The boy had followed me out.

I shrugged. “Um. Just paranoid.”

“And after all that work I did to save your gold.” He shook his head at me, but his smile said he was just teasing. “Name’s Thomas, by the way. Go by Tom to my friends and pretty ladies Darlene tries to take advantage of.”

Pretty. He’d called me that twice now.

He held his hand out to me, and I shook it, all the while my cheeks burned. His skin was warm, slightly callused but soft.

“I’m Sam,” I blurted, before I remembered to give him the same fake name I’d given the others. “Short for Samantha,” I added, trying to salvage it.

He eased in a bit closer. Not quite so close I felt like I needed to back up, but almost. “Sam. You blush real cute, Sam.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I stammered something that approximated words but meant nothing.

He grinned, like I hadn’t just made a fool of myself. “Will I see you around here much in the future, Sam? I’m hoping you say yes.”

For a moment, I let myself enjoy the conversation. Imagine a life where I could just meet a boy, flirt, and learn what kissing felt like.

A life where I wasn’t on the run after betraying my kingdom and conspiring with one of our deadliest enemies to infiltrate the City of Answers.

“Probably not, Tom.”

He reached for my hand. By reflex, I jerked back, but I was a bit too slow, and he caught my wrist.

“You and I could head out into the woods and have a little fun before you continue on your errands, then.” A dimple appeared in his cheek as he beamed down at me.

I blinked up at him, surprised by his forwardness. “Oh. Um. That’s okay.”

He flashed me another smile, though it was a little disappointed, then fished out a card from his own deck. Some kind of fast travel spell—likely not for big distances, though, because those were pricy.

“See you around then, Sam.”

The writing on the card faded as he activated it, the magic emerging, eager to complete its task. It engulfed him in a small tornado, lifting him high as the sudden wind slammed against me. Once there was no sign of him, I went off to the tavern to find Raphael. Sunset had settled over the town, darkness looming at the edges. I drew my cloak tighter around me. There might not be any ogres in town, but I was a scrawny woman who didn’t live around here, walking around in the dark.

With no small amount of self-loathing, I realized I actually missed having the vampire around. At least when he was nearby, he was the only thing I had to worry about.

Rowdy noises signaled the location of the tavern, light trickling from the frosted windows. I pushed the doors open, scanning for the vampire as I unhooked my cloak.

But it was Raphael who found me first. No sooner had I taken a few steps into the warm tavern than the vampire was at my side. His hood had fallen back just slightly so I could see his red eyes, blazing, even though they were hidden from onlookers.

“Why do you smell like a male?”

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter Nine

I jerked back.

“None of your business.” Could he really smell Tom from that brief contact?

The look Raphael gave me was chiding. “It is, since you’re under my protection and the biggest threat to you at present is men of your own species.”

No, the biggest threat to me was the bossy vampire. Who was he to chide me? He’d run off, and I’d navigated the village, getting us supplies on my own and avoiding any suspicions from the townspeople on my own.

I shoved past him to get to the counter. I had a little of the stolen gold left, and I’d be damned if I’d let an ornery vampire deny me a warm meal while he made a scene.

“I just met a nice boy,” I grumbled, snagging a seat at a recently emptied table.

Raphael slid into the stool across from me, utterly casual. His back was to the room, his red eyes fixed on me. I glanced around to see if anyone realized a vampire was in their midst, but no one reacted. The thought of how easily he moved around among humans sent chills down my spine. And he could enthrall people with a single look?

I’d thought the scariest thing about vampires was their fangs. The violent animal their human-shaped bodies contained. But no. Their true gifts were apparently much worse.

“A nice boy,” Raphael murmured. His tone was mocking, in that soft, sensual way that made it clear he was playing a game I didn’t know the rules to. “Is that what you like?”

Where was the bartender? “It doesn’t seem like any of your business.”

My cheeks warmed, and I could feel Raphael’s gaze fix on them. The blood rushing under them. Then his attention drifted lower, taking in my clothing. I regretted the indulgence. The clothes I’d been wearing had been threadbare and shapeless. Now, the blouse clung to my frame, cut a bit low. It might’ve been immodest except for the fact my body was nearly stick straight.

He didn’t leer. I couldn’t accuse him of that. But he saw me in a way that left me feeling utterly exposed.

“Is that what you want, Samara?” he goaded. “A simple village boy who will whisper sweet nothings in your ear?”

I wanted to snap back something clever. In truth, anything I said would’ve come out petulant and stammered. I was saved when the barmaid finally spotted us and strolled over, a sway in her hips I could never manage.

She sashayed over to the table, a pleasant smile to me before she turned to face Raphael.

Her eyes widened in shock, mouth quivering for a second before she opened it, about to yell. How had Raphael been so stupid to—

“You notice nothing unusual about me. I am just another man with plain blue eyes.”

His tone was even, unhurried. From the moment he began to speak, the shaking stopped, and she stared deep into his eyes. Then, as if in a trance, she nodded.

Thrall.

My mouth went dry. So that was what it looked like. I fingered the card at my side. Would I use it on myself? Or to protect the barmaid?

“Well, what can I get you, sir?” Her words were unafraid. She really didn’t realize she was talking to a vampire.

Actually… her gaze was no longer fixed on his eyes. Instead, it roamed around the angles of Raphael’s face, his sharp jaw, full lips, and then dipped lower.

“Nothing for me.”

“You sure?” Her voice dropped slightly. “I can’t get you anything you might like?”

“How kind,” he drawled. “But no. My companion, however, is hungry.”

Actually, seeing him hypnotize the barmaid had knocked down my ever-present appetite. But it would be childish not to take advantage and force at least something down my throat. “A cup of soup, please.”

She nodded and turned to go, but Raphael stopped her. “And of course, a full dinner. Roast chicken or whatever is cooking in the kitchen, vegetables, potatoes, and something sweet.”

The nod Raphael got had a much brighter smile than she’d given me. That smile shouldn’t have irritated me. It was just… she was smiling at a vampire. And she had no idea.

“I’m not that hungry,” I snapped when she finally left.

“Your growling stomach says otherwise,” came the easy reply. “It’s… irritating to listen to. Consider quieting your hunger a personal favor to me.”

“Watching you screw with the barmaid’s mind ruined my appetite.”

He arched a brow. “Would you have preferred I snapped her neck before she could scream? I could still do that, if you’re so distressed. She’d be missed, eventually, but we could leave before anyone realizes.”

My horrified expression was answer enough.

“That’s what I thought. It’s harmless. In this case, anyway.”

“It’s unnatural,” I hissed.

He chuckled. “As if witches have any right to complain about what’s natural.”

I wasn’t a witch, but I felt like I should defend my countrymen all the same. “Witch magic is a gift from the gods.”