Page 13 of The Vampire Curse

The tree branchesare nearly bare. In the dark of night, they look like demons rising to take shape, reaching up through the forests. Silver moonlight glints off the still lake, making it look like glass.

A dull ache throbs behind my eyes. I rub my head, not sure how long I have been standing here, looking out over the grounds.

I don’t know what I was doing before. The wine must have affected me more than I expected. I’ve never had so much before at one time.

The open window lets in a soft breeze that flutters the curtain and chills the floor beneath my bare feet.

The fire in the hearth is little more than small flames and embers. It must be sometime near dawn.

My thoughts are muddled, my limbs slow to respond, sluggish as if I am underwater.

I make my way toward the window, wondering what had possessed me to open it in the first place. Every muscle in my body is stiff, and it takes all the focus I can muster to make them obey.

A motion below stills my hands as I reach for the window. Instead of closing it, I pull it wide open. I blink to clear my vision, but there isn’t enough light. Whoever, or whatever, shifts in stilted and uneven movements, then appears several yards ahead of where it was.

I press my cold hand to my forehead in an attempt to stop my mind from spinning.

The figure, both human and shapeless in form, stops in its tracks. I’m not sure how I know—it’s far too dark to make out any details—but they are looking straight at me.

Two pinpoints of red appear where eyes should be. Neither of us moves for a long moment.

A shiver runs over every inch of my skin, and my breath forms soft, white puffs in the air before me.

There is a noise… like softly spoken words that sound jumbled to my ears. I lean forward until I'm half hanging out of the window, straining to make out what they are saying. My hands brace against the ledge, nails biting into the damp wood, made soft by the recent rains.

Get back inside.If my hand slips, I will topple forward and fall out. And it is a long way down.

Whoever… or whatever it is repeats the same string of words, over and over.

The features begin to take shape. The eyes flash bright, and a wicked smile forms across the mouth that wasn’t there a second ago.

Demon.

Run… run…My mind screams the command, but I remain rooted in place, a prisoner in my body.Run!

I suck in a lungful of icy night air. I’m released, stumbling backward several steps before managing to catch myself.

As I back away, black, smoky plumes rise to my window, blotting out the world on the other side. It hovers, growing impossibly thick.

Demons cannot enter homes unless invited.

Hoarfrost forms on the windowsill with a slow crackle, then spreads down the wall to the floorboards. The black mass outside continues to condense.

I take a step back and freeze. My heart nearly stops as the demon slides through the open window like a heavy fog.

It pours inside through the opening, frost preceding in its wake—flashes of light spark and snap, a lightning storm within.

The demon circles the floor, surrounding me, drawing nearer with each rotation.

I can’t move without stepping into it. It swirls over my feet then rises up my body. I close my eyes and swallow.

This isn’t real. It can’t be.

But itfeelsreal.

“Sssweeet huuuumannn…” they hiss. “I will conssssuumme yooou… possessss yooou.”

My head thunders and each beat of my pulse makes the world quake. Then everything is dark, and I can’t see. I try to scream, but my mouth, my throat, my voice, all fail me.