She had no choice but to accept Gregori’s ministrations, although she feared him. She cared nothing about herself, but Nicolae was everything to her. She didn’t want the tainted blood to begin its ugly work on him. He might have only a small amount, but eventually the blood would start its corruption, burning like acid. The pain would begin at every rising. He would grow to hate her. He would hold her in contempt. How could he not?
“Because it was my choice, Destiny,” Nicolae assured her, easily reading her thoughts. He had not considered that she would think such a thing.
“It won’t matter, Nicolae. As time goes on and your people do not accept you, as the pain spreads and the corruption grows so you have to fight it every single moment of your existence, you will forget the why and how of it and only remember you did it because of me.”
“I fought the growing darkness, an evil far stronger than this tainted blood, every moment of my life from my two hundredth year. It crouched in me, waiting for one moment of weakness. Why would you think, now, when I have you, that I would succumb to such an abomination?”
She paced across the floor, caught between tears and anger. “I don’t know, Nicolae. You shouldn’t have done it; you shouldn’t have taken such a chance with your life. With your soul. I
lived
with such a monster. I feel like he’s reaching for us from his grave, reaching to rip us apart.”
“Nothing, no one, will take you away from me,” Nicolae stated in his perfectly calm voice. There was no bragging note or false bravado; it was simply a statement of fact.
Destiny looked up at the hard planes of his face. She saw his raw power and complete confidence, and some of her tension melted away. She allowed her breath to escape in a little rush. “I hope you’re as good as you think you are, hotshot, because if this Gregori person is coming to pay us a visit, you might need to be.” She held up her hand. “I have things to do, places to go, people to see.”
“Are you
dismissing
me?”
“You have trouble with separation issues too, don’t you? I think you should go visit Mary Ann. I’m going to see Inez and Velda. I suppose you could come if you really insist. They’ll love the roses.”
He groaned aloud, caught her firmly and kissed her until she was breathless and kissing him back.
Chapter Sixteen
Destiny found the sisters in their usual spot on the sidewalk with their lawn chairs set out and ready for company. They hugged her with far more enthusiasm than she would have liked, especially with the echo of Nicolae’s laughter in her mind. Destiny was still uncomfortable with physical contact, but Inez and Velda hugged and kissed her, patting her encouragingly as if she were a child they adored.
You do not dislike physical contact with me. Nicolae deliberately teased her, knowing she would react, but she would laugh, too, and the exchange would leave her amused and relaxed.
I still want to kick you, Destiny said, shutting him out firmly. Inez was already attempting to teach her a dance step she’d just learned from a video.
“Come, dear.” Inez took her hand, attempting to force Destiny’s hips into swaying appropriately to the metallic music screeching from the boom box beside their chairs.
“Sister, she should learn the tango, not that step. It isn’t romantic enough,” Velda objected. “Your young man is quite fond of you, Destiny. He’s learning the ways of true courtship, very rare in this day and age.”
“I can’t thank you enough for giving him pointers,” Destiny said. “He admitted you were the ones who thought of the roses. They were lovely.” She moved carefully away from Inez, smiling as she did so. “I’m not much of a dancer, Inez, but you move so beautifully.”
The sisters twittered, pleased that Nicolae had taken their advice to heart. “Did you get your chocolates, dear?” Inez asked slyly.
“I’m looking forward to that pleasure,” Destiny lied, blushing for no other reason than that the two women had such wicked thoughts in their heads.
Inez looked dreamy. “It will be a memory to treasure,” she advised.
“What I really came by for was to get more information about these strange incidents. Nicolae is helping me look into them, and I thought you might have some more information for us,” Destiny said hastily. “Do either of you remember similar events happening in the past?” Destiny asked. She seated herself in the chair between the two elderly ladies. “Something weird? Someone acting completely out of character?”
Inez made clucking sounds as she thought it over. “Why, yes, dear, now that you ask. Sister, you remember poor Blythe Madison. She’s in the mental institution now. What a sweet girl she was.”