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“What?” Levka asked, unable to curb the irritation edging his word.
“I dropped them.”
Levka held his tongue, waiting for the rest of the story, but when it wasn’t forthcoming, he said, “And?”
“Sorry, Levka, truly I am. A porter bumped into me, and I dropped the bag. I’m afraid all the bottles broke.”
Levka couldn’t believe it. He looked at Ruric, who nodded.
Arman sat on the sofa. “We normally can go without blood for several days and just eat human food. But your body is still healing so you’ll need to feed.”
Levka groaned. “I don’t want to feed off a mortal.”
“How about Lynne?” Ruric asked. “I wouldn’t mind draining her enough so she’d have to sleep the rest of the cruise as mean as she was toward Caitlin.”
“Someone we don’t know,” Levka finally said. “I have to get out of this blasted wheelchair.”
“I’ll get someone since it was my mistake.” Stasio hurried out of the room.
“Watch him,” Levka growled at Ruric.
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Ruric saluted, then hastened after Stasio.
Arman fussed with making down the queen-sized beds, while Levka wondered what else could go wrong.
Twenty minutes later, Stasio and Ruric returned to the room with a guy in tow, his thick cologne preceding him. When they moved out of his way, Levka stared at him, then looked at Stasio.
His friend shrugged. “He was the only one who hadn’t been drinking. I know you don’t like alcohol mixed with your blood.”
Levka considered the grinning comedian standing before him. “An Irishman who doesn’t drink? Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
Chapter 5
Caitlin yanked the curtains closed to hide the glass door to the balcony in her stateroom. She couldn’t see anything in the dark, but it was enough to hear the waves pounding the ship, beating it to death. Just like the water had bashed her parents’ sailing yacht, hammering it until it sank beneath the black waters a year ago today.
Spring break, family vacation, their last.
Clenching her teeth against the memories, she sat on her bed and stared at sleeping beauty, Alicia, still fully dressed, lying on top of her made bed. Caitlin had only seen one hypnotist act before, and she figured the whole thing was staged. But not this time. Not when Stasio seemed to control Alicia’s mind before the meal and afterward. And she didn’t figure the entertainer would have planned to have someone from the audience steal his show. Thinking of Stasio’s actions made her smile. She just wished she could use her own magic on board the ship so that she didn’t feel so helpless.
Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options. She could try to sleep, or she could go up on deck and take a look at the pool. Maybe she could get her fear under control before Alicia forced the issue.
Certain Prince Charming Stasio had put Alicia under his spell for the night, Caitlin vowed to fight her own demons without Alicia’s goading. Grabbing her sweater, Caitlin left the room, her shoulders straight, her chin up. She could do this. She might not be able to look over the railing at the ocean just yet, but she could look at the stupid pool.
***
Levka had fought with his friends ever since they’d brought him the Irish comedian for a nighttime snack. Finally, winning the argument after feeding, he had them wheel him up to the railing of the upper deck. “Just leave me here,” Levka ordered. “I want to sit here for a while. Alone.”
“All right,” Ruric said. “But call us when you want us to come get you.”
Levka motioned for them to leave. He was tired of being coddled. Tired of them hanging around the invalid. And he wasn’t ready to retire for the evening.
The three hesitated, then wandered off.
Levka listened to the ship cutting through the waves, glanced up at the dark sky, not a star in sight, no glimpse of the moon behind a bank of thunderclouds. He tried to get out of the wheelchair.
“Concentrate,” he commanded himself, trying to obliterate the pain in his chest.
He grabbed the railing, his fingers gripping the metal rod, the ocean spray slapping his face. Triumphant, he stood.
