Free Playing with Shadows by Kay Bond Page A

Tepes, this wouldn’t be a surprising revelation.
“Yes we can see
you. All vampires have the ability to see and speak with
ghosts.”
    The ghost took one last glance at the
other vampires that surrounded him before returning his gaze to
Nicola’s. “Are you positive? No one else has even glanced my way.
It is like I don’t even exist.”
    Vlad let out a soft sigh that Nicola
was sure only she could hear. It was obvious he didn’t want to
stand around and discuss vampire abilities with an apparition, but
there was something bothering the ghost and she felt obligated to
at least find out what was wrong. Vlad had once told her that she
was too kind for her own good.
    “ I don’t see why they’d
ignore you.” Nicola answered kindly.
    Vlad cleared his throat loudly which
was an obvious attempt to get her attention focused on him instead
of the ghost.
    “ Yes?” Nicola asked her sire
in a clipped tone. His interruption was annoying.
    “ There is a perfectly good
reason why vampires don’t associate with ghosts.”
    “ And that would
be?”
    Vlad hesitated. It was obvious he
wasn’t used to being challenged and Nicola’s attitude unhinged
him.
    “ Maybe you could help me?”
The ghost said to Nicola, completely ignoring Vlad as the vampire
had done to him mere moments before. “I have a conflict and I
believe you might be able to aid me.”
    Vlad motioned towards the
spectral man. “There is your reason, Nikki. They tend to ask for
things.”
    Nicola glanced at her master with a
frown, but she couldn’t help it when she silently agreed with his
inference.

Chapter 2:
    Vlad Tepes’ study, or as Nicola liked
to call it ‘the sitting room’ since that was all her sire seemed to
do in it, was located in the farthest section of the castle. Vlad
was already lying across the velvet covered settee with a wineglass
in his hand. He studied the crimson liquid it held with a perverse
expression on his face.
    Nicola stood behind the sofa and
watched him with a scowl. “What are you doing?”
    Vlad took a sip of the liquid then
swished it around in his mouth before swallowing. “Did you know how
good Cabernet Sauvignon is with blood? It gives it a hint of
sophistication.”
    Nicola raised an eyebrow at her sire.
“Would you please concentrate?” Waving towards the ghost who
floated directly across the room from them, she continued, “I would
like to be asleep before sunrise.”
    “ What’s the rush, my love?”
Vlad purred, taking her hand in his before kissing it gently. “We
have all the time in the world. We aren’t getting any
older.”
    “ No, but I’m losing my
patience with you.” She snatched her hand back as if he had bitten
her. Knowing Vlad Tepes, he would have enjoyed that as
well.
    Vlad winked at her before returning to
the study of his wine.
    Nicola glanced up at the ghost with a
pained look. “He’ll only get worse. You might as well talk before
another thought pops into his head.”
    The ghost nodded once in understanding.
“Very well. Before we begin, let me introduce myself. My name is
Christian Stockwell, madam.”
    Nicola waved off the formality. “Please
don’t call me that. My name is Nicola. Nicola Burroughs, but I’d
prefer Nikki if you don’t mind.”
    The ghost, Christian, looked at his
hands and Nicola could have sworn he would have blushed had he
still been flesh. “If you insist.”
    “ Can we get on with it?”
Vlad complained with a sigh. “I may not physically age, but I get
bored easily.”
    Nicola rolled her eyes before sending
Christian an apologetic smile. “Please continue,
Christian.”
    Christian cleared his throat as if it
mattered. “Thank you… Nikki.” He took another shy look at his hands
before continuing. “I lived during the time of King Henry VIII’s
terrifying reign. I had been a young and foolish religious zealot.
I was the product of a Catholic upbringing and after my father
passed away, I took up the torch to keep Catholicism as