Page 41 of Bloodstained
I couldn’t see the future. But this I knew with absolute certainty: Our lives were bound, irrevocably, until the very end.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CLARA
Amonth had passed since my family’s visit, and the castle had grown quiet again, though not in a lonely way. Ivan and I had found a rhythm, one that surprised me with how domestic it sometimes felt.
It was comfortable in a way that felt like a warm blanket being wrapped around me.
The nights burned like fire with Ivan insatiable for me and me for him. And then I felt eternity press down on us until I couldn’t breathe because I didn’t want to think about what life looked like when age and time pulled us apart.
The gallery welcomed me back without hesitation. They’d been gracious about my short hiatus, and I’d explained it away as a brief medical leave. It was the kind of excuse people instinctively respected without prying, and they’d accepted it without question. I almost felt guilty for how easily the lie slipped past them, but relief outweighed the guilt. It gave me space to settle into this new life with Ivan with no one suspecting the truth.
Now, stepping into the gallery each morning, I felt more alive than I had in years.
My days filled quickly. Adjusting spotlights until the paintings glowed just right. Answering calls from artists hoping to be featured. Cataloguing boxes of sculptures and prints that arrived from across the globe.
Sometimes, I’d lose myself in the hush of the back rooms, dusting off frames or noting inventory. And other times, I was in the front, helping visitors with unique pieces of art they could carry home with them.
This job grounded me. This place reminded me I was more than the sum of my twenty-some years on this earth. My life went beyond time and history. That being with Ivan didn’t erase who I was… who Clara was. I had the freedom to stand taller, to throw myself into the work I loved because I knew he would be waiting for me
There were, of course, differences to my life now. Ivan joined me in the mornings, staying in the shadows as we talked before I left for the day. Although I could see the possessiveness in his face, his need to keep me safe, he never stopped me, never forced me to stay with him.
We went out as much as possible, and at restaurants, he never ate much, his appetite fixed on me in ways no one else could ever fully know. I fed him, making sure his hunger was sated. And God… I loved it.
But Ivan was always there after my shift, when the sun was setting and the dark-tinted windows of the SUV kept the reach of the sun away.
These were things I had had to grow used to. But none of it felt strange anymore. Our life together had sharp edges. This was the truth about loving a creature who had been born out of a broken heart and betrayal.
And I didn’t just accept them. I cherished them. This was the life we were destined to share.
The sun began its descent, light pooling gold through the gallery windows. I knew what awaited me, and it put an instant smile on my face. I stepped outside, and the sleek SUV waited at the curb right out front. The car door opened before I even reached it, one of the many tricks, or as he called them “gifts”, Ivan had after becoming the creature he was.
Inside, the air was warm, and his scent surrounded me. “Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi, beautiful girl.” His voice was rough yet soft like velvet. “How was your day?”
“Better now,” I said with a smile on my face. “There’s a new exhibition opening next week. Darker, moodier. You’ll have to come to the late showing. I think you’ll love it.”
His mouth curved faintly. “Then I’ll see it with you.”
Sometimes, we drove straight back to the castle where we had an intimate dinner or picked up pizza from town and watched a movie. Other times, we hurriedly ate and Ivan led me upstairs as if the rest of the world had ceased to matter. Tonight, though, the SUV turned toward the city.
“Thought we could go out to dinner. A new restaurant opened up,” Ivan murmured, his cool hand brushing mine.
“Sounds perfect to me.”
The place was tucked away on a quiet street, more candlelight than electricity, shadows pooling in the corners. I ordered salmon, and Ivan asked for a rare steak. He ate it, but I knew it was mostly for show. The performance was for others… and the truth of him belonged only to me.
We spoke lightly over dinner, the kind of conversation that felt deceptively ordinary. Still, I caught the way people looked at him. The waiters stumbled over their words, and the other patrons lowered their gazes without realizing why. They knew instinctively that something set him apart, even if they couldn’t name it.
Ivan’s gaze never left me. He had a way of asking questions I never thought to ask myself. Tonight was no different.
“If you could leave tomorrow,” he asked, voice smooth and deliberate, “where would you go?”
I smiled, swirling the wine in my glass. “The Azores. I heard it’s beautiful there with black volcanic cliffs and emerald fields. I’ve seen pictures of hydrangeas that grow wild along the roads.” My voice softened as I imagined it. “It seems untouched. Like another world.”
His lips curved faintly, but his eyes stayed dark and intent. “Then we’ll go. And you’ll see every wave, every stone, with me at your side.”
