The Witch Is Back (13 page)

Because he’s a vampire, you dumb-ass
, my brain replied loudly.

I gritted my teeth, not allowing my wayward thoughts to get the better of me. I was here for a reason—I had a purpose and I was ready. It was now or never.

I stalled in front of the dark, wooden, double doors that led into the mansion. I raised my fist, about to knock, when I noticed the doorbell off to one side. I
rang it once and listened as the sound echoed throughout the house, reminding me of the sad tolling of bells in a belfry—the music of the cemetery, of the dead.

Jeez, Jolie, snap out of it
, I reprimanded myself.
It’s not like Sinjin’s dead …
But then I had to stop and ponder on that a bit longer.
Oh my God, is he dead?

He’s a vampire, he must be dead
.

But he’s animated—it’s not like he’s some corpse, rotting away
.

A corpse? Ew, that’s so gross
.

I closed my eyes and told the voices in my head to take a permanent hike. I didn’t have the strength or the wherewithal to argue with myself any longer. Instead I focused on the fact that Sinjin didn’t appear to be home. Pivoting on one foot, I turned around and walked right into someone, my nose banging into his chest.

“Agh!” I yelled, bracing my hands against the broad, cold chest in front of me. Sinjin grabbed my hands and held them as he smiled down at me. I struggled to free myself, suddenly breathless, winded, and nervous. “How long have you been standing there?” I demanded.

Sinjin smirked that incredibly sexy grin of his and arched a brow, regarding me with amusement and, more obviously, patience. He released my hands suddenly and I nearly fell backward, but I managed to regain my balance. As I looked up at him, I was irritated with my racing heart. I was nervous around Sinjin and yet he was as comfortable and carefree as ever. He had the eternal look of someone who never let anything bother him. It also seemed like he had nowhere to go and nothing to do but all the time in the world to do it in. Given the fact that he was a vampire, my observation was probably spot-on.

“How old are you?” I added, my voice a mere whisper.

“Which question would you prefer I answer first, love? My age or how long I have been standing here?”

I frowned. “The age one.”

“I am six hundred,” he replied in a matter-of-fact sort of way, then cocked his head to the side, as if judging my reaction. I felt my jaw drop, and he calmly reached across and closed my mouth by lifting my chin.

“Six hundred!” I squeaked, shaking my head in shock. “You are six hundred years old?”

“Yes, love, I was not referring to moons.”

I busily did the math. “So you were born during the fourteen hundreds?” I asked, feeling like I might pass out right there.

“Yes, the exact date of my birth now escapes me, but I am at least six hundred.”

For the first time in my life, there was not even a single thought in my mind. It was as if I’d just been frozen, like Rand had done to Christa. The man standing in front of me had lived through the reign of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, the American Revolutionary War, the Civil War, Hitler …

“And to answer your first question, poppet,” Sinjin continued, “I have been behind you from the moment you started up the drive.”

“Why didn’t you announce yourself?” I snapped, but I was secretly pleased that he’d given me something to focus on besides his age. He hadn’t made so much as a sound when he was following me, proof that he was well versed in the supernatural and incredibly powerful, probably more powerful than I could even imagine. I mean, he’d had centuries to hone his craft—to practice, to learn from his mistakes and become stronger, faster, smarter, and … better. This realization made me all too aware that he and I were as different as day and night. If I’d thought Sinjin could snap me like a twig before, now
I wondered if he so much as glanced at me with foul intentions, would I cease to exist?

He shrugged. “I enjoy observing you when you think you are alone.” He paused a moment or two. “I can see the real you—natural, uninhibited.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet. I could feel goose bumps starting to form on my skin. I wasn’t sure if they were due to Sinjin’s proximity or the cold night air. Maybe it was both.

“Shall we?” he asked as he sidestepped me, reaching for the front door.

“Where were you?” I didn’t mean to sound so … interested or hopeful.

He turned around and paused, his hand on the doorknob. “I was taking a walk.”

“To drink someone’s blood?” I didn’t want to think about Sinjin feeding—though surprisingly enough, the image of that didn’t really bother me. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was more the thought of him being so intimate with someone, especially a woman, that made me … jealous!

Swimming in a sea of unanswered questions, I was absolutely certain of one thing—I had completely lost my mind.

He smiled. “To enjoy nature.” Then he opened the door without even unlocking it.

“You just leave your doors unlocked?” I asked, suddenly grateful for the change in subject.

Sinjin turned around to face me and grinned widely. “I welcome intruders.”

Which made total sense. “They should fear you,” I mumbled.

He chuckled and stood aside, holding the door open for me. “Please come in.”

I nodded and paused only momentarily, thinking that I was placing my trust in someone who could easily kill
me. But what choice did I have? I needed answers, and the only way I was going to get them was to trust this man. Really, I had no one else I could turn to. I mean, I supposed I could turn to Rand, but in my heart of hearts I didn’t think that was a good idea. I didn’t know why, but my instincts usually don’t steer me wrong. I stood up straight and marched through the double doors.

“I have a lot of questions for you, Sinjin,” I started, my voice sounding loud and almost abrasive as I tried to hide the underlying nervousness that was gnawing at me.

He strode inside behind me and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms against his chest. He watched me as if completely indifferent to the fact that I was so nervous. I, on the other hand, felt like I might be sick.

“All in good time,” he said in that deep voice of his, which was currently causing shivers to snake up and down my spine. “I would prefer to give you a tour of my new home first, if that pleases you?” He closed the door behind him.

I couldn’t keep a smile from my lips. Somehow, I just found it incredibly cute that he wanted to show off his house—a house that I’d found for him. “Sure.”

He pushed away from the wall and offered his hand, expecting me to take it. I hesitated only momentarily before doing so. He instantly pulled me into the cocoon of his body, wrapping his arms around me.

“Sinjin,” I started, tremors in my voice. I just wasn’t good with this one-on-one, flirty stuff. Truth be told, I felt like an idiot—I didn’t know what to say or do with myself.

“I have missed you, my pet,” he whispered into my ear. His heady scent seemed to fill my entire being. I closed my eyes and told myself to go with it, not to fight the feelings that were welling up inside me. I leaned my head against his shoulder, inhaling deeply. I
wanted
to
be close to him, to feel his arms around me. Yes, they were cold at first—he was cold at first. But, as with the last time I’d touched him, the cold began to fade away, almost as if his body was absorbing the heat from my own.

“Sinjin, is it true that vampires can bewitch people?”

“Yes,” he whispered into my hair as he ran his index finger up and down my naked forearm, causing me to squirm against him. I wanted him! And as much as I tried not to, it was useless because I craved him, needed him. “We refer to it as glamouring our … prey.”

“Your prey,” I repeated and felt a shudder of fear. I pulled away from him and forced myself to hold his gaze, to understand what that meant. “Is that what I am to you?”

He looked down at me and shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he cupped my cheek. “No. Never. You do not realize what you are to me yet, love, because you do not yet understand who and what you are.”

I swallowed hard. “A witch?”

He nodded. “You are extremely powerful, poppet. And, as such, my powers are useless against you.”

But I couldn’t focus on the idea that I was supposed to be a witch and a powerful one at that. The concept was just too foreign, too weird. Instead, I found myself dwelling on the idea of a vampire’s power of persuasion, because that could possibly explain a lot—like why I felt the way I did about Sinjin. “So never in the course of our … friendship … have you ever … glamoured me?”

He smiled at my use of the term
friendship
. “Never.”

Well that put me right back to square one. I had to accept that I was lusting after Sinjin of my own accord. And I hadn’t wanted to address the whole “you’re a witch” conversation before, but I couldn’t avoid it any longer.

“Sinjin,” I started. “How do you know all this about me?”

He glanced over at me. “Perhaps it is a hunch, love.”

I shook my head—it wasn’t a hunch. He could read me like a book. It was as if he knew things about me he shouldn’t have. As a psychic, I could have believed that he was something similar—some sort of sensitive who could see someone’s past just as I could see someone’s future. Maybe that was my answer, but somehow I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was duping myself—that there was more to this picture than met the eye. “You act like we’ve met before?” I suddenly remembered the vision of him at the masquerade party—it had felt so real, so tangible. Was it possible …

He smiled that sexy grin of his and shushed me with his finger. “I will answer all your questions, love, but first our tour. Come.” And he started forward, tugging me along.

“Sinjin …,” I began to argue.

He gave me a stern expression that told me the issue was not open for debate, so with a frustrated sigh I followed. Easier to give in now and get my answers later.

We began our tour in the dining room, and I was soon surprised to discover that in the course of just a week or so, Sinjin had completely furnished the entire six-bedroom, four-bathroom house. After seeing the dining room and living room, I had to admit his style appealed to me. His couches were sumptuous, each easily accommodating five grown men. I could only imagine how small I would look on them, like a little child lost in the dark black leather. On either end of the couches were stainless-steel tables that matched an enormous steel coffee table in the center. With the black leather of the couches and the sharp lines of the tables, Sinjin’s living room was a vast expanse of modernity and hard angles. Of course, he’d also invested in the best gadgets that
technology had to offer—including what appeared to be a state-of-the-art surround-sound system and a TV that took up half of one wall.

“Apparently sucking blood is healthy for your pocketbook,” I grumbled.

Sinjin chuckled and started for the staircase, so I followed him. “I am very pleased with this home, poppet. Thank you for your assistance.”

I couldn’t help but beam inside. When the real estate agent had taken me through this house, I’d somehow known it would be his favorite. I’d been able to picture Sinjin here—with the dark wood floors and the incredibly high ceilings, the openness of the floor plan and the views that overlooked the valley. Somehow it all just seemed to fit him.

“Thank you,” I said in a soft voice, reminding myself to keep from falling for Sinjin. I could feel … my attraction to him in my very core, but something told me it wasn’t a good idea. I mean, I was on the precipice of something huge here. It was a feeling that I had in the depths of my soul. Something was about to happen to me, something big. I assumed that Sinjin would be the person to hold my hand and guide me through that something. It just wasn’t smart to get attached to him, to have feelings for him. Especially given how old and powerful he was. Nope, it wasn’t a good idea at all.

Yet I also couldn’t help but feel I’d issued this warning to myself too late. Because the stupid truth of the whole situation was that I was falling for Sinjin—I could feel it by the way my heart sped up whenever he looked at me, how I longed to feel his skin against mine, and how, whenever I was apart from him, he occupied my thoughts.

“And this is my bedchamber,” Sinjin announced as he opened the double doors. I was confronted with the most enormous bed I’d ever seen.

I gulped hard. I couldn’t help it.

“Come in,” he said, walking to the far end of the room, looking around himself as if he were taking in the room for the first time. “What do you think of it?” He appeared proud.

I took a deep breath and followed him in, pausing once I reached the center, afraid to go too near the bed and equally afraid to get too close to Sinjin. I mean, we
were
in his bedroom …

I nervously looked around, taking in the stone fireplace that dominated the corner of the room, the many large-paned windows where the moonlight threw strange reflections against the pool in his backyard. My gaze drifted back to that
enormous
bed …

“Um, I really like it,” I said, feeling my cheeks coloring. God, I needed to focus on anything but that bed, but the carnal activities that could go on there … “Where do you sleep during the day?” I asked breathlessly.

“In the wine cellar below the house,” he answered and eyed me in such a way that I knew that he knew exactly what had been going on in my head.

But I refused to grant another second to the nervousness that was still consuming me. Instead, I focused on the wine cellar. While I was looking at real estate for him, I hadn’t realized how important it was for there to be a dark underground space—his decision to buy this property now made even more sense. It was the only one of the three that had a basement, a sanctuary from the marauding sunlight.

I nodded and felt my eyes return to the bed. I mean, it was hard not to focus on it considering how much its vastness dwarfed the rest of the space. I could now feel my blush spreading from my cheeks to the tips of my ears.