For Love of a Vampire

Chapter 34

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop on the grass twenty feet below. I was sure of it. This type of silence was abnormal and concerned me. I'd been locked in my room since Rufus discovered me at the cave, with only the information Elizabeth was able to share with me to tell me what was happening in the outside world. She'd yet to come to my room, so I waited impatiently.

She was late.

It was near noon before a strange serving woman brought my food to me. Since I was ravenous from not eating since the night before, combined with being pregnant with vampire child, I dove into my fare with very little thought as to why Elizabeth still hadn't come to my room or why this strange serving woman was bringing me food.

I failed to monitor my food intake and was soon feeling ill from gorging myself with a trencher made of fresh, crusty bread that was filled with perfectly seasoned mutton stew. I'd left nothing behind. The one thing I had to hand it to Rufus for was his choice of cooks. The food I'd been served had to be the best I'd received since traveling back in time. I ran my hands over my waist. It was still slender, but if I continued to eat as I just did I wouldn't need to be pregnant to lose my figure. I made a mental note to use more restraint in the future, no matter how hungry I might be.

I shook my head at that thought. What future? If all went well, I'd be free of captivity and back in the future with Duncan eating TV dinners from the microwave in my little studio apartment. I checked the time. It was well after one in afternoon. Perhaps Elizabeth had second thoughts about assisting me in reaching out to Isabelle and was hiding in a cowardly fashion? I took a moment to regain control of my emotions as anger threatened to rise. This was not the day to lose control of any kind. The feeding frenzy I'd just had was a warning sign for me. I needed to keep my wits about me. If Elizabeth chickened out, it wasn't the end of the world. I was perfectly capable of summoning Isabelle on my own. I just needed to come up with a different ruse to keep people away from my room long enough for me to perform the spell.

When the old woman returned to collect the tray, she raised an eyebrow at the fact that I'd devoured the trencher, but said nothing. I held my stomach and smiled sheepishly as a new thought came to mind. Rubbing my belly, I admitted to overeating and asked for a few hours of undisturbed rest so that I could sleep it off, after which I wanted someone to come to attend my personal needs. She stared at my stomach as if trying to see inside it and then nodded her agreement before leaving with empty tray in hand.

I listened for the click of the door locking and rushed to the small table next to my bed. Shedding my robe and chemise I scrubbed the vital parts of my body clean as best as I could with the little bit of water left in my wash basin, I quickly dried the areas I'd cared for and pulled the candle from the wall sconce. Setting it carefully on the floor, I lit its wick and dribbled an outline for a wide circle of wax for me to stand inside of. With that done, I set the candle down in the center of the circle and stood in all my naked glory next to it with my arms spread wide. Turning slowing in a counterclockwise direction, I whispered the incantation to call Isabelle from the spirit world. Within a matter of seconds, she was standing in the circle next to me.

"It really wasn't necessary to do that spell naked," she giggled.

I covered my breasts with my arms and replied, "That's embarrassing."

"No matter," she smiled, "at least you are learning. You did well. Your magic is stronger than it was in the future."

"I didn't hang around so many witches in the future. I think it's rubbing off on me," I confessed.

"Good!" she said firmly. "Now that I know where you are we can do something about getting you out of here. Those vampire witches had such a barrier up we lost you as soon as Lord Rufus whisked you from the cave."