.
He didn’t see her again until mealtime. When she entered the dining room in a simple flowing gown of white silk, her long blond hair pulled back and woven through with a few thin braids, it was difficult to accept that this was the same woman who’d dispatched Nero so effortlessly. He lost himself in her glow and the sugary perfume that surrounded her. “ Bella . You look beautiful.”
Her smile was hesitant. “Does that mean my sword skills haven’t changed the way you feel about me?”
He laughed. “No, your skills have definitely changed the way I feel about you. All for the good, I promise. And I will be very careful not to upset you.”
She reached up to touch his face the way she’d done earlier. Her hands were so warm he pressed his cheek farther into her palm as she spoke. “You are the most interesting vampire I’ve ever met. Why are you so different from your brethren? You make me think dangerous thoughts about the future.”
“A future together would be dangerous, would it not?” The joy in her eyes died at his words and her hand slipped from his face, but he caught it and held it to his cheek. “To me, that makes it all the more interesting. I understand why so many of my kind call upon me to end their boredom. Life grows commonplace.” He turned and kissed her palm. “With you, life would never be commonplace.”
“So, you’re still willing to proceed?”
“With all my being.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “I feel like you have rescued me. For many years now, I have been a slave to the responsibilities of the nobility. My need to serve them and please them outweighed my true passion—the quest to discover new things, to expand my abilities, to conquer new difficulties. I no longer feel that way anymore. I feel…free.”
She shook her head, the smile still on her red lips. “Am I your new difficulty?”
He laughed and pulled out a chair for her. “Is that so terrible?”
“I’ve been called worse. And will be again after I ask Arnaud for libertas.”
Dominic rang the crystal bell beside his wineglass. A servant entered and put a rare steak and a steaming baked potato before Marissa. “Is that what you like to eat? I guess it’s what they prepare for Catarina. I must pay more attention.”
She dug into the steak. “The better a comarré eats, the better their blood tastes.” She took a bite and chewed.
“Speaking of comarré, what will become of Catarina if—when—we leave?”
Marissa swallowed and tipped her head. “The easiest thing would be for you to grant her freedom.” She took a sip of water. “Then she can live at the Secundis Domus and do whatever she likes. There she can choose whether to make herself available for another patron.”
“Very good. That is what I’ll do. I can have a message sent to the Secundis Domus tomorrow.”
“Not so fast. We’ll need her with us when we get to
“Never underestimate a comarré.” She brushed her hands off. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take a bath before dinner.”
“How much of that was the Bellona and how much of that was you?”
She smiled. “Your eyes are so silver right now I can see myself reflected in them. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Wicked, improper thoughts about her. “I am trying to understand you.” And what it would be like to wake up next to her, if he was honest.
“ Buona fortuna .” Laughing softly, she leaned up, kissed his cheek, then walked out of the recreation hall.
Good luck might not be enough. He stared at the smattering of ash that had once been Nero. “What have I created?” He sank down into a chair. Maybe nothing. His serum may have made her faster and stronger, but it hadn’t taught her how to move or wield a sword.
Three things became very clear to him. One was that Marissa was a woman of many secrets. Two was that he was very glad he was not Arnaud. And three was that his desire for her showed no signs of diminishing.
He didn’t see her again until mealtime. When she entered the dining room in a simple flowing gown of white silk, her long blond hair pulled back and woven through with a few thin braids, it was difficult to accept that this was the same woman who’d dispatched Nero so effortlessly. He lost himself in her glow and the sugary perfume that surrounded her. “ Bella . You look beautiful.”
Her smile was hesitant. “Does that mean my sword skills haven’t changed the way you feel about me?”
He laughed. “No, your skills have definitely changed the way I feel about you. All for the good, I promise. And I will be very careful not to upset you.”
She reached up to touch his face the way she’d done earlier. Her hands were so warm he pressed his cheek farther into her palm as she spoke. “You are the most interesting vampire I’ve ever met. Why are you so different from your brethren? You make me think dangerous thoughts about the future.”
“A future together would be dangerous, would it not?” The joy in her eyes died at his words and her hand slipped from his face, but he caught it and held it to his cheek. “To me, that makes it all the more interesting. I understand why so many of my kind call upon me to end their boredom. Life grows commonplace.” He turned and kissed her palm. “With you, life would never be commonplace.”
“So, you’re still willing to proceed?”
“With all my being.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “I feel like you have rescued me. For many years now, I have been a slave to the responsibilities of the nobility. My need to serve them and please them outweighed my true passion—the quest to discover new things, to expand my abilities, to conquer new difficulties. I no longer feel that way anymore. I feel…free.”
She shook her head, the smile still on her red lips. “Am I your new difficulty?”
He laughed and pulled out a chair for her. “Is that so terrible?”
“I’ve been called worse. And will be again after I ask Arnaud for libertas.”
Dominic rang the crystal bell beside his wineglass. A servant entered and put a rare steak and a steaming baked potato before Marissa. “Is that what you like to eat? I guess it’s what they prepare for Catarina. I must pay more attention.”
She dug into the steak. “The better a comarré eats, the better their blood tastes.” She took a bite and chewed.
“Speaking of comarré, what will become of Catarina if—when—we leave?”
Marissa swallowed and tipped her head. “The easiest thing would be for you to grant her freedom.” She took a sip of water. “Then she can live at the Secundis Domus and do whatever she likes. There she can choose whether to make herself available for another patron.”
“Very good. That is what I’ll do. I can have a message sent to the Secundis Domus tomorrow.”
“Not so fast. We’ll need her with us when we get to
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