“You mustn’t curse in this house, Lottie.” One corner of his mouth stretched upward in an agonizingly sweet smile that sent a ripple through her body.
The bronze light created a dull flame in the shiny black behind his lashes, as his fingers began to slide down her arm, searching for her wounded finger. Stuttering incoherently, she meant to protest, but couldn’t find any of the words she wanted to say. He pulled her hand up to his cool lips. She could feel them part under her skin. He smiled down at her again, forcing her to drop her gaze.
He pressed the cut to his mouth and gently sucked.
The pressure sent a new ripple down her spine, causing her to look up at him again. She watched his pleasure with wide, innocent eyes. The inside of his mouth was warm and tantalizing, and she instantly missed the feeling of it when he softly pushed her hand away.
She looked down at her palm that still lingered in his. The cut had completely disappeared. He smiled down at her again.
“I–I…uh—” She stammered to articulate something — anything, but once again came up empty.
He hushed her, putting a finger to her lips. Her heart fluttered as the muscles in her stomach clenched. He lowered his face, so close to hers that she could see her reflections in his black irises. The word “danger” rang out in her mind, but her lips began to ache for his anyway. The effect he had on her was unfair. Be careful what you wish for.
“I would like to speak with you,” he whispered into her mystified face.
Suddenly, a pounding slammed against the front door, interrupting Charlotte mid-thought.
A foreign voice rumbled from the other side. “Open up!”
Both Charlotte and Valek’s heads snapped toward the foyer. A fist met the door once again, more aggressive than before.
“This is the Regime Guard Force! We demand you open this door!”
A different voice sounded. “We have this house completely surrounded!”
Valek turned his eyes on Charlotte, and she could tell he was tuning in. Chagrin rushed to her face, burning her cheeks. He was going to hear everything; from the kiss, to the argument, to the “goodbye,” to Edwin’s warning. The blackness quickly dissipated, and his eyes turned back to their hard and icy azure.
“Quickly, go to my office. Hide in the freezer. Do not come out under any circumstance. No matter what you hear,” he hissed, clutching her shoulders.
The freezer was where Valek kept his “leftover meals” until he could find a different way of disposing of them.
Charlotte’s arms prickled as the light above the stove flickered out. She tried to think of any other place she could hide that didn’t contain dead bodies.
The first voice boomed again. “We know you are in there!”
“Hurry,” Valek whispered. “Everything is going to be all right. Remember — do not come out. Go!”
Charlotte quickly ran into the other room.
She found her way into the large freezer. She shivered in the coldest, darkest corner, farthest away from the door, surrounded by lumpy, black, body bags. They sat like grave markers clumped too close together. The stench was light, but even freezing could not stop the rotting decay. She shivered again.
All her thoughts writhed and spun in her mind as she sat, clutching her head in her hands, imaging Valek being taken away. Her heart slowed down. It felt like it might just stop, frozen to death with fear. She buried her face in her knees and swallowed her scream. She began to quiet her mind and tune in to what was happening outside, trying desperately to hear the muffled voices.
Valek waited until he heard the office lock click before he started toward the front entrance. He made an attempt to relax his shoulders and then gracefully slinked to open the front door. He met five burly guards on his doorstep.
“Good evening, gentlemen. How may I help you?” He flashed a grin.
“The Vampire Ruzik?” One of the guards from the threshold of the house questioned.
Valek grinned. “Who’s asking?”
“We are under the impression you are hiding a human child in this home. Would you consider that statement truthful?” The guard — a tall fire Elf with a waxed head and slanted eyes — spoke officially.
“As is plain before your eyes, there is no one here but me.” Valek gestured to the inside of his house.
“You did not answer my question,” the officer grumbled. “Mr. Ruzik, are you aware it is against the Regime Code of Magic to keep human pets?”
“No.” Valek clenched his jaw at the notion anyone would refer to Charlotte as a pet. “A human child does not reside here. If one did, I can assure you it would not be in their best interest.” Valek flashed his pearly fangs.
“I do not find you charming, Mr. Ruzik.”
“Nor I, you,” Valek said.
“May we have a look around? As a formality?” The officer asked with erroneous politeness.
Valek tensed slightly but the guards didn’t wait for a response, shoving their way inside.
The squad bypassed the library, with only a few quick glances, and made their way into the kitchen, one of them parting from the group to stomp up the stairway.
Valek searched frantically through his mind for a solution. The evidence of Charlotte was everywhere.
The officer in command bent to pick up the bloody knife from the kitchen floor as he eyed the mess of food. “Making dinner this evening, Mr. Ruzik?” he asked, lighting the stove with the power from his hand. It created a dingy light against the dull sheen of the pots and pans. He sauntered over to Valek. “Funny. I didn’t think your kind ate carrots.” He brought the bloody end of the knife so close to Valek’s nose that the pupils of his eyes bled out the white like spilled ink. The muscles in the back of his throat tensed as the familiar burning flared again.
“I would advise you to keep your distance, Mr.…”
“My name is of no concern to you.” The officer ran his index finger across the bloodstain on the shiny blade and rubbed the gore between his index and thumb.
The guard who had gone to search upstairs ran into the kitchen clutching the sleek, white arm of Evangeline, yanking her behind it. “Look what I found.” The guard’s voice was rough like gravel. He shoved the Witch forward, causing her to stumble into Valek’s arms.
She looked up at Valek, who quickly tuned in to her thoughts.
“A Witch?” the first guard asked.
“Yes.” Valek wrapped his arm affectionately around her shoulders. “This is Evangeline.”
“I thought you said no one was at home with you, Mr. Ruzik.”
“I thought no one was at home.” He looked to Evangeline. “My love, when did you get back?” Valek suppressed a gag over those words and forced another smile.
Evangeline blinked at him, and then to the guards. “Uh…I um…just a little while ago. I was upstairs, obviously.”
“I don’t need to hear an explanation. I think this evidence will be enough for the Regime.” He held up the bloody knife. “But just in case—” He snapped his fingers, sending some of the other guards off in different directions of the house. “We’ll take the child, too.”
“You will not find what you seek, Elf. ” Valek ground his jaws together.
The officer started to pace. “I saw the sign out front. You are a doctor, Vampire?” he asked, coolly, the hint of laughter forming tauntingly around his words.
Valek hissed.
“Well, who knew a leach could be so intelligent? I’m sure this town is really going to miss you.” The officer smiled.