11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Wilder

Despite my better judgement, I find myself playing along to Bronwyn's insipid little game. And all on the grounds of accursed curiosity.

I should walk away, wash my hands of her. If she wants to get herself killed by picking a fight with a bloodthirsty vampire, then that is her problem.

I have my own issues, a host of them. If there were droplets of water, I would drown in them. I do not have time for this girl, and her windblown brown hair, and her problems.

I should turn around and stride right back down those stairs, but I don't. Instead, I find myself adjusting my cuffs and watching her. "If you are going to jetting suggest that the gentlemanly thing to do is allow you to ask your questions first then I will remind you that I am no gentleman."

"You don't need to remind me," she grumbles. I wonder if she is thinking of the toad in her bed, my parting gift to her last year. I had thought it would be the perfect final prank because then it could go on to eat any remaining bugs I had put in her room that she had failed to catch.

I smile slightly at the memory. Ah, what a time that was, back when I was at the luxury of being cruel and my whole life wasn't inverted on itself.

I had always thought highly of myself then, never stopped to consider my actions or wonder who I was. That all changed when my father made me a monster.

Maybe I always was one, after all, I shared blood with one. But it was easier to pretend then.

"But you kissed me, so…"

I let out a frustrated breath. "If I offer to be the first to be interrogated, will you stop bringing up the kissing?" The sooner she does the sooner I can get my mind to stop replaying it over and over through my memories.

"Not remotely," she says with a small smile. "It's my destiny to never allow you to live that down. When I draw my last breath, it will be to recount that moment."

I groan.

"But I will offer a temporary respite from it if you tell me why you kissed me."

"I didn't do it from any desire to do so if that's what you're accusing me. It was simply the only way that I could think to save your life in so little time and with you affording me so little opportunity."

She snaps her mouth shut. It's dark, but I swear I can almost make out that quizzical gleam in her eyes. She takes a small step toward me. "How would that have saved my life?"

I hold up my finger with a smirk. "Ah, it's not your turn to ask a question, now, is it?"

She glowers but says nothing. "What were you doing in the professor's chambers when I caught you?"

"Trying to find a secret compartment in his desk. Now, tell me what you meant when you said you were saving my life. What was I in danger of?"

"That was hardly an answer," I growl when I realize that she is looking at me expecting me to tell her.

"You asked, I answered. Are we going to keep going?"

I exhale slowly. "I was worried how the professor would react if he caught you going through his belongings."

"How did you think he would react?"

I hold up a finger. "You're terrible at this. You just can't ever stop talking, can you?" Bronwyn looks like she might hit me, so I take a small step back as I mull over my thoughts trying to sort through the questions I'd like to ask. I need to settle on one, but with so many burning questions it is hard to pick just one. "What were you hoping to find in Morozov's office?"

"Answers."

I fold my arms over my chest as I step closer to her so I can glare down my "straight pretty nose" at her. "You can't be that vague, that's a violation of our agreement. How would you like it if I just started giving you one-word answers?"

"You'd have to learn how to get to the point to do that," she says glibly, but then she exhales. "I was suspicious of the professor. With first you showing up as a vampire and then him being here also clearly a child of Neltruna well…" she narrows her eyes as she looks me over. "What are you two up to?"

I let out a nervous chuckle. For all her annoyances, she is sharp. She cut straight to the matter far faster than I had anticipated. I had no idea she had already pieced together so much, like the fact that I'm working with Morozov; although thinking back I see that we left plenty of evidence. It seems as if she has the whole story, and yet, I still know nothing.

It leaves me feeling vulnerable.

"If you already know so much then I don't know why you bother asking me."

"Answer the question," she says stepping toward me, her eyes hold a challenge, but I notice her fingers nervously twisting the ring that she is wearing.

I turn toward the door. "I think I'm done playing this game."

Her hand reaches out snagging mine. She tugs on it, turning me around so quickly that I feel dizzy. "This isn't a game. You said yourself that my life is in danger if Morozov suspects me of snooping. What exactly did I stumble upon?"

I swallow hard. A plot that will forever alter the world… and not necessarily for the better.