Wicked Soul (Ancient Blood #1)(32)

It took me a full second before what he was saying finally set in. “Shut up! You can fly? No way! You’re bullshitting me!”

“I promise you I’m not.”

“What? What! How is that even possible? No, that’s… Oh my goddess, Warin, how have you never told me?” I was aware my voice was reaching notes only dogs could hear, but I couldn’t contain my disbelief at this new development. Super speed, sure, I’d heard of vampires being ridiculously fast. But flying?

“It never came up,” he said, the grin still on his face. Judging from his expression, he was enjoying my frazzled meltdown of excitement. “Have you changed your mind about flying with me?”

“Fuck, no!” I hurried to his side before he changed his mind and placed my hands on his shoulders to easier crouch down on his back. He didn’t make a sound when I accidentally placed my knee on his spine, but I still grimaced. “Sorry. Tell me if I’m too heavy.”

Warin snorted, and I had the good grace to blush.

“Right, yes, vampire strength. Sorry.”

“Put your arms around my neck,” he said, and I did as instructed. No sooner had I linked my arms around him than he straightened up.

I squealed at the sudden shift, but Warin locked his arms around my thighs, ensuring I stayed put. It was like being encased in granite.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Oh, goddess, yes!”

Warin chuckled at my obvious excitement and set off.

We rose faster than I had anticipated, and I screamed and clung to his neck with all my might as the g-force pushed at me and the wind whipped at my face.

The pressure stopped as soon as it started, and I gasped in a breath of air as I stared over Warin’s shoulder down on the rooftops far below. Red and white lights from the city’s many cars coiled in the distance.

“Holy shit, Warin, you can fly!” I gasped from where I was pressed flush against his strong body. “Oh, goddess, we’re flying!”

“Would you like to go further?” he asked.

“I want to go as far as you’ll take me,” I said, and I meant it.

Warin shot forward instead of up this time, like an arrow from a bowstring toward the center of town. The cold air whipped against us, bringing with it scents of the night I’d never smelled so clearly before.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuuuuck!” I chanted as the vampire looped a few times and then suddenly dove straight down, landing smoothly on top of a skyscraper.

Apparently we’d arrived at our destination.

It took me a little while to release Warin’s neck from my death grip, and I had to lean on his shoulder for support while my jellied legs solidified again.

“So, what did you think?” A small smile tugged at his lips.

“It was fantastic!" I managed to gasp. "Best experience of my life, hands down."

“I’m glad.” His smile softened as he turned away to look across the city. “I like to come up here, when I have time.”

“I can see why,” I said, plopping down on the roof. Warin followed my example with far more grace.

I let my upper body fall back so I could starfish and looked up at the night sky. It was too cloudy for stargazing, but the sensation of having nothing but the celestial concave above us was amazing.

"If I could fly, I'd never stop," I breathed happily, and turned my head so I could look up at him. He was leaning back, weight supported on one hand as he looked down at me.

“Can all vampires fly?”

“If they live long enough,” he said.

“Wow, talk about perks.” I shot him a teasing grin. “You wouldn’t be taking applications for new vampires, would you?”

“I will never Embrace you, Liv. I could never taint you with this curse.” The smile was gone from his face, grim seriousness replacing it. “There is no perk great enough to twist every beautiful thing you are into a monster of the night. Do not even joke of such matters.”

“You’re not a monster, Warin,” I said. “Is that truly how you see yourself?

“You have no idea what I am, little one. What I used to be. And you would not recognize a monster if it bit your leg.” He turned his gaze from my face to the sky. “You are far too innocent for your own good.”

“And you are too melodramatic for your own good,” I sighed. “Why do you keep trying to scare me off with these grand claims about how terrible you are? I know I’ve only known you a very short time, but I’ve never met anyone with as much kindness in their heart as you. You saved my life, Warin. You took me flying, for fuck’s sake. And you keep coming back to see me, yet you tell me you’re this awful monster. Why do you want me to fear you, when we both obviously like hanging out together?”

“I enjoy speaking with you… very much,” he said. “But I know you’re unaware of what you’re getting into, and I… feel guilt.”

I rolled over onto my side and propped myself up on an elbow. “So tell me.”

"I am a killer." His voice was quiet. "I have many, many lives on my conscience. And there was a time when I… enjoyed inflicting violence and pain on others."

It was a little hard to relate to, especially when I knew the vampire by my side drank blood from donor bags these days.