Page 105 of Mama Si's Paradise

“What? Why not?”

“Because I only make promises I know I can keep.”

I rolled my eyes. “Then I’m not coming in there with you.”

That place looked like it would lead to a dungeonwhere they took people to torture them or something. Or maybe trusting Mama Si had traumatized me worse than I’d even realized.

Again, Valentine lowered his head to hide his smile because my misery amused him. “How about you stay here then, and I go all the way to the other side by myself and I open the other door and turn the light on? Would that help?”

“It would help if you told me what was back there.”

“It’s a surprise. Stay right there.”

Where else was I going to go with blood-sucking vampires roaming around this place freely? Worse—theyownedthe whole damn Isle!

I said nothing.

He disappeared into the darkness two seconds in, and I held my breath, now even more curious to see what his idea of asurprisewas. Then a door opened on the other side of the dark corridor. A second later, a little light came through, and I could make out the shape of him only slightly.

I could also see the black floor and the color redin whatever room he was in, standing in the doorway now, arms spread to the sides.

“Well?”

Great. Now I was too curious not to go through.

Taking in a deep breath, I stepped into the narrow corridor, eyes on Valentine as he waited for me by the door. I heard the sound of wings beating somewhere behind me—the dragon following me again. No idea why that didn’t scare me shitless, but maybe it was the excitement of seeing what was back there?

“It should be terrifying how quickly I’m getting used to it,” Valentine said when I stopped in front of him and he didn’t move away to let me through.

“To what?”

“To how your heart beats when you’re looking at me.”

I flinched, stepping back for a second. “I’m not looking at you in any way, actually.” I might have noticed how hot he was once and again, but that was it. “It’s not fair for you to be saying things like that.”

“I agree,” he said. “It’s even less fair to be feeling it.”

Oh, he was good. He wasreallygood.

“You really think love-bombing me is the answer?Really?”

Valentine narrowed his brows. “Love-bombing? I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.” I found no hint anywhere on him to suggest he was lying.

A sigh escaped my lips. “How about this: just keep thoseverystrong andverypersonal andveryoverwhelming thoughts to yourself, okay?”

“Never. How else will you know what you do to me?”

Aargh!

My cheeks were bright scarlet already. He was impossible.

“Will you step aside so I can get into wherever you brought me?”

“Of course.” And he finally moved so I didn’t have to look at him anymore.

Instead, I was looking at a theatre.

My mind drew a blank for a moment. My body was moving all on its own, taking me forward and straight onto the small stage, the black floor covered in a thick layer of dust. There were five rows of red seats in front of the stage, twenty-five of them in total, also covered in dust, like this place hadn’t been opened for months, maybe years. Over my head were curtains, red and black and grey, and different figures held up by all those ropes tied to metal hooks on the wall.

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