“All in good time, my love,” I placate him in jest, and he chuckles.
“If I thought you meant that, there would be no stopping me. Initial Vampire or not.”
“Oh, I mean it, Constantine,” I say in a voice not my own.
Huh? I stare at the phone and clear my throat.
“Aefre?” he asks warily.
“Yes, it’s me. Now,” I croak.
“What just happened?”
“It was the Power. It doesn’t seem to like Gregor,” I say, sounding foolish.
Silence.
“Well, maybe you are the key to his demise, my sweet,” he says cryptically.
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m sorry, my love. I must go. Take care and check in again later, so I know that you are okay,” he says.
“Fine. Be safe,” I sulk and hang up. I had wanted to talk with him some more.
This is all just getting too weird. Why would this Power approve of CK’s desire to kill Gregor? Also, could it be that maybe, somehow, I am the key? Being so in the dark about this Power, what it means, about the prophecy and my role in it, is getting almost too much to bear. I hate not being in control and I hate feeling so out of the loop. I hope I get some answers soon. Not to mention, spending so much time with CK lately is also driving me crazy. I’m starting to miss him, really miss him when he isn’t there now, and not just because he is my sire, but because I’m falling even deeper in love with him than I ever thought possible. I let my mind wander back to when we first met and how he was my love and my protector even then, although I didn’t know it at the time.
CHAPTER FORTY
London, England, 1012 – Aefre
A fter that first day I met him, I knew I had to see him again. I purposefully made an excuse to go to the marketplace the next day to see if he was there again. I packed my basket with my usual odds and ends for bartering and trading. Minus Annis and Rheda, I was free to let my eyes roam for him. My heart stopped when I turned around and he was standing right behind me.
“Good day, Aefre,” he said in that voice like honey. “I had hoped to see you again.”
“Constantine,” I managed to sputter out, not quite meeting his eye. What had seemed like a good idea this morning, I was now having second thoughts. What if someone saw me and told Radulf? “I apologize, sir. I need to get home.”
“Always apologizing, aren’t you?” he said in a voice so low I could only just hear him. My eyes found his eventually and he was looking at me with that half-amused glint in his eye.
I squared my shoulders and winced at the pain it sent to my aching body. “I wish you good day, sir,” I said and turned on my heel to leave. He followed me and once we were out of the busy marketplace and outside the church, he pulled me swiftly down the side of the bell tower. I gasped as he pressed me up against the cold stone, not quite touching me.
“I brought you a gift, Aefre. Where are your manners?” he asked, his mouth so close to my ear I shivered as his breath tickled me. He produced a single flower from what seemed like nowhere and placed it behind my ear. A beautiful budding red rose.
My breath caught in my throat at the thoughtful gesture from this stranger. Gazing up at him, now in the privacy of the shadow of the bell tower, I really took in his features. He was the most handsome man I had ever come across. His shoulder length dark hair was tied back neatly which left his face to be openly admired. His dark eyes with amber flecks were almond shaped, slanted like a cat’s. His nose was perfectly straight which meant he either didn’t fight or was too good to let it be broken. The latter, I thought, taking in his hard body. His lips, which were curved into a knowing smile, were full and a darker red than normal. He had a strong jaw and a long neck, which led down to a chest I just wanted to touch.
My sinful thoughts brought my attention back to my surroundings and I cleared my throat.
“Th–Thank you, sir, for the kind gift you bestow upon me. It is with regret that I have nothing to offer you in return,” I stammered.
He raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows at me. “A promise to meet me here tomorrow will suffice, my lady.”
I gaped at him calling me a lady, clad in my only gown that, albeit was clean, as was I, had been mended more times than I could count. I could only nod.
He replied in a strange language. Latin, maybe? I am no scholar, where clearly, he was well educated and well bred. Then he added, “I shall see you a day from now.” And he was gone.
Catching my breath, I pulled the rose from my ear and I inhaled its scent. “So sweet,” I murmured to myself.
Making my way back to the cottage, I placed the rose under a bush where Radulf would never find it and went about my day.