Page 8 of The Count

On top of it was the most beautiful hardcover I’d ever seen. It was an illustrated edition ofDraculaby Bram Stoker, the surface covered with gold leaf that was engraved with the title and author. There was a silver leaf rendition of a bat on the front, almost too magnificent to touch. With extreme hesitation, I flipped the cover open, listening to the gentle creaking noise the spine made that indicated it hadn’t seen much use.

I slid my fingers very carefully across the paper inside it, cream in color and quite thick. I flipped the pages with great care, admiring the impeccable detail that had gone into making such a treasure. When I was done, I put it back the way I found it before exploring more of the massive castle. I found myself stopping and admiring the myriad paintings in every hallway. Many of them were dark, some of them violent, others sad, but every single one was an absolute work of art.

I stopped at the one that had caught my eye earlier that day. It was a ship caught in the middle of a storm. Up close, I could make out the ship’s name.

Demeter.

The wooden frame was made of what appeared to be driftwood. It was smooth to the touch, but the man roped to the main mast seemed to be staring right into the depths of my soul. It left me feeling uneasy and I drew away.

Even as I walked away, I could feel the seaman’s gaze on my back, as though he was a real person right there with me. I didn’t like the feeling of familiarity that came along with it too.

I descended into the castle, losing myself in myriad spiraling steel and stone staircases. There was a seemingly endless wine cellar, old storage rooms full of timeworn furniture, and I soon found myself overwhelmed by the sheer space in the estate. Only after looking in what was probably the fifteenth bathroom did I realize that there was a distinctive lack of mirrors in the entire place.

There were none to be found anywhere. Come to think of it, there weren’t any in my chambers either. I hadn’t noticed it at the time because I’d been so tired, but it stood out like a sore thumb to me now.

It was odd, but maybe somewhere down the line Dmitri’s family developed an aversion to their own reflection or maybe there was a moral reason for it.

I would have to ask the count tomorrow.

By the time I had finally begun to grow tired, I was more than certain that I was lost. There would be no retracing my steps because I didn’t really have any clue as to the path I’d taken. My wandering had been impulsive, and I’d been turned around multiple times.

I eventually meandered into a big kitchen. It was fully stocked, the interior design something out of the 1920s or maybe even the thirties. I’d have to brush up on my knowledge if I did end up listing this place.

My stomach rumbled. The place was so quiet that I worried that someone might have heard me. I walked as silently as I could to the fridge, reaching out for the door handle when someone cleared their throat behind me.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

CHAPTER3

JASMINA

The hair on the back of my neck rose straight up. I whirled around and searched for the source of the voice in the dark. A switch clicked and the chandelier above me showered me in light. My gaze raced to the door, only to see the count was leaning against the frame.

His presence seemed somehow bigger, more powerful, and infinitely more dangerous. I had thought briefly on what I would say if someone caught me exploring the castle, but none of those explanations came to mind. It was as if his dark predatory gaze had chased every single one away.

I swallowed heavily and braved a look into his eyes, immediately regretting it as his held something akin to anger and disappointment, but more confusing than any of those things was his arousal.

Like he’d expected this. Like he’d been waiting to catch me.

“Dmitri,” I whispered. His black suit was darker than a moonless night. It almost seemed to swallow the overhead lights.

“Mina,” he said sternly. The nickname startled me.

“No one has called me that in a long time,” I answered.

“It fits you,” he replied.

“I… I wanted to see more of the estate,” I stammered. The shadows highlighted the tenseness in his jaw, and I chewed my lip worriedly at the sight of it.

“I warned you that the estate was dangerous at night, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but…”

“I asked you to keep to your chambers.”

“I know, but…”

“You disregarded my wishes,” he said simply.

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