Breathe Under Water - Shadows of the Night 1

Chapter 10

Hi there!

Can you believe it? We're into Chapter 10 already... *shakes head*. This one is dedicated to LoveIsAllWeNeed, my first real fan! Thanks for the feedback. It's great to know that someone likes my story! Anna will get herself into a lot of trouble in this one. But (without telling you too much in advance), I think it's safe to say that this is only the beginning of her troubles...

Read, comment, vote - do whatever you like! I'm happy if you like the chapter, if not, let me know where you think it needs fixing. Thanks :D

Lara

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Chapter 10

Our room was at the very end of the corridor, and, if I wasn't completely mistaken, it faced the front of the mansion. The servant handed Alexander the keys and closed the dark wooden door wordlessly, leaving me staring up at the head vampire.

We were completely alone. Apart from my breathing, there wasn't a single sound that penetrated.

As the servant pointed out before taking his unceremonious leave, the room was soundproof. Not comforting. Not when I was in one room with the freaking undead Godfather of New York.

My eyes swept the room. It was more like an apartment and actually consisted of four rooms. I released a breath I'd been holding. There had to be at least two bedrooms. Apparently not every master vampire liked to share and get between the blankets with his or her human servant.

The bedrooms were designed to face each other, the living room like a buffer zone in the middle. The anteroom was full of surprises. Not gray, black and the colors of blood. To the contrary. I spotted white walls and deep blue drapes. The group of black leather couches, arranged around a glass table in the middle, looked lonely and lost in the spacious room.

The spell of normalcy didn't last long. When I entered the bedroom Alexander had told me to take for myself, former expectations proved to be true. The bed sheets were crimson and made of silk. Figured. On the plus side, I had an extra bathroom. Its walls were crimson as well, but I wasn't going to complain about it.

I wandered back into the main area, catching a glimpse of the entrance to Alexander's bedroom. Would it be even more hideous than mine?

The sensation washed over me, a prickle, a touch of something. It was cold and fused with power, as if it could make me stop by force alone. And maybe it could.

I stood in front of the door, muscles locked up and stiff. My eyes went astray, right where I didn't want them to go: the middle of the room. The head vampire had assumed a casual position on the couch, and he was watching me. His posture, the way his ankles were stretched out and crossed in front of him – it had an unmistakable scent. It reeked of arrogance and power. I saw him for what he was. He looked like a regent, an autocrat used to having absolute power over the lives of his subjects.

"You pretended to trip, didn't you, little witch?"

Was that a streak of amusement on his face? Something coming close to a smile?

What was I to him? A walking joke? The thought stirred something inside of me.

"You're wrong. I didn't pretend anything," I said. He could stare at me as much as he wanted, I wasn't going to fill him in on how I was going to investigate.

Blue eyes regarded me with deliberate disregard for privacy. Again I was caught unawares. The feeling that Alexander could see right through me, right into my soul, like a portent force hummed in my veins.