CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Samantha dreamt she was floating on a cloud, smiling at a rainbow. As she weaved her fingers into its beams, her eyes fluttered open, and she realized she’d been asleep. Where am I? Where’s Luca? In a surge of panic, she shot upright. Scanning the room, she didn’t recognize her surroundings; an achromatic theme teased her eyes. The room was bright white, with cream crown moldings. The white four-poster bed was covered in a white eyelet duvet with matching bed pillows. A large white dresser and mirror and overstuffed chair were offset by the dark cherry hardwood floor. Despite being devoid of color, the room was tastefully decorated.
Draped in silence, she sat up with her legs crossed. She sighed, relieved that she was still dressed. Her shoes, however, were on the floor next to the bed. Considering she wasn’t naked or locked up, she surmised that whoever had taken her wasn’t considering hurting her…yet.
Remembering Luca’s attack, she carefully touched her neck, grateful she hadn’t died. It was slightly bruised but didn’t hurt too much. She started to panic again, wondering what had happened to Luca, when she looked up to see the intimidating vampire who’d been stalking her leaning against the door jamb. Coolly, he approached her. Her eyes widened as she systematically ran through feasible escape scenarios.
“Hello, Samantha. I am Léopold Devereoux,” he said, with a French accent.
“You!” Samantha backed up against the bed, bending her knees to her chest, wrapping her hands around them. Her heart beat frantically. She looked for a getaway but saw none.
Léopold gracefully glided toward her and sat on the large lounge chair. “Do not be afraid, mon agneau. I will not hurt you,” he assured her.
She studied the larger than life vampire who’d threatened her at the club. Remembering the feel of his body against hers, she knew that he had to be at least as tall as Luca. In the darkness of Sangre Dulce, she had barely been able to make out his features, but she’d never forget his midnight-black eyes. Now in the light, she noticed how striking he was. The hard contours of his masculine face accentuated his square jawline. Dark brown, wavy hair was styled into a modern shark fin. Even though his presence exuded power, he looked young, mid-thirties. Sexy. Deadly. Samantha wondered if every vampire had an underpinning of sensuality that kept every woman wondering if he’d bite her. While he was undeniably attractive, she felt nothing but fear toward the vampire standing before her. She realized she was staring, and averting her gaze, she looked away toward the wall.
Sensing her fear, Léopold attempted to soothe the pretty little witch. He didn’t mean to scare her, but he needed the amulet. She was nothing more than a means to an end. Looking at her pale skin and full lips, he understood Luca’s attraction to the mortal.
“Now, I know you don’t trust me. Given my severe actions, I suppose you have reason. But mademoiselle, my intentions this evening are honorable.”
“Honorable? You burned down my cabin!” she spat at him. “You could have killed us!”
“Oh yes, well, that was merely a diversion to get you to focus on the task at hand. You see, it was rumored that Asgear had the periapt. After his indiscretion with Kade Issacson’s human woman, I searched his properties, or should I say what was left of his properties, but never found it. But I did, however, find you.” He smiled wryly. “Convinced of its existence, I simply gave you the encouragement you needed to find it for me. Which you did, quite resourcefully, by the way.”
Samantha glared at him in contempt and disbelief. “You risked my life and Luca’s for that godforsaken amulet, and now what? Rowan has it. And Luca? Where is he?” she cried. Tears welled in her eyes.
“I’m afraid that is a bit of a problem. Rowan is a devious witch, and she knows exactly why I was so persistent in my search for the Hematilly Periapt. She is fully aware that she can control vampires. And now, to my dismay, she has Luca. She’ll also have any other vampire whose blood she steals as well. The amulet is very dangerous to our kind. She must be found.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “I called Kade this evening, and he has been detained for several hours, something or other to do with the wolves. We agreed it would be best for me to take Étienne, Xavier and you to extricate Luca from Rowan.”
“Me? What could I possibly do? You saw what she did to me.” Samantha was embarrassed by what had happened. Rowan had called her and she had come like a dog. She hadn’t called on her powers; instead she’d frozen.
Léopold stood, approached the bed and sat next to Samantha. “You are a mere babe in the woods, dear Samantha. But you do have your power. I saw you in the mountains the day you extinguished the fire. You need to concentrate this time. I will need your help to save Luca and acquire the amulet. Of course, Rowan will be expecting us. She very much wants to keep it, so that she can keep Luca. Do you want her to keep Luca?” he taunted.
“No,” she whispered, putting her head in her hands. She rubbed her face and met his gaze with pleading eyes. “I can’t lose him. We are bonded. What I mean to say is that we started it. He is mine. I am his.” The reality of the situation was sinking in, and Samantha hated that Rowan had taken him.
“I would call that a no. And so what you must understand is that he is no longer yours. He doesn’t even belong to himself. She is making him a slave as we speak, in every sense of the word. He will not be able to fight her. What she tells him to do, he will do. As long as the amulet exists, she is his.”
“No, that can’t be. He would never be with someone else. When she told him to attack me, he was fighting it,” she protested.
“But it will kill him to continue to fight it…eventually he will give in. In another few days, he will be nothing more than a shell of a man,” he calmly explained.
“What are we supposed to do? We don’t even know where she is. Ilsbeth...we should call her to help us,” she suggested.
“No. That’s not going to happen. Any other witch may also be tempted to take it. The periapt is something the witches want in their possession. It must be destroyed.”
“So why bring me?” she challenged.
“Because you love him. And only a witch can destroy the Hematilly Periapt. He needs you. Hell, I need you,” he admitted.
For just a second, Samantha thought she saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes and then just as quickly it was gone.
Léopold continued speaking. “So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to get yourself together and meet us downstairs. Étienne and Xavier are coming over to my flat and then we shall go to Rowan’s. She bought a home, which she cleverly deeded in a different name, but I am certain she’s there nonetheless. She’d never risk taking him to the coven, because if she did, she knows that Ilsbeth would immediately call Kade. To the best of our knowledge, Ilsbeth is not aware of what Rowan’s done, but we are not involving her, either. No, this will be done with the four of us. Kade should be here in the morning, should we need to dispose of the witch.”
“Dispose? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that she will die, Samantha. Kade’s the leader in this region and it’s fitting that he metes out justice should she survive the night.” Léopold walked across the room and opened the door to leave. “And Samantha, you should be aware that Rowan may have created others.”
“Others?” she asked wearily.
“Yes, others. Other slaves, vampires. Possibly shifters. We cannot be sure what she has done.”