Vampires Realm Prophecy 01 - Child of Light

opened her eyes to find herself staring into his. She went to speak but he forced her face into his chest as he buried his own into her neck. His arms encircled her, his hands locked against her spine. Her body ached for his touch, her mind racing to imagine the feel of his fingers against her bare flesh. Intense need filled her. She panicked at the new feelings and how strong they were. She wriggled and then stilled when his grip on her loosened. When he released her, she fixed him with a hard look and tried to gather herself.
    He pointed behind her.
    She looked over her shoulder to see two vampires disappearing through a shimmering blue-white portal. It must have been the way they had just come in. She watched it as it swirled and rippled, and then vanished.
    She turned back to say something to Valentine but he was no longer standing next to her. She spotted him a short distance away, walking further into the strange place they had arrived in.
    “Are we still in Venice?” she said and then noticed his clothing. He was no longer wearing his black shirt and trousers. He was dressed in black breeches, long boots, and a black tail coat. She frowned, completely confused by what was happening. “What... ?”
    He stopped, turned on the spot and smiled at her. When his eyes dropped to her body, their green depths now a smouldering flame, hers did too. She stepped back, stunned by what she was seeing and no longer surprised that he was looking at her so hungrily. He wasn’t the only one whose clothing had changed.
    She was now wearing a corseted dark blood-red dress with a wide skirt. Gold beadwork decorated the velvet bodice. She stared at her modest cleavage where it had been pushed up by the corset, put on display for everyone to see. It wasn’t the only thing on display.
    “Um... Valentine... I think we have a problem.”
    When she raised her head, she found he was already striding towards her. She pointed at the star on her chest that was now visible to the world. He removed his jacket and held it out to her. She stared at the loose white shirt he was wearing and smiled at how clichéd he looked. She’d read all manner of stories about male vampires in frilly white shirts with tight black leather trousers and she’d laughed every time. He’d had the smouldering look only moments ago. The only thing he was missing was long hair to his shoulders and a highly charged sexual appetite.
    He shook his jacket impatiently. She took it from him and slipped it on, standing in silence while he buttoned it up for her, making sure that the mark on her chest was hidden again. She wondered why he wanted to hide it. Was it something to do with the person whose power she could feel in this place?
    Something told her that he didn’t wholly trust his contact.
    “We are still in Venice,” he said. “The woman who created this place has cloaked it so only demons or the magically inclined can find it, and only if they’re searching for it. The change in clothes is because she likes the old world. She’s clinging to it.”
    He started walking again. She followed him, absorbing the scene around them. There was a large house a short way away on their right. On their left was the canal, its waters black like tar. In the distance, she could see more buildings but she couldn’t quite make out what they were. One of them looked like a tavern but the street was lit with oil lamps that burned low, giving the place a dank and dreary look, and making it difficult to see far even with her enhanced vision.
    When he came to a halt in front of the large house, she ran her eyes over it.
    It seemed to loom over her. She could feel the power that had created it and it was strong. She grimaced when the stars on her skin began to itch and her fingers tingled. A sense of foreboding crept through her, making her flesh crawl and her chest tighten. She stepped backwards, away from the building. Her senses screamed at her to leave. There was something wrong about this place, something that made her magic rise up as though she needed to protect herself.
    “Are you all right?” Valentine said.
    She automatically shook her head, her eyes never moving from the house.
    There was so much dark power, so incredibly strong. A part of her wanted to flee, but an even deeper part of her was telling her to fight.
    “We have to leave,” she said.
    He looked confused. “Everything will be fine. The vision told you to come here, did it not? Why would it lie to