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smiled at her own joke. “It’s time we turned in. You’re safe here Claire, no worries child. The only vampire in the world who can withstand sunlight is Nikoli. The Myrmidons don’t know that secret, not one in the bunch nearly as smart as my John was. I’ll show you to your room.”
    Claire reluctantly released Nikoli’s hand and rose to follow Joyce. “Goodnight then, I guess,” she said softly to Nikoli.
    “I’m coming up too.” He fell in line behind Claire, following Joyce up the staircase.
    “ I’m just down there if you need anything.” Joyce pointed to the door at the end of the hall. “This will be your room while you’re here, I hope it’ll do.” She opened the second door on the right and led Claire into a lovely bedroom. It was bright with the morning sun streaming in through the huge floor to ceiling windows, with faded old wallpaper and a lovely antique fireplace. A dark wood four poster bed touched against the far wall, and a comfy-looking overstuffed chair faced the fireplace.
    Joyce patted a pile of neat ly folded clothing on the bed. “I put these out for you before you arrived. I didn’t know your size, but I figured you’d be smaller than this old rounded out country gal,” she gestured to her thick middle, “so I dug up some old clothes of mine in the attic, from my younger years when I was lean. I hope they’ll do. There are sneakers in the closet, I had a few pairs I bought and never wore kicking around, maybe one’ll fit you. The bathroom’s through there.” Joyce pointed to the adjoining private bathroom. “I intend to sleep 4 hours. I’ll wake you when I get up, we’ve much more to discuss about what happens next.”
    Claire nodded. “ Thank you Joyce, it’s perfect.” She still had a thousand questions, still had no idea what these ‘next’ plans Joyce and Nikoli spoke of were. But after all she had been through in just the last night past, all Claire wanted was a hot shower and a long sleep.

Chapter 6
     
    Under the blast of hot water in the shower Claire finally allowed herself to fall apart. She slumped to the bottom of the tub, sobbing uncontrollably. She wept for her lost parents and brother, slaughtered while they slept in their beds by cruel vampires under the control of Stavros. She wept for herself, removed from the safe world she once knew in which there were no real monsters in the night. She wept for her Gramps, who fled his homeland after the death of his brother on the battlefield. She wept for all she had lost in the last few days. When she could weep no more, she pulled herself upright and cleaned herself up. While scrubbing her hair under the shower stream, her tears spent, her thoughts wandered to Nikoli. With regret Claire realized she never bid him goodbye before they turned into their rooms, one moment he was on the stairs behind her, the next she and Joyce were in her room- without Nikoli. No matter- she’d see him when she woke up, she was sure of it. The thought of their next encounter made her smile to herself.
    No sooner had she sl ipped into the sweats and tank top Joyce had left out for her than a knock sounded on her door. Toweling her wet hair dry, she opened the door.
    “ Thank you Joyce, these fit fine and…” Claire stopped mid-sentence. There stood Nikoli, holding a bouquet of wild flowers.
    “ Claire, I hope I’m not disturbing you,” he began, holding out the wildflowers to her. “I picked these for you from the yard. I just wanted to apologize for earlier last night. It’s not my usual character to forcibly take a lady,” he said nervously, his demeanor stiff.
    Claire stood frozen in shock for a second. Here he was, Mr. Hot Vampire, outside her door with flowers for her. “Please, come in.” She gestured for him to enter the room.
    “ I’m not sure it’s proper for me to-”
    Claire cut him off with a grin. “You carried me kicking and screaming out to your truck in the middle of the night, Nikoli. I’ve seen