Chapter Nineteen

Torn between fear and relief, Portia scrambled to see her niece's face beneath the tumbling crown of honey-colored locks. Eloisa's small mouth was perfectly pursed into a rosebud, and her cheeks were softly suffused with pink. Under the ruffled bodice of her nightgown, her breast rose and fell smoothly, and her throat was unblemished. She seemed alive, and she looked uninjured.

When Portia realized Valentine must have come from the one room neither she nor Adrian had looked in, she wanted to slap herself. The area had filthy stains all over the floor and empty chains hanging from the wall that could be pulled or bent to disclose a hidden room or corridor.

Her finger gently touched the crossbow's trigger. As long as she was using Eloisa as a human shield, she knew she had no chance of obtaining a clear shot at Valentine's heart.

Although the vampire's pale, slender arms showed no signs of exertion, Ellie was as strong as a small pony. She could certainly carry the child for hours witho