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  “This one was very deep. I need to stop the bleeding now, and then we need to replace what you have lost.”

  Rafina quickly sprang into action as she tried to stem the stream of blood pouring from Tahlia’s chest onto the bed linen. Tahlia’s complexion was an unhealthy-looking gray, and her shaking body worried Jemima. Rafina rolled up her sleeve and pressed her wrist against Tahlia’s lips. Jemima watched the black eyes snap open as Tahlia grabbed the slender wrist with both hands. It was hard for her to look into Tahlia’s pain-filled eyes, which moved from the pulsing vein in her wrist to her. When the black eyes began to glow red and Tahlia’s fangs lengthened, Jemima jumped away and rushed to the stairs.

  †

  Once Jemima left, Tahlia sighed deeply before she sank her fangs deep into Rafina’s wrist. She had lost a lot of blood, and her body was screaming for nourishment, but she held back not wanting Jemima to see her feed. She heard Rafina gasp and was careful not to take too much. She took a few quick sips, closed the wounds with a flick of her tongue, and lay back against the pillows with closed eyes.

  “Thank you again for sharing something so precious with me. I will always be indebted to you.”

  “Don’t let my gift be in vain, my Queen. I wish for you to get well soon.” Rafina shook a handful of leaves out of a cotton bag and held it out so Tahlia could add her healing saliva to the foliage. Tahlia watched as the woman mixed the leaves with a deep rich mud before applying it to her wounds. Once Rafina packed Tahlia’s wounds and lathered them the balm she applied a bandage. Tahlia allowed Rafina to give her a sponge bath and help her slip into a long white nightdress.

  Tahlia’s movements were becoming sluggish and instinctively she knew that dawn was approaching. Rafina gently helped her off the bed and pulled a lever on the side of the bed which moved the bed, revealing a deep excavation in the ground wide enough to sleep two. Rafina stood back, and Tahlia took a step forward to stand at the base of the deep excavation. She fell back and was suspended in the air before she slowly floated into the hole. Finally, she nestled comfortably in the rich earth. With a flick of her hand, the hole caved in and the bed moved back over the hidden lair.

  Chapter Eleven

  The sun was already up when Jemima finally gave in to exhaustion. Since returning from Tahlia’s room, she hadn’t been able to sleep a wink, tormented by the memory of red, unholy eyes and gleaming fangs. She had cuddled up against the headboard, staring at the cupboard for most of the night as if expecting to see Tahlia striding through there, baying for her blood. As luck would have it, fatigue crept over her and she could no longer fight sleep.

  Vicious blood-thirsty creatures with glowing red eyes and bloodstained fangs overran her dreams. But the images suddenly faded when those of a tall woman with tender black eyes replaced them. Sighing in her sleep, Jemima snuggled deeper into the fluffy duvet, and a feeling of utter calm settled over her.

  Unbeknownst to Jemima, deep within the earth, Tahlia’s eyes fluttered, then closed when she heard the steady heartbeat coming from Jemima’s bedroom. The sleep compulsion she’d sent was working. The most difficult part still lay ahead. Jemima would understandably be nervous around her after having witnessed her about to take blood from Rafina, but she would deal with that later.

  †

  Jemima slowly floated to wakefulness as she snuggled deeper into the warm cocoon of bedding. Her eyes slowly flickered open, and upon seeing the interior of the strange room, memories of the previous night flooded her mind. Vampires! I am in a house filled with vampires. Tahlia had brought them here and—Jemima jerked into a sitting position. Tahlia was injured and was going to drink blood from Rafina. She quickly threw her legs off the bed and ran to the door. She had to find her father.

  The sounds of Chopin flowed dreamily through the deserted halls. Jemima stopped outside her room. Besides her father and herself, who else could be in the house except the sleeping vampires? A familiar smell pricked her nose and sniffing deeply she followed the welcoming aroma. Food? In a vampire safe house! Unless, of course, it is for our benefit. Jemima followed her nose, cautiously walking down the hallway until she reached the foyer. The smell was coming from the other corridor on her right, and, after looking around to see if she was still alone, she went to inspect. She came to a halt before an open door and heard someone move around in what she assumed would be the kitchen. If her knowledge of vampire lore served her right, no vampire would be awake now. She was just about to enter the kitchen when Rafina stepped out, carrying a tray. Each froze.

  “Jemima, you are up early.” Rafina looked genuinely surprised. “I thought you would sleep in this morning.”

  Jemima smiled. “I didn’t sleep much.” She studied the petite woman closely. “Please don’t think me rude for asking, but how do you fit in here? You’re obviously not a vampire.”

  Rafina smiled and stepped past Jemima. “Your father is expecting his breakfast. If you wouldn’t mind waiting for me in the kitchen, we could talk some more.”

  Jemima nodded. “I’ll wait for you.”

  She had already poured herself a cup of coffee and was admiring the large industrial kitchen when Rafina returned. She came to sit at the table with Jemima after getting a cup of coffee and a refill for Jemima.

  “If all the vampire movies I’ve seen over the years can be used as reference, vampires don’t eat food,” Jemima said.

  “You’re right.”

  “Then why have a fully equipped industrial kitchen in a vampire safe house?”

  Rafina laughed softly, her dark eyes twinkling with amusement. “The Royals work in partnership with a group of human vampire slayers and many of the meetings take place here, which means that at times I have to feed up to thirty people.” Rafina took a sip of her coffee. “But that is not what you want to talk to me about, is it?”

  Jemima shook her head. “Are you a blood cow for the vampires living here?” she blurted.

  Rafina shook her head. “No.”

  “But I saw you give blood to Tahlia last night.”

  “Because she needed it and was in no state to go out and feed on her own.”

  Jemima shook her head. “But, she’s not human. She’s a…a... mons…” She caught herself just in time, but not quickly enough.

  Rafina put her coffee cup down hard, making Jemima jump. “My family has been working for Tahlia for centuries, and, for just as long, we have been under her protection. As Queen of the Royal Clan Vampires, she also is the protector of the human race.” Rafina got up. “One day you will come face-to-face with a real monster, and then you will understand why I freely give my blood to Tahlia.” Her dark eyes were unreadable. “I will fix you something to eat.”

  Jemima knew a subtle dismissal when she heard it and she slowly came to her feet. “It wasn’t my intention to upset you, Rafina. I…I…”

  Rafina came to stand next to her. “I know you are scared, Jemima, but you needn’t be. Tahlia would lay her life down for you and your father, and one day soon you will understand why. You are her destiny.”

  Jemima stared back at Rafina. I am Tahlia’s destiny? What does that mean? How is my life connected to that of a vampire? Before she could ask, Rafina gently pushed her toward the door.

  “Go sit with your father. I will bring you your breakfast, and then you can lie down for a while. You need your rest.”

  †

  James smiled broadly when Jemima stepped into the huge ultra-chic dining room. Her father was sitting at a large gleaming table, a plate heaped with food before him. This is a sight I could get used to. With no newspaper in his hand and minus his glasses, he looked completely relaxed and unhurried. She walked over to him and planted a warm kiss on his cheek, extremely happy to see him.

  “You look tired, honey. Did you have trouble sleeping?”

  For a moment, she was tempted to confide in her father, but she knew he would scold her for having put herself in danger and for not having called him to Tahlia’s bedside. “You know h
ow I have trouble sleeping in strange beds.” She pulled out a chair next to him. Reaching out to pour herself a cup of coffee, she stole a quick glance in her father’s direction. He still was looking at her.

  “You could never lie to save your life, Jemi. What happened last night?”

  “Nothing happened, Dad. I just had trouble sleeping knowing that a battalion of vampires were meeting in the lounge.”

  James grinned. “It was difficult for me too at first, but after a while I realized that Tahlia wouldn’t have brought us to this place if she knew we’d be in danger.” He pierced a piece of bacon and popped it into his mouth. “Since you were born, Tahlia has been extremely paranoid about your safety. She would always ask me to double-check everything. I knew everything there was to know about your teachers, your art lecturers, the janitors, your friends, everyone. She never…”

  Jemima’s head snapped toward her father. “You did background checks on my friends?”

  James smiled. “She never wanted to leave anything to chance, and now I understand why.” He took a sip from his coffee and smiled. “If you want to blame anyone, it would have to be Tahlia. And having seen her in action against those renegade vampires last night, I’d forget about confronting her. She definitely could kick your ass.”

  Jemima stared at her father for a few seconds before she began to chuckle softly. James, too, was grinning broadly. Footsteps at the door made them turn to see Rafina coming over with a tray.

  “I hope you’re hungry; because once I started I got carried away.” Rafina placed a plate heaped with bacon, mushrooms, hash browns, and sausages in front of her. Jemima looked up from the plate and found dark eyes twinkling back.

  “You could do with a little meat on your bones, if you don’t mind me saying.”

  Jemima didn’t mind at all for she thoroughly enjoyed being spoiled “I will see how far I get. Thank you, Rafina.

  †

  Jemima sat up and stretched languidly after her nap. The dimly lit room she suspected was due to Rafina slipping in while she was sleeping to switch on the bedside lamps. She threw a quick glance to the alarm clock on her bedside table and saw that it was already past six in the evening. With a frown, she swung her feet off the side the bed and immediately was suspicious.

  After breakfast, she’d spent an hour or so with her father, when she suddenly started to feel drowsy. The next thing she knew she woke up in her bed almost ten hours later. What did Rafina slip me to make me sleep so long? The hair at the back of her neck prickled suddenly, and she slowly turned. In a dark corner of the room, she felt an intense gaze on her. The longer she stared into the darkness the more intense the gaze became and the more uneasy she felt. The gaze was consuming her.

  Tahlia. “If you’re trying to scare me, you’re succeeding.” Jemima came to her feet and stepped away from the bed. She eased her way toward the door while her eyes were fixed on the dark corner. When she realized the absurdity of her action, she stopped. Vampires are lightning fast, but Tahlia seemed even faster.

  There was a slight movement and the tall shape of Tahlia disentangled itself from the shadows. Even in the semi-darkness of the room, Jemima could see the expression in the black eyes. They held a mixed expression of sadness and fear.

  Why fear me? Jemima wondered. Hell, she is the dangerous one. What could I possibly do to hurt her?

  “I did not mean to scare you, Jemima.” Tahlia took another step out of the shadows.

  Jemima’s eyes swept over the black-clad figure. It was hard to believe she’d been so severely injured just last night. Tight black stretch pants encased the long legs. Jemima’s eyes swept upwards, and she noted that Tahlia wore a black silk shirt, which stretched over her beautiful full breasts and taut stomach. When Jemima raised her eyes to look into Tahlia’s, she blushed at her knowing look. Is she also thinking of our meeting in the bathroom at the Fire Stall? As sexy as the woman was, Jemima still didn’t trust her—especially not after last night. Red eyes and sharp pointy fangs flashed in her mind, and she slowly eased herself toward the door. Her eyes still fixed on Tahlia, who, still as a statue, gazed at her.

  “What about last night. You wanted to scare me.”

  “I did not want you to see me feed.”

  Coming to a halt, Jemima frowned at the woman. “Feed? You mean sucking blood from a human being?”

  Tahlia’s expression didn’t change nor did she move. “Yes, that is the action we take to secure nourishment. I knew you would find it unpleasant to observe, and I had to find a way to get you out of the room.”

  After reaching the door, Jemima cast one last look at Tahlia, yanked open the door and dashed out. She prayed her father was in his room.

  †

  Tahlia could hear Jemima run down the hallway. After last night, she expected Jemima to be scared of her, but she hadn’t expected her reaction to hurt this much. Still a little weak from blood loss, she slowly walked over to the bed. Jemima’s scent wafted up from the bed linen, and, before she could stop herself, Tahlia picked up the pillow and pressed it against her nose. She inhaled deeply. What she wouldn’t give to lie with Jemima on the bed. She felt the familiar erotic clenching sensation in her stomach at the thought of feeling Jemima’s warm body in her arms. The beast reared and scalding hot lust poured into her veins. She sighed deeply and gently placed the pillow back in its original position.

  “Now, I’ll have to ask Rafina to change the pillowcase.”

  At the unexpected sound of Jemima’s voice behind her, Tahlia spun off the bed with dazzling speed and hurled herself in Jemima’s direction. She sighed with regret when she saw the blue eyes roll back in the blonde’s head and held out her arms as Jemima slowly fell into them. For a few moments, she savored the younger woman’s nearness before she gently swung the woman into her arms and carried her over to the bed.

  One day, she told herself, the waiting will be over completely, and Jemima will look at her with passion-filled blue eyes as she carried her to their bed. She needed to be a little more patient and to keep the beast chained. Carefully, she laid the blonde down. That was when she saw the red stains on the pillow. Surprised, she reached for her cheek and grimaced when her fingertip came back stained with blood. She’s been doing a lot of crying lately and she roughly wiped the tears away. She couldn’t afford to indulge in this weakness. Too many people depended on her to be strong.

  With a flick of her hand, she closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed looking down at Jemima’s pale face. She felt guilty for causing her to faint, but it was nice to hold her so close again. The black eyes softened as she stretched out next to Jemima and gently pulled her into her arms, cradling her soft warm body into hers. The familiar scent of honeysuckle engulfed her, and she inhaled deeply, groaning softly. Last night the combined smell of honeysuckle and Jemima’s blood made her dizzy with bloodlust and desire. She prided herself on last night’s restraint when she jerked her head away instead of allowing her fiendish hunger to take control. Tahlia pushed her nose deeper into the silky soft blonde locks. With the familiar scent teasing her senses, she felt the present fade away.

  Chapter Twelve

  Rome, 35 B.C.

  The town was bustling with action. The ever-present breadbasket hanging loosely from her waist, she made her way down the busy cobblestone. It was the fifth day of the week, and the streets were alive with activity. Horses, pigs, goats, and chickens added to commotion. There was to be a tournament held later in the day, and many visitors from nearby villages and towns had poured into the city hoping to earn an extra gold piece or more by selling their wares to the rich nobles and other moneyed visitors.

  It was a great day for business and her mother’s flat sweetbreads were selling fast. Her black eyes darted around for potential buyers, when she quickly spotted her next customer. An old, heavily cloaked woman beckoned her over. Knowing that many other girls like her were selling on the streets, she dashed over to the woman, dodging the hooves of a large warhorse. I
t was while she was fishing out two flatbreads from her breadbasket that she caught the scent, soft, fragrant and very seductive—honeysuckle.

  Surprised, she looked up, wondering why an old woman would take so much trouble in applying fragrance when it would only serve as a lure for all the drunken soldiers to harass her. She pierced the dark shadow the hood of the cloak cast over the woman’s face and froze, stunned. From the dark depths of the hood, vivid sky-blue eyes stared at her. The eyes were too fresh and vibrant to belong to someone old. The woman held out a coin, and Tahlia’s eyes fell on the beautiful smooth skin of the customer’s hand. ‘One’s hands never lie’, her mom had told her.

  “Smelling like that, your disguise is useless. One look into your eyes and you will find yourself at the mercy of a drunkard,” she said boldly. Her interest was immediately piqued. She loved women—thoroughly. Many of the girls around the city could attest to that fact. She always made time to seek new challenges and pursue them. She smiled to herself. Each one of them had come back for more. This woman, however, was intriguing. It was obvious that she was young, and judging from the fragrant oils she used, from a good family Even though she was the daughter of a dirt poor washer woman, the woman’s status didn’t scare her off. She’d had a few nobles in her bed and at times she’d had them in their own lavish beds, too. Had them screaming her name and begging her for more. She had her beauty to thank for all that. It attracted women and men alike. By selling bread, she had a great way to meet potential lovers, and that meant her mother’s breads sold out almost every day. She had a rule. First, they bought from her and only then, she repaid them for the favor.

  Her black eyes slowly raked over the woman in front of her. She looked like she was about her age—nineteen, no more. The cloak hid her figure, but she knew instinctively that underneath that loose fitting cloak was a tall lean body. When her eyes moved upwards, they clashed with the blue ones again. The blue eyes flashed, a strange expression in them, and shrugging, the woman pushed back the cloak to expose a beautiful oval-shaped face, framed by long golden locks.