Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 122030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“Good, Echo. Good girl. Take—”
But he’s interrupted by another voice. “I’ll take her, Echo.” It’s another woman wearing an elaborate navy-blue satin gown. It’s low-cut and her breasts are so full, they are practically popping out of the thing.
She and Paul are staring at each other. Like there’s a battle of wills going on.
Is this the other vampire?
She has red hair, green eyes, and very fair skin. In fact, the longer I look at her the more certain I am that she is the woman Paul referred to earlier.
“Lucia. No one asked you.”
She curtsies, which makes me squint. Because it’s… not appropriate. I’ve been here all of two minutes and I can tell that she is… what? Making fun of him?
Yes. The curtsey is some kind of sarcastic gesture. Something little girls do, not grown women.
“My lord.” She says this with sarcasm too. Like he’s not her lord at all, but she’s required to call him that. “This is a very important duty. The girl is your feeder, is she not?”
“You know she is.”
The woman, Lucia, looks around, again mockingly. “And where is her hunter? Where is Ryet?”
Paul doesn’t explain anything about where Ryet is. And he doesn’t miss a beat, either. “He’s on his way in the truck. Not that any of this concerns you.”
“I’m just trying to help.” Her tone has changed now. It’s lighter. A little more deferential, but not enough.
“Never mind.” Paul grabs my arm. “I’ll take her upstairs myself. Echo, come with me.”
I am physically turned in a new direction and then we’re walking toward a massive staircase that curves around the large foyer.
Paul is in a hurry. Maybe to get away from Lucia. The girl, Echo, falls in behind us, and then, when I look over my shoulder, Lucia is coming as well, even though she was clearly not invited.
Well, well, well. This is interesting. And unexpected. I really hadn’t thought much about the living arrangements or familial hierarchy of the vampire Paul, but now that I’m here in his compound I’m getting the feeling it’s more complicated than it should be.
Lucia isn’t as powerful as Paul. That is immediately apparent. But she’s not entirely under his thumb, either. Not like the young girl, Echo, is.
I’m trying to pay attention to where we’re going and how we’re getting there, but my mind is so distracted by the lodge, and the people, and the vampire Lucia coming up behind us, that I’m already being led up another set of stairs before I realize we’ve turned off the main hallway on the second story.
These stairs are narrow and steep and when we hit a landing and turn a corner, there is another flight of stairs. “Where are you taking me? To a fucking tower?”
Paul looks over at me, his eyes bright and his mouth quirked up in amusement.
God, why would you make such an evil creature so beautiful?
“A pretty little princess such as yourself deserves a proper tower, don’t you think?”
I don’t answer. Just force myself to stop looking at him. I can’t concentrate when he’s staring at me like that. He’s unnaturally handsome.
We finally reach a room and it is, indeed, a tower. Because it’s circular. Like we’re in a turret. Except log-cabin lodges don’t have turrets, so it’s more like a crow’s nest, I guess.
It’s not big, maybe twenty feet in diameter. And it really only contains three things—a bed, a chair, and an armoire. All three of these pieces of furniture are made from rustic, hand-scraped logs and boards.
Paul lets go of me when we enter and I look around, taking in my new accommodations.
It’s nice. I can’t say it’s not. The bed is covered in a luxurious comforter, possibly down. The duvet is mustard-yellow in color and has deep purple velvet piping around the edges. There’s a canopy too—also made of the same rustic logs—framed by matching velvet purple curtains. Heavy curtains. Like if you draw them closed the temperature inside might rise several degrees.
I’m still so cold that the thought of sleeping in that bed actually sounds enticing.
The walls are made of large river stones layered in gray mortar instead of logs, which cools the cozy nature of this lodge down, giving it a proper tower feel. There is a thick circular rug on the floor that mimics the shape of the room, leaving just a foot or so of stone tiles peeking out near the walls.
More purple velvet curtains cover a window, blocking all light. In fact, the only light in this room is coming from several strategically placed candelabras glowing with small, flickering flames from their many arms.
“Is it a prison cell or romantic getaway?” I can’t tell.
Paul chuckles. “Both, darling. But it’s comfy, isn’t it?”
“Depends, I guess. On what you plan on doing to me in here.”
Paul turns to me, smiling so big. More than just the cat who ate the mouse. He’s the lion who took down the elephant. A feast fit for a king. One that will feed his entire pride for decades. “Use your imagination, Syrsee. I’m sure it will come to you.”