Bloodswept

Prologue

The woman stood at the end of the pier, her appearance stealing his breath. Her dark red hair fell like a curtain of silk to the top of her waist, the evening breeze catching the stray strands that blew across her unreadable expression. In a way, this simple gesture of nature increased her beauty, as her scarlet curls perfectly framed her face. Her eyes were, without a doubt, the most captivating aspect of her appearance, flaunting a look of mystery and resembling pools of blue water that enthralled curious souls. Her pale complexion and tall, slender build trapped his gaze, and the jewels that covered her throat and neck reflected the moonlight as if they alone illuminated the shore, drawing his eyes to her pale breasts that only slightly showed at the neck of her gown. The dress that she wore was one like he had never seen before; a peacock of deep blues and emeralds that complimented her fair skin. Zachery stood in utter silence as he watched her from the boat, his quiet breathing the only sound onboard. He was not usually one to stare at women, for they reminded him much of the tales his father used to tell him before he slept; about the sirens that sang and drowned those who listened to their sweet song. No, Zachery, or Zach as his ship mates called him, did not wish to drown on such a night as this. He turned his back to the maiden and swiftly disappeared below deck. Though, if he'd waited only a minute longer, he would have seen the strange sight of the woman, turning towards the boat, her narrowed blue eyes almost piercing the air in which he stood only moments before, her face forming an expression that could have shifted the direction of the seas. And, after what felt like years of her staring after the man that had stood admiring from afar, she left the edge of the pier, licking a sly trail of blood from her lips as she did so. The beast of hunger had demanded to be fed, and so it had.