Title: Christine and the Phantom
Series: Lilith's Bloodlines #3
Published by: Kasey Ho
Release Date: July 16, 2018
Genre: erotica, paranormal
Pages: 44

Blurb:
I come from a long line of human servants working in the household of the great vampire, Lady Lilith. I've seen things that make it impossible for me to remain ignorant of passion, though I've never experienced it for myself. Until one day, my mistress sends me on a most extraordinary quest. To Paris and its opera house, where a legend may be more truth than fiction...

Due to the threats to her bloodline, Lilith must make sure all of her vampires are aware of the danger. Including one who has cut himself off from her and the rest of the world: Erik. And I'm the one who is to be the messenger.

More than our names parallel that old story and I cannot deny the instant attraction between us burns hotter than anything I've ever imagined. But he despises the very vampire I've dedicated my life to serving. And he has also sworn to never turn a woman himself.

Even though I've made it clear that I only want to be with him.

Forever.

Excerpt
I was nearing the end of my shift when I was called back to the ballroom. Two other girls have been called as well, and we looked at each other and confusion before the door opened.

This was not normal.

Usually, when Lilith chose to spend the night with Andre, it was the whole night. Both vampires were fully dressed and there was an air of melancholy that didn’t quite seem appropriate.

“I have something very important to tell all of you,” Lilith said. “Some of you are aware that there has been an escalating threat to the vampires of my bloodline. The best way to protect ourselves is to form alliances with other vampires as well as some of the other supernatural beings. Andre will be heading out to negotiate a treaty on my behalf with the lycans.”

I managed to hide my surprise, at least, it wasn’t as obvious as the shock expressed by the other girls.

The lycans were better known as the werewolves. The vampires’ oldest enemies. Though they had not openly been at war with each other for centuries, or so it was said, it was not known that either side would willingly search the other out. And the possibility that the wolves might even consider a treaty with any one group of vampires?

Inconceivable.

“I have faith that if anyone can do this, it is my Andre,” Lilith said. “But he will be meeting them up on neutral ground, in the middle of the ocean. For his travels, he will need someone to provide him with a way to feed. And that will fall upon you, Janine and Laura.”

Their mouths fell open and they gaped at our mistress. I’m sure my expression had to be much the same. “My lady,” Janine said. “But I thought—”

“He has strict instructions to treat you with all the care necessary, but we have no other choice.”

The girls bowed very properly but I could tell they were hiding smiles. To be told that they would basically become the sex toys of a vampire was hardly the worst thing that could happen. And Andre had a definite reputation among the human servants. I think we all knew what care he took of our mistress, and more than that, he had to be quite talented in several ways in order to have kept her interest in him burning bright for more than a century.

Andre also bowed to Lilith, but wouldn’t look her in the eye. “With your permission, my lady, I think it would be wisest if I set out on my mission immediately.”

“Of course.” She held her hand out to him, and once more I was struck by the sorrow that was still evident upon both of their faces. It was the most emotion I had seen my lady express in a very long time.

Andre pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, straightened, and quickly departed with the two young women trailing behind him like adoring puppies.
Lilith watched them go, then turned to me. “I have another task for you, Christine.”

“Of course, my lady.” I curtsied. “Anything you wish.”

“My dear Niccolo was fortunate enough to acquire the list of the vampires in my bloodline most threatened by our enemies. I have to make sure they are all warned, but not all have remained in touch over the centuries. I must ask you to seek out one in particular.”

“Me? Wouldn’t another vampire be more suited to this task?”

“In this case, no. He and I did not part of very good terms, and I do believe that he still harbors some bitterness toward my kind.”

I felt a surge of excitement, tempered by a little bit of fear. All of the vampires I had encountered so far had been under Lilith’s power, and I never had any reason to feel unsafe with any of them. But if this one held some resentment against my mistress, there were less guarantees.

I was never certain if Lilith was able to read minds, or if she could simply read the expressions upon my face. But she crossed over to where I was standing and patted me on the shoulder. “He was a very good man once. I do not believe he will harm a human, especially a woman. But you do have my permission to defend yourself, if necessary.”

“Thank you, my lady.” That was part of the training I had received when I first began to work in the household. I had thought of it more as somewhat of a precaution, rather than anything that I would ever put into practical use. “I will not let you down.”

“Of course you will not. That is why I have chosen you for this task.” The door to the ballroom opened behind me. “All of the arrangements for your travel have been made, so I advise you to get as much rest as possible tonight. You will leave first thing in the morning.”

“I assume there has been a lead on where this vampire is located?”

“Paris.”

My last traces of fear faded away. I had never traveled beyond the village that was close to Lilith’s mansion. Now, I would be traveling halfway across the world and could barely contain my excitement. Part of me had always longed for adventure. “How recent is the information? Will I be required to do additional searching, my lady?”

“I doubt that will be necessary. He has a very good reason to stay where he was last seen.” She gave me a gentle push. “In any case, I will expect you to report as soon as you’ve found him. Just so that I know you’ve arrived safely.”

I could tell by the tone of her voice that I was being dismissed, so I curtsied again and hurried out of the room. I headed to the servant’s quarters and my small bedroom.

Somehow, I shouldn’t have been surprised to see that there was a suitcase full of brand-new clothing there, along with paper copies of an airline ticket and a passport that had been issued in my name.

But what was lacking, surprisingly, was any information about the vampire I was supposed to be seeking. Just his name: Erik. And a map of the labyrinth beneath the Paris Opera house.

I couldn’t help laughing. Paris… the opera… my name and his. It was all so surreal, but perhaps Lilith had wanted it that way. Who knew? Maybe this vampire she’d made, had once inspired…

No.

Thinking that way was foolish. I pushed the speculation out of my head and prepared to go to bed. Realized that I had forgotten to close my bedroom door after I was already lying down. The mattress was soft and so very comfortable after a long day and night of work, and I had no wish to get up.

I rose up just enough to tap a small metal ball that rested on a shelf above my nightstand. It slid down a short incline, setting off a series of cogs and pulleys that manipulated nearly invisible threads to close and lock the door.

It was a crude device that had to be re-set manually every time I used it, and one of the very first gadgets that my father and I had built together. I had been meaning to get around to improving it for years, but at first I’d been reluctant, as both of my parents had died shortly after I had moved out into this room. The device was one of the few things left to me that had been touched by either one of them.

Then, as I’d matured and taken on more responsibilities in my lady’s household, I’d simply had not had enough time. What little hours I had for leisure and tinkering had been spent on working on new things, not re-imagining the old.

I would have to fix that, as soon as I returned from Paris.

I wish I could say that I slept easily that night. But a turmoil of emotions tormented me in my dreams. Need and longing, fear and excitement.

I awoke in a cold sweat, yet my nightshirt was tucked up under my arms in a way that exposed my breasts and revealed the way my nipples had hardened. My panties were wet and my hand had been between my legs when I first woke.

But as for my dreams, I couldn’t be certain that I knew what they were. What they had meant.

I’d had sexual fantasies in my sleep before. Not in the least because I was nearly always in a state of frustrated desire. I had visualized a faceless man, hovering over me in my bed. Touching me the way that Andre had done with Lilith, his strong hands caressing me everywhere.

As my dream lover had moved between my legs, his cock preparing to breach my virginity, something had shifted. Changed. There had been a pain in my neck and I was screaming.

The vague memories made me shudder. I rose from bed and began to dress myself. I had always fantasized about one day ending up with a man, a human man.

But my dream last night had ended with a vampire.

How strange.

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