Rainy Day Rendezvous

Blair's eyes snapped open, her breath catching in her throat. The remnants of a dream clung to her like smoke, a confusing mix of adrenaline and a strange, unsettling longing. Victor's face, paler than usual, with eyes that seemed to burn with a crimson fire, flickered behind her eyelids, the image so vivid it was as if he were right there in the room with her.

She tossed back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, trying to shake off the lingering unease that tightened its grip around her chest. It was just a dream, she told herself, her reflection in the mirror a ghost of her usual, in-control self. But the image of Victor, his gaze intense and full of shadows, refused to be ignored.

She needed air. And maybe a very large, very strong cup of coffee.