Read Online SNAP: The World Unfolds by Michele Drier - Free Book Online
Authors: Michele Drier
Ads: Link
like his touch had when we danced those weeks ago. But now I knew what he really was; was this a tingle of attraction or fear? I wanted to pull away. I wanted to melt back against him. There was too much new information happening and I couldn’t process it fast enough. I needed some time alone, time I wasn’t likely to get until we were back in LA.
My rooms, with bed, sitting and bath, were further along the corridor. Smaller than Jean-Louise’s, they were beautifully decorated with 19 th century furnishings. Both a fireplace and a ceramic heater with painted and gilded Baroque flourishes were in one corner.
“Is it really that cold here?” I asked, pointing at it.
“That’s a later addition,” Jean-Louise said. “The castle has been in use for more than 400 years so the Baron has done a few renovations. Those heaters date back to when this wing was redone, some 250 year ago. There’s a central tunnel connecting all the rooms so the servants can keep them going without disturbing anyone.”
A knock and the door opened. One of the guards was there with my luggage followed by another man and woman.
“I’m Josef,” the man announced. “The Count wants to see you in a quarter of an hour. Lisbet will help you unpack and get freshened up,” He nodded at the young woman who looked way too healthy to be a SNAP girl. She smiled, said “Welcome,” which came out “Velcome” and began taking my things out and putting them away.
I turned to say something to Jean-Louis and found only air. “Jean-Louis will be back to escort you downstairs,” Josef said and left.
I was pretty well freshened after my time in the plane’s bathroom. After Lisbet unpacked my bathroom things, I touched up my make-up, gave my hair a shake and headed down the corridor to find Jean-Louis just coming out of his rooms.
“Let’s go down and hear some stories.” His eyes were violet in the dim light and his skin glowed; it looked as though it had been brushed with something, almost stardust. He took my arm and we headed into the drawing room where the Baron and Pen were in conversation.
Once again, I didn’t recognize the Hungarian. When Pen saw us, she stopped. “There you are. Let’s speak English, now,” and she sat on one of the sofas facing the fireplace. She patted a spot next to her for me, the Baron and Jean-Louis took chairs across a table.
“Well, Jean-Louis tells me that you’ve been told the basics, Ms. Gwenoch. Or may I call you Maxie?” the Baron asked.
I looked at him. This was the first time I’d ever had a chance to examine him. Like everyone else on the planet, I’d seen hundreds of pictures and videos of the man who owned the reportedly largest communications conglomerate in the world. His face was as familiar as the U.S. president or the Queen of England, let alone most of the celebs we featured. Up close, he was amazing. His skin was unlined and had a similar glow to Jean-Louis, his hooded eyes were a piercing blue and his hair was a fine dark brown, worn down to his collar.
“Do I look healthy?” he asked as he watched me taking him in. “I’m so used to me after a few hundred years that I don’t notice any more. The only thing I change is my fashion.” The three of them smiled at their little joke.
“So it’s really true?” I asked. “You’re all vampires?” The word almost stuck in my throat.
“Yes, we’re vampires, but things may not be what you’ve always heard,” he said and Pen smiled again.
“This part of Europe has always been considered haunted. People saw lights at night, animals were found with their throats slashed, drained of blood, sometimes children would go missing. Witches were blamed. Peasants said Satan walked the woods at night. Unfortunately, even the Jews took blame. There are only a few of the original families left now, after some of the witch-hunts and exterminations over the years. We learned to
My rooms, with bed, sitting and bath, were further along the corridor. Smaller than Jean-Louise’s, they were beautifully decorated with 19 th century furnishings. Both a fireplace and a ceramic heater with painted and gilded Baroque flourishes were in one corner.
“Is it really that cold here?” I asked, pointing at it.
“That’s a later addition,” Jean-Louise said. “The castle has been in use for more than 400 years so the Baron has done a few renovations. Those heaters date back to when this wing was redone, some 250 year ago. There’s a central tunnel connecting all the rooms so the servants can keep them going without disturbing anyone.”
A knock and the door opened. One of the guards was there with my luggage followed by another man and woman.
“I’m Josef,” the man announced. “The Count wants to see you in a quarter of an hour. Lisbet will help you unpack and get freshened up,” He nodded at the young woman who looked way too healthy to be a SNAP girl. She smiled, said “Welcome,” which came out “Velcome” and began taking my things out and putting them away.
I turned to say something to Jean-Louis and found only air. “Jean-Louis will be back to escort you downstairs,” Josef said and left.
I was pretty well freshened after my time in the plane’s bathroom. After Lisbet unpacked my bathroom things, I touched up my make-up, gave my hair a shake and headed down the corridor to find Jean-Louis just coming out of his rooms.
“Let’s go down and hear some stories.” His eyes were violet in the dim light and his skin glowed; it looked as though it had been brushed with something, almost stardust. He took my arm and we headed into the drawing room where the Baron and Pen were in conversation.
Once again, I didn’t recognize the Hungarian. When Pen saw us, she stopped. “There you are. Let’s speak English, now,” and she sat on one of the sofas facing the fireplace. She patted a spot next to her for me, the Baron and Jean-Louis took chairs across a table.
“Well, Jean-Louis tells me that you’ve been told the basics, Ms. Gwenoch. Or may I call you Maxie?” the Baron asked.
I looked at him. This was the first time I’d ever had a chance to examine him. Like everyone else on the planet, I’d seen hundreds of pictures and videos of the man who owned the reportedly largest communications conglomerate in the world. His face was as familiar as the U.S. president or the Queen of England, let alone most of the celebs we featured. Up close, he was amazing. His skin was unlined and had a similar glow to Jean-Louis, his hooded eyes were a piercing blue and his hair was a fine dark brown, worn down to his collar.
“Do I look healthy?” he asked as he watched me taking him in. “I’m so used to me after a few hundred years that I don’t notice any more. The only thing I change is my fashion.” The three of them smiled at their little joke.
“So it’s really true?” I asked. “You’re all vampires?” The word almost stuck in my throat.
“Yes, we’re vampires, but things may not be what you’ve always heard,” he said and Pen smiled again.
“This part of Europe has always been considered haunted. People saw lights at night, animals were found with their throats slashed, drained of blood, sometimes children would go missing. Witches were blamed. Peasants said Satan walked the woods at night. Unfortunately, even the Jews took blame. There are only a few of the original families left now, after some of the witch-hunts and exterminations over the years. We learned to
Similar Books
