The Red Lily (Vampire Blood #2)(60)

"He held her captive in his fort, taking his husbandly privileges. My father says it was known he was trying to sire a child on her to save himself from imminent death. He'd gone utterly mad, the disease addling his mind. He was lucid enough apparently to never drink too long from his wife. He needed her alive."

"My God. What a nightmare for her." Sienna shivered. "Did she become with child?"

"Yes. She did indeed. When the soldiers finally arrived, she was full with child. General Soren demanded they could not kill him as he was the child's father."

"Why would that make a difference?" asked Sienna, confused.

"Vampire children are rare," he said, his gaze shifting from the road to her, seeming to gauge her response. "Many vampires are incapable of having children at all. So when it happens, it is a precious gift. Even a half breed."

"I see." Sienna had a feeling the way he said this had a deeper purpose than the telling of the story. "But it could not save him from his crimes, I'm sure. What did the Legionnaires do?"

"They took him prisoner back to the Glass Tower where the king agreed he would not die. Instead, he and the rest of his rebellious army were sentenced to a bloodless sleep in the dungeons. My father said it was the worst kind of torture. Those that had lived through it and had awoken when their sentence was finished claimed they could hear everything that happened around them. But they could not move or speak or even open their eyes. It's a form of induced paralysis for a vampire. They could last years, decades, even longer in such a state."

"And what happened to General Soren? Did he ever awaken? How long was his sentence?"

"Father said he died, for he was never heard of again." Nikolai glanced her way with a sad smile. "You see, we immortals are mortal after all."

"I know," she said with a reassuring smile. "But Nikolai, think of poor Mina. Paralyzed and captive in her own home. We must tell Arabelle."

"I spoke with Friedrich. He's already sent a courier with the news to her and Marius."

"Good."

"We'd best pick up the pace while we have the advantage of night," he said with a subtle click of his tongue and kick of his heel.

Sienna loosened her reins, and Astrophel quickened her step, falling into a steady gallop alongside Ramiel. The four of them headed swiftly on down the path.

The wind gusted through the trees. The leaves rustled, and a layer of snow drifted in a swirl across the road, sparkling like faerie dust. The night was silent and lovely. The world seemed at peace. But Sienna felt the coming storm, whirling in her breast and building for the dark days ahead. For now, she would try to savor this time with Nikolai. Heaven only knew what fate had in store for them around the bend. 





Chapter Sixteen

The hare roasting on the spit was nearly done by Nikolai's sense of smell. The sky teetered between day and night, a pale glow softening the eastern edge. Sienna had sat quietly, saying little since they'd stopped to rest. She nibbled absently on the bread he'd found packed in her saddlebag with a dazed expression fixed on the fire.

He took the tin plate he'd also found in the saddlebag and pulled some of the meat off the bone and passed it to her before resuming his position with his back to the tree, arms crossed, facing the trail in the near distance.

"That doesn't burn your fingers?" she asked, then blew on the rabbit meat, still steaming.

"No."

"Why doesn't a vampire feel hot and cold?"

"How do you mean?"

"You never wear gloves or seem affected by the extreme cold as I am. And you put your fingers over that red-hot fire. I can't even touch the rabbit right now, it's so hot."

"We feel hot and cold. Just not like humans. Or I should say, it doesn't hurt as much."

"Seems odd to me."

She finally fingered a bite of food into her mouth, and for some reason, that relaxed some of the tension stiffening Nikolai's shoulders.

"How so?"

She took a second to swallow. "Well, most of your senses are heightened, right? Sight, sound, smell. What of the others?"

She had his attention then. "All of our senses are heightened, including touch and taste."

She gulped, drawing his gaze to her slender throat. The prick of his fangs reminded him how wonderful she tasted.

"I see," she said, setting her near-empty plate to the side and wiping her hands on a handkerchief. "Then why don't you feel the cold and heat as humans do?"

He shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not sure. It's always been so for vampires. I'd say it's part of our genes' resistance to mortality. But how it happens? I don't know. We feel cold. And heat. But our skin is simply more … durable, I suppose is the best word."