Taken by a Vampire (Vampire Queen) - By Joey W. Hill Page 0,17

and her brother; he’d had friends, had maintained those connections as long as he possibly could, while her focus had always been on her future.

Though she’d been oblivious to their attentions, his friends had been intrigued by her looks, much as Niall was. Adam had been protective of her, and not only because he was her brother. A female or male Inherited Servant came to the in-house training program an untouched virgin, never even romantically kissed. She expected that had presented more difficulties for Adam than it had for her, but he’d never complained about it.

Once the private plane landed at the airport in Asheville, North Carolina, Niall guided her to a battered Range Rover and took the wheel. As they drove through town, a postcard blue-green mountain range as its backdrop, she saw it was not a large city at all, not compared to Berlin. In short order, they were off the main highway and winding up smaller roads, headed deeper into the mountains. Despite the fall season, the sun was warm, so he kept the windows down. She wrapped her hair into a twist on the back of her head to keep it out of her eyes, and inhaled the scent of trees, water, mountains and sunshine. The rolling landscape and increasing solitude were a very different experience from the past few weeks, one she didn’t mind at all.

He’d said little after the kiss incident. She didn’t sense he was closed to conversation, just waiting for her to initiate it if she desired. Her main question, how best to serve his Master, had received such a hard-to-interpret reply, she wasn’t sure where to go from there. She’d have to figure it out as she went, which might not be a bad thing, having her mind occupied by that instead of when the life would be choked from her, her heart seizing in her chest because Stephen’s had been staked.

She tried not to dwell on such a thing, because of the fear it could incite. Not of death, but of that afterlife reunion with Stephen. Her temples pounded, a warning of the headache that could come if she thought of him too much, even with the blocker. Lord Brian had explained Stephen’s invasion into her mind had caused such trauma to her body that it would protect her if she turned her thoughts toward him. She was glad to have a sanctioned excuse not to think of her Master.

“Do you like music?”

She turned her head, holding back the few shorter wisps of hair that had escaped the bun and were dancing in the breeze. “If you’d like to play some, I don’t object.”

“Not what I asked, muirnín.” His direct look reminded her of what he’d said in her room. How he’d said it. You’ll want to answer me. Before she could stop herself, she’d shifted her gaze downward, as she might when a vampire addressed her.

“I . . . I haven’t thought about it.”

A slight tap of the chin, a reminder, and she lifted her attention to him. “Better.” He smiled, but that intent look kept her attention. “You mean you don’t listen to music for your own enjoyment?”

“I listen to whatever my Master wishes to play. I’m trained to dance in a variety of styles for his pleasure. I can also sing.”

“Okay.” He pushed the player between them. “Scroll through and find something that strikes your fancy. One song.”

She picked up the device, studied the list of songs. “Are these your favorites?”

“Playlists I’ve put together, aye.”

“All right, then.” She chose the shuffle option and hit play, so that the player chose the first song. He gave her a look, but he didn’t say anything further. The song was country bluegrass, a male band that filled the vehicle with music that fit their surroundings well. With the windows down, she adjusted the volume upward. When she did that, she won a grin. It made her feel a little better, though she couldn’t explain why. Reaching across the seat, he squeezed her hand briefly, then returned to driving, humming the song while she gazed at him, mystified both by the touch and the situation.

Each road they turned up became rougher, steeper, until they were bumping along on what seemed little more than a deer path. The trees closed in on either side, such that Niall raised her window, the leafy branches passing along the glass rather than slapping her during their passage. Just when she was certain he was going