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I mean, he’s using me as bait to get access to his father. That’s scary enough. I guess the only reason I have a little bit of trust that he’s on my side is because he was upfront about it. He could have lied (I mean, he could have tried to lie) to us and said that my magic was all-powerful and could destroy Skarde. He didn’t have to tell me I was to be bait. No one wants to hear that. So that honesty earns Kaleid a tiny checkmark in my trust book.
That aside, things are so tense and strained between him and Solon that I’m a little worried that this isn’t some elaborate ruse to lure Solon to his father and have him sacrificed or something like that. I’m one hundred percent certain that’s what Solon thinks too, so I don’t have to worry about it too much, knowing Solon will do all he can to keep his head. But still.
The only thing that tempers my nerves a little is the fact that Jeremias saw this. He knew I would be instrumental in Skarde’s destruction; he knew that Kaleid would come for me. He saw the future, and if I want that future to play out, then I have to suck it up and take my part in it.
Luckily, as we get closer into the city, the scenery captures my attention. There are cobblestone streets, old-timey architecture, Russian-looking churches and cathedrals, trams trundling to and fro, and everyone is blonde and tanned and smiling, shopping and eating on café patios.
Holy shit. I can’t believe I’m in Helsinki! Suddenly, all the fears and worries about the vampires fade into the background and I’m eager to act like a tourist, exploring the streets.
“I forget that you’ve never been here before,” Kaleid says, watching my expression. “We will have to make time to show you around. Nothing tastes better than finding a beer garden by the water. Or even a trip on the ferry to the fortress of Suomenlinna.”
“Nice way to lure her into thinking she’s here on vacation,” Solon grumbles. “And not as bait for Skarde.”
Kaleid narrows his eyes at him. “Oh, you’re just full of fucking sunshine, aren’t you?”
I burst out laughing. I can’t help it. Guess all these mixed emotions have to go somewhere.
Solon just lets out a deep rumbling noise of disdain and turns his attention away.
It’s not long before the car is pulling up outside a majestic looking building overlooking a busy park, a hint of the water in the distance. Bellhops rush out to help us, taking up our bags as we enter the elegant hotel.
“The Rolling Stones usually stay here,” Kaleid informs us as we head through the tiled lobby to the elevators. “I couldn’t get you their suite, unfortunately, but I’m sure the rooms you have will do.”
Both our rooms are next to each other, on the top floor, overlooking the park. From here I can see over the trees all the way to the harbor.
But there’s no time to get sorted. The bellhop deposits my suitcase and carry-on in the room, and then Kaleid is taking Solon and I out of the hotel. I would have liked to have taken a shower, put on a dress, some makeup, but he seems to be in a rush.
“Where are we going?” I ask as we head down the street. As it is back home, most people don’t pay us any attention. You would think that two gorgeous, tall, striking men such as Solon and Kaleid would turn heads, but vampires are pretty adept at getting people to ignore them—until they want to be seen.
“Sorry, am I rushing you?” Kaleid asks. “I want to catch Valtu while I have a chance. He said he wasn’t in Helsinki for long.”
“Dracula?” I ask, the excitement in my voice palpable.
Kaleid laughs. “Yes. Dracula. He normally lives in Romania.”
“Transylvania? Really?”
“I told you he inspired Stoker. But Valtu is all over the place. His main house is in the Carpathian Mountains, but he spends a lot of time on the beaches of Croatia too. Vampires normally don’t like a lot of sun and heat, but Valtu loves it. Or maybe he just likes being around women in bikinis.”
“Lemme guess. He’s rich.”
“We’re all rich, baby,” Kaleid says, to which Solon lets out another grumble, probably for the baby part.
We end up in front of a giant cathedral, white with a green dome. From my history, I know that Russia controlled Finland for a long time, and this place definitely has a Russian slant to it.
“Here we are,” Kaleid says.
“What do you mean?”
He gestures to the cathedral. There are rows of steps out front, tons of tourists milling about, taking pictures or sitting in the sun and drinking cans of cider. “This is the entrance to the red world,” he says.
