The Painting

By AD Stewart

When Catherine Stockholm’s grandmother passed away, she inherited more than she bargained. And the first night alone in Alexandra’s house, Catherine finds out the horrible secret behind the painting.

When Vaykrin emerged from his prison, he desired nothing more than his freedom and the love of Catherine. And the first night she spent in the old Victorian house, Vaykrin desperately hopes to explain his dilemma. Only instead of securing his heart’s desire, she flees from him. Can Vaykrin win her heart, or stay forever trapped inside, The Painting?

Credit to: Ricardo Soares, for the use of his images/photographes.

www.fotosoares.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: AD Stewart
• Release date: May 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458016607

AD Stewart

I enjoy painting, reading and playing in my worlds. When I'm not creating devilishly tempting heros, you'll find me on facebook chatting to friends and family.I'm currently working on a series called Ancient Breeds. From Egyptians to Atlantians- each book tells an amazing story of good and bad vampires in a battle to rule the world. The second book, Sands of Time is nearly complete!!

Book preview

AD Stewart

The Painting

By

AD Stewart

Smashwords Edition

Copyright A D Stewart 2011

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication Page

To Susie Stewart, without her, my dreams of being a writer would still be just a dream. I’m forever grateful. And I would like to thank my editor, Kate Richards. She’s very understanding, except on Fridays.

Part 1

After twenty-two years, the masterpiece still hung in its customary place above the marble hearth. And at the sight of the painted man, a rush of memories washed over Catherine. Taking her back to a time when she was a child and questioned anyone who would listen about the painting.

Sometimes Grandmamma used the man in the painting as a cautionary figure, portraying him as a dark monster who claimed naughty children in the night. Fearing attracting his attention, Catherine stayed on her best behavior at all times when she visited her grandmother in England.

She never spoke of the occasions when she caught her grandmother talking out loud to the painting—the last thing she wanted was people calling Grandmamma crazy. But even as a child, she understood that to most adults, chatting to objects was abnormal.

But even so, one day, she decided to ask Grandmamma Stockholm why she spoke to the man if he was evil. The old woman’s answers were vague, and after her grandmother went through her nose tapping and staring at the painting through old, and battered bifocals, Catherine wished she’d never asked in the first place.

The only straightforward answer she got was the tall, eerie man’s name. And by the time Catherine became old enough to read, that wasn’t much of a mystery after all. ‘Cause the seven letters engraved in the square brass plate at the top of the antique frame readVaykrin.

Now, as an adult, a sense of apprehension settled in the pit of her stomach whenever she looked at the old painting. Silly, of course, since she was too old to believe in fairy tales and the boogie man.

Hesitant at first, she reached up to clean the surface and revealed a kaleidoscope of shapes and luxurious colors. The oil portrait, stunning with its dark, lustrous hues of a bygone era, fascinated the young woman. Featuring a man mounted on a dark steed, Catherine had always found it fascinating, and even now she searched for a signature that might tell her who created this amazing piece of art.

The unknown artist gave a hint of reflected sunlight off the metal stirrups and bridle, set afire in flashes of orange and reds while the rearing horse, captured in superb detail, danced a wild tempo on a patch of hardened earth. Its black mane and tail were clusters of