“I’ve got great anger and darkness inside me, Angele. I’m frightened that I’ll become like Gilbert, my so-called father, descending into madness, abusing my wife, and keeping her locked in the dungeon for her blood.”

“You won’t—”

“Don’t say I won’t because you don’t know the extreme emotions you get when you turn.”

“I’ll support anything you want to do,” Angele said, “but if you did go down that path of darkness, you would always be able to return, because there will always be light inside you. I can see it.”

“You have such faith in me. I don’t deserve it.”

Angele pulled Victorija to her and whispered, “You do because I love you.”

“I love you,” Victorija replied, and then their lips came together in a kiss.

Daisy couldn’t help the tears that came to her eyes then. The simple, youthful love between these two was remarkable. To think, Victorija Dred was capable of this—it was incredible.

Victorija had obviously lived through abuse and witnessed the horrible fate of her mother locked away in the dungeon. Was this torment what changed her character so much?

Victorija pulled back and said, “I want to take you and my mother away from all this. I’m planning to get my mother and run somewhere safe. I hope my grandmother Lucia will take us in. Will you come with me?”

The scene suddenly changed. She saw Angele running through the field. She hurried to catch up with her. Eventually they found Victorija sitting on the ground, sobbing her heart out.

“I got your message, Torija. What happened?”

“I told him I didn’t want to become a born vampire, but his Duca had found out my plans to rescue Mother and run away with you.”

“Did he hurt you?” Angele asked.

Victorija jumped up and roared in anger. “He had mother brought up and he…he beheaded her in front of me, then burned her heart in a fire on the dais.”

Angele pulled Victorija to her, and Victorija clung to her, sobbing. “He’s killed everyone I’ve ever cared about, and I’m afraid he’ll come for you. We can’t see each other any more.”

Angele pushed her love back and said, “That’s my decision. I love you, and I’m not giving up on you, not ever.”

“I can’t risk you being hurt. It would destroy me. He’s going to make me turn, Angele. I’m scared of what I’ll become. There would be no coming back.”

“I told you, there will always be some light in you. I see it, and anyone else who takes the time to look hard enough will see it.”

“Would you be my blood bond?” Victorija asked.

“If that’s what fate decides.”

Angele turned and checked out of the scene she was playing for Daisy’s benefit.