Despite vowing not to fall asleep, Torija slept as she lay in Daisy’s arms, her cheek resting on Daisy’s breast, while Daisy stroked Torija’s back. What she had shared with Torija was like no sexual experience she had ever had, not that she’d had loads of experience. She’d had three girlfriends in her life, and it had been nice, but nothing so all-encompassing, all-consuming as making love with Victorija.

She had been jealous of Amelia’s deep connection to Byron and the passion they shared, but she could understand it now. Sharing life-giving blood with the one you love and them being dependent on your survival was unlike any other passion in the world.

Torija started to murmur in her sleep. “Rain, rain, no, can’t.”

It must be one of the nightmares. The reason she didn’t want to sleep. Daisy stroked her hair and kissed her brow. “Shh, shh. It’s okay, Tor.”

Torija woke up with a gasp and then realized where she was. “Fuck.”

“It’s okay, you’re safe.”

Daisy was surprised when Torija pulled her to her, wrapped her arms tightly around her, and murmured into her neck, “You’re safe, it was just a dream.”

“Of course I’m safe. I’m with you,” Daisy said.

Torija kissed the side of Daisy’s head, closed her eyes, and saw the movie in her mind that had terrified her in her dream.

She was back in the castle in her grand four-poster bed, waking up in the morning with Daisy by her side.

She put her arm around Daisy’s middle, spooning and anticipating going back to sleep, but she felt Daisy shiver and shake.

“Daisy? Are you—” Torija pulled Daisy around but felt sick at what she saw. She was pale, the flesh of her throat just about ripped out, and tears were streaming from her eyes. Torija was in shock. She jumped up in panic.

“No, no. What have I done?”

She held Daisy’s head and placed kisses on her forehead. She heard Daisy struggle to say something, and she placed her ear near Daisy’s mouth and heard a low whisper, “Kill me or let me go, please?”

Torija felt like she had been stabbed with a stake through the heart. She jumped up and out of the bed. She felt true terror and disgust at what she had done. Torija grasped her hair and bent over in pain and despair.

Just as she thought she was going to vomit, one of her vampires came into the bedroom and said, “Shall I take her back down to the dungeon to heal?”

Of course. Now that Daisy was her blood bond, she would heal and live for as long as Torija was alive. Daisy didn’t even have the escape of death from her torment.

Then she heard rain battering down, but it almost sounded like it was inside the room.