Pushing through the wind and rain, Leo continued along the deserted street. The thin streams of light escaping through the shutters did little to illuminate his way. The hulking black shadow of her carriage loomed into view. He could have been invisible and still the coachman, sitting muffled in his greatcoat, could not have paid him any less attention. An attempt to listen to his thoughts proved futile, and if it had not been for the twitch of a finger on the reins, Leo would have staked his life the man was a sitting corpse.
Leo paused at the carriage door. A sudden sense of foreboding gripped him, and he pulled his sword from its back harness and held it at his side. Elliot’s voice echoed through his mind. The voice of logic and reason reminding him it was sheer folly to climb into her conveyance.
But Leo had nothing left to lose.
He had lived the same nightmare every day, made all the worse since Elliot found love. The woman’s curse had left him alone, abandoned to the night that had so cruelly claimed him. The escapades of the brotherhood would become a distant memory, leaving him no choice but to forge ahead, to carve a new life for himself.
Do you intend to stand in the rain all night?
Her words penetrated his chaotic thoughts. She did not frighten him. Not anymore. Nothing she could do to him could be worse than the hell he was already living.
Sensing his decision, she opened the door for him, and he climbed into the one place he thought never to see again. As soon as he slammed the door shut the carriage lurched forward, and he fell back into the seat, his hand still gripping the handle of his sword.
“I shall make sure you’re given a big enough bed so you may sleep with it as well?” Her amused gaze travelled down the length of the steel blade.
“Sleep? Are you trying to provoke me? You know I haven’t slept a wink since you pricked my neck with your sharp fangs. Besides, I have no intention of staying that long.”
She gave a low chuckle. “We shall see. One never knows where the path of fate may lead.”
“You say that as though you have the ability to predict the future.”
“More the ability to remember the past.” She reached for the blanket at her side, used it to dry her cheeks and pat the ends of her hair. “None of us know what the future holds. Surely experience has taught you that. Did you expect that a drunken night of debauchery would see you cursed for eternity?” Her gaze drifted over him. He saw something akin to regret, perhaps disappointment reflected there. “Indeed, like you, I am fully aware of the price one pays for naiveté, for being so weak and insipid.”
Leo gave a contemptuous snort. “I would hardly call you weak and insipid.”
“You do not know the first thing about me.” Her tone was sharp, and he felt a sudden stab of pain, a fragment of fear he sensed lay buried beneath her calm facade.
“I know you enjoy ripping out the hearts of men.” A gust of wind shook the carriage as it climbed the narrow path cutting up through the trees. Leo put both hands on the handle of his sword to steady his balance. “I know revenge burns brightly within you, and so you seek to destroy other people’s lives as a way of exerting control.”
She glanced out of the window, stared at the passing shadows. “As I said, you know nothing about me. But I will keep my word. Soon, all will be revealed.”
Chapter 4
In the close confines of the carriage, Ivana studied him. It was obvious he did not remember much about his time with her — just as she had intended. All about them, the air whirled with palpable tension. She tried to read his thoughts, to delve deeper to discover what other feelings lay buried beneath the hatred and anger.
But something stopped her.
One could not begin to know a person from listening to the random musings of the mind. And she was curious to learn more about him. Was he so different from the man who had left her three years ago? Had she made a mistake in poisoning his blood? Or in battling with his affliction had he found humility?
Despite his eagerness to sever her head from her shoulders, she believed he had lost the brash, overbearing manner that had first captured her attention. In itself, it was a step towards redemption.
“We’re approaching the gates.” Her words penetrated the uncomfortable silence, and they rattled across the bridge before rushing through the stone arch leading into the courtyard. “Do you remember being here?”
She hoped the answer was no. But a small part of her wanted to see his eyes flash with the same fiery passion that had once warmed her heart.
He inhaled deeply. “I have a vague recollection, but despite numerous efforts to piece together the events of that night the memories are fragmented.”
Ivana smiled. She remembered every minute detail of his time at the castle. The fact he recalled very little gave her an advantage. “I’ve heard it said that to visit the scene of one’s nightmares can often prompt visions, images of memories locked away.”
Would he recall the scent of her skin or the taste of her blood?
Something akin to fear flashed in his brown eyes and then he blinked, and it was gone. “For your sake, I hope you’re wrong. If it’s as horrific as I imagine, I’ll not be responsible for my actions.”
“Oh, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
The carriage rumbled to a halt, swayed back and forth as Sylvester jumped down from his seat to open the door.
“After you.” Ivana waved her hand as Sylvester lowered the steps. “I know how susceptible you are, how easily you give in to temptation, and I would not wish to have a sword thrust in my back.”