Page 11 of Rescued By the Vampire Assassin

Her life was so fucking weird.

Hours later? Days later? Who the hell knew at this point? She woke up, disoriented in the dingy cell. Her head throbbed, an aftereffect of the pheromones used by the Vasile vampires to manipulate her. She shifted, wincing as Joshua’s arms tightened around her. As her eyes adjusted, confusion set in. The cell was as bright as day. Squinting up at the light bulb, it looked like the sun.

The outline of iron bars, the curve of the far wall, even the faint glimmer of moisture on the stones was crystal clear. What the hell was going on? A low groan in her ear made her squirm in Joshua’s lap. The memory of their frantic coupling sent a flush of heat through her body.

"I want to fuck you again,” he said.

She was down for that, too, but first, she needed some answers. “Did it get brighter in here?"

“Are you speaking metaphorically or realistically?”

“It’s no longer pitch black. Did they change the lighting in here while I slept?”

Joshua made a thoughtful huff. “No. It must be how you’re reacting to our mating bond. Between vampires, it enhances each other’s powers. I’ve never heard of a vampire and a human being bonded together. You’ll probably gain some vampiric senses.”

Keri swallowed hard. Bond. Such an inadequate word for the primal, earth-shattering connection that had formed between them. “Do I have to drink blood?”

“No.”

“That’s good.”

“At least, we’ll surprise the Vasiles as well with what we can do."

"How are you feeling?"

Joshua flexed his hands. "My strength is returning. The wards on this cell have been dampening my abilities, but now..." He reached over and lightly punched the wall. The stone cracked. "I feel almost myself again."

Alarm flared through her. "Did you hurt yourself?”

He showed her his knuckles, not even an abrasion.

"We should test your abilities,” he said. “You have improved sight. What about the other senses? Listen and tell me what you can hear."

Keri frowned, concentrating. At first, there was nothing but the drip of water and her own breathing. Then, faint but steady, she heard conversations buzzing like insects above them, filtering through the stone.

“I can’t make out words,” she said, “But I hear voices, and they are coming closer. How long will these enhanced senses last?” she asked.

“If it works like a vampire bond, as long as we live.”

“That’s a long time.”

“For one of us anyways,” he said.

“Yeah.” That wasn’t very comforting. “So I've got superpowers, and you've got your vampire mojo back. Please tell me we can use this to get out of here."

Joshua's expression turned grim. "The wards are still in place. I cannot pass through the bars, no matter my strength. You, however...."

She followed his gaze to the cell door. "You think I could still get through, even after the mate bond has changed me?"

"The wards are designed to contain vampires. You're human, mostly." There was a hint of distaste in his voice that made Keri bristle.

"Mostly? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You’re not entirely human anymore."

Not entirely human. What did that make her, then?

She scurried to her feet and ran over to the door. She tried to bend the bars. Surprisingly, she felt them give slightly, but not enough for her to squeeze through. She punched them. “Ow, shit. So much for super strength.”

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