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Did anyone hear
about that little vampiric uprising that was held back in 1422 in
Transylvania? It made all the
newspapers at the time, and the town criers were yelling about it from one
street corner to the next.
Seems Baslo Rigla, Domnitor (that’s leader,
to you English-speakers) of the nosferatu
had to put down a revolt by one of his fledglings. They met in Transylvania, in a little place called,
appropriately enough, Vale lui Destrugere
(Valley of Destruction) and believe me, it was. All the rebels were killed, except one,
and he—the upstart who started the whole mess, one Vlad Chemare by
name—suffered the most extreme punishment of all. While his followers were burned to ash by the morning sun
rising over the valley, Vlad was buried alive in an unmarked grave.
Rigla laughed all the way back to his castel and a long time afterward, as he sipped from a good dark
wine, vintage Romanian Nobility, 1399.
Unfortunately
for Rigla, he forgot that Vlad had a very faithful thrall who was determined to find his master no matter how long it
took…
So, in 2012, when a certain Marius Racleta
flew out of Aeroportul
International Bucuresti Henri Coanda from Bucharest,
Rigla had no idea what was going to happen. Had he known, perhaps he wouldn’t have been so complacent,
sitting there in the ballroom-converted-into-an-audience-chamber in the
abandoned mansion in Savannah, Georgia.
For that plane carrying Marius also carried a coffin in its luggage
hold, in which a certain still-rebellious but now very much older and wiser nosferatu rested, in his sleeping heart a desire for revenge
a-simmering…
…until he
reached the Land of the Free and the Home of the Prey and ran into very much
Undead Valerie Swanson and her equally alive twin, Meredith, and got slightly
sidetracked. But not for long.
After all, a
woman is just a woman, but revenge is a dish best served cold. And 700 years can make for some mighty
chilly morsels!
EXCERPT:
(Vlad is
introduced by Valerie to her sister, Meredith)
“So
you’re Valerie’s boyfriend?” as he nodded, I went on, “At least her tastes have
improved.” I decided I’d better act like a hostess. “Can I get you anything?
I’ve got coffee, some homemade wine, and milk.” I knew vampires could tolerate
the first two. Milk I wasn’t so sure about.
“I
never drink…milk,” he intoned solemnly but I swear those fantastic eyes were
twinkling.
“Of
course you don’t,” I murmured. And apparently you also watch vintage
Universal horror movies. “So how about a glass of wine? Homemade,” I
repeated, as if enticing him. “132-proof.” Actually I had no idea what proof it
was or alcohol by volume, either. But I’d discovered that the guys I
occasionally dated went for it if they thought it was particularly alcoholic.
He
laughed, revealing the expected pointed incisors. “In that case, perhaps not. I
doubt you’d want a tipsy vampire floating around in your living room, knocking
things off tables with his wings.”
That
conjured up a picture that made me laugh. So vamps can get drunk? On
alcohol? How about blood? That
brought another, less comical picture. I shivered slightly and turned toward
the fridge.
“Are
you chilled?” It came out so solicitously.
“No.
Why do you ask?”
“You
were trembling.”
“Don’t
worry about it.” As if he didn’t know.
“Perhaps
I should. If I was the cause.”
So
he did know. That conceited smile said a lot. “You certainly have a lot
of self-importance if you think you can make me tremble.”
“My dear Meredith.” His voice dropped to
a whisper and he sidled closer. Slowly, not that quick-as-a-wink movement
Valerie’s so fond of making because she knows I hate it. More a shifting. “I’d
do more than that…” He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, tucking it
behind my ear. “…if you’d let me.”
“Back
off, buddy.” Nevertheless, I was the one who moved away, untucking the hair as
I did so. “There’ll be none of that.”
“Whyever
not?” He gave me a wide, transparent, and totally ingenious stare but didn’t
follow me.
“Duh!
Because you’re my sister’s boyfriend.” Really. Did he have to ask?
“So?”
This
guy was unbelievable. He sincerely looked as if he didn’t have a clue. “So I
don’t poach on Valerie’s property.” Though she’d certainly done it to me
enough. So why not turn the tables? The thought flashed through my mind.
I shoved it back out before it could park itself and cause trouble because Vlad
was definitely looking as if he were interested… Stop it right there,
Meredith. You don’t do that kind of thing. That’s Valerie’s department.
“I’m no one’s property.” It was said so
quietly that it sent another chill through me. I’d insulted him by referring to
him that way. “I’m the one who does the possessing.” He cocked his head to one
side, as if viewing something fascinating. Could he read my thoughts? Damn, I’d
never thought to ask about that. Valerie had certainly never volunteered the
information and I doubted if she could. You have to have a mind to read one.
“And I’m wondering who claims you.”
