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you expect me to
do with her? Keeping her chained up in my bedroom isn’t an option.
Well…no, no it’s not an option.” I could tell he was grinning from
the tone of his voice.
    “Alaric, are you attracted to this witch?” I
could hear the disgust in Jairdan’s voice.
    “There is something alluring about her,
yes.”
    Jairdan grunted.
    “So what are we going to do?” Misha
asked.
    “I don’t know yet. Let me think about it. In
the meantime, Jairdan, you’re not to touch her. You’re not even
allowed in my room. Understood?”
    “I hear you. I have my own problems to take
care of.”
    “Good. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I need
to take a fucking walk.”
     
    * * * *
     
    I gave up trying to get out of the
handcuffs. The house was way too quiet now. It seemed the boys had
settled down in preparation for sunrise. Maybe when the sun rose I
could break the cuffs and escape. Vampires were lethargic during
the day, particularly in early morning.
    A small, soft hand covered my mouth and I
jumped and squeaked. The hairs on my arms stood on end as the
creature’s magic brushed my skin. Vampire. I hadn’t heard or sensed
anyone come into the room. It was pitch black, so I wasn’t
surprised I hadn’t seen them.
    “Shhh. Kori, be quiet. I have to get you out
of here without them hearing.”
    Casey’s hand moved, and I heard the jingle
of keys.
    “Casey McCormic, you scared the shit out of
me.” I hissed under my breath.
    Her apology was barely audible.
    The cuffs loosened and she pulled them off.
I sat up and rubbed the wrist without the cast on it. It was
bruised and rubbed raw, but not cut. Casey grabbed my arm and
pulled me from the bed.
    “Casey, I can’t see a thing. I’m going to
stumble into something.”
    “You won’t. I can see perfectly, and when we
get to the window I’ll open the shades and the moon will have to be
enough for you to see by.”
    She stopped moving. “Stay right here.”
    I heard the rustling of fabric, and then I
could make out some of my surroundings from the silver-blue light
filtering through the glass.
    She pushed open the window as silently as
possible and the cold breeze hit my partially clothed body. “Fuck.
This ought to be fun.”
    She practically shoved me onto the shingled
roof. “Hurry. It’s only a matter of time before Misha discovers me
missing. He’ll know what I mean to do. Hell, I’m surprised he
didn’t think of it before now and guard you.”
    “What about my clothes?”
    She shook her head. “I’ve got no idea where
they are, and you don’t have time to dress.”
    The shingles rubbed against my thighs like
sand paper as I slid all the way out the window. “Why are you
letting me go?”
    “I can’t sit by while you’re killed. And if
you were turned, you’d kill yourself. I couldn’t bear that either.
Now go. Be careful when you jump to the ground. We’re on the third
floor.”
    I slid a little farther and hesitated. If
Casey were some undead monster, wouldn’t she want me dead? Or at
least not have a problem with the thought. Was everything I’d been
raised to believe a lie?
    “What are you waiting for? Alaric will be
back soon. You have to go now.”
    I turned around and clasped her hands in
mine. “Come with me. We can get away from these vampires, and
Mother. You’ll be safe.”
    Her mouth dropped open, then she rolled her
eyes. “Took you long enough to see the light.”
    I brushed her bangs back from her forehead.
“It’s probably a mistake, and if you kill me there will be one less
idiot in the world, but I can’t leave you here.” I tugged on her
hand. “Come on.”
    She nibbled her bottom lip. “I
can’t. The only reason I didn’t commit suicide is because I have
Misha. I love him, and he worships me. If I killed myself, it would
be like killing him, and I could never hurt him.” She shook her
head. “If I left, he would never stop looking for me, and I don’t
want to live without him.”
    She kissed my knuckles