For a long moment, Victor just stared at her, his expression betraying no emotion. The lines didn’t relax, but she could see the slightest hint of a nod.
“Stop it, you moron!” Beth yelled at Steven. “Obviously, whatever you do to him is going to hurt Sarah.”
Sarah met Victor’s gaze; he never even let out one groan. “How come it didn’t knock you flat on your butt when you’re the one who actually got stabbed?”
“I’m older and much more experienced. Now brace yourself.” He pulled the dagger out in one swift motion.
Sarah let out a loud moan as the pain intensified countless times, numbing her mind.
“Are we done playing games?” Victor asked.
Frank helped Sarah to her feet.
A wave of dizziness flooded over her, and she clung onto him tightly. “Why do I feel like everyone’s punching bag?”
“I should kill you for even touching my mate,” Victor hissed, “but for her sake…” He pointed at Sarah. “I’ll let you live, as well as her companions.”
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the tension in the air. It came in slow waves, signaling something she couldn’t quite pinpoint. She peered at Victor’s self-satisfied grin the same moment he raised his hand, his fingers cutting through the air as though he was about to bless her friends. The wind gathered around their heads, the soft howling from before rising to an ear-splitting crescendo. And suddenly, Frank and the others fell to the ground, motionless, as though that very wind had wiped their legs out from under them.
“Oh my gosh! Are you crazy?”
Does he think stunts like that are going to win me over?
Sarah knelt down and checked Frank’s wrist for a pulse; it was there, slow and steady, but beating. Thank goodness. She checked for Beth’s pulse as well, and hers was strong and steady. “What did you do to them? Beth’s pregnant, you brute.”
Victor crossed his arms over his chest, regarding her coolly. “They’re only sleeping.”
Sarah thought if she could only distract him, she might just reach for it without him seeing. Slowly, she moved her hand as she spoke. “If you have this kind of power, why didn’t you do this back at the cliffs?”
“I was too far away.”
She gripped the dagger with a hand, pulling it toward her until she felt its weight against her thigh, ready to be hidden beneath her cloak.
“Drop it!” Victor said. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”
For a moment, she contemplated ignoring his command. She was not keen on anyone telling her what to do, least of all a man. But then she remembered they were still in his territory, his time, part of his life. She didn’t belong there, and with no knowledge of that world, that time, or that strange bond between them, she couldn’t get herself and everyone else out of there in one piece. Dropping the dagger to the ground, she rose. A thought flashed through her mind.
Plan B? RUN!
“If you do, I’ll only catch you again,” Victor said.
She had only just formed the thought herself, yet he was keenly aware of it. She raised her gaze to meet him, his blue eyes imploring her to obey. Taking a few steps back, her mind tried frantically to think of Plan C, but as usual, all reasoning abandoned her when she least needed it.
His hand shot out, his voice authoritative. “Come with me.”
She glanced down at her friends. “I won’t leave them.”
“Don’t you see? By staying with your companions, you’re making targets out of them as well. Do you not know of the high bounty on your head? If you care about them, you’ll split paths with them here, for the sake of sparing their lives.”
She shook her head as hundreds of thoughts crossed her mind. Maybe it was all a bluff and he just didn’t want the extra luggage. “Why can’t we take them with us? Surely those mind-bending powers of yours could persuade a few of the villagers to help us out.”
“They would only slow us down, and it would put their lives at further unnecessary risk. Handling you is hard enough.”
Sarah was in over her head, drowning. For a moment, she thought he might be right—that it was best to leave them behind. If they were killed by King William’s knights or the other Immortals because of her, she could never live with herself. Victor was right; she posed a great danger to her friends.
He grabbed her hand as though sensing that she was about to give in. “I can’t protect you here in Dornia, but I have an army located nearby. We must surround ourselves with great numbers if you are to survive, so we shall head that way. I have a few tricks to keep the enemy off our scent, but we will not be able to keep them at bay for long. We must get back to Tastia, where you’ll be safe.” His voice came low and smooth, almost persuasive, peeling Sarah’s doubts away layer by layer.
“Tastia? The place where I’ll reside for the next century or two or three?”
He nodded, then opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand.
“At least you’re honest.” It was the trait she cherished most in a man. She’d been lied to by men so many times that it was actually refreshing that Victor was straight with her, even if he relayed news she dreaded to hear.
“
I’m sorry about your sister. I felt your pain at the discovery of her passing.” His mouth moved across her cheek, as though to kiss her, then retreated just as quickly. His emotions stirred to life, wandering over to her, enveloping her whole being, and she felt pulled into what he felt.
Is that…empathy and compassion? Why does he care about my loss? He hardly knows me, and he never laid eyes on Liz before,
Sarah thought,
yet he grieves over her loss.
He cupped her face. “I truly am sorry.”
A single tear trickled down her cheek.
Ever so gently, Victor wiped it away with his thumb.
They stared into each other’s eyes, both lost into their own thoughts, yet connected through something she couldn’t see and would never have believed in had she not entered this world.
She swallowed hard. “I have closure now. It’s touching that you care, and I thank you, but I’m still not leaving with you.” Sarah decided he was never going to get her into that castle of his without a fight. She considered Plan B again. She wanted to run and to get him as far away from her friends as possible, before he decided to use them as leverage against her. If he followed her, he couldn’t harm the others. Before she could change her mind, she turned and darted into the trees, faster than she would have ever imagined she could go—blinding speed that no mortal could ever achieve. She moved between the dense forest, avoiding trees faster and faster, getting further away from her friends with each passing second. Leaves and dirt whirled in the air, and she had to wonder if she was literally moving faster than a speeding bullet. It was another superhero ability she wasn’t even aware of. The forest blurred around her, and the wind whistled through the trees, rushing against her face as if she was driving over 100 MPH on a convertible. She was sure no human could see her; she’d just be a colorful blur. She ran even faster now, dodging boulders and giant tree trunks by sensing where they stood. It was something like having built-in sonar.
She didn’t want to dare look back, yet she knew she had to. Hoping her clunky leather shoes could handle the friction, she risked a glance over her shoulder. Victor was behind her, closing in fast, which meant he could’ve easily caught her already. He was playing some kind of cat-and-mouse game, hyped on adrenaline from the hunt, enjoying the thrill of the chase. Suddenly, strong arms gripped her and tackled her to the ground, like some defensive end sacking a quarterback. The Earth shook, and piles of dirt and leaves flew around them as they crashed into the grass, with the impact force of a 225,000-pound jetliner in a tumble of long rolls. The jolt hit her like a sledgehammer, knocking the breath out of her.
Obviously, Victor was much faster, and he knew it. His body weight pinned her helplessly down on the moss-covered, damp ground as he wrapped his hands around her wrists, before she could whack him a good one. The smell of wet earth filled the air. His hands stretched her arms above her head, his expression giving nothing away.
Her dress had slid up to her hips, and she wished he’d let go so she could cover herself. She gasped for breath, wondering what his next move would be.
Is he angry at me for running? Will he hit me? Put me in some weird trance? Kill me?
He smiled, not even breaking a sweat. “Did you actually think you could get away?”
A smile? Does he find this funny?
“At that speed? Yes!” She stared up into his sapphire-blue eyes, her wrists fighting to be released from his iron grip. “Let go of me.”
He nodded, ignoring her demand. “I’m impressed. You were fast…for your first time. I’ll teach you how to become even faster.”
“Faster?” she asked, still fighting against his grip.
He grinned. “Much faster. Now stop squirming. I’m as strong as a fortress.” His gaze locked on hers before he closed his eyes and lowered his mouth gently onto her lips, trapping her in one of his amazing kisses.
She could feel his heart racing and something else—the unmistakable bulge from his groin pressing hard against her, making her body ache for him. He was hot for her, and most definitely, he wanted that honeymoon she’d cheated him out of on his wedding night.
“Are you trying to seduce me?” she whispered, shivers racing down her spine. “If you are, it’s not working.”
“No?” His lips lowered ever so gently onto hers, his black hair caressing her face where it touched her skin. “How does a man seduce his own wife then?”
“You mean your
pretend
wife. I don’t even know you.” She cringed inwardly at how low her voice sounded, how breathless, betraying how much she wanted him to keep going and ignore her half-hearted attempts at refusing his advances.
“It is an easy problem to solve, as we have hundreds of years to get to know each other.”
She tried to push him away, but he only gripped her more tightly, pressing her breasts against his muscular chest. His eyes penetrated hers with probing intensity, their power exuding sexuality. Her heart pounded as the familiar electricity flooded through her body.
How am I supposed to fight this kind of chemistry?
It was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. His kiss was irresistible, devouring, and addicting; the taste and feel of him divine. She whimpered and kissed him back even deeper and harder, threading her fingers through his thick hair. Leading him on was wrong, but she couldn’t help herself when she was around him.
The kiss ended abruptly when he turned his head, a frown crossing his brows. “Do you hear that?”
“I only hear the pounding of my heart. Did you compel me to kiss you like that?” she asked.
He flashed a glistening white smile. “I think we both know the answer, my Queen. There is no need to control you. You want me as much as I want you.”
He had nailed it, but she’d never admit it. “Cocky, aren’t you?”
Grinning, he held out his hand to help her up. “We need to go. I won’t feel safe until we’re in Tastia.”
She stared up into his blue eyes that seemed to absorb everything around them. A stray ray of sun caught in his black pupil, fascinating her until it disappeared again. It would be so easy to get lost and caught up in this world. She imagined her sister must’ve felt the same way when she fell in love with Charles, before she was murdered by the Immortals. The reality hit her with full force. Liz had let herself get drawn in, and it was the end of her. Sarah refused to follow in her footsteps.
Victor pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You know I could easily compel you to come with me.” His tone was playful, like a lover’s, but behind it the words rang true.
“And I could compel you right back, Vic,” she said.
He smiled. For a moment, he lowered his lips onto hers, pressing gently without expecting anything in return. “If you knew how…and even if you did, I’m way too strong.”
“You win.”
For now.
She held her lips up to him so he would kiss her again because it felt so good, so right. With him, everything just clicked into place, as though, after years of searching, she’d finally found the missing piece of the puzzle. Her mind screamed for her to realize he held all the power, and no woman should ever let a man pull the strings and decide the pace. She knew her mind was right, yet her heart told her to just go with it and let him take control.
Just let go. What’s the worst that could happen? No!
She’d go with him willingly. The last thing she wanted was for him to put her in some kind of weird trance. There would be no more Zombie Land for Sarah. She needed to stay in control. She’d rather lean back and watch what was happening, until it was time to run again, when the perfect opportunity presented itself. The problem was, a few more of those paralyzing kisses, and she knew she might not be able to leave.
Her gaze searched his, eager to convey what went inside her head. “You want to take me to Tastia, but you don’t understand. Without me, my friends will never make it back home.” She had to find a way for them to leave that crazy place, and she figured she could always catch up later. After all, she had the key to the portal on her hand, which meant she could leave anytime she wanted. The minute King Victor turned his back, she’d be history—or future, rather. “If you promise to rescue my friends and send them safely home to our world, I’ll go with you.”