burned through him, relentless, insatiable.
His arm tightened around her as he whispered her name. He unleashed his power, letting it surround her. "Analisa."
"Yes, my lord?" Her voice was quiet, toneless.
He looked deep into her eyes, and knew she was his for the taking. The hunger moved through him, hotter than the fires of the unforgiving hell that awaited him when his existence came to an end. It clawed at him, demanding to be satisfied.
He whispered her name again, watched her eyelids grow heavy as her head fell back, exposing the pulse beating in her throat.
His lips drew back, his fangs lengthening in response to her nearness and his own overwhelming need…
She awoke in her bed the next morning with no memory of how she had gotten there. Awoke feeling wonderfully refreshed. Alesandro… she had dreamed of Alesandro. Strange dreams. Dark dreams. Frightening, at times. He had loomed over her, larger than life, his deep blue eyes blazing, glowing with an otherworldly light. He had touched her, his hands cool against her heated skin, and an image of the crypt in the garden had flashed through her mind. In her dream, she had pried the lid from the crypt… and that was when she awoke.
She jumped when Sally knocked on the door.
"Mornin', miss," the maid said brightly. She placed a tray on the table beside the bed, then crossed the floor to draw the drapes. "Lovely day."
Analisa squinted as the room was flooded with sunshine. "What time is it?"
"Half past eleven." Sally smiled at Analisa. "You must have been havin' some lovely dream, to stay abed so long."
Analisa sat up. "Yes, lovely." She reached for the cup of cocoa on the tray and took a sip. Cook made the most delicious chocolate she had ever tasted. She had once asked Mrs. Thornfield what his secret was, but the housekeeper insisted it was a recipe known only to Alfred and his deceased mother.
"Will you be wantin' breakfast?" Sally asked.
"Yes, I find I'm famished this morning."
"Very well, miss,." Sally said, bobbing a curtsey. "Will you break your fast here, or downstairs?"
"Here, please. Sally?"
"Yes, miss?"
"Is Lord Alesandro at home?"
"I don't believe so, miss. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, thank you. Sally, wait," she called as the girl turned to leave.
"Yes, miss?"
"Sit down, won't you?"
Sally's eyes widened. "Oh, no, miss, I couldn't."
"Please."
Wringing her hands together, Sally glanced at the door, obviously uncertain as to whether she should obey or not.
Squaring her shoulders, Analisa forced herself to remember she was the lady of the manor, at least for the time being. Pointing to the small chair near the window, she said, "Sally, sit down."
The young maid did so with alacrity, her hands folded tightly in her lap. "Yes, miss?"
"Have you worked here long?"
"Going on three years now," Sally replied. "And right good years they've been."
"Have you ever seen anything… singular?"
"Singular, miss?"
"You know, anything strange? Anything out of the ordinary?"
"Why, no, miss." The maid leaned forward a little, her eyes widening with curiosity. "Have you?"
"No, not really."
Sally sat back, looking relieved.
"You have seen something, haven't you?"
The maid shook her head vigorously. "No, miss, but… well, I have felt something."
"What? When?"
Sally glanced at the door. "You won't tell anyone?" She meant Mrs. Thornfield, and they both knew it.
"No," Analisa replied quickly, "of course not."
"When I first come here, I went into the master's room late one night," Sally confided, her voice low, "to clean up, you know, because I'd forgotten to do it earlier in the day, and I…" She shook her head. "You'll think me mad."
"Go on."
"I felt like there was someone, or something, in there, watching me." The maid's laugh was high-pitched, nervous. "Gave me quite a fright, it did."
"Was that the only time?"
"Yes, miss. I never forgot to clean in there again, I can tell you that."
"Thank you, Sally."
"You're welcome. Is
His arm tightened around her as he whispered her name. He unleashed his power, letting it surround her. "Analisa."
"Yes, my lord?" Her voice was quiet, toneless.
He looked deep into her eyes, and knew she was his for the taking. The hunger moved through him, hotter than the fires of the unforgiving hell that awaited him when his existence came to an end. It clawed at him, demanding to be satisfied.
He whispered her name again, watched her eyelids grow heavy as her head fell back, exposing the pulse beating in her throat.
His lips drew back, his fangs lengthening in response to her nearness and his own overwhelming need…
She awoke in her bed the next morning with no memory of how she had gotten there. Awoke feeling wonderfully refreshed. Alesandro… she had dreamed of Alesandro. Strange dreams. Dark dreams. Frightening, at times. He had loomed over her, larger than life, his deep blue eyes blazing, glowing with an otherworldly light. He had touched her, his hands cool against her heated skin, and an image of the crypt in the garden had flashed through her mind. In her dream, she had pried the lid from the crypt… and that was when she awoke.
She jumped when Sally knocked on the door.
"Mornin', miss," the maid said brightly. She placed a tray on the table beside the bed, then crossed the floor to draw the drapes. "Lovely day."
Analisa squinted as the room was flooded with sunshine. "What time is it?"
"Half past eleven." Sally smiled at Analisa. "You must have been havin' some lovely dream, to stay abed so long."
Analisa sat up. "Yes, lovely." She reached for the cup of cocoa on the tray and took a sip. Cook made the most delicious chocolate she had ever tasted. She had once asked Mrs. Thornfield what his secret was, but the housekeeper insisted it was a recipe known only to Alfred and his deceased mother.
"Will you be wantin' breakfast?" Sally asked.
"Yes, I find I'm famished this morning."
"Very well, miss,." Sally said, bobbing a curtsey. "Will you break your fast here, or downstairs?"
"Here, please. Sally?"
"Yes, miss?"
"Is Lord Alesandro at home?"
"I don't believe so, miss. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, thank you. Sally, wait," she called as the girl turned to leave.
"Yes, miss?"
"Sit down, won't you?"
Sally's eyes widened. "Oh, no, miss, I couldn't."
"Please."
Wringing her hands together, Sally glanced at the door, obviously uncertain as to whether she should obey or not.
Squaring her shoulders, Analisa forced herself to remember she was the lady of the manor, at least for the time being. Pointing to the small chair near the window, she said, "Sally, sit down."
The young maid did so with alacrity, her hands folded tightly in her lap. "Yes, miss?"
"Have you worked here long?"
"Going on three years now," Sally replied. "And right good years they've been."
"Have you ever seen anything… singular?"
"Singular, miss?"
"You know, anything strange? Anything out of the ordinary?"
"Why, no, miss." The maid leaned forward a little, her eyes widening with curiosity. "Have you?"
"No, not really."
Sally sat back, looking relieved.
"You have seen something, haven't you?"
The maid shook her head vigorously. "No, miss, but… well, I have felt something."
"What? When?"
Sally glanced at the door. "You won't tell anyone?" She meant Mrs. Thornfield, and they both knew it.
"No," Analisa replied quickly, "of course not."
"When I first come here, I went into the master's room late one night," Sally confided, her voice low, "to clean up, you know, because I'd forgotten to do it earlier in the day, and I…" She shook her head. "You'll think me mad."
"Go on."
"I felt like there was someone, or something, in there, watching me." The maid's laugh was high-pitched, nervous. "Gave me quite a fright, it did."
"Was that the only time?"
"Yes, miss. I never forgot to clean in there again, I can tell you that."
"Thank you, Sally."
"You're welcome. Is
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