Blood Oath Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’ll lie
down for a while.”
    He walked to the door.
    Anca frowned when she realized he wasn’t
going to say anything. For some reason, that irked her. It must be too much
effort to try to convince her, or ask if she would rather eat than drink. After
all, he’d been the one to suggest they eat on the train, when they could have
stopped at that McDonald’s they passed on the way. She glared at his departing
back, but jumped with surprise when he whirled around.
    She attempted to smooth her expression into
one more innocent as he stood there staring at her, without speaking. She
cleared her throat to break the thick silence. “Yes?”
    “I have the key, so I will let myself in.”
    She nodded.
    “Don’t let in anyone else. I’ll deal with
the ticket agent so he doesn’t disturb you.”
    Her eyebrows felt as if they rose of their
own accord. “Um, okay.” Who else would come into their car?
    He nodded briskly and turned away to open
the door. He stepped through and closed it behind himself. The sound of the key
turning in the lock followed his departure.
    Anca paced the confines of the private
compartment, frowning at his strange edict. She went over his words in her mind
several times, but she couldn’t find any reason for his warning.
    Her legs seemed to go boneless, and she
collapsed onto the narrow bunk. What if the people her mother had protected her
from were still after her? Was she putting herself in danger by going into
Corsova? Did someone still think she was a threat?
    If she hadn’t been so afraid, the idea would
have been laughable. She could assure anyone who might be worried that she
wanted no part of her father’s wealth or status. And, surely, he must have
both, if someone had tried to harm his heir.
    The people she knew had no need to protect
their heirs from scheming machinations and attempted assassinations. Betsy at
the beauty shop couldn’t care less who took over her lease when she retired,
and no one would challenge Jimmy Phoung for control of his father’s deli when
Phoung-Li passed on.
    Anca shook her head, unable to imagine
herself the heir to anything. In truth, she didn’t want any inheritance from
her father. She only wanted to meet him while she still had the chance, and
then return to her real life in New York.
    Staying in Corsova to follow in his
footsteps—or whatever would be required from her—was the last thing she would
ever want to do. She would make her father and everyone else realize that
during her visit. There wouldn’t be any danger once that realization sank in.
    She felt slightly more in control once she
had a plan in mind. If everyone in Corsova were as commanding as Demi, Anca
knew she would have to be firm, but she could do that. After all, she was a
businessperson and knew how to stick to a plan until she reached a goal.
    In this case, her goal was to leave Corsova
without losing her life or her heart. She sensed Demi was more dangerous to the
latter than any power-hungry schemers could be to the former.
    A wave of tiredness swept over Anca, and she
yawned. The narrow bunk seemed more appealing than it had a few minutes ago,
and she stretched out on it. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as it looked. The
swaying motion of the train, coupled with the rhythmic sound of the wheels on
the track, soon lulled her to sleep.
     
    The
night sky was a black canvas, with thousands of stars twinkling overhead. She
had never seen anything like it in New York. She could hear the wind blowing
softly through the trees. The lone cry of a wolf rose with haunting intensity,
before others soon joined in, and their cries echoed down the mountainside. The
pack was close, but she felt no fear.
    The tumescent moon was nearly full, and it
had a strange pinkish cast. Each time her eyes sought it, her heartbeat
accelerated. She turned her head at the touch of lips against her wrist.
    “Soon, it will be time,” Demi said, and his
lips tickled her skin. “In two nights, the moon will be