Victoria heard him leave. She had reawakened the minute her treacherous blood started its tormenting song. Her heart wrenched at its duplicity. She closed her eyes, refusing to consider the possibility that he'd be better off without her, and without her blood tempting him every infernal second. Christian was right, they did have every reason to be afraid, but as long as they had each other and fought to protect what they had, then their love had to mean something.
Didn't it?
She leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling, her fists clenched at her sides. After some time, she heard the sound of a violin in the next room, passionate and violent. Christian played to assuage something he too fought to express, his music giving voice to everything unsaid between them. Its cadence was harsh, the melody fraught with notes that sung of pain, and anger, and loss.
From Bach to Vivaldi, Victoria could feel him playing the runs faster and faster, whipping his bow at an impossible speed as if trying to exorcise something inside of him, the storm building and building and building, scale after scale, until it came to an exhausted, crashing halt.
Expelling a shaky breath, Victoria felt his spirit ease then as his strokes on the violin gentled into a more tender Adagio, soaring to something unbearably, poignantly sweet. It was music that only love could make, its language hauntingly beautiful, and one Victoria recognized—one that her mother had played to her father often.
It was a message ... a promise ... a love letter.
Christian was playing for her, weaving a spell she'd almost forgotten, one of beauty, and love, and unconditional hope. She felt a tear slide down her cheek as her throat constricted, the sounds of his raw emotions owning her completely, as she knew hers owned him, and telling her what no words could.
I will love you forever.
A few moments later, Christian returned to the room, closing the doors behind him. She felt the weight of the sofa shift as he sat down beside her, his smooth hand finding hers and gripping it like a lifeline. It was warm to the touch. Strong. He would be strong enough for both of them.
"Stay with me, Victoria," he said.
"Always."
The Bloodspell Playlist
These are some of the songs that I listened to while writing this novel. These particular songs influenced and inspired specific chapters or scenes, and whether I got stuck or was on a roll, I found myself replaying them over and over. Forthwith, the playlist: 21 Guns, (Metamorphosis/Inheritance)
Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis (At First Sight, Revelation, Falling) Breathe, Telepopmusik (Discovery)
Say It Right, Nelly Furtado (Angst)
Paralyzer, Finger Eleven (Eye for an Eye) Bring Me to Life, Evanescence (The Attack) Falling for You, Jem (The Prophecy)
The Hand That Feeds, Nine Inch Nails (Paris: Christian/Lucian) Life In Mono, Mono (Paris: Christian/Jardin des Tuileries) Road to Zion, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Nas (Paris: Christian) Stop and Stare, OneRepublic (The Council) Savin’ Me, Nickelback (Snowstorm: Tori) Never Say Never, The Fray (Happy New Year: Christian and Tori) Already Gone, Kelly Clarkson (The Fight) Better In Time, Leona Lewis (Misunderstanding: Tori) Blurry, Puddle of Mudd (Misunderstanding: Gabriel) Always, Saliva (Vulnerability and Rage: Gabriel) Glory Box, Portishead (Romeo and Juliet) Missing You, Jem (Betrayal)
Pour Que Tu M’Aimes Encore, Céline Dion (Blood and Magic : Christian)
24, Jem (Paris Revisited)
Run, Leona Lewis (Clash of the Titans: Tori and Christian) What About Now, Daughtry (Bloodspell)
I Don’t Care,Apocalyptica (Bloodspell: Lucian) Deliver Me, Sarah Brightman (Graduation) Adagio in G Minor, Albinoni (Graduation)
Acknowledgments
It takes a village, that's all I can say. I owe a ginormous debt of gratitude to the many people who helped me get this book off the ground and for believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself.
With all my heart I'd like to thank my husband, Cameron, whose support and love is unending, for never letting me give up (and for making sure the kids didn't go without bathing for days at a time while I was writing this book); Pam Sullivan, one part agent, one part editor, one part friend, for keeping me grounded and for all the laughter; my mother Nan for her unwavering faith and for helping me to find mine; my valiant first readers, Robert Stickney, Gian Gosine, and Amanda Davis, for their motivation, enthusiasm, and honesty; J. Mark Lane, attorney extraordinaire, for his expert and generous guidance; Craig Gordon for keeping me stocked in reading material and vampire paraphernalia; my brother Kyle for cheerfully enduring all of my questions on high school life, love, and lingo; the talented team at Langdon Street Press for helping to make this book a reality; and especially, my wonderful children, Connor, Noah, and Olivia for being so patient when mommy needed "just one more minute" to finish that chapter.
Finally, to my parents, who always encouraged me to think differently and fueled my hungry imagination with as many books as I could sink my teeth into, and to my beautiful family, whose love makes every breath worth more than I can possibly imagine, thank you for everything.