Had she really just made love to a vampire? Isoline shook her head in disbelief, and yet she knew it was true. She had seen his fangs. He had been calling to her in her dreams for years. She had seen the evidence in his signature and paintings. She could not deny the evidence she had seen with her own eyes.

Yet it was still hard for her to accept.

How would she ever explain such a thing to outsiders? To her family? No one would ever believe her. If they didn’t really think she was crazy before, they would now. Besides, she knew they would have to keep this part of him a secret. No one could ever know that vampires were real, and that one was living on Thornrush Estate. People would think he was some sort of evil monster and try to hunt him down. They would be driven away. While she still did not know all the details of what it meant to be a vampire, she knew he was not a monster. She would do anything to protect him, even if that meant keeping his secret for the rest of her life.

But how long would her life be? Bellamira had remained young looking for decades and only started to age when she stopped allowing Auberon to feed from her. Would Isoline now have a preternaturally long life since Auberon was now feeding from her? She would have to ask him later. But for now, neither of them was speaking.

They had made themselves presentable as they neared Thornrush Manor and were anxiously looking out the carriage windows, watching the dark world pass by, wondering just how the conversation with Bellamira would go. Neither of them imagined the old woman would be accepting of Isoline and Auberon’s love for each other. Even though returning to Thornrush had been Isoline’s idea, she had no idea what outcome she was hoping for other than some sort of peace with her aunt. She had been devastated when Bellamira had sent her to the asylum. Somehow, she needed to find a way to forgive her aunt for that. She didn’t think she could live peacefully without at least trying.

As the pulled up to Thornrush Manor, the house was dark. It was not yet dawn, so it made sense that everyone would still be sleeping. But still, the silence was unnerving.

“Stay here, James,” Isoline told the footman. “In case we need to leave quickly.”

“Yes, miss,” he said.

Auberon reached for Isoline’s hand, but she refused it. “I don’t want to anger her further,” she explained. “I’m here to make amends. It might be best if I go inside alone.”

He bristled at that. “I will let you take the lead,” he said. “But I’ll not let you go in alone. When I left her to fetch you, she was furious. There’s no telling what she might do when she sees you.”

At first, Isoline wanted to laugh. What could her ninety-year-old aunt do to her? But then she remembered the rough way her aunt dragged her to her room and the surprising strength the woman had after she caught her reading the love letters.

“Does feeding from someone also give them supernatural powers?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “But from drinking my blood, she does have some gifts. She could never be as strong as me without becoming a vampire, but she does have speed, strength, and stealth beyond normal humans.”

That explained why her aunt seemed to move so silently around the house.

“What about me?” she asked. “Since you fed from me, will I be stronger than before?”

He chuckled and tapped her nose. “Not yet. You would have to drink my blood. But it would take time for such effects to manifest.”

She nodded, knowing that she would need to be cautious. If her aunt became enraged, who knew what she might be capable of.

As she opened the door, she was horrified by what she saw.

At the bottom of the grand staircase, Bess was lying in a pool of her own blood. Isoline gasped and ran to her maid’s side.

Bess groaned. “My…my lady…” she whispered.

“Shh,” Isoline cooed. “Don’t try to speak.” She saw what looked like a slash from a knife across her chest. She looked up at Auberon with tears in her eyes. “Help her!” she commanded.

His eyes were wild as he looked around the large foyer, checking for any perceived threat.

“We need to leave this place, Isoline,” he said harshly.

“I’ll not leave Bess!” she yelled, not caring if her aunt heard her. “She risked everything to bring you to me. I’ll not abandon her now!”

Auberon grunted in annoyance but kneeled by Bess’s side. He bit into his wrist and then dribbled his blood into her mouth, which she drank eagerly.

“What are you doing?” Isoline asked.

“The blood also has healing powers,” he said. “If she is not too far gone, she will recover.”

“And if she is…too far gone?” Isoline asked, her eyes wide.

Auberon did not reply, and Isoline did not press him. She would deal with the consequences later. For now, she was satisfied that Bess would be safe.

Isoline stood and headed up the stairs toward her aunt’s rooms. She knew Auberon would be angry, but if she didn’t go look for her aunt now, Auberon might prevent her from doing so. She had to at least try to speak to her aunt.

“Isoline!” Auberon yelled after her.

“Take Bess to the carriage, then come back for me,” she replied.

Auberon growled and took Bess up in his arms. Isoline headed for the next staircase and headed to the third-floor gallery. She heard nothing save a soft rumble of thunder in the distance. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest as she raised her hand to knock on the door to her aunt’s rooms. Her mouth went dry when she realized her hand was covered in Bess’s blood. She wiped her hand on her stomach and then knocked lightly.

There was no answer.

She turned the handle, and the door slowly opened.

“Auntie?” Isoline whispered into the room. When there was no answer, she opened the door wider and called out a little louder. “Aunt Bellamira?”

She pushed the door all the way open and saw Bellamira rocking in a chair near the window. On the floor, she saw Bellamira’s maid with a stake sticking out of her chest, blood pooled around her.

“Oh…oh, auntie!” Isoline cried. “What have you done?”

“What I should have done years ago,” Bellamira said as she stood. “I was a fool to think I could take Auberon back. To think everything could go back to the way it was. They are vampires! They have no souls. They have to be vanquished.”

“Your maid was not a vampire!” Isoline said. “Neither was Bess! Why did you do this?”

“They are all loyal to him,” Bellamira said, her hands clasped tightly in front of her gripping another stake. Isoline saw the silver of the weapon shimmer in the moonlight. She knew she had to be careful least her aunt turn the weapon on her.

“We are all loyal to you, auntie,” Isoline said pleadingly, opening her hands in a symbol of peace. “You are our matriarch. I came back to make peace with you.”

“After you stole Auberon from me?” Bellamira asked loudly, but not in anger. Her voice sounded heartbroken, full of despair.

“He came to me,” Isoline said, her voice soft and calm. “You know this. He came to me in my dreams. I didn’t even know he existed.”

Bellamira sighed and nodded. “I…I thought I was doing the right thing. By him. For me. The old vicar, he seemed so sure that I was going to Hell. He didn’t know that Auberon was a vampire, of course. Only that we were living in sin. He said that my only choice was to end the relationship completely. So I cast him out and stopped exchanging blood. ‘Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water,’ he was fond of quoting.”

Isoline was aware of the prohibition on eating blood, and that was something she realized she would have to reckon with later as well. But now was not the time.

“But you felt guilty for breaking his heart,” Isoline said, adding in the part of the story she already knew. “So you approved of him falling in love with me. But what changed? Why did you turn on him? On us? On me?”

“The new vicar,” Bellamira said. “I didn’t leave the house much. People would never understand why a fifty-year-old woman still looked like a girl of twenty. So I had never heard one of young Vicar Edwards’ sermons before. Before he came to call on you, I had not realized that the God of fire and brimstone could also be one of love and compassion. Of forgiveness.”

Isoline nodded. She too appreciated the more kindly version of God the vicar had introduced her to.

“So I began to realize that as long as my love for Auberon was pure, God would not punish me for it,” Bellamira explained. “God would not hold me accountable for loving someone. So I tried to accept my forgiveness and Auberon’s newfound love for you. But when I saw his painting of you…”

The thunder grew louder and anger flashed in Bellamira’s eyes. Her jaw clenched and she gripped the stake harder.

“He never loved you, you know,” Bellamira said. “He only loves me. He loves the parts of me he sees in you. I knew it when I saw your painting.”

Isoline did not respond. She knew her aunt was blinded by rage and jealousy. She admitted to herself that it was possible Auberon loved the similar qualities of both women. But that did not mean his love for either of them was unreal. The time for loving Bellamira had passed. That was all. Isoline was determined to not let jealousy drive her mad the way it had with Bellamira. She took calming breaths before speaking.

“I did not come back here for him,” Isoline said. “I came here for you. You are my aunt, my family. I want to make things right between us.”

The room flashed brightly as lightning struck nearby. Isoline blinked. When she opened her eyes, she gasped and stepped back as Bellamira quickly moved right in front of her.

“The only way you can make things right is if you are dead!” Bellamira said as she raised her stake in the air.

Isoline cried out and stumbled backward, but Bellamira stepped toward her, bringing her stake down.

Isoline felt her breath knocked out of her as something firmly knocked her out of the way. She looked up and saw Auberon struggling with Bellamira.

“Do not do this!” he yelled as he griped both of her wrists.

“It is the only way to get you back!” Bellamira cried.

“I’ll never love you again,” he said. “It’s over, Bellamira!”

“You’ll only be mine!” Bellamira screamed as she pulled back. He must have thought that she was relenting because he loosened his grip just enough for Bellamira to pull her arm with the stake free, which she then used to try and stab him in the heart.

Isoline screamed as Auberon gasped in pain, but Bellamira had only stabbed him in the shoulder. They continued to struggle, but Auberon lost his footing and fell back over the railing to the floor below. He landed with a sickening thud.

Isoline ran to the railing and looked over the edge. She saw his legs move as he struggled to stand.

“Stay there!” Isoline yelled. “I’m coming!”

“Look out!” he said, pointing up at her. She looked and saw that Bellamira had grabbed a candlestick from a nearby hall table and raised it to swing at her. But it was heavy and unwieldy, so Isoline was able to duck out of the way.

“Auntie!” Isoline cried. “Please, stop this!”

“This only ends one way, Isoline!” Bellamira yelled as she swung again. This time she had a better handle on the candlestick and was able to strike Isoline hard in the shoulder, knocking Isoline off balance.

Isoline realized she had to get away. Bellamira had gone completely mad and was determined to kill her. There was no reasoning with her. She had to escape. She turned and ran down the hallway, grabbing each door handle she passed. If she could get into one of the rooms and lock the door, she could buy herself some time. But each door was locked!

She was nearing the end of the hallway, where there was only a large window. She was trapped!

Even though Bellamira could move at unnatural speed, she slowly stalked toward Isoline. She was enjoying the hunt, which made Isoline feel sick to her stomach. There was a small sitting chair in the hall, so she grabbed it and smashed the window. If there were ledges, it was possible she could climb down, or fall slowly enough she wouldn’t injure herself too greatly.

She knocked as much of the glass out of the pane as she could and started to step out, but she felt her aunt’s hand on her shoulder. Isoline turned to face her and grabbed her wrists to hold her off. Bellamira tried to push Isoline out the window, but Isoline planted herself firmly, refusing to budge.

“Stop!” Isoline cried as she felt herself weaken under the strength of the stronger woman. “Please…”

“Just die!” Bellamira growled.

We live here, or we die here. The words of Catherine, her friend from the asylum, echoed in her ears. Isoline realized she was right. Either Isoline was going to die in this moment, or she was going to live. But she would have to choose.

Isoline held her breath and said a quick prayer for forgiveness. She then shifted her weight to one side. It was a small movement, barely discernable, but it was enough to catch Bellamira off guard.

Bellamira plunged out the window head first, screaming to her death below.