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“Sleep well, Glynis,” he called after me, and threw back his head, howling with laughter.

I fled after father.

An hour later, my mother double-checked the bolt on my door. “All is packed, correct?”

“Yes, Mother. All save my traveling clothes and nightgown. ” I sat on the bed brushing out my long red hair. “I shall be ready as soon as it is morning. ”

“I will be glad to be away from this ghastly place. That horrible Prince Vlad frightened me so. But your father was quite strong, and I was very proud of him. ” Mother walked over and laid a kiss on my cheek. “We shall soon be away from this place and all will be as it should be. Now, sleep well, my dearest, and make sure to bolt the door behind me. ”

I followed her to the door, kissed her cheek fondly, then shut and locked the door behind her. I was relieved that soon we would depart from this place, yet I felt unsettled and wary. I glanced warily about, studying the shadows. The floor was cold against my bare feet and I hurried to the bed. Leaping onto it, I snatched up the covers, drawing them tight over my body. The bed still smelled odd, but I was so cold and tired, I did not mind. I curled up under the covers, nestling down.

Silently, I said my prayers and closed my eyes.

Soon, I was asleep.

I stirred when soft voices murmured about me. Sleepily, my eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim firelight. Rubbing my eyes, I peered into the shadows.

A woman’s voice uttered words softly, dreamily.

Slowly, it dawned on me that three women were standing around me, gazing down on me. Their backs were to the fire so it was hard to make out their faces, but two appeared to have dark hair and third, long blond hair. All were dressed in flowing ivory gowns that seemed to sparkle like fresh dew on a lily.

One of the women murmured in a foreign tongue, her voice brushing over me like silken threads.

The three women laughed together as one of the dark haired women moved closer to me. I tried to sit up and demand to know why they were in my chamber, but I found that my limbs were leaden. I could not move. As she leaned closer, I could see the strong beautiful features of the woman. Her eyes were dark and bright. Her voluptuous mouth was red and smiling. Slowly, the strange woman reached out a long, fine hand and ran it over my red tresses. She turned to whisper something in her own language to the others and they laughed together.

Frightened by the bizarre women, I tried to move away, but again I could not move. My body was limp. All I could do was move my eyes about beneath my lashes.

Another woman - perhaps a little younger than I - stretched out beside me on the bed. Her hair was long and curly, wound with long chains of gold adorned with jewels. Fingertips trailed over my face, then down my arm as she studied me with curiosity I found alarming. I tried to pull away from those cold, cold fingers as she lightly drew them up my arm, then down over my chest. Her hand stilled over my heart and she gently pressed her palm against my skin. Closing her eyes, seeming to swoon, she hummed softly. I realized she was chorusing the beating of my frightened heart.

“Stop,” I managed to whisper.

The woman’s eyes flicked open as she leaned down close over my face. I could see her eyes were brown flecked with gold, and her lips were so red they seemed to be glistening with fresh blood. She continued to hum to me, sing-songing the sound of my beating heart, beating faster and faster.

The blond woman pulled her back from me, chiding her in another language. The younger woman looked at her belligerently, then laughed. Grabbing the hand of the other dark haired woman, she ran into the corner of the room, dragging her sister behind her. The shadows seemed to swallow them up and they were gone.

My heart was thudding so hard in my chest it almost hurt. I felt as if my breath would not come quickly enough. And still, I could not move.

Leaning over me, the golden haired lady touched my face with a soft, cold hand. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, and her eyes shimmered like jewels. “You are so alive. I can feel your warmth. ” Her voice was soft, musical, her words richly accented as she spoke perfect English. “I can almost taste your heartbeat on my tongue. Feel it beating like a pulse in my teeth. So warm, so alive, so beautiful. ” Her hand lightly stroked my hair as she studied my features, smiling lightly. “You are so warm, alive…but soon you will join us. It is the Master’s desire. Soon, you shall be our sister, my daughter. ”

I could feel myself trembling violently beneath the covers. Was this the same woman I saw beside the road our first night here? I was sure it was. Her hands were so cold just like those of the apparition. She must be a wraith! Some sort of ghastly creature of the night!

Suddenly, she seized me up in her arms, her hands cold and strong. Blue eyes, burning with fire, stared down into mine. Her fingers slid into my hair as she held me, pressing me tightly against her.

“Release me,” I whispered in vain.

Her eyes glittered as she smiled then kissed me. Her lips were cold like ice as they slid from my lips over my cheek as she turned my face away from her. The long golden locks slid over my face, obscuring my view.

I heard Vlad’s voice whispering my name as I was suddenly crushed between two cool bodies. Something sharp grazed my throat and my hands flailed at my sides. I heard more whispering and laughter, as the pain became greater.

“Release me!” My voice erupted from my lips.

A sharper pain pierced the other side of my throat. I was aware of two people on either side of me, crushing me to them, my hair being drawn back sharply by one of them.

They suddenly released me, and I fell back on the bed, my body limp as my head fell painfully to one side. My breath seemed shallow in my chest and I could not move. My throat felt ravaged and raw, something warm trickling down between my breasts. I saw, once more, three women standing next to the bed whispering as the shadows danced around them. The blond apparition's mouth was smeared with blood. One of the dark haired women licked away a bloody drop from the blond woman's lips with a long pink tongue

Prince Vlad moved slowly over me, bare-chested, the gold medallion glittering in the firelight. Slowly, he lowered his head, sweeping his tongue up over my chest. When he raised his head, I saw his lips smeared with blood.

“Sleep,” the Prince whispered and the world grew dim.