Page 1 of Sergi (Of Blood & Dreams #7)

The slow drip of water trickled onto the hard stone floor, the endless sound echoing through the dark, dank tunnels. Lanterns, barely bright enough to ward off the lurking shadows, reflected down the wide passages that led to a maze of narrower ones and dimly reflected the aged wooden doors. Behind each one, small barren rooms carved from granite like the tunnels themselves were empty.

Except for one.

In that cell, third from the end of this particular passage, the latent sound of a harsh pounding followed by a slamming door slowly pierced the peacefulness of sleep.

The beast woke.

It took a moment for its eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was weak. Thirsty. Tremors clutched its gut, and every nerve ending sizzled as if on fire. The bone-chilling air was the only comfort, numbing most of the excruciating pain.

But nothing tortured it more than its hunger. Its ravenous need to feed.

The only peace was in slumber.

Sometime later, the vampire lifted his chin and glanced through the dim light, confirming he was still alone. That was good.

He dropped his head, his body held upright by a four-inch steel band that stretched across his chest and bolted to the wall on either side of him. His arms were spread wide, held in place by narrow steel manacles strapped to the wall.

Even the beast wished for the hard surface to lay on.

He wasn’t sure if he’d fallen asleep again, but his eyes popped open at the scratching of wood on wood as the bar that locked the door was lifted. His body tensed, preparing for the next round of torture—or worse—the tainted blood.

The door scraped along the stone floor as it was pushed open. The light from the hallway cast a long shadow of the lone figure. It scurried in, quick as a mouse.

The beast howled.