“This has made me remember—” Mal paused as though a long-lost memory had surfaced. As long as it wasn’t, 101 ways to dispose of a witch, I was happy.
“What have you remembered?” I asked. The fresh wave of butterflies wreaking havoc in my belly spurred my interest on. The suspense was killing me. Opps, wrong choice of words.
“Earth to Mal, come in Mal.” I waited while his deep violet eyes zeroed in on the card. I sat wriggling uncomfortably on the rug, my but cheeks were fast slipping into full numbness. “Mal,” I repeated, slightly louder this time.
He twisted the Chariot card back and forth between his fingers. “Have you ever been in a situation where you agreed to something, but hadn’t really thought about the consequences?”
Oh yeah, a gazillion times. The irony of his question was not lost on me. Tonight was a prime example. If I hadn’t agreed to go to Tuck’s Halloween party, I wouldn’t be keeping an audience with a deadly vampire that wanted me to put an end to his existence. But I wasn’t about to tell this bloodsucking killer that, even if I was fantasizing about his thickly muscled form pressed against me.
Stop it, Lydia. Pull yourself together. I may need a man, but this is definitely not the time, nor the place to start looking.
I licked my lips and gave him what I hoped was a comforting smile. “Um, yes. I guess you could say I have…once or twice, but who’s counting.”
“Your Chariot card reminded me that I made a promise many moons ago. A promise I thought would be easy, but…” His eyes flickered and he licked his lips, his bold confidence wavering.
“But?” I asked. His gaze caught mine and the intensity hypnotized me. It was impossible to look away.
He paused, and then he was on his feet faster than I could say fangless vampire. Talk about giving a woman whiplash. “Do you always have to move so fast?” I asked, rubbing my neck as I looked up at him.
He shrugged. “Sorry, habit. A promise is a promise, and I think you might be just the right witch to help me fulfill it once and for all.”
“Me?” My blood ran cold in my veins, and I sat with my jaw dropped. “I…me…no I couldn’t possibly help you. You’ve got the wrong witch.”
Mal folded his arms and thinned his eyes, his gaze looking straight through me. “You don’t even know what it is I’m going to ask you.”
I’m not sure I want to know. Gathering my tarot cards into a pile, I swallowed against the dryness of my throat. He extended his open hand down toward me and I froze staring into his palm.
“Lydia, will you come with me?” he asked.
My breath hitched. Come with him where? He didn’t mean where I thought he meant, did he? I couldn’t draw my focus away from his open hand. I’ve never touched a vampire before. Wasn’t their skin supposed to be cold? I held my breath, and every muscle in my body screamed run, but the adrenaline pumping through my body wouldn’t take no for an answer. There was something about the temptation of touching him that had my insides quivering with excitement.
He smiled and his lady-killer grin broke my hardened exterior and I slid my hand in his. A rush of cold chills catapulted up my arm. It was as though I’d plunged my hand into a bucket of ice-cold water. Mal pulled me up and I stood inches from him. He didn’t look so bad, quite gorgeous in an understated way. That was until he smiled at me and his fangs glistened under the library lights. Reality hit me like a slap in the face. This vampire kidnapped me to pull his fangs and kill him, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to share a meal with me, unless I’m to be the meal.
My chest tightened and I pulled my hand from his side-stepping his lean physique. “Listen, Mal I really feel I am the wrong witch to help you.”
“No, you’re exactly the right witch to help me. I just need to ask you…”