Page 135 of Crimson Oath
She couldn’t feel Oleg, and she wanted the assurance of his blood nearby. Anger tumbled with longing in her mind. She wanted him, but she didn’twantto want him.
Her craving for the vampire was bordering on obsessive. Was this how he felt after taking her blood?
Tatyana had thought that his taking her blood was a greedy,selfish move to control her, but now that she’d taken his, she realized that it was also a huge vulnerability.
I was looking for an excuse to hunt for you.
She was still being hunted, but was it truly personal—as Oleg claimed—or was he hunting her as an amusement while he had other motivations?
She wanted to believe what he said, that she was his true reason for being here. That he wanted her for herself, not as part of some scheme or power play.
And part of her did believe him, but was that the influence of his blood in her system?
Vano and Ivan only gave me the reason I needed.
Vano and Ivan. Tatyana didn’t know the full implications of what they were scheming, but she knew that a Poshani terrin cutting deals with a regional governor under the nose of the other vampire authorities could not be good.
“Tatyana!”
She turned and saw Kezia walking toward her. “Good evening.”
“An unexpected move.” Kezia was smiling, but Tatyana saw tension around her eyes. “No doubt there was something unsatisfactory about the previous location. The darigan want everything perfect for Vashana.”
Tatyana saw that Kezia was trying to convince herself. She remembered making excuses like that in university when she was the new student and the others in her dormitory had done something that left her out. It was an excuse to justify the anger and worry of being excluded from a decision.
“The darigan decide much for the kamvasa,” Tatyana said.
Kezia nodded. “We trust them with our lives.” She crossed herarms over her chest and watched the humans scuttling around the camp.
“How are they chosen?”
Kezia cocked her head. “You are very curious for a guest.”
“I’m curious…” Tatyana started. “I’m curious about everything, I suppose. I’m new to this life.”
Kezia smiled. “I forget that you are so young. It’s rare for us to have a vampire in the kamvasa who is so new to this life. Most have not accumulated the wealth necessary to buy passage.”
Tatyana shrugged. “Unless their sire dies and leaves them a fortune and they are left at loose ends.”
“Is that what happened to you?”
“Are you asking where I got my money?”
Kezia’s eyes brightened. “No, I am not. I don’t believe women should have to explain themselves. Men usually don’t.”
“Exactly.”
Kezia inclined her head toward her own trailer. “Would you care to join me for a drink?”
Why not? Perhaps Kezia could shed light on the strange tension that seemed to waft through the air like the scent of paprika and meadow grass.
“Thank you. I would enjoy that.”
They walked across the meadow toward Kezia’s trailer, a large wooden affair with a rounded top made of heavy cloth. There were windows on each side and one on the back.
As Tatyana looked closer, she realized they were false, only a decoration bordered by carved wooden shutters. The side panels were painted deep green with gold and red flowers detailed in intricate designs.
Tatyana paused to admire it as Kezia stepped onto the back porch.
