Page 35 of High Stakes

He disappeared in a flash, reappearing behind me with a vice grip on my arms. “That was impolite,” he chastised.

His playful side was gone.

But so was mine.

I broke his grasp.

Using his own trick against him, I made myself invisible. He let me go as soon as he lost sight of me, and I slinked around the room while he turned in circles, trying to figure out where I’d gone. If he touched me, I was as good as dead. Enoch wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“I knew you were different, but this is unexpected,” he gloated, smiling. “What are you?”

Not a blood-sucking vampire, that’s what.

Someone knocked on the door, and then a female stepped inside and closed it behind her. Golden-haired Terah, whose pixie-like features hid the heart of a monster. Enoch’s sister. Could I be lucky enough to kill them both?

“Her little friend refuses to answer my questions,” she declared. “Of course, there are ways to persuade him to loosen his tongue...”

No.

Terah’s eyes swept the room. “Where is the girl?”

“She’s here somewhere,” Enoch answered, sniffing the air and walking slowly in my direction. I turned off my scent and eased under his arm as he braced it on the wall.

“Are they witches, then?” Terah asked, still searching for me.

“No, I don’t believe they are...” Enoch mused.

Terah scanned the room from wall to wall, ceiling to floor. “Why can I not see her, brother?”

“Because she does not wish to be seen.” Enoch laughed, shaking his head. His razor-sharp fangs glinted in the torchlight. “I will speak with the young man after I handle another small matter. In the meantime, please see that the finest wine is brought out for tonight’s dinner for our guests, and make yourself ready.”

“Enoch,” Terah began to argue, but Enoch pushed his sister toward the door, opened it only enough for her to slip out, and then closed it again.

With his back resting against the wall, he ordered, “Show yourself.” Deciding to try a different tactic, he began, “You seem to know a lot about me, so how about this... I promise not to feed from you, if you would be so kind as to show yourself.”

I sank into the corner and waited. He crossed the room and eased into his chair. Waiting, his eyes keenly raking over the room.

For several minutes, I remained invisible, but I soon realized he wasn’t going to leave. If I opened the door, he would bury his fangs in my neck before I knew what hit me. I had no choice but to face him and fight my way out of this room.

Enoch smiled when I flickered back into sight. “There you are.” He pinched his lower lip and then sat up, hands on his knees. “Do you want to take a short walk? I promise to take you to your friend afterward.”

I was taken aback. “A walk?”

“Yes, Milady. I need to see that the gates are closed, and to make it known that they aren’t to be opened again. Until now, I’ve given the nearby townspeople the opportunity to seek refuge within these walls, but now the people within must be protected.”

He made the act of protecting his food source sound gallant.

“I’m confused,” I began snidely. “You want me to take a walk with you? Earlier today, I was locked in your dungeon.”

“A necessary precaution, I assure you.”

His answering smile made my knees weak, and it infuriated me to know I couldn’t blame it on feeling ill. I had to remember who he was, the monsters he’d created over the centuries, and why I was there. More importantly, I had to remember who I was.

“Feel free to arm yourself,” he invited, his eyes slowly trailing down to the exact spot my stakes had been lying. “Your clothes have been washed and are drying. You’ll find a fresh dress, shawl, and boots in the wardrobe. I will wait for you downstairs.”

With that, Enoch crossed the room and departed, leaving my door wide open. I stomped across the room and slammed it shut. I expected a monster. An arrogant, vile vampire who only cared about his next meal. I didn’t expect him to nurse me back to health. To invite me out for a walk. Or to be kind.

And I definitely didn’t expect him to smile at me like that.

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