Page 46 of Wynter's Bite

Once a little blaze was going, he cringed at the sight of the dusty, cobweb laden crypt. Eight years ago, he never would have dreamed of bringing a debutante to such a hideous place. But for their own safety, he had no choice.

He turned back to see Bethany lying on the slab, huddled in his blanket. Unease trickled down his spine as he noticed her bare feet. She’d need shoes, clothes, food.

For the first time since he set on his course to free her and take her to Cornwall, Justus experienced a wave of doubt. How could he expect to care for her when he was a rogue vampire, having to avoid both the sun and other vampires?

Chapter Nineteen

Bethany dreamed of the quiet room, cold and enclosed, screaming for help, but none came. She curled into a ball and shivered until she heard Keene’s brisk footsteps coming down the hall. The knob on the quiet room door rattled and turned...

She awoke, sore and muzzy-headed. But even though the surface she lay on was cold and hard, her back felt deliciously warm. As awareness imbued her, she noticed the well-muscled arm draped around her waist, and locks of deep red hair draped around her shoulder.

Happiness swelled her heart to bursting. Justus had saved her from the prison of Morningside last night, from Dr. Keene’s abominable tonics and Greeves’s lechery. Not only was she finally released from that abominable asylum, she was also reunited with her love at last.

She basked in the sheer bliss of it all for several moments before taking note of her surroundings. The dusty, crumbling stone chamber, dimly illuminated by the coals of a dying fire and a meager shaft of sunlight from the top of the stairwell on the far side of the room made stark reality rear its head.

They were in here because Justus was a vampire. He couldn’t go out in daylight. Furthermore, he was a rogue, hunted by others of his kind. And it was all her fault. If she hadn’t blurted that he was a vampire in front of her parents, and especially in front of Lord Tench, Justus wouldn’t have been exiled. Shame curdled her belly. How could he have forgiven her? Yet he had. And after eight years of misery, they were together again at last.

But now they were both fugitives. She prayed they’d be able to make it to Cornwall, and that the Lord Vampire there would indeed provide refuge. Their predicament was already far too precarious for her to be able to contemplate what would happen if he refused them. Justus had said they’d flee to the Americas in that case, but how would they secure passage on a ship, much less endure such a long voyage without him being exposed to the sun?

Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to be calm, for her relentless trembling to abate. Justus had a plan. He would know what to do. Just then, her stomach rumbled, reminding her of more pressing matters.

“We need to find food for you, but we have to wait until the sun goes down,” Justus said, and stroked her shoulder, easing her shivers. “I do have a skin of water to tide you over until then. I am so sorry not to have gathered victuals for you.”

The remorse in his voice tugged at her heart. She grasped his hand and snuggled against him, reveling in the warmth and security of his embrace. “It is not your fault. You did not know we would be departing last night.”

He eased them to a sitting position and adjusted the blanket around her. “Let me fetch you water and build the fire, and then we can plan our next move.”

Her body cried out with bereavement as he left the slab, though the promise of a warm fire and water for her parched throat were very welcome indeed. Lord, how it burned.

Justus handed her the waterskin and then walked around the chamber, gathering up scraps of rotting wood. Bethany took a deep drink of the blessedly cool water and nearly choked as she saw a human skull on the floor just below where her feet dangled.

“Where are we?” she asked, fighting a tremor in her voice.

“Beneath the ruins of an old church,” Justus replied as he lit a bit of tinder to start a fire. “The crypt, to be exact. I know it’s macabre, but it’s the safest choice.”

Orange light illuminated the dusty crypt as the blaze grew. Avoiding the skull, Bethany slipped off the slab to get closer to the fire. That’s when she noticed the oversized, but thick wool knee stockings covering her feet. He’d also covered her with his worn, but sturdy blue coat.

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