“I cannot allow you out of my sight. There are others seeking you. I must stay near to protect you at all times.”
Alexandria rubbed her pounding temples with her palms.
The creature was trying to invade her mind, and the constant struggle to keep him out was becoming very painful. “Look, mister—what is your name, anyway?”
“Are we to be polite and civilized then?” He was laughing at her.
“Yes, I think that would be best.” Her control was crumbling, and she knew it. She had to find a way to get Joshua away from him. Joshua had to live whether she managed to do so or not. Deliberately she dug her fingernails into her palms and concentrated on the sensation to keep her focus.
“By all means, then, let us be civilized. I am Paul Yohenstria. I come from the Carpathian Mountains. You may have noticed my accent.”
She held out her arms for her brother, unable to stop herself. “Give Joshua to me, please, Mr. Yohenstria. He’s just a little boy.”
“You wish him to remain alive, and I wish you to accompany me, I think we can work out something mutually beneficial. Do you not agree?”
Alexandria allowed her empty arms to fall to her sides. She was exhausted and frightened, and her head hurt terribly. Somehow he was amplifying her discomfort, wearing at her defenses with his mental battering, the voice in her head driving her mad with its relentless pressure. “I’ll go with you. Just leave my brother here.”
“No, my dear, I will not do that. Come to me now.”
She went reluctantly. She had no other choice. Joshua was her life. She loved him more than anything. If he was gone, she had nothing. The moment Yohenstria touched her, she felt sickened. His bloodstained fingers curled around her upper arm, and she could see the blood trapped beneath the long, dagger-like nails. Henry’s blood. He allowed Joshua to drop to the ground, but the boy simply remained where he had fallen.
“You don’t need to hold me. I just want to check on Josh,” Alexandria said. The contact with such an evil being was making her stomach churn, and she feared she would have to vomit again.
“Leave him for the moment.” His fingers tightened like a vise, dragging her close so that his body touched hers. She could smell his fetid breath, the scent of blood and death. His skin was clammy and ice-cold.
Alexandria struggled in his hold, trying to escape, although she knew she was helpless in his grasp. He bent closer to her neck, and his breath, hot and foul, touched her skin.
“Don’t. Oh, God, don’t,” Alexandria whispered, her voice failing her. If he released her, she would fall, her knees buckling, but he held her still as he bent even closer.
“Your God has abandoned you,” he whispered. And his teeth closed over her throat, puncturing deeply, a pain so intense that everything swirled blackly. He dragged her into his arms and feasted, gulping at the rich blood. She was small, and he nearly crushed her in his arms as he drank. She could feel the fangs hooked in her body, connecting them in some dark, ugly way. Her body felt weak and sluggish; her heart stuttered and labored as he continued to drain her. Her lashes swept down, and even as she told herself she had to live to fight for Josh, black dots whirled and danced before her eyes, and she slumped helplessly against the vampire’s wiry frame.
He lifted his head, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. “And now you must drink to live.” His teeth tore open his own wrist, and he pressed it to her lips, watching as his tainted blood dripped into her mouth.
Alexandria had enough life left in her to try to avoid ingesting the hideous liquid. She tried to turn her head, to close her mouth, but the vampire held her easily and forced the poisonous drink beyond her lips, his hand stroking her throat until she swallowed convulsively. But he did not replace most of what he had taken, deliberately keeping her weak, wanting her more amenable to his bidding.