Page 62 of Captured in Love
He slants a meaningful look at me. “Does that mean you’ll leave the mystery screaming woman alone and let us book the next flight out of Reykjavik?”
I nudge him lightly with my elbow. “No.”
He lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Yeah, I know. That’s why I love you.”
The easy way he says the words lights a lovely glow inside my chest.
The boat shudders, and I realize we’ve landed in Djúpivogur.
“I love you, too,” I tell Levi.
He grins at me and takes my hand, and I let him lead me out into the rain.
Twenty-Three
Raphaël
We spendanother hour in the small marina, explaining to the owner of the boat how his vessel got damaged, and we overpay for the repairs, unwilling to barter and waste even more time. When we make it to our room at the guesthouse, Nora is barely standing upright, and even though she insists on packing her bag and getting ready for departure, I return from the bathroom to find her slumped against the headboard of the king-sized bed, fast asleep.
At this point, I demand that Levi rest as well. He hesitates for a moment, his face tight with worry—over Nora and the conversation he needs to have with her, probably—but since Nora is out cold, he gives in. Minutes later, his breaths slow, and he sinks into a deep, calm sleep.
I could join them in bed, rest my body even though I don’t need it. But watching over them, standing guard, feels like the right thing to do. I double-check that the door is bolted, then book our plane tickets for Greece. I take a hot shower to wash off the last of the salt and the grime from our excursion. Under the steaming spray, I let my shoulders unwind.
What Levi said on the boat still rings in my ears.
We could ask him to turn us.
The casual way he formed that proposition tells me he knows little to nothing about the vampires’ existence. We’ve always been seen as monsters, and legends of nocturnal blood-drinkers are present in most cultures around the world. We’re the things that haunt the night, stealing children and virgins, sowing death.
The truth is, most of the vampires I’ve met in my two centuries of existence succumbed to the dark call of bloodlust at least for a part of their lives. During the two World Wars, there were times when I’d barely recognized myself. I’d become so desensitized to blood and death, I’d ceased to be human.
But then, the same could have been said about many soldiers who lived through those horrors.
I towel myself off and return to the room, eyeing the sleeping witches. After all this time, realizing that I can stilllovehas been a revelation.
Would it be so bad if I turned them? Then I could have them by my side for all eternity.
The insidious thought slithers through my defenses, and I imagine my beautiful, warm-blooded Nora as a vampire. To most people, she would still look human, but those who knew her before the transformation would notice a sharpening of her features, a certain edge to her demeanor. She would become undead, and her glorious scent would be replaced by a fragrance designed to lure in humans. To lure inprey.
The worst thing would be the change to her personality. She would turn into a predator, always searching for her next meal. For years, maybe decades, her entire existence would be focused on blood and the intense will to survive.
Her family would be in danger. She’d have to stay away from them, watch them from afar as they aged and changed and died.
I can’t do that to her. Or to Levi.
But if they asked… I’m not sure I’d be strong enough to deny them. Especially if their lives were in danger.
I’d rather turn them than lose them.
Which means I’ll have to start taking precautions with them, especially during the third and final task of the Ballendial Games.
I dress, sit in one of the armchairs, and wait for them to wake up. The world outside darkens for a few hours, then light creeps in again from behind the window blinds. The Icelandic summer is nearly at its peak, so the nights are short and strange.
Nora stirs first, blinking sleepily in the dim light. She stretches in bed, then lifts on her elbows and finds me watching her. The moment our gazes connect, she brightens, offering me a beautiful smile.
That right there is the reason I’m even entertaining their idea.
She blushes but doesn’t avert her gaze under my intense stare. She just rolls to her feet and quietly walks closer to press a warm kiss to my cheek. Then she disappears into the bathroom, the door clicking softly shut behind her.
