Blake bent down, grabbed the tip of the arrow, and held it up to the moonlight.
“As I thought,” he said. “Silver-tipped. These were not hunters. They were vampire hunters.
Looking specifically for types like us.”
Caitlin looked at the arrow tip, and saw that he was right. She looked at his wound in concern.
“Will you be okay?” she asked.
He nodded, but not convincingly.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
Caitlin stood beside Blake on the stone terrace, leaning against the ornate marble railing. High up on a hill, she looked out over the forest, over the river, at the city of Florence. Her mind was still reeling, still trying to process how she got here, how it all happened.
She had never expected to be surrounded so quickly by a group of humans, especially armed with weapons capable of hurting vampires. She hadn’t known of vampire hunters, and it was stupid of her to let down her guard so much. She had been too focused on Florence, too excited to be here—and too hungry, too focused on feeding. It had been a stupid mistake.
Thank goodness for Blake. Seeing him there had been such a shock. She had thought that he’d forgotten about her, and that if he thought of her at all, it would only be with anger. After all, she had left him so abruptly, when he had been so kind to her.
After their encounter, he’d led her through the forest, up this hill, to this incredible mansion. It was, he explained, a palazzo. Sitting proudly high up on a hill, it had a wide, marble staircase, with thick, ornate railings winding their way up to this huge stone terrace. It all led to a magnificent, marble house, with huge oak doors, and glorious arched windows in every direction. Blake had led her inside, and had explained that this was one of his many houses. It was magnificent, fit for a king.
It sure beat spending the night in the forest.
After collecting herself and helping tend his wound, Caitlin had wandered out onto the terrace, to get some fresh air, to take it all in. He had wandered out after her, and now stood at her side.
She and Blake hadn’t said much, both still reeling from the shock of battle. He looked like he was in pain from the arrow, and Caitlin felt terribly about it. She was deeply touched that he had come for her, that he had saved her. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t arrived.
They stood there in the warm evening air, each looking out, each lost in their own thoughts.
The silence grew thick, and Caitlin began to feel nervous. She felt her heart start to be faster. She had no idea what to say. She wanted to thank him. But she didn’t know how to begin.
“Did you come down here just for me?” she asked softly, in the summer darkness.
He waited several moments, then nodded.
“Why?” she asked.
“I couldn’t forget you,” he said.
He turned and faced her.
“Our dance. Our boat ride. I thought what we had was real.”
He looked at her.
“Was it?”
She looked back at him, at the blazing intensity in his eyes, and could see how deeply he felt things.
“Yes,” she answered.
His face seemed to relax.
“Then why did you leave me?” he asked.
Caitlin sighed, trying to think what to say.
Finally, she simply said, “I’m sorry.”
“Do you always run when you’re interested in someone?” he asked, with a small smile.
She smiled back. “Now that I think about it, I guess I do.”
“That’s a bad habit,” he said, his smile widening.
He turned and looked at the city, and she studied him as he did. He was still very mysterious to her. He was a man of few words, and he was so soft-spoken. She could feel the intensity that burned off of him, and it scared her. He felt like a man who lived life on the edge. He seemed like a hopeless romantic, like someone who was always embroiled in a passionate affair.
“That man you spoke to the other night,” Blake continued, “the one with the child. How do you know him?”
Caitlin was at a loss. She had no idea how to explain it. “It’s complicated,” she finally said.
“Do you have feelings for him?” he asked.
Caitlin paused.
“Yes,” she said, truthfully.
She saw Blake’s face fall in disappointment.
“But,” she added, “that was in the past.”
He looked at her, confused.
“What I meant to say was…we’re no longer together.”
As she spoke the words aloud, it pained her to hear them—but even as she said it, she knew that it was true.
Blake looked at her with a new hope.
“I followed you to Florence hoping that you would say that,” he said. “From the moment I met you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Last night, I visited your island, and Aiden told me you’d left for Florence. I don’t know why you’re here exactly, but I can sense that you’re searching for something. I want to help you. I want to be with you.”
He turned and faced her, and took a step closer.
She looked up into his eyes, at his smooth, flawless skin, and felt completely overwhelmed by his presence. She was unable to resist. He looked down at her, reached up, and slowly stroked her face with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes. She remembered that night on Pollepel, that same feeling she’d had. Now it came back, but stronger.
And as he leaned in, and his lips touched hers, she felt her heart swell again. She found herself kissing him back, meeting his lips with equal force.