Every hundred years, the Master of the Elements needs a virgin to rejuvenate him. Is she a blood sacrifice, or do pleasures of the body await her? Elsbeth volunteers to serve Lord Raelen and ends up giving him her heart as well as her innocence. But, how can an immortal take a living woman as his wife? TO MY READER: When I saw the picture of the neo-Gothic castle on the Black Sea, I knew I had to set a story there. When I thought up the idea of an immortal Master of the Elements, I knew I¿d have to give him a woman brave enough to stand up to him. Luckily, Elsbeth volunteered. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alice Gaines loves the fantastic and the ultra-sensual. Writing gives her the opportunity to combine these two pleasures. Besides spinning tales in her head, Alice¿s passions include vegetable gardening, the San Francisco 49ers, and America¿s Test Kitchen. Alice has a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and lives in Oakland, California with her two pet corn snakes, Casper and Sheikh Yerbouti. Feel free to e-mail Alice at algaines@pacbell.net.