Leo let out a moan. She just wouldn’t leave him alone. Not in his thoughts, his dreams, or daily conversation. How long was he expected to endure this agony?
“Please, Rodrigo, just let me be.” He set the goblet on the nearest table and walked toward the exit.
“Are you leaving?” Rodrigo ran beside him, his ears perked at attention. “So soon? You haven’t even glanced at the roulette tables. And there are more than a few ladies waiting to dance with you.”
He grunted and continued walking until they burst out the doors and into the brisk evening air. His motorcycle rested in the parking lot of the arena, a shiny reminder of the life he used to live. Leo threw it a sour look and began to hoof it home. A long walk back to the castle might be exactly the thing he needed to clear his head. But then again, everywhere he went, the air smelled of sweet salt water. And salt water reminded him of one person in particular.
He just couldn’t win.
“Rod, where can we go where I never have to see or smell the sea again?” He clutched his hands into tight fists at his side. “There’s got to be a place.”
Rodrigo blinked his large green eyes. “I hear Kansas in the US is particularly chilly this time of year. No salt water in sight.”
“Then, Kansas it is.” Leo picked up the pace, rounding the corner to a busy street filled with bars, shops, and a crazy little yellow wedding chapel with blue doors. “I hope they at least have a decent selection of nightclubs. That might take my mind off things.”
The cat raised his furry eyebrows, but didn’t say a thing.
“You know, Rod, maybe it is time we get out of this place.” Leo stuffed his hands in his pocket and glanced in at the nearest bar. It was teeming with supernatural life. Witches with their favorite brews. Vampires sipping on red cocktails. Werewolves ripping up the dance floor. “It’s the same old, same old. Maybe we should go on that mission Viktor had planned. You know, the one in northern Europe? I thought he was trying to connect with a tribe of centaurs out there.”
“You always maintained you’d be willing go on a mission when trolls starting flying,” Rodrigo said, jogging to keep up with his employer. “It seems you’ve changed your mind?”
“A vampire has to grow up sometime,” Leo threw back, rolling his shoulders. “Might have taken me longer than others, but I’m ready. I’m there. Time to get out of this place.”
A crowd of witches spilled onto the street in front of them, sparks shooting from their fingers and green flames from their drinks. Leo and Rodrigo paused to let them pass. All the while, Rodrigo eyed his friend, understanding dawning in his eyes.
With a devious flick of his tail and a narrowing of his eyes, he shrugged his slender, furry shoulders. “I think I know where all of this is coming from, sire. And I think it’s sweet that you finally found a female to distract you for more than five minutes, but there are plenty of fish in the sea. There will be others far prettier and better tempered. Women who don’t want to hold you hostage.”
Leo hissed and flashed his fangs, turning to face the cat. All the rage and frustration he’d been burying deep inside him the last day threatened to rear its ugly head. “How dare you? Don’t you ever speak of Eina in that way again.”
“So, she is the reason you’re fleeing the country?” Rodrigo walked away a few steps and glanced over his shoulder, unabashed by Leo’s scolding. “Isn’t it?”
He growled and shook his head. That cat had finally crossed a line he shouldn’t. Friends or not, no one would ever be allowed to speak of Eina in that way. She wasn’t just another one of his castoffs. She was intelligent, strong, gorgeous, and she made him want to be a better person. He pursed his lips into a tight line and stalked off down the street, leaving Rodrigo to sprint after him.
“If you care so much about the girl, sire,” Rodrigo called in a panting voice, “then why aren’t you sitting in on the meeting with King Viktor right now? The mermaids were called to convene with him this evening.”
Leo slowed to a walk. He’d known about the meeting and had purposefully made himself leave the castle for it. All it would take was for one more look at Eina and he’d give in to all his temptations. He’d take her into his arms and never let go. Kiss her sweet lips, feel her body against his, and run his hands through her soft hair. He’d whisper his feelings into her ear and never be able to take them back.
She might even tell him she loved him back and his heart would soar for one thrilling, epic moment. But then, he’d realize why he’d left her in the first place and he’d have to let her go again. He wouldn’t hold her down. Not for all the time in the world.
“I’m not going to that meeting, Rod. End of story,” he growled.
The castle came into view up ahead, a marvellous sight against the darkening sky. The ancient gray stones had withstood the stand of time and appeared just as formidable as the day they’d first been erected. He’d been happy there. And maybe he would again, someday.
“Well, then, I guess that’s too bad for the mermaids,” Rodrigo replied, shaking his head. “His majesty was going to try to let them down easy. I’m not sure how they’re going to take it.”
Leo whipped around and fixed the cat with an incredulous stare. “What does that mean?”
“Oh, just that King Viktor decided it would be more economically prudent to absorb the mermaid nation into Monstrana than to support their claim for a separate kingdom.” Rodrigo’s whiskers twitched. “There’s really nothing they can do about it. They don’t have the manpower and His Majesty is determined.”
Leo saw red. His whole body shook as he clenched his hands into fists. His brother couldn’t do that to them. Eina had worked too hard, sacrificed too much. He had no right. The mermaids deserved their own kingdom and they deserved Monstrana’s help.
He turned on his heels and hurried into a march.
“What are you going to do, sire?” Rodrigo called, struggling to keep up to the vampire’s pace.
“Knock some sense into my brother’s head,” Leo yelled over his shoulder, preparing to burst into a bit of vampire speed. “Rodrigo, you might want to sit this one out. This could get ugly.”
The cat sat on the sidewalk and watched his employer go, a devious smile on his feline face.