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Chapter 548
The bargain was a simple one: in exchange for Bradley’s freedom, Leesa would agree to let me turn her vampire and become my consort. Simple does not mean easy, however—giving up one’s humanity is a huge decision for most. I told her to take as much time as she needed to think about it. She promised to have my answer within a week.
The arrangements we agreed to were also simple. Every evening at sunset I would wait for her in the parking lot of Gillette Castle, a place located not far from our hidden caverns. If her decision was no, she could simply tell me and leave; if her answer was yes, I would be ready to release Bradley.
For six nights I waited in vain, but I didn’t mind. I told myself the wait was a good sign—if she had decided to accept my answer, she would probably h
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 549
Leesa stepped forward and placed her hand lightly against Bradley’s cheek. I could only imagine what his skin must have felt like to her. “Bradley?” she said.The boy lifted his head. His eyes seemed to find some focus as he looked at her.“Pumpkin?” he said hoarsely.Tears streamed down Leesa’s cheeks at the sound of his voice. She dropped the umbrella and threw her arms around her brother, holding him close, as if she could will warmth and life back into him.“Yes, it’s me,” she said. “Leesa.”“Leeee-saaa,” Bradley whispered. He seemed to gain strength from her presence, from her touch. After a moment, he pulled his head back and
Leesa's Advent Chapter 550
A few weeks passed, frustrating weeks to be sure. I was still unable to make sense of what had happened when I tried to transform Leesa. I discussed the incident with Ricard, but he was as much at a loss about it as I was. Neither of us could come up with a logical explanation for why Leesa had the taint of grafhym in her blood.Ricard’s advice, however, was simple: I should let her go and move on to something else. Unfortunately, I suspected that was going to be easier said than done. Even though I had not seen Leesa since that fateful night, the pull I felt toward her remained as strong as ever, grafhym or not.I was still mulling over what to do next when Edwina approached me in our caverns. She pasted a smile upon her face.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 551
The next time Edwina left the caves, I followed her. I had nothing more than a feeling that she was up to no good, so I trailed her at a discreet distance, following her spoor and staying well beyond the reach of her vampire senses. It would not do to be caught trailing her if she were truly just out hunting for a feeder to replace the one I had taken from her.My concern grew when her trail crossed the river and headed north. When I followed it onto the Weston College campus, my concern turned to anger. Edwina had no need to come to the college—unless it had something to do with Leesa.I slowed my pace when I came to the edge of a wide field. This time of night, the field was empty save for three figures gathered near one end. Edwina and Leesa stood facing each other; Leesa’s friend Cali was
Leesa's Advent Chapter 552
The psychic summons was both powerful and brief. Ricard’s words echoed in my head. Come. Now.All vampires can sense the presence of other vampires when they are nearby, and at a somewhat greater distance when one is feeding. Not all are capable of sending thought messages, though—that particular talent took many, many years to even begin to master. Ricard had been vampire for a thousand years and had mastered many skills. That he was the vampire who had turned me only added to the strength of our psychic connection.I wasted no time obeying his call. I hurried through the dark labyrinth of our caverns to his quarters, making my way to his outer chamber. This room was the second largest cavern in the whole place, trailing only the immense council audience chamber in size. Ricard awaited me in the middle of the room, standing motionless with his arms folded across his broad chest.“What is it?” I asked. When we were alone, there was no nee
Leesa's Advent Chapter 523
Wallace and I waited several steps inside the entrance to our caverns, each dressed in black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt. The dark clothes would not shield us from the eyes of the vampires we would be hunting, but they were not meant to. The clothes would hide us from human eyes, allowing us to flow across the landscape at vampire speed without being noticed.The sun was invisible behind a thick layer of clouds, but vampires do not need to see the pain-giving orb to know when it has set. Genevieve and Dara joined us a moment later. They were also dressed in black pants and sweatshirts, one of the few times I ever remember seeing them so dully garbed. Usually, they favor dresses of purple, lavender or crimson, reminders of those bygone days in Paris, I assume.I felt no need to issue any final instructions—I had provided my companions all the details they needed during our earlier talks. We waited a few moments for the darkness to deepen, then glided from
Leesa's Advent Chapter 524
Something was very wrong here, I realized instantly. Jarubu possessed hidden strength from some source beyond my ability to detect. I had little time to think about it, though. Already, his fangs were again pressing toward my throat. I pushed back with all my strength, but Jarubu’s sharp fangs inched inexorably closer. Desperate, I suddenly stopped pushing and let my body become a dead weight, dropping to the ground before Jarubu realized what was happening. The surprise maneuver broke his hold, and I quickly somersaulted away before rising to my feet.Without pausing, I vaulted forward toward Jarubu, determined to be the attacker rather than the defender this time. I aimed my fangs directly for the black vampire’s throat. Despite the speed of my attack, Jarubu was equally quick. He got his hands onto my chest and used my own momentum to heave me up and over his head. I grabbed an overhanging branch and swung myself up and around until my feet landed upon the same
Leesa's Advent Chapter 525
The next morning, I headed for the Weston campus. The beautiful gray clouds that had blanketed the sky the day before were breaking up, allowing the sun to peek through for increasingly long intervals. I didn’t care, though. I wore a hooded sweatshirt and gloves to protect my skin. As much as possible, I kept to the shade, but if I had to bear the burning rays of the sun for a bit I would do so. Time was of the essence—there was no time to wait for nightfall. I wanted to begin putting my crazy plan into motion as soon as possible.Most of the route between our lair and the college is sparsely populated, so I raced at vampire speed through the wooded hills. Only when I neared the southern reaches of the town did I slow to a fast, determined walk.When I arrived at Leesa’s dorm, I crossed quickly to the stairwell. Since today was Sunday, there were no classes, so I hoped Leesa would be there. By the time I reached the second floor landing, though, I kne
Leesa's Advent Chapter 526
The sun was beginning to sink below the western horizon when I headed back to Leesa’s dorm. The small bit of blood I had consumed had restored full control over my appetite, so I passed through the doorway and entered the stairwell without apprehension.Halfway up the stairs, I sensed her presence and knew immediately that she had returned. When I reached her doorway, her door was wide open—waiting for me, I hoped. She was sitting on her bed reading a book, but even though I made no sound, something made her look up from the pages.She closed her book, but remained sitting. “I got your message,” she said. “What’s up?”I had been hoping for a bit more of a greeting, but at least she was there, waiting. I stepped into the room, leaving the door open behind me.“That’s it?” I asked, smiling. “A vampire shows up in your room and says he wants to talk to your volkaane boyfriend, and all you have
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