Drawn to the Vampire (Blood and Absinthe, Book 4) Read Online Free

every passing year?”
    The Vice-Chancellor looked judicious. “Keep in mind that your standards were set in a more exacting age. Historical biography is an art.”
    “All I know is that if I read one more essay beginning ‘Sir Thomas More was born’ I’m going to throw myself off a cliff. A serious threat considering we’re actually on a cliff.”
    Merton waved a hand towards the door.
    “Take the night off, then. Drink some of that whiskey you’re so fond off. Just stay away from the female—”
    “From the female students?” Luke raised an eyebrow. “Did you honestly think that little rule had slipped my mind? It’s not like you to be so untrusting. Haven’t I managed to be a good boy for—well, for an awfully long time?”
    “Perhaps. I’m just reminding you that if you need to find amusement, you should go to one of the towns—Harlech or Dolgellau or Machynlleth. There will be more…scope for your activities.”
    Now Luke raised both eyebrows. “You make it sound like I spend every night engaged in nameless debaucheries. When, in fact, I spend most of my evenings at home with a good book and a bottle of beer.”
    “Indeed. Isn’t it curious, then, that every year in this part of the country a small number of women will visit their local health clinics or hospitals presenting with the same symptoms, which resemble, oddly enough, mild anemia.”
    Luke grinned. “Keeping tabs, are you? Well, I’ll answer for it that those women are all perfectly fine after a week or two. And have any of them ever accused me of anything, or so much as mentioned my name to local authorities?”
    “Not as yet, no. But some of them do seem to continue a certain romantic interest in you long after you’ve, shall we say, moved on? And they manifest that interest by coming to my university and making a nuisance of themselves.”
    “Not much of a nuisance. The porter always stops them at the gatehouse.”
    “Still, it does look a little odd—”
    “You’ve been making hay off of my oddities for a while now. I’m the reason half your female students are here, including this year’s Templeton Scholar. Which is rather ironic, considering that I’m never more than politely distant with any of them. Still, you never hesitate to make use of my personality as a recruiting tool, so why are you suddenly concerned with my so-called ‘oddities’? What’s changed since the last time we spoke privately, which was, I believe, a mere three days ago?”
    The other man shivered suddenly and pulled his chair closer to the fire.
    Luke frowned. “All right, Merton. What’s wrong? It’s not like you to worry and fuss like this.”
    “Of course it is. I’m the Vice-Chancellor. It’s my job to worry.”
    “You know what I mean. What’s going on, man?”
    Merton shook his head without looking up. “I’m not sure,” he said hesitantly. “I’ve received intimations, but nothing specific. The warnings are vague, cryptic…but there’s something about a woman. A stranger. Whatever it is, it relates to you, Luke. That I’m sure of. You remember the prophecy—”
    “That prophecy will never come to pass.”
    Merton sighed. “Just be careful, will you? Humor an old man. We’ve got a good thing going here, you know.”
    “And you think I don’t know that? I’m not likely to upset the apple cart at this stage of the game. Don’t worry, old friend, I’m not going anywhere tonight. I’ll retire to my rooms, drink a mild-mannered Guinness, and read Boswell’s Life of Johnson . It’ll comfort me after all these wretched essays. All right?”
    The Vice-Chancellor nodded. “All right.”
    * * *
    Funny, Luke thought as he strode through the courtyard to the north side of the main quadrangle. It wasn’t like Merton to get so spooked without any real information. And it wasn’t as if any threat could cross the boundary of Snowdon. The protections around this place were too strong.
    Luke shook his head. Maybe the