Chapter One
Rose Talbot didn't expect the knock, or the random baby. That strange, desperate woman who begged and pleaded for her to protect the baby, before dashing off into the night, left many questions lodged in Rose's skull, and more than just a passing sensation of hysteria. It wasn't like Rose knew how to rear a baby, either, and she certainly couldn't produce milk. The only real option would be to give the thing to the authorities. She had scooped it up from the doorstep after a few fruitless attempts to call the woman back. The crazy, matted individual had well and truly vanished into the unknown, and Rose didn't fancy the idea of chasing after her in the dead of night.
She placed the baby on the table, and tried calming herself down with a drink of water and a snack whilst she figured out what the hell she was supposed to do with it. She scooped up the money as well, not bothering to flick through it, preoccupied with bigger, pressing concerns.
I have no idea what the fuck just happened. The woman's frantic, ravaged look sprang to Rose's mind. She looked like the product of someone wasted by years of drug abuse.
Have they just dumped me with some unwanted baby? Is this how people in Bulgaria get rid of their newborns? Instead of throwing one in the trash, just throw it at someone's door for all the Vernon and Petunia Dursleys of the world to take it in?
She stared at the baby for a little while longer, heart tap dancing in trepidation, because damnit, she was a student, not a baby farmer.
Imagine explaining this to her family back home in America. Hey mom, I just want you to know that some crazy Bulgarian lady threw this baby at me and asked me to look after it and left a massive wad of cash on my doorstep.
The cash was nice, of course, though Rose saw it more as blood money than something useful. The last thing you wanted or needed when studying in another country was to draw attention to yourself.
For all Rose knew, the baby was the result of some Mafia hit-and-run, and by carrying the kid, she'd be right in their cross-hairs.
Fuck me, then. She examined the chubby, snuffling baby. He opened his eyes and blinked at her with peculiar-colored irises – one yellow, one blue. She had never seen a human with a yellow eye before, and it looked creepy.
God, what if I have, like, the Devil's child on my doorstep?
The baby made gurgling sounds, and waved his hands toward her. His toothless face opened in a smile.
Astonished, Rose watched as the baby laughed and giggled at her, the sound quietening when she tentatively let him close one chubby fist around her smallest finger. Then, the baby burbled, eyes facing the door. Rose sipped her glass of water, before freezing as a knock sounded.
Instantly alert, she released herself from the baby's grip, quickly grabbed the wad of cash the woman had left and stuffed it into her handbag, which bulged suspiciously from the paper money.
Then, paranoia racing through her, because who knocked at someone's place in the middle of the night, aside from baby-dropping mothers? – she peeked through the curtains.
A man stood at the door, his hands tucked into his pockets, a scowl upon his face.
Oh shit. Ohhhhh holy moly I'm done for.
Rose's instant reaction was to freak out. Shit! He looks like a serial killer. Is he a serial killer? Why is he outside my door? I better not answer. She caught a glimpse of a lean, predatory build to his frame. He wore a black leather jacket, blue jeans and boots, and glowered at her door. Pale eyes shone from his face, under curly dark hair.
Her first thought upon examining him was that he looked a little like one of her favorite characters from a film – Count Ademar. He possessed those same cheekbones, the rounded face, the noble lips and chin with smoky, lidded eyes giving a permanently sleepy expression.
The second thought was that Count Ademar in the film happened to be evil.
Just before Rose backed away and whisked the surprise baby away, the man called in a perfect English accent, “I know you're in there. I can hear you breathing.”
Fuckity fuckity fuck. Shaking violently and holding her breath, Rose said, “What do you want? Because no offense, but you look fucking scary.”
The man's gaze trained upon her at the window. She gave a little yelp and pulled away.
“Okay,” he called, “let's do it this way.” His deep baritone voice sounded exasperated. There was a rustling sound, before he said, “Don't worry about opening the door. I'm Sebastian Gregorovitch. I'm here looking for my cousin, Ivelina Lubanov. I know she's been here. I want to know if she's with you or has spoken to you.”
“What does she look like?” Rose asked, still deeply suspicious, but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The I.D. card showed the man's name as Sebastian Gregorovitch.
“Dark-haired, amber eyes. Short. Terrible English accent.”
Despite herself, Rose smiled. “I might have had someone like that at my door.”
“Might have?” Sebastian repeated. “Is she no longer with you?”
When she replied no, he cursed.
“Damn! Did she speak to you, at least?”
“Yes,” Rose said, anxiety tingeing her voice. Her heart beat hammered faster as she wondered if what she was thinking was a bad idea or not. “She also left me something.”
“She did? What is it? A note?”
“Not exactly...” Rose hesitated, before telling the stranger, “she left a baby.”
There was dead, baffled silence. “She what?”
“She left a baby.”
After another brief pause, he asked, “What color eyes does the baby have?”
Finding the question odd, she replied, “Blue and yellow.”
“Can I come in to see for myself?”
“No offense, but I still don't trust you.”
A grunt of irritation came from outside. Rose edged nearer to the door, her limbs shaking. Serial killers would say anything, wouldn't they, to get in. For all she knew, this Sebastian Gregorovitch was the one chasing the woman in the first place.
“Sorry,” he said to her, his voice now grating and harsh, “but I think I need to come in now.”
The door burst open in an explosion of splinters. A snarling monster emerged from the broken pieces, nothing like the man who had been standing outside, and Rose instantly screamed. Her scream was short-lived, however, since the creature bounded towards her and muffled her mouth with a hairy paw.
Dragging her along, the creature moved to examine the gurgling baby, now smiling at the monster who towered before it.
“Sorry,” the creature snarled, though obviously an apology wouldn't cut it at this point. A short, sharp blow sent Rose straight into unconsciousness.