A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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Was she being held here, too? How long had he been here? And where the devil was he?

He tried to tell himself there was nothing to be afraid of, that Petrina was just playing some sort of sick joke, but as the minutes passed, fear took hold of him. He broke out in a cold sweat, began to tremble convulsively as he recalled her grip on his arm. No mere woman was that strong.

He tried the door again. And again and then, in desperation, pounded his fists against it. "Hello!" He pounded on the door again. "Is anybody out there?"

"Are you so eager, my little mortal? Then I shall not keep you waiting any longer."
The voice was low and filled with quiet menace.

Bryanstepped away from the door, his heart hammering in his chest. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves. It didn't help.

The door opened and he saw a tall, slender woman with dark red hair silhouetted in the doorway. She wore a long red gown. The skirt spread around her feet, making it look like she was standing in a pool of blood. He frowned a moment, wondering where Petrina had gone.

"I'm going home now,"Bryan said. He moved forward, intending to push her out of the way and get the hell out of there.

"Are you?" She smiled, revealing a pair of gleaming fangs. "I don't think so."
Bryantook a step backward. "What are you?"

"I am vampire." Her voice was mesmerizing, seductive. "Very funny."

"I am glad you think so."

She glided into the room, her green eyes glittering like shards of emerald glass.

Bryantried to dart past her, but she was too fast for him. She grabbed his arm and with a twitch of her wrist, she hurled him onto the bed.

He stared up at her, terror coiling around his insides as she sat down beside him. "Fight me, if you wish," she purred, "but it will do you no good."

He had never hit a woman in his life, but this was no time to be squeamish. Sitting up, he drew back his fist and launched a haymaker.

Her head snapped back at the force of his blow, but other than that, it didn't faze her at all.

Laughing softly, she wrapped one hand around his throat and pushed him back down on the bed. "Your puny human strength is nothing as compared to mine, you foolish creature," she chided.