Zenas grasped Sabine’s hand and lifted it to his lips, the mates sharing a smirk that went from their mouths to their eyes. Then they took off at a run, flying over the snow so quickly that the only trace of their movement was the footprints marring the perfect stillness.
“You are a weakness to him. If he were wise, he would have killed you.” Amaia strained her eyes trying to see Zenas and Sabine’s retreating forms as she shared her observation with her sire.
“Then give thanks that he is not wise.” Lawrence placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. His eyes burned with sincerity. “But don’t underestimate him. He has one of the largest clans on Earth. His children are spread throughout the entire known world, even in some places that are unknown to the people here.”
“I don’t like him.”
Lawrence ignored her and dashed inside for her cloak just as other vampires emerged from the manor. He returned a second later and fastened the blue wool around her neck. “Do you want to run, my dear? There’s plenty of cover in the woods. It would give you a chance to stretch your legs.”
“In this dress?”
“Why not? It’s not nearly as restraining to you now as it was when you were a human.”
“It costs more than most people make in a year.”
“So? I’ve been alive for over three hundred years. Zenas has been alive for twice as long. You’ll soon learn to think in terms of lifetimes, not years. You don’t need to worry about money.”
Amaia’s stomach dropped. For the first time since waking, it dawned on her that she really was going to live forever. Time held no meaning. All of her mortal concerns were gone.
“In that case, I’ll race you, old man.” Her feet flew across the ground, and her laughter danced on the wind as her hair broke free of its pins. Her eternity had begun.
Chapter 4
London, February 1623
The still night air was alive with smells. Each shape in the darkness took perfect form in her moonlit vision. The current of the breeze against her skin as she ran was like a thousand fingers caressing her body. The useless air in her lungs was moist with the scent of grass, leaves, dirt, deer, rabbits, and a hundred other things. The muscles in her legs moved swift and smooth over the forest floor, adjusting instantly to every hole and root, keeping her gracefully upright, all without tiring. She knew she could continue forever, even though her mind was still trying to adjust to what “forever” meant.
Lawrence ran behind her and off to the side, giving her enough space to revel in the freedom of her new life. She caught glimpses of him, but she was much more interested in focusing on her own body and what it could do. Her muscles didn’t cramp, and her lungs didn’t burn, but she did feel a thirst forming in her mouth—a thirst that water would not sate.
“I need something to drink.” The air distorted her voice as it carried her words to Lawrence. It was a strange phenomenon. The only explanation was her speed. Concentrating on the ground beneath her feet, she noticed that it flew by faster than she could ever remember seeing.
“Stop before the tree line. You’ll feed before we re-enter London.”
With the promise of fresh blood—blood as rich and intoxicating as her first kill—Amaia’s thirst leapt to the forefront of her mind. What had been a peripheral awareness became an all-consuming ache. She stretched her legs to their full length with each stride, covering the ground at an even faster pace.
When she saw the break in the trees ahead, she stopped. Her legs ceased moving, and her body jarred as her feet remained planted. She felt the pressure of the abrupt halt, but it wasn’t painful. “Can I even feel pain?”
“Yes, but it will take more to cause it. You’ll find that you feel things differently as a vampire. What you experienced as pain as a human will feel like a myriad of different sensations in your new form.”
Amaia reached up to straighten her hair, and her hand came away from her forehead dry. “Why aren’t I sweating?”
“Why would you? You don’t need to regulate your body temperature, and you don’t generate heat. You leech it from the blood you drink. That’s why you’re thirsty now: all the blood you had in your system has been used. It’s time to replenish.”
Hearing Lawrence reference her hunger made it even more acute. “Do I just find someone then?”
Lawrence chuckled. “No, my girl. I’ll bring you someone. Stay here.”
Amaia waited in the darkness. The absence of the wind rushing in her ears allowed her to focus on the multitude of sounds around her that she wouldn’t have even noticed as a human. Instead of a wall of nighttime chorus, she could make out each animal’s particular voice. Instead of hearing the symphony as a whole, she heard each individual instrument.