encompassed Mihaela and István. “What do you think?” he asked. And his doubts, the fact that he deferred to his colleagues, impressed Elizabeth as his previous commands had not. It showed he was shaken by the Zoltán incident, which he hadn’t foreseen at all and which had clearly dented his habitual self-confidence.
A fresh twinge of unease spiraled up Elizabeth’s spine, but she ignored it, because more than anything, she wanted, needed to be on her own. Though it might have been silly, this room felt like her haven of peace and sanity in a world gone nightmarishly insane. And the hunters, however much she was beginning to like and admire them, were definitely part of the insanity. She needed them out of here.
István started to say, “Perhaps—”
“Actually,” Elizabeth interrupted, “it isn’t up to them—or to you, Konrad. I appreciate—I really do!—your concern, but I am staying here. By myself.” They all regarded her with surprised consternation. Oh please, just hurry up and go. . . .
“What,” Mihaela whispered, “if we leave one of the detectors here? She’d have time to get out of the room and phone us.”
She took something from her pocket and laid it on the bedside table—a small, square piece of plastic, perhaps three inches long, with a small rectangular display and an LED, neither lit.
Konrad frowned. “We can’t leave equipment behind.”
“Not normally,” Mihaela agreed, touching her painful throat. “But I think we’re in a special situation. We need to keep Elizabeth safe.”
“That’s why she should come with us!” Konrad was beginning to look harassed as well as frustrated.
“I’m not coming,” Elizabeth declared. “Although I’ll happily keep your device under my pillow and return it to you safely in the morning. Come on, guys, we all need some sleep.”
Konrad drew in his breath. Mihaela stood, as if the matter were settled, and he gave a final, decisive nod. “Very well. Look, Elizabeth. Switch it on here and leave it on all night. It has enough charge to last beyond sunrise. The light comes on if there is any anomaly—vampire—in the vicinity. The display will show a rough distance and direction. The whole thing also vibrates when the light goes on, so by all means put it under your pillow.”
“I understand,” Elizabeth said, shepherding them to the door. It felt more like shooing, and she knew she should feel guilty about that. Probably she would in the morning, but right now, as she closed the door on them, she was aware only of massive relief.
It seemed that her habitual solitude, which sometimes depressed her with loneliness, had become necessary to her. Soon, she wouldn’t be able to form any kind of relationship with anybody, let alone a live-in, lasting one of lifelong love and respect. Which she’d given up on anyhow after her last disastrous and ultimately humiliating romantic experience.
With a sour smile, Elizabeth went into the tiny bathroom and turned on the shower. It was a good way to empty her mind, to think only of the warmth and comfort of the water coursing over her skin and into her eyes and mouth. Not for the first time, she acknowledged what a sensual experience showering was, enjoying the gentle battering of water on her neck and shoulders and hardened nipples. As she soaped herself, her hands lingered there of their own volition before sweeping down her stomach to the soft, sensitive flesh between her legs.
Unbidden, she remembered Saloman’s alluring touch, and the treacherous, perverse response of her body. And those responses began to repeat themselves. Her limbs felt languid and sexy; her hips moved under the water jet as the tingling heat spread downward from her stomach and upward from between her thighs, to merge at her core.
She lifted her arms, letting the water rush over her armpits and down her breasts, washing the soap away and leaving her skin clean and glowing and almost unbearably sensitive.
A fresh twinge of unease spiraled up Elizabeth’s spine, but she ignored it, because more than anything, she wanted, needed to be on her own. Though it might have been silly, this room felt like her haven of peace and sanity in a world gone nightmarishly insane. And the hunters, however much she was beginning to like and admire them, were definitely part of the insanity. She needed them out of here.
István started to say, “Perhaps—”
“Actually,” Elizabeth interrupted, “it isn’t up to them—or to you, Konrad. I appreciate—I really do!—your concern, but I am staying here. By myself.” They all regarded her with surprised consternation. Oh please, just hurry up and go. . . .
“What,” Mihaela whispered, “if we leave one of the detectors here? She’d have time to get out of the room and phone us.”
She took something from her pocket and laid it on the bedside table—a small, square piece of plastic, perhaps three inches long, with a small rectangular display and an LED, neither lit.
Konrad frowned. “We can’t leave equipment behind.”
“Not normally,” Mihaela agreed, touching her painful throat. “But I think we’re in a special situation. We need to keep Elizabeth safe.”
“That’s why she should come with us!” Konrad was beginning to look harassed as well as frustrated.
“I’m not coming,” Elizabeth declared. “Although I’ll happily keep your device under my pillow and return it to you safely in the morning. Come on, guys, we all need some sleep.”
Konrad drew in his breath. Mihaela stood, as if the matter were settled, and he gave a final, decisive nod. “Very well. Look, Elizabeth. Switch it on here and leave it on all night. It has enough charge to last beyond sunrise. The light comes on if there is any anomaly—vampire—in the vicinity. The display will show a rough distance and direction. The whole thing also vibrates when the light goes on, so by all means put it under your pillow.”
“I understand,” Elizabeth said, shepherding them to the door. It felt more like shooing, and she knew she should feel guilty about that. Probably she would in the morning, but right now, as she closed the door on them, she was aware only of massive relief.
It seemed that her habitual solitude, which sometimes depressed her with loneliness, had become necessary to her. Soon, she wouldn’t be able to form any kind of relationship with anybody, let alone a live-in, lasting one of lifelong love and respect. Which she’d given up on anyhow after her last disastrous and ultimately humiliating romantic experience.
With a sour smile, Elizabeth went into the tiny bathroom and turned on the shower. It was a good way to empty her mind, to think only of the warmth and comfort of the water coursing over her skin and into her eyes and mouth. Not for the first time, she acknowledged what a sensual experience showering was, enjoying the gentle battering of water on her neck and shoulders and hardened nipples. As she soaped herself, her hands lingered there of their own volition before sweeping down her stomach to the soft, sensitive flesh between her legs.
Unbidden, she remembered Saloman’s alluring touch, and the treacherous, perverse response of her body. And those responses began to repeat themselves. Her limbs felt languid and sexy; her hips moved under the water jet as the tingling heat spread downward from her stomach and upward from between her thighs, to merge at her core.
She lifted her arms, letting the water rush over her armpits and down her breasts, washing the soap away and leaving her skin clean and glowing and almost unbearably sensitive.
Similar Books
