The Stuart Vampire Teaser, © Andrea Zuvich 2013:
James gripped Henry’s hand. “Now, you must rest well and we’ll see thee in the morning. Goodnight, Harry.” His brother left quietly, but he could hear his footsteps echo down the old corridor.
“Please don’t leave me,” he whispered to himself now in vain. The hours went by slowly, and Henry drew in and out of delirium; and the draught of wind whistled through the tiny gaps in the casement window opposite the foot of his bed. The orange fire in the hearth by the left side of his bed crackled as the wood was consumed, and the pungent scent of the herbs the physician had used was almost overpowering.
The strange feeling of doom rose in his chest again and Henry could hear his heart beating loudly within his chest, as his body tried to fight off the disease. Turning his pustule-riddled face to his right, he saw the drooped figure of his physician in a chair, fast asleep. His eye momentarily wandered to the side table, upon which lay a jar of leeches and one beeswax candle flickering wildly.
When Henry opened his eyes again, he was certain that he was seeing things, for there suddenly appeared a very pale face outside the window. It was the face of a very beautiful woman, like the Madonna from a Botticelli painting, with golden blonde hair that seemed to float about her exquisite visage.
He thought he was going mad, that the smallpox was warping his brain, for there were no steps outside his window on the exterior of Somerset House– nothing for her to stand upon. Was she an angel come down to take him to Heaven? Is this what he had been dreading would come?
But her eyes made him tremble with fear, not love.
That creature was still outside his window – her eyes flashing a shade of green that Henry had never seen before – almost as striking as a firefly in the depth of night. The eyes seemed to get closer, and closer…
The Stuart Vampire shall be out this Halloween on Amazon.