CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Sera awoke in the King’s chamber at the crack of dawn. She threw open her eyes, immediately remembering the night before, and turned and stared at McCleod, naked, in bed beside her.

The two of them lay under the covers, she in his arms, and he sound asleep. That did not surprise her. She had seen this before: when people were first turned, they often slept long and late—sometimes for days. And this had been an epic turning. They had been together all night long, and she had never met a more willing human victim.

Sera jumped out of bed in a single bound, needing to clear her head from the night before. The body warmth from the sheets immediately evaporated, leaving her cool in the November morning, and she grabbed a silk robe and put it on as she made her way to the windowsill. She looked out at the first crack of dawn, the blood red sun on the horizon, and felt it was a good omen. She contemplated her next move.

So far, all had gone according to plan: soon McCleod would be one of he