That strange wave washed through me. My body knew it wasn’t natural, but it succumbed all the same. I melted into the plush duvet. Warm waters doused every nerve. The riot of thoughts in my head quieted.
My skin pricked. He had suggested I change into my nightdress as the turning process could take a few days. His eyes drifted to my arm, then down to my legs. He placed a hand atop my bare thigh, rubbing it up and down to warm me.
And that was why I trusted him. He saw me. He paid attention. He anticipated my needs before I could utter a single word. When everyone else was content to look the other way hoping for my absence, he looked to me.
“Are you absolutely sure you want this, mannyenska?”
I nodded.
“I’m going to need verbal consent.”
I smiled at his flatness. “Yes. I want this.”
Alaric’s blood was already in my system, but it was Sebastian’s venom that would turn me.
My thigh grew cold as he removed his hand, placing it at the side of my neck, his thumb beneath my jaw, his fingers wrapped around my nape. His velvet lips trailed up the other side. Warmth coursed through me as his teeth sank in, but the beginnings of pleasure quickly burned up as my body was set on fire.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
It took me a moment to realize I was screaming. And that pressure was his hand at my shoulder and atop my stomach pressing me down into the bed, restraining me as I thrashed. His face appeared pained with exertion. The calming waves crashed against my body attempting to get through, but the pain was unbearable as the venom tore me apart from the inside.
I wasn’t sure how long it had been. I was stuck within the confines of this present moment, unable to see beyond it, unable to know anything but the blinding pain. My vision blurred, shapes melded together to nothing but a warm glow. Maybe night had fallen already.
* * *
A heavy mass weighed me down. My limp body tugged along black waters. Once the peace of drifting finally settled over me, I was yanked in another direction. This happened over and over again, until finally, mercifully, I fell to the bottom.
* * *
My eyes opened to a darkened room. A faint glow came from the corner, illuminating shadows and Sebastian hunched over as he sat beside me on the edge of the bed. My body ached as if each bone had been shattered and haphazardly glued back together, each muscle shredded and hastily sewn up.
A ragged cry tore from my throat when I attempted to move. Sebastian shot up, kneeling beside me, his face inches from mine. Something brushed through my hair, I winced at the pressure, and it immediately disappeared.
I couldn’t stand this any longer. I couldn’t remain trapped within this house of glass that was my body. The pain was too loud in my mind. It occupied every corner.
“Show me something.” My voice was so raw and faint, the words barely slipped past my throat.
I was grateful he heard and understood exactly what I meant; one more word would have killed me.
I squinted at the soft light that seeped through the darkness, until I was beneath a powder blue sky. The sun spilled over my skin. I hadn’t realized I’d been shivering until the warmth melted through. I laid within an open field of waving grass. Willows dotted all around me, their tendrils held by the breeze. Fluffy seeds drifted through the air, meandering about wherever the flow took them. The breeze picked up to a whispering wind, swirling the grass around me. That strange wave washed through me again, much stronger than it had ever been.
* * *
The next time I opened my eyes a cool gray filled the room. The sconces were lit with an orange glow. Rain pattered against the windows. I watched the rivulets stream down the glass through the sheer, white curtain. My eyes were still heavy. The plinking lullaby nearly eased me back to sleep. But as I peeled my tongue from the roof of my mouth, the incessant dryness was all I could think about. My throat burned.
I wanted to cry from relief when I couldn’t feel my body, or more accurately, when I couldn’t feel any pain. The moment I sat up, Sebastian just about hurled himself through the open door. Concern riddled his usually blank face, and my mouth fell open slightly in surprise. He approached me cautiously.
“How are you feeling?” His voice was calm compared to his worried expression.
“I feel a lot better, but I’m really thirsty.”
He nodded once and stormed out of the room. I wondered if he was holding back from running. He returned promptly with a glass bottle filled with ... blood. My nose crinkled up.
“You’ll like it. Trust me.”
Once I reluctantly took the bottle, I was relieved that it felt cold. It being warm would have reminded me where it came from. As I brought it closer, a delightful smell trailed through the air. I sniffed again. The usual nauseating, coppery stench of blood had transformed into something sweet, like whipped sugar. My mouth watered so much that I took a drink before thinking better of it. The flavor bloomed on my tongue like honey-coated strawberries, which was the last thing I had expected blood to taste like. I gulped it down like water, and it thoroughly quenched my parched throat. It was so delicious. I wanted more.
As my eyes met his, he saw the hunger laced throughout them.
