Suffocate In Spirit - Shadows of the Night 4

Chapter 43

Hi!

The noose around Anna's neck is tightening. The question is, will she be able to surive Red Night's Eve undetected and come out unscathed? Will Alexander extend a helping, maybe even life-saving hand? What do you think?

Lara

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Chapter 43

It happened when I least expected it. One moment we were walking down one of the long-stretched corridors in front of the church, the next I was stumbling through a door Alexander had shoved open without me realizing. The door closed with a thud before I had righted myself, less turned around to face him. I finally turned, ready to air my discomfort, and found him closing in on me.

"What exactly do you think you are doing, little witch?"

I was walking on mental eggshells ever since I caught a glimpse of the murderer, and he asked me what I was doing?

"Maybe I did not express myself clearly when I explained how you were supposed to act in front of the royal family. Maybe you did not fully understand the seriousness of the situation. This is not the first time of you acting as my servant. What you have failed to realize is that this night is of more significance than any other. I need you to function, not stumble through your act blindly." He was towering over me, eyes moving with liquid blue and darkness.

I fisted my hands. "I was respectful. Hell, I didn't even talk!"

"What do you know about the Romans? Why were you staring at them?"

I looked at him, felt my pulse quick-start and run into a violent heartbeat. Romans? Was he talking about the group of vamps around my parents' murderer? Dammit, I needed more information.

I stared at him. I wouldn't get anything from him. He wasn't even going to give me enough to navigate myself through this night.

"Funny, I could ask you the same thing. Who the hell is Vladislav II, and why did he call you Adorjàn? Wanna talk about that?" I crossed my arms in front of me. I was challenging him openly and I didn't care. We were alone anyway. "Or maybe about the fact that you only came here to call dibs on Antonio Cellini and his reputation for bridging gaps?"

He stilled completely, stared back at me without an ounce of motion.

"Yeah, just as I thought," I said.

I blinked. His hands were on my shoulders, fingers digging into my skin.

"You better tell me all you know, little witch. As much as you hate to acknowledge it, it will take more than what you have done to convince the congregation of vampires that you are a human servant devoted to her master. They are watching your every move. They will not be fooled easily."

I looked at a spot on his chin, pressing my lips shut. I couldn't give him the reason for why I lost my cool, for why I couldn't stop staring at the vampires. It would mean divulging my true name. A disaster waiting to happen.

"So that is how it will be?" Alexander said. "Your pride over your life? Over what we came here for?" His hands tightened on my shoulders.

I didn't move. Learning the identity of the vampires, important as it was to me - it could lead to Alexander making further assumptions. Alexander making assumptions and jumping to conclusions was dangerous. I had to protect the Lumenis' secret, no matter what.

My mind was reeling. What could I tell him? How to explain this?

I stared into his eyes, weighing the odds. Was there anything I could divulge? Could I trust him enough to give him at least a part of the truth?