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I grabbed him by his arm and dug my nails into him.
    “Watch it queen, I wouldn’t want you to leave any marks,” he said easily.
    “Ivan, tell me where it is.” I brought my face close to his and tried to look as threatening as possible.
    A glint of satisfaction filled his eyes. Ivan clearly knew I was desperate. “I don’t know.” He shrugged, as he drummed his fingers on the counter.
    “Fine! You’re obviously a sadist who doesn’t give a crap about helping anyone.”
    I knew I was acting like a raving maniac, but I didn’t care. All I could think of was how much blood Lucus must have lost by now. Even though, he couldn’t die, it was because of my stupidity that he was being feasted on by a disgusting spirit. I should have been in his place. It should have been me lying there with Sousson Pannan on my stomach sucking my body dry. I had been an idiot for thinking the spirit world was all innocent. How many times had Grand-mere Bea and Ms. Mae warned me that you never messed with random spirits? Had I listened? No.
      I started to open the rest of the kitchen cabinets when I felt Ivan’s vodka-infused breath on the nape of my neck. He nuzzled me gently with his nose. I turned around, furious. “What is your problem? If you’re not going to help me find rum, get the hell away from me!” I hissed.
    He grabbed a lock of my hair and sniffed it. I backed away in repulsion. “Get away from me, you creep.”
    “I can help.” His bizarre grey eyes dug into mine.
    I let out a hopeful breath. “How? Do you know where it is?”
    “I do.” He gave me a devious smile.
    “What do you want?”
    Ivan’s gaze wavered for a split second. “Hmmm, let me see…” He placed his index finger on his bum-chin and tapped it lightly.
    “Ivan, please,” I said in a sugary-sweet voice, but in reality, I was itching to smack the arrogant smile off his face, which wasn’t as good-looking as he thought.
      “Hmmmm let me see, hmmm.” He pretended he was deep in thought.
    It had been a lousy idea asking Ivan for help. He was impossible and infuriating. “Forget it,” I muttered. I would have to go wake up Ms. Mae and ask her for assistance.
    “Don’t give up so quickly queen.” His voice was soft, as he took my hand into his.
    As we made contact, I broke out in a cold sweat. The energy I got from Ivan wasn’t like anything I’d ever felt before. It was troubled, melancholy and heated. It made me tremendously uneasy and a bit queasy.
    “I just need one little thing from you,” he whispered, as he stroked the center of my palm.
    I tried to pull away, but I couldn’t. He had me mesmerized.
    “What?”
    “I need you to promise me something.”
    “Such as?” My heart pounded with remarkable intensity.
    “Promise me that you’ll understand.”
    “Understand what?”
    “It doesn’t matter. You want the rum, don’t you?”
    I ripped my hand away from his. “Yeah, I want the rum.”
    “Then repeat after me: Ivan, I promise I will try to understand.”
    I wanted to scream you’re an idiot! But the emotional part of me was torn. At that second, there was something about the way the light hit Ivan’s eyes, the way it bounced off his hair and the planes of his face that transformed him into a lost little boy. I thought about Lucus and was desperate to get back to him.
      I took a deep breath I hoped wasn’t making a tragic mistake. “Ivan, I promise I will try to understand.”
    “Good choice, queen.” The old Ivan was back, and the hint of vulnerability I had seen was hidden under the mask of an egotistical jerk. “I’ll get your rum. You’re obviously desperate for a drink.”
    He strolled back into the pantry at an epically slow pace. I followed.
    “So, where is it? I swear if this is another joke…”
    “Hey queen, take it easy, its right here,” he said, as he pointed to a cabinet in the corner.
    Immediately, I ran over to it and tried to pry it open. “It’s locked,” I said, after I noticed