Vampire Queen

Chapter thirty

The celebration continued until late at night. Colorful lanterns illuminated the dense darkness. They cast light in all the colors of the rainbow.

Suddenly, someone pulled me out of the crowd and pulled me into the shadows. He covered my mouth so I couldn't scream. Of course, it was Cassius trying to be mysterious. He pushed me against the wall. We stood there for a while, body to body, out of sight of prying eyes. Then he put his hand down from my mouth.

"Are you trying to scare me, Cassius?" I asked him with a smile.

"Worse." he grinned. "I'm taking you on a little trip."

I stared at him in disbelief. "That's really creepy and suspicious," I said.

Cassius smirked. "You have no idea."

He led me to the stables. His horse was saddled. I looked around, but I didn't see anyone. No people, no guards.

"Where are the guards?" I asked him.

"Nowhere," he replied. "Only you and I are going. We don't need company."

"Are you planning to kill me and bury me in the forest?" I gave him a disturbing smile.

"Maybe." he grinned. "I could definitely try."

He motioned for me to get on his horse. I obeyed. He got on behind me. I don't even know where he got the scarf, he wanted to blindfold me. I pushed his hands away.

"No." I refused firmly.

"Trust me, Dragomira," Cassius said with tenderness in his voice.

"Trust you?" I laughed.

"It's a surprise, Dragomira, and I'd love if it stayed a surprise until the very end," said Cassius. "So either you do what I want willingly or I'll tie your hands behind your back and you'll have no choice."

"I couldn't ask for a more gallant man, dear Cassius," I said sarcastically, allowing him to blindfold me. I was left in complete darkness. I only felt Cassius's closeness.

"I am the best man you could ever want, Dragomira," he whispered in my ear. He kissed my neck and I shivered from the touch. "Even if you say you hate me, you can't deny that you want me."

"When I tried to tell you when I was drunk, you didn't believe me," I told him.

"I want you sober, Dragomira. Once I take you, I want you to be fully conscious," he said.

"We're finally leaving because I'm too curious where you want to take me and also impatient," I said.

However, the truth is that I just didn't want to succumb to what I felt around him.

Cassius sighed. He spurred his horse into a trot and we set off to an unknown destination. We drove across the country. The wind was blowing in my hair. The music from the square became just a sound fading into the distance. I leaned my back against his chest. I felt his every movement. Cassius grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to him even tighter.

We stopped. We dismounted. Cassius helped me dismount.

"Can I take this scarf off now?" I asked him.

"Not yet," he replied.

We walked through the countryside. Branches and fallen leaves cracked under our feet. We must have been in the woods. Cassius held me and guided me. I stumbled on uneven ground. If he didn't hold me, I would be lying in the dirt by now.

"I really can't untie my eyes?" I said to Cassius. "It's pretty bad walking like this when I can't see under my feet."

Cassius didn't answer; he just grabbed me and lifted me in his arms. I giggled quietly.