Love, Lies & Eternal Ties (Whitby Shadows Series Book3)

Chapter Five

A light rap on the front door had me grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"That was quick," I called out, rushing to open the door to him.

I yanked the door open, already eager to see him again after only a few minutes apart. But it wasn't Luke. The figure that blocked my doorway wasn't even male. This person was an exotic beauty, a lethal magnificent creature who had come here for one reason and one reason only.

"Tatiana," I breathed, her name almost choking in my throat.

"Hello, Caitlyn," she said, a sadistic smile spreading over her pink lips. "I made up my mind." She shrugged her shoulders. "So here I am."

A ball of fear lodged itself in my throat. I was so shocked, I couldn't even form a sentence in my mind, let alone speak one.

"I forgot to say when we met yesterday that the resemblance between us is uncanny, don't you think? Almost doppelganger worthy. I heard you wore an old dress of mine. Apparently history can repeat itself."

My blood ran cold. I froze in terror. Even my heart stopped and jumpstarted into a galloping rhythm. If I could just keep her talking long enough until Luke returned...

"It's a beautiful dress. I didn't know it was yours until I was already there."

She cackled like an old witch, tilting her head back and laughing up to the black skies above. I took the opportunity to move a step back. She snapped her attention back on me instantly, her eyes roving over me. "I know when you're going to move before you even do it. Just a tip."

"Um...ok."

"As for the dress," she said, waving a hand through the air dismissively. "I am glad you had the opportunity to wear something like that in your short life."

I knew what she meant but I still had to ask the question. "Short life?"

"Well, yes. You won't live to see another hour."

My mind raced at such a speed, I felt lightheaded, unable to keep up. I stumbled backwards, clutching at the wall for support.

"Aww. Did you think we had bonded over our little chat yesterday?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not that naïve."

"Good. Then let's get this over with. I intend to keep my word to Marcus."

Urgency rose inside me. I needed to keep her talking for as long as possible. I licked my lips and tried my best to grasp at straws. "But what about Gordon's contract?"

"I've spoken to him. Keres will be satisfied with just your blood. Apparently, the magic in your veins will be good for around two hours after your death. Plenty of time for her to perform an unbinding spell and access what she needs to. It's not ideal, having you alive is much better, but needs must and all that."

A cold chill ran down my spine. Before I could even think a single thing, she flew into the house, slamming the door shut behind her. I pressed myself up against the wall, willing it to somehow vanish altogether and give me a way out.

Tatiana planted a hand either side of my head and thrust her face into the crook of my neck. She inhaled deeply and then pulled back, her nose almost touching mine. Her piercing blue eyes bore a hole right into my soul, filling me with an ocean of dread.

"For three hundred years that man has been extraordinarily careful, and then you come along. He couldn't help himself." She sucked in another deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so. When she opened them again, they were jet black, nothing but an abyss of evil. "You do smell absolutely delicious."