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Unless we’re lost.
“Do you smell where you’ve been?” I ask as we pass through blueberry bushes in a mossy clearing.
He nods. “That, and I remember the way from when Jeremias took us before.”
“Did he…hurt you?” I ask.
He glances at me in surprise. “No. He didn’t. But he did leave us to suffer for eternity, so suffice to say, his intentions weren’t good.”
“I just don’t know what to make of it all,” I say, gnawing on my lip. “He needed me, used me, didn’t seem to care if Kaleid was going to kill me. He treated me like garbage, he was pure evil, he killed the one I love. He just…why did he save me twice? Both times from you.”
He winces. “I tried to get you this time too?”
I nod. “Yeah. Unfortunately. You went for me even before you went for Skarde. You know, just to confirm the whole I’m not special thing.”
“Fuck,” he swears in a low voice. “I’m so sorry, Lenore.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say quickly. “Jeremias killed the beast and I was able to bring you back without it. That’s all that matters. Besides, he also told me that you love me. And that love angers the beast because it reminds him of how much stronger you are.”
He stops walking so abruptly I run right up against him.
“I do love you,” he whispers, kissing me softly, running his hands through my hair. “Love is what brought me back. Not magic. Not anything else.”
“You better be careful,” I tease against his mouth. “You’re getting soft on me.”
“Only in the ways that count,” he says, and now he’s pressing his erection against me, hard as fucking steel. Man, I know we should probably wait until we get back to our luxurious hotel, but honestly I could screw him senseless right here.
Except…
Suddenly my scalp prickles, the hair rising at the back of my neck.
I stop kissing him, pulling away.
“What?” he asks, frowning at me.
“Do you sense that?” I ask. I look around. The forest of pines and birch is deep and dark, but I swear I can hear something moving. Many somethings.
Solon breathes in deeply through his nose, trying to place the scent. “I do. It’s…familiar.”
“Familiar good or familiar bad?” I ask warily, keeping my eyes locked on the forest.
“I don’t know yet.”
“Oh my god,” I gasp, my hand going to my chest. Between two birch trees something moves. It looks like a person, but it also looks like a tree. Or like the forest. Like the forest personified. I immediately think of Treebeard in Lord of the Rings, but he was huge and I’m pretty sure he was friendly. I don’t know what the hell this is and it’s highly disturbing to know that this is happening in the real world and not in one of the vampire ones.
Oh my god. What if we aren’t back in our world yet? What if we only went into another one?
Easy now, moonshine, Solon’s voice comes in my head. Easy.
Easy? I cry out, watching as more of the forest starts moving. I can see eyes.
“They mean you no harm,” a familiar voice says, and we both whip around to see Dracula walking out of the forest. “At least, they’ve meant me no harm.”
“You’re alive,” Solon says to him, relief on his face.
I’m grinning too. Dracula is a sign that we’re in the right world. Besides, I didn’t want him to die. He is an ass, but I rather like him.
“Yes,” Dracula says and then stares at Solon’s crotch. “And you’re naked for once and happy to see me.”
Solon clears his throat, not in the least bit bashful about his half-hard cock. “I’m just happy I didn’t kill you.”
“Well, you tried,” he says with a wry grin. “You swiped at me with those dino claws of yours, but all you managed to do was break the chains before you lost interest and ran out of the door. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d see you again. I’ve never seen your beast before, so I had no idea that the thing doesn’t have one intelligent thought in its head.” He pauses and eyes my dress. “So, what happened to you guys?”
“It’s a long story and we have a long walk back to the road,” Solon says. Then he glances behind him at the forest creatures. “Are you sure you can vouch for them?”
“That’s just the old folk,” he says, jerking his chin at the trees. “Least that’s what they told me. They’re the dead, waiting underground for Skarde to leave. Apparently waiting so long that they’ve become one with nature, or some hippie shit like that. I guess this whole land has some supernatural stuff that we have no idea about.”
“Only in the mythology books,” I say, remembering what poor Natalia had said.
Dracula shrugs. “You’ve been gone for three days. I didn’t know if you’d ever come back. They kept me company in the meantime. God, they can talk your ears off. Anyway, let’s get going.”
