A Fall of Secrets (A Shade of Vampire #15)(49)

Yet amid all these doubts was a determination I could not shake: I wanted to make her fully mine, and I didn’t want to wait any longer to do it.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I almost didn’t notice Corrine enter the room half an hour later. She was carrying a gray silk pouch in her hands. As she approached me, she placed it in my palm. I opened up the pouch and pulled out the ring—far more stunning than her sketch of it. Made of what appeared to be pure silver, it was encrusted with a gorgeous red ruby. I could already picture how beautiful Rose’s hand would look with this adorning it.

“Thank you,” I said again.

There were tears in the witch’s eyes as she smiled. “It’s my absolute pleasure… There is one thing that I simply must ask before you leave though.” Her eyes roamed my body from head to toe. “Were you planning to look like that when you ask her?”

Chapter 36: Rose

After I finished telling my parents and everyone else in the room what had happened to us while we were away, it was my parents’ turn. They recounted their trip to North and South America, ending with their encounter with a hunter.

Silence filled the room as we finished talking.

“Mona… Has there been any update from her?” I asked.

My father looked toward Kiev, who was sitting a few feet away from him. My father reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Unfolding it, he handed it to Kiev.

“As you will see from the note, Mona left the island.”

I stood up and hurried over to Kiev, looking over his shoulder at the note.

“She didn’t say where she’s gone?” Kiev stared at my parents disbelievingly.

My mother shook her head.

Kiev stood up, anguish in his eyes.

“It seems that she didn’t speak to anyone before she left,” my mother said. “Derek and I went looking for her after arriving back on the island. We visited your penthouse. The door was unlocked but she wasn’t at home. We just happened to find that note lying on the dining table.”

“Dammit,” Kiev breathed. He balled his fists, crumpling the note, and stormed out of the room. My heart ached for him. He had been through so much recently. The last thing he deserved was to be separated from Mona again. Yet I couldn’t help but feel hopeful at the witch’s note. It seemed like she was onto something. Otherwise why would she have left the island?

“Let’s hope she returns soon,” I muttered. There were so many people in this room, I was starting to feel claustrophobic. I decided to follow Caleb’s lead and step out for some fresh air.

“I’ll catch you later,” I said, waving toward my parents as I headed for the door.

I wasn’t even halfway across the room before my father whizzed past me and planted his feet on the floor in front of me.

“Where are you going exactly?”

“Just… outside. I’ll join Caleb.”

My father obviously didn’t have the heart to chastise me for leaving the island given that we’d managed to save some humans, but he looked disturbed all the same. His electric-blue gaze pierced through me. “I don’t like the way you keep slipping through my fingers, Rose.”

I didn’t know what to say. I just looked at him. He stepped aside, though I could feel his eyes still on me as I left Eli’s apartment.

I made my way down to the forest ground but, before going to find Caleb, I decided to go and talk to some of my human girlfriends. I hadn’t gotten any time alone with them since the ball, and I was dying to know what they’d thought of those dragons. I headed straight to the Vale and, on arriving in the town square, I caught sight of three girls sitting by the fountain, chatting with each other. As I neared, I recognized them as Sylvia, Becky, and Jessica.

“Hey, Rose!”

They each gave me a hug.

“How are you?” Sylvia asked.

“I’m okay. A bit exhausted… I haven’t seen you since the ball. How did it go with those guys?”

Sylvia and Jessica giggled as they exchanged glances.

“That’s just what I was asking them about,” Becky said. “All I can say is that if I wasn’t so in love with Griffin, I would definitely be in the market for a dragon.” She winked at me.

“You saw what went on at the ball,” Sylvia said. “As for what went on in our confidential meetings”—Jessica’s and Sylvia’s faces flushed bright red—“well, they’re called confidential for a reason.”

“Oh, okay. Fair enough,” I said. “I guess what I really wanted to ask was whether or not you like them.”

“Are you kidding?” Jessica said. “Tyron has ruined me for life. No other man will ever compare.” She sighed dreamily. “He redefines the word gentleman.”

“Good,” I said. “I will be interested to know how your second meeting goes with them too. You have dates tomorrow, right?”

Jessica nodded enthusiastically. “We were supposed to meet today. But Jeriad informed us that they had to postpone it for tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I said. “Well, see you around.”

Although I’d suspected that the girls would be bowled over by the dragons, I still felt relieved to hear it from their mouths. As I made my way back out of the Vale, I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what had happened during those private talks… and if indeed talking was what had gone on.