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Elina followed her, casting a curious glance in my direction.

Cneajna strolled up to us, regarding Vlad curiously. “You look pensive, my husband. What concerns you so?”

“You need not worry, Cneajna,” Vlad responded in a distracted tone, his fingers lightly stroking his beard as he gazed intently at me.

I could see the apprehension in Cneajna’s blue eyes. Her lush red mouth pursed pensively, and I felt a pang of sorrow for her. There was something about her gaze. It was so beautiful, so potent, so lonely, and I knew nothing I did or said to her would make it fade from her lovely features.

“Glynis, come…now. ” Vlad said, holding out his hand to me. “We must go to my library. ”

Reluctantly, I moved to his side, my jewelry tinkling softly.

We left Cneajna, alone, in the snow, staring after us with a winsome, yet worried expression on her face. Oftentimes, I felt that Vlad disregarded how much she truly loved and pined for him. But he is a brute, so why should I be surprised that he would deny her very real love for him?

I obediently followed him through the long hallways and steep staircases to the library he often took refuge in. A fire was lit in the fireplace and the room seemed almost cheery. Papers were spread out on a table and Vlad motioned to a chair. I took my seat as he slid into his. His brow furrowed as his hands lightly touched several of the documents as I waited in silence.

Finally, he said in a low voice, “I have been planning to move to England for some time now. I spoke the truth to your parents about my desire to leave my home here and establish myself in London. ” His green eyes slowly raised to stare into mine. “I wish to buy an estate in England and move there to live as an aristocrat and a gentleman. ”

I tried not laugh at his usage of the word gentleman.

He continued, “Last year I told Sir Stephen my plans to move to England and that I needed to wed an Englishwoman. An aristocrat. When he heard that your family was visiting Rome, he wrote to your father and invited your family to Buda. Then he contacted me. ”

I felt my mouth fall open as I realized the extent of Sir Stephen’s betrayal of my family. I had thought he had merely obeyed Vlad by sending us to him. It was horrific that he had actually lured us to Buda and into a trap.

“Do you remember that night you attended the opera?

I nodded, remembering the night vividly. It had been a few days after our arrival in Buda. I had dressed in an el

egant ivory gown my mother had purchased for me in Paris. Despite the finery I wore and the jewels that had adorned my throat and wrists, I had felt rather put out. In fact, I had felt ill the entire night and had hidden in the back of the box, ignoring the performance on the stage.

“That is when I first saw you. I sat in the box across from your family and watched the shadows caress your beautiful face. It was then I knew I wanted you to be my mortal Bride. I was inspired by your beauty. ” Vlad’s gaze swept over my face and he smiled with satisfaction. “I made additional inquiries about your family to Sir Stephen. He was very informative about your family and their dealings. ”

I was surprised at his compliment to my beauty, but annoyed by his confession of Sir Stephen’s betrayal of my family. “He’s such a little sniveling toad. ”

Vlad laughed slightly. “Yes, he is, but a very loyal subject. I called on Sir Stephen and told him that I desired you. But I could no longer remain in Buda. The vampire hunters were stalking me, and my home in Buda was under suspicion. That is when Sir Stephen sent you to me. ”

I lowered my eyes and swallowed hard. It was painful to hear how this monster had lured my family all this way, had us journey so long, only to murder them and destroy me. All because he thought me beautiful, and I suited his plans.

“It was a mistake to bring your family here. I had forgotten how pompous and self-righteous the British are. The death of your family was never my intention. ”

The look I bestowed him with was filled with my fury, but he ignored it, “I am so sorry their deaths inconvenienced you,” I said sharply.

He frowned at me. “If your father had accepted my proposal of marriage, they would all be alive today. All he had to do was accept and leave you here as my wife. Later, you would have accompanied me back to England after they prepared for our arrival. ”

“How smug of you to believe I would have agreed to any of this! That I would be your happy, besotted wife and do as you said!” I could not help myself. He was just so sure that his original plan would have worked if only my father had not stood up to him!

“You would have learned to love me. All mortal women love men with power. ”

“Never! I never would have loved you. I despised you from the beginning,” I said rather shortly.

Vlad just smiled, gesturing with the sweep of his hand. “It does not matter now. Those plans are dead to us as is your family. ”

I hissed softly, and though he looked bemused, his eyes narrowed.

“You have been in my household for several months now. You are learning to love your new sisters and to accept what you are. Now you must prove your loyalty to me. ”

“I hate you,” I responded.

Vlad reached out and gently stroked my cheek then took a firm hold of the back of my neck and drew me to him. “I know you hate me, but loyalty to one does not also mean that you must love the one you serve. ”