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desired.
Renata set the stopper in the tub before turning the chrome handle. The water spilled in a rapid flow
from the carving set into the wall. The carving was of a lion s head and the water spilled from its gaping
maw.
She stepped over the high edge of the bath and beckoned me with a glance. Renata swept her hair
aside, guiding the cloak of silk over one slim white shoulder.
The sight of her nude body had always pleasantly distracted my mind and scrambled my wits, but
seeing her curvaceous form reclining in the bath, even after having sex with the Dracule, still called to my
body.
 Epiphany, she said, half-laughing, with a smile that made her eyes sparkle with mirth,  come
here.
I went, obediently sinking into the wide bath. She swept the curls from my back and placed a kiss
against the sensitive skin at the back of my neck. I shivered. Her arms wrapped around my waist, pulling
me against the front of her.
 Do you remember when I turned you?
 Yes, I said.
 Do you remember what I said before I gave you the kiss of death?
I nodded.
 What did I say to you?
I remembered the words as if she d only just spoken them yesterday.  You said that you would
always take care of me.
Her hands guided me and I turned, sinking to my knees in front of her. My hair spilled across my
shoulders, spilling over my breasts and into the water.
She touched my face and gave me a look of tender affection.
 I meant what I said.
 I know, I said, for I felt in my heart that she spoke truth. In spite of the many misconceptions I may
have had, I felt her sincerity in those few words.
Renata took my hand, touching the sigil at my wrist.
 I do not want to lose you to her, she said and there was vulnerability in her eyes that I never
expected to see. In some distant part of her being, she felt threatened by the Dracule. I touched her neck,
tracing her skin.
 You won t.
 Do you give me your oath? she asked with a thread of amusement in her voice.
 You have my oath. You always did.
 Epiphany.
I lowered my face, brushing my lips across the arch of her brow.
 Renata, I said.
She held me until I moved to turn off the faucet. Afterward, we bathed in silence. Renata ran her
fingers through the heavy mass of my hair, rubbing soap into the strands. I relaxed under her hands, feeling
strangely at peace in spite of the knowledge that someone in the Sotto had summoned a Dracule to kill us.
If it had not been for the Dracule s single-minded curiosity, we both might ve been dead. When offered
moments of peace, one should be worthy and aware.
*
I took a normal pace down the stone hallway, carrying the fox blade in my right hand. When I
mentioned that I wanted to leave to check on Vasco, it was not only Cuinn who had protested, but Renata
had also insisted that I kept the blade at my side.
Cuinn was silent, allowing me to walk the long hall in relative quiet, with the exception of my
thoughts. I wanted to run to check on Vasco, even though I believed the Dracule. I would go to Vasco s
room and wait for him to rise. I had to see him to be sure. I was unaccustomed to being awake before him.
The older and most powerful vampires always woke first.
I tried to distract my mind by the feeling of that power as I navigated the deserted hallways before
the sun had set. When would I have another chance to be awake before the others? I frowned as the stick
of optimism was washed away. If it hadn t been for Cuinn alerting me to danger, I wouldn t have been
walking the halls. Still, the danger was out there. The Dracule may no longer be a threat, but someone had
summoned her. Someone had asked her to kill the vampires of the Rosso Lussuria.
I made it to the end of the hall and turned right down a smaller adjoining hallway. I walked past the
wide-open sitting room and continued until the hallway spilled open into the Elders Quarters. The walls
of the Elders Quarters had been placed in such a way that each of the black wooden doors seemed
welcoming and inviting. The stone walls formed an octagon connecting to the narrow hall. I headed for
the door on the far right, but a voice brought me to a halt.
 Isn t it a little early for you to be awake?
I turned on my heel. The last time Lucrezia and I had met without the company of another s presence,
I d ended up with scars and painful memories. A sense of dread unfurled like a serpent in the pit of my
stomach. I willed myself to stillness.
I had not known she was powerful enough to wake so early.
She leaned against the doorway clothed in nothing but a white sheet. She smiled as if she were
pleased with herself, as if she d gotten the exact reaction she was hoping to get out of me. She took a step
forward and my fist tightened around the fox blade, forcefully enough that her eyes flicked from my face to
the blade.
 Are you going to kill me, Epiphany?
 Are you going to try to hurt me, Lucrezia?
Her voice fell into a breathy whisper.  Do you want me to hurt you, Epiphany?
I struggled not to shudder against the memory of that voice in my ear.  If you try to hurt me, Lucrezia,
I will try to kill you.
 Truly? she asked, taking another step forward. She looked me up and down.  I heard you liked
pain, Epiphany. A great deal, if I m not mistaken.
 I have never liked your kind of pain.
She smiled genuinely enough.  Oh, I remember, my dear. I remember very, very well. She kept [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]