“Fine.” She held her hands up so he could see her palms. “Silver has never burned me before.”
“Like I said, I think your father infused the chains with some sort of vampire mojo to make sure I couldn’t escape. He probably didn’t expect you to be poking around up there.”
“I knew you were nearby,” she said, a note of wonder in her voice. “I could feel your presence. I heard your voice inside my mind. I could feel what you were feeling.”
“Must be lots of fun now,” he said, grimacing.
“It’s only fair, since you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me.”
“True enough.”
“Kiss me, Zack.”
“Here? Now?”
“What if we never get another chance?”
“Good point.”
It wasn’t easy, squirming around, leaning forward far enough to be able to press his lips to hers, but it was worth it. Her lips were cool and sweet and for that brief moment, he forgot he was bound with silver and locked in a putrid cell in a dungeon, forgot that every breath might be his last.
Chapter 23
Drake sat in front of the hearth in his Fortress apartment, his fingers drumming on the arm of the chair. He had a decision to make, and for the first time in years, he wasn’t certain that doing the right thing was the right thing to do.
“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Elena asked, perching on the other arm. She had been watching him for the last ten minutes, waiting for him to confide in her. “Or are you going to make me guess?” Although guessing wouldn’t be necessary. She knew exactly what was bothering him.
“It is Zack Ravenscroft, of course,” he muttered irritably.
“Ah.” No surprise there, she thought.
“Yes, ah! Dammit, I like him.”
“Really? Well, that does make things more difficult, doesn’t it?”
“You have no idea,” he said, his voice little more than a growl. “He seems honest and forthright. If he was lying to me, I could not tell.” He blew out an impatient sigh. “He claims to love Kaitlyn.”
“Claims to love her? Honestly, Drake, why else would the man come here? If he intended to harm her in any way, I’m sure he’s too smart to try it here, under your very nose! Besides, if he meant her any harm, wouldn’t he have done it before this?”
Drake glared at her.
“You know I’m right, so you might as well admit it.”
He shook his head in resignation. In all their years together, he couldn’t recall a time when she had ever been wrong. It was galling. And endearing.
Pulling her down into his lap, he kissed her soundly, then shook his head, his expression rueful. “Tell me, wife, what do you think it will cost me to make this right with our daughter?”
Kaitlyn’s demands were few.
“I want you to release Zack immediately. Let him shower. Provide him with clean clothes. Give him a comfortable place to rest during the day. And get used to the idea that, for the foreseeable future, I intend to spend every possible minute with him.”
“Is that all?” her father asked dryly.
“He’ll need something to drink.”
Drake nodded. No doubt providing fresh nourishment should be their first priority. Being in pain always heightened his own hunger. He guessed the same was true for the Others.
“I think you’re getting off easy,” Elena remarked.
“Hush, wife.”
“Hush yourself. I think you owe Zack Ravenscroft an apology.”
“I think so, too,” Kaitlyn said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find Torrance.”
With an effort, Zack gained his feet when he heard Kaitlyn’s footsteps. She wasn’t alone. The human, Torrance, was with her. He wondered what that meant.
Kaitlyn smiled at him as she hurried toward the cell. “I’ve come to get you out of here,” she said as Torrance unlocked the cell door.
“What about your father?”
“I have his permission, of course.” She hurried into the cell after Torrance, waited impatiently as he unlocked the shackles around Zack’s ankles and removed the chain from around his neck. “Thanks, Torrance. That’s all.”
With a nod, the man left the cell.
“So, what changed your father’s mind about me?” Zack asked.
“I don’t know.” She slipped her arm around his waist. “Lean on me and let’s get out of here. How did you stand the smell?”
“It wasn’t easy.”
“I have a room for you upstairs. Once you’re cleaned up, Northa has offered to let you feed from her.”
Zack came to a stop. “What?”
“She won’t mind,” Kaitlyn assured him.
“I’m not a pet. I don’t need you to bring me food.”
“I’m sorry,” Kaitlyn said, not sure what she had said to upset him. “The humans who stay here, it’s what they do. I thought you understood that. We provide food and shelter and education for their children, and they nourish us when we need it.”
“I understand that, but it’s not my way.”
“All right.” She tugged gently. “Let’s just get out of here.”
It was a painful climb up three flights of stairs, but he didn’t complain. Once they reached the main floor, he stopped leaning on Kaitlyn. A man had his pride, after all.
He followed her down a long corridor before they came to any doors. She opened the first door on the right.
“What’s in the other rooms?” he asked.
“The room next to this one is the library. There’s a music room and an art gallery across the hall. The council chambers are in that big room at the end.”
Zack nodded.
“This is the guest room, I suppose you’d call it,” she said, stepping inside.
Zack followed her into what was a surprisingly modern room. A little too feminine for his taste, but after the tower and the dungeon, he wasn’t about to complain. A number of paintings decorated the pale yellow walls. A beige carpet covered the floor. A ceramic pitcher and a couple of glasses sat atop a three-drawer chest, along with a comb and a hand mirror. A flowered quilt covered a large brass bed. A wooden shelf held a number of books written in several different languages, as well as numerous DVDs and CDs for the TV and stereo housed in a small entertainment unit.
“There’s a bathroom in there,” Kaitlyn said, pointing at the door across from the bed.
Nodding, he went to the window and pulled back the heavy curtain. Although it was dark outside, he could see that the view was spectacular. The Fortress, situated on a mountain peak, overlooked a deep green valley bisected by a narrow ribbon of blue water. With his preternatural sight, he noticed several small cottages in the valley below, their windows glowing with pale yellow lamplight.
He could feel his strength returning. Before dawn, he would go out the window and hunt in the valley below.
“Zack?”
Letting the curtains fall back into place, he turned to face her.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.” He glanced at his bloodstained clothes. “I need to get cleaned up.”
She nodded, her smile brilliant. “I’ll wait for you in the library.”
Zack lingered in the shower, scrubbing away the dried blood and sweat that clung to him, along with the stink of the dungeon. From what little he had seen, the Romanian vampires lived like Old World royalty. He much preferred his own way. Unfortunately, it looked like Kaitlyn would be staying here until her father deemed it was safe for her to leave, although there was no telling when that would be.
So, he could either stay here with Kaitlyn and make the best of it, or head back to Tahoe alone. He thought about the casino. Scherry could run it without him for as long as necessary.
Zack snorted softly. Like it or not, he figured he would be staying here for the duration, however long that might be.
Stepping out of the shower, he toweled off. One of the best things about being a vampire was how quickly he recovered. His wounds were already healing. Once he fed, the healing process would speed up; by tomorrow night, he’d be as good as new.
He donned the black pants and dark blue sweater Kaitlyn had left for him. While pulling on a pair of soft black leather boots, he had the discomfiting feeling that the clothing belonged to her father, since he and Drake were roughly the same height and weight. He seemed to recall Katy mentioning that he reminded her of her father.
After running a comb through his hair, he left the room. His footsteps made no sound as he made his way to the library. He found Kaitlyn inside, reading a book.
She looked up when he entered the room, a smile of welcome lighting her face.
“You look much better.”
“Thanks. I feel better.” He’d feel more like his old self again once he’d fed, but that would have to wait.
“Would you like a tour of the Fortress?” Kaitlyn asked, setting the book aside.
“Sure.”
“Come on, then,” she said, taking him by the hand.
He had already seen the main floor. The other levels were all downstairs. And underground. Being a vampire, he could appreciate that.
The first floor down held the kitchen, a dining hall, and a laundry room. A low hum of conversation filled the air. Two women were in the kitchen preparing dinner; another woman was folding a load of wash. They all smiled at Zack and Kaitlyn. They were all human and seemed remarkably happy.
As Zack and Kaitlyn were leaving, a woman with curly brown hair and brown eyes entered the dining room.
“Hello, Kaitlyn,” she said pleasantly.
“Hi, Northa.” Kaitlyn hesitated, then said, “Zack, this is Northa. She’s been with us for a long time.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Zack said. He stared at the woman. Her name sounded vaguely familiar. And then he remembered why. This was the woman who had offered to satisfy his thirst.
Kaitlyn and Northa exchanged a few pleasantries, and then, with a last glance in Zack’s direction, Northa excused herself and disappeared into the kitchen.