by Raven Steele
“This place is amazing,” I said, slipping off the stallion.
Enormous, moss-covered boulders held the river in its place, and in between their deep crevices, colorful flowers grew. The sharp contrast of greens against reds, yellows and blues was breathtaking. I walked around in awe, careful to avoid the slippery moss.
“I thought you would like it,” Boaz said just a step behind me.
“How do the flowers stay in bloom with such cold weather?”
“It’s the mystery of the river.”
“It’s beautiful.”
I moved up the river toward the roar of a waterfall. With just the light of the moon to guide us, it was difficult to navigate my way over the rocky terrain, but I didn’t let the many shadows stop me.
“Are you coming?” I asked Boaz over my shoulder, unable to contain my excitement.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He smiled warmly and climbed after me. He didn’t struggle along the boulders as I did. It was as if his feet only skimmed their slippery surfaces.
When I stumbled, Boaz caught me around the waist. “Careful, love.”
He took my hand and guided me the rest of the way. Once again, my skin tingled at his touch. The sensation spread to the rest of my body, and my smile grew.
We finally reached the waterfall. It must’ve been at least thirty feet high, and its mist filled the air, dampening my face.
“Do you mind getting wet?” Boaz shouted over the loud downpour.
I glanced down at the swirling, turbulent water below us. “You can’t possibly mean—”
“Follow me,” he said, and half-carried me toward the side of the waterfall.
As we drew closer, the rock face disappeared behind the falls. Boaz walked into the opening, dipping under a spray of water. I stumbled behind him and yelped when the cold water poured onto my head and silk shirt. With my free hand, I smoothed my wet hair away from my face.
Boaz said nothing, but continued to pull me forward into what looked like a never-ending cave. The roar of the water grew more distant the farther we walked. He stopped when it became too dark to navigate.
“I’d like you to use magic to give us some light,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a lot.”
Shivering, I pursed my lips together and looked around. “We’re surrounded by rock.”
“Nothing gets by you,” he teased.
I stifled a laugh. “Be serious. Do you have anything small I can use?”
“I have something very large you can use. Over and over.”
I slapped him on the arm and laughed. “Enough. I’m being serious.”
He chuckled with me and patted his clothing until he found something in his right jacket pocket. “I have a pocket watch. Will it do?”
I took it in my hand and rubbed it. “Perfect.”
I closed my eyes and focused on the watch through the chattering of my teeth. My hands began to warm but nothing happened. Maybe it was because I could feel Boaz standing in front of me, watching me. My pulse raced.
“Magic responds best to emotions,” he said. “So to focus it, use the emotion you feel strongest right now.”
That was easy. Hatred. Hatred for my parents. I’d never forgive them for what they did to Madelyn and her daughter.
I channeled all that rage into my hands, ignoring the sudden smell of sulfur stinging my nose. It took only a moment before a brilliant light burst forth, filling the area around us.
But it wasn't just light I conjured. It was heat. It spread from the glass and covered our hands, arms, and spread over our bodies, drying our hair and clothes so fast it sucked my breath away.
Boaz gasped and looked at me with wonder. “That was some extremely advanced magic.”
My face flushed, and I averted my gaze. I hadn’t meant to do that either, but it was as if my magic had sensed I was cold and gave me what I wanted without asking. “Is that normal? To have it come so easily?”
“Not at all, but you’re special, bred from two of the world’s most powerful witch families.”
“Bred?” I flinched, not liking that word at all. He made it sound like my birth had been some kind of business transaction.
“Just a word, love.” He closed the distance between us. “Are you ready?”
“For what?” I glanced around. The cavern we stood in was smaller than I expected. Other than a gaping hole in the floor just to my right, the place was bare. “Isn’t this the end?”
Boaz scoffed. “I would never waste your time on this. Hold on.”
He wrapped his arms around me tightly and, before I could protest, he jumped down the dark hole.
Chapter 10
I cried out, but my scream was cut short when we landed on a hard surface. “Where are we?”
“It’s the only way to get there,” he said.
I followed his gaze. Up ahead, faint moonlight poured into the cave, filling a narrow crevice. I walked toward it, occasionally having to turn my body sideways to fit through the tight gap between the rock walls. I stepped out of the cave. The moon’s light was much brighter here, acting almost like a spotlight. With just a thought, I “shut off” Boaz’s pocket watch and handed it back to him.
“Where are we?” I asked. We were surrounded by rock again in a hole spanning twenty feet in diameter. Grass covered the floor, and the same brilliant flowers that were by the river grew in colorful patches. Occasionally, the wall jutted out, giving enough room for more flowers and grass to grow.
“I think it once used to be an old lava tube.” He walked around the space, staring up at the darkening sky. “It must’ve been some volcano.”
“How far down are we?” I wondered aloud.
“At least twenty yards.” He removed his jacket. “Are you cold?”
I shook my head, my eyes lingering on the snake tattoo wrapped around his forearm. The red ink seemed brighter somehow. “What are we doing here?”
He tossed his jacket to the side. “This is the perfect place for you to practice your abilities. Starting now.”
He spun around and slammed his fist into the top of the entrance we’d just walked through. The rock shuttered, then crumbled under the force of his blow, completely blocking the exit.
“Hey!” I cried, but when Boaz whirled back to me, I barely recognized him.
His large canines had grown into points, and he hissed at me, his upper lip flaring.
I scrambled backwards, my breath stuttering and heart hammering against my ribcage. What the hell was he doing? The rock wall behind me stopped me from moving any further away from him.
“Boaz?”
“Fight me,” he spat. He shifted back and forth on his feet, looking very much like a hungry cat ready to pounce.
“I’m not going to fight you!”
“Fight me, or I’ll have my fill of your blood.”
The deadly gleam in his eye shot a violent shiver up my spine. I would not let him drink from me. The thought of it was horrifying.
His threat made it easy to call upon my magic. It rushed into me, fueled by my fear and anger, so quickly I sucked in a breath. It burned through my veins, seeped into my muscles, and strengthened my bones.
Boaz lunged for me, but I spun away at the last second so fast my head spun. I shouldn’t be able to move at that speed, but my magic had protected me. He snorted and tried again, but once again, I moved faster than I thought possible. I touched my heart and giggled, loving this new feeling of power and what felt like invincibility. It overwhelmed my senses, and I giggled breathlessly.
Boaz smiled knowingly, his sharp canines gleaming in the moonlight. “Give into the emotions you’re feeling. It will fuel your power. Ready for more?”
I nodded hesitantly, thinking again of how my parents wanted me dead, the anger I felt towards them, and moved away from the rock wall into the center of the pit. My magic seemed to know what to do so I embraced it and focused only on my raw instincts.
Boaz darted for me, but with a swipe o
f my hand, I mentally grabbed onto a large stone and tossed it through the air. It crashed into his back and knocked him off balance just before he reached me. He stumbled past me but recovered quickly and tried again.
It became a game of cat and mouse. Over and over, he’d lunge for me, and I’d dart away. Sometimes, I’d move just as fast as him or other times I’d use magic to trip him up. This went on for some time.
Breathless, I leapt upward as he slid to knock my feet out from under me, but I pushed too hard and nearly slammed into the side of the rock wall half way up the deep pit. I latched onto several rocks, the toes of my shoes barely managing to find a foothold on the wall.
I glanced up into the night sky. The ledge and my freedom wasn’t that far away. With one more hard push and aided by magic, I could break free and be done with Boaz’s training. I glanced back at him. He stared up at me, smiling with pride in his eyes. Something about that look had me jumping back down to him. I liked impressing him. It made me feel powerful and in control.
“Ready to go again?” I asked, trying hard to keep my breathing even. Even though magic had helped me move quickly, the motion still took a toll on my body and left me out of breath.
“I think we can take a break. You did incredibly well.” He lowered against the side of the stone wall and patted the space next to him.
“Honestly, it felt good to stretch myself that way.” I dropped onto the ground, fluffing my shirt away from my chest to cool down. “So how did you find this place?”
“I accidentally fell in.”
I glanced up the long tube. “You fell? How did you survive?”
Boaz looked at me, raising one eyebrow.
“Right. Vampire. Sorry. It’s easy to forget when I’m with you. Why is that?”
“I want you to think of me as a man.”
“But I want to know the real you.”
He leaned forward, lazily draping an arm over his bent knee. “What exactly would you like to know?”
“Where do you get your blood?”
“I take it from willing participants.”
A pang of jealousy shot through me. For some reason, I didn’t like the thought of him pressing his body to someone’s else’s while he fed. I quickly shoved the thought aside. It’s not like I wanted him to do that to me … did I?
“Willing participants?” I asked.
“Willing enough. What else?”
I hesitated briefly, wondering if I should press the issue but thought better of it. No matter how Boaz explained it, I would never understand how someone could willingly give blood to a vampire.
“It can be an extremely sensual experience,” he said as if he’d read my mind. His eyes burned into mine. “Erotic even.”
Heat rushed straight between my legs. I flexed the muscles there to try and make the sensation go away.
“I’ll remember that.” I cleared my throat and changed the subject. “Next question. How often do you eat?”
“As often as I’d like, but I could go months without eating if necessary."
“When do you sleep?”
“During the day, of course, but I’ve lived for so long that my body doesn’t require sleep like it used to. Anything else?”
“Yes.” I chose my next words carefully. “What do you want with me?”
Boaz tilted his head. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Enlighten me.”
“We belong together.”
This was not the response I’d been expecting, and I grimaced. I thought only my parents wanted us paired together, and Boaz merely wanted to use me for… what? A temporary girlfriend? Clearly I hadn’t thought through his motives, but I would never have expected anything long term.
“Tell me you don’t feel it, love,” he challenged. “We were meant for each other. The power between us will not be denied.”
“I don’t deny there’s something there, but that doesn’t make it right.”
“I’m not talking about right and wrong,” Boaz said coolly. “I’m talking about power.”
“Well, I am talking about right and wrong. And it’s wrong.”
“Because I am a vampire?”
“Partly, but mostly because you’re… evil.” I wasn’t sure that was the right word, but I couldn't think of another to describe the darkness I sensed in him.
He snorted. “Evil is an opinion. Have I done anything to make you think I am this way?”
“You kissed me without permission.”
“Out of necessity to save your life. What else makes us wrong together?”
“Well, there’s the fact that you are immortal, and I am not,” I said, not really answering his question.
“That can be fixed.”
“For you or for me?”
“For you, of course.”
“I have no desire to become a vampire.”
“Yet,” he added.
“Ever.”
“How about you just agree to let me show you the world and all it has to offer you. Your parents neglected this great teaching, and maybe if you understand how the world really works, you might come to appreciate the power between us.”
“And what would all this involve?” I asked, unable to deny him just yet. He had piqued my curiosity.
“It would involve adventures, traveling to other countries, socializing with humans of all cultures and learning to do things you never thought possible.”
I held back a smile. I'd never traveled anywhere in my whole life, had never done anything but attend political parties held at our home. All the pictures I’d seen on television and on the Internet. All the people. It would be years, if not decades, before I could afford to do this on my own.
“For how long?” I asked.
“For as long as you want.”
I inhaled deeply. “What if I only want to be gone for a week?”
“Then we will have as much fun as possible during that time, and after, I will take you to wherever you want to go. I’ll even loan you money for your first apartment. Or I can get you a job through one of my many connections. Whatever you want.”
“I don’t want a relationship with you,” I clarified quickly, despite what my body had felt earlier. “Friendship only.”
His lips tightened and then relaxed. “Like I said, whatever you want. Do we have an agreement?”
“Yes.” I held out my hand.
He took hold of mine and shook it gently. At his touch, a jolt of warm, pleasurable energy raced straight to my lower abdomen. I wanted to hang on to the feeling, wanted to feel more of it.
But I had to be careful.
I had a strong feeling that if I let him, Boaz would burn right through me.
Around noon the next day, a new servant with short brown hair and lively brown eyes woke me. I’d stayed up late with Boaz after dinner laughing and talking. It was the first time since before Madelyn had been let go that I had had a meaningful conversation. I loved it.
“Hello, miss,” she said. “My name is Lisa, and I’ll be attending you from now on.”
“Please, call me Eve. Where did Mariel go?” I slid out of bed and pulled on my robe.
“Master felt she’d be better suited serving him elsewhere.” Her features were small and delicate with a turned-up nose. She looked maybe sixteen-years-old.
That word again! “Why do you all call him Master? Isn’t that a little old fashioned?”
She giggled. “I think so, but it’s what he wants.”
“Can you not do it around me? It’s weird and kind of creepy.” I made a mental note to give Boaz a hard time for it later. Even among those in the supernatural world, it was a strange thing to say.
“I would love that,” Lisa said, breathing a sigh of relief. She entered my dressing room and turned on the tub.
I followed after her and asked, “How long have you worked for him?”
“Only a few days. My mom thought it would be good for our family. What would you like to wear today?” Lisa strolled among the
many dresses in open admiration.
“It doesn’t matter. You pick. Why would it be good for your family?”
She removed a light purple floral dress with spaghetti straps. “Because my family is fae, and Boaz is as close as you get to royalty around here. My parents think if my resume shows that I worked for him, I’ll have a better chance at getting into Dartmouth.”
I smiled, remembering how I had once wanted to go there. All supernatural creatures aimed for Dartmouth College where they could meet others of their kind. The elite school, located in a remote part of New Hampshire, was the perfect place to go unnoticed and still get a reputable education.
“But they will flip when they find out you’re here, too,” Lisa continued. “Your family’s like the Kardashians of the underworld.”
I glanced away, embarrassed. If only she knew the truth. There was nothing grand or wonderful about being a Segur.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“Are you engaged to Boaz?”
Heat flooded my face. I didn’t think how our arrangement might appear to others.
“I’m only here as his guest. My parents wanted to ki—I mean, our house is going through a major renovation,” I finished lamely. No one wants to admit that their parents literally want them dead. It’s messed up.
“Oh,” she said and reached her hand into the water to check the temperature. “But he is handsome, isn’t he?”
“Very.”
Lisa stood up. “Master, I mean Boaz, wanted me to inform you to be ready to leave at sunset. He’s taking you to dinner and a movie.”
“Really? I’ve never been.” I removed my robe and stepped into the deep tub.
Lisa’s mouth fell open. “You’re joking, right?”
“My parents were very strict.”
“Wow. And I thought my parents were bad.” Lisa disappeared into the bedroom but came back moments later. “I’ll have food for you when you’re ready.”
“Don’t worry about that. I really don’t need a servant, Lisa.”
“I know, but Boaz insists, and something in his eyes makes me obey.” She paused. “Does he ever frighten you?”
