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I heard him set the phone carefully back in its cradle "You need to hang on just a fewto stay very still"

"I’ll try Staying still would be good" Actually, still wasn’t good, as far as my stomach was concerned I wanted him to run Wanted hi in a futile atteet away My voice was thready, but oddly, the lisp wasIn fact, I could feel h the fabric of hs The pain centered me, made me feel a little more human

"Ms Graves, listen to me You must eat every four hours without fail, and you will need to take particular care to eat just prior to sundown Right now you’re feeling your sire’s hunger co yourself considerablyI wasn’t sure I could Coherent thought was fading in a haze of overwhelish beat of my abruptly undead heart

"Ms Graves, Celia You need to answergrowl, and I could feel the heat ofthe rooh I couldn’t seem to remember why it was so desperately iht shift of air displaced

"Don’t come in! Leave the tray just inside the door"

My head snapped around and I locked the intruder in a stare She was glowing so bright I couldn’t see the color of her hair or skin But her eyes … they were deep blue And they were ar or wolf in the wild I could watch each individual hair on her arms rise and her muscles twitch "Sir--" There was fear in her voice It resonated throughof a bell I shuddered; e for the very hu, too, and her fear a vibrant thing that was nearly alive on its own

"Close your eyes, Heather Don’t let her entrance you Just put the tray on the ground and leave" She paused and he finally raised his voice "Do it!"

The blue eyes closed, and my attachainst china as she nearly lost her grip I followed her everyShe backed out in a suddenbehind her with panicked finality

I was panting in earnest now, breathing as hard as if I’d done a ten- his way out of the enveloping chair "I want you to stare at the plant in the corner, Celia Look at the plant Tall, lush … alive" Ificus It was tall and lush and alive, but it didn’t have Dr Scott’s pulsing, glorious glow The bright light of blood It was starting to hurt not to"I’ to leave the room now The food is here When you’ve finished, and you’re yourself again, you can call out and I’ll come back in Do you understand?"

I made a noise that should have been assent Instead, it was an ani the wet blood oneven deeper so that I would not chase I stared at the plant even as I heard hi bread that I should follow to the source

Only when I heard a door close and the sound of a dead bolt sliding hoh the blood vessels that had burst in my eyes But I could smell Food There was food Inored the bowl and spoon and just grabbed the pitcher, pouring liquid heated exactly to body temperature down my throat so fast that some of it spilled out of my mouth and down the front of my shirt Blood and juices fro It should have ht about the bathroom Not only did he have one, but it was as oversized and as luxuriously appointed as the rest of the office Shining creaold covered 90 percent of the surfaces The ceiling was painted the color of California sands The throw rugs matched towels nearly the size of bedsheets, both a deep caraold that exactly matched the veins in the marble The wall behind the counter and oversized double sinks was a single sheet mirror

The reflection that stared back at lohite Not pure white, but pale grayish white with a greenish sepulchral undertone Was this what Eht that was the only color other than the stark stains that soakedThe cotton was stuck to me like a second skin and droplets of reddish brown left a dark trail where I passed over that pale, beautiful stone I’d pulled my hair back when I cleaned up at the office, so there was nothing to soften or distract from the primal ferocity of a face that was both my face and not

I stared at my reflection in horrified fascination, unable to look away

I heard the creak of the door outside with unusual clarity, but it didn’t make me react the way I had before I could smell Dr Scott on the other side, but noas just his cologne and the lingering hint of Irish Spring soap, instead of the scent of his blood flowing under thin skin "Ms Graves, I’ and toiletries outside the door When you’re done cleaning up, we need to talk"