A Violet Fire (Vampires in Avignon #1) - Kelsey Quick Page 0,97

grateful for the chivalry.

He allows me to rest a moment at the top of the stairwell in a corner, beside a stark yellow vase. Silence befalls our company once more and the guard stares at me; the crystalline eyes of the mask boring into my skull with intense interest—a bit unnerving to say the least. In the midst of the awkwardness, I twirl the length of my hair around my fingertips obsessively, over and over, before letting it fall to my collar bone. Refusing the soldier’s offered aid in the process, I stand.

“We can go,” I insist beneath a layer of embarrassment, my vision finally clearing.

He gives one curt nod before turning and exiting into the adjacent hallway. I follow close behind.

The soldier was right. It takes only yards before we step in front of a large door, larger than the ones back at Zein’s castle, even. The soldier wraps one knuckle against the polished wood swiftly before stepping back and bowing, and I do the same. The door eventually breaks from its seal and creaks open.

“My lord, I present to you the desired supply unit, Z29734,” the soldier says with a crisp and clear tone. An exhaling breath hitches in my lungs for a moment. So many times now I have been in his presence, and yet I still have this same reaction.

“My lord,” I enunciate beautifully, trying to sound more feminine, to which inner-rebellious-me turns over with disgust. Since the soldier is here, I keep my focus on the ground.

“That will be all,” Zein says to him before shifting his attention. “You. Get in.”

He says it aggressively, and while usually it wouldn’t faze me since I know it’s all an act for the sake of secrecy, this time it does. Flashes of Savvy’s and my conversation gallop through my mind. Imagined pictures of Zein dismembering a faceless Duke Amaorin shoot through my brain. This beautiful creature is a killer who smiles while killing. Not at all gentle or kind. Maybe the rumors were actually true… about him being ruthless and cold. I had, at some point, forgotten about them throughout my stay with him. And when I think about my first night in his quarters—when he had threatened me and fed upon me for the first time—the memory seems foggy, as if it’s a dream that I am curious to remember while desperately trying to forget. I know all the bad things to more than likely be true of Zein, but…

My eyes venture to his for a split second as I stand to walk in. In his calm and imperious pools, I see the comforting mansuetude and my qualms immediately dissipate.

...but the tender time I spend with him alone is as real as the rest of it. Those moments must count for something in his existence, right? How he treats me is a clear indication that there is more to Zein than his militaristic prowess.

Right?

Once he shuts the door behind me and I conclude that no other visitors are present, I drop my posture and turn on a dime to study Zein with confidence. A part of me scours for some sort of flaw while my indulgent side analyzes every beautiful detail. He’s still wearing the pale undershirt and slacks from earlier, but they are untucked and loosened. Likewise, his silver hair—once handsomely pushed back—now falls as he drags his fingers along his scalp. The fair and blemish-less skin of his face, minus the scar, reflects the dull glow of the candles in the room. His clear-cut jaw and cheekbones deter the ambient light, casting shadows down the breadth of his neck to his clavicles. I trace back up to his eyes which are now focused on me.

“Still weak?”

His correct assumption confuses me until I drop my gaze to my shaking hands. “Oh… yes, but it’s normal. I’m okay,” I respond.

He nods, closing the distance between us. Zein grabs me loosely by the waist and, teasing, he says, “Forgive me, but I couldn’t help but notice how much more satisfying your blood has become since the last time.”

Although his jab was unsuspected, I manage to quickly come back. “Well, it’s hard not to be happier when surrounded by beautiful women all the time.”

“Hmm, that’s not what I wanted to hear.”

“Well, the truth hurts,” I laugh.

“Indeed. So, then, how should I go about reclaiming your affection from these beautiful women?”

“I’ll tell you something about human women. When they want something, it’s quite the chore to break their focus,” I