Descent of Blood — Elizabeth Marx

When times are darkest, one vampire desires more than blood. As mortal men battle for the English crown, vampire warriors' move undetected among their ranks, savoring the flow of blood the battlefield provides. Vampire prince, Severian Pearce, fears a revelation of their existence to humankind should the king fall from power. While in pursuit of the king's enemies, Severian comes to the aid of Meridian, a human woman he craves -- and not for the scent of her blood -- but for the dark desires written on the pages of her diary. Meridian is torn between honoring her father's dying wish and her unexplainable yearning for Lord Pearce. But as Severian and Meridian work together to protect a holy relic hunted by mortals and immortals alike, the Red Veil descends over them. This all-consuming attraction can drive vampires to the brink of madness and most humans do not survive its bloodlust. Will the existence of this powerful bond between a human and a vampire be enough to unite the seven immortal clans and protect them from the human world or is the Red Veil a plague set on destroying any chance they might have of being together for eternity?