Something caught my eye and my gaze moved past her her bedside table. All my gifts were there, glittering like some pirate’s treasure. Reaching over her, I lifted up the nazar on its chain. “You still have this.”

She kept it in spite of all the priceless gifts.

“Yup. Not as pretty as your stuff, though.”

“This I haven’t seen before,” I said,picking up a plain silver ring. Who gave this to her?

“I got it while I was—” she stopped.

“While you were what?” I played with the ring, moving it from fingertip to fingertip. It wasn't magical or I couldn't have touched it.

“While I was in your hometown. In Baia.”

I paused and looked at her. That was a surprise. She never mentioned that. “You were there?”

“I thought that’s where you’d be,” she explained. “I didn’t know that Strigoi did their hunting in cities here. I stayed with your family.”

“And?” I continued twirling the ring. This wasn't a conversation I liked. Talking about my family made me miss them. I could never ever go back there.

“And . . . they were nice. I liked them. I hung out with Viktoria a lot.”

“Why wasn’t she at school?”

“It was Easter.”

“Ah, right. How was she?”

“Fine. Karolina’s good too. She reminds me of you. She really laid into some dhampir guys who were causing trouble.”

I smiled again, incidences from my past life flashing before my mind like a reel of a film. My big sister had always been protective of me, though I had be stronger.

“I can see Karolina doing that. Did she have her baby yet?”

“Yeah . . . It was a girl. Zoya.”

“Zoya,” I repeated, still not looking at her. “Not a bad name. How was Sonya?” my little sister...

“Okay. I didn’t see too much of her. She’s a little touchy . . . . Viktoria says it’s because of the pregnancy.”

“Sonya’s pregnant too?” Which bastard? I'll kill him.

“Oh. Yeah. Six months, I think.”

"I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. Her decisions aren’t always as wise as Karolina’s. " I sighed." Karolina’s children were by choice. . . . I’m guessing Sonya’s was a surprise.”

“Yeah. I kind of got that feeling too.”

I ticked off the rest of his family members. “My mother and grandmother?”

“Er, fine. Both of them. Your grandmother scared me a little.”

I laughed. Yes, I can see Babushka scaring away people with her foretelling and her ways. Rose is a no believer anyway. I remembered that from our brief interaction with Rhonda.“Yes, she does that to people.”

“And she pretended not to speak English.”

“Yes, she does that too. Do they all still live together? In that same house?”

“Yup. I saw the books you told me about. The pretty ones—but I couldn’t read them.”

“That’s where I first got into American westerns.” my mother brought me my first books.

“Man, I loved making fun of you over those.”

I chuckled, reminiscing our memories back at the Academy. “Yes, between that, your stereotypes about Eastern European music, and the whole ‘comrade’ thing, you had plenty of material.”

She laughed too. “‘Comrade’ and the music were kind of out of line. But you brought the cowboy thing on yourself, between the leather duster and—" a certain sadness came over her.

"And then you left them and came to Novosibirsk?” I questioned. I needed information on what places she'd been and what she'd seen.

“Yeah. I came with those dhampirs I was hunting with . . . those other unpromised ones. I almost didn’t, though. Your family wanted me to stay. I thought about doing it.”

I held up the ring to the light and sighed. “You probably should have.”

“They’re good people.”

“They are,” I said softly. “You might have been happy there.” Happy but away from me. Is that what she'd have liked?

Reaching over, I set the ring back on the table and then turned to her, bringing our mouths together. It was the softest, sweetest kiss I'd given her as a Strigoi. She looked shocked. I chuckled inside and increased the force. Soon we were melting into each other, exploding in fireworks. I was drowning in her smell, in her feel...

I pulled up from the kiss.

“What’s it like?” she asked

“What’s what like?”

“Kissing.”

Huh! That was a odd question. I wasn't sure how to answer it.

“What do you mean?”

“You said being awakened enhances all the senses. Is kissing different then?”

“Ah.” now I understand. “It is, kind of. My sense of smell is stronger than it used to be, so your scent comes through much more intensely . . . your sweat, the shampoo inyour hair . . . it’s beyond what you can imagine. Intoxicating. And of course, sharper taste and touch make this better.” I leaned down and kissed her again, hoping to distract her.

“When we were outside the other night, the flowers were really strong. If they’re strong to me, are they overwhelming to you? I mean, do the scents get to be too much?”

And so it began. She bombarded me with as many questions as I could, about all aspects of Strigoi life. I answered all that I could. My hope swelled. Maybe she'd finally agree. Today would be the night — our night.

She yawned and lost train of her thoughts. And was tired yet interested. That's a good sign. We continued bickering about how it is for us, evry little aspect. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and yawned again. “There’s so much I didn’t know . . . still don’t know. . . .”

“I told you it was amazing.” I beamed.

“I have more questions,” she murmured, closing closed her eyes and sighed, then forced them opened, “But . . . I’m so tired. . . . I still don’t feel good. You don’t think I have a concussion, do I?”

A concussion? From what?

“No. And once you’re awakened, it won’t matter anyway.”

“But not until you answer the rest of my questions.” The words were muffled in a yawn, but I understood.

“Okay. Not until then. But time is running out. I told you that before.” I warned

“But it’s not the second day yet. . . .” she rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.

“No,” I said quietly. “Not yet.”

Good point well made! She's smart all right.
I lay beside her till her breathing steadied and she fell asleep. I tiptoed out of the room.