Blood Bride (Aarabassa World) by Catherine L Vickers

looked puzzled, there was something about this human girl that he could not understand, some feeling within himself. His mouth quickly changed to a frown but Heather read the smile that remained in his piercing white eyes. For now, she believed that this male was indeed friend and not foe, but how long would this last?
    He gently lifted her down from the basca and left her on the soft snowy ground. She stood with her head only reaching his waist and realised that vamplins were much taller than the average human. She felt very small amongst them.
    ‘I feel your fear human,’ he spoke with a quiet gentleness. ‘Be not afraid. Your people would not have let you come if they had not believed in your strength.’ 
    Again, Heather could only smile. This leader was attempting to speak words of comfort to her. She knew her instincts were correct, he was a kind individual.
    The monshaad Emperor settled in front of them. The vamplin Lord stood closer to the human girl. Was he protecting her?
    Aah Changeling, at last we meet. This is indeed an honour. The creatures of the Darklands welcome such a powerful creature from the Lightlands , Morte-Bielz Mindtalked to her.
    ‘I do not think our guest is ready to talk with you just yet Emperor,’ Lord Fiendrac spoke up, ignoring the Emperor’s Mindtalk. ‘If you will excuse us, I will take her to rest, before we meet officially.’
    Of course Lord Fiendrac. You speak wisely. We have much to discuss and her mind will work better for resting. We shall meet soon, human. Until then I bid you farewell, my new friend.   The monshaad bowed in a strange sort of manner, and promptly disappeared.
    ‘Well, that is a first. A monshaad bowing. You are indeed honoured human girl,’ Lord Fiendrac expressed his surprise at the strange farewell.
    ‘Come this way so we may speak before you meet with him again. I wish to know more of your skills. Maybe your people and mine can yet work together.’
    This statement took Heather by surprise. She had not expected the creatures of the Darklands to be plotting against one another. She would listen closely to this Lord and try to understand just what was transpiring.
    Lord Fiendrac led Heather to an ice-house. It was a traditional skill to mould the snow into blocks and weld the blocks together to create thick ice walls. Inside this strange square abode that the vamplins called Ichales, the coldness was not so sharp. Relieved to be out of the biting winds. She realised that she had not noticed the bitterness of the cold when she had worn the hide of the dragon, but back in the soft skin of a human she felt the stinging of the cold and tried to thaw out her hands by rubbing them together. 
    ‘You are not a strong creature within your human body,’ Lord Fiendrac looked Heather up and down. ‘How will you survive the physical elements of our world?’
    ‘I have my plans,’ Heather spoke for the first time, her teeth chattering as her body slowly warmed through.
    ‘You do have a voice then, human? How is it that you speak my words?’ The vamplin Lord enquired, mystified at this.
    ‘Yes, Lord I do have a voice and it is one of my skills as a Changeling to speak all tongues, even the evil ones,’ Heather replied, unable to think of any better explanation.
    ‘I am a vamplin and whilst I do come from the Darklands, I am not evil. Neither are my people. This monshaad Emperor, he wishes to make us so. You are to be a part of his plan to achieve this, yet look at you. You do not represent anything evil. You are tiny and look totally unlike what I expected of you,’ the powerful vamplin Lord finished.
    ‘You are right, I’m not strong in this body Lord Fiendrac,’ Heather agreed. ‘Did you not see me in the dragon’s body?’
    ‘No, I did not. I had assumed you were hiding as a human, amongst their circle.’
    ‘Well, your assumptions were wrong.’ Heather felt quite humiliated that this Lord had not bothered to notice her strengths. ‘I was the