her veins? It made no sense to her.
Mischa cleared her throat and tried a different topic. “Why are we walking?”
“Because we cannot fly,” Rhad responded in a droll tone of voice.
She made a rude noise. Weren’t vampires supposed to be able to convert to bats and fly? Perhaps Rhad could, but his abilities didn’t allow him to take a passenger. That would mean he was actually being courteous.
Another glance at the side of his face told her that wasn’t a possibility. She couldn’t imagine the man was too familiar with courtesy.
“I mean, why aren’t we taking a car? I presume you do have one of those, don’t you?” She stopped walking and spun around to face the broken path they’d just traveled. “We’ve been walking all this time, and I’m sure there’s a better way to get to where we’re going.”
“No. There is not.”
“There are no roads?”
Rhad sighed and stopped to face her. “Mischa, I know what I’m doing.”
She drew in a deep, steadying breath. God save her from arrogant vampires. “Then enlighten me because I don’t know why we’re trudging along when we could be motoring.”
“The roads are rural and unkempt, and the village we seek is practically uninhabited.”
Mischa clamped her hands on her hips and tilted her head toward the sky. She muttered something derogatory under her breath before she fixed Rhad with a fulminating stare.
“And tell me again how you know this village is where we will find my sister?” She held up one hand. “No, on second thought, don’t. I don’t think I want to hear anymore about your second sight.” She made another scoffing noise and walked past him. “Of all the people to get stuck with, I have to find the only clairvoyant vampire.”
“You came to me,” he reminded her.
She didn’t look back. “Excellent. Keep reminding me that you found me draped across your front steps. It’s so helpful.” Another chill worked its way down her spine, and she swore she caught the scent of charred wood in the air.
Burning pine. It brought back memories, more than she cared to relive, but the images wouldn’t cease. Brilliant, vibrant pictures of the summers she’d spent with her parents on these very mountains.
“I was only stating the truth.”
“And you’ve done so repetitively. Enough is enough.” She froze, one foot hovering in the air. “I was drinking a glass of wine.”
“What? When?”
“In the hotel.”
He approached her at an even pace, coming to a halt when she was within arm’s reach. “Your memory is returning.”
“I don’t think I had amnesia.”
“You can be sure of this?”
She hated the superior tone of his voice. “Look, can we just get on with this mountain hike and, for your sake,” she waggled a finger in warning, “we’d better find my sister in this God-forsaken village, or I’m going to be putting that Internet course to work.”
Rhad laughed, and the sound startled her.
“You have a nice laugh,” she said suddenly.
He ran his knuckles down her cheek. “I am glad you came back to Romania, Mischa Bonovich.”
Hamrick’s security team had really come through for him. They’d cracked into Mischa Bonovich’s laptop back in Boston and found a name—Rhad Valentine. And not surprisingly, the guy lived in Romania.
The mention of the guy’s name had the tour guide sweating like a fat girl on a crowded bus, though. He’d begun babbling about the money not being important and, after dumping Hamrick off at a stately castle, he’d laid fifty feet of rubber making a quick exit.
The guy didn’t know anything about fear. Facing his own mortality, Hamrick had come face to face with the feeling. Now, he figured there weren’t too many things that could scare him.
She knew she was testing the Council’s patience, but Rianna couldn’t just walk away from her sister. They shared a bond that even death couldn’t
Mischa cleared her throat and tried a different topic. “Why are we walking?”
“Because we cannot fly,” Rhad responded in a droll tone of voice.
She made a rude noise. Weren’t vampires supposed to be able to convert to bats and fly? Perhaps Rhad could, but his abilities didn’t allow him to take a passenger. That would mean he was actually being courteous.
Another glance at the side of his face told her that wasn’t a possibility. She couldn’t imagine the man was too familiar with courtesy.
“I mean, why aren’t we taking a car? I presume you do have one of those, don’t you?” She stopped walking and spun around to face the broken path they’d just traveled. “We’ve been walking all this time, and I’m sure there’s a better way to get to where we’re going.”
“No. There is not.”
“There are no roads?”
Rhad sighed and stopped to face her. “Mischa, I know what I’m doing.”
She drew in a deep, steadying breath. God save her from arrogant vampires. “Then enlighten me because I don’t know why we’re trudging along when we could be motoring.”
“The roads are rural and unkempt, and the village we seek is practically uninhabited.”
Mischa clamped her hands on her hips and tilted her head toward the sky. She muttered something derogatory under her breath before she fixed Rhad with a fulminating stare.
“And tell me again how you know this village is where we will find my sister?” She held up one hand. “No, on second thought, don’t. I don’t think I want to hear anymore about your second sight.” She made another scoffing noise and walked past him. “Of all the people to get stuck with, I have to find the only clairvoyant vampire.”
“You came to me,” he reminded her.
She didn’t look back. “Excellent. Keep reminding me that you found me draped across your front steps. It’s so helpful.” Another chill worked its way down her spine, and she swore she caught the scent of charred wood in the air.
Burning pine. It brought back memories, more than she cared to relive, but the images wouldn’t cease. Brilliant, vibrant pictures of the summers she’d spent with her parents on these very mountains.
“I was only stating the truth.”
“And you’ve done so repetitively. Enough is enough.” She froze, one foot hovering in the air. “I was drinking a glass of wine.”
“What? When?”
“In the hotel.”
He approached her at an even pace, coming to a halt when she was within arm’s reach. “Your memory is returning.”
“I don’t think I had amnesia.”
“You can be sure of this?”
She hated the superior tone of his voice. “Look, can we just get on with this mountain hike and, for your sake,” she waggled a finger in warning, “we’d better find my sister in this God-forsaken village, or I’m going to be putting that Internet course to work.”
Rhad laughed, and the sound startled her.
“You have a nice laugh,” she said suddenly.
He ran his knuckles down her cheek. “I am glad you came back to Romania, Mischa Bonovich.”
Hamrick’s security team had really come through for him. They’d cracked into Mischa Bonovich’s laptop back in Boston and found a name—Rhad Valentine. And not surprisingly, the guy lived in Romania.
The mention of the guy’s name had the tour guide sweating like a fat girl on a crowded bus, though. He’d begun babbling about the money not being important and, after dumping Hamrick off at a stately castle, he’d laid fifty feet of rubber making a quick exit.
The guy didn’t know anything about fear. Facing his own mortality, Hamrick had come face to face with the feeling. Now, he figured there weren’t too many things that could scare him.
She knew she was testing the Council’s patience, but Rianna couldn’t just walk away from her sister. They shared a bond that even death couldn’t
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