By My Choice...: A Valentine's Day Story (Valentine's Day Stories) Read Free

spent under the aegis of Justitiana, but still, if one of the older vampires would challenge him, he would fall. And that is why he had been the only viable choice. He was neither a threat nor a challenge to others but with his link to the powerful court of Venice he was also protected, or as much as was possible in their world. No one had been surprised that he had chosen to take Jen with him, or that she had agreed to go.  
    Though neither of them had known how bad it would be before they had entered the city. The court had been virtually bankrupt for years. In those first few months they had slept in a leaking cellar without electricity or even a roof over the structure above them. The few paranormals remaining in the territory who had served in the old court had either been too corrupt or too vulnerable to leave.  
    Taking on Tirana had not been a prize, his chances of success had been slim and when he chose to take it, he had known one of the few things which might make it possible, bearable, was Jen’s promise to come along. Fabian had not realised, could not have foreseen, that something here would harm her without anyone noticing.  
    Jen was a wizard with organisation and had, by the age of twenty-six, carved out a reputation for considered, and profitable, investment advice in her position as financial manager at one of the main Italian banks. Even though, the first year had been harsh, whilst he had worked to consolidate his power and root out the last vestiges of the old regime she had tried to reinvigorate the court’s finances and establish an actual court for his vassals.  
    By winter she had managed to put a roof over their heads but it had still been outside their means to pay for electricity for more than a few hours a night. They had run most of their business needs from a laptop piggybacking on unsecured internet hotspots across the city. If he had not been so tired in those first few months, it might have been fun watching Jen replenish their dwindling finances by applying her not inconsiderable strategic ability to gambling with tourists. But they had made it — or so he had thought.
    Fifteen months after entering Tirana he had realised something was wrong, that he might be losing his best friend over gaining a territory court. As life settled, it became more and more apparent it was not only the constant exhaustion which affected Jen — but something more fundamental. The warm and happy woman he had brought with him had turned into a quiet, cold, even distant, member of his court. After that one afternoon when he had found her in her study, dozing and unwell, he had set his mind on discovering what was happening to her — without avail. He had even consulted three doctors, medical and psychological, but the only result had been a further withdrawal when she had found out. He had had his suspicions, even then, and now he hoped, with all his heart, it had not been his own egotism which had kept him from acting on those. He hoped he had only acted out of concern for her as he dithered.  
    Then, two months ago she had fainted and he had realised time had run out. In desperation, Fabian had turned to Lady Justitiana, asking her to recall Jen under her care. Instead, she had suggested he offer his best friend to someone who was better placed to take advantage of the situation. That was why he was sending her away.  
    “I am sorry, Jen. Your train leaves tonight — he insisted on your arrival before Thursday, before the 14 th .”
    “Well, I have always dreamt of Valentine’s Day in Paris.” Bitterness suffused each word. He hated the resignation in her eyes, a capitulation to a hopelessness he could not explain. When she spoke, he realised he would be unable to spare her even more pain. He hated the position he, they all, had forced her into and with a sinking feeling he admitted to himself that he was to be blamed for it, at least to a large part.  
    “You have not left me a lot of time to