Page 44 of Midnight Kiss

I was losing it after all. The journal I’d been reading had to have invaded my subconscious.

“Come,” Jacques said. “Drink, Sofia. Your mind is clearly addled by a lack of sustenance.”

“Such sharp words from a man who can’t make up his mind.” Sofia took the glass from Jacques and waited for him to finish pouring his own. They tipped the rims of their glasses together in a toast and drank deeply.

Jacques smacked his lips. “I think it’s the only viable option,” he said. “There has to be some method of control, or they will run rampant, and that is the last thing we need.”

“But others should be allowed to share in this gift,” Sofia said.

“Gift? This is a weakness.”

“Jacques?”

He set the glass down, his movements restrained. “What else would you call it?” he asked. “If I die, you suffer. If you die?—”

Sofia flew into his arms. Literally. One second she was a few feet from him, the next, she was on him, her hands clasping either side of his face, pressing her palms into it. “Do not speak in this fashion. I refuse to hear it.”

“But you must hear it. A gift and a curse,” he said, taking her hands gently and kissing the fingers on either of them. His lips parted, and he grazed her skin with fangs.

Vampires.

It had to be a fever dream. I’d been spending too much time with the book.

“A gift and a curse,” she murmured. “But we can’t restrict the choices of others.”

“We can do with it what we please, and there must be rules,” Jacques said. “You are far weaker than me, dear wife.” He spun her around and held her to his body.

I held back a gasp. Apart from the white-blonde hair, Sofia looked like a much more made-up version of me.

She swayed in his arms, reaching back, her silk pink gown sleeves falling past her wrists. “And you are made weak by me,” she murmured.

He brushed her hair away from her throat and then opened his mouth, revealing gleaming white fangs. He bit down on her throat. Instead of crying out or fighting him off, she sighed and leaned into his touch. “Then we’ll make a ruling.”

Jacques groaned, blood snaking down her chest and disappearing beneath her silk corset.

“They can only bond one, and there can only be a certain number of bonded at any one time.”

Jacques broke away, his lips crimson, chin dripping. “They will have to fight to prove themselves.”

“That’s a wonderful idea.”

He wrapped his arms around her and drew his nose across her cheek, smearing blood across the perfect makeup there.

I shifted behind the column, my pulse racing, and the movement drew their attention.

Both of them stiffened. Jacques’ gaze flickered toward my hiding spot. “We’re not alone.”

“It seems so.”

“Come out,” Jacques replied. “It will only be worse for you if you don’t.” He disappeared from view, and I gasped.

“Found you.” His hand closed on my arm, his fingers biting into my flesh.

A scream caught in my throat, and I tried spinning away from him, out of his grip, but it was too late. The woman who had my face laughed and appeared on my right, grabbing for me and?—

Three viciously loud bangs woke me from the dream.

I jolted upright in my bed, my chest heaving, and my sheets wet with sweat. The book was beside me, half-tucked underneath my pillow, which was beyond weird. I remembered Alex tucking me into bed, and the book hadn’t been in my room with me. It had been out in the living room, right?