The Tale Of The Vampire Bride (Vampire Bride 1)

Chapter 19

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright-Continued

6th of March, 1820

I awoke before Vlad this evening and wrote what I could in my journal. It was rather disturbing to glance over and see him sitting across from me, eyes closed, his face shrouded in darkness. I was uncertain he was truly asleep, but he did not stir as I slipped my journal from its hiding place in my small travel case.

I wrote for some time, pouring all I could into the journal about my experiences from last night.

So engrossed was I in my writing that I was not aware of when his green eyes opened and fastened upon me.

“What is that?” he asked.

I looked up, startled, quite alarmed by his tone.

He held out his hand to me imperiously. His long nails were wickedly curved.

Reluctantly, I slid my journal into his hand. He flipped through it, glancing at the pages, then closed it, and handed it back to me.

“Make certain mortals never find it,” he said, and the issue was dismissed.

Grateful that he had not taken upon himself to read through the journal, I tucked it away so that he would not be inspired to do so.

Soon I understood why he had no interest in trivial things. He opened up the metal shades and looked out at the night. The depths of his green eyes were tinted with the blaze of an internal fire and his teeth were quite long and the tips were visible beneath the brush of his mustache.

I realized the hunger was upon him.

He must have previously arranged for the carriage to stop so that we could feed. It was not long after we had awakened that the carriage rolled to a jarring stop.

Vlad was so charged with anticipation, he was perched on the very edge of his seat. I, too, began to feel the burning in my veins that was sheer torment. Perhaps it was his blood lust that stirred my own, but I could feel the tips of my fangs pressing against my lips.

I gazed out of the window up at the moon and smiled. The sight of the glowing orb reminded me of my freedom and of our destination. I was far from the castle and I would now feed freely, without having to wait for my vampire sisters to feed first.

I could see that we had stopped on the outskirts of a small village, and I knew that the hunt was about to begin. I was enthralled at the thought of hunting without my sisters and my eyes began to burn as my senses became acute. I slid off my coat and placed my bonnet on the seat so I could hunt unfettered.

A gypsy guard opened the door to the carriage and Vlad slipped out quickly. He turned to me and quite to my surprise, helped me down from the carriage. As my feet settled onto the dew-drenched grass, I breathed in the scents of the night. A tingling in my nostrils let me know that my prey was quite close.

Vlad took my face in one hand, drawing my attention. “Only one. Find yourself one mortal then hurry back. ”

“I may go alone?”

Vlad’s hawkish face was truly frightening bathed in the light from the moon. “If you do not return, I will find you and you will suffer. ”

“Yes, of course. I would expect nothing less for such a transgression,” I said with great impudence.

“Go,” Vlad growled.

I needed no more prompting. With wild glee, I darted into the field beside the road. I began to run toward the alluring scent that had caught my attention. When I reached the edge of the field, I turned into the forest. The moonlight fell through the leafy boughs and illuminated a path for me across the forest floor. It did not take me long to break out of the trees into a clearing where a small farmer’s hut stood dark and forlorn.

Closing my eyes, I listened to the wind singing in my ears and breathed in the sweet scents of the night. Fresh, young blood was in the cottage. I could hear the heartbeats of the two people nestled within beckoning me to their side.

I smiled brightly as the anticipation of my feeding bubbled up within me. Reaching up, I freed my hair from its bindings and let it fall free to my waist. Slowly, I began to advance on the small cottage.

Wake up!

My voice was silent, a cry into the dreams of my prey, not a spoken whisper.

Wake up!