I blinked slowly, my head pounding. Something hot was pressing down on my arm. Something pointy and hard. I turned my head slightly. I could just barely make out the figure of a woman looming over me, holding my arm to her mouth. I could feel my magic flowing into her in a head-spinning rush.

  A flash of light and a bang echoed in my ears. The smell of gunpowder filled my nose, making my eyes water.

  The figure dropped my arm, pressing a hand over her heart. Crimson blood covered her hand as he crumpled, falling to the floor with a thud I felt, rather than heard.

  I sat up slowly, pressing a hand to my aching head as I studied my surroundings.

  I was sitting on the sofa at the foot of the bed in Tarian’s room. Moonlight spilled through the large, uncovered windows I faced. A thick quilt covered me, several pillows resting both where my head had been moments before, and strewn about the floor around the makeshift bed.

  Something shifted to my right. I turned my head slowly, my hands growing cold.

  Kneeling on the bed, dressed in a plain shirt and flannel pajama pants, was the last person I wanted to see at that moment.

  Tarian slowly lowered his gun, his eyes scanning the room.

  The door flew open, lights filling the room as Mrs. Smith, dressed in a nightgown and robe, barreled into the room.

  “I heard a gunshot! What happened?”

  Tarian didn’t move. “Mrs. Smith. There was an intruder. Wake William for me.”

  “No need.”

  A newcomer, a man about Mrs. Smith’s age, and dressed in similar nighttime attire, stepped into the room.

  William… that was Mrs. Smith’s husband, right? The groundskeep?

  “You poor dears,” Mrs. Smith soothed, crossing the room to the wardrobe. “And on your wedding night too.”

  William crossed the room as well. He began dragging the body of the intruder out of the room, leaving a trail of blood droplets. I stared after him, my mind empty as a clear summer’s day.

  I should be panicking right now.

  Mrs. Smith picked her way over the bloody trail, two robes draped over one arm. She handed one to me before draping the other over Tarian’s shoulders.

  I slipped the robe on over the jeans and t-shirt I had arrived in the day before.

  Tarian finally lowered his gun, handing it to Mrs. Smith. “This is why I wanted you near me at night.”

  I frowned. The way he said it made it seem like we’d had some big argument about the issue.

  “We could have saved everyone the trouble if you hadn’t kidnapped me,” I felt obligated to point out. “It’s not my fault you took me by force and made me marry you at knife-point.”

  Tarian scowled down at me as he slid off the bed and stormed toward the door.

  “Master Tarian?” Mrs. Smith called after the angry vampire.

  Tarian slammed the door in response. Like a child.

  I rolled my eyes.

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  Mrs. Smith smiled at the door, a gentle expression with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Well, no use ruining a perfectly good day over this. I’ll get breakfast started if you want to get dressed and clean up before the maids arrive to clean."

  ***

  I stared down at the steaming cup of tea, leaning against the kitchen chair. Mrs. Smith had taken me down a flight of stairs and into a small, cozy kitchen. Stars dotted the early morning sky, the moon hanging low in the horizon. A clock on the wall across from me chimed once, marking the half-hour.

  Everything felt surreal, like a dream. Even a shower and changing into the vampire clothes Mrs. Smith picked out for me hadn’t fully dispelled my stupor.

  I picked at a loose thread on the skirt I wore. The fabric was a light blue color covered in tiny pink roses, long enough to brush my ankles and just the right amount of twirl to it. Mrs. Smith had paired it with a long-sleeved white blouse made of an airy material and a thin leather belt that hosted a skirt-hike.

  “A crew of gardeners and maids come once a week to help clean and maintain the grounds. Master Tarian, William, a maid, and myself are the only ones who live in this cottage,” Mrs. Smith was saying as she stirred a pan of eggs. “And you as well now, as you’ve married the young master.”

  I gripped the cup tighter. If I closed my eyes I could almost imagine what it would be like to actually be an eager new bride to the love of her life. For a moment, I wondered if I could do it, if I could just allow this to happen and find happiness.

  I shook my head at the fleeting thought. No matter how pretty the cottage or the clothes, or how nice the servants, the reality was that I was kidnapped. I didn’t belong here.

  “As the mistress of the house, you may go anywhere on the grounds you like,” Mrs. Smith continued. “Anywhere but the master’s study, of course. But I believe Master Tarian has mentioned that, yes?”

  William stepped into the kitchen, dressed in brown pants, a white button-down shirt, and brown suspenders. He swiped a biscuit from a tray resting on the stovetop.

  Mrs. Smith swatted at William with a towel. “Honestly!”

  William grinned, turning to me with a wink. “I know this isn’t the best of circumstances, but please don’t take it out on Master Tarian. That woman is responsible for this, not him.”

  He said the word “woman” as if it was a word so vile, even saying it disgusted him.

  “Shh! Do not speak ill of the matron!” Mrs. Smith scolded, then turned back to me. “Though my husband is right. Master Tarian will do everything he can to shield you from his mother. It is a heavy burden for him to bear. Try not to take your anger out on him again, if you can.”

  ““I don’t recall his mother attacking me in my home or saying wedding vows with me.”

  I stared down at my teacup as the room lapsed into silence.

  “Why is everyone up so early?”

  I looked up to see a maid stumbling into the kitchen, yawning. She was a little older than me, with bright red eyes that stood out against her dark skin, black hair braided into hundreds of tiny braids, and sharp little fangs. A vampire.

  “There was an intruder,” William explained. “Miss Runa, this is Lettie, the maid that lives here.”

  The vampire collapsed into a chair at the table across from me, resting her head on the table.

  “So you’re the master’s new wife,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

  “Lettie! Is that any way to treat your new mistress?” Mrs. Smith scolded as she poured coffee into a mug. “I apologize, Miss Runa. Lettie is not much of a morning person.”

  She set the mug of coffee down in front of Lettie. Lettie sat up slowly, as if physically pained from the movement, then picked up the cup and took a sip.

  “Oh coffee, how I’ve missed you,” she said, her voice dreamy as she looked up at the ceiling.

  Mrs. Smith shook her head. William chuckled, ruffling Lettie’s hair as if she was a child.

  Lettie set down her mug and shoved William’s hand away. “Stop it! Get back, you fiend! You’re interrupting my reunion with caffeine!"

  I smiled a little at the exchange. Something about the three servants interacting felt warm and familial. Like things wouldn’t be so bad, because they were there and together, and welcoming me, allowing me to be a small part of their world.

  I set down my teacup.

  I can’t let my guard down. I need to escape from here. I need to go home and forget this ever happened.

  The forest beyond the fence beckoned me, and for a moment I thought I could see the eyes of one of the wolf-dogs shining back at me like two little full moons. Then it was gone.

  They’re dogs. They probably recognize people by scent. Maybe…

  An idea was forming in my mind. One that would be risky. But if I could make it…

  Maybe things weren’t so hopeless after all. I just needed to bide my time a little while longer.