What did her instinct say? She looked up and studied Nora's mismatched eyes. She saw genuine concern and a touch of confusion. Something about Nora seemed trustworthy. And while Yesenia wasn't going to wholeheartedly trust anyone in this place, if she were ever to figure things out and escape, she needed allies. She may as well start working on that.
So she finally blurted, "I was born in 1994, and the last I checked, it was 2022."
Nora leaned closer. But instead of looking at her with wariness or as if she were crazy, she murmured, "Did a time-wielder send you here for my brother?"
She frowned at the unexpected question. "What are you talking about?"
Nora bit her bottom lip a second before shrugging. "Leo told me not to tell you, but I think you should know. He touched your skin when he tried to scoop you off the floor, and you made his heart beat once more. You're my brother's fated bride, Yesenia."
She blinked, and then again. "What are you talking about? N-no, that can't be. I was supposed to be married. I might even be so, I don't know. But I can't be this Leo person's bride."
Nora took her hands and squeezed them. "It's not something you can choose, as I'm sure you're aware. And my brother, whilst rough around the edges and a bit gruff, is a good male overall. I hope with time you'll learn that for yourself." She gestured with her head toward the bathtub. "Now, come. A hot bath, followed by tea and cakes, will give you some strength for your first meeting with Leo."
Her stomach decided to rumble, the traitor.
But a bath and some food couldn't hurt. Maybe fortified with sugar and caffeine, Yesenia could calm her whirring brain and figure some shit out.
Most especially about how the hell she'd arrived here and how in the world she was going to get back home. Because she had no intention of being any vampire's fated bride. He might not be able to hurt her, like Derek could do, because of the unwanted bond, but this Leo person still wasn't her own choice.
She might never get that again—choosing how to lead her life—but at least with Derek she could give her brother and sister the chance to pick their own partners one day. And that was going to be her goal going forward—to find a way home and give her siblings the future she could never have.