Page 47 of Lured

Since then I had learned that vampires policed themselves a little bit and it made them a sort of ally I'd never known I had. The big question I would have if I succeeded, was how much I put in my mission report to the academy.

I had no idea if we could succeed yet, however. We were playing a very dangerous game.

By the time I had picked out one of the dresses from the pile, a pastel purple dress that came down to just below the knees, with one strap and an off the shoulder vibe, I curled my hair up into a bun and fixed it in place with some extra sharp hair pins.

It was a simple, but elegant look that helped me conceal another possible weapon about me. I grabbed the purple boots again, even though it was a striking look with the dress and put a blade in each. Finally I used a bracelet to conceal a thin wire around my wrist. The last wasn't a very good weapon, but more than once I'd been taught that with enough force and the right moment, it could be used to behead a vampire.

Just like anything else, a vampire couldn't live without its head.

“You look gorgeous,” Leo said as soon as I was ready to go again. I didn't know if it was true, but I appreciated his enthusiasm as he offered me his arm.

He'd tidied himself up as well and put some cologne on as well as a fresh shirt. The crisp look made me want him all the more and I knew that if we worked together much longer I was going to be in danger of not being able to walk away.

Not that he wanted me to. He'd made it very clear that I could have a life as his enthralled if I wanted. But there was a lot about this world that I wasn't sure I wanted.

For now, I knew I could relax and enjoy dinner, however. I didn't need to think about anything else and I didn't need to worry about Ludis from the sound of the earlier conversation.

Leo led me all the way to the dining room where we found the same waiter who had helped me earlier. He smiled in recognition and I thanked him.

“What was that all about?” Leo asked when we were sitting at our table, two of eight potential people to come and dine.

“He helped me figure out whether I was late for dinner or too early,” I said.

Leo lifted an eyebrow, but before he could say anything else, some company arrived. Of the other three couples sitting with us, two of them were elderly and retired and enjoying their retirement to the full and the other couple were young and pre kids.

I tried not to say too much about Leo and I and I was careful to call him Drew, but it was nice to relax a little and have a sort of normal moment.

The food was amazing and there was plenty of choice, allowing me to relax in that regard as well. Leo didn't eat a lot, but enough to appear as if he was enthusiastic about trying the options.

With people I'd never met before to talk to and plenty of life experience from some of them, it was never a dull conversation. One of the couples in particular had clearly led an interesting life. She was an author and he was her narrator and they'd teamed up after meeting due to work and then traveled the world together.

It was adorable in many ways and it gave me some hope that people who were right for each other could find each other in interesting ways and find out how to make it work for them. Romance wasn't dead and even after many years together, they were clearly a happy couple.

No matter how much they tried to engage Leo in conversation, he didn't seem to want to talk much, however. As much as I had enjoyed his company up until now, I appeared to like social engagements far more than he did.

Not for the first time, I wondered if he was doing this entirely for my benefit and contrary to his normal patterns and decisions while he was on board a ship like this. I was getting special care, but not all of it was to Leo's liking. He clearly wasn't happy with being at dinner.

It put me on edge, and I opted to leave the meal far sooner than I might have done otherwise. Although I had a mission and the sooner it was done, the better for everyone, I was also very aware that I didn't want to go back to the vampires. It was exhausting in some ways, even if it was enjoyable in others.

Before now I had never shied away from focusing on a mission until it was done, and I couldn't bring myself to hesitate now.

“I think I'd like to retire if you're done?” I said to Leo when it was finally polite to step away from dessert and do so.

“I'd be more than happy to do so,” Leo replied and immediately got up and offered me his arm. It made some of the others smile at him being such a gentleman to me and I couldn't deny that I liked the attention a little.

After so long of scraping to get by, I could get used to having a decent hot meal where I could choose whatever I wanted, eat all the food I wanted, drink all the drinks I wanted and have as much clothing and all the accessories I could ever hope for.

It was a wonderful life to lead in many ways, but I knew I ought to appreciate that I was getting it this once and take the memories back to my old life with me. I wasn't in the kind of work that led to this level of wealth. Not normally. My parents had been poor and the academy had paid for little.

The payment on this job was far higher than it normally was and I knew it was to attract good hunters if possible. But for some reason none of them had taken it and it had been shoved my way. I should have had a team and this should have been done already.

All I could do now was be thankful that I still had a mission and a much more powerful ally to help me with it.

I didn't say much to Leo as he was lost in thought on the way back to our room. The boat was more quiet now, a lot of the humans at dinner, a show, one of the late night lounges or in their rooms. I knew that it wasn't going to be the case for the vampires, but my body was very confused with what time of day it was.

Because I had flown at a strange time of day and had several naps but no long sleep of any kind, I was beginning to feel as if my body just didn't understand what was happening and when to feel tired.

Leo took me all the way to the suite and I only let go of his arm once we were inside. I didn't know what to do now. The tension between us was high and I wasn't sure if I wanted to walk up and kiss him or go back out of the suite and get on with the mission.

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