Longing for You, стр. 25
She patted the horse named Angel on the snout, and it whinnied.Her horses were the only creatures that weren’t afraid of her.
Victorija had only just finished drinking blood, and the gnawinghunger was back again. She hated feeling like this, constantly hungry and herbody jittery like she was some kind of drug addict.
But there was fear too, for there was nothing Victorija hated morethan being out of control, and this hunger was out of control. An image ofVictorija ripping the heart out of Lucia, her grandmother, came to theforefront of her mind.
The movie in her head of the event was torturing her and had takenits toll on her. The childhood feelings of happiness, sadness, and love weredebilitating. She had banished love from her heart centuries ago, but now shecould remember how they felt.
Victorija looked down at her hands and saw they were shaking. Shepressed her head against the stable door and pleaded with herself, “You have toconquer this.”
“Principe?” She heard Drasas’s voice behind her.
Victorija turned around and saw Drasas with a woman she didn’tknow. An attractive, intriguing looking woman.
“Who is this?” Victorija asked.
“This is Madam Anka, the woman I said may be able to help you feelbetter.”
Anka held out her hand. “Principe, it’s an honour to meet you.”
Victorija took her hand. “Who are you?”
“I’m a very powerful witch who can help you. I contacted Drasas tobroker this meeting. I want to propose a deal. I have dark witches, werewolves,and fae all on my side. So I should like to propose a mutually beneficialarrangement to allow us both to take on the Debreks.”
“I don’t care about attacking the Debreks just now.” Victorijastarted to walk away.
“What if I could tell you what’s wrong? Why you can’t seem to sateyour hunger? Why you feel like you’re becoming lost in your mind?”
Victoria stopped and looked back. “Tell me.”
* * *
Later that evening, after Alexis finished with her duties, shewent down to the kitchen to get Katie a cup of tea. Alexis knew this was Katie’snightly ritual and probably no one else noticed, and she didn’t know if Katiewould ask for it in her current state.
She bounded up the stairs in a flash and walked along the corridortowards Katie’s room. There was a guard now stationed outside on Alexis’sorders. Josie had run, but she might be stupid enough to return if the lure ofKatie’s blood was too strong. As she approached, she heard a voice in Katie’sroom and it put her on alert.
“Who’s in there?” Alexis said to the vampire on the door.
“Dr. McKenzie, Duca. Katie had a bit of an incident when thedoctor arrived to check up on her.”
Alexis tuned her hearing into the room.
“I know it can be a frightening world, living amongst vampires.If you’d like to get away to recover, I mean, it could be arranged.”
Alexis had heard enough. No one was taking Katie anywhere. Shewalked straight in the door without knocking and saw Tyler McKenzie seated onthe bed. Katie had pushed herself up against the headboard and was using hercovers as a barrier.
Tyler jumped when she heard the door open. “Ah, Duca. I came tocheck on Katie and take out her IV line, and she seemed to think I was Josiecoming back to finish her off.”
Alexis gave her a hard stare. “I’ll take it from here.”
At first the doctor met her stare for a few seconds, then lookedoff to the side. “I’ll just get my bag. I’ll be back tomorrow to see how sheis.”
Tyler gathered her bag and started to walk to the door. Just asshe was about to leave, Alexis said in a low voice, “Ms. Brekman will not begoing anywhere, Doctor. A vampire attacked her, and only vampires are thecorrect ones to keep her safe from further danger.”
Tyler gave her a false smile. “Of course.”
Once the doctor left, Alexis approached the bed and put the teadown on the bedside cabinet. “I brought you your tea. What happened to make youso frightened?”
Katie’s knuckles were white from hanging onto the bedcovers sohard. “The window.”
Alexis looked over to the window, but she didn’t see anythingamiss. She reached out her hand, asking Katie to take it. Katie looked at herhand, grasped it, and as she did let out a breath. Katie’s hand was stillfeeling cold.
“Everything’s not right,” Katie said.
Alexis remembered this afternoon when Katie said she was fine,she’d felt Katie was hiding something. But she had to get her to relax beforeshe could talk properly.
She lifted the mug of tea and put it into Katie’s hand. “I’ve gotyour cup of tea. I know you don’t go to bed without it.”
Katie felt the warmth of the mug enter her hand and travel up herarm. It along with Alexis’s presence made her taut muscles relax, and she slidback down the bed. She brought the hot tea to her lips and the warmth seepedinto her bones, brought her back to the present.
“What happened, Katie?”
Katie rubbed her forehead. “I was dreaming, I think. I thought Icould see Josie at the window, and then I woke up and Tyler was standing overme. I thought it was Josie.”
“Listen, Josie can’t get in here. I have a guard on your roomdoor, and I’ll put two guards on patrol under your window. She won’t get near.”
“Thank you, and thank you for the tea. How did you know I have itevery night?”
“I noticed,” Alexis said simply.
Katie was taken aback. “I didn’t think you noticed anything aboutme.”
“I notice everything.”
Katie’s thoughts and emotions were so mixed up, she didn’t knowwhat to think about that answer. She would think about it more deeply anothertime.
“When you said everything’s not right, what did you mean?” Alexisasked.
How could she explain how she had been feeling since she woke upafter the attack? She hadn’t articulated it to anyone. Could she now? How couldyou explain that you felt like you had lost a part of yourself?
“I don’t know how to explain—I haven’t told anyone this.”
Alexis gave her a