than the last.
He swore softly. Finding the wizard. That could prove difficult, if not impossible, after so many years. But if the wizard still lived, Rourke would find him. One way or another, he would find him. The thought of vengeance would only grow sweeter with the passage of days. In the meantime, he would acclimate himself to this new century, this new world.
With that thought in mind, he strolled down the street, noting that houses had changed in both style and architecture since he had been born over seven hundred years ago. Cars had replaced the horse. Walking along, he found that he preferred the pungent smell of horse manure to the stink of oil and gasoline. Fashions, too, had undergone a drastic change. In his day, women had covered themselves from head to foot and often worn hats with veils. The women of today bared it all, apparently without thought for modesty or shame. Fashions for men had also undergone a radical transformation. He observed the flamboyant shirts, baggy pants, casual footwear, and shook his head.
He walked through the darkness for hours, savoring his freedom. He fed again, and yet again, until he could hold no more, until every fiber and particle of his being was replete. Sated, he made his way back to the woman’s house.
The woman. Karinna. What was he going to do about the woman?
He stood in the shadows outside her house for a moment, enjoying the quiet of a night that would soon be over.
He was still undecided about her fate when he went inside. Standing in front of the sofa, he gazed down at her. She was quite lovely, with hair the color of ebony and skin kissed by the sun. Her scent drifted to him, reminding him again that he had not had a woman in three hundred years. An eternity to a man who was sensual by nature, one who had the power to seduce a woman with a look, a word, a touch.
He should destroy her. No mortal lived who knew what he was. He could do it now, quickly and cleanly, while she slept. Yet even as he contemplated ending her life, he knew he would not. She had broken the wizard’s enchantment, and for that reason alone, he would allow her to live.
And yet it wasn’t the only reason. How could he think of destroying such a lovely creature? He had known queens and highborn ladies, trollops and scullery maids, but he had never known a woman who was lovelier, or more tempting. Her skin was smooth, warm when he stroked her cheek. Her lips were soft, like the petals of a blood rose. Her figure was slender, petite and perfect. Her hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall of rich black silk. Unable to resist, he ran his fingers through the thick strands.
“Karinna.” He murmured her name, thinking it suited her perfectly. “Ah, Karinna, what am I to do with you?”
He couldn’t bring himself to kill her.
He had no desire to leave her.
And no time to worry about it, not now, when he needed to find a place to hide from the sun.
He glanced at the painting visible beneath shards of broken glass. There was one thing he needed to do before he sought his rest.
It was with a great deal of satisfaction that he ripped the hated canvas to shreds.
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Chapter 6
The wizard’s head jerked up, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.
Jason Rourke had attained his freedom! It was impossible, unthinkable, and yet, he felt the truth of it explode through him with undeniable certainty.
He stared at the vessel in his hand, and then, muttering an oath, he threw it across the room, where it hit the wall and shattered most satisfactorily. Why had he let Ana Luisa persuade him to add an escape clause when he cursed the vampire?
He laughed softly, mirthlessly. Perhaps he had acceded to her wishes because she was his only child and he loved her as much as he was able, in spite of the fact that she was female and therefore weak and of little use. Perhaps it was time to call her forth from her prison. Time had no meaning for him; he was surprised to realize that