Grayson grabbed my hand, opened the door, and led me in again. His icy fingers burned my palm, and I felt like a little bunny that the beast had already captured in its deadly embrace and was squeezing, but not killing, to savour its victim's suffering.
We took our seats: me by the porthole, the vampire in a neighbouring chair.
I turned my back to the window. I wanted nothing more than to be silent. My gaze was fixed on a single point. All the strength in me was gone.
– Still, I can't understand how he fell in love with you enough to tell you he was a vampire," my neighbour said quietly, mockingly.
– You've probably never been in love," I whispered faintly.
– Not me, heartless," Grayson grinned.
I listened indifferently and smiled weakly at the thought that my Cedric wasn't like other vampires. My Cedric is kind, sensitive, and human.
– Why are you smiling?
– I'm glad Cedric isn't like you. He's taller than all of you," I answered him, feeling proud of my lover.
– Only a crazy idiot would fall in love with a mortal," Grayson said in a quietly sinister tone. – How much did he tell you?
– You're the crazy one! – I blurted out, outraged that he was slinging mud at Cedric.
– Choose your words. Fool, you have no idea what I could do to all those people! And you know what the beauty of it is? I can kill them, but they can't kill me," the vampire said grimly.
– Say what you want! I don't care! Just leave me alone! – I whispered tiredly and turned away from him. But suddenly I felt him put his palm on my wrist and cover our hands with his newspaper. I tried to push it away, but he only tightened his grip, hurting me deeply.
– Don't do anything stupid," Grayson whispered in my ear.
– Miss, are you okay? – I heard the flight attendant's concerned voice.
I smiled as I looked at her, a spark of hope flickering through me. I planned to pretend I was sick and ask the woman to walk me to the bathroom, but the vampire gripped my wrist so tightly that I almost cried out in pain. His fingers were crushing my bones like a vise, and I was afraid he was going to break them.
"Don't you dare say anything," his icy blue eyes said.
– No, I'm just afraid of flying… But thank you for your concern," I gritted my teeth through the pain, trying to keep the tears out of my voice.