Alexander-Fyn-Sanguinarian

mind. “I had hoped she would feed me.”
    “Her ladyship has had a quiet day, my lord,” Munk said.
    “Dominic, is that you, my dear?”
    “Yes, Dominica, may I visit you?”
    “You may.”
    “You won’t keep her up too late will you, my lord?” Munk asked in concern. “You know how she gets when she is over-tired.”
    “Of course not,” he assured her. “Has she had her medicine?”
    “Two drops of aconite, as always.”
    “You may leave. Thank you, Munk.” She offered a small nod and closed the door behind her.
    Raven crossed the chamber to the bed and drew back the heavy, black velvet bed curtains. Dominica smiled at him and reached out a long, slender hand. Raven took it and sat on the bed beside her.
    Despite the impenetrable darkness neither twin had any trouble seeing the other. Their night vision rivaled an owl’s. They looked remarkably alike, except that Dominica was exquisitely beautiful and, though tall, was not nearly as tall as Raven. Her white skin and dark hair mirrored his, but where his eyes were yellow, hers were green, almond shaped, and beautiful. Also, unlike his, they were not quite as acutely sensitive to daylight. While she did not care for bright sunlight, Dominica could go abroad when the sun was high and occasionally did.
    “Where have you been, Dominic?”
    “In London. I had business, my dear. How are you feeling?” He looked deeply into her eyes for signs of her mood. The medicine had taken effect and she appeared quite serene. “I need to feed, may I?”
    “You have fed already. I can smell blood on you.” A small anger showed in her voice.
    He shook his head. “Merely a taste.”
    “Whose?” she asked.
    Dominica could not be allowed to know about Evangeline. “I had Sanguinarian 59
    to kill a woman tonight. In fact, I still have to dispose of her body. I took hers, just a sip or two.”
    “Not after she was dead?” Dominica drew a sharp breath.
    “Of course not, I need living energy. Life blood.”
    Dominica sat up and from the cabinet beside the bed took a small, very sharp copper lancet. With great care and precision she nicked a vein in the tender skin of the inside of her elbow. Raven grasped her arm and drew it to his lips.
    For several long minutes he drew strongly on the vein, swallowing hard. Dominica had the sweetest blood he had ever tasted and she ate very carefully in order to keep it that way for him. Fruits and delicate wines, very little meat and no medicines save enough aconite to keep her calm through the night—all of which kept her blood pure and fresh.
    When he had drunk his fill, he reached across her and took a piece of cotton cloth resting where the lancet had been, and pressed it to the wound. She had had everything ready for him, but there were times, increasingly of late, when she refused him. The madness that had plagued her since she grew to womanhood had grown worse in the last few years. She was more often unbalanced than rational. More and more she flew into violent rages and attacked him and the servants. Only Munk and three or four trusted maids continued to care for her. The others were too afraid.
    “Dominica,” he said quietly. “I have to get married, my dear.” A long, ugly hiss issued from between her bared teeth. “I know, I know,” he soothed. “But I have no choice. I will not inherit until I marry and I must marry before we turn thirty in order to inherit at all.”
    “But then you won’t have time to play with me.” She pouted childishly. “Have you chosen a girl?”
    He was hesitant to tell the truth, now he had begun. “I am considering several.”
    “May I share her?” Dominica had always preferred her own sex.
    “No! No, you may not. You are not to go near her. She is a mere 60
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    child, an untried girl.”
    “You have chosen!” Dominica said abruptly. “Is she here? Is she in our castle now?”
    “No, dearest, no, she is not. I have merely been looking, that is why I was in London. I have a woman in mind, though there is nothing at present to say I will take her.” He prayed that would appease her.
    “I won’t approve of anyone you marry, Dominic.”
    “I have no choice. You want to travel again, don’t you?
    Remember Russia and Transylvania, how you loved it? It’s so wonderfully cold there.”
    She smiled and curled up on her side. “Yes, it was so cold and so beautiful. Remember that lovely girl I had?”
    Raven patted her hand. “I do remember.”
    “When do we