Chapter 4: Broken Barriers

*VICKY*

The woman pushed herself off the bookshelf, causing a few items to shake, and stared down at Leon with her hands on her hips.

"You didn't even properly research her! Her resume is clearly forged—what if she's a criminal!? For fucks sake, she could be a murderer! You're a Knightly, she could easily be someone using this to get close enough to kill you, or even worse…get to your fortune!"

At this, Leon scoffed and rolled his eyes. He turned his gaze to her, his distaste clear on his face. Whoever she was to him, he didn't care one bit.

"Her background is clearly written here. She has all of the qualifications required, and judging by the apple tart I tasted earlier, the talent."

My heart skipped a beat. He just admitted to liking my dessert. I'm already on the right track.

"Now, do you have anything else, Osip—"

Osip. As in Osip Spenser. It made perfect sense now why she felt entitled enough to grab the resume from Leon's hands and stomp my way. She slammed the paper into my chest and glared at me; her eyes were vicious. Osip was inches from my face, but she didn't speak. The tension in the air was as thick as Leon's blood perfume.

Then, Leon's voice popped in. "That's all, Miss Eaton. You can go."

"No," Osip stated strongly. "You can't leave yet. As Leon's fiancée, I'm technically second in command, and I demand you stay and answer my questions."

I flexed my fist open and shut. It took every ounce of self-control to hold myself back from punching her in the face. "Anything," I answered through gritted teeth.

"Tell me, is everything written here true?"

"Yes, ma'am. I've done every one of these."

"Are you sure about that?" she said, clearly challenging me. "It says here that you can fly a helicopter? That you have more than a thousand hours of flight experience?"

"Yes, ma'am. I also have a license for a fixed-wing aircraft. Would you like to see it?"

Without giving her a beat to answer, I dug out a folding card clip from my pocket. The various professional skill licenses unfolded as it opened, showcasing all of my accomplishments over the past few hundred years.

Osip's eyes wavered as they widened, and I smirked. I looked over her shoulder just enough to see Leon watching us with a glint of humor in his eyes. Osip fixed her stance and crossed her arms over her chest.

"T-then tell me, Miss Eaton. How did you get a thousand hours of flight experience at the age of 20?"

I froze. To be honest, I had no idea how to answer this. Would they believe me if I said I served in the Vietnam War?

When I didn't respond, Osip's confidence grew. "See? You can't answer. You're a complete liar. I even suspect you're a minor. Did you know lying about your age is a crime?"

I opened my mouth to speak when my bracelet began to alarm—this time, the sound was high-pitched and repetitive. It must have detected that the concentration of blood perfume in the room was too high, and it immediately caught Osip and Leon's attention.

"What's that noise?" Osip demanded.

"It's my alarm…" I said, looking down at my watch, trying to tap any button to shut it off. 15 minutes left for the effects. "Ma'am, I don't mean to be rude, but I have another appointment—"

"Yes," Leon interjected. "The interview's done. Remember, tomorrow at 9 o'clock. Don't be late."

Leon's eyes flipped up to mine again, and he held my gaze for what felt like hours. The connection was palpable, and Osip huffed as she stepped back and away from me, giving me space to move for the door.

I wanted to stay—more than anything, I wanted to get to know him and him, me. But I needed to take this slow, especially without my tranquilisers.

I nodded. "Thank you, chef. You won't regret it."

His eyes didn't move an inch. They stared long and hard before finally breaking and looking down at the other papers on his desk without response.

I opened the door to the office and stepped into the kitchen; Leon's blood perfume was softening already once I closed it behind me. I took a deep breath. Fuck. My pupils almost changed color again. I need to be more careful.

I hailed the closest cab and hopped inside, giving the driver a location close enough to the territory lines.

Being a Kindred had its perks, but it also had major pitfalls. I couldn't take blood or be discovered by humans. I had to take drugs all day and sleep regularly for a while. I spent most of my life looking for a mate, but once you find them, it makes everything even worse.

How could you convince a human to willingly become your mate? "Hey, sir, do you want to stay young and live forever? Come and drink my blood. Then you can achieve it." I'd be treated as a lunatic.

Before I knew it, we had arrived, and I exited the cab and waited for the driver to leave before heading for the lines. I entered through security and made my way home.

I opened the door and flipped on the lights before heading into the kitchen and pulling open the fridge. My eyes scanned its contents. I sighed at its emptiness. Eggs and rice it was.

I turned on the burners and began cooking. Every few minutes, I skillfully stirred the eggs and listened to the song playing on the radio. My body slowly swayed to the beat as I tossed in various spices to liven up the dish.

Soon enough, a bowl of delicious rice fried with eggs was successfully prepared. Just as I turned on the television and was about to watch a show while enjoying dinner when a crackling sound suddenly came from the kitchen.

I jolted up. That wasn't just any crackle—it was the barrier to my house breaking. My body tensed and I instantly stood. With a swoosh, a black shadow darted from the kitchen to the living room wall.

I watched closely as it moved; they were using Shadow Form. I waited a moment and then lunged instantaneously at the location I knew the figure was near. My arm went into the wall, but it didn't shatter. Instead, it rippled like a pool of black water.

"Appear!" I shouted. "Appear, or I'll crush you here and now!"

Almost on cue, a middle-aged male Kindred appeared in my grasp. My eyes narrowed in on him.

"Tell me! How did you break my barrier?!"

He coughed and wiggled underneath my hold. I slammed his back against the wall and stared deep into his eyes.

"Who are you!?"