Page 142 of Blood Mosaic

Tatyana didn’t seeOleg that night, and she wondered if the man was avoiding her after a long night of very passionate sex or if she was putting too much importance on it and he was simply busy.

She got half an answer when she walked out of the ballroom after her last hour with Oksana and nearly ran into Mika Arakis.

“Oleg is away from the house,” he said. “In case you were wondering.”

“Okay.” She wasn’t going to tell him she had been. It was none of his business, and she didn’t have the warmest regard for the Estonian vampire who hadn’t kept Elene and her alive.

It seemed like Mika was having thoughts along the same lines. “For the record, I am deeply sorry that you and Elene were taken by Zara’s people. I take full responsibility for that failure.”

She hadn’t expectedthat.

Tatyana looked over Mika’s shoulder to avoid his unnerving gaze.

She couldn’t forget what Oleg had told her. That Mika had loved Elene deeply for many years. “She didn’t blame you if that’s what you were wondering. She said it was her fault. That she didn’t think Zara would have so many people working with her.”

“I see.”

Now they were both avoiding each other’s eyes, and Tatyana was fine with that.

“Also for the record, I think Oleg should send you to the citadel for a year to let you recover and train. You have little to no survival skills for our world, and it would be best, but he is ignoring my advice.”

What Mika suggested sounded a lot like being locked up. “Well… I’m working on the survival skills. Oksana has been helping me train.”

Mika nodded sharply. “She is very competent. I’ll get a report from her on your progress. Let me know what kind of weapons training you would prefer and I will arrange it.”

“Uh…” She frowned. “Weapons?”

“You’re small, so some light sword training would probably be advantageous to increase your reach. Judo would also be good. Oleg prefers an axe, but he’s a barbarian.”

Tatyana shook her head. “I feel completely lost in this entire exchange. Can you get me a computer or smart phone that won’t blow up in my hands? That’s about the only kind of weapon I have any experience using.”

Mika cocked his head. “I can.”

Tatyana blinked. “Seriously?”

“There are devices made for us now. They are not elegant like your human electronics, but you would be able to use them with the proper precautions.”

“That’s the kind of weapon I want then.” She held out her hand to shake his.

Mika reluctantly reached out his hand and allowed Tatyana to pump it up and down. “I don’t like shaking hands.”

“Well, I don’t like drinking blood.” She let his hand go. “Get me a computer and a smartphone that I can use with an internet connection, and I’ll forgive you for letting me die.”

Mika sneered. “Fine.”

“Good.”

He looked at her with narrowed eyes. “I don’t know what you and Oleg are, but if you act cruelly toward him, I will finish the job that Zara started.”

Tatyana blinked. “You’re giving me the ‘if you hurt my friend, I’ll kill you’ speech?”

“Yes.”

“You’re giving that tome?”

Mika nodded and said nothing else.

Tatyana lifted a hand and shook her head. “Everything in my life is officially backward.” She started walking back to her room. “Light is dark. Up is down. Night is day.”

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