A Shade of Kiev 3(25)

I ran around the apartment making sure all the windows and balcony doors were closed.

I returned to the bedroom to see Anna huddle up into the corner of the bed, breathing heavily as she clutched her stomach.

“Why are you doing this?” she croaked.

I stopped still and stared at her.

Why am I doing this?

I wasn’t sure that I knew myself.

I ignored her question and asked one of my own.

“How old are you?” I couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer.

“I-I’ll be thirty-five soon.”

Thirty-five.

“How old were you when I last saw you?”

“I was eighteen.”

I swore.

Seventeen years.

“How is that possible?”

She swallowed hard before replying, her voice still trembling. “I think time passes differently when you’re here in this realm… with these witches.”

“How do you know?”

“I overheard a couple of vampires talking, back in the dungeon. Time passes slower compared to on Earth.”

I rubbed my head, trying to let this insane truth sink in. Several minutes passed in silence.

“The Shade,” I muttered. “That still exists and… the Novaks still rule it?”

She nodded.

The Novaks. My own distant family. Another insanity I was still trying to wrap my head around.

Noticing she was shivering, I snapped back to the reality I now faced. The challenges I had to overcome. I untucked the blanket from the bed and handed it to her. She wrapped it around her, still staring at me suspiciously.

“Stay here,” I said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I warn you—do not leave this room.”

I flew out the door and rushed down the staircases toward the kitchen.

I knew that we had proper food in this castle because I’d seen witches eat it. They drank blood but they also ate regular food.

I hunted around the kitchen and found soup in one of the big cooking pots. There was bread on the counter too. I found a tray and, heating up the soup quickly, poured a portion into a bowl. I grabbed the whole loaf of bread, a water jug and a metal goblet, placing everything on the tray.

I covered the tray with a towel I found hanging on a hook and hoped I wouldn’t bump into anyone on my way back up. I rushed back up to my room and slammed the door shut behind me. Anna hadn’t moved from where I’d left her.

I placed the meal on the bed next to her and removed the towel.

“Eat,” I muttered.

She looked at the food doubtfully, but she soon gave into her hunger. She swallowed down the soup and finished the whole loaf of bread in less than ten minutes. Then she drank half the jug of water.

While she was eating, I lit up the fireplace, warming the cold room.

When she was done, she leaned back on the bed. Some warmth had already returned to her cheeks.

Now that she had some food in her, my next concern was the smell of her blood. This castle was filled with vampires and her scent was a siren call to my kind. I’d closed all the windows and doors and drawn all the curtains. But I feared that some might have already detected her scent. I feared it was so strong they might be able to smell it through the walls.

I looked back at her.

“Take a shower,” I said.

She raised her eyebrows at me but she didn’t protest. I guessed that she was grateful for the opportunity to clean herself.

I placed a clean towel and a fresh set of my own night clothes in the bathroom. They’d be too large for her but she’d have to make do with them.

While she was in the bathroom, I sat down on the bed.

What am I going to do?

The scent of her blood was getting to my head, making it hard to concentrate. I fought back the urge to dig my fangs into her soft neck.

Hell, never mind hiding her from the others, I’m going to need to hide her from myself if I don’t get a hold on myself.

I forced my mind back to the matter at hand. How do I mask the scent of her blood?

I racked my brains, trying to recall any smell that was stronger than immune blood.

I knew there were ways to dilute the scent—like placing jugs of regular human blood in my room. Still, it wasn’t foolproof and having lots of human blood in my room in addition to her sweet smell could just attract more attention.

One of Mona’s charms really would be useful right now…

I realized that for now, the best thing I could do was steal some of Helina’s perfume and have Anna coat herself with it. I’d have to leave the room as little as possible, and not allow anyone in.

“What happened to you, Kiev?” Anna’s soft voice broke through my thoughts.

She was standing leaning against the bathroom door, wearing my pajamas.

“What?” I frowned at her.

“Well… your eyes, for one thing.”