ber how to breathe. Was he doing that on purpose? Sam knew some vampires had the power of hypnosis, but it didn’t feel like she was being put under. She remembered her name and where she was; she just could not avert her gaze from his. Sam noted he must be a really old vampire for his narrow eyes were dark brown. Younger vampires had a strange crimson film covering their irises. The older they got, the less prominent the redness became. Of course, to the trained eye, vampires were always recognizable by the eerie vibe they gave off as much as for their red-glowing eyes when taken by fury. But not this one. The vampire who was coming toward her had the most penetrating chocolate eyes she had seen in a long time.

He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t angry, either. He had reached the bottom of the stairs and was now crossing the dance floor. People opened up the way for him like he was royalty. His long strides were definite like those of someone confident about what he wants, of someone on a mission. He reached the middle of the bar. Sam vaguely heard Yara say something, but for some reason, she could not fathom her friend’s words.

He stopped a few steps from her, his brilliant eyes intent on hers. He took a breath as if he were about to say something, then gave up, moistened his lips, and exhaled.

Sam held her breath. He was staring at her with a confused look, like a child trying hard to decipher a difficult equation. Without any warning, he closed the gap between them, leaned down, and kissed her.

As soon as his lips touched hers, Sam felt the energies inside her go wild. He must have felt it too because he pulled away, startled. But it took him less than a second to recover and kiss her again.