“You’re being brainwashed,
dearest hearted one. I must save you.”
“I
don’t even think there is brainwashing in this century.” Kara shot back,
glaring at him, again. “And I’m not brainwashed. I just don’t like you. A
lot.” She made an emphatic gesture with her hands. “Look, let’s just get this
all out in the open, very clearly, so you can understand. Really try to
listen, this time. I’m not your bride. You know that, someplace inside
your cavernous skull. You don’t even want me.”
“She
believes that you seek the company of other Vampiresses, Your Majesty.” Fibos
stage whispered. “The creature has planted falsehoods into her impressionable
human mind.”
“I
don’t need to lie about you, Slade.” Damien kept his gaze locked on his
enemy. “The woman sees the truth on her own.” Hopefully.
In
his empty heart, Damien still wasn’t willing to believe it was that easy. That
Slade’s own Eternal-One was truly the single other being in the world who
realized the Vampire was an asshole. Damien’s luck just wasn’t that good.
This could all still be a trick. He needed the truth before this went much
further. He needed to speak with the woman alone.
Slade
sighed dramatically. “You are so confused, Karalynn. You are but an innocent flower
caught in a storm.”
“Arggg!”
Kara leaned down, grabbed a rock, and pegged it at him.
Damien
had the satisfaction of seeing the stone impact Slade’s empty, blond head and
then he was teleporting Kara right back to the safety of his lair. If he
couldn’t kill Slade, there seemed little point in enduring the man’s idiocy or
risking Karalynn falling in love with his golden form. How did Vampires tan,
anyway? He’d never understood that.
“Oh
man.” Karalynn sank down to the floor of the hotel bed chamber, again. “It’s
not just the first trip, Vlad. It’s doing the dizzy thing this time, too.”
“Perhaps,
teleportation is difficult for human physiology.” He’d never tried it on
humans before so he couldn’t be sure of the effects.
“Whatever.”
Kara looked around the room and sighed. “So, I’m stuck in this nightmare, my
building is missing, Vampires are after me, and now my purse has been stolen.
I swear to God, I will never complain about having a bad day, again.” She made
a face. “And Slade just gets more and more annoying with each passing page.
No wonder you hate him so much.”
Lie
or not, temporary or not, Damien appreciated the support. So few beings saw
things from his perspective. “I will replace your belongings. All of them.”
She
snorted, obviously not believing him. “Yeah right. I don’t think even Tanya
has invented tampons, yet. Or credit cards. Or my favorite pen, with the
glitter ink. And I’m going to have to go down to the DMV to get a new driver’s
license, which will be almost as big a pain in the ass as this living-in-a-book-deal
is. And –shit!-- my silver earrings were in there, too. Damn Vampire
muggers.”
Damien
spoke all the human dialects, but he had no clue what any of that meant.
Her
mouth thinned as she stared off at nothing. “There’s a picture of my mother in
that wallet.” She murmured and Damien heard the sadness in her tone.
“I
will get your things back from the Vampires.” He made it a vow, although why
it mattered he had no idea. He could provide her with anything she needed to
survive and the comfort of his prisoners had never been a concern before. “If
you want your belongings, I will retrieve them for you.”
Karalynn
flashed him a surprised look. “You don’t have to do that. Really. I’m just
venting. I should have checked the garden better before I went running off.
I’m an idiot.” She dropped her head and, for the first time since he’d met her,
looked ready to give up. “I’m a lost, planless, Vampire-stalked,
dearest hearted one. I must save you.”
“I
don’t even think there is brainwashing in this century.” Kara shot back,
glaring at him, again. “And I’m not brainwashed. I just don’t like you. A
lot.” She made an emphatic gesture with her hands. “Look, let’s just get this
all out in the open, very clearly, so you can understand. Really try to
listen, this time. I’m not your bride. You know that, someplace inside
your cavernous skull. You don’t even want me.”
“She
believes that you seek the company of other Vampiresses, Your Majesty.” Fibos
stage whispered. “The creature has planted falsehoods into her impressionable
human mind.”
“I
don’t need to lie about you, Slade.” Damien kept his gaze locked on his
enemy. “The woman sees the truth on her own.” Hopefully.
In
his empty heart, Damien still wasn’t willing to believe it was that easy. That
Slade’s own Eternal-One was truly the single other being in the world who
realized the Vampire was an asshole. Damien’s luck just wasn’t that good.
This could all still be a trick. He needed the truth before this went much
further. He needed to speak with the woman alone.
Slade
sighed dramatically. “You are so confused, Karalynn. You are but an innocent flower
caught in a storm.”
“Arggg!”
Kara leaned down, grabbed a rock, and pegged it at him.
Damien
had the satisfaction of seeing the stone impact Slade’s empty, blond head and
then he was teleporting Kara right back to the safety of his lair. If he
couldn’t kill Slade, there seemed little point in enduring the man’s idiocy or
risking Karalynn falling in love with his golden form. How did Vampires tan,
anyway? He’d never understood that.
“Oh
man.” Karalynn sank down to the floor of the hotel bed chamber, again. “It’s
not just the first trip, Vlad. It’s doing the dizzy thing this time, too.”
“Perhaps,
teleportation is difficult for human physiology.” He’d never tried it on
humans before so he couldn’t be sure of the effects.
“Whatever.”
Kara looked around the room and sighed. “So, I’m stuck in this nightmare, my
building is missing, Vampires are after me, and now my purse has been stolen.
I swear to God, I will never complain about having a bad day, again.” She made
a face. “And Slade just gets more and more annoying with each passing page.
No wonder you hate him so much.”
Lie
or not, temporary or not, Damien appreciated the support. So few beings saw
things from his perspective. “I will replace your belongings. All of them.”
She
snorted, obviously not believing him. “Yeah right. I don’t think even Tanya
has invented tampons, yet. Or credit cards. Or my favorite pen, with the
glitter ink. And I’m going to have to go down to the DMV to get a new driver’s
license, which will be almost as big a pain in the ass as this living-in-a-book-deal
is. And –shit!-- my silver earrings were in there, too. Damn Vampire
muggers.”
Damien
spoke all the human dialects, but he had no clue what any of that meant.
Her
mouth thinned as she stared off at nothing. “There’s a picture of my mother in
that wallet.” She murmured and Damien heard the sadness in her tone.
“I
will get your things back from the Vampires.” He made it a vow, although why
it mattered he had no idea. He could provide her with anything she needed to
survive and the comfort of his prisoners had never been a concern before. “If
you want your belongings, I will retrieve them for you.”
Karalynn
flashed him a surprised look. “You don’t have to do that. Really. I’m just
venting. I should have checked the garden better before I went running off.
I’m an idiot.” She dropped her head and, for the first time since he’d met her,
looked ready to give up. “I’m a lost, planless, Vampire-stalked,
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