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“We’ll see what’s going on in the rest of the ship,” Stasio said, then vanished.
“Stay with him,” Levka ordered.
“We’re on it,” Ruric said and disappeared.
“If you need our assistance, just holler.” Arman bowed to Caitlin. “We’re truly glad you’re part of our family. If you ever need anything from any of us, we’ll come to your aid.” He left with the others.
“Caitlin, honey, drink,” Levka coaxed, sitting beside her on the bed.
“I…I can’t. When I did it before, it was because I was terrified of the shark. I told myself that I was doing this because it was going to make me immortal, though deep down I truly didn’t believe it. I thought Vlad was wearing false teeth. I thought it was all a lie, made up in his sick mind. But I wanted to live, and somehow felt if I did as you asked, I’d be okay.”
“I care for you more than life itself, dear Caitlin. I would let no harm come to you ever. You must believe me. But you need to drink.”
She sighed, and her eyes shifted from the vials of blood to his lips.
He leaned over and kissed her, wanting to control her just this once, make her drink the blood so she could see how much she needed it.
Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him close and kissed him back. He dropped the vials on the bed and ran his fingers through her windswept curls. “My nymph from the sea.”
She licked his lips, then extended her teeth.
He grinned and grabbed up a vial of blood. “Not from me, love.” Opening the vial, he offered it to her.
For a moment, she stared at the blood. “Your blood mixed with the seawater drew the shark.”
“Yes, I tried not to drip it in the water, but you wouldn’t drink from me.”
Her eyes shifted to his. “I’m…I’m a pill, aren’t I?”
“No. All of this will take some getting used to.”
She lay back on the bed. “I’m just tired. I’ll sleep and feel better.”
Shaking his head, he pulled the stopper out of the blood vial. Then he touched the blood to her lips. “You need to sleep after all that has happened. But you need blood, too.”
She licked her lips and frowned at him, then rolled onto her side. “I’ll drink it later.”
Touching her lips with more of the blood, he tried again to encourage her to drink. She took in a deep breath, smelling the blood. Closing her eyes, she sighed deeply. Then she swept her tongue over her lips again.
Groaning, she reached for the vial.
He offered it to her. “Drink slowly.”
Caitlin tasted the sweet, coppery taste, but it wasn’t the same as Levka’s. “I like yours better.” After handing him the half-finished bottle, she lay back down.
“I’ll leave the rest here for now.” He set the two vials on the bedside table. “You’ll sleep.”
Touching her temple, she stared at him. Levka’s face seemed to blur. “The stuff is doing funny thingsss to my eyesss.”
“Sleep, Caitlin. I’ll be back in a while.” Levka kissed her cheek, and then he watched over her.
She tried to focus on him, but the longer she watched him, the more he faded from her sight until she saw no more of him.
For some time, she drifted in and out of sleep. But even when she was partly aware, she was unaware, too.
“Invite me in,” someone coaxed. The telepathic voice sounded a million miles away.
“Come in,” she said, her mind still fuzzy. How long had she been asleep?
