A Shade of Vampire 8: A Shade of Kiev Read Online Free PDF Page A

of the ocean. But that didn’t stop him from eyeing me with hunger every now and then, sending shudders running through me.
    I’d never been fond of vampires. I found it hard to trust creatures whose very existence depended on sucking the life out of others. And they were difficult to travel with. They were needy, craving human blood and complaining whenever they were given anything but. The only vampire I could stand was the captain of my ship, but perhaps that was just because I’d known him for so long.
    “Tell me more about this group you’re with,” my passenger said, turning his bloody gaze on me.
    “There are perhaps one hundred of us. Mostly vampires and werewolves.”
    He raised a brow at my statement.
    “I didn’t really end up with them by design.” I sighed. “I’ve known the captain of our troop for years. I met him soon after leaving The Sanctuary. He and a werewolf saved me from a… difficult situation. Or you could say that we all helped each other. Anyway, since then we’ve stayed together. And gradually we picked up more people along the way, until the crew became what it is today.”
    “Vampires and werewolves,” he muttered. “I never knew the two races could live in harmony.”
    I smirked at the notion. “Oh, they have their fair share of squabbles. But in general, vampires and werewolves can work well together … at least compared to other supernaturals. We’ve tried adding other races to our crew in the past—ogres, mermaids, ghouls—but it rarely worked out. While wolves and vamps certainly aren’t the best of friends, if they have a shared goal, they are at least functional.”
    He leaned back in his seat and placed his feet up on top of an empty water barrel. There was an awkward silence as he continued to look me over. I wondered what he was thinking: whether he actually wanted to join our group, or if he was just asking questions because he was bored.
    “Is it really so bad in The Sanctuary?” he asked abruptly. “From what I’ve heard, it’s a place of freedom if you’re a witch—”
    I guessed that his question wasn’t asked maliciously, but it hit a nerve so raw it sent tremors tearing through my entire body.
    “I’ve had enough of your questions!” The words rolled out of my mouth before I could stop them.
    He fell silent.
    I immediately regretted losing my temper. I’d been secretly enjoying interacting with him. Now I felt guilty.
    “I’m sorry… I actually don’t mind you asking questions. It helps to pass the time. I-I’m just starting to feel tired.”
    “I’m not stopping you from sleeping,” he snapped.
    For some reason, I didn’t want to risk upsetting him by saying that I didn’t trust him enough to close my eyes. Perhaps I was worried it would deter him from speaking to me freely.
    I questioned why I didn’t want to fall asleep. I was certainly exhausted; I hadn’t slept properly for days. Of course it was true that, although he could follow the basic direction of a compass, he didn’t know where our ultimate destination was and he needed me to oversee his navigation.
    But I felt within myself a resistance that was distinct from and deeper than this. I didn’t want to waste the short period of time I had remaining with him on sleep. I doubted I’d ever meet another stranger in such short-lived circumstances again.
    “No, I need to make sure you don’t steer off course. I’ll be okay.” Eager to divert the topic away from the witches’ realm, I blurted out the first thing that came to my head. “So why are your eyes red? I know I said you were born with them, but I’m guessing that’s not true since you were born a human. I’ve never seen a vampire with red eyes.”
    He looked out at the ocean, almost as though ashamed of his appearance. He didn’t answer my question.
    I cast my eyes out of the boat too and scanned the waters. My breath hitched as I caught sight of a tiny island, the first landmark indicating the proximity of