Page 10

I sat up and glared at the doorway. “Who is at my door?”

Slowly, I came to realize that the whispers were all around me. Leaping from the bed, I began to feverishly look about for any source of the odd phenomenon. Try as I may, I could not fully hear the voices that were taunting me, or find their origin.

“I must be mad,” I said aloud.

Shaking my head, my long hair falling around my shoulders, I put a hand to my face. As I listened, the soft whispers faded away. Eventually, I began to believe I had imagined the entire incident.

Weary from the journey, disturbed by my own hallucinations, I climbed back into the bed. Exhaustion must be playing with my mind, I thought.

Soon, sleep claimed me, and I fell into a restless slumber.

As I lay there in the great bed, in this old dark castle, I dreamed the strangest dream. Prince Vlad rose up beside the bed, standing over me, his chest bare, and his auburn hair falling to his waist. A strange pendant hung against his muscled chest. It was a golden dragon.

And in this strange dream, he leaned over me, gazing upon me. He ran his hands over my long red tresses, letting my curls wrap around his fingers.

“Yes, my dearest Glynis, you are the one. ”

And in this dream, that frightened and aroused me, his hands slid over me, slowly drawing down the bedclothes. Moving onto the bed, he knelt over me, reaching down to stroke my face with his cold fingertips. Sliding a hand under my neck, he lifted me toward him, my hands falling helplessly to my sides. Slowly, his other hand dipped seductively into my nightgown, resting over my beating heart.

In my dream state, I could feel my heart beginning to beat harshly, and I strained to fully open my eyes. My body was on fire beneath his touch.

Desire in his eyes, he leaned over, breathing in my breath.

I swooned, my face falling away from him, exposing my throat. I wanted to scream and thrash about, but my body betrayed me.

And in this nightmare, this odd dream of mine, he licked my throat with his long tongue, a gesture of a dark promise of what was to come.

“Soon,” he said.

A deep moan broke forth from my own lips, wakening me.

I sat upright and looked about quite anxiously. The bed was empty save for me. The bedclothes were tossed about and hanging partially off the bed. My hand flew to my throat and it felt damp to my touch. My entire body was heaving. My nightgown fell loosely over one shoulder, exposing one breast. I quickly covered it, irrationally fearing it would somehow be seen.

The dream still clung to me as I slipped off the bed. Still trembling from the throes of the nightmare, I moved about the room, looking into every darkened corner, and behind every piece of furniture. I fancied I would find the Prince hiding there, waiting to ravish me once more in my sleep, but he was no where to be found.

I was quite alone.

The room was empty.

The Prince did not dwell in the shadows.

I was alone.

Heart thudding, I forced myself to take refuge under the covers.

Sleep took long in returning.

Chapter 3

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright - Continued

I was already lying awake staring into the shadows when morning came. The storm had disappeared during the night. The breeze wafting through the window I had opened shortly after awakening was cool and fresh. I slipped from the bed and moved toward the window, desperate to see the sun. I had craved the warmth and light of the morning sun in hopes that it would chase away the wraiths of the night. When it finally spilled over the horizon, the light felt cold and harsh, and I shrank back from the window. A chill fluttered over my skin, and I drew my robe tightly around me. The nightmares seemed far away, yet I was still unnerved. The power of their intensity lingered within me.

Though this foreign land was beautiful, it frightened me. Its hidden supernatural pulse beat loudly in my ears, and I could taste it on my tongue. I felt quite irrational and foolish after the harrowing night in the forsaken castle. I felt I had been claimed in that strange, terrible dream.

There was a sharp rap on the door, then my mother’s voice called out, “Glynis, darling, let me in. ”

I rushed over and quickly drew back the bolt. As I flung back the