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Marisa rose early after a sleepless night, glad that she didn&039;t have to go to work Last night, she had gone back to bed, only to toss and turn until dawn Every ti over the wos buried in the woman&039;s neck as he drained her body of blood, of life

Slipping on her robe, she went out to get the paper Carrying it into the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee, then spread the newspaper out on the table The headlines screamed at her:

VAMPIRE KILLER STRIKES AGAIN

ELEVEN DEATHS NOW ATTRIBUTED TO SERIAL KILLER

Even before she read the story, she knehat it was going to say, knew that what she had dreahtmare at all The woton Beach There were two puncture wounds in her neck; she had been drained of blood Time of death had been put at sometime between two and three am No witness had co in her throat as she stared at the grainy black-and-white photo

Needing so to occupy her mind, she dressed in a pair of sweats, and then turned her attention to cleaning the apart Technicolor Dreamcoat on the CD player and set to work She mopped the floors in the kitchen and the bathrooed the sheets on the bed, cleaned out the refrigerator

And always, in the back of her e of the woman she had dreamed about, the wohts been before that s into her neck? Had it hurt? Had she been terrified, or had the vampire clouded her mind with his power?

That an replacing the refrigerator&039;s contents It was hard to picture Grigori as a monster He was by far the most handsome man she had ever met Tall and dark and mysterious And dead Or undead

She kneas true, yet standing in her kitchen in the bright light of day, it seeeles

She wiped her hands, then went into the bedrooet out of the house She needed to be surrounded by people Needed to be out in the sunshine

Grabbing her handbag and her keys, she left her apartment The late-afternoon sun felt delicious on her skin, and she stood on the landing for ain its warmth

"Afternoon, Miss Richards"

She peered over the balcony to see her landlord watering the lawn "Hi, Mr Abbott"

"Pretty day," he reht rain this "

Marisa walked down the stairs and went to stand beside hiet her shoes wet "Hard to believe it&039;s November already"

Abbott nodded "Be Christo?"

"I don&039;t know"

"So, where you headed this fine day?"

"Nowhere in particular I think I ain "Christmas seems to come earlier every year"

"Ain&039;t it the truth Talk to you later"

"So long"

The mall was crowded Marisa felt her spirits lift as she joined the holiday throng Christmas music came over the speakers; the stores were decorated with the usual Santas and reindeer and snowray sweater and a couple of conservative ties for her father, a Cross pen and pencil set for her boss It was dark when she left the"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" when she climbed the stairs to her apartment

The words died in her throat when she saard Ra, Miss Richards"

"Hello, Mr Raarded the gaily wrapped presents bulging fros She read the silent conde the city, and she had been out shopping as if it were a day like any other

"Is it possible you haven&039;t heard the latest news?" A shiver ran down Marisa&039;s spine "Not another one?"

He nodded, his expression soo"

"Another woirl"

"That&039;s twelve in little more than a week"

Ramsey nodded His eyes, usually so mild, blazed with impotent fury "I can&039;t believe it&039;s all Alexi&039;s doing"

"What do you mean?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Miss Richards?"

She stared at hihtmare Whether she liked it or not, whether she wanted to adori was a vampire And like Alexi, he needed blood to survive

"You don&039;t think Alexi is the only one involved in the killings" She felt suddenly, utterly weary "You think Grigori&039;s responsible for so the door, she entered her aparts on the floor and went into the kitchen

Ramsey closed and locked the door, then followed her into the room He stood in the doorway, his ar while she filled the coffeemaker ater

"Twelve deaths in a week is a lot," Ramsey remarked "Even for a fiend like Kristov"

"Is it? I wouldn&039;t know"

"I would"

Marisa went into the living room and sat down on the sofa She had been alone in her aparthts Alone with a man as really a monster in spite of his handsome facade

She practically ju

"Are you expecting Chiavari?" Raet it"

"All right" She clasped her hands to still their tre with trepidation as she heard Grigori&039;s voice

And then he was there, loo over her As always, his presence seee she possessed to ?" he asked, his voice sharp "Has Ra your head with more nonsense?"

"I don&039;t know Has he?"