Page 192 of Shadowblood Souls
He isn’t a sadistic beast, at least not all the way through, no matter what the guardians think of the shadowkind.
Dominic glances at me, and through unspoken agreement, we ease away from the office. We’re halfway back to where the other guys are waiting when Rollick’s brisk footsteps approach from behind.
“All right, all right,” he says. “Everyone, on board. Let me give you a quick tour.”
With less trepidation than before but still a healthy dollop of wariness, I follow him up the long, narrow boarding ramp with the others. He motions to the broad front deck with its lounge chairs first.
“Feel free to relax however you like when we’re not working on those powers of yours. You have full access to the ship.”
I guess there isn’t much need for private spaces when he and his colleagues can slip into the shadows to talk in secret about anything they wouldn’t want us to know.
Rollick leads us through a series of hallways with equally glossy floors and walls. There’s a dining area that looks like an upscale restaurant, the smell of roasting meat already drifting from the kitchen beyond. A library room packed full of books and cozy armchairs.
Next we come to a lounge of cushioned seating facing a broad window that shows a view beneath the ocean water, one even I have to admit is breathtaking. And finally we peer into a huge space that could fit an entire apartment inside it that Rollick calls “the party room.”
By the time we reach the section with the sleeping quarters, I’m so filled with awe I’m surprised it isn’t floating me up to the ceiling like a helium balloon.
The RV was fancy, but it was still a cramped space with only the basics, as elegant as those were. This is like a full-out luxury vacation.
But the niggling voice at the back of my head reminds me that all this luxury might come at a price we haven’t yet discovered.
“I’ll be holding on to the main suite for myself, naturally,” Rollick says. “But I don’t think you’ll find anything to complain about in your accommodations. And you’ll all have your own rooms this time.”
Each of the bedrooms he opens the doors to is as big as the entire interior of the RV. The cream-colored walls and leather finishings give off a soothing vibe.
The beds are big enough that I could sprawl at any angle and not come close to touching the edges. And they’re each across from a larger TV than I’ve ever gotten to watch in my life.
I tread into the last room, which I decide on the spot will be mine, my feet sinking into the thick carpeting. What kind of channels can you access at sea?
No one has to know if I decide to hole up in here binging all the episodes of my soap opera that I’ve missed, right?
Rollick steps back with a satisfied smile. “Make yourselves comfortable. We’ll gather in the dining room in an hour to discuss strategy—and eat, of course.”
The prospect of enjoying whatever his private chef is whipping up has my mouth watering despite my wariness. It wouldn’t besobad to enjoy the magical experience we’ve somehow landed in the middle of, would it?
Andreas gazes around the room with a breathless chuckle. “I’ve seen memories of cruise-ship vacations. Huge ocean liners with their own casinos and water slides and theaters. But none of them had cabins this nice.”
“I’ll take this over a casino any time,” I declare, dropping my backpack on the bed to claim it.
The guys linger by the doorway. Jacob starts prowling through the room as if scanning it for threats.
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’ve got your own bedroom to hang out in.”
He turns to me with a fierce flash of his eyes. “You’re not sleeping in here alone.”
I can’t restrain a snort. “I’m not sleeping in here withyou.”
“I’ll put a blanket down near the door. No one’s getting past it without going through me.”
Is he fucking kidding me?
My baleful look turns into a full-out glower. “The shadowkind can slip right around you without you even knowing they’re there. And ifanyone’sgoing to keep me company overnight, it’ll be Dominic.”
My cheeks heat all over again with those last words, but the shy but brilliant smile that flickers across Dom’s face makes the announcement worthwhile.
Jacob cuts his gaze toward Dominic, his jaw clenching. “No offense meant, but his skills are better foraftera battle, not fighting one.”
I plant my hands on my hips. “You’re not?—”
