of gray. Heavy walnut furniture was arranged in a precise manner, and my instinct told me I could sit and relax. It wasn’t that I was tired, but the room invited visitors to rest a spell, and as I took my place on a velveteen sofa, the strains of a harpsichord filtered through the air, like spun glass pipes or chimes in the wind.
Not sure what I was here for, I decided to wait. After all, the sun burned high in the sky and there was no waking for me till she sank beneath the horizon. It wasn’t like I was going anywhere in a hurry.
As I passed the time examining the patterns on the wallpaper—the king stag was fighting a hunter, and it looked like he was winning—the door at the far end of the room opened and a figure glided through.
Roman. It was Roman.
I slowly rose and waited for him. The ancient vampire looked barely thirty-five, but power rolled in waves from him, almost knocking me off my feet.
He slowly waved his hand. In that instant, my jeans and jacket vanished and I realized I was wearing a long dress, crimson with rubies awash across the satin material, and a pair of four-inch stiletto pumps. It was a simple sheath, low cut, and my scars showed. Feeling terribly exposed, I glanced over my shoulder, hoping to find my jacket to cover my arms and chest.
“Menolly . . . do not hide who you are. Your lover appreciates the view . . . as do I.” And with that, he was by my side, silent as the depths of the ocean. He reached forward and I slid into his arms and we were dancing; his embrace a fortress both trapping and protecting me. He leaned forward, his eyes glowing with hoarfrost. Roman’s hair was long and shining, sleeked back into a brunette ponytail, and a goatee graced his chin.
“Roman, is this a dream? Or are you really here?” We whirled around the room to the music as it rose and shifted from harpsichord to acoustic guitar.
“Oh, I am here, my dear. Make no mistake about that.” And then he let go of my hand and with a wave, the walls of the room fell away and we were dancing under the velvet night, the swirl of my skirt a shimmering flutter.
“What do you want with me?” I whispered, staring up at a starry horizon that seemed to stretch forever.
“Have you ever wanted to be a queen, Menolly? Have you ever wanted to rule by the side of someone who can give you more power than you’ve ever dreamed of?”
Before I could answer, before I could even process the thought, he leaned down and kissed me, and all thought was lost in a blur of passion and longing.
CHAPTER 4
I woke before Erin did—the older the vampire, the quicker the waking.
As I bolted up in bed, remembering where I was and who I was, the dream stuck with me. Roman, the dancing . . . “Have you ever wanted to be a queen, Menolly? Have you ever wanted to rule by the side of someone who can give you more power than you’ve ever dreamed of?”
What had he meant? Had it just been wish fulfillment? Not likely, considering I’d never aspired to be the consort of any king, be he vampire or Fae.
Shaking off the dream, I turned my thoughts to my daughter. What the hell was I going to do with her for now? She couldn’t stay here. And I most definitely was not going to return her to Sassy. But I couldn’t leave her with any of our human friends. Roman? No way. Especially after that dream. I thought of Wade and cringed. I couldn’t call him.
And then it hit me. Tavah. I trusted her to watch over the portal in the bar. I could trust her to watch Erin. I grabbed the phone and punched in Tavah’s cell number. She answered on the third ring.
“Tavah, I have something to ask you. Can you please drop by my house right away? As in the next half hour?”
“Sure thing, boss. What’s up?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here,” I muttered. “Can’t talk right now, but it’s important. I have a job for you and I really need your help.”
As I hung up, it occurred to me that Erin could stay at the bar, in the
Not sure what I was here for, I decided to wait. After all, the sun burned high in the sky and there was no waking for me till she sank beneath the horizon. It wasn’t like I was going anywhere in a hurry.
As I passed the time examining the patterns on the wallpaper—the king stag was fighting a hunter, and it looked like he was winning—the door at the far end of the room opened and a figure glided through.
Roman. It was Roman.
I slowly rose and waited for him. The ancient vampire looked barely thirty-five, but power rolled in waves from him, almost knocking me off my feet.
He slowly waved his hand. In that instant, my jeans and jacket vanished and I realized I was wearing a long dress, crimson with rubies awash across the satin material, and a pair of four-inch stiletto pumps. It was a simple sheath, low cut, and my scars showed. Feeling terribly exposed, I glanced over my shoulder, hoping to find my jacket to cover my arms and chest.
“Menolly . . . do not hide who you are. Your lover appreciates the view . . . as do I.” And with that, he was by my side, silent as the depths of the ocean. He reached forward and I slid into his arms and we were dancing; his embrace a fortress both trapping and protecting me. He leaned forward, his eyes glowing with hoarfrost. Roman’s hair was long and shining, sleeked back into a brunette ponytail, and a goatee graced his chin.
“Roman, is this a dream? Or are you really here?” We whirled around the room to the music as it rose and shifted from harpsichord to acoustic guitar.
“Oh, I am here, my dear. Make no mistake about that.” And then he let go of my hand and with a wave, the walls of the room fell away and we were dancing under the velvet night, the swirl of my skirt a shimmering flutter.
“What do you want with me?” I whispered, staring up at a starry horizon that seemed to stretch forever.
“Have you ever wanted to be a queen, Menolly? Have you ever wanted to rule by the side of someone who can give you more power than you’ve ever dreamed of?”
Before I could answer, before I could even process the thought, he leaned down and kissed me, and all thought was lost in a blur of passion and longing.
CHAPTER 4
I woke before Erin did—the older the vampire, the quicker the waking.
As I bolted up in bed, remembering where I was and who I was, the dream stuck with me. Roman, the dancing . . . “Have you ever wanted to be a queen, Menolly? Have you ever wanted to rule by the side of someone who can give you more power than you’ve ever dreamed of?”
What had he meant? Had it just been wish fulfillment? Not likely, considering I’d never aspired to be the consort of any king, be he vampire or Fae.
Shaking off the dream, I turned my thoughts to my daughter. What the hell was I going to do with her for now? She couldn’t stay here. And I most definitely was not going to return her to Sassy. But I couldn’t leave her with any of our human friends. Roman? No way. Especially after that dream. I thought of Wade and cringed. I couldn’t call him.
And then it hit me. Tavah. I trusted her to watch over the portal in the bar. I could trust her to watch Erin. I grabbed the phone and punched in Tavah’s cell number. She answered on the third ring.
“Tavah, I have something to ask you. Can you please drop by my house right away? As in the next half hour?”
“Sure thing, boss. What’s up?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here,” I muttered. “Can’t talk right now, but it’s important. I have a job for you and I really need your help.”
As I hung up, it occurred to me that Erin could stay at the bar, in the
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