Sam watched, mesmerized, as the sun shone through her hair. He had never seen anyone more beautiful. He could not believe his luck in being here right now. Why had she chosen him? She hadn’t exactly invited him, but she hadn’t exactly told him not to join her either. And even though she did a great job of ignoring him, and had barely said a word to him the entire afternoon, he stil sensed that deep down she liked having him with her. He only wondered if it was because some company for her was better than no company at al , or if she real y wanted him there.
Kendra turned to him.
“I’d like to sit in the grass,” she said. “There is a blanket in the saddle.”
Sam at first didn’t realize what she was talking about; but then he looked over at her horse, and saw a large silk blanket sitting in a pouch. He realized she expected him to unfold the blanket and lay it out for her.
It annoyed him a bit. He was not her servant. At the same time, he just figured that this was the treatment she was used to, and he didn’t want to rock the boat over it. Plus, he real y didn’t mind. So he took out her large, pink blanket, and laid it out on the grass.
Kendra walked over and sat down gingerly, smoothing her skirt, and lay back, resting her head in her hands, and staring at the sky.
Sam looked down, and saw the big empty space on the blanket beside her. He wondered if she wanted him to join her.
“Um…” he began, “can I sit with you?”
He watched her shrug, ever so slightly, as she stared at the sky. His legs were hurting from al that riding, so he decided to take that as a yes.
He went over and sat on the blanket beside her, and laid on his back beside her, resting his head in his hands, too.
The sky was beautiful from this perspective, a crystal clear blue, with smal white clouds, broken into a mil ion pieces, drifting overhead.
They both lay like that for what felt like forever, and Sam final y wondered if he should say something. The silence, he felt, was a bit awkward.
“That was fun,” he said. “Thanks for bringing me.”
“I didn’t bring you,” she answered. “You brought yourself.”
Sam was indignant. He’d had enough of this, and he felt it was time to confront her.
He sat up.
“Okay then,” he said, “I’l leave.”
He was preparing to stand, when he felt a cold hand on his wrist. He turned, and saw her staring at him.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” she said. “I didn’t tel you to leave.”
He stared back at her, puzzled. Clearly, she wanted him to stay. But why couldn’t she just come out and say it? Was she afraid? Was she nervous? Was she that proud?
Everything inside of Sam screamed at him to leave, to go back to the training ground, seek out Aiden, and stay focused on his search for Caitlin.
But something inside him, something he could not control, forced him to stay.
He slowly lay back down. This time, he propped himself on his elbow, turning and looking at her.
She went back to laying on her back and looking up at the sky.
Sam couldn’t stop staring at her sculpted features. They were perfect.
“I come here, to this spot, to get away from Versail es,” she said, after a while. “There are no humans here. No vampires. No one to gossip or slander me.” She turned and looked at him. “Have you heard them talking about me?”
Sam shrugged. He had, indeed, already heard things—
rumors, whispers. But he didn’t want to upset her.
“Tel me,” she said. “What did they say?”
“They say that you want to be turned. And that you’l use anyone to get it.”
Kendra looked back at the sky, and for the first time in the day, she broke into a smile.
“Do you believe them?”
Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even know you.”
“Wel , don’t. It’s al gossiping. Backbiting. The only way they can get at me. It’s because I’m superior to them. They know they can never be like me. So they pretend that I want to be like them.”
Sam studied her. He didn’t know what to believe. Al he knew for sure was that he was completely enamored of her.
And whether she was being truthful or not, he stil felt sorry for her.
She turned to him, final y, propped herself on her elbow, and looked him right in the eyes. She was only inches away, and he felt his heart race faster.
“Do you think that’s the only reason I want to be with you?”
she asked.
Sam shrugged. She was so close, he could smel her skin, her perfume. He could hardly concentrate, and didn’t trust himself to speak.
As she came in closer, he felt his heart pounding. She was now only inches away.
“Wel , it’s not,” she said.
And then, suddenly, she moved in, ever closer, until both of their lips were touching.
And from that moment on, Sam knew that he was completely, utterly, lost.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Kyle stood before the Bastil e, hiding in the shadows in that special moment between darkness and light. He knew this would be the time of the changing of the guard, when the night shift vampires would be replaced by the day ones. He knew this would be the moment when they were most vulnerable to attack, and when they would least expect it.
He only needed one entry point. One weak, young, vulnerable, and inexperienced vampire. He could take him out, and get inside. It was a crucial first step. Before he could direct Napoleon and his men in a ful -fledged attack, he needed to do his reconnaissance first. He needed to make sure that the savage seven were stil down there, and he needed to find the angle to set them free.
He watched, and waited.
This was a funny building, the Bastil e, a circular, stone tower that rose right up to the sky. It almost looked like a lighthouse in the center of the city. There were no windows
— just a few iron bars here and there. Kyle spotted the multiple layers of silver bars, and knew why they were there.
Inside, deep underground, lay seven of the most vicious creatures that had walked the planet. He had heard that, in addition to the silver, there was another layer of a special metal instal ed, to contain them. He needed to find out exactly which type of metal it was. Once he did, he would know what he needed to break it.
Kyle saw his opportunity, and moved quick. As the shift changed, one of the guards moved just a little bit slower than the others, on the far side of the building. Kyle crept up behind him, and before he could react, reached up and snapped his neck.