Unbitten by Valerie du Sange Read Free Book Online

you general impressions more
     than anything solid you can take action on, I’m
     sorry.”
    “The market is very, very big, Claudine. I’m
     sure you’re the last person I need to say that to. If
     vampires around the world have access to good synthetic
     blood, healthy and affordable synthetic blood–well,
     in my dream, we could eventually even come out of the
     shadows and begin to live openly, because there would be no
     more threat to humans and they could put their bloody
     stakes away and relax.
    “But I realize the business side of this is not all
     unicorn’s blood and sparkles. It will be a fight to
     the death, with these Americans. I can tell you that I feel
     the breaching of my lab to be as serious a challenge and an
     insult as I can imagine. I admit that for a moment I wished
     it were still the 17th century and I could insist on a
     duel.
    “I have my rapier still ready,” he said, with a
     note of nostalgia.
    “I do understand,” said Claudine. “And I
     wish you luck. Stay safe, Monsieur.”
    “Henri,” he said. “Good morning then,
     Claudine. I will see you in Paris next week.”
    Henri was just going to have to go to sleep and hope that
     by the time evening fell, he would have some idea of what
     to do next. He slowly stood up and walked to the back of
     the room where a tapestry hung. Pulling the tapestry aside,
     he slipped behind it, down a flight of stone steps and into
     the darkness, to his beloved sleeping chamber, where no one
     had ever slept but Henri himself.

    Fully caffeinated and ready to ride, Jo left the breakfast
     room and went outside, looking for the stables. She had
     expected to see David first thing, all excited to show her
     the horse he had been telling her about, maybe going out on
     a ride with her, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Jo
     was disappointed but so looking forward to meeting her new
     horse that the disappointment registered for a moment and
     then was gone.
    The grounds of Château Gagnon were stunning. Gravel
     paths curved around the land which faintly undulated, with
     large islands of shrubbery punctuating expanses of green
     lawn. As she walked along, she kept wondering what was
     around the next bend. And when she got there, some sort of
     surprise would unfold–an archway covered with roses,
     sadly now not in bloom. A pond filled with koi. A flower
     border laid out in geometric French style. A small barn
     with miniature goats.
    “Jo!” a man’s voice called. She turned
     around and followed the path around a big mass of some kind
     of shrub that had lost all its leaves to the frost, and in
     the distance saw a young man waving to her.
    “The stable is down this way!” he shouted, and
     Jo realized that since she had been in France, she had not
     heard anyone shouting–or yelling or singing or making
     much noise at all. Life at the Château was lively
     enough, as far as she could tell, but it was quietly so.
    “I am Thierry!” the man said enthusiastically,
     sticking his hand out for her to shake. He was short, very
     tanned, and slightly bow-legged. “I am going to show
     you around the stable here, and introduce you to Drogo, and
     answer any questions you might have.” He grinned at
     her. “We have been really looking forward to your
     arrival,” he added. “Your reputation is quite
     impressive.”
    Jo smiled back at him. “Thank you,” she said.
     “I can’t tell you how much I want to ride
     today. I just–I can’t wait to get my feet in
     the stirrups.”
    “I understand. I am sure Drogo is feeling the
     same.”
    They walked around another curve in the path and then they
     were in full view of the stable. It was a long building,
     centuries old, with boxes below for about twenty horses and
     a hayloft overhead. Thierry led Jo into the tack room,
     which smelled wonderfully of leather and saddle soap and
     hay, and asked her to try on a helmet.
    “Mine should be coming when the rest of my luggage