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Chapter 1: The Proposal

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“Explain to me again why you’re marrying him?” I said. “He’s a total creep and raging misogynist to boot.”  I stared at Lynn with set shoulders as I waited for her response. Lynn glared at me over the laptop. I met her gaze and refused to blink. Lynn was my best friend. We had known each other since kindergarten. We shared nearly everything in common, except our taste in boys. Rain pounded on the windows of the girl’s academic dormitory, and I could actually feel the wind shifting the building. Outside, lightning spiderwebbed across the sky, and then the thunder rattled the windows. I hadn’t had time to draw a breath between lightning and thunder.  Lynn shook her head. “I’m marrying him because that’s how it is. That’s who I marry. Period. No way around it.” I picked up my wine glass and paused. Was it my wine glass? It couldn’t be Lynn’s. She was holding hers. But we were the last two girls standing tonight. Lindsay was asleep on the couch. We had held Sophie’s hair out of th...
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Captive of the Crimson Countess, Chapter 16: Broken Glass

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Blair caught up with Nadia in the dining hall. The other women milled around, ignoring Nadia. When they realized that Blair had arrived to speak with Nadia, the women ignored Blair as well.  Nadia looked at Blair and her brow furrowed.  “Is that blood?” Nadia asked. She pointed at Blair’s neck. Blair nodded, “You know my silver mail choker?”  Nadia nodded. Blair dropped the shredded pile of silver links on the table in front of Nadia. Hester looked up from her table at the sound of jangling metal. Other girls turned to look as well.  Nadia stared at the devastated choker.  “Are you? She didn’t hurt you too badly did she?” Nadia stood and examined Blair’s neck.  “Some cuts from the damaged mail. The poor choker did its job. She was too put off by the damage done by the silver to stay and menace me. I think she felt embarrassed.” “Did you fight off the countess? In person?” Hester said, approaching. “I didn’t so much fight her off, as catch her off guard. The...
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Captive of the Crimson Countess, Chapter 15: The Winter Garden and the Crimson Butterfly

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The witching hour had passed and Blair knew she needed to sleep. But she didn’t want to face the countess in her dreams once more. Blair considered her options.  She had two silver potions. If she drank one that should protect her from anything the countess might attempt. But she had only two such potions. She wore one silver potion around her neck, and kept a larger silver potion in her bandoleer. It didn’t seem wise to waste either so early in her ordeal.  Should she wait until dawn to sleep? She would lose part of the day, which meant she would be more likely to encounter the countess in person. Blair didn’t know which was better. Better not to sleep. But that wasn’t wise either. Still she knew she could go one night without sleep. She could postpone the issue one night.  Blair cursed and stalked in circles in her room. Finally she left her room and headed for the dining hall. Nadia had gone to bed. The other girls were still up. They clustered about Blair as she enter...
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Captive of the Crimson Countess, Chapter 14: Not In Love

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Blair stalked through the halls heading back to her room. An argument raged in her skull.  Blair knew that she shouldn’t trust Nadia. Blair did trust Nadia, but knew that she shouldn’t. Nadia could be under the countess’s control. Nadia could be unaware of that control. Blair knew how subtle and how powerful the mind control of some elder immortals could be.  Blair shook her head as she remembered the kiss. She had lifted Nadia and pushed her against a wall. She shouldn’t have done that. She hadn’t meant to do that. But she had done it. She couldn’t let herself fall in love with Nadia. It was too dangerous. It didn't matter how sexy Nadia was. It didn't matter how much Blair wanted Nadia’s soft skin pressed against her own. She could not fall in love with Nadia. Blair slammed a fist against the wall. She shook her head. She could feel Nadia’s lips pressed against her own. She could smell Nadia’s perfume. The memory of the kiss left her dizzy. No. No. No. Regardless of how much...
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Captive of the Crimson Countess, Chapter 13: Exaggerations

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Nadia stared at Blair, breathless and dizzy.  Blair shook her head and looked away. Nadia grimaced. They weren’t through the doubt stage yet. Nadia had hoped the kiss meant Blair had dealt with her misgivings, but no. “What is it?” Nadia asked.  “So many things.” Blair answered. “I don’t think you’re an agent of the countess. But you’re right, she might be manipulating you. But that’s not the problem.” Nadia cocked her head in surprise. “That’s not the problem?” “No. If we survive and escape or kill the countess, then her hold over you breaks. Simple.” “Then what?” “There are problems that will remain even after we leave this castle. You’re Thulean. And I’m Yssian. I don’t care about that. But we’re both nobility and our families will care about it. You’re also a princess, and of much higher standing than myself. Your family may not even approve of the match, it’s so lopsided.” “Your grandmother is a baroness.” “And I’m distant in the line of succession.” “You’re still from a ...
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Captive of the Crimson Countess, Chapter 12: Innocence and Corruption

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Blair watched Nadia as they separated. Tears welled and rolled down Nadia’s cheeks. Blair flinched. She didn’t want to hurt Nadia.  “All right.” Nadia said. “I’ll tell you the truth.”  Blair froze, Nadia had been lying. Blair scrambled to figure out what this meant. Was Nadia actually spying on Blair? Was Nadia actually an immortal, as in Blair’s dream? Blair resisted reaching for her saber. Instead, she nodded.  “Go on.” “I did plan to escape. Once. I had been planning an escape. I wanted to do what you said, get all the girls out. This was my excuse, what I told myself was the reason I remained the countess’s favorite.” “What changed?” Nadia ran her hand from her right ear down to her collarbone in a clawing motion. Blair flinched as she realized what Nadia meant by the gesture.  “The countess found out. She punished me. And then she left me on the floor, almost letting me bleed out. This, even after I surrendered. She did it to make a point. I felt like a dying mo...
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