Ivana smiled. “Well, you will insist on manoeuvring your body into awkward positions.” She had enjoyed the long and arduous journey immensely. Spending time alone with Leo without any distractions proved to be a rather fulfilling experience, in more ways than one.
He glanced back over his shoulder; the sinful smile playing on his lips caused her stomach to lurch. “It’s incredible how agile one can be in such a confined space.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of their last passionate exchange. “When you say it like that you make me wish we still had a hundred miles to travel.”
“I’m afraid the muscles in my thighs would not stand the strain.” Leo winked. “Unless you have something else in mind.”
Ivana shook her head. “I’m sure you could tempt the Lord to sin, but we have other matters that require our attention.” Desperate to distract her wayward thoughts, she picked up the leather-bound book at her side and tugged on the piece of red ribbon she had used to mark the page. “Talliano wrote that Castle Craig lies on the banks of the River Earn. The locals said it is the only castle to be found on this road.”
“Then I shall tell Sylvester we intend to stop.” Leo hollered up to the coachman before closing the window and dropping back into the seat opposite. “Have you considered the possibility you might be mistaken? What if we’ve had a wasted journey?”
Ivana contemplated his words before shaking away any doubts. “I’m convinced the lady we seek lives here. The dreams are too real, Leo. When Nikolai died, and I regained my memories, somehow remnants of his thoughts found their way into my mind. Now that I am cured and can sleep again I cannot stop the flow of vivid images.” She had seen the vision of a woman with golden hair, sharp fangs and a thirst for blood. The similarities to her own colouring were too coincidental to ignore. She could not explain how or why, but she felt the woman’s sorrow. The sense of hopelessness was all consuming. Ivana had no choice but to find the mysterious lady and try to ease her pain. “I know you’re tired of hearing me say this, but fate draws me to her. I am convinced Nikolai turned her too.”
Leo folded his arms across his chest. “I suspect the fact Talliano mentioned there is a mine located on this land makes the idea plausible.”
Ivana sat forward, her desire to discover the truth evident in her eager actions. “This is the place where Talliano found the haematite.” Indeed, a further search of the crypt had uncovered another hidden notebook. “If Nikolai turned me to protect the cure, then perhaps he turned the lady who lives here for a similar reason.”
“That is if the lady you mentioned does live here.”
Ivana flopped back into the seat. “In my dreams I have walked these lands. I have seen images of the lady with her clansmen in their Highland dress.” She sighed. “I just wish you would believe me.”
Leo crossed the carriage to sit at her side. “I would not have agreed to come all this way if I did not have faith in you.” He stroked her cheek. “We will find her, this mysterious lady you dream of at night. We will offer her the cure and then we will go and share our good fortune with my brothers.”
Ivana’s heart swelled with love for him. “I know you are impatient to tell them we are cured. I know you long to be reunited with them again, and I love you all the more for the sacrifice you have made to make me happy.”
“Making you happy is what I live for.” He gave a wicked grin. “And hearing your sweet sighs of pleasure, of course.”
She batted him on the arm, but her gaze drifted over his shoulder to the group of men entering the forest with their lanterns held aloft. “What do you think they’re doing out here at night?”
Leo followed her gaze, shuffled over to the window and stared out. “I have no idea.” He offered a shrug and an amused chuckle as he turned to face her. “It is probably a local hunting ritual or an ancient ceremony to assist with fertility. I’ve often found that those who live in remote areas have rather antiquated methods of doing things.”
“There is nothing wrong with tradition,” she said raising a disapproving brow. “Sometimes the old ways are the best. One can learn a great deal from previous generations.”
“Tell that to Herr Bruhn when he boasts about brewing his new beer. The old method produced a drink that is far too bitter and cloudy.”
The carriage came to an abrupt halt. With the excessive rocking and swaying it was evident Sylvester had climbed down from the box seat and that they had reached their destination. They heard the squeak of a rusty gate before their coachman climbed back atop his perch and guided the conveyance across the narrow bridge.
Ivana had expressed some reluctance in allowing Sylvester to accompany them on their trip. She’d wanted him to stay behind to care for the Bruhns, to guard their home. But her trusted servant had experienced the horrifying consequences of the blood affliction. Without the ability to compel another driver to keep their secret, should they find the woman who haunted her dreams, it had been imperative they bring Sylvester along.
They rattled through the stone gatehouse and into the bailey. The loud clattering would certainly alert the castle’s occupants of their arrival. As soon as the carriage rumbled to a halt, Leo opened the door and vaulted out.
“Good Lord, it feels wonderful to stretch my limbs.” He offered her his hand. “Allow me to assist you, my lady.”
She nodded, but rather than lower the steps his nimble fingers settled on her waist, and he lifted her down slowly until her feet touched the ground.
After a quick attempt to shake the creases out of her dress, Ivana glanced up at the dull grey facade. “If you had covered my eyes or put me into a deep sleep and brought me here, I would think I was home.”
Leo followed her gaze. “It does bear a striking resemblance to the castle in Bavaria. You said the woman in your dreams had golden hair. Perhaps these things are not coincidences. Like most men, it appears Nikolai had his preferences.”
Ivana shook her head. “Nikolai always had an ulterior motive for everything he did. I doubt hair colour and the place one rests their head had anything to do with it. Trust me. It is a coincidence.”
“Or it is fate.” Leo quirked a brow. “After all that has occurred, I think we both have some faith in that possibility.”
“Well, we will know the answer soon enough.” She glanced around the empty bailey, scanned the dark, dreary facade once more. The absence of light in any of the windows suggested no one was home. Then again, they could be expecting a storm and had consequently closed the shutters. “Do you not think it is odd that no one has marched out to question our right to be here? Or at the very least, attempted to establish if we have lost our way. In such a remote location, I suspect they rarely have visitors.”
Leo rubbed his chin. “The affliction can make one nervous of strangers. What would you do if faced with a similar situation?”
Ivana contemplated his question. Living with such a terrible secret often made one delusional, overly suspicious. A solitary existence was far preferable than risking discovery. “I would hide in the shadows, refuse to open the door, hope they would grow tired and leave.”