Real Vampires: Glory and the Pirates by Bartlett, Gerry (red white royal blue TXT) 📕

here.” I sat when she gestured to a chair in front of the empty fireplace. It was cool but not uncomfortable in the room. Spring had arrived.

“I understand.” Florence threw her cloak on the bed. “The Campbell men are very, how you say, irresistibile, are they not?”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “You are exactly right. How did you meet the laird?”

“We met in Italy. There was a costume party in Venice. Things get a little wild sometimes when the mortals drink too much wine. One mortal followed me outside and took liberties. I was about to push the idiota into the canal but I let Angus ‘save’ me, capisci?” She grinned.

“It sounds very romantic.” Much more romantic than Jeremiah finding me starving in a noisome alley. Of course, Jeremiah had “saved” me too. Florence and I had that in common.

“Oh, it was. I was lucky Angus gets restless at times and must leave that woman he married too many years ago to count.” She looked around to make sure no one could hear us.

“Vampires! They should never marry. I call myself a widow which is true. I married young, before I was made vampire, then my marito died. Now? I would never marry again. We live forever. For most of us, marriage is a chain that cannot be broken. Too sad for my Angus. His Magdalena will never give him complete freedom. What would she be without her castle and his name?”

Florence shrugged. “I understand. It means Angus takes his time away from her. I am not his first mistress, nor will I be his last. I’m sure Mag has her own lovers as well. Though from what I’ve heard about her, I cannot imagine who would want that cold fish.” She shivered.

“Nor can I. Mag is hateful and certainly has no love for me. She wanted a woman from a neighboring clan for Jeremiah. She decided I was a slut and not good enough for her son.” I didn’t tell her that I wished sometimes for the respectability that marriage would bring me. “Jeremiah seems to share your feelings about the chain of marriage. I imagine seeing the misery of his parents’ connection has done that for him.”

“I am sure of it. Now I will be with Angus until we tire of each other. Once that happens, we can part with no regrets.” She grinned and fingered a sparkling diamond brooch at her neck. “He will give me a lovely gift. I will give him a night to remember.” She sighed. “I must confess that I am in no hurry to say addio to him. I found I missed him after we parted the last time. Angus is very generous and a wonderful lover. I am sure you and your Jeremiah will decide on a similar arrangement when the time comes for you to part.”

I couldn’t imagine it. Leave Jeremiah? I might have doubts about forever, but I didn’t want to let him go either. Just the thought of seeing him with another woman made my fangs drop, ready to rip into some harpy. I took a breath and calmed down.

“Florence, you have no idea how I have longed for a woman to talk to like this. Another vampire. What a relief to speak honestly at last.” I reached out.

“Yes!” Florence clasped my hand. “We will be friends. Do things together that only another vampire can do. We can shift and go out some night to fly over the countryside.” She got up and looked out the window again. “Soaring over the sea would be fun, sí?”

“I don’t shift.” I hated to admit that as I got up and shook out my skirt.

“What? Why not?” She stared at me, trying to read my mind. Looking for a secret.

“I don’t know. I just can’t. It makes Jeremiah wild to think that I cannot do it. He says it’s my best protection.” I walked toward the door and looked out to make sure no one lurked in the hallway.

“He’s right, amica. You must try. Have you? Tried to do it?” She came toward me, very serious, hands clasped. “I can see this worries you. When there is danger, you sometimes have no choice but to change and fly away. I know, I have done it.” She looked down at her hands. “I have lived a long time. My name is not my own. I took it from a town and an old friend.” She sighed.

I understood about names. When Michael, the man who’d eventually pretended to marry me, had found me that day on the stones, all I’d had was the echo of a first name. I took it but wondered if it was really mine.

“Listen to me.” Florence looked up, tears in her beautiful green eyes. “It is not easy being a woman among men. Many are ruthless. They wished to use me, hurt me.” She angrily brushed a tear away. “I would not let them! Mi senti?” She grabbed my hands. “I mean it. If I had not had the courage to change? I would be staked and gone long before now. I am very serious with you, Gloriana. May I call you that?”

“Of course. And I will call you Florence. I am listening to you. And thinking hard about what you have said. It’s not that I don’t want to shift, it’s that I can’t. Something inside me freezes when I try.” Now I blinked back my own tears. “Stupid of me but there it is.”

“Pah! Not stupid. We will say no more, amica. It upsets you and makes you unhappy.” She threw up her hands then gave me a quick hug. “We must stick together. Those Campbell men, they are forte and will try to rule us. We cannot let them. We are vampire women. When Angus begins to think he owns me? That is when I leave.”

“I understand. I love Jeremiah, I love that he is strong and that he wants to keep me safe.