Sleeping Beauty by Maureen McGowan Page A

and her feet squeezing together to control her speed, she lowered herself, hand over hand, until she was close enough to the floor to jump down.
    She landed and turned to Tristan.
    He nodded, looking impressed. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
    Her entire body felt flush and her mind raced.
    Maybe finding true love wasn’t so impossible, after all. Maybe if she kept training with Tristan, they’d fall in love. Maybe Miss Eleanor’s flirting and seduction classes wouldn’t go to waste. Maybe some afternoon soon, if Tristan didn’t kiss her, she’d kiss him.
    Cheeks still pink, she smiled as seductively as she knew how.
    He reached out and rubbed his hand over her chopped-off hair. “Nice haircut, by the way. Now you fit in with the boys.”
    She flinched and backed up a few feet, crossing her arms over her flat chest. “Are we going to train or not?” No way would she show him how much his comment had hurt.

    Queen Natasha stood in front of the elected Sanguinian military council. What a bunch of weaklings , she thought. Using the Stone of Supremacy, she could crush them all, and she felt a smile form as she imagined their throats closing, their heads exploding.
    But more delicious was the fantasy of these same strong and powerful vampires bowing down before her, exclaiming their admiration, demonstrating their devotion. There was no greater thrill than exercising cruel power over those who thought they were safe. Killing King Vladimir had taught her that. Seeing the love and devotion in her late husband’s eyes right before she’d driven a stake through his heart had been the ultimate rush. And she wanted more. Soon every vampire in Sanguinia would worship her. Then, and only then, would she be ready to act. Ready to invade Xandra, capture its riches, and crush its royal family’s heads between her hands.
    â€œHa!” She realized she’d exclaimed aloud only when the faces of the generals turned toward her.
    â€œYou are amused, Your Highness?” General Adanthas, a broad-shouldered vampire with a head full of thick brown hair, addressed her.
    â€œAmused at your naïveté,” she replied.
    â€œNaïveté?” The general rose.
    She leaned onto the table, her long sharp nails scratching the stone surface. “Would you rather I questioned your loyalty to Sanguinia?”
    â€œMadam,” the general said, “with all due respect, how dare you question my loyalty? I was serving this kingdom—under both your husband and his father—when you were still human.”
    â€œBut now you side with these very humans of Xandra and their
murderous slayers?” She shook a finger in his direction and displayed her most indignant expression. “For shame.” Natasha scanned the rest of the generals and guessed, based on their expressions, that only two of the thirteen sided with her. Not enough.
    â€œYour Highness,” General Adanthas said, “the slayers are merely defending the humans against vampires, citizens of your kingdom, who threaten the long-held peace between our nations by drinking from their necks.”
    A few grunts of agreement rose from around the table and anger rose in Natasha’s throat, but she choked it back. Acting now, killing Adanthas, would provide only momentary satisfaction. She had her eyes on a longer-term prize.
    â€œOnce again, General Adanthas”—she tried to look sad and disappointed—“I find you siding with the Xandrans against your own kind. These vampires merely take a few sips of blood, something we all require to sustain life, and King Stefan’s answer is murderous slayers?” She shook her head. “You forget, I grew up in Xandra. I know firsthand the prejudice against vampires. Our citizens will not be safe until we invade and crush—” She stopped herself and drew a deep breath, then said in a calm voice, “Only under our rule will the humans