Free Delcaos (Darkest Night Collection) by Rachael A Payne Page B

relief, wonder, confusion and then happiness. But as she stepped forward her face changed to what I took to be horror and she froze to the spot.
    I hadn’t realised how I looked, it hadn’t occurred to me that my appearance might have changed or to look at my reflection. But she couldn't understand it, I could see her pondering what she saw in front of her and she didn't know what to say.
    I sought out the small mirror we had positioned on a dresser across the room from the fire place. Standing in front of it I moved my new face about it, examining the new paleness, the more prominent blue veins. I raised my hand to my lips and they were the same pale colour. My fingers pushed against the recently formed fangs that had grown and I smiled as I delighted in looking at them.
    But it was the eyes that had startled her most. No longer dull they were a vibrant, glowing shade of black, not as dark as the one who made me and with a hint of burgundy to them. To me they were incredible but to Diana, they were frightening. Everything about my appearance, about my disappearance and reappearance frightened her, I could feel it emanating from her, and I could smell it.
    Fear is such a beguiling thing in a human, it makes them do things that excite a vampire, running, fighting for their lives, that is an exquisite delight I love to indulge in.
    But Diana, yes Diana. The two of us stood examining each other from opposite sides of the room, she hating me, disgusted with how I looked, how I smelt and the eyes I now possessed.
    “Who are you?” she asked me finally. I laughed, told her it was her husband and then she held her hands to her face, tears in her eyes she asked what had happened to me, where had I been? And I told her everything, all that I knew and the knowledge I had been given.
    I thought it might excite her the way it did me , but to my surprise she began praying, then she was talking about taking me to church to be blessed. I had to laugh, I mean God could not help me, I was next to him now.
    I knew she was afraid , but looking at her, I could not help but want her. She was mine, my wife and it thrilled me to see her in such a way. She was unequivocally sensual to me at that moment.
    And then the thought came. The thought that I had to drink to stay alive and with such beauty in front of me, how would she taste? I tried to shake the images out of my head but then the hunger came and I thirsted for her now, the yearning I thought was because I loved her , was in fact the warm scent of her skin and the pleasure I would have from drinking her blood.
    But no, I could not kill my Diana. Yet what would happen if she told anyone about me, my anonymity was key to my survival, I had learnt that from my maker.
                  There was only one thing to do... make her like me, then I wouldn't want her anymore. We could be this way forever, do anything we wanted.
    I approached her with silent steps, staring into her eyes as she did mine and she became calm. She was transfixed on me, her arms fell limp at her sides, I found this all too intriguing. Standing in front of her I took a long deep breath in, stealing her scent set my mind alight. I looked to her neck and saw the rhythmic pulse of her heart beat. Bringing my hand up, I rested it on her cheek, those sweetly pink coloured cheeks. I said to her that I was going to make her like me, that we would be together once again. She made no resistance.
    And I leant forward.
    I didn't mean to... I just went too far. I didn't know what I was doing, I knew not that vampires could have control over mortals. How could I have known that drinking from a mortal would be such an ecstasy? I could not stop myself once I had started, that sweet, sweet blood took me to another place, and even though I felt her struggle against me, I did not stop.
    When I had drained her, realisation of what I had done swept over me and the moment of rapture was gone. I fell to the ground with Diana still in