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"Why are we leaving?"

Vlad ignored hed, settling back in the seat How like Vlad to disregard me and exclude me from what may be a very dire situation Obviously, ould not have left so abruptly if so was not terribly amiss I wondered if perhaps the other vampires he had spoken of were the reason for our abrupt departure

"I suppose that it was utterly necessary for us to depart a perfectly lovely hotel with a nice comfortable bed," I said, not able to helpin the carriage "I a carriage"

Vlad regarded nored me

I frowned at him

He reached out and drew a thick heavy metal sheet down over theacross from my seat I watched as he secured the metal blinds to the ith heavy locks

"Close thebeside you," he ordered

"Should we not turn back and take shelter at the hotel?" I answered I admit that I was desperate in erous We will continue on in safety The driver will only stop to change the horses and pick up our escort at the edge of the forest," Vlad answered "Now, hurry and close that !"

My fingers found the edge of the an to pull it down over the hen a light glih the trees and I hesitated It was then I realized that the sky was brightening above the horizon Soft pink clouds slipped across the now tranquil sky over the tops of the pine trees

"The sun," I whispered in awe

How long had it been since I have seen its wonderful, beautiful light and felt its war," I said in awe

Vlad finished double locking the carriage doors and swiveled about "Glynis!"

Sunlight struck the hand I had pressed against the glass of theI screaan to burn Vlad dove overthe sun’s deadly brilliance He quickly twisted the latches into place and locked the sun

I lay where I had fallen over on the seat, staring at ht and dreadfully painful Huge blisters covered ed

"Da to kill yourself?"

"I have not seen the sun in so long," I answered in a hushed tone "I had forgotten its appearance and how it felt on hed with exasperation "Well, now the sun is death, Glynis You know this! Should you ever be caught in the sunlight, you shall die"

I sat up and extended my hand to him "Look! Look! Look what the sun has done to ruffly and twisted it this way and that to examine my burns "Yes, yes, you burned yourself"

"It hurts dreadfully," I told him But it made me happy to feel such pain It felt like mortal pain and it ht, yet mortified It slowly dawned on ht could have struck rabbed ain Understand?"

"Yes, yes, I pro nails He bloodied his fingers, then spread his blood over an to fade away My hand healed until it was perfect and whole

"There Now, sleep I knoill be hard When I travel, I am never able to fall fully into the depths of our vampire slumber, but we must rest ourselves"

"What about vae," I asked

"That is e are about to meet our armed escort They will protect us by day," Vlad answered He sat back in his seat and placed his hands on his knees With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes and began to sink into the va atquite fast and rocked gently I was beginning to feel very tired Finally, I curled up on the cushioned seat and closed e was absolute, yet soothing Yet, I was starkly aware of the searing sunlight beating down on the carriage It frighteneddown all around me

"Don’t think of it Just sleep," Vlad ht, I was asleep

Chapter 19

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright-Continued

6th of March, 1820

I awoke before Vlad this evening and wrote what I could in lance over and see hi across from me, eyes closed, his face shrouded in darkness I was uncertain he was truly asleep, but he did not stir as I slippedplace inall I could into the journal about rossed was I in reen eyes opened and fastened upon me

"What is that?" he asked

I looked up, startled, quite alarmed by his tone

He held out his hand tonails ickedly curved

Reluctantly, I slidat the pages, then closed it, and handed it back to me

"Make certain mortals never find it," he said, and the issue was dismissed

Grateful that he had not taken upon hih the journal, I tucked it away so that he would not be inspired to do so

Soon I understood why he had no interest in trivial things He opened up the reen eyes were tinted with the blaze of an internal fire and his teeth were quite long and the tips were visible beneath the brush of his er was upon hie to stop so that we could feed It was not long after we had awakened that the carriage rolled to a jarring stop

Vlad was so charged with anticipation, he was perched on the very edge of his seat I, too, began to feel the burning in my veins that was sheer torment Perhaps it was his blood lust that stirred ainst azed out of theup at theorb reminded me of my freedom and of our destination I was far fro to wait for my vampire sisters to feed first

I could see that we had stopped on the outskirts of a sin I was enthralled at the thought of hunting without an to burn as my senses became acute I slid off my coat and placed uard opened the door to the carriage and Vlad slipped out quickly He turned to e As rass, I breathed in the scents of the night A tingling in my nostrils let le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>