She laughed again, a cold, brittle sound that raised the hairs alongNavarre 's arms and sent a shiver down his spine. "Mortal men are so easy to manipulate, so fearful of the unknown, so afraid of their own mortality."
She glanced around the room. "It has been a most satisfactory arrangement, but now I grow weary of being a goddess. I yearn to see the world again, to return to my homeland. You may come with me, and I will teach you what you must know, or you may stay here, and learn what you have become."
He did not understand her words, nor did he like the fear that congealed in his heart.
"What?" he asked hoarsely. "What have I become?"
"You are a creature of the night now, myNavarre . One of the undead. You have powers you cannot imagine, powers that will increase as the years pass. You must have blood to live. You will cast no shadow, no reflection. Sunlight is your enemy. Seek her light and she will most assuredly destroy you."
"And what of my father? And his father before him?"
She frowned, perplexed by the question. "They were sacrificed, as you were."
"And are they... did you do to them what you say you've done to me?"
Soft laugher escaped her lips as she shook her head. "No, myNavarre . Never in five hundred years have I spared the life of one meant to be sacrificed."
"Never?"
"Never." She ran her hand over his chest and shoulders, her touch sensuous, her fingertips lightly caressing the strong muscles that flexed beneath his dark skin. And then she held out her hand.
"Come with me," she purred, her voice low and husky and filled with the promise of rapture. "Together we will explore the darkness of your new world."
Navarrestared at her slim white hand, but made no move to take it. "Katlaina..." He whispered her name as if it would banish the terror from his heart.
"She will not have you now, my handsome one. Come with me! I will teach you to hunt the night." She caressed his cheek. "I will show you the world."
"No." He recoiled from her touch, from the predatory gleam in her eyes. "I don't believe you. I don't believe any of this."
She drew herself up to her full height, her eyes blazing dark fire because he had scorned her.
"You will believe, come the dawn," she hissed. "Be happy in your new life, myNavarre . Mayhap we will meet again one day."
He stared at her, certain she was mad, and then, as she dissolved into a sparkling black mist and disappeared before his eyes, he was certain he was mad.
He ran to the doors, but there was no latch on the inside. Hands curled into fists, he pounded on the wood.
"Let me out of here! For the love of Zeus, let me out!" He screamed until his voice was raw, but to no avail.
He felt the hours of the night passing, and then, to his amazement, he felt the coming of the dawn, felt the promise of its heat burning in his blood.
With a hoarse cry, he beat his fists upon the doors again. Tears of frustration scalded his cheeks, and when he wiped them away, he saw that his tears were tinged with blood.
Frightened and confused, he sank to his knees in the middle of the floor. His blood. He could feel it growing warm in his veins. What was happening to him?
He glanced up as a faint ray of sunshine struck the eastern windows, cried out as the brightness burned his eyes. And then a reflected ray of sunlight touched his skin. Pain shot up his arm and he scrambled to his feet, searching for a place to hide.
But the room was empty save for the throne, the altar. And the coffin.
He stared at it in horror and then, as he felt the heat of the sun on his bare back, he ran across the floor, climbed into the coffin, and closed the lid.
And still he felt the sun climbing in the sky, felt its heat drain his strength, felt his limbs grow heavy as the very life seemed to drain from his body.
His last conscious thought was that she had lied, for surely this was death. And then the blackness engulfed him, dragging him down, down, into a stygian sea of oblivion.
Part Two Chapter Seven
He woke to darkness. Disoriented, he remained still. Then he remembered where he was, and panic raced through him. With a cry,