《Mark of Betrayal (Dark Secrets #3)》 Page 1 Chapter One Life is nothing without pain. We cannot feel the warmth of the sun without knowing cold; we cannot feel the joy of a smile without knowing heartache. But sometimes I wonder how we could know joy without ever experiencing it, either.Advertisement My life would end today, when I hopped in the car at the end of the driveway and saw David in the rear-view, waving. It would be enough to crush me. But right now, in his arms, safe and protected from that fate, I could imagine this was what joy felt like. ¡°Don¡¯t say it, Ara.¡± He stepped back from our embrace. ¡°It¡¯s only goodbye if you say it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, David. I¡¯ve never said goodbye to anyone I¡¯ve lost¡ªdoesn¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯re gone.¡± He smiled softly, brushing his thumb over my cheek. ¡°Well, who knows, maybe I¡¯ll turn up some positive information on your bloodline¡ªperhaps you were adopted after all, and you¡¯ll be saying hello to a whole new family you never knew you had.¡± I smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll keep the dad I have, but I¡¯d like a sister.¡± He laughed a little. ¡°Then, a sister I shall find you.¡± We both looked up to the car when Mike cleared his throat for the tenth time, leaning on the hood, his arms folded, the passenger door sitting open. ¡°I think that¡¯s your cue to go,¡± David said. ¡°No, the last four huffs before that were. He¡¯s one grunt short of physically removing me.¡± ¡°Shall we run away then?¡± His eyes, as I looked up at him, offered only humour, not the proposition I hoped for. ¡°I wish we could. But then who¡¯d catch the big bad vamp?¡± He waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Let the humans do it.¡± I laughed and wrapped my arms all the way around his ribs, disappearing from the warmth of the near-summer sun against the shade of his towering height. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°You will.¡± He kept one hand around my neck as I backed slightly away. ¡°I¡¯ll find Drake for you, Ara¡ªand I¡¯ll be at the manor by the end of summer.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Too many promises have not been kept, my love. I won¡¯t promise this, but I will promise not to rest until I find that son of a bitch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not his fault, you know.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Drake. It¡¯s not his fault there¡¯s a prophecy that states he¡¯s going to be killed by a kid. I mean, we¡¯d be hunting us down if we were Drake. I feel sorry for him.¡± David let a breath out through his nose. ¡°And this is why children should not take on adult responsibilities.¡± ¡°Who? Me? A child?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡± ¡°Ara, you¡¯re nineteen. You¡¯re a child.¡± ¡°Then you are, too. You¡¯re nineteen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m over a hundred and twenty years old. My body is nineteen. But my mind is wise beyond that¡ªfar wiser than yours.¡± ¡°So, now I¡¯m dumb.¡± ¡°Not dumb, my love, I¡¯d never say that about you¡ªyou¡¯re a very smart girl, but sometimes you just see things with the innocence of a child.¡± ¡°I disagree. I think I¡¯m right about Drake.¡± He half turned away, looking back at the house. ¡°You¡¯ll see, in time. Your decisions will directly affect others now, mon amour, and I can only warn you so far. There will come a point where you will have to see the damage you¡¯ve done before my words finally sink in.¡± I huffed, dropping my hands onto my hips. ¡°Well, if you think you know so much, you go rule those people.¡± ¡°I will be ruling. Once we catch Drake.¡± ¡°Fine. Then you can do it alone. I quit. If I know nothing, why should I¡ª¡± ¡°Ara.¡± Mike grabbed my arm from behind and tugged me away a little. ¡°Stop arguing, baby. We gotta go; the Lilithians are rallying to meet their princess.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shrugged from his grasp. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. How can I find one ounce of faith in myself, when no one else seems to have any?¡± ¡°We do, baby. We¡¯re all just stressed, okay.¡± ¡°David?¡± He looked up from his feet. ¡°Do you really believe I¡¯m too young to do this?¡± ¡°Just say it,¡± Mike said; I looked at him, but he was looking at David. ¡°Say what?¡± I asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± David said, staring Mike down. ¡°Guys!¡± I stomped my foot. ¡°Stop doing that. I know you¡¯ve been talking about me when I can¡¯t hear you. What¡¯s going on?¡± Mike took a breath. ¡°He¡¯s not worried about your abilities as queen, Ara.¡± David stepped forward a little, his body language holding no bars back, warning Mike not to elaborate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mate, she deserves to know.¡± ¡°Know what?¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s worried about the spirit bind.¡± David sunk back, silently cursing. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°See, this is exactly why I was worried,¡± David said. ¡°You swore you wouldn¡¯t tell her. You just can¡¯t do it, can you? You just can¡¯t separate yourself from her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m marrying Emily, David. There is nothing going on between Ara and I.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be.¡± He turned away and gave the picket fence a little kick with his toe, gentle enough not to knock it down. ¡°Oh, my God. You think because I¡¯m bound to him I¡¯m going to betray our wedding vows?¡± I stomped over to David. ¡°How can you think that?¡± ¡°Because I know your heart, Ara.¡± He faced me again, hunching slightly, his hands in his pockets. ¡°I know you¡¯d follow it to your own detriment. I¡ª¡± He looked at Mike for a second, his eyes narrowed, a thousand words not found in the dictionary being aimed at him across the lawn. ¡°I love you, okay, but you¡¯ve never loved just me. And I¡¯m sending you away for God knows how long, to live in a place without me, without my touch. If you get lonely or scared or¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re gonna go to him for comfort.¡± My mouth wouldn¡¯t close. I looked at Mike, then David, and back again a few times, unsure what to say. And Mike didn¡¯t say anything either, maybe because he¡¯d already had this argument with David, or maybe because he believed I was incapable of fidelity. ¡°But, of course I¡¯ll go to Mike for a hug or some companionship, David¡ªhe¡¯s my friend. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to forget I love you,¡± I said. ¡°Hasn¡¯t stopped you in the past. Nay, the lake?¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Is this say whatever you can think of to hurt me day? Christ, David. You¡¯re such an arse.¡± ¡°No, Ara.¡± He grabbed my arm. ¡°I just love you. And I am so sick of losing you that the very idea of you getting in that car right now has me blinded with madness.¡± I sniffled, shaking a little despite the heat. ¡°You¡¯re not going to lose me, David. I have to go away, yes, but I won¡¯t let myself be with Mike. I swear it.¡± I touched my chest. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t swear it, Ara; promises have never stopped you from doing what you want to do. So don¡¯t make a promise to me, because I know you can¡¯t keep it.¡± ¡°David, that¡¯s a horrid thing to say.¡± ¡°I know, but¡ª¡± He licked his lips, shaking his head as several sentences came to fruition, but only one came out; ¡°Something¡¯s different¡ªit¡¯s not like it was before.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not?¡± ¡°Our love.¡± The world rocked beneath me. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Just forget it.¡± He turned away. ¡°No.¡± I grabbed his arm again. ¡°I won¡¯t just forget it. David, tell me what you mean.¡± ¡°I mean¡ª¡± He towered over me as he walked closer. ¡°All we do is fight. I can¡¯t read your thoughts; I can¡¯t even read your heart, anymore. Whatever the connection we used to have¡­¡± He looked over at Mike, then back at me. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Gone?¡± My heart dropped into my knees. ¡°You don¡¯t love me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± His voice softened, his eyes flicking over my face. ¡°Then what are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I don¡¯t trust you¡ªlike I did before. And I don¡¯t even know why. I just know there¡¯s something different about you, and I don¡¯t trust it, whatever it is.¡± ¡°Different?¡± ¡°Just forget it.¡± He turned away again. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡± ¡°Yes, you should.¡± I followed him. ¡°That¡¯s the real problem with this relationship, David. You never say anything. You never tell me anything.¡± ¡°Maybe I have good reason for that,¡± he said, walking faster. ¡°What reason? What have I ever done to prove you can¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°You never listen,¡± he hissed as he spun around. ¡°You make misinformed decisions about what¡¯s best; you let your heart control everything you do. If you would just grow up, just¡ª¡± He held his hands up, shaping his sentence into a ball of frustration. ¡°None of this would¡¯ve happened if you were even a little bit more mature.¡± ¡°None of what would¡¯ve happened, David?¡± I challenged, wearing my hands in a gesture of authority. He ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°Think about it. Just trace over everything we¡¯ve suffered, Ara. It¡¯s all because you couldn¡¯t make up your mind¡ªall because you have some deluded idea of what right and wrong is.¡± ¡°Deluded? Deluded! Damn it, David. Killing is wrong. That¡¯s all I ever had a problem with. Why can¡¯t you see that? Why do I have to take the blame for all of this, when, at any point, you could have shared yourself with me? Told me how you killed Rochelle, told me to watch out for your brother¡ªthat he might come after me. You could¡¯ve warned me he could mind-link, saved me all this anguish for being in lo¡ª¡± I zipped my words back in. He couldn¡¯t know the truth of those dreams I had. Couldn¡¯t know Jason ever mind-linked with me, other than the dream where he bound me. David stepped carefully toward me, becoming taller as he grabbed my arm. ¡°Being in what, Ara?¡± I swallowed. ¡°No one¡¯s to blame here. Okay. Things happen, David. We can¡¯t blame each other, or we¡¯ll never get through this.¡± He let go of my arm. ¡°You¡¯re keeping something from me. I can feel it.¡± He stared me down, and I stared back, with the wall of everything at stake rising up in front of my thoughts, protecting them in case he got through. If he ever found out that I had loved Jason, anywhere in my heart, I¡¯d never see him again. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I took the route of deflection. ¡°I do love Mike. And the spirit bind complicates things. But it always has. It¡¯s never been any different.¡± Mike wandered back to the car then, shaking his head. David and I watched him for a minute. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry. I promise¡ª¡± I emphasised the word he said I could never use, ¡°¡ªthat nothing will happen between Mike and I.¡± David looked to be caving, like he might take me in his arms and kiss my head. But he stiffened, becoming that hard man I¡¯d seen a few times now, and looked over at Mike before glaring back down at me. ¡°I wish I could take your word. I really do. But I don¡¯t trust either of you,¡± he said, and disappeared, leaving me in the wake of his suspicion. My chest heaved and my gut churned, calling up the rise of bile I¡¯d held down all day. I folded over. ¡°Ara, baby, he¡¯s just scared, okay?¡± Mike lifted me to stand. ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, searching the entire lakeside park for my vampire. ¡°No. He believes it. He really believes I¡¯m going to cheat on him.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± He made me walk to the car. ¡°We¡¯ll worry about it later, okay. You can send him a message on Facebook when we get you settled at the manor.¡± ¡°He shut his Facebook account down, Mike.¡± ¡°He did?¡± ¡°Yes. Dead people don''t go on Facebook.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. Well, you can send him a text. Okay?¡± I nodded, not feeling any better. ¡°How can he have so little faith in me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, baby. But he knows you better than any of us. Maybe he¡¯s right.¡± He shrugged; I glared at him. ¡°Or maybe not. I don¡¯t know. But, he clearly thinks very little of me, too, to think I¡¯d ever cheat on Em. I may love ya, baby, but I¡¯m not that sort of man. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± I looked back at the house as I hopped in the passenger seat of the car. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got dragged into that, Mike.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stress it.¡± He shut the door and appeared in the driver¡¯s seat a breath later, smiling widely. ¡°Let¡¯s just go have some fun training some knights.¡± He clicked his seatbelt into place, and I offered a smile, exhaling, though, inside, my gut was missing¡ªstill left on the ground where David¡¯s words tore it out. The grass arched outward like a parting sea, green and thick, flat under his outstretched leg; he tapped his foot to a beat only he could hear, while the pages of the tatty old book in his hand flickered in the warm summer breeze. Page 2 ¡°Read me a line?¡± a girl said, swinging one leg over the branch of the tree above him.Advertisement He looked up and his closed lips spread wide with a smile for a moment, then he flipped through a few pages and read aloud. The girl sat back; one leg tucked under her knee, her dress hanging loosely past the branch, twirling a strand of her long brown hair. ¡°I like the sound of your voice when you read. It¡¯s so soothing.¡± The boy stopped and closed the book. ¡°That was my aunt¡¯s favourite passage.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Never asked her. My uncle told me he used to read this one passage to her, sometimes three or four times in a row¡ªsitting under this very tree.¡± ¡°Under this tree?¡± she said. ¡°But this is my dream. How can they have been here?¡± The boy¡¯s smiling eyes rested on his book again, a secret hiding behind them that he could share if he wanted, but chose not to. ¡°What was your uncle¡¯s favourite passage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure he had one. I¡¯m not even sure he liked this book.¡± ¡°Why did he read it then?¡± The boy rested his head against the trunk of the tree. ¡°He told me once that he never felt good enough for Arietta¡ªthat he always felt like a monster, darkening her purity. He read this story to her because he liked to believe even one who is deemed a monster can truly be good inside¡ªthat we all deserve love no matter what we are.¡± ¡°Is that why you like it?¡± ¡°No.¡± He grinned and stood up, leaving the book on the grass. ¡°I like it because it has a tragic ending.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± The girl smiled and sat with both legs over the same side of the branch, the boy right beside her knees. ¡°You like it because you can relate to Quasimodo.¡± ¡°Relate? Is that because the beastly creature falls in love with the beautiful girl?¡± He hooked a hand over the branch and swung himself outward a little. ¡°I never said I was in love with you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to.¡± She jumped down. ¡°And that wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡± ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± ¡°I meant¡­that you¡¯ve always been misunderstood. David is like the good guy¡ªthe one they all think is beautiful on the inside¡ªthe hero, while you, who truly means to do only good by all, have been labelled the bad guy, the hideous beast. You¡¯re just misunderstood.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Like Quasimodo.¡± The boy stared forward, his arms folded over his chest. ¡°You have a very unique way of analysing things.¡± ¡°Or maybe I just know good when I see it.¡± ¡°So, you think I¡¯m the good guy, huh?¡± ¡°I know you are.¡± He scratched his brow and smiled, then dropped his arms to his sides. ¡°Well, you were right about one thing.¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that?¡± the girl asked, tilting her head. ¡°I do lo¡ª¡± A groggy hold stuck in the back of my throat as I lifted my head off the window, wiping a sliver of moisture from the indent left in my chin where I¡¯d been leaning on the lock. ¡°Morning, Sleeping Beauty,¡± Mike said, then grimaced as he looked at me. ¡°Or should I say Beast.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I whacked his arm then flipped the visor down to look in the mirror. Oh, my dear God. ¡°There¡¯s a brush in the glove compartment,¡± Mike said, reaching across to open it. ¡°You keep a brush in your car?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge.¡± He eyed the road, smiling. ¡°A guy likes neat hair, too.¡± I grabbed the brush and fixed my hair as best I could, huffing when it stood its ground as a frizzy monstrosity. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°You okay, baby?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I ditched the brush into its home and slammed the little door shut. ¡°I think I¡¯m just a bit blood hungry.¡± ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you eat before you left?¡± I shook my head, toying with the lone white-gold band on my finger. ¡°I didn¡¯t want the taste of David on my lips all the way here today. It would¡¯ve been too much for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Eric¡¯s at the manor, you can feed from him when we get there.¡± He turned his head and smiled at me. ¡°Unless you want some of mine¡ªto hold you over for now. You do look a little pale.¡± I shook my head again, watching his proffered wrist. ¡°No. Blood lust combined with spirit bind and missing my husband could be a bad combination.¡± He withdrew his arm. ¡°Right. Good thinking.¡± I shuffled in my seat, wishing I¡¯d taken his offer. My throat burned and my stomach twisted in knots¡ªwhich could¡¯ve just been nerves. ¡°Hey, Mike?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°David doesn¡¯t really like me drinking Eric¡¯s blood. Are those Sacrificials at the manor yet? The ¡®you call; we deliver¡¯ blood guys?¡± ¡°There are a few there, posing as guests under protection. But we can¡¯t call them Sacrificials yet, remember, until we let the secret out about blood immunity.¡± ¡°So, until then, I just have to let people think I¡¯m killing vampires?¡± ¡°Or just not biting them to feed. We have the Upper House convinced we¡¯re using prisoners to feed you.¡± ¡°And that I¡¯m killing them?¡± ¡°Sometimes. That was how Lilith lived. Her food was sent to her by Set leaders who had sentenced vampires to death for their crimes.¡± ¡°So, Lilith never discovered immunity?¡± ¡°Never had reason to.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I rubbed my face a few times, readjusting my seat to get comfortable. ¡°So, who knows about the immunity?¡± ¡°Just your Private Council.¡± ¡°Not even the other one? What did you call it? The Upper something?¡± Mike scoffed. ¡°No. They don¡¯t know. And they don¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, so, when do we tell them?¡± He chuckled once, practically snorting. ¡°Are you serious?¡± I nodded. ¡°When we catch Drake, Ara. Until then, venom is our only weapon against him,¡± he said, his voice pitching like a schoolgirl¡¯s. ¡°If anyone at the manor were to let the secret of immunity slip into the wrong hands, people would not only ask why King David died when you bit him, but it might somehow get back to Drake that a; David might not be dead and that, b; armies, immune to our only weapon, could be created.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I slid down further in my seat. ¡°Once you¡¯ve taken your oath, that promise should give you increased powers. It¡¯s rumoured that you would be as, if not more, powerful than Drake. We won¡¯t need to worry as much if that¡¯s true.¡± I smiled. I liked the idea of that. Maybe then I could protect everyone else for once. ¡°How do the Sacrificials get immunity from my venom if I''m not feeding them?¡± He nodded at his own arm. ¡°My blood.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I forgot your venom¡¯s like mine.¡± I looked out the window for a second. ¡°So, does that make you tired¡ªdonating blood to so many vampires?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I drink a lot of OJ.¡± I laughed softly. I didn''t really feel like laughing, but I¡¯d not heard the word OJ since I was living in Oz. ¡°We¡¯re working on new weapons,¡± Mike said out of the blue. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Myself, Morgaine and a few others. We¡¯re developing weapons that may be able to kill vampires, even if they were immune to venom.¡± ¡°Oh. Cool. What kinds of weapons?¡± ¡°Well, you know about how they invented Lilithian steel back in the late fourteenth century?¡± ¡°Yeah, the metal that¡¯s strong enough to imprison vampires.¡± ¡°Yep, and also strong enough to cut them, even when wielded by the hand of a human.¡± ¡°Yep. Didn¡¯t know that bit, but, anyway¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had swords commissioned, but¡ªand this is only in experimental stage¡ªwe¡¯re hoping that if we cut in the right place and bleed the vampires out quickly, the venom tips of the swords might be enough to deteriorate them¡ªkill them or at least render them useless long enough to escape¡ªeven if they had immunity.¡± ¡°That could work. But you¡¯d have to bleed them out pretty fast.¡± He nodded, smiling at the road. ¡°There are certain points you can cut on the body that¡¯ll bleed a human out in seconds. We¡¯re finding that, with most things, thinking human seems to be giving us the advantage.¡± I nodded and looked out at the rolling green hills. ¡°Of course, this is Private Council talk, right. You know not to say this to anyone else¡ªespecially Arthur.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Good. Make sure you don¡¯t. Not even accidentally, or you could ruin everything. Drake is a master of strategy¡ªwe¡¯re going to have enough trouble finding and catching him as it is. If he knows any of our plans, we¡¯re finished.¡± I nodded again. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, Mike. It¡¯s all good.¡± ¡°Good. And, Ara?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I looked up to his sweet tone. ¡°Good girl for refusing my blood. That¡¯s the first smart choice I¡¯ve seen you make in a long time.¡± I was sure he meant that genuinely, and that just made it even more condescending, but it also made me smile. He was kind of right. ¡°Thanks, Mike.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± We sat in companionable silence for a while longer; the radio off, the sound of the tyres whirring over the road, until I looked at the clock and realised it was past three in the afternoon. ¡°How much longer ¡®til we get there?¡± ¡°Five minutes or so.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I said, yawning. ¡°Yeah, look.¡± He nodded forward. I sat taller and peered out the front windshield at the wide expanse of countryside; lush, green grass lining endless fields, yellow flowers sprinkling a touch of colour across it, and a blue sky that went on forever over the distant trees. ¡°It¡¯s not what I imagined.¡± ¡°What did you think it¡¯d be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe marshland, creaky branches and a grey sky.¡± Mike chuckled. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be pleasantly surprised. The manor is all light colours and big windows, with gardens outside every door.¡± ¡°Sweet. I like gardens.¡± ¡°So did Lilith, apparently.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Yeah. And when Drake built the manor, he actually planted a special garden, just for her; it¡¯s closed off by high walls. No one¡¯s allowed in there except you and the gardener.¡± ¡°Wow. A secret garden.¡± Mike nodded. ¡°It was named the Garden of Lilith, but it¡¯s been nicknamed Eden over the years.¡± ¡°So, why did Drake build her a garden if he hated her so much?¡± Mike turned his head at a half an inch, then shook it. ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°It just amazes me how you can switch off that much that you know absolutely nothing about Lilithian history.¡± ¡°Uh¡ªdid Morgaine add that in the politics speech?¡± ¡°Lesson, Ara. You mean lesson.¡± I cleared my throat. Maybe I should have paid more attention. ¡°I had a lot on my mind, okay, Mike. David was in agony in the next room. All I wanted was to be with him.¡± ¡°Well,¡± he said, shaking his head again. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to take to the library and read some books, then.¡± ¡°We have a library?¡± He just smiled, eyes on the road, while my blood rushed warm with excitement, imagining bookshelves to the ceiling and winding staircases leading up to them. ¡°Will I be okay?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t even know what the Upper Council is. Am I gonna make a fool of myself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°And it¡¯s Upper House. Not Council.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Be sure you at least remember that much.¡± ¡°Okay. Upper House,¡± I said to myself a few times. ¡°So, what do they do?¡± ¡°They have the same authority as your Private Council. Most of them were servants to the throne when Lilith was alive. Some of them are professors of politics or were generals in the human armed forces back in fourteen hundred. They¡¯re old, traditional, and have strong political influence within our monarchy. You don¡¯t want to mess with them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they enforce the laws¡ªincluding the laws that keep you in line.¡± ¡°Like what laws? I¡¯m gonna be queen. Do I even have any laws?¡± ¡°Everyone has laws to follow, Ara.¡± The bored tone of a cop giving a ticket to a defensive teen dominated his voice. ¡°Treason, for example; if you commit an act that goes against the throne¡ªsomething morally improper or something that puts your people in great jeopardy¡ªthey could overthrow you.¡± ¡°Right. So, don¡¯t mess with them.¡± ¡°Right. And, I know it¡¯ll be hard for you being chastised all the time, but they¡¯ll be the ones who debate your decisions and question everything you do. However,¡± he said, raising an index finger, ¡°they have centuries of experience, and you¡¯ll do well to listen to them. They have the Lilithian peoples¡¯ best interests at heart.¡± ¡°And who speaks for the vampires?¡± ¡°Essentially, we do¡ªyour Private Council. But there¡¯s also the Lower House.¡± Page 3 ¡°Who are they?¡±Advertisement ¡°Okay, so there¡¯s two other Councils; one is made up of six vampires, who will, when we get control of the Sets, be the new Set leaders, and the other six are Lilithians, who are Lords of the lands our people live on.¡± ¡°Like vassals and fiefs and all that stuff?¡± I sat up straight, turning in my seat to look at his face. ¡°Yeah.¡± He laughed. ¡°Exactly like that. Actually, Arthur was the Lord of Loslilian¡ªback when David was human.¡± ¡°Really? But wasn¡¯t he a Set leader?¡± ¡°Yeah. His Set resided here for that period¡ªin the houses you¡¯ll see over those hills in a minute.¡± He nodded out his window. ¡°Anyway, do you understand more about the political side of things now?¡± ¡°Yep. You just condensed Morgaine¡¯s eight-week speech into eight minutes, and I totally get all that now.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always had a way with words.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d make a great teacher.¡± Mike nodded to himself, his lips arching downward with thought. ¡°But I make a better Security Chief.¡± I nodded and looked out at the seemingly state-wide expanse of fields. ¡°So, how much land do we own out here?¡± The Chief rattled off a bunch of numbers, then, seeing my concentration waver, said, ¡°You can fit four or five suburbs on our land. And we own the beach, too. No one can access it without approval¡ªwell, no humans. Those at the manor can go down there as they please.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the sand like? Is it white and smooth, like Perth, or is it covered in shells and sea-weed?¡± Mike hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s white. Smooth. But I don¡¯t want you down there.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a dangerous beach, Ara. It¡¯s a narrow strip of sand, caged in by two massive cliffs that get thrashed by ferocious waves. It¡¯s private and secluded and you have to go down a really steep set of stone stairs to get to it.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s dangerous,¡± his voice became high. ¡°You could get swept out to sea if you¡¯re not careful¡ªor bashed against rocks.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m too weak to swim in the ocean?¡± He just raised a brow. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t go down there¡­¡± When you¡¯re around. ¡°Thank you.¡± He exhaled. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to be a jerk, but I promised David I¡¯d take care of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mike.¡± I reached across and tapped his knee, then drew my hand away. ¡°So, will I get to see the manor over the hill before we get there?¡± I sat a little taller. ¡°Yep, just watch over that rise.¡± He nodded out his side window. ¡°We¡¯ll come to a forest soon, so you won¡¯t see it for long, but you¡¯ll get a glimpse.¡± I did see a glimpse then, of something other than a manor. ¡°Is that the houses you were talking about?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Mike said. ¡°We¡¯ve just had them all refurbished. We¡¯re moving Lilithians back in there this week.¡± ¡°What about the vampires who lived there?¡± ¡°Unless they¡¯re faithful to the new queen, they¡¯ve been evicted.¡± Somehow, that didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°Ara, the Lilithians we¡¯re moving back into those houses have been living underground in cells for hundreds of years¡ªworking as slaves. Their only food has been the vampires that were sent to Loslilian for torture and¡ª¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. So, don¡¯t feel sorry for the vampires. They never felt sorry when they marched in and ripped human children from their adoptive Lilithian mothers, then burned them in a bonfire in the middle of the night.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°They had children?¡± ¡°We were a nation of very human creatures, Ara. Lilithians lived for their families, for the love of life.¡± ¡°Will they be allowed to start families again¡ªadopt children?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the Upper House disapproves.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they do.¡± He huffed, re-gripping the steering wheel. ¡°Look, no discussing politics outside Council meetings, all right?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ara. Just¡­just shut up for a bit. I¡¯m not used to all this talking¡ªyou¡¯re actually doing my head in.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I sunk back in my chair and folded my arms, my frown dropping when the grand cream fascia of a colossal building crept over the hill. ¡°Whoa.¡± ¡°Told ya it¡¯s big.¡± Mike¡¯s tone had completely changed. ¡°Big? It must be six storeys high.¡± ¡°Three,¡± he said in short. ¡°But each level has high ceilings, so I guess it would equate to the height of a six storey.¡± ¡°It looks like a castle from a fairy-tale,¡± I said, not taking my eyes from the magnificent glow of the midday sun, bouncing off a dome roof, marking the centre of the large, seemingly rectangle building. ¡°Yeah, it has an undeniable charm about it.¡± I closed my eyes, savouring the image as a forest swallowed the day around us, but the warmth of the cream bricks set among bright green hedges, with windows on every wall, stayed in my heart while the car followed the winding path, further and further away from the sun. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to like it here.¡± ¡°I know you will.¡± Mike smiled, taking the turns in the road as if he¡¯d lived here his whole life. ¡°I can see why you like it.¡± His smile widened. ¡°This has been the best few months of my life. I¡ªwell, it¡¯s been hard leaving Em behind, but I¡¯ve kept busy getting the manor and the knights ready for your arrival.¡± ¡°Is Emily visiting this weekend?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I wish David could visit.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t talk to me, you know?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He was really mad at me.¡± ¡°No. He was mad, Ara, but you know it¡¯s not really you he¡¯s mad at, don¡¯t you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No. He is mad at me. He¡¯s mad that I let myself be bound to Jason. He¡¯s mad that I do stupid things because my heart tells me to. And I¡¯m sure he¡¯s mad at me for still breathing.¡± ¡°Baby, don¡¯t say things like that. You know that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°I reckon it is. Think about it; he lived his whole life serving one king. Then, I not only came along and ruined his beliefs in his law system, but I happen to be a Lilithian, who is gonna throw everything out of order for the sake of a prophecy. I¡¯ve turned his world upside down¡ªjust by existing.¡± Mike sighed. ¡°Ara. Grow up. You know David doesn¡¯t feel that way.¡± ¡°Yeah. Whatever.¡± I let out a long breath, feeling queasy again with the way the road tipped downward, taking us on a steep decline to where the trees stopped abruptly at the base, parting only for a wide, multi-coloured brick wall with stones of red, yellow, and pale blues¡ªnatural colours, mostly. It looked charming, in a secret garden kind of way, but the spear-tipped iron gates took the fairy-tale out of the scene, screaming graveyard. Back behind me, I could see where the trees thinned out again as the road led away. ¡°They¡¯re not natural are they?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mike looked sideways at me as we pulled up beside a speaker box in front of the gate. ¡°The trees? They didn¡¯t grow around this wall, did they¡ªsomeone put them here? I mean, trees don¡¯t just grow in a line like that in the middle of an empty field.¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡ªyeah. I think so. I don¡¯t really notice things like that, Ara.¡± He wound his window down and leaned out slightly, then turned back for a second. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Morgaine¡ªshe knows all about this place?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°George? You there, mate?¡± Mike asked the box. ¡°Hey¡ªit¡¯s Mikey,¡± a jolly, old-sounding voice came through the speaker. ¡°Hey, George. You wanna open the gates? I got a future queen in my car.¡± ¡°No worries, sir. I¡¯ll be down in a jiffy.¡± The sound of the car engine¡ªsomething usually quite soothing¡ªwas only a filler for the intimidating silence that swallowed my ability to breathe. ¡°Where are all the people? I thought they were rallying to meet me.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be up at the manor, I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°How many?¡± I squirmed in my seat. ¡°Not too many. The Ninth and the First Orders aren¡¯t here. It¡¯s only the Fifth and the Upper House.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the other ones are across international waters, Ara, and besides, the knights just gave them back their homes¡ªthey¡¯re all refurbishing and setting up their new lives.¡± ¡°Oh. Cool, so, how many people, er¡­Lilithians are gonna be there?¡± Mike scratched his head and the gate opened before us. ¡°¡¯Bout a hundred.¡± As we pulled forward, nerves pinched my chest, and Mike dipped his head to the old man by the gate, whose stark white hair looked transparent in the sun, his skinny legs barely holding his bent frame. ¡°Pleasant drive, sir?¡± the man said. ¡°As always, George,¡± Mike said, then looked along the sides of the road for a second, frowning. ¡°Where are all the cars? Surely the people haven¡¯t parked up by the fountain?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± George wrapped his fingers over the doorframe, through the open window. ¡°Miss Morgaine called a stop to all visitors ¡®til our princess is settled. Just the Upper House up there today.¡± Mike¡¯s jaw went tight and he gave the steering wheel a soft whack with the ball of his palm. ¡°I told her not to do that.¡± ¡°She felt it best, Sir.¡± He looked at the old man, clearly wanting to shoot the messenger. ¡°All right, thanks, George.¡± ¡°Be well,¡± George said and stepped back, saluting Mike as we drove slowly away. ¡°What was that all about?¡± ¡°Looks like you get your wish.¡± ¡°Really? No fan club?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Yay.¡± I sat taller and looked to the road ahead, closed in by the trees that concealed the brick wall. I half expected to have grey hairs by the time they parted and the manor rose up in front of me again. My eyes widened to allow for the sheer height of it, sitting on a long gravel drive that ended in a turn-circle, wrapping a giant fountain. Along the sides of the road, the trees spread all the way back past grassy lawns, lined with hedge fences. A large section of the manor sat further forward, double white doors at the centre, with stairs leading up to a group of about seven people. ¡°You like it.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said as we came closer¡ªclose enough to count the walls as three windows high and at least sixteen long on each side of the front door. Waiting in a line at the base of the stairs were a neat party of women in pale grey dresses with white aprons. ¡°The staff, I¡¯m guessing?¡± I pointed to them. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°And, are all those people on the porch the Upper Council?¡± ¡°House. Upper House. Do you remember which ones are of highest authority, from what Morgaine taught you?¡± I swallowed. ¡°Um, yeah.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± Mike laughed. My neck shrunk between my shoulders. ¡°Oh crap. I really should¡¯ve paid more attention.¡± He chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°If you paid any attention, you would¡¯ve been better off.¡± ¡°Oh, God.¡± I hid my brow in my hand, looking off to the side. Mike pulled my hand away from my face. ¡°It¡¯s all right. You don¡¯t need to know that, right now. Just nod and smile, baby.¡± I nodded and smiled, turning my head when Mike suddenly appeared at my door, offering his hand. ¡°My lady.¡± ¡°Oh, you just love that new speediness, don¡¯t you?¡± His fingers, so thick and strong, tightened around mine as he closed the car door behind me. ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± The stillness and quiet that came from the day then made my footsteps, crunching over the gravel, sound like pebbles being jiggled in a small bag. The only other sound was the soothing trickle of water falling into the round bath at the base of the fountain. Despite the glaring sun making me squint, I looked all the way up at the statue¡¯s smiling face; she seemed to hide a secret behind her eyes, perhaps one whispered by the snake on her shoulder, its lips to her ear. ¡°Who is that?¡± Mike looked up at her. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Our Lilith?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said distractedly, closing the trunk as he grabbed my suitcase. ¡°The snake is said to represent the original Lilith¡ªthe one who conned Eve into eating the Fruit of Wisdom.¡± My eyes rounded. ¡°Wow. I remember Dad talking about God¡¯s Lilith in a lecture once.¡± ¡°Yeah? So, you are capable of retaining information.¡± I slapped his shoulder as he stood beside me. ¡°I remember everything you ever tell me.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Pity you never give my words any value.¡± ¡°I do. I take on board all your advice, Mike. I just choose to follow the bits that appeal to me.¡± ¡°So, none of it appeals to you?¡± ¡°Not usually.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You annoy me,¡± he said in a deep, humoured tone. Page 4 ¡°Hey, all.¡± Eric popped up out of nowhere.Advertisement ¡°Hey, Eric.¡± ¡°Amara. Good to see you again.¡± He embraced me; a guise to whisper closely; ¡°I can smell him all over you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± he said, rubbing my arms then my back, as if it were just a friendly gesture. ¡°No one else here will recognise the scent, but I¡¯ll just cover it up with mine anyway.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I gave him a tighter squeeze, half laughing. ¡°So, uh, nice, isn¡¯t she?¡± He cleared his throat and nodded up to Lilith, stuffing his thumbs in his pockets as he stepped back. ¡°This is the only statue Drake didn¡¯t destroy when he took control of this place.¡± ¡°Why did he leave this one?¡± ¡°Because he sculpted it.¡± My eyes shot from the statue to Eric¡¯s. ¡°Serious?¡± He nodded. ¡°Amara!¡± someone practically squealed my name; I looked up to the steps as a small body burst from among the crowd and flew into my arms. ¡°Oh, I know it¡¯s only been a week since I saw you, Princess, but I missed you. I¡¯ve been so worried about you.¡± I closed my eyes, holding Morgaine tight. It was like hugging myself, with her small frame, skinny arms and the strawberry shampoo she¡¯d started using since she fell in love with mine. ¡°I missed you, too. And, hey, thanks for getting rid of the crowd.¡± She pulled back from the hug and ducked her head from Mike¡¯s vehemence. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I knew you weren¡¯t ready for that yet.¡± I nodded. ¡°You ¡®get¡¯ me.¡± ¡°I do.¡± We both looked at Mike, who rolled his eyes and wandered forward, carrying my suitcase rather than dragging it over the gravel. ¡°Come on.¡± Morgaine took my hand. ¡°I want you to meet your House.¡± I tried to pay attention to introductions, but all the names and faces blurred together. By the time it was over, I¡¯d nicknamed everyone, but could only remember three; one of them being Moustache Man, another was Portly Woman who Speaks Her Mind When No One Asks and, last, Man With Grey Sideburns. Eventually the crowd dissipated and Mike came back through the white doors again, with a newspaper tucked under his arm and an eager smile accompanying his warm eyes. ¡°Ready for the grand tour, then, baby?¡± I yawned again. ¡°I¡¯m ready for bed.¡± Morgaine linked her arm through mine. ¡°Come on. You¡¯ll wake up when you¡¯ve seen your new room.¡± As I stepped over the threshold of the manor, my gaze followed two marble staircases that parted over double doors, stopping on the second floor landing where it seemed the doorway had simply duplicated and moved up a level, like an elevator. One sitting over the other. I wondered why they needed two doors to what was probably the same room. Somewhere in the distance, the click of heels on the white marbled floors and quiet chatter of what I assumed was staff made the manor feel more like a museum than a supposed home. But the warm, soft scent of fresh-baked bread gave me an instant smile. ¡°Wow,¡± I breathed. ¡°I know, right?¡± Morgaine said. ¡°Look up.¡± Above me, the high ceilings, rising all the way through each floor of the manor, opened out to a stained-glass dome; its picture looked like something inspired by Michelangelo, shining gloriously with the afternoon sun reaching through the colours. ¡°Who is that? In the glass?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Queen Lilith and Peter¡ªher betrothed.¡± ¡°Betrothed?¡± ¡°Yes. In order to rule the Three Worlds, Lilith had to marry into certain politically influential families. Peter was a vampire of noble blood, and the two were forced to marry by their fathers. But they hated each other,¡± she said. ¡°In the end, though, after Peter tried to kill her, they fell in love.¡± ¡°Hm, and I thought my relationship was weird.¡± ¡°No. Believe me¡ª¡± Morgaine started walking, dragging me along, ¡°¡ªyou have no idea. They were the most twisted, messed-up couple in the history of our kind. So, anyway, there are two more like this dome on the other ends of the manor. Each one depicts Lilith¡¯s story from beginning, to middle¡ª¡± she pointed up, ¡°¡ªand end.¡± Mike cleared his throat. ¡°You okay, Mike?¡± I spun to look at him, standing behind me. ¡°Mike¡¯s bed is positioned under the portrayal of Lilith¡¯s end.¡± Morgaine tried to hold back her smile. ¡°Yeah, so I go to sleep every night only too aware of the horrible things Drake could do if he catches you.¡± ¡°He¡¯d need more than an army to get past you.¡± I grinned. Mike nodded, his inner ¡®knight¡¯ rising. ¡°Damn right.¡± ¡°Shall we continue?¡° Morgaine took my hand and walked me forward a few steps. ¡°Through those doors between the staircases is the Great Hall. You¡¯ll need to remember that because we hold most of our gatherings there.¡± ¡°Except for House meetings,¡± Mike added. ¡°We hold those in a function room.¡± ¡°But Private Council meetings in the Round Room,¡± Morg said. I nodded, remembering vague details about the Round Room. ¡°And if you look down there¡ª¡± Morgaine pointed to an archway on my left, ¡°¡ªat the end of the manor is the Throne Room. That¡¯s where we hold sessions of Court.¡± ¡°Throne Room?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that going a little far with the whole monarchy thing?¡± ¡°No. Amara, you are royalty¡ªroyalty has a throne. Get used to it.¡± ¡°So, I have to sit on some big chair and tell people what to do all day?¡± ¡°Not all day, no. And you won¡¯t be sitting on the throne until you¡¯ve taken your oath and been crowned. So stop worrying.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pretty much lose focus and stare out the window at the trees all day.¡± Mike patted my shoulder, as if doing that would make his insulting remark seem like a humoured observation among friends. ¡°That reminds me.¡± I turned to Morgaine. ¡°The trees around that wall at the gate¡ªare they natural?¡± ¡°Yeah, why do you ask?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± I shrugged. ¡°They just looked a little out of place.¡± ¡°They are,¡± she said. ¡°Some say the forest bordering Loslilian is enchanted¡ªthat it grows legs and moves to protect things as needed.¡± ¡°Weird. So, how long have those trees been there then?¡± ¡°Well, the forest has been here since the beginning of time, really, but the trees at the gate grew up around the entrance shortly after Vampirie gave the throne to Lilith and she swore her oath.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Yep. Now, also through that archway¡ª¡± she pointed to my left again, past a parlour with curvy, antique-looking furniture and floods of light brightening the pale colours, ¡°¡ªis the common rooms, kitchen and dining areas¡ªwell, causal dining. We dine formal for dinner every night in the Great Hall.¡± ¡°Really? Every night?¡± ¡°Yep. It¡¯s tradition.¡± ¡°Whose tradition?¡± ¡°Lilith¡¯s, actually. One she started when she ruled. The vamps didn¡¯t keep that tradition, or any others, when they took over, but we¡¯re keen to bring them all back.¡± ¡°So I have to eat with a table full of people every night of the week.¡± ¡°Yes, and you¡¯ll love it.¡± Both Mike and I laughed in the back of our throats. ¡°You don¡¯t know me very well, then, Morgaine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad. You¡¯ll be queen soon, which means you, of all people, have more reason to adhere to tradition. You just have to get over it.¡± She skipped ahead of me; I headed up the stairs slowly behind her, taking everything in. ¡°This place is huge.¡± ¡°Yep. It has nineteen bedrooms in the west wing¡ª¡± ¡°West is right of the front door,¡± Mike added from behind. I looked down at him. ¡°Thanks, that was my next question.¡± ¡°And nineteen bedrooms in the east wing, as well,¡± Morgaine continued in her ¡®tour guide¡¯ voice. ¡°There are thirty staff rooms, which, because the land slopes down on the south side of the manor, sit at ground level under the Great Hall.¡± ¡°Like I said¡ª¡± I stopped on the landing and turned back to wait for Mike, who was too busy texting on his phone to keep up with Morgaine and I, ¡°¡ªit¡¯s big.¡± ¡°It is.¡± Morgaine stopped by another staircase, hidden from where we stood in the entranceway, leading upward, back toward the front wall of the manor. ¡°Now, hurry up. I have other guests arriving in a half hour.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mike. Hurry up,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry.¡± He stuffed his phone in his pocket. ¡°Okay, so, this staircase¡ª¡± Morgaine started up it, ¡°¡ªwill lead you to the west wing¡¯s third floor, and the mirroring staircase will lead to the east wing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in the east wing?¡± ¡°Mostly bedrooms.¡± ¡°Which wing has the library?¡± ¡°West wing,¡± both my tour guides said. I smiled widely, following Morgaine up the stairs. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be spending a bit of time in that room.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡± When we reached the third floor, the windows that lined the entire front of the manor became floodgates for white sunlight to brighten the corridor, lighting a lengthy path from where we stood to where the corridor ended after about the fourteenth window. ¡°Okay,¡± Morgaine said, walking faster. ¡°Rooms one and two are empty right now and rooms four and five, right beside the room at the end, are mine and Eric¡¯s.¡± ¡°What about that one?¡± I pointed to a set of mahogany doors, sitting grandly at the centre of the corridor, the frame intricately carved with detail. ¡°Is that the library?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s your private entrance.¡± And it was a perfect entrance. It stood out, unlike the portal sitting inconspicuously in the wall back at my old school. Morgaine¡¯s tiny, cold little fingers tightened on mine. ¡°You okay?¡± I nodded. ¡°Libraries always make me miss David.¡± ¡°Well, you can spend all afternoon in there, once we get you settled.¡± ¡°Cool. So, is it a big library¡ªlike on Beauty and the Beast?¡± I asked. ¡°Trust you to ask that,¡± Mike grumbled from behind; I smiled back at him. ¡°Yes,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°It is. The main section is two floors deep; picture floor to ceiling bookshelves.¡± I walked with my eyes closed for a second. ¡°Picturing.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s a special section on the first floor, where we keep the scrolls and other ancient books. But it¡¯s closed off¡ªlocked. You wouldn¡¯t even know it was there if I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Why not? Is it hidden behind a secret passage?¡± I laughed, but Morgaine didn¡¯t. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I frowned. ¡°Well, why is it locked?¡± ¡°To keep people out.¡± ¡°Including me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, why would you tell me about it then? You know I¡¯ll find a way to go down there.¡± Morgaine laughed, looking at Mike. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I told you about it. If you¡¯d found out by snooping around, you would definitely go down there, but, if I tell you about it and request that you only go down there with me or Mike, even Arthur, then you can¡¯t get into any trouble.¡± ¡°Trouble?¡± ¡°Yes. The scrolls and parchments we keep are very old. If you handle them the wrong way, you could destroy them.¡± ¡°So, why is Arthur allowed to take me down there¡ªI thought we didn¡¯t trust him?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t. Yet.¡± She glanced at Mike. ¡°But he¡¯s been handling those scrolls for hundreds of years. He¡¯s had access to them all¡ªwe¡¯ve nothing to hide from him in the Scroll Room.¡± ¡°Well, when I can see it?¡± ¡°Later,¡± was all she said. At the very end of the corridor, another grand door greeted us; just like the library door, but white. ¡°Your room,¡± Morgaine said, letting go of my hand. ¡°And on the east wing,¡± Mike said, stopping behind me, ¡°it¡¯s identical. Only difference being there¡¯s no library, so there¡¯s an extra few rooms.¡± ¡°Now, normally the rooms on the third floor are for high-ranking officials only, but we¡¯ve been forced to make an exception to that rule.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The second room from the stairs there¡ª¡± she pointed down the hall, ¡°¡ªwill be Arthur¡¯s.¡± Mike¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Why?¡± I asked, looking away from him. ¡°Is Mike gonna let him be on my council now?¡± ¡°No. It was a condition of his helping us that he get a room in the same wing as you.¡± ¡°On the same floor,¡± Mike added, the flaring nostrils spreading out to make his face go red. Morgaine laughed. ¡°Mike tried giving him a room on the ground floor.¡± ¡°It was still in the west wing,¡± he said. ¡°Yes,¡± Morgaine said with mocking sympathy. ¡°But it didn¡¯t quite go to plan, did it, Mikey?¡± I laughed into my hand. ¡°Has he arrived yet?¡± Page 5 ¡°No,¡± Mike and Morgaine said at the same time.Advertisement ¡°So, what about the rest of them¡ªthe House¡ªwhere do they all sleep?¡± ¡°On the second floor. These windows¡ª¡± she motioned down the front wall of the manor, ¡°¡ªare all bedrooms downstairs. The corridor runs through the manor in a straight line, from one end to the other.¡± ¡°And our rooms are the biggest in the manor,¡± Mike said. ¡°Why do you get a big room¡ªwhy not Morgaine or Arthur or someone?¡± ¡°These rooms are given to people in the highest command.¡± He patted my door, standing proudly. ¡°I¡¯m head of security. I am supreme.¡± I smiled at him, seeing more of my ¡®best friend¡¯ Mike¡ªthe one I grew up with¡ªthan I¡¯d seen in ages. I think, in some ways, being so far from home, with no one here that I really knew, it made me feel closer to Mike, like he was a part of my family¡ªa bit like a brother, and not so much like a¡­well, let¡¯s just say some of the love confusion trickled away with the sense that he was my only family here. I reached for his hand as Morgaine reached for the doorknob, and light spilled into the corridor; as my eyes adjusted to the unfamiliar space, I smiled and stepped through. ¡°Oh. Morg. It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s amazing.¡± Light colours cast softness around the L-shaped room; four windows on the south side of the manor showed nothing but a blue sky, and to my right was a parlour, furnished with pieces of white or mahogany furniture to tie in pleasantly with the airy, summery feel in here. My bed was white, wide enough to sleep six of me, and adorned with enough pillows to stuff a warehouse. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re happy with the colour scheme?¡± Morgaine said. I nodded. ¡°Mm-hm. It¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°And look at this¡ª¡± Morgaine walked over to a dresser on my left. ¡°This was Arietta¡¯s. David thought you might like to have it.¡± ¡°Arietta¡¯s? Why is Arietta¡¯s dressing table here?¡± ¡°Arietta and the boys came to stay here nearly every second summer until she died. This was Arthur¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I waltzed over and sat on the blanket box at the end of my bed. ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t he be staying in here?¡± Morgaine opened her mouth to speak, but Mike scoffed loudly for her. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± I said, then stood up and wandered over to the windows near my bed, realising, when a calm breeze blew in, billowing the soft white curtains, that the window was actually a door. ¡°I have a balcony?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Morgaine stepped up and pushed the chiffon aside, tying it back with a ribbon on the wall. ¡°Mike has one, too.¡± ¡°Can I go out there?¡± ¡°Course.¡± She presented the path. When I stepped onto the white marble floor, the world opened out around me, like the walls just slinked back into the shadows. The sky went on forever over a darker blue in the distance, what I assumed was the ocean, and the gardens Mike mentioned earlier shone proudly below us; greens and creams of grass and stone paths, and sprinklings of colour from cherry blossom trees and rose bushes. There was even a hedge maze at the base of a long, grassy walkway. Beyond that, the enchanted forest bordered the manor, and all the way toward the east wing, a sweeping breeze swayed the long grasses in a field, rising up over the stone edge of my balcony and brushing my hair back with the scent of the ocean. ¡°If I say ¡®wow¡¯, do you think that would describe it?¡± I reached for Morgaine¡¯s hand again. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, standing beside me. ¡°I think that about covers it.¡± ¡°And if you look closely¡ª¡± Mike pointed to the east, ¡°¡ªyou can just make out the top of the lighthouse from here.¡± I looked along his arm, trying to see it. ¡°Once you¡¯ve been down there and you know where it is, you¡¯ll be able to spot it easier. It¡¯s white, so it kinda blends in with the day.¡± He dropped his arm. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡± ¡°Not alone, though. Okay?¡± ¡°Not even the lighthouse?¡± ¡°Even I wouldn¡¯t recommend it, Majesty,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It sits on a steep cliff, about a four hundred foot drop¡ªonly sharp rocks beneath.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the beach?¡± ¡°Between the cliffs, left of the lighthouse. If you sit up on the roof, you can see it.¡± ¡°You sit on the roof of the lighthouse?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Morgaine leaned on the railing. ¡°I like to sit up there when there¡¯s a storm.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To watch.¡± She closed her eyes, smiling. ¡°Sand as white as snow and waves made of pure violence. It¡¯s tempest meets tranquillity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as violent when there¡¯s no storm, too,¡± Mike said sternly, his eyes clearly saying ¡®don¡¯t encourage her.¡¯ ¡°Mike? Will you take me down there today?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Morgaine cut in. ¡°He¡¯s under strict recommendations to leave you alone until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Recommendations? By who?¡± ¡°Me.¡± She puffed her chest out, then laughed. ¡°All we¡¯ve heard this entire week is I can¡¯t wait to show Ar the barracks, I can¡¯t wait to show Ar the training hall, I can¡¯t wait¡ª¡± ¡°Point taken.¡± I propped a hand between her and her rant. ¡°If he takes you down to the ¡®beach¡¯, you¡¯ll end up at the barracks.¡± ¡°Where are they¡ªand what are they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the living quarters of the knights. They¡¯re over the eastern quadrant of the manor¡ªstill on manor grounds. Not quite far enough to be part of Lamia, but¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s Lamia?¡± ¡°The village.¡± ¡°The houses you saw on the way in,¡± Mike added. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I nodded and looked upon the forest of trees, all so green and thick, shading what I could only imagine were a hundred great spots to take one of those books from the library, then sit and read all day. The trees became thicker and taller the further inland they went. ¡°Well, I love it here already,¡± I said after a few deep breaths of the pine-scented ocean air. ¡°You¡¯ll love it even more when you see your wardrobe and your bathroom.¡± Morg stole me away from Mike, who followed, groaning. Across from my bed, the sitting room had a homely look to it; there was a throw rug over a settee, and a fireplace set below a giant mirror. I pictured winters, snuggled up in that settee by the window, listening to the rain, reading a book. ¡°Okay, behind door number one,¡± Morgaine said and pushed it open. ¡°Is your bathroom.¡± The light was out, the curtains drawn, so all I really saw in the giant space was ceramic tiles and a giant bath in the nook of the window, facing the front of the manor. ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°Yep,¡± she said, then closed the door and dragged me to the second one. ¡°And behind door number two¡ª¡± I didn¡¯t even need to hold my breath¡ªmy body did it for me. White shelves covered nearly every wall, with clothes hanging from rails in between. There was a full-length mirror and a few fabric-covered squares I could sit on to tie my laces. I smiled, seeing the empty side of the wardrobe¡ªDavid¡¯s side. ¡°So, you like?¡± Morgaine said. ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I love.¡± ¡°Good. Now, all your stuff has been unpacked for you.¡± She walked over and opened a drawer, showing the sweater I packed this morning. ¡°And those clothes we picked out of that catalogue are all here, too.¡± She propped her hands on her hips, shutting the drawer with her shin. ¡°You¡¯re all set to be queen.¡± ¡°Great,¡± I said and stepped out of the wardrobe. ¡°But¡­after a nap.¡± ¡°Point taken.¡± She moved away from me and linked arms with Mike. ¡°Come on, Soldier, time to let this princess sort her head out.¡± ¡°If we leave her until she figures her head out, Morg, it¡¯ll be the turn of the century before we can return,¡± he said. ¡°Hmpf!¡± I looked at the pile of pillows on my bed and considered ditching one at his head. They just laughed among themselves, closing my door behind them, leaving me standing alone in what felt like an empty space. A clock on the wall in my sitting room kept the pace of my heart. I stood there, one foot on the corner of a Persian rug, the other on the hard wood floor, imagining myself in this space¡ªseeing my days, seeing moments I might spend with David, which made me think about our fight. I pulled my phone from my back pocket and checked my messages and emails. Nothing. He was still mad at me, I knew it, but I didn¡¯t quite understand why. I mean, yeah, Mike and I had to be here, together, but that just didn¡¯t explain his ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but something¡¯s different¡± comment. Or whatever it was he said. ¡°Hi, David. Got here okay. All is well. In case you care,¡± I texted, but deleted the last line before pressing send, then wandered over and slumped down on the settee by the giant window, where I spent the better part of the afternoon in my own head. Never a good place to be. Chapter Two The only real sign that my body had made the change from the weak, human girl I was to the strong, Lilithian vampire I was becoming, was the smooth skin under my wedding band. Sharp snaps of electricity weaved around the tips of my fingers, making them warm, making anything I touched hot or sometimes, if it was alive, dead. Flowers, grass¡ªthey wilted under this blue light I could summon from within me, but my skin, despite my wedding band becoming almost red when I used this power, did not melt. And I always felt like it should; like I was pouring acid over glass, right above my hand; as if I¡¯d escaped a punishment I knew I deserved. Power of this magnitude always had a consequence. David had even made me take my engagement ring off¡ªafraid the electricity would reflect off the cut angles of the diamond and shoot something I hadn¡¯t intended to. But, it was more likely he was afraid I¡¯d lose it. I wasn¡¯t sure how much he paid for it, but when I found the receipt one day, he all but leaped across the room to stop me looking at it. I hugged my knees to my chest, sitting on the settee, and smiled, remembering that moment; he was so human then, jumping around the house, holding that receipt out of my reach, with a big smile on his face. He could¡¯ve just run, vampire style, since I didn¡¯t know I was a vampire then, but he chose to play keep-off, the human way, because he liked the playful flirtation¡ªwith me. He liked me. Wanted me. I flicked the light from my fingers again, sending it into the fireplace, where it flamed blue against the lighter-fluid on the wood there for a second then flickered away to embers. The stress of worrying about David, worrying why he hadn¡¯t texted me back, was making my flame weak, my shot less powerful, and the headache I got from using it more severe. ¡°Amara?¡± I lifted my head from my knee and looked over to my bedroom door. ¡°Oh, hey, Morgaine?¡± ¡°Hi. Um, just wanted to let you know Arthur Knight arrived a few hours ago. He¡¯s asked to see you.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± I stood up. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he was coming until later today.¡± She looked out the window. ¡°Your Majesty, it is later today.¡± I looked out the window, too, at the setting sun turning everything bright orange, casting scarlet shadows across my floor. ¡°Oh. Right. Okay, tell him I¡¯ll be down in a sec. I just wanna get changed first.¡± She laughed. ¡°Changed? Why?¡± I wandered over to my wardrobe. ¡°Because¡­I don¡¯t know, it seems almost wrong to go meet a High Councilman in a pair of jeans.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s faithful to the new Order, Amara, he¡¯s no longer a High Councilman.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Still. I¡¯m making myself more presentable.¡± ¡°Okay, fine, but hurry up. I need to discuss a few things with you on the way down to the Great Hall.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I said from my wardrobe, slipping into my blue cotton dress. ¡°Like what you can and cannot say to him.¡± ¡°You mean like David being al¡ª¡± ¡°Shh!¡± She appeared in front of me, cupping her hand over my mouth. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± I giggled, peeling her fingers away. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say it.¡± ¡°Well, just don¡¯t. Not even in here. And especially not to Arthur.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, Morgaine.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She softened. ¡°There¡¯s just a lot at stake.¡± I nodded. ¡°I am reminded of that daily. But I really don¡¯t think Arthur¡¯s a traitor.¡± ¡°Amara, he is a traitor. Maybe he doesn¡¯t plan to betray us, but that means he¡¯s betrayed a king he was loyal to for centuries.¡± ¡°Guess that makes sense.¡± I followed her out to the corridor, feeling the warmth of the ending day fill every corner of this manor, giving it a safe, kind of homely feel. As we reached the landing on the second floor, the spicy scent of curry and boiled rice made my stomach groan. ¡°Hungry?¡± Morgaine said. ¡°Yeah.¡± I lopped a hand across my gut. ¡°I couldn¡¯t eat all day.¡± ¡°Do you want something now.¡± She stopped with her palm flat on the heavy white door leading into the Great Hall. ¡°Arthur might get bludgeoned by the ogre if you don¡¯t eat.¡± Page 6 I shook my head, more than a little eager to see what was beyond those doors. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±Advertisement ¡°I know you will. It¡¯s Arthur I¡¯m worried about.¡± I smiled. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, too. I have way too much respect for him to become¡­tempestuous.¡± ¡°Hm, yes, he does command a certain amount of respect, doesn¡¯t he?¡± I watched the memories of moments passed warm her eyes, then linked arms with her. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go see him.¡± The second floor landing continued into the Great Hall, opening to a grand staircase, like the one in the front entrance, while mahogany panelled walls and gold-framed mirrors made the huge space look majestic, like a palace. But all else in the world faded when my eyes travelled past the paintings and stopped on the west side of the room, where a grand piano sat proudly in the square of light coming through the giant window. ¡°No one told me there was a piano.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. It¡¯s been there for years. David learned to play on that, you know.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± She nodded. ¡°Arietta taught him.¡± ¡°Here. At Loslilian?¡± She nodded and started down the stairs. ¡°Did you ever meet them¡ªas boys?¡± She laughed. ¡°Yes. Many times.¡± ¡°Gross. Didn¡¯t that make it kind of weird dating David, then?¡± ¡°Not really. I hadn¡¯t seen him for about twenty years before I dated him.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. That¡¯s not so bad.¡± ¡°So¡ª¡± She pointed to the middle of the room. ¡°That table there is where we dine formally each night.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I cringed at the length of it¡ªenough to seat about forty people. ¡°I was going to ask if that¡¯s where we sacrificed lambs, but, thanks for pointing out the obvious.¡± She groaned, her hand sliding over the railing as she continued down the stairs ahead of me. ¡°You might wanna get that ogre in check, Majesty.¡± ¡°Sorry. Didn¡¯t realise sarcasm was against the rules here.¡± ¡°Amara. Stop it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± She just shook her head then tilted it so her voice projected further. ¡°Arthur.¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed him there, standing by the fireplace, looking up at a giant painting of a woman; he turned, taking his eyes off her brush-stroked face only as we approached. ¡°Morgaine.¡± He took her hands and leaned down to kiss both her cheeks. ¡°Lovely to see you again.¡± ¡°And you, Arthur.¡± She stood back, keeping hold of his hand for a second more. ¡°May I present Princess Amara?¡± ¡°A pleasure, my lady.¡± Arthur bowed. ¡°Hello, Arthur.¡± I walked the gap and took both his hands; it felt natural, normal, as if we¡¯d been friends our whole lives. ¡°How have you been?¡± he asked, his mysterious blue eyes seeming to search my soul¡ªmaybe for the sadness of supposedly losing my husband, or maybe for happiness to see him, I wasn¡¯t sure, but I suddenly felt very naked. ¡°I¡¯m¡­coping.¡± I looked at Morgaine; shadows crept into the room, sneaking under the walls and roof as the sun retreated, making her eyes glow, a bit like a cat¡¯s eyes at night, and it wasn¡¯t until I looked closer that I realised she was holding back tears. Arthur looked too. ¡°Oh, look at me. I¡¯ve gone and gotten myself all worked-up,¡± she said, quickly wiping them away. I did the same, though I didn¡¯t actually have any tears. ¡°My girls,¡± Arthur said, touching both our shoulders. ¡°There is little joy to be found when grieving. But David would not wish you to cry for him.¡± He especially looked at Morgaine. ¡°You know this.¡± We both nodded. ¡°Amara?¡± He tucked my wrist into the crook of his elbow. ¡°Walk with me¡ªin the gardens?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± I said, and we walked away, arm in arm. I caught a flash of Morgaine¡¯s grin as we turned, leaving her behind. ¡°It brings me great pleasure to be by your side again, Princess,¡± Arthur said. I patted his forearm with my other hand. ¡°Me too. I always looked forward to your letters.¡± He smiled softly to himself. ¡°I know. And that fact not only gave me pleasure in writing them, but also made my days of waiting for this moment much brighter.¡± As we stepped through the tall glass doors, daylight spread around us, hidden by the walls of the Great Hall but still very much alive out here. The rounded balcony¡¯s marble railing opened out to stone steps, sitting grandly above a grassy, split-level path to the hedge maze. The sweet, sharp scent of lilies and cherry blossoms filtered summer perfume into the warm evening. ¡°I know you told me not to,¡± I said, having thought about it for a second. ¡°But I kept one of your letters.¡± His hand tightened over mine. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It sounded so genuine.¡± I expected an objection, but he only offered silence as we took the steps and a left turn to a small courtyard just in front of the staffs¡¯ ground floor bedroom windows. ¡°May I enquire as to which letter it was?¡± he said finally. ¡°The one about days being brighter¡ªpretty much what you just said before, but in writing.¡± I grinned up at him, feeling the pinch of the small dimple by my lip. He nodded and presented the bench-like garden swing nearby. ¡°Would you like to sit?¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, sweeping my skirt under my legs as I sat down carefully, trying not to rock it too much so I didn¡¯t tip over and land on my butt like a clumsy ox. ¡°I wonder¡ª¡± Arthur sat beside me ¡°¡ªif David ever told you he spent nearly every second summer of his human life at this manor. That he sat here, on this very bench.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I said and looked forward, imagining young David running through the hedge maze. ¡°I haven¡¯t really been told much about this place at all¡ªor about David.¡± ¡°You will learn. In time.¡± We sat silently for a while, a comfortable silence, and all I could think of was how great dinner smelled and how nice it would feel, all hot and solid in my belly. When the setting sun reached the greens of summer on this side of the manor, turning them orange and pink as it creeped closer and closer to the ocean behind the trees, I turned to Arthur, a question on my lips I knew I shouldn¡¯t ask; ¡°Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to get all the laws of the vampires straight in my head and figure out how things were before Drake took over¡ª¡± He scoffed loudly. ¡°Drake never took over, Princess. He merely took back the throne.¡± ¡°Well, which ever way you want to look at it.¡± ¡°No, my dear, that is a fact. Drake built the monarchy. He designed the Sets, the rules¡ªhe is the reason the human race was not wiped out centuries ago.¡± ¡°Why would we have been wiped out?¡± ¡°War among your kind, greed among vampires¡ªblood lust. He has stepped in many times to save humans from themselves. And from vampires.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Everything we stand for, everything the community is today, is a result of Drake¡¯s empire.¡± ¡°Why? If he¡¯s so evil, why would he do that?¡± Arthur seemed to sigh internally. ¡°You know, as well as I do, that good and bad is not black and white. Drake, by human standards, may seem evil, but he is still a good man.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll buy that.¡± ¡°Anyway, back to your original question.¡± ¡°Oh, um, I was going to ask why Lilithians weren¡¯t allowed to mix with vampires, and how David got away with dating Morgaine if it was illegal.¡± Arthur smiled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t always that way. For a time, Lilithians and vampires lived in peace. But Drake quickly realised that the control we had gained over the population of vampires was based mainly on the fear they had of punishment¡ªpunishment carried out by Lilithians. In order to maintain that fear, we had to create a divide between the species.¡± ¡°Why a divide?¡± ¡°Understanding, my dear. When you understand something, there is little reason to fear it. If that happened, we could have lost control over the nation. So, Drake was none too concerned if council leaders wished to mingle with Lilithians, because they knew the importance of maintaining that divide, but average vampires were not permitted. He particularly had little issue with Morgaine, given that she was of high authority among her kind¡ªemployed, rather than enslaved by Drake.¡± ¡°Employed?¡± ¡°Yes. She was¡­¡± He let out a slow breath. ¡°Good at her job. Not to mention she was, at one point, rather close with Drake¡ªspent many nights in his company.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°Consensual, of course,¡± Arthur added. ¡°So, David and Morgaine being together was accepted¡ªhere at Loslilian. This place¡ª¡± he looked around fondly, ¡°¡ªit¡¯s like living in another time¡ªa separate world. But outside these walls, the rules of the Sets were always enforced. Vampires associating with Lilithians is¡­was illegal and frowned upon.¡± ¡°Why was it so different at the manor?¡± ¡°Loslilian was always a very human place. Drake did not care much for the preservation of vampire customs here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Arthur considered for a second. ¡°Perhaps it was because Lilith was always so human. Many of her servants and staff were human, and throughout history, even after Lilith died, this manor remained that way. Vampires brought their human mates here until they were ready for transformation, and¡ª¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t David do that with me?¡± I sprung forward, raising my voice. ¡°Before he knew I couldn¡¯t be a vampire. We could have run away here until I was ready.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°I know. And I offered him this, but he refused.¡± I swallowed a hard lump. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°David¡­well, he had some inner truths he wished to keep from you. He told me once that you were a very moralistic girl¡ªthat you challenged and questioned everything that was right and wrong, basing your friendships and feelings on how you measured a person.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone?¡± He smiled. ¡°In the vampire community, that is a luxury we cannot afford. There are no exceptions. We have all committed unspeakable acts of cruelty. A council member, however, is known too well for their ability to separate themselves from the unpleasant¡ªdisregarding compassion in order to instil fear as a means of maintaining control. David was afraid if you ever learned of the things he¡¯d done, you would not have the heart to love him.¡± ¡°But¡­I know what he¡¯s done. I know all about him. I¡¯d always have loved him.¡± Arthur laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would, my dear, but I can tell you, right now, you know not even one percent of the things my nephew did in his time on the council¡ªand you never will. Not as long as I live.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I will not see my words tarnish his memory or cause you to despise him.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a good a thing? Then I could move on in my heart.¡± ¡°Is that what you would want?¡± He leaned forward and looked around at my face. ¡°So soon after losing him¡ªyou wish to forget, to hate?¡± I shrunk a little. ¡°Sometimes I wish I did hate him. I can handle hate easier than heartache.¡± ¡°Heartache,¡± he said to himself, nodding. I wondered what he expected me to feel. Heartache seemed pretty natural, given that David was apparently dead. ¡°I¡¯ve worried for you these past weeks,¡± he said, keeping his eyes forward, even when I looked up at him; his jaw was stiff, slightly covered in stubble, a bit like David¡¯s, and he¡¯d obviously not taken too much care to cut or tidy his hair in this time we¡¯d been apart. I kind of laughed a little. He looked¡­messy. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Arthur. Really. I¡­I guess I¡¯m used to losing people I love.¡± He looked at my smile, then down at his hands, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to make of that, my lady.¡± I shook my head and pulled my dress down over my knees where it rose up. ¡°Don¡¯t think into it at all. No one has ever figured me out, Arthur, and I guarantee you won¡¯t be the one to do it.¡± When the silence lasted uncomfortably long, I turned my head, reluctantly, as I could feel his glittering grin in my direction. ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°Do not be so sure, Princess, that I cannot figure you out.¡± He looked away again. ¡°I believe I may be closer to your inner truths than you would allow.¡± Yikes. ¡°And what makes you so sure?¡± His lip quirked; he looked so young, like the thirty years his face portrayed, not the hundreds his mannerisms did. ¡°I¡¯ve been around a while. You¡¯re not the first moody, complicated young girl I¡¯ve had the pleasure of befriending.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He laughed, still not looking at me. The orange glow all around us made his skin look tan and his eyes sparkle with a mix of blue and sunshine, looking almost green. I let myself picture David there, in his place, for just a second. ¡°And you think that gives you greater insight into who I am and how I work?¡± He turned to me then and took my hand delicately, the stiff, guarded Arthur gone, replaced by a guy with boyish charm. ¡°You remind me very much of David¡¯s aunt. Did he speak much of her?¡± Page 7 I nodded. ¡°He told me how she died.¡±Advertisement Stiff Arthur reappeared, dropping my hand, a wave of darkness flooding his eyes. ¡°It pains me to come back here. Her memory, and that of my nephews¡¯, infects every corner of this place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I am, too. But, despite that, I am here¡ªfor you, and if there is anything I can advise on or assist with, you need only ask it.¡± ¡°Well, there is one thing.¡± I hesitated. ¡°Speak it, my dear, and it shall be done.¡± ¡°I want to free the prisoners, but I don¡¯t know much about your law system¡ªhow things worked or where the prisoners are.¡± ¡°Why would you wish to free them?¡± ¡°Because, I¡­I don¡¯t believe those vampires were imprisoned fairly.¡± ¡°Amara¡ª¡± He scratched his chin, sighing. ¡°Look, just tell me where they are.¡± I folded my arms, making myself taller beside him. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you agree with me or not, I mean, why would you¡ªyou¡¯re probably the one who put them all away. But I¡¯m in charge now¡ª¡± ¡°Not yet. You have not taken your oath.¡± ¡°Well, I will soon. And freeing those prisoners will be the first thing I take care of¡ªaside from disbanding the Sets.¡± ¡°Disbanding!¡± He sat taller. ¡°Amara, you can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s. Not. Open. For negotiation.¡± I put a hand up between us. ¡°You¡¯re here to advise, not tell me what I can and can¡¯t do.¡± He blinked a few extra times. ¡°And I endeavour only to advise, Princess. It is not my wish to govern you.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. I can tell from your authorative stance¡ªseat¡ªthat you want to make me do what you think I should do.¡± He sat back a little, becoming smaller. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady. I did not mean to come across that way.¡± ¡°Just¡­can you please just tell me where they keep the prisoners?¡± He exhaled. ¡°Most are held at le Chateau Elysium, the Lilithian First Order in Paris, a few are in New Zealand and some in China. But while Drake still rules the vampire domains, we can free only those in Paris and the ones held here.¡± ¡°Here? There are prisoners here?¡± ¡°Of course¡ªin the cellblock.¡± ¡°We¡­we have a cellblock?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His lips spread, giving in to the dimples in his cheeks¡ªhis nephew¡¯s dimples. ¡°Well, that¡¯s great, then.¡± I sat back and pushed my hair off my face, catching the slight hint of my vanilla honey hand cream as I did. ¡°We¡¯ll get started freeing them after dinner.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Yes. Why wait?¡± ¡°Because you haven¡¯t thought this through.¡± My mouth popped open. ¡°What would you know about what I have and have not thought through! I have thought about this¡ªfor a long time, Arthur. And I¡ª¡± ¡°Amara, the prisoners held here are the most vile creatures¡ªlocked away for their inhumane behaviour. These are the worst kinds of vampires.¡± I softened. ¡°What did they do?¡± ¡°Mostly, they are ones who massacred humans without need, disgracefully disposed of them or tortured them. Some of them are rapists, some, worse than that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, did you think we allowed vampires to violate basic human rights?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We had laws, Amara. We had respect among our community¡ªhonour, principles¡ªbrutal crimes were punished.¡± ¡°But, when Jason kidnapped me, at the Masquerade, he said he was allowed to mutilate his kill any way he saw fit.¡± Arthur smiled. ¡°He was just trying to frighten you.¡± ¡°So, you aren¡¯t allowed to mutilate us?¡± ¡°In some ways, we are, but there are limits. You see, fear makes the blood warmer, so scaring a human a little is deemed acceptable, but, in the cases we store below, what they did went beyond a little fear.¡± ¡°And Jason kidnapping me didn¡¯t?¡± Arthur swallowed. ¡°Not according to our standards.¡± ¡°What about your own, personal standards?¡± ¡°My dear, it is purely because you are a friend and I care for you that I see what my nephew did as unacceptable. Had he raped you, I would have skinned him alive, whether you were a friend or not, but, other than that¡­I¡¯m sorry, he did not hurt you enough to justify imprisonment. And don¡¯t look at me that way¡ªI had to see the same look on David¡¯s face the day Drake made that ruling.¡± I looked down at my feet. ¡°Amara?¡± He took my hand, his tone commanding I look at him; it was hard to see now with only a dim light on the distant horizon, while pale lamps stepped in where the sun failed. ¡°Jason never had any intentions of¡ª¡± He inched closer, swallowing. ¡°He was never going to rape you. He¡ª¡± ¡°Yes. I know.¡± There was a shift then, in energy; I felt it. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°He told me.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°The night of Karnivale.¡± ¡°You talked that night?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± I nodded, realising I¡¯d probably said too much. I just assumed he already knew. I could almost hear Morgaine¡¯s disapproval. Arthur remained silent. ¡°Arthur, you okay?¡± His eyes narrowed, his brows pinching in the middle. ¡°I¡¯m glad he had the chance to tell you that¡ªbefore he died.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± My lip quivered. I thrust my shoulders back slightly and sat taller, swallowing the gut wrench Jason¡¯s death brought. ¡°But, back to the issue at hand. The prisoners.¡± ¡°They should not be freed.¡± ¡°Says you. I¡¯ve been told Drake¡¯s methods were harsh and that he was unfair.¡± ¡°Then perhaps you have been misinformed,¡± Arthur added crossly. ¡°Drake ruled our nation for many centuries with an iron fist, and with good reason. Vampires misbehaving draws attention, spreads unrest, and, like a plague, encourages others to do the same. The only way to control them is to own their fears¡ªto be the very nightmare they run from in their sleep.¡± ¡°You sound pretty passionate about this?¡± ¡°I have served beside the king for my entire vampire life, Amara. We have fought for our freedom, our concealment and our community. To see a young girl become queen and make changes to all that we have spent centuries developing¡ª¡± He sat forward and looked at the ground between his legs, breathing out heavily. ¡°It¡¯s just difficult. I can see you making the very same mistakes Drake made in the beginning.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°He made friends of vampires; an option, I¡¯m afraid, is not viable for those in power. He tried to rule by love of his people, and while that is a noble path, there are lines. And you must draw them. Second, you have a good heart, Princess, but you must learn not to use it when making decisions about members of our society that cannot fit in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all very well, Arthur, but what Drake deems punishable, and what my kind do, are very different things.¡± I thought about Pepper. ¡°Look, fact remains, I want to free the prisoners. Now, are you going to help me with that, or not?¡± ¡°I guess I have little choice,¡± he said to the ground. My eyes narrowed. ¡°Arthur, I understand how you feel¡ª¡± ¡°No, Princess¡ª¡± he looked right at me, ¡°¡ªyou do not. You cannot possibly fathom the nightmarish ordeals it took to gain control over the vampires, or the devastation they infected upon this earth in a time before Lilithians were even a thought in God¡¯s mind. I was there; I witnessed the terror¡ªI helped write many of the laws that see vampires punished and, yes, our methods are cruel, harsh, but if you could only see what I have seen, you would realise why, by freeing those depraved brutes, you are about to make your first big mistake.¡± ¡°Well, I disagree. It¡¯s a difference in opinion.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°No, it¡¯s that you, my dear, are not listening.¡± ¡°I am. I¡¯ve heard everything you, Morgaine and everyone else has had to say. But this is my decision.¡± ¡°Not entirely,¡± he said. ¡°Not right now. Until you have made your oath, all your decisions must be approved by the House.¡± ¡°Fine then. Once I¡¯m queen, I¡¯ll free them. You can¡¯t stop me.¡± ¡°I would not seek to stop you, but I would hope, after many conversations, you would see my point.¡± I slumped in my seat a little then took a deep breath and looked at the starry sky. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arthur. I don¡¯t mean to argue with you. It¡¯s just that¡­I just don¡¯t like people telling me what to do¡ªtelling me I know nothing.¡± He reached across and patted my hand. ¡°You remind me of my nephew, in that sense.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°David.¡± I looked down at his hand on mine, softening away from spoiled-princess mode. ¡°So, the imprisoned vampires are really that bad, huh?¡± ¡°Contemptible.¡± ¡°I just never imagined there¡¯d be vampires that did things like that¡ªhorrible things.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not so very different to human¡¯s, Ara. If a human is capable of violence, then of course a vampire is.¡± ¡°Well, I was only planning to free the ones I thought were punished unfairly.¡± ¡°How will you determine that?¡± ¡°Go through each case, I guess. Maybe bring their lawyer back in, discuss each one with him.¡± Arthur shuffled in his seat, clearing his throat. ¡°That would be impossible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the vampire who sentenced the prisoners we keep here is¡­dead.¡± My stomach dropped. ¡°David?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± Ouch. I hadn¡¯t expected that. ¡°Then, I guess I¡¯ll have to assign someone else I can trust.¡± ¡°The Loslilian director of penalty would perhaps be best.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that? I thought Morgaine was head of, like, everything Lilithian.¡± ¡°No,¡± Arthur said with a smile. ¡°Only in Paris. She was brought here purely to torture David. She would not know the finer details of Loslilian prisoners or punishment schedules.¡± ¡°Oh. So, who¡¯s this director of penalty, then?¡± ¡°Bernard.¡± ¡°Bernard?¡± I said it quietly to myself. ¡°Okay, well, I guess I¡¯ll speak to him.¡± ¡°Very well. But not alone.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°He¡¯s spent far too long trolling those dark corridors, my dear. He has little respect for anything or anyone. I¡¯d not put it past him to be rude.¡± ¡°I can handle a person being rude.¡± ¡°That may be so, but I will not tolerate anyone disrespecting our princess.¡± ¡°Aw, how sweet,¡± I said, my lip in a false pout. But it faded away quickly with a question resonating from deep within my worry-spot. ¡°Hey, Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m going to stuff all this up¡ªyou know, wreck everything you¡¯ve built?¡± I asked delicately. He rubbed his face with both hands. ¡°No. I don¡¯t. I just don¡¯t want you to run in with guns blazing¡ªtrying to change every law you oppose, all at once. As you spend more time in the community of vampires, you will see, more clearly with each passing day, that there is good reason for everything we have done.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°That is all I ask.¡± With the awkward first part of our conversation out of the way, I felt more comfortable to attempt a little probing. ¡°So, you knew Drake pretty well, right?¡± ¡°Know him well, yes. He is a good friend.¡± ¡°But, you haven¡¯t seen him¡ªsince the attack?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve not even had word from him. I was told only that he was in Rome.¡± ¡°Does he know you¡¯re here at the manor?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He would be aware I have taken my bi-annual leave, but he would not likely know where I have gone.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t he think you should have stayed? You know, because of the whole Lilithian uprising and all.¡± Arthur shook his head. ¡°I have served my time. Friend to the king or not, I must take my leave.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯s still alive? Like, after he was stabbed¡ªdo you think he survived it?¡± ¡°I would be certain of that.¡± ¡°How could he survive it, though¡ªif it was my venom on the sword, how could he live?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no saying it was your venom. It could have been a ruse.¡± I nodded. ¡°True.¡± ¡°Or, perhaps it may be that he is a very powerful being and cannot be killed. I have not only heard stories of his dark magic, but seen him use it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I¡­can I ask what sort of magic you saw?¡± My eyes widened a little. Arthur looked down at his open palm, as if he held something there. ¡°I watched him turn a red rose black¡ªsuck the life from it¡ªthen restore in the same breath.¡± ¡°Wow. So, maybe he is evil? Maybe I should seek to destroy him?¡± ¡°What does your heart tell you?¡± Page 8 I thought about that for a second, trying to dislodge all the other voices in there that weren¡¯t mine. ¡°It tells me to negotiate with him¡ªthat he is capable of reason.¡±Advertisement ¡°And what does your private council think of this?¡± ¡°Well, Mike thinks I¡¯m young and na?ve¡ªthat I just don¡¯t have any idea what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I looked down. ¡°Mike is young, himself.¡± Arthur smiled. ¡°You are a bright girl, and I know you do not see good and evil in two dimensions.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t. But, is that wrong?¡± ¡°No, Princess, it¡¯s not. The world is so full of philosophy and opinion. And each individual has opposing concepts of harmony and peace. We all defend our beliefs, our perceptions of what is right or wrong¡ªand it is impossible sometimes to know which side to take.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s a grey area.¡± ¡°Yes. One may ask himself if he should follow the leader that shares the majority of advocates, or the one whom he agrees with himself. And that¡ª¡± he grinned, leaning back on the swing, making it rock a little, ¡°¡ªeven I have not answered to this day.¡± ¡°Hm, well, it¡¯s a good question, Arthur. I guess, in the end, you just have to follow your heart.¡± ¡°Some do not have that luxury,¡± he said. ¡°Humans, especially, follow tyrants sometimes out of force, often just fear, but, I believe, mostly¡­naivety.¡± ¡°I think most people know what¡¯s right and wrong, Arthur. And in the end, we all always overthrow oppression.¡± ¡°How little you know of history for a girl whose own father is a professor in this field.¡± He sat forward a little. ¡°What you need to ask is not whether we overthrow oppression, but who is the oppressor¡ªwho do we overthrow?¡± ¡°The bad guy.¡± ¡°How do you decide who is bad?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Guess it¡¯s a matter of opinion.¡± ¡°And whose opinion counts?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s.¡± ¡°But, not everyone agrees.¡± He turned in the seat to face me. ¡°Take Hitler, for example; people followed him, convinced, as he was, that his madness was merely revolution.¡± ¡°Yes, but in time, they rose against him. Good did triumph.¡± ¡°Again, not that I feel this way, but how do you know that was the right course of action? And who decides?¡± ¡°We all decide, Arthur, because bringing pain and suffering to anyone, for any reason, is never right.¡± I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked up at him. ¡°The world will not stop fighting for freedom and peace. That is what¡¯s right, and tyranny is wrong. I will always take the path that leads to freedom for my people.¡± ¡°For your people¡ªexactly. And what if the path to freedom would result, ultimately, in the sacrifice of many others? Would you be any better than your tyrannical predecessors for opting to walk it?¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°You see? How do you choose a side? What is right? What is wrong¡ªand according to whom?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I frowned. ¡°That¡¯s all separate from me. I¡¯ll find a way to bring the Three Worlds together¡ªwe can live in peace. I know we can, and I know I can do it without causing any suffering.¡± ¡°Except to kill those who oppose you.¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do? Imprison them? Set them free to start wars¡ªcause more damage, more deaths?¡± ¡°Arthur¡­this is too much for me. I¡¯m not ready to deal with this yet.¡± ¡°But you must, Princess. You are in a position of power and that brings with it the obligation of decision. You are in no way separate from this,¡± his voice softened. ¡°In the coming weeks, you will be queen, and then, every action you take, every decision you tactlessly regard, will single-handedly affect the lives of many.¡± ¡°See? This is why I didn¡¯t want to be the queen. I¡¯ve got you telling me I need to make decisions, Mike telling me not to because I have no idea what I¡¯m doing, and, inside, what I feel is right doesn¡¯t match what everyone says is right. I¡¯m just not ready for this.¡± ¡°But you have no choice.¡± Arthur spoke louder. ¡°You will be queen, you will have to decide what is right or wrong, and sometimes, it will be between the lesser of two evils. Sometimes, there is no circumventing the unpleasant.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this, Arthur?¡± I swallowed the shaky lump of anguish his ruthlessness created. ¡°What do you hope to achieve by making me feel even smaller, even more stupid than I already do.¡± ¡°I just want you to wake up, my lady, and ask yourself what you plan to do, and why.¡± ¡°I already know why¡ªI just don¡¯t know what.¡± ¡°No. You know what you hope to achieve¡ªpeace among all. But you do not ask yourself why that matters, or why you choose to care.¡± ¡°Why do I need to ask that?¡± ¡°Because the answer to the what should always come after the why.¡± His words filtered through me, passing every channel of self-doubt, meeting with the stark blankness of confusion. ¡°You must have a motive behind everything you do, Amara. Freeing the prisoners, disbanding the Sets, negotiating with Drake¡ªif you can¡¯t find a good reason why you feel this necessary, then perhaps it is the wrong course of action.¡± ¡°So, you think I should kill Drake?¡± ¡°I think you should be sure about what you want to do, before you do it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question, Arthur.¡± ¡°It is not my job to give opinion, my lady, only to help you find your own.¡± I sighed. He is so exhausting. ¡°How will I know when I¡¯ve found it?¡± ¡°When you ask yourself why, and know the answer.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll never know which path to take. Because I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever approve of killing someone just because they oppose us.¡± ¡°Then ask yourself why.¡± ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why do you oppose death?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s wrong.¡± He rubbed his brow. ¡°I have seen many rise to power in my time¡ªall of them with the best of intentions, and it is those philanthropic aspirations that ruin them. You can¡¯t save everyone, Amara.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± I stopped and thought about what I wanted to say. Shut up and leave me alone seemed to be all that came to mind. Arthur breathed out and tore his blue eyes away from my face as he brushed his hand through his windswept, carelessly messed hair. ¡°You¡¯re just a young girl,¡± he said softly, ¡°And I do not mean to be harsh on you, but I do care; I care for you as a person and as ruler of a nation. I have lived many years, seen many political changes in the world. I know, from experience, that winning hearts can sustain dominance for only short periods. You will need cruel methods, possibly even death, to prevent opposition. And they will rise against you. I do not see vampires following wilfully, even when you capture Drake and imprison him.¡± ¡°Disbanding the Sets,¡± I said. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°That should win hearts for a while.¡± ¡°It would.¡± He half laughed. ¡°But it will see more problems than it will fix.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Probably, but, really, I don¡¯t want to argue this topic, right now. I¡¯m tired, and I didn¡¯t come out here¡ª¡± I motioned to the garden, ¡°¡ªfor a political debate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my dear. That was not my intention, either. But the things you say¡ªyour views and opinions¡ªthey give me great cause for concern.¡± He clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees. ¡°There will come a time where you must choose a side and defend it. There will be no negotiating some things, and I just don¡¯t want to see you heartbroken when you¡¯re forced to make a decision that will cost lives. And one day, Princess, you will have to.¡± ¡°Look¡ª¡± I rolled my eyes behind his back. ¡°I appreciate your concern, but I feel strongly about this. I won¡¯t see the demise of vampires for Lilithians to live, and I won¡¯t see the same in reverse. We live in united peace, and that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°No, there is much, much more to it. When two sides oppose, they fight until one yields, and¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to lead to war. No one has to die.¡± ¡°For one, war does not always involve death, my dear, but without death, very rarely sees one side surrender. You do not wish to kill or be harsh to enforce your reign, but you want to be respected enough to be followed. You can''t buy peace with daisy chains, Amara.¡± ¡°Well, if we have to go to war to achieve peace, then I guess we¡¯ll go to war.¡± ¡°So, now you approve killing to fight for your cause?¡± ¡°No. I don''t know. Maybe¡ªif I have to.¡± He pressed his lips into a thin smile and looked to one side. ¡°I¡¯ve never known a girl who holds such strong values to be so easily led.¡± My mouth dropped. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°You disapprove of killing and violence, yet, if I were to forcefully disagree, convince you it was necessary, you would acquiesce¡ªdespite what you felt was the right course of action.¡± I looked down at my hands. ¡°I''m just trying to get this right.¡± ¡°Then follow your heart, Amara. Do not allow yourself to be controlled by others¡¯ opinions. I can see you clearly have a great amount of respect for me, and while this is not only sweet but very flattering, it¡¯s also dangerous. Your council has warned you that I may be a traitor, yet you take my word as vow.¡± ¡°I can''t help it, Arthur. I just don''t think you''re the bad guy.¡± He smiled warmly. ¡°Well, that leads me back to the point I was trying to make in the beginning; not that you must either kill or not kill, but to be sure it is what you believe to be right.¡± ¡°And what if I''m wrong?¡± ¡°Then you make a mistake¡ªand you learn from it.¡± ¡°Hang on, if I''m queen, aren''t I supposed to behead my advisor when things go wrong?¡± I smirked at him. ¡°Well,¡± Arthur said in a light, laughing tone, ¡°if that¡¯s the way Her Majesty demonstrates strength and governance, then I say, behead me.¡± I laughed. ¡°Aside from the fact that it¡¯s impossible to behead a vampire, you know I wouldn¡¯t really do that, right?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°That, my dear, is what worries me.¡± Chapter Three I quickly learned that Lilithians and vampires shared one common ground; they liked their traditions and formalities. Everyone at the dining table had remained upstanding until I was seated. I felt ridiculous dressing formally for dinner as it was, but having someone push my chair in, bow at me and then motion everyone else to sit, made me just want to hide my face in my hand and laugh at them all. The seat mirroring mine was the only empty one at the table; a place the king would sit when he returned, or, according to my people, when I took a new husband. The knowledge that my David should be sitting there, fourteen seats down from me, so far away but closer than he was now, made that chair seem like a vortex, ready to suck my composure up with one breath. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. ¡°What¡¯s up, baby?¡± Mike whispered, leaning closer. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Just a bit of a headache.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Morgaine said from the seat on my left. ¡°Dinner will end soon enough, then we¡¯ll all leave you alone for the next twelve hours. Sound good?¡± I smiled at her and leaned back in my chair. Down the other end of the table, too far away to yell hello to, Eric sent me a warm smile. Arthur looked up at him, following the direction of his eyes, then leaned in and whispered something that made Eric look away. ¡°Morg?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got better hearing than I do. What did Arthur just say to Eric?¡± She looked over at Arthur, who smiled across at us, obviously having heard what I just said. ¡°He just told him to remember that, in official gatherings, you are a queen, not his friend.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Eric,¡± I said quietly, knowing he¡¯d hear me over the noisy dinner chatter; he smirked into his plate. I shot Arthur a narrowed glare to which he returned a warm smile. ¡°We may be worrying for no reason.¡± My ears tuned in to the portly woman who speaks her mind when no one asks. ¡°Drake may already be dead.¡± ¡°But what if it were a ploy¡ªa theatrical diversion?¡± said Moustache Man. ¡°He may be very much alive and waiting for us to drop our guard.¡± It seemed Arthur and I weren¡¯t the only ones with these theories. ¡°Yes, from what I hear, Lilithian venom is not enough to kill him. He has black magic spells that keep him safe.¡± ¡°Hm, an immunity spell?¡± I grinned, looking at Mike, who kicked my foot under the table. ¡°Yes. If only we could get hold of that spell,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°We Lilithians could feed off vampires without risk of hurting them from our bite.¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps we should put a team together to start working on that,¡± I added, offering Mike a wry smile; he was not impressed. ¡°I agree,¡± Morgaine added, stirring the pot of Mike¡¯s irritation. ¡°We should start work on it right away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste of resources,¡± Mike said, glaring at her. ¡°Maybe after we catch Drake.¡± Page 9 ¡°Why do we need to catch him?¡± asked a face I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Why not just go in there now and kill him?¡±Advertisement ¡°Because we don¡¯t know where he is,¡± someone else said. ¡°And we can¡¯t kill him, right?¡± I said, looking at Mike. ¡°Isn¡¯t it only this prophecy child that can?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Eric said. ¡°The prophecy says your child will be the one to do it, not that you or any other vampire can¡¯t.¡± ¡°This may be correct,¡± said a man beside Eric. ¡°But we must not mess with the will of Fate.¡± ¡°Here, here.¡± Another man nodded. ¡°Bad things happen when you meddle in things that already have an order.¡± ¡°Bad things happen when old vampires get superstitious, like a human, and start using those superstitions to make political decisions,¡± a Lilithian said. A couple of arguments broke out across the table; I looked at Arthur, who seemed to be staying out of this one. And I realised then that the table had been divided; to my left side were all the vampires and to my right were Lilithians. I wondered why they were seated that way¡ªif it was deliberate. The only exception to that seating arrangement was Morgaine¡¯s. It seemed kind of fitting that she was seated on the vampires¡¯ side, given that she¡¯d bedded with Drake. I gagged on my rice for a second, feeling the pinch of vomit rising up my oesophagus. ¡°Look,¡± Mike said loudly, raising both hands to end the arguments. ¡°The fact is, we need to catch Drake, and it needs to be soon.¡± ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°We actually just need to gain control over all the Sets. All we¡¯re trying to achieve is the enforcement of the new rules so we can have peace between Lilithians and vampires.¡± ¡°Peace? We should be imprisoning the vampires¡ªkilling them all,¡± one woman said. ¡°I concur,¡± a man on the Lilithian side added. ¡°Rid the world of their kind.¡± ¡°And what would we eat, then?¡± I asked. ¡°Keep some. Farm them. Store them.¡± The vampires rose up in arms, voices reaching across the table, barely holding back violence. ¡°There are to be no more prisoners,¡± I said loudly; everyone stopped¡ªto my amazement. This queen thing was suddenly growing on me. ¡°I will enforce equal rights for both vampires and Lilithians alike.¡± ¡°While Drake is still breathing, that will never come to par.¡± With that statement, the two species broke into heated conversations again¡ªtheir food untouched. ¡°If Drake wants to live in united peace, he can remain on the throne,¡± I said in a calm, quiet voice, refusing to enter this shouting contest. ¡°Maybe we can rule together.¡± Conversations around the room ceased abruptly with a unified gasp. The portly woman snorted. ¡°You can¡¯t negotiate with him.¡± ¡°I disagree.¡± ¡°Of course you do,¡± a Lilithian added harshly. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly presume to know what is wise¡ªyou¡¯re just a baby.¡± ¡°Here. Here,¡± an old man said, tapping his finger on the table. ¡°You were not even born when Drake stormed this manor and killed our queen. You did not hear of the horror, or the deaths of so many Lilithians that day. You cannot make a ruling about this, Princess, because you know nothing of our past.¡± ¡°The past is inconsequential. I¡¯m thinking about the future.¡± ¡°Future? Future!¡± One man, so enraged, leaped from his seat, slamming his hands on either side of his plate. ¡°If you want any kind of future, you will send your knights forth at once to seek out and kill Drake.¡± ¡°I concur,¡± a man said. ¡°As do I.¡± Several men from each side wrapped their knuckles on the tabletop, nodding, their mutters of agreement uniting them for the first time tonight. ¡°Yes, this is the wisest course of action. We should act immediately.¡± Moustache man, who I was starting to think might be a position of authority among the House, had the final word, all going silent after. ¡°The thing is,¡± I addressed the entire table, ¡°I am your leader, and I have to decide which is the right course of action. I¡¯m sorry, but it won¡¯t necessarily always be the wise one.¡± ¡°Then you will lead us all to ruin,¡± the portly woman scolded. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Arthur glared at her. ¡°Show some respect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Arthur.¡± I held my hand up, then smiled at the woman, who bowed her head apologetically. ¡°Look. I know you¡¯re all afraid because I¡¯m young. But I was born for this role, and I have a wise council to advise me. I won¡¯t see the Lilithians fall back into Drake¡¯s hands.¡± I touched my chest. ¡°I honestly would die before I let that happen. But, I will lead us to the freedom we all desire, and I¡¯ll take whichever path is likely to cause the least damage.¡± ¡°Least damage? What kind of a leader would be willing to sacrifice even one life for her na?ve, altruistic outcome?¡± ¡°A good one,¡± I said. ¡°Look, I am in a position of power. And in that¡ª¡± I smiled at Arthur, ¡°¡ªit¡¯s sometimes impossible to circumvent the unpleasant. But it is, however, my job to determine the lesser evil. I¡¯m not a miracle worker or a god, I cannot do the impossible.¡± ¡°But, Your Majesty, Drake will not quit. He will not stop until you and every other of our kind is dead.¡± ¡°Yes, he must die,¡± Portly Woman said. ¡°It is not for you to decide whether Drake should live or die,¡± I said. ¡°Then who does?¡± ¡°No one. God, maybe. I don¡¯t know. All I know is that opposing that which is considered bad by most does not make you good¡ªonly misinformed.¡± ¡°Considered bad? Drake is bad!¡± I sipped my drink and took a breath, feeling more confident seeing Arthur¡¯s reassuring smile. ¡°When Drake took back the throne,¡± I started, ¡°he made the decision that our kind was dispensable. How did that feel? Are we dispensable?¡± I looked directly into each eye. ¡°There is good in everyone, and I believe we can negotiate with Drake. Enough blood has been shed. We must offer peace in order to restore it.¡± Mike dropped his fork onto his plate and all heads turned as the clatter startled the stunned silence in the room. His mouth closed, the ball in his throat shifting. ¡°Well then¡ª¡± Arthur stood and raised his glass. ¡°A toast¡ªto the princess and her insightful approach.¡± ¡°To the princess,¡± the table hummed. With daylight gone, night darkened the stained-glass dome over my bed; what was blue or white glass in the sun became transparent, showing the stars beyond, hiding away up there in a world too high for me to ever reach. Those glistening entities made Lilith, her story, her life, seem like more of a mystery to me, but one that I, somehow, felt more connected to. I¡¯d been told of her beginning; how she was conceived of Vampirie and a human girl, and how she was loved by all who knew her. But even though I knew this, when I first laid eyes on the dome above my bed¡ªdepicting her beginning¡ªI was surprised not to see a shapely woman reaching across a clouded sky to an infant. Clich¨¦, I know, but that¡¯s what I expected. Instead, my eyes feasted in the story-book scene of a little girl sitting in a garden full of roses, sharing tea with a man and two expressionless dolls. I wondered who this dark stranger was; his black hair and cloak seemed so out of place beside this girl in floral print, with a yellow ribbon in her hair. Perhaps he was Vampirie, or maybe even Lilith¡¯s grandfather. I couldn¡¯t see the image enough to make any real conclusions. My room was dark, lit only by the flickering glow of a gas lamp by my door, but even in such dim light, the man¡¯s electric blue eyes shone out like beacons, radiating with love for this little girl. It made me think of my own daughter¡ªthe child of the prophecy¡ªmade me think about tea parties we might have in the garden and the dolls we would play with together. And when I brushed a strand of hair from my face, feeling the youth of my barely twenty-year-old skin, I cringed. Once upon a time, I had everything planned; I¡¯d go to college, get married once I found a job as a teacher, then, when I was about twenty-eight, I¡¯d have started planning a family. A little boy first, then maybe a girl. I dropped my hand onto my belly and felt the smooth skin under my pyjama top. For all I knew, after what David and I did on the piano this morning, there could be life forming inside me right now. It felt, at the same time as magic, also really scary. I wanted to make it stop, to make it all go away. But also wanted to feel it inside me¡ªfeel the life growing, moving, becoming a possibility. But my dad would be so disappointed¡ªwhen we sent another letter, this time announcing I¡¯d be a teen mother. With a sigh, I rolled onto my belly and reached into my nightstand for a small rectangle envelope, then rolled onto my back again, running my fingers over the words Maple Terrace. I hadn¡¯t had time to respond to any of dad¡¯s letters in the last week, since David entered the world of the living again, and I knew Dad would be freaking out by now. So, I grabbed my phone, went into the email app and wrote Dear Dad and Vi¡­.then backspaced a few times and wrote Mum. I told him all about Paris, all about the places David and I had been on our pretend honeymoon, using pictures from the Web to describe it, then told him how much I love him, and pressed send. Another email came through almost instantly, like he¡¯d been sending it at the same time. Ara-Rose. It said, and when I saw all the exclamation marks, I realised it was sent before he received mine. How long are you planning to keep extending this honeymoon. He didn¡¯t even bother with a question mark. Wow, he must be mad. You¡¯ve been gone for over eight weeks. We haven¡¯t heard your voice even once in that time. We¡¯re getting worried! Very worried! Call me as soon as you get this. Or at least leave a new number. The one we have says disconnected. I¡¯m not joking, Ara. You call me as soon as you get this. The fact that he missed punctuation, then forgot to sign with Love, Dad, meant it was probably from Vicki. I smiled and switched my phone off. The email I already sent would tie them over for now. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± Mike pushed my door open and stood with a gleaming smile, carrying two steaming mugs. ¡°Hey, Mike.¡± I sat up in my bed. ¡°Want company?¡± ¡°Love some.¡± He handed me a cup as he sat beside me. ¡°You okay?¡± I nodded. ¡°Dad emailed.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been calling my phone non-stop.¡± ¡°I know. He¡¯s worried.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m organising a phone line that redirects your calls and bounces them off cell towers all over the world so it won¡¯t show up on his bill that you¡¯re a local call.¡± ¡°When will that be ready?¡± ¡°Not for about three weeks. We¡¯ve got a few other things on backorder as well, not to mention, telecommunications are a bit tricky out here because we don¡¯t exactly have state-of-the-art communications towers or underground network cables.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve had two bars of service on my phone the whole time. I can only make calls if there are no birds flying past,¡± I joked, sipping my drink. Mike laughed. ¡°We¡¯re getting it sorted. It just takes time.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°What is it, Ara?¡± ¡°What makes you think there¡¯s something wrong.¡± I smiled up at him. He sighed and took my cup, placing it on my nightstand before slipping in bed next to me, shoes and all. ¡°I can read you like a book, girl. Is this about David?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± I scowled at him. ¡°Morg says we can''t talk about him in here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ara. Morg¡¯s just paranoid. You should be fine to talk openly in your room,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°So, is it about him?¡± I nodded into his shoulder, winding my fingers through his. ¡°What¡¯s worrying you?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t answering his phone.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried it¡¯s because he¡¯s mad at me, but I don¡¯t really understand why.¡± ¡°Why would he be mad at you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­we¡¯ve been arguing a lot¡ªeven before the kidnapping and torture, you know, and...¡± Mike¡¯s fingers tightened on mine. ¡°And then he went and said he doesn¡¯t trust me and all that other stuff.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t mean it like that, baby.¡± ¡°Yes, he did. He always says what he means.¡± Mike looked down at our hands¡ªtogether, then pulled it across his waist and tucked it under his elbow, wrapping his arms snugly around me. ¡°You wanna know what he told me¡ªwhen he called before?¡± ¡°He called you!¡± I sat bolt upright. ¡°He called to apologise for what he said¡ªabout my being capable of cheating on Em.¡± I sat back on my pillows, dead-weighted. ¡°Look, baby, I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s not speaking to you. He loves you, and whatever reason, it¡¯s not because he¡¯s mad at you. So, I can¡¯t help you there, but¡­I can help you with what he said¡ªabout the bind.¡± ¡°Well, what did he say?¡± ¡°That fight he started this morning¡ª¡± He swiped his thumb over my chin, angling my face to look at him. ¡°It wasn¡¯t because he doesn¡¯t trust you, or even me. He didn¡¯t mean to take it out on you, but he¡¯s so mad, Ara¡ªat himself.¡± Page 10 ¡°Why?¡±Advertisement ¡°He said it¡¯s been eating him up¡ªthat he wasn¡¯t there to protect you when Jason was binding you. He says he wishes he had been the creepy stalker vampire, now, because none of this would¡¯ve happened if he¡¯d taken better care of you.¡± I covered my mouth with slightly shaky fingers. ¡°He also said he wishes he was more powerful, so he could get in your head and undo the bind.¡± ¡°Poor David.¡± Mike nodded. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he just tell me all that?¡± ¡°Because he feels weak, baby. He¡¯s a guy. Okay? He¡¯s not going to admit when he can¡¯t be the strong, dependable knight you need him to be.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need him to be that.¡± I sat up a little more, as if my words might reach David through Mike. ¡°I just need him to be with me¡ªto be honest with me.¡± Mike nodded. ¡°Did you tell him that?¡± ¡°Touch¨¦, Mike. Touch¨¦.¡± I pointed at him, then let all my emotions out with a sigh. ¡°Does it bother you¡ªDavid and Em?¡± ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re at the house¡ªalone, feeding from each other, hunting humans together. You know what the blood lust does. Are you worried they might¡ª?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down. ¡°Why are you worried, Ara? David would never¡ª¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s Em I don¡¯t trust. She¡¯s always had a thing for him.¡± ¡°Ara! How can you say that? She¡¯s your friend.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I shrunk a little. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ªshe can feel his thoughts. And¡­I mean, what does that mean anyway? How can you feel thoughts?¡± He laughed once, as if he¡¯d asked that very same question himself. ¡°She says it¡¯s like when you have your own thoughts, they¡¯re always accompanied by a feeling; excitement, dread, lust, joy, warmth¡ªshe can sense that. She said it¡¯s like a scent, like he changes cologne every few minutes. After a while, she started to recognise which scent went with which feeling, or thought.¡± I kind of imagined it for a second; David zipping off to spray himself with different coloured bottles every few minutes. ¡°Well, see, there¡¯s that¡ªthat ¡®special¡¯ connection¡ªthen there¡¯s the fact that she¡¯s a vampire, like him; she¡¯s pretty, blonde, carefree. She doesn¡¯t cause trouble like I do¡ªor fight with him.¡± ¡°And he doesn¡¯t love her, Ara,¡± Mike said. ¡°He loves you. If anyone should be worried, it¡¯s David.¡± ¡°Why should he be worried?¡± ¡°Is that a joke?¡± He sat up a bit¡ªprobably to be taller than me again. ¡°You¡¯re here, miles from home, with a guy who¡¯s crazy about you¡ªa guy you¡¯re spirit bound to¡ªwhile David¡¯s forced to stay at home wondering what you¡¯re doing, praying the bad guy doesn¡¯t come back to take you away again while he¡¯s not here to protect you.¡± He breathed out through his nose. ¡°And he knows what you¡¯re like, Ara. You never listen to anyone; you never do as you¡¯re told. He has to rely on the very guy, whom he doesn¡¯t trust to be with you, to protect you above all else and then comfort you when you¡¯re feeling low, care for you if you get sick¡ªstop you from doing stupid things. He should be worried, Ara. Not you.¡± I nodded. ¡°I guess I never thought of it like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not a guy.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± I smiled. ¡°Now¡ª¡± Mike climbed out of bed, took my cup, and his warm, autumn eyes crinkled on the edges with his smile. ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯ll see you in the morning for training.¡± ¡°Great.¡± I snuggled down into the warmth Mike left behind. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet all the knights.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just as excited.¡± He went to walk away then stopped. ¡°Oh, and, Arthur wants to come watch you train, too¡ªhe¡¯s eager to see your powers.¡± ¡°Really? Should we let him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You tell me. You seem to be all buddy-buddy with him.¡± Mike shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. If he is a mole, he won¡¯t attack now anyway. You just need to hurry up and figure out his plan.¡± ¡°He has no plan, Mike,¡± I said, rolling over. ¡°He¡¯s opinionated, but he¡¯s not a mole.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Mike blew out the flame in the lantern and closed my door. My eyes stayed open, looking above me to the unspoilt sky through the glass dome. Across my room, the soft white curtains billowed in the summer breeze as it snuck through my open balcony door, blowing a gentle tickle of warm air across my nose and lips, like a goodnight kiss from the evening. I could hear the ocean in the distance now with the manor going quiet, room by room, all around me. It was peaceful, serene, but empty. The walls seemed to swirl then, the open space narrowing me in to my own little world, and behind the loving eyes of the unknown man in the glass, sunlight suddenly shone through, making them sparkle, warming his whole smile. I smiled back at him as the light flooded down my walls, blotting out his face, my pillows, my dresser, until spring spread out around me¡ªmy only cage the long grass, rising up past my shoulders and cheeks with the wet scent of soil and crushed daisies. I slid my hand across the ground, knowing the boy next to me would reach out and wrap his fingers through mine. ¡°Can you show me another?¡± I asked, suddenly standing above this boy and girl, holding hands in the grass; the sun shone down, making the girl¡¯s yellow dress almost transparent, showing the outline of her thighs and hips in a shadow under the fabric. The boy rolled up on his elbow, bringing his body closely alongside hers. ¡°I¡¯ve shown you so many already, Ara-Rose.¡± ¡°Shown you what?¡± I asked, stepping closer. She looked at me then, her blues eyes taking my breath as they reached right between my ribs, starting my heart. ¡°Memories,¡± she said to me. ¡°Of what?¡± She just smiled and looked back at Jason¡ªleft behind in the realm of moments gone. ¡°Watch, and you¡¯ll see.¡± Dark sky swallowed us whole, taking Jason away again, leaving me alone in a windy clearing¡ªnothing but a stormy sky, the wide arms of our tree, and, in the distance, two boys¡ªrunning. A ring of light shone down onto the clearing over them, presenting their memory in daytime, while I stood on the cusp of dark and light. ¡°David! Wait. I can¡¯t¡­¡± The smaller boy folded over, dropping his hands to his dirt-covered knees. ¡°I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°Good,¡± David called over his shoulder, laughing. ¡°Then I shall win¡ªagain.¡± The boy tried to run for only a second more before flopping to the ground, tucked into a small ball, his shoulders lifting with each raspy, tight breath. A shadow covered his face, taking the warmth of the sun, and he looked up, green eyes so bright, at his brother. ¡°What are you doing, Jason? Get up,¡± David said. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he wheezed. ¡°Get¡­get Aunty.¡± But his brother only shook his head, his face lit with humour. He toed Jason¡¯s shoulder, rolling him onto his back. ¡°Stop pretending. Arietta doesn¡¯t love you more because you¡¯re sick¡ªshe only pities you.¡± ¡°Please?¡± Jason reached up, his face going white around purple lips. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t bre¡ª¡± ¡°Father says it is God¡¯s will.¡± David kicked Jason¡¯s hand away. ¡°He says we should stop healing you.¡± ¡°Brother? Please?¡± But David backed away. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s right.¡± ¡°N-no.¡± Jason curled into a ball again, tucking his knees to his chest. ¡°If you want to live, brother, perhaps you should pray.¡± But Jason didn¡¯t hear those words; his breath became short, shallow, as David walked away, disappearing into the glare of the sun. I ran over and knelt beside the shuddering child. ¡°Jason,¡± I whispered, wishing I could be an entity of the past, reach out, touch him. But when he looked up suddenly, it was to a great, fluffy hound, licking his face, waking him from the drift of consciousness. ¡°Petey?¡± he said, wrapping his arm across the dog¡¯s neck. ¡°Get Aunty.¡± And Petey ran, bouncing over the fields faster than possible, barking, calling out for all who might be near. When Jason opened his eyes again, the room was mostly dark, lit only by a fire burning nearby, while the softness of a mattress braced his tiny body. He looked up into the soulful blue eyes of a woman with honey blonde hair. ¡°Jason.¡± She touched his face. ¡°Aunty.¡± ¡°Shh,¡± she said, stroking his cheek over and over again. ¡°Don¡¯t try to speak, my love. Just rest. You¡¯re safe now.¡± He nodded and closed his eyes, but opened them quickly, revealing thoughts which took that sparkle from his soul. ¡°Aunt Ari?¡± ¡°Yes, sweet boy?¡± ¡°Is it true¡ªthat I killed my mother?¡± Arietta paled, rising up slightly to lean right over Jason. ¡°Who said that to you?¡± The little boy looked away. ¡°Was it your father?¡± His reluctance to say was all Arietta needed. ¡°My darling child, your mother died because the doctor couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding. She just didn¡¯t have enough strength to keep breathing.¡± ¡°But, if I had not been born, she would have lived. Father says she was smiling, happy, after David was born¡ªthat she let go when I tried to enter the world.¡± ¡°No, Jason¡ª¡± Arietta couldn¡¯t find the words to make it all okay. I wondered if a part of her, too, believed this, or if maybe she was so horrified by this child¡¯s certainty of his existence destroying another¡¯s, that she couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Jason, your father was not even in the room when my sister passed. I was there. I saw her smile when the doctor told her there was another child. I saw her eyes light with joy for the fact that you would be born.¡± She stroked his hair, her eyes touching every inch of his little face. ¡°Oh, my sweet, sweet boy. She wanted nothing more than to hold you, I know this, because she was my sister, and we have the same heart¡ª¡± She touched her chest. ¡°If I love you this much, then she would have loved you just the same.¡± Jason nodded into the cup of her hand, but I saw it in his eyes, that her truth couldn¡¯t change what was in his heart¡ªwhat he had been told since he was old enough to understand words. ¡°I am so sorry I can¡¯t stay here and be your mother, Jason. If your father would have me, I would not leave you at the end of the summer¡ªnot ever, but¡ª¡± She looked down, her eyes tearing. ¡°But just know that, even though we can¡¯t be together, I never stop loving you¡ªor your brother.¡± He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, watched tears fall between his fingertips, sinking through the blades of grass under his hands. Thunder made the day close in on him and the rain came down around his knees, over his shoulders, making the cold harsh and the pain go deeper. He swiped a hand across his nose, barely able to see the name on the headstone before him. ¡°This is the second woman our family has buried because of you.¡± Jason stood quickly and spun around to his brother¡¯s angered face. ¡°David, how can you say such things? I cannot be to blame for this.¡± The two thirteen-year-old versions of the twins stood face to face; one softened by grief, the other hardened, with hate-filled eyes barring his brother. ¡°You tell yourself that, demon. Go ahead. If it eases your guilt.¡± ¡°Guilt. Guilt for what? I ran. I told you this. I ran as fast as I could¡ª¡± ¡°And yet it was not fast enough.¡± Jason reached out to gently clasp the lapel of David¡¯s coat. ¡°I will not be to blame. I could not have saved her if I¡¯d grown wings and flown to get uncle.¡± David¡¯s stiff body seemed to shake, his lips tight, his nostrils flaring with each breath of hatred or grief or whatever he was carrying inside that made me take a step back. ¡°It¡¯s not how fast you ran, brother; it¡¯s not how long it took you to bring Uncle¡ªit¡¯s your mere existence. You were never meant to be, and until your ashes are in this earth, balance can never be restored.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. And Arietta didn¡¯t believe that, either.¡± David looked at her grave, clenching his teeth so firmly his cheeks appeared hollow. ¡°She could never see past your lies, and now she¡¯s dead. She is dead because you are an abomination.¡± His arm shook, his finger aimed at the beastly creature across from him. ¡°But I see you for what you are. I see you for what Father knew you were. As far as I¡¯m concerned, from this day forth, I have no brother,¡± he said, not a shred of sympathy softening his rain-soaked face, and he backed away, leaving Jason to grieve the loss¡ªalone. My heart saturated with sadness, but I couldn¡¯t allow it¡ªcouldn¡¯t let pity change how I felt about either of them. I wanted to hate David as much as I wanted to fall beside Jason, as he sunk to the ground, and wrap my arms around him¡ªaround his young self¡ªtell him everything would be okay. But it wouldn¡¯t. Not for him. From that day on, the one person who loved him, saw him as just a boy, would never lay eyes on him again, never lay a comforting hand to his cheek. He was alone now. I backed away, too, my heart pounding in my chest. He was truly all alone. Page 11 ¡°Walk with me.¡±Advertisement I looked up suddenly to the other version of myself; she watched on to the scene before us, her eyes hollow, distant, like she wasn¡¯t aware she was beside me. But when she turned her head and looked directly into my eyes, I felt her presence, her sentience. I shuddered inside. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. She turned away, hugging her arms across her waist, her yellow dress falling softly around her knees, not blown by the wind that swept her hair. ¡°Walk with me,¡± is all she said. So I did. I followed her through the field, feeling the long grass between my toes, feeling every rock, every rise of soil touch the balls of my feet, while the warm wind did nothing to steal the chill radiating from her ghostly presence, like an icy cloth. ¡°Tell me where we¡¯re going,¡± I called out. ¡°To find understanding.¡± ¡°Understanding? For what, who?¡± ¡°Jason.¡± ¡°Jason? Why?¡± ¡°You need to see.¡± Her voice had a distant, resonating echo to it¡ªlike she wasn¡¯t real, or the part of her that once had been, no longer was. ¡°What do I need to see?¡± ¡°How you loved him.¡± I stopped walking, the world going dark, quiet all around me. ¡°That love was never real. It was the spirit bind.¡± When she stopped also, I felt the eerie weight of her madness creep across my shoulders; the very energy of her impatience made the air thick and heavy. ¡°That is the lie you tell yourself.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s the truth.¡± She smiled conceitedly. ¡°Then why do you wish he never died?¡± My mouth gaped; I took a few steps back. ¡°I wish no such thing.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°No.¡± I started walking away again. ¡°We¡¯re all better off now he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°If you believe that, then perhaps you¡¯re more like David than I wanted to imagine,¡± she called out through the darkness. ¡°Perhaps I am.¡± ¡°Then you, like David, are no better than Drake.¡± I stopped again. ¡°David is nothing like Drake. How can you say that?¡± ¡°You saw his past. You saw the hate in his heart.¡± ¡°I saw a boy¡ªone who bullied his brother. He is nothing like Drake.¡± ¡°Then you looked, but you did not see.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Even if David was evil once, people are capable of change.¡± ¡°Then why do you not feel that way for Jason?¡± ¡°Because he has done unspeakable things to my life!¡± I stomped my foot. ¡°He hurt David¡ªkilled him. And maybe he isn¡¯t dead, but Jason never knew about immunity. He meant to kill him. He meant to end him. And I can¡¯t forgive that. I just can¡¯t.¡± ¡°But you forgive David?¡± ¡°David never hurt me. David never did anything¡ª¡± ¡°He never hurt me!¡± The girl appeared in front of me, teeth clenched, eyes suddenly black. ¡°But where was he when I was in the dark¡ªwhen I was being hurt by Jason? Where was he when I was alone, where was he when Jason was binding me?¡± Her voice strained. ¡°He never did anything bad to us¡ªbut he never did anything right by us, either.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I shook her icy, bony touch off my wrist. ¡°I have no feelings for Jason¡ªnot after what he did to his own brother. So stop haunting me with his memories. I don¡¯t want to see them anymore.¡± She lashed out and grabbed my arm again as I turned away. ¡°He never wanted anything in this world so bad as he wanted to hurt David, Ara. You saw what he suffered in his human life. Where is your compassion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have compassion for him. Not real compassion. He forged that when he came to me in my dream and had sex with me.¡± ¡°No, Ara. He didn¡¯t. He earned that compassion through his kindness, protection, and love for you.¡± She stood with her arms by her sides, soaking from the sudden rain that came down in her world, but not mine. ¡°He protected you. He hurt himself, hurt his own soul, then died for what he did to you in that room.¡± ¡°He felt nothing for me then. It was all lies.¡± ¡°No.¡± She stepped forward. ¡°He fell to the floor each time he left that chamber; he cried so hard for the way you begged him to stop. But if he had¡ªif he stopped, if he had not killed his brother, if he had not hurt you, they would have taken him away¡ªthey would have handed you over to someone else, and he would never have been able to stop them from what they wanted to do to you.¡± ¡°What would you know?¡± I screamed. ¡°You¡¯re just a dream. You¡¯re me¡ªa part of me. You don¡¯t know what Jason felt. You can¡¯t know.¡± ¡°If that is true, then this is what you wish he felt. This is what you want to believe.¡± ¡°Of course I do. It¡¯s human nature to find a reason¡ªa connection.¡± I turned away. ¡°It¡¯s called Stockholm syndrome.¡± She only laughed loudly as I walked faster and faster, trying to detach myself from the drain her mere existence brought on my soul. ¡°Don¡¯t you walk away from me, Ara. You can¡¯t escape me. I¡¯ll keep bringing the memories until you see,¡± she called after me. ¡°One day¡ªyou will see.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see.¡± ¡°There is always the truth.¡± ¡°I know the truth.¡± ¡°And the truth is¡ª¡± her voice became smaller the greater distance I gained. ¡°The real truth is, you¡¯re just afraid to love him because you don¡¯t want to grieve him, too.¡± I dared not turn back. She was wrong¡ªeverything she said. This was just a nightmare¡ªwords Arthur spoke, fear of what was to come and the deep hope I felt to be rescued while I was being tortured by Jason¡ªall rolling into one horrible dream. I had to wake up. Wake up, Ara. Wake up! ¡°Time to wake up, Princess Amara.¡± My eyelids popped open, the warm scent of toast and garlic filling my nostrils before daylight signed the registry of consciousness. ¡°I trust you slept well,¡± said a very unfamiliar voice; a tray appeared on my lap. I looked down at a coffee cup and a plate of eggs and bacon, then sat up a little more. ¡°I¡­I was having a nightmare,¡± I said before I could stop myself. ¡°May I enquire what it was about?¡± The man showed his face then; kind eyes, aged, wrinkled skin and grey hair. Human. ¡°Oh, um. It was about being a queen, I think.¡± I grabbed the fork and broke the yolk over my toast. The old man smiled. ¡°Then, I do not feel so bad for waking you.¡± He bowed. ¡°I am Edgar, your butler.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± I smiled. ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡± He wandered over and opened my window, letting in the smell of wet grass and the hum of crashing waves, pleasantly accompanied by the resonance of a violin. ¡°Where¡¯s that coming from¡ªthat music?¡± Edgar smiled. ¡°That would be Arthur Knight, Majesty.¡± I closed my eyes and felt the notes in my heart. ¡°Where is he? Is he in his room?¡± ¡°He is. Shall I request he desist?¡± ¡°Oh, no. No, please don¡¯t. I like it¡ª¡± I slipped my legs over the side of the bed, leaving the tray by my pillow. ¡°Ask him to wait for me, please? I¡¯d like to speak to him.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Edgar bowed slightly, then walked away, closing the door behind him. I slipped into my light denim shorts and white tank top with the shoestring straps, then scuffed my toes into my flip-flops as I walked out the door, leaving my hair in the ponytail I¡¯d slept in. It would probably only get messier at training today anyway. The lure of Arthur¡¯s music led me down the corridor by my ears, touching my soul like a warm hug, and the scent of garlic followed me out of my room, stealing the sweetness of summer rain outside. As I neared his open door, the music wrapped around me, daylight disappearing in the depths of his dark room; I could just make out the edge of his four-poster bed to the right and one column of pale light shining through a window beside a fireplace. Arthur stood on the other side, his body framed by the shadows behind the closed curtains of the second window. I stood in the doorway, wriggling my toes, unsure if I should enter, but so lost in the perfection of his every note that I likely couldn¡¯t walk anyway. His whole body moved with the flow; his forearm swinging with each stroke of the bow across the strings; his head rolling, taking his body through the soul of the song. I could only just see the side of his face from the small pillar of light, showing the contour of his cheek and the corner of his eye, but it was enough to see the smile he wore there. I smiled too as he lowered the violin, the song ending before I wanted it to. ¡°Good morning, my lady.¡± ¡°Morning, Arthur.¡± I crossed my arms and leaned on the doorframe, watching him place his violin in its case on the table. ¡°I hope my playing did not disturb you.¡± He snapped the case shut then turned around to face me. ¡°No. But that would be a sound I could wake to happily anyway.¡± ¡°Then, I shall play for you at every sunrise.¡± We smiled at each other across the room. ¡°Please, do come in, Princess.¡± Unlike the hesitation I always felt to enter Mike¡¯s room these days, I felt none walking into Arthur¡¯s. I wandered over and took his hand, smiling when he kissed it. The smell of rosemary and mint, and the dry parch of ash from a fireplace not lit for a long time filled my nostrils. My head turned instantly to the scatter of plants and herbs all over the box seat, sitting neatly in the cove of the window. ¡°The song I was playing, you know it, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked. I looked back at him. ¡°It¡¯s the same one in my music box¡ªthe one David gave me.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Who composed it?¡± He leaned on the heavy wooden table and folded his arms. ¡°Vampirie.¡± I felt privileged then, felt a kind of intimacy that comes from knowing a secret no one else knows. Just the notes of that song were so wondrous, so ancient¡ªwritten so long ago, in a time before pianos, in a time before great composers like Mozart, who would have given anything to hear such a masterpiece¡ªto hear notes arranged in a way no mortal had ever thought to try. And here I was, just a girl of the twenty first century, not a historian or a person of any great importance, and yet, I had been privileged enough to know such a tune¡ªa story that came from a place before time. ¡°May I ask¡ª¡± Arthur turned to me, ¡°¡ªwho taught you the words?¡± ¡°The words?¡± ¡°Yes. You sung them once, I was told, when¡­the day David died.¡± I swallowed, blinking. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t remember doing that. Did I really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His gaze dropped to the floor. ¡°Well, how would I know them?¡± ¡°A question, my lady, I had hoped you might answer.¡± I wandered over to his window and rested my head where the bricks cornered outward, forming a cosy nook around the box seat. Outside, a rainy sky darkened the greens, making the hedge labyrinth, the garden that looked like a chessboard and the forest border look richly coloured¡ªsomething toned by enhancing the hues artificially. ¡°Did Jason know the song?¡± ¡°He did. Why do you ask?¡± Arthur said, and light filled the room behind me, coming through the window as Arthur opened the curtains on the other side of the fireplace. ¡°Maybe he taught me the words.¡± I smiled at his memory. ¡°When would he have done that?¡± ¡°In a dream. Many dreams.¡± My arms tightened around myself, my distracted gaze, full of thought, on the day below. ¡°Dreams, you say.¡± There was a fondness to Arthur¡¯s voice. ¡°He called them mind-links.¡± ¡°Yes. But I like to think of them as dreams.¡± So they don¡¯t seem so real. ¡°Then he came to you other times, aside from when he bound you.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said. I knew I probably shouldn¡¯t trust Arthur with this, especially since Mike and Morgaine didn¡¯t even know, but something in my heart told me he would keep this secret for me. ¡°Was he kind to you?¡± I nodded, letting my head fall softly against the bricks again after. ¡°I never believed he did not love you.¡± He stood beside me, smiling down at the rainy day; I looked up at him, tilting my head slightly since he was that bit taller, like David. ¡°He had the council convinced his affections were a ploy, but I never believed it.¡± I swallowed. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I know. He needed you to believe that.¡± ¡°No, that was how he felt,¡± I said, but even as the words left my mouth, I didn¡¯t feel the meaning in them I usually did. Arthur knew that, too. It was in his smile. ¡°Was Jason sick as a child?¡± ¡°Sick?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded, not really feeling like I was in the room¡ªstill standing on the cusp of my last dream. ¡°He showed me memories.¡± Arthur cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, he was sick.¡± ¡°What was wrong with him?¡± ¡°He¡­Jason was four when his father saw fit to punish him for speaking out of turn by leaving him on the doorstep for the night, like an ill-mannered pup.¡± The anger from hundreds of years passed remained in his undertone. ¡°The boy was near death by morning. He came down with the fever and was not predicted to last the winter. But he did, and when spring came, he showed promising signs, but was never quite the same again. His lungs were weak¡ªhis body, even the poor boy¡¯s soul.¡± Page 12 ¡°And where were you while he was being neglected and abused?¡±Advertisement ¡°Running the Set,¡± he said factually. ¡°I returned that morning to find Jason pale, burning with fever, shaking under a thin blanket a maid had placed over him in the early hours of dawn. I swept him up in my arms and, once he was stable, gave his father a beating parts of his body never recovered from.¡± He walked away then, taking to the other window. I watched him for a moment, seeing the weight of what his nephew suffered bearing down on him, even so far into the future. ¡°The laws I live by, Amara, prevented I should stay with them, and it haunted me each time I left, for I knew I would return to more stories of horror. But I had no choice.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a choice.¡± He only looked up from the window and smiled at me, a conceited smile. ¡°I will forgive that, Princess, because you do not know Drake¡ªthe promise I made to him in my own blood¡ªnor do you understand fear of cruel punishment.¡± I turned away and looked back out the window. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arthur. I don¡¯t mean to imply you didn¡¯t care for them. It just makes me angry to think of what they went through. And I never understood it before, but it makes so much sense now¡ªthe way David is¡ªwas.¡± Oops. ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°He was so guarded, you know. He never really let me in.¡± I heard Arthur sigh. ¡°His childhood was something he tried to push aside. It wasn¡¯t that he kept it from you, but that he wished to forget.¡± And that just made my heart bleed for him¡ªfor both boys, actually. ¡°Why did Jason show me, then?¡± ¡°He dealt with grief by talking about it. He was always a very scientifically-minded young lad¡ªhad to find reasoning for most things in life, including the actions others took against him.¡± Arthur¡¯s presence warmed my side before I saw him slowly appear next to me. ¡°He told me once that he learned more about himself and the reasons he felt the agony of his suffering, by hearing other people talk about their own trials.¡± I nodded. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why he showed me¡ªbecause I¡¯d suffered so much. Maybe he was trying to help me deal with my suffering, do you think, by showing me what he¡¯d come through?¡± Arthur¡¯s lips turned down with thought. ¡°Perhaps. Or perhaps he wanted you to understand his brother¡ªto know what you had gotten yourself into.¡± ¡°What do you mean by gotten myself into?¡± ¡°Those close to David knew a different side to him.¡± Arthur looked down at his clasped hands. ¡°I feared for you when David told me he was in love with a sweet, human girl. I wondered on what twisted version of this planet God would allow such a match, but it seemed you brought out the best in him, not the worst.¡± ¡°Well, what was the worst?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not relevant, my dear. Not now. I¡¯m just thankful you loved the side of David I knew was in there somewhere.¡± ¡°I loved all of him.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°I did see another side to him, from time to time,¡± I added, thinking about the day he nearly exploded over Pepper. ¡°But he loved me, Arthur, and he was never harsh or cruel to me. I can¡¯t believe there were two versions of him; this cruel boy who tormented his brother, and this sweet, loving boy who carried my books at school.¡± ¡°Well, there are two sides to anything in life, my dear. One does not have to understand to love, but must love to understand.¡± I turned my head a little, a sarcasm-littered smirk twisting my lips. ¡°Do you make those up on the spot?¡± He frowned at me, growing taller. ¡°Make what up?¡± ¡°Those lines? You could write quotes for the Dalai Lama.¡± I laughed lightly. He gave a kind smile. ¡°I came up with a good one this morning. Would you like to hear it?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I said, pulling a pretend pencil from behind my ear to hold over an imaginary notepad. ¡°Let me just jot it down.¡± Arthur cleared his throat. ¡°The branch of hatred is always grown from the seeds of greed and jealousy.¡± I dropped my imaginary note-takers. ¡°Meh, not that good.¡± ¡°Then, how ¡®bout, ¡®One cannot teach what must be learned¡ªin order to give advice, you must be telling a person something they, deep down, already know.¡¯¡± ¡°Wow.¡± My eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good. Very true.¡± He nodded. ¡°So, is that what you do all day? Just sit around and dream up quotable quotes.¡± His lip lifted on one corner with an easy grin. ¡°No. I¡¯m an Herbalist.¡± ¡°A what now?¡± ¡°See those plants there?¡± He pointed to his window. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I grow them, not to look pretty in the light of the sun, but to use for medicinal purposes, mostly.¡± ¡°Mostly?¡± ¡°Yes, they have other uses, but my main area of focus is vampire medicine.¡± ¡°So, are you a doctor?¡± He shook his head once. ¡°I was. A long time ago.¡± ¡°How long ago?¡± ¡°When I was human. I¡¯ve not practiced human medicine in my vampire existence, though¡ªonly herbology for vampire treatment.¡± ¡°Wow. So, does that work¡ªyou know, the whole mystical, alternative medicine thing?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Yes. In vampires, it does. I cannot speak for humans, though.¡± ¡°Why? I mean, why don¡¯t you treat humans?¡± ¡°Never had the need.¡± ¡°Not even with Jason¡ªwhen he was sick?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I would not have presumed to interfere with matters I knew nothing of. It had been many centuries since I was versed in the biology of the human body. To treat him may have been to kill him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised David didn¡¯t ask you to treat him in that case, since he hated him so much.¡± He nodded again, the daylight making shadows around his soft smile. ¡°I sometimes wondered if much of David¡¯s hatred for his brother was merely jealousy.¡± I laughed. ¡°Oh, definitely¡ªas adults, anyway. I mean, I don¡¯t know about when they were kids, but David even admitted he was jealous his brother could read vampire minds.¡± ¡°Did he now?¡± Arthur bounced on his toes once then sunk back down, seeming lighter. ¡°Then he truly was a changed man.¡± ¡°Changed, huh?¡± I said to myself. ¡°Was David really that bad? You talk like he was some kind of monster.¡± Arthur looked down, cupping his hands behind his back. ¡°Not a monster. He was good and kind, but had a manner about him that people did not mess with¡ªnot even those who loved him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the good, kind man would become¡­something else.¡± ¡°Did you ever see that side of him?¡± ¡°I did. However, I was not once the target of his infuriation.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I am a figure of authority¡ªalmost like a father. David¡¯s interactions, his respect for me, differed to those who were peers or subordinates.¡± ¡°So, people were afraid of him?¡± Arthur nodded once. ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡± ¡°I know, and there are many stories I could tell, my dear, to make you see, but I¡¯ll not speak ill of the dead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure if David could go back, he¡¯d do things differently¡ªespecially with Jason.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arthur reached for my hand, holding it until I looked at him, his bright-blue eyes softening. ¡°He did love his brother¡ªDavid. For all they fought, I know, deep in his heart, he never felt what his father did.¡± ¡°Why did his father hate Jason so much?¡± Arthur straightened. ¡°He lost his wife. She went into her room to give birth, and when the doctor opened the door, he handed Thomas two boys and a firm hand of apology. That was that. She was breathing one minute, gone the next. And there were few advances in medical science to confirm the cause of her death. He was left to believe myths, wives-tales, uneducated ideas that ruined the heart of this man, because he loved his wife so deeply he could not find reason why God would take her, except that it was the devil¡¯s doing.¡± I nodded. ¡°So, it¡¯s like David told me¡ªThomas believed Jason was the devil¡¯s incision of David¡¯s soul¡ªall the bad things in one boy?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°And, sadly, Jason never pitied himself this. He believed he was responsible for killing Elizabeth¡ªnever questioned it.¡± I thought of a little boy; green eyes, dark hair, so small, playing quietly by a fire. Perhaps he felt content, perhaps he felt no evil in his soul, and often wondered how he could have done such terrible things before he had even taken his first breath. But this was what they told him. This was what he was. ¡°It¡¯s not true, is it¡ªhe wasn¡¯t evil?¡± ¡°My lady, there was no more evil in that child than there was love.¡± Arthur¡¯s head rolled down a little, a tight breath leaving his nostrils. ¡°Jason, somehow, was perceived the adversary at every turn, but the true monster was that which created his fury.¡± ¡°His father?¡± He looked up at me. ¡°In the beginning, yes, but when David and Jason became men, I often wondered if Thomas¡¯ own soul had taken the heart from David¡ªlived on in him. And in the end¡­¡± ¡°Jason was the monster.¡± Arthur was taken aback, but softened quickly, nodding. ¡°Then they both were.¡± ¡°No. Not David. I know he regretted everything. I know he was sorry for how he treated Jason.¡± ¡°What do you know of it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I looked away from Arthur. ¡°Nothing. David never talked with me about it, but I saw it in his eyes once, when I mentioned Jason¡ªI saw the pain of regret.¡± ¡°And you forgive David for the way he treated Jason?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my place to forgive.¡± ¡°Is it not¡ªwhen everything you suffered began from the seed of David¡¯s hatred?¡± I swallowed a hard lump in my throat. ¡°Then, yes, I guess I do forgive him. I guess I forgave him a long time ago.¡± ¡°But you have no forgiveness in your heart for Jason?¡± ¡°What does it matter? He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°As is David, but you feel the need to justify what he did.¡± ¡°I loved him.¡± ¡°And from that, you understand him.¡± I nodded. ¡°He had a good heart, Arthur¡ªdespite what he did to his brother.¡± ¡°Yes, we all contain good. But good is beheld only until loneliness manifests itself for too long in the hurt and the broken. Jason started out good, and died doing what was right. You cannot rightly love one beast and deny the other.¡± ¡°One beast killed my husband¡ªthe other didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, my dear, venom killed your husband. Jason was merely the subject who was ordered to oversee it.¡± ¡°He could have said no. He could¡¯ve let someone else do it.¡± ¡°And you would have had your cheeks sliced open for disobeying when you refused to bite David.¡± My mind flashed back to that room¡ªto David, on his knees, an inch away from death at my hands. I shuddered. ¡°The fact remains¡ªsometimes, good people must do bad things. Jason was good; David was good.¡± Arthur looked away. ¡°And I will never fill the emptiness their absence has left in my heart.¡± I realised then, that the question of my love and forgiveness for these two men was not a question for me at all, but for himself. ¡°You wonder if you should love them¡ªafter what they¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°I have asked myself that question.¡± He nodded. ¡°And the answer is always, that which does not deserve love, perhaps needed it the most.¡± The sparkle of tears in his eyes made me want to tell him, right then, that his nephew was still alive¡ªthat he need not grieve him. But, for the sake of a stupid prophecy and the belief of my private council that he was a traitor, I had to let this man suffer. We talked about good versus bad, but I wondered if, by allowing him to grieve someone who was not dead, it made us the monsters. ¡°Don¡¯t question yourself, Arthur, for loving them. One thing I¡¯ve learned, through all those I loved and lost, is you don¡¯t get to choose what your heart feels. It runs by a set of its own rules.¡± ¡°That, it does.¡± He reached out and took my hand. ¡°And you are too young to have this wisdom. It saddens my heart, the things you have suffered to be able to conclude such philosophy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I squeezed his hand, thankful for the warmth of friendship I felt with him. ¡°We find new people to love, and make our lives about them, right?¡± He laughed at that. ¡°This is also true. A piece of wisdom, I believe, my David taught you?¡± I smiled widely; it felt nice to know someone who knew him like I did¡ªwho loved him, too. ¡°Yes, it was.¡± ¡°He was a boy of many thoughts, himself. Shared very little with others, though. You were the first.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I took a deep breath and rubbed my temples then, as the day ahead entered my mind. ¡°Is something else troubling you, young princess?¡± ¡°Just a headache. It¡¯s only mild, but I have them so often now I feel like a new person when I don¡¯t.¡± He moved suddenly, but I felt him behind me; the length of his body close to mine, as he cupped one hand around my ponytail, gently sliding my hairtie down the silky lengths until it all came loose. ¡°Better?¡± Page 13 ¡°Yeah. Heaps better.¡±Advertisement ¡°Good,¡± he said, and each strand tingled along the base of my neck, my forehead and behind my ears, his deft fingers separating then twisting them into a loose plait. ¡°You need to tie it up for training, or you may end up getting your head pinned to the ground by some knight¡¯s knee. But this should be enough.¡± I turned when he finished, and ran my fingers down the plait, resting it over my shoulder. ¡°Thanks, Arthur.¡± ¡°You are welcome, my dear.¡± He stood a little taller and his eyes narrowed as he looked into the gardens. ¡°You best be going. Someone is looking for you.¡± He looked small from this high up, that knightly figure charging across the grounds, but his bulk frame and hair shining yellow in the morning light could not be mistaken for any other man. ¡°I¡¯m late for training.¡± ¡°He looks irate.¡± ¡°He probably is. He¡¯s probably gonna make me run laps until I fall over.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Arthur said, offering the doorway, ¡°we best be moving then. Can¡¯t have you being punished for my keeping you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the laps I¡¯m afraid of¡ª¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the lecture.¡± ¡°Lecture?¡± ¡°About¡­¡± Being alone with you. ¡°About being late.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can charm your way out of a lecture.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know Mike very well, then,¡± I scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s resistant to my charms.¡± As I turned away, Arthur grabbed my wrist gently. ¡°Take care out there today, Princess. I will drop by to watch you train later, but, in the meantime, keep your wits about you¡ªwatch closely for anyone who watches you too closely and do not spar with any knight you feel you can¡¯t trust.¡± ¡°Are you worried there¡¯s a mole?¡± I almost laughed. ¡°That, I am.¡± He released my wrist. ¡°Once I arrive, you needn¡¯t worry too much, but I have a few things to take care of before I come down. Just be careful, please.¡± I nodded. ¡°Mike will be there. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Arthur seemed amused by that. ¡°Very well.¡± I closed his door behind me and after four steps, enough to be directly in the middle of the corridor again and not so close to looking like I was alone with Arthur, Mike popped around the corner. ¡°Ara!¡± ¡°Morning, Mike.¡± ¡°Baby, where have you been? I sent my knights up to collect you over an hour ago. Edgar told them you were getting dressed, but now they report back that you¡¯re not even in your room.¡± ¡°I was in the shower.¡± ¡°Ara, they looked in there.¡± He smiled conceitedly. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°I went down to the kitchen.¡± He looked at Arthur¡¯s door then back at me. ¡°Kitchen, huh?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I pushed past him. ¡°What is your problem?¡± ¡°You know damn well what my problem is.¡± He grabbed my arm, stopping me as I reached the stairwell. ¡°I told you not to spend time alone with him.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me, Ara. I know you were in his room. I can smell him all over you.¡± I shrunk a little. ¡°Well, I can do what I want.¡± ¡°Yes, you can¡ªexcept be alone with him.¡± I yanked my arm from his grip. ¡°You can¡¯t stop me from having friends.¡± ¡°Ara, grow up. I¡¯m not trying to stop you from having friends, but you know we can¡¯t trust him. He was Drake¡¯s right hand man for¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a mole, Mike,¡± I yelled, loud enough that Arthur probably heard. ¡°He just wants to help.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mike laughed sarcastically. ¡°Help himself¡ªto you.¡± ¡°Mike? Don¡¯t be such a jerk.¡± He dropped his arms to his sides, huffing loudly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ara. I just¡ª¡± ¡°You just what?¡± ¡°I hate that guy. He waltzes in here like he owns the place¡ªtells me how to do my job, how to look after you, then wanders off with you and keeps you to himself all afternoon. I¡¯m your best friend, and I waited so long to have you here, and now you are, I¡¯m practically barred from seeing you, but those rules don¡¯t apply to him.¡± I clicked my tongue, folding my bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. ¡°Aw, poor baby¡¯s jealous.¡± His mouth split into a grin, laughter coming out in one breath. ¡°Quiet, you, or I¡¯ll pair with you for sparring and give you a right smack on the bottom.¡± ¡°Ha! Good luck. I¡¯m faster than you.¡± He laughed and took my hand. ¡°Come on, how ¡®bout I show you this training hall I¡¯ve been talking about for the last two months.¡± Mike walked beside me, and the soft rain fell around us, making the countryside smell sweet, like cut grass and sugar. My mouth watered. It was a little colder on the coast for a summer, though, than it was inland. I wrapped my arms around myself to hide from the breeze as we stepped out of the trees and into a grassy clearing. ¡°How¡¯s training been going with Emily over the last few weeks?¡± Mike asked from a step or two ahead. ¡°She told me you¡¯ve become quite a little expert with a sword.¡± I shrugged. ¡°A bit.¡± ¡°I ¡®spose the ballet classes help there¡ªgiven that fencing¡¯s really a balance and grace thing.¡± ¡°Probably. Or just that I¡¯m super cool.¡± He laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you do with a gun then.¡± ¡°A gun? We have guns?¡± ¡°Not yet, but we will.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Venom-filled bullets. Vampires are fast, but even they can¡¯t stop venom infecting them if they don¡¯t catch the bullet.¡± ¡°Cool. When do we get the guns?¡± ¡°In about a month or so. I¡¯m putting a team of marksmen together.¡± ¡°Awesome. Do I get firearms training?¡± ¡°Uh, no.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because ninety-eight percent accuracy on Halo does not give you the same skill out here in the real world. And besides, your dad would kill me if I put a gun in your hand.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I said sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of my dad? We have a blood-hungry psychopath after us, and you¡¯re afraid of my dad?¡± He smirked. ¡°Ara, you know what it¡¯s like to sit under the glare of his disappointment.¡± I shook my head. ¡°And you think I have daddy issues.¡± He laughed. ¡°Baby, you do have daddy issues.¡± Hmpf! I folded my arms. ¡°Anyway, back to the issue at hand¡ªstop distracting me,¡± he warned, with a smile. ¡°How are you going with the speed thing? Emily said you¡¯d pretty much taken a step backward¡ªso to speak.¡± ¡°Yeah. I get dizzy.¡± I rubbed my head. ¡°I tried to flip out of Emily¡¯s reach the other day and ended up in the lake¡ªsaturated.¡± Mike burst out laughing, covering his nose for a second. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me that.¡± Heat washed over my head, rising from the chest up. ¡°I asked her not to.¡± ¡°I got the full story of your sparring with David, though. He talked you up a bit, I think.¡± ¡°No, he just went easy on me.¡± He held back his amusement. ¡°I know. Well, so we need to work on your combat methods with vampires, but, today you can spar with humans, so it should be a piece of cake.¡± ¡°You think I need a self-esteem boost, huh?¡± ¡°We can all use a little encouragement sometimes.¡± ¡°By fighting those weaker than us?¡± ¡°Weaker than you,¡± he said, and laughed. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t be so sure you¡¯ll win, baby. These guys might be human, but they¡¯re Special Ops, most of them. They¡¯re damn good at what they do.¡± ¡°Oh, joy,¡± I said. It felt good to be walking outside with Mike again, in the open air of the cool, shady day. It reminded me of bush walking back home in Oz. And Mike had a bounce to his step when walking on uneven ground, like he laid his foot down heavily, not calculating the surface at all. It was so human, so unlike David, who was so used to walking with the grace of a vampire he couldn¡¯t even pretend to be as clumsy as a human anymore. Mike hadn¡¯t lost that yet, and I really appreciated that about him right now. ¡°So, you know when we drove in on the driveway that leads to the manor?¡± Mike asked. ¡°After or before the big, scary gates?¡± ¡°After.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a side road that takes you down to the training hall, and in the distance, about two minutes Lilithian-style run, is the barracks.¡± ¡°Where you spend all your time?¡± I grinned. ¡°Yup,¡± he beamed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the weather today,¡± I noted, looking at the murky sky. ¡°It was so sunny yesterday¡ªwhat¡¯s with all this rain?¡± ¡°Hmp,¡± Mike laughed softly. ¡°Probably to do with your mood.¡± ¡°My mood?¡± ¡°Yeah. Haven¡¯t you ever noticed how, when you¡¯re sad or upset or angry, actually, even happy¡ªnot that that happens often¡ªthe weather seems to change?¡± ¡°Uh, what, like I¡¯m a mood-stone?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I know you¡¯re moo-dy. But, I don¡¯t know, I was thinking about it a few days ago¡ªit¡¯s just something I¡¯ve noticed since I first came to America to stay with you. It¡¯s not all the time, which is why I thought nothing of it ¡®til now. But it seems to be happening more often.¡± ¡°Trust you to notice something so trivial,¡± I scoffed. Mike laughed again, placing a supportive hand to my lower back as we splodged down a mildly slippery slope of grass. ¡°When it comes to you, my pretty little princess, it¡¯s my job to notice everything.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll pay that¡ªbut the weather? That¡¯s just weird.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t say it made sense.¡± ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯d be cool. If we want a sunny day, we¡¯ll just bring David out to the manor.¡± I smiled, and right at that moment, the sun shone down on a building in the distance, lighting up its red roof and white bricks. Mike stopped walking, his brow lifting over a smug grin. ¡°See?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Coincidence.¡± He laughed softly and we started walking again. ¡°So, that building under the spotlight of your joy¡ª¡± he paused; I rolled my eyes. ¡°Is the training hall.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look big enough to hold five hundred fighting soldiers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for the entire Core. We train the Queen¡¯s Guard there. The rest train at the barracks.¡± ¡°So, how many are in there right now?¡± ¡°The entire Guard. Fifty men of the highest skill and qualification. They stand watch around the manor to protect the queen and only the queen. The rest of the Core are having the morning off.¡± ¡°So, who are the four knights you always talk about¡ªBlade and Falcon and that?¡± ¡°They¡¯re your Private Guard. Personally appointed to be by your side at all times.¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± I stopped walking. ¡°At all times?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°No way, Mike. I don¡¯t need that kind of protection. I¡¯m not the goddamn president.¡± ¡°No, exactly. You¡¯re the queen¡ªof a nation of killers, Ara. You need to be protected at all times.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t. I need to live, Mike. I¡¯m not having those guys follow me around everywhere I go. Especially not here at the manor. We¡¯re heavily guarded enough as it is.¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± He kept walking. ¡°Mike? I mean it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Mike!¡± I ran after him. ¡°Damn it! You better not have them follow me.¡± But it was stupid to even say that. Of course he would, and once those men were turned into Lilithian knights, there¡¯d be no knowing if they were following me. ¡°Nervous,¡± Mike said, turning to me. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re not in my bad books, Michael.¡± He laughed, the warmth of his sexy grin making his whole face cuter. ¡°I really don¡¯t care, Amara-Rose. You will do as you¡¯re told. Like it or not. So you can chuck a tantrum, go ahead, it won¡¯t change things.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t need to throw a tantrum.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°I¡¯ll find some other way to make your life hell.¡± ¡°Breathing pretty much covers that,¡± he joked, and I scoffed. We walked past the tall windows of the rectangle building then, but couldn¡¯t see inside because the white glare of the sun reflected back the image of a short girl walking through a grassy field beside a bulky man. He led me around to the front of the building, still smiling smugly, not saying anything. As we stood by the open entrance¡ªabout four doors wide¡ªI took a breath to steady my heart. ¡°Baby?¡± ¡°What?¡± I shuffled my feet, my gaze on my shoes. ¡°Ara?¡± He took my hand; I looked up at his caramel eyes. ¡°You know I was joking, right¡ªabout the annoying me by breathing thing?¡± I let my shoulders relax a little, smiling. ¡°Course I do, Mike.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong then? Why have you got that pouting lip?¡± He ran the tip of his finger over it. Page 14 ¡°I¡¯m just nervous, I think. You know what I¡¯m like in public.¡±Advertisement His hand tightened on mine. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be here with you. And don¡¯t think of them as strangers¡ªthink of them as family. We¡¯re all very close. In fact¡ª¡± he looked into the room behind him, then grinned, ¡°¡ªwe have a bonfire night coming up. Maybe you should come. It¡¯d be a good chance for you to get to know some of the men.¡± ¡°Yeah? Am I allowed to go to things like that, you know, Core gatherings?¡± ¡°Yeah, baby, of course you can. You¡¯re still my best friend. I¡¯d love to have you there.¡± ¡°Okay. Cool. I¡¯ll come then.¡± ¡°Great.¡± He grinned and tugged me along to the openness of the doors, right where everyone would be able to see me. My heart told my lungs to take faster breaths, but they wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡°Wait here a sec.¡± He dropped my hand and walked forward; I waited in the shadows under the eaves. ¡°Atteeention!¡± he said, standing straight and tall; a unified clap echoed off the bare walls as the men stomped one foot to the ground, dropping their arms to their sides. My lips twitched with the urge to laugh at the seriousness on all of their faces. ¡°Men?¡± Mike called out. ¡°We have trained hard. We have sweat blood¡ª¡± he pointed to someone at the back of the room, ¡°¡ªand there have even been some tears. But what you have worked towards is finally here. I present to you, my friend and your future queen¡ªPrincess Amara.¡± I stepped into the room and it grew bigger as the space from hip height up emptied, each man dropping to one knee, slapping a fist over his heart. And I became smaller, not really sure what to do. ¡°Um, hi.¡± I waved clumsily, instantly wanting to slap myself. ¡°At ease, men,¡± Mike said loudly, then looked at me. The room crowded again as they stood tall, eyes forward¡ªon me. With each step Mike took, pacing the floors, addressing the men about the day¡¯s training activities, I tried to step behind him, staying out of sight. I caught the gaze of a few men, who gave a soft nod or a small smile of what I assumed was reassurance. I felt ridiculous, but watching them, the way they responded to Mike¡¯s orders, the way they stood, the very manner of the room, I realised that this was real to them. I¡¯d never really stopped to think about it, but the truth was, I was their future queen. To them it was something regal, something magnificent¡ªto me, it was like someone stole my life and was telling me how to live it. But these guys were here, offering their lives in service of what they believed to be real¡ªto protect something important to a lot of people. I suddenly didn¡¯t feel so ridiculous. I started imagining each one with Lilithian power, wondering what special gift they might have¡ªif any at all. ¡°Okay.¡± Mike clapped his hands together. ¡°Break up into groups of six. I want three-on-three sparring.¡± The room came alive then with the sudden movement of fifty men, and the noise rose up between the mirrors on the walls, bouncing off the hard wood floors, filling the room with more energy than my headache could handle. I rubbed my temples until Mike pulled my hand away. ¡°Come on. Time to meet your Private Guard.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I half walked, half looked over my shoulder at all the men, dispersed to every corner of the room, lining up sparring mats and grabbing swords from holders on the walls. They all just looked so cool. Like my very own video game, but with real blood. ¡°Are they allowed to cut each other like that?¡± Mike looked behind him. ¡°You only get cut if you¡¯re fooling around. These guys are trained to attack and block. They get cut, it¡¯s their own fault.¡± My eyes widened in horror. ¡°Ara, relax. We don¡¯t usually have too many casualties. They spar fair and aim not to cut¡ªfor now. That¡¯ll change soon.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°And these four, fine men here¡ª¡± We stopped in a mirrored section at the end of the room, where four men waited in a line; their hands behind their backs, chins slightly lifted, feet set apart, ¡°¡ªare your Private Guard.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± I said, giving a friendly wave, this time not so awkward. ¡°Men,¡± Mike said. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you by name. Step forward as I address you. Ryder.¡± The first man marched up, stomping his foot down hard, then clapped his arms to his sides. ¡°Hi,¡± I said; he nodded once, looking away quickly. ¡°Quaid,¡± Mike said, and the next man came to stand in line with the first; he was shorter than Ryder, but bulkier across the shoulders, with short, shaggy hair and black skin. I nodded at Quaid when our eyes met for a second before he looked away. ¡°This guy is Falcon,¡± Mike announced, and the man took a step toward us; he had a strong jaw, square, covered with a slight brush of sandy stubble, like a broader, more serious version of Mike. I didn¡¯t even bother trying to greet him, because he looked like he¡¯d sooner lecture me than say hello. When the last man stepped forward and planted his hands behind his back, he smiled at me, winking as he did. He had a cheeky grin, the kind that always got me into trouble, while his shaved hair matched his black eyes perfectly. ¡°This is Blade.¡± Mike clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Blade?¡± I said. The four men turned their heads slightly to look at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªit¡¯s just a strange name,¡± I stammered. ¡°It¡¯s a nickname,¡± Mike said, and all the men cast their eyes forward again. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I looked directly at the last knight. ¡°Why Blade?¡± ¡°I know how to handle one pretty well,¡± Blade said, his English accent knocking a breath of surprise from me. ¡°So, you¡¯re from England?¡± ¡°Once.¡± He nodded. ¡°What did you do before you came here?¡± ¡°Black Ops.¡± He grinned, running a hand over his hair. ¡°I was kind of their secret weapon.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded then turned to Mike. ¡°Way to go, Chief¡ªgood team.¡± I looked back at Blade then. ¡°So, they won¡¯t miss you, will they? At your old job?¡± Blade laughed. ¡°Doubt it, Princess. I went a little rogue¡ªhad a contract out on me.¡± ¡°Contract?¡± ¡°Death warrant,¡± Mike said. My eyes widened, but I smiled when Blade brushed it off with an ultra cool shrug. ¡°So, then, what do you mean by you went rogue?¡± Mike took me by the arm and led me away from the men. ¡°Not rogue in the way you think, baby. He¡¯s a good guy¡ªfollows orders, but not when he deems them unethical.¡± I grinned widely. ¡°Exactly the kind of guy we need, then.¡± ¡°Right. I hoped you¡¯d say that.¡± Mike looked back at the guys for a second, lowering his voice. ¡°If I had to pick any one of these men to fight for you, it¡¯d be him.¡± ¡°Is he that good?¡± Mike laughed. ¡°Good isn¡¯t really the right word.¡± ¡°Well then¡ª¡± I spun slowly in a circle, taking in the now shirtless, sweaty surrounds of my knights, ¡°¡ªguess we better start training.¡± ¡°You heard her, men.¡± Mike clapped his hands together loudly and my four knights broke apart, lifting their shirts off or wrapping their wrists in black tape. ¡°Take your shoes off, baby, or you¡¯ll trip over.¡± He motioned down to my flip-flops. I kicked my feet out of them and felt shorter without the whole millimetre of height they added. ¡°So, what exactly do you teach them here? Why are those guys all sitting down looking at that whiteboard?¡± ¡°They¡¯re being briefed on an external training op, but, aside from fighting skills and fitness, we actually teach the history of our people, so the Core have a clear idea where we¡¯ve come from and what we hope to achieve.¡± He went to walk away but stopped. ¡°Oh, and we also teach human skills, too¡ªlike how a vampire can blend in with the humans, you know, how not to break a hand when shaking, how to make quick exits in awkward situations and the ins and outs of identity change. And there¡¯re a few guys who don''t speak English, so we have language classes, too.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°So where are their uniforms?¡± I nodded toward one of the guys wearing black sweats and a black t-shirt. ¡°We don¡¯t train in uniform usually, but even if I wanted them to dress formally today to meet their princess, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Emily.¡± He grinned. ¡°Emily?¡± ¡°Yes. I had the knights in uniform last month when she came to visit and she nearly died at the sight of them¡ªsaid there is no way her best friend¡¯s army is going to walk around in clothes they stripped off King Arthur¡¯s corpse.¡± I laughed out loud. ¡°Oh, I love that girl. She¡¯s so funny.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mike chuckled. ¡°So, she actually designed the new get-up. It¡¯s been approved already and we¡¯re shipping them out as we speak.¡± ¡°Shipping? From where?¡± ¡°Sweden. The Ninth Order should be getting them today, but ours will take another week or so.¡± ¡°Cool. Not a big rush anyway, right. I mean, what do they need uniforms for? It¡¯s all a little silly, if you ask me.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Mike glared at me. ¡°This is not some joke, Ara¡ªa bunch of guys getting together to play dress-up. This is an army, and when you unite a group of people together for one greater purpose, order, uniformity and respect must be an adamant part of that collection. Wearing an outfit that represents who you are and what you work for is a matter of pride¡ªnot some ridiculous gesture by a guy who wants to play pretend.¡± My mouth fell open. ¡°Mike? What happened to you¡ªyou¡¯re all¡­grown up.¡± A warm, mischievous grin turned one corner of his mouth. ¡°Yes, Ara. I have to be. I¡¯m the man responsible to defend the most valuable thing in all of our lives¡ª¡± he winked at me, ¡°¡ªour freedom.¡± I laughed, patting his arm. ¡°And you are the best man for the job.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He nodded and wandered over to a table of weapons. ¡°Um, so, I get that you¡¯re using venom-tipped swords, and all, and maybe this is a stupid question, but, wouldn¡¯t it just be easier to bite the vamps instead of doing all this weapons training and stuff?¡± ¡°These guys will need those weapons, Ara.¡± He presented the greater mass of the knights. ¡°We¡¯re only turning the four knights in your personal guard into what I am. The rest, I¡¯m going to turn when it¡¯s time. So, we need weapons training because their bite won¡¯t kill vamps. The only way will be with venom-tipped swords.¡± ¡°Really? So, I don¡¯t have to bite all of them?¡± I asked, pointing to the group of giant, well-toned men. Mike smiled softly. ¡°No. We don¡¯t need fifty men that can kill vampires. Me and the four Private Guard should do.¡± I bounced my head with approval. ¡°Smart thinking.¡± ¡°Well, it was actually Morgaine¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°So, are those swords tipped yet?¡± I pointed to the table. Mike slid a long, silver, very heavy-looking piece of metal out of the pile and smoothed his fingers down it. ¡°No. We keep those ones in the armoury. This one¡¯s for training purposes only. We never, ever keep venom-tipped swords in the training hall, Ara, and if one even got in here by mistake, someone would be in big trouble.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°See that Asian guy over there?¡± He pointed to the back of the room. ¡°I see about twelve Asian guys over there.¡± He laughed. ¡°Well, anyway, one of our knights is a vampire.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, and I have several more¡ªguys I trust, who are joining the Core this week.¡± ¡°Okay, so, no venom-tipped swords.¡± ¡°Right, and no biting.¡± I nodded. ¡°Here.¡± He gently tossed the sword to me. It spun through the air, handle driving a path, and my hand shot up to catch it, nearly taking me backward with the force I used¡ªway too much for such a light piece of metal. ¡°Still not used to all this strength, huh?¡± Mike laughed, taking a sword of his own. ¡°Not yet.¡± I smiled and looked down the blade, feeling its weight in my hands, light, like it was a strangely-shaped broomstick. ¡°So, how do you make the venom stay on the tip? Wouldn¡¯t it wear off after two jabs?¡± ¡°Nope. Have you actually looked at venom, Ara?¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s thick¡ªlike blood. When it dries, it doesn¡¯t lose its potency. If we coloured it blue and wiped it all over this blade, when it dried, you¡¯d still see blue, and like salt, it sticks around in tiny particles. You only need the smallest amount to touch their bloodstream.¡± ¡°What about when the sword gets really bloody?¡± ¡°It just lubricates the dried venom and makes it act faster. I haven¡¯t tested, but we reckon you could get about a hundred kills from each sword.¡± ¡°Oh, cool. Well, there are only about a thousand vampires in existence, isn¡¯t there, so that should be fine?¡± ¡°You got it. Now¡ª¡± He grabbed my fingers and tightened my grip on the sword. ¡°I wanna see how you handle yourself with this thing. Don¡¯t drop it, okay?¡± ¡°Mike.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I can probably handle this thing better than you.¡± Page 15 ¡°Ha!¡± He turned away and handed his sword to Falcon while he took off his shirt. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±Advertisement I hoped I could handle it. So far, I¡¯d only used wooden swords¡ªno one being brave enough to stick sharp metal in my hands and let me come at them. And this was heavier and shaped differently than the wooden ones¡ªthe handle thicker, a little slippery in my fingers. Mike folded his arms, standing beside the four knights, wearing a smug grin, and said, ¡°Okay, Ara, take combat position.¡± I planted my heels to the ground and bent my knees, balancing the weight of the sword by angling my elbow on a slight tilt inward. ¡°Feet further apart.¡± Mike pointed to my legs; I shifted them. ¡°Chin up.¡± Falcon walked over and stood behind me, lifting my face with his fingertip. ¡°And be on your guard,¡± Blade said in his smooth English accent as he stood beside Mike and pointed his sword at me. Smiling, I scanned the scene; three men in front of me, one to the side, and one I could feel behind me. I dipped my weight into my knees a little more, curling my fingers to beckon their advance. ¡°Bring it on.¡± Mike grinned. ¡°You heard her, boys.¡± A quick movement caught my eye to the left; I turned, feeling time slow down around me, heard the blood pump through the fingers of the hand gripping a sword, felt the cut of the blade through the muggy summer air and saw the glint of excitement in the eye of the man swinging it. But his face changed before the blade reached my flesh, when he realised it would hit white space, its target bending under it¡ªfeeling the brush of wind from its crisp metal sweep over its back. ¡°Shit!¡± Falcon said, laughing. ¡°She¡¯s fast, I¡¯ll give her that.¡± Time sped up again; I sunk to my knees, rolling my spine straight to dodge the cut of a blade coming directly down my nose, missing it by a bee¡¯s leg. Two men moved in on my right; I swung my leg out, using a fist on the ground to balance me, then thrust my sword upward into Mike¡¯s, blocking a cut that would¡¯ve opened my shoulder. The men under the swing of my leg hit the floor as my blade came back down, and I heard only a few grunts as I got to my feet again and squared my sword to slice along the blade of another. As I spun to an assault from my right, metal connected with my cheek, parting the flesh in a clean slice, forcing a high-pitched squeal from the back of my throat. I cupped my face to hold the blood in, my gut turning until the wound tingled, knitting back together. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Quaid said. The knights were taken aback for only a breath more, then ran in from all four sides; my forearm split open where it shot up to shield my face, while my sword clinked against Quaid¡¯s, and all of a sudden, my feet came out from under me, a fifth knight tearing me to the ground. They all piled in on top of me, pinning my arms and legs, deepening the gash as it tried to heal. ¡°Get off me!¡± Quaid stood at my brow, his sword to my throat. ¡°Yield?¡± ¡°In your dreams.¡± I bent my elbow and twisted my forearm, bringing my knee up into Mike¡¯s jaw at the same time, sending him and Ryder back with a pretty powerful blow¡ªfor me. The knights on my left ankle and wrist stupidly let their guard drop, watching Mike stumble about, cursing; I took the break, risking the condition of my gashed arm, and rolled to one side, dragging my limbs from their grip. Aside from the blood coating my wrist, standing felt like a new victory, but Falcon was on it; he rolled his shoulder into the ground, legs over head, and came up in front of me, his sword meeting mine with a nasty knock that made my elbow shake. I gripped the handle with both hands, angling it against each of his strikes, until Ryder thrust his in a straight jab, right between Falcon¡¯s and mine, and I lost my grip, dropping the sword to the ground. They moved in then. Falcon kicked my sword out of reach; it skidded across the floor, stopping by the mirror, right beside any hope I had of winning this. But the defeat made something shift in me, like a decision made¡ªlike everything had already been calculated and was just waiting for that last cog. It filled me with a feeling¡ªa rush, like excitement, which rose up my arms, replacing failure with a burning charge demanding release. I flicked my wrist, sending a bullet of electricity into Falcon¡¯s chest as he ran in for the kill; he stopped dead, as if he¡¯d hit an invisible pane of glass¡ªhis arms flailing out, his body shaking once before he shot backward, like a rope pulled him from behind, dragging him to the wall. ¡°Back off.¡± I pointed the violent lashing of blue at Blade, then turned at the shoulder to warn the knights behind me; they all stopped, metal clinking on the ground as they dropped their swords, held up their hands and yelled, ¡°Yield.¡± My winning smile swallowed my entire face. ¡°Looks like you guys can go home.¡± Mike rose from the floor, clapping his hands. ¡°Much better, Ara. Much, much better.¡± ¡°Yes, simply marvellous,¡± a loud, humour-filled voice announced from the side of the room. ¡°Arthur.¡± I turned around and smiled as he walked toward us. ¡°Bravo, Amara. I see the rumours of your power were true.¡± I bit my lip, waiting for the electricity to recede, but my body obviously still felt under threat. ¡°You¡¯re okay, my dear.¡± Arthur carefully touched my shoulder; the adrenaline pumping through me eased, taking the blue light with it. ¡°Ur, Chief?¡± Blade tapped Mike¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dear God,¡± Arthur said, his panicked eyes on the back wall. Mike moved as I spun around to see Falcon, slumped heavily on the floor. ¡°Mate, you okay?¡± ¡°Falcon!¡± My gut dropped. Mike and Arthur got to his side first. I fell in clumsily between them, my hand hovering over the knight¡¯s bloodied chest. ¡°Did I¡­did I kill him?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°His heart¡¯s stopped,¡± Arthur said, rolling up his sleeves. Mike grabbed the knight by the shoulders and laid him flat on the ground, then started compressions, pushing crossed hands down firmly between Falcon¡¯s breastbones, right below a mucky, sticky mess of burned flesh. And without a second thought, I sunk my teeth into his arm, and the instant his skin broke under them, blood spilled into my mouth, burning the sides of my throat like hot pins charging through each tiny tastebud, searing everything in their path. The watering response of my tongue made the blood mix into a thinner liquid, which slipped easily past my throat and into my stomach, twisting it in tight knots. ¡°I got a pulse!¡± Mike said. I released my hold, spitting blood and venom to the ground as I fell back on my hand, wiping it from my nose and chin. I wanted to kick my legs and scream for them to get it off, but I was all too conscious of the fact that everyone in the room was staring. Blade knelt beside me, wiping his sweaty shirt around my face and down my chest where the blood dribbled. ¡°Your majesty, what is it, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I looked up into eyes of concern, and realised only then that I was crying. ¡°Come on.¡± Mike hoisted me off the ground by my arm. ¡°Let¡¯s get you some blood to wash out the taste.¡± An arm, with the sleeve rolled up to reveal clear veins, appeared in front of my lips. ¡°Your Majesty, drink,¡± Arthur said kindly. ¡°Oh, hell no.¡± Mike pushed his arm away. ¡°There is no way she¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s in agony,¡± Arthur growled, standing face to face with Mike. ¡°I do not care for your fears of the lust she will feel while drinking, Michael, I care that that poor girl be eased of the burning she is suffering. Now let me pass.¡± He eyed Mike, staring him down, and as soon as he pierced his vein with his nail and the smell of his blood hit my senses, I pushed past Mike and grabbed Arthur¡¯s arm. ¡°Ara, don¡¯t bite him,¡± Mike said, with way too much panic, grabbing me. Arthur looked up at him, confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you cared.¡± I wrapped my lips around the cool, soothing milk spilling from Arthur¡¯s skin. ¡°I don¡¯t. But the last thing we need now is the death of a vampire at the hands of the future queen.¡± I was vaguely aware of Mike moving away, but had to narrow myself in and focus only on the blood¡ªonly on the feel of it taking the burn away, like cream over salt. But the urge to bite Arthur seared worse. I could. I could bite him. He wasn¡¯t immune, but if I bit him, I could give him my blood right away and he might be all right. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± Mike grabbed my shoulder and rolled me away; the sensation of lust, flooding me like a warm beat of blood through my heart, turned to a flush of heat in my cheeks as I felt the air between us. ¡°Sorry, Arthur.¡± I wiped my mouth with my forearm. ¡°I still get a little carried away with blood.¡± He bowed his head, rolling his sleeve down his already healed arm. ¡°Do not think on it, Princess. It is my pleasure to appease you.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mike seemed to grow taller then, taking me by the arm. ¡°Training¡¯s over for you, missy. Let¡¯s go.¡± As he led me from the room, he looked back at the gawking knights. ¡°Back to work¡ªall of you. Blade, you¡¯re in charge.¡± Thank you, Arthur, I mouthed, hurrying away at more than human speed. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to see if he heard me. The cool breeze and soft kiss of rain on my cheeks outside shocked my warm body. My heart started faster and the taste of Arthur on my lips sunk in to realisation. I touched my fingertips to them, smiling a little, half laughing. ¡°How could you?¡± Mike said, eyes forward, practically dragging me away. ¡°What? Drink his blood?¡± ¡°Yes! How could you let yourself¡ª?¡± His face contorted with disgust, his fingers tightening on my arm. ¡°I¡¯m so mad at you, Ara.¡± ¡°Urgh. Get over it.¡± I whipped my arm from his grip. ¡°I¡¯m a vampire. I drink vampire blood. He¡¯s a vampire.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a guy. You¡¯re a girl. Doesn¡¯t mean you can screw him.¡± Hu! I gasped loudly. ¡°How dare you? I would never¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid, Ara. We all saw the lust take hold.¡± He pointed to the training hall. I dropped my hands to my hips. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s a part of the process.¡± ¡°Precisely why you are never to drink his blood again. Do I make myself clear?¡± He towered over me a little. ¡°You cannot,¡± I said breathily, insult rising like a flamed wind, ¡°tell me. Who to eat from.¡± He grew taller in front of me, his eyes widening to take all of me in. ¡°I can. And I will.¡± I stomped my foot, thrusting my fists to my sides, tilting my chin to seem taller. ¡°I can eat from whom ever I please.¡± ¡°Not Arthur.¡± ¡°And how are you going to stop me?¡± Mike dropped back and leaned against the white bricks of the training hall, rubbing furiously at his brow. ¡°Ara. Please. Come on. Stop being a stubborn little brat. You know you shouldn¡¯t drink from him and you know why.¡± As the heat of lust and the adrenaline simmered in my limbs a little, I felt a pang of acquiescence. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, because I don¡¯t want his blood anyway,¡± I huffed, folding my arms. ¡°And if I did, I¡¯d have it. You can¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± Only, he was right. I did feel the lust. I did feel the desire to move my lips up Arthur¡¯s arm and find his mouth, and I knew it was artificial. So, I wouldn¡¯t drink his blood again¡ªif I could help it. But I wasn¡¯t about to be controlled by Mike, either. ¡°It¡¯s my job to tell you what to do¡ªwhen it comes to your safety.¡± ¡°Arthur won¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not his hurting you I¡¯m worried about,¡± he said, his voice breaking. He stiffened quickly and dropped his arm back down to his side. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, Ara. I know you just hate being ordered around, but, please¡ª¡± He stepped into me, two hands holding my face. ¡°Please don¡¯t drink his blood again.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± He let go of me and turned away, walking ahead. ¡°But if I catch you alone with him, I¡¯m going to assume that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing, and I will forcibly remove you.¡± ¡°You so will not!¡± He stopped then and turned to face me. ¡°Yes, I will. I promised David I¡¯d watch out for you when it comes to Arthur. I won¡¯t let you make the mistake I know you¡¯re capable of, Ara.¡± ¡°Wait? What mistake?¡± I grabbed his sleeve. ¡°You know damn well what I¡¯m talking about.¡± He looked down at me, his caramel eyes narrowed. ¡°I listened to your heart, Ara, while you drank from him¡ªas did Arthur. You¡¯re lucky only one other person in that room is immortal, or they would all have heard it, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the blood lust, Mike,¡± I called as he walked away again. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, Ara, and you know it.¡± ¡°Hu!¡± I huffed and followed him toward the manor. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying you don¡¯t know how to control yourself when it comes to your heart.¡± I bolted¡ªLilithian speed¡ªand stood in front of him, blocking his path. ¡°My heart?¡± His eyes shifted before stopping on the ground by his feet. ¡°You think you want something until you get it, Ara¡ªwhich, by the point you realise it¡¯s not what you wanted, you¡¯ve already destroyed it.¡± My stomach dropped. ¡°Mike? Is this about Arthur¡ªor about you?¡± Page 16 He stared at me for a second then looked away with a sigh, shaking his head.Advertisement ¡°Mike?¡± I grabbed his forearm and tugged until he looked at me. ¡°This is about nothing, except the safety and freedom of our people, Amara. If you fall for Arthur through some twisted, artificial love the blood lust causes you to feel, you could be putting this whole operation in jeopardy.¡± Swallowing hard, I nodded. ¡°Okay, Mike. I already told you¡ªI don¡¯t want his blood. It tasted old and dry.¡± I pretended to wipe it away from my mouth as though that was true, when all I really wanted was to feel it against my tongue again. ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn, Ara.¡± Mike pushed past me. ¡°You could just say you won¡¯t drink it because you think I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true, though.¡± A wide smile forced itself onto my lips. I hid it before I walked beside him again. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, anyway. I stand by what I said. If I catch you alone with him¡ª¡± he pointed at me, ¡°¡ªyou are in big trouble. Clear?¡± ¡°As a bell.¡± I nodded. But I think we both knew I wouldn¡¯t listen. I¡¯d stay away from Arthur¡¯s blood, but he was quickly becoming the only friend I could truly confide in. There was no way I¡¯d give that up to ease Mike¡¯s baseless fears. The ring tone had a kind of homely sound to it, and I hoped with all my heart that David would pick up, but when Emily¡¯s sweet voice came down the line, I wasn¡¯t really that surprised. ¡°Hi, Em.¡± ¡°Ara! Hi. How¡¯s things at the manor?¡± ¡°Great. Hey, um, is David around?¡± ¡°Uumm.¡± I could almost hear her clearing her throat. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Liar. Put him on.¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t, Ara.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She went quiet, aside from voices muffled by what I assumed was a palm over the mouthpiece of the phone. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, not to me. ¡°Um, Ara?¡± ¡°Still here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­he went to the store about twenty minutes ago. Sorry. I forgot. But I¡¯ll have him call you back when he get¡¯s in.¡± ¡°Emily.¡± My voice broke. ¡°Seriously. He¡¯s not here, okay.¡± ¡°Come on, Em. I¡¯m not stupid.¡± She sighed heavily. ¡°Look, thing is¡­he kind of doesn¡¯t want to talk right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­well, I actually don¡¯t really know.¡± ¡°Is he mad at me?¡± There was a pause. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Does he hate me?¡± She laughed. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then¡­I don¡¯t really understand. Why won¡¯t he talk to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± ¡°Em? I really miss him. I just want to say hello.¡± ¡°Okay, well, I¡¯ll talk to him, okay¡ªmaybe he¡¯ll call you tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I frowned to myself. ¡°Um, can you at least tell him I love him and¡­and that I¡¯m sorry for the argument we had the other day.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell him.¡± ¡°Okay. Um. Thanks.¡± ¡°Bye, Ara.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± I hung up the phone and ditched it onto my bed, throwing myself down on top of it. Chapter Four The soulful tunes I set out to play had been left behind somewhere in my room. I sat in the pale light coming in through the giant window by the piano and played what was in my heart¡ªwhich, when translated into notes, sounded like a doleful memorial. ¡°Oh¡ª¡± a high-pitched voice said from the side of the room, ¡°¡ªdon¡¯t you know any pleasant melodies, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I do,¡± I said, calming slightly as I looked up at the woman. ¡°I''m just too angry right now to play something sunny.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± She nodded, reaching high to dust the top of the mirror beside the piano. ¡°Troubles of the heart?¡± Hesitantly, I nodded, taking in her aged face and short, white-grey curls; she had a kind of ¡®nanny¡¯ look about her. ¡°I don''t like arguing with people. It makes me feel uneasy, and then when I can¡¯t resolve it, I feel like I¡¯ve been tied up.¡± I dropped my hands from the keys. ¡°I just can¡¯t think straight when I''m upset.¡± She sat down beside me, her plump form taking up most of the piano stool. ¡°Know what I do when I can''t clear my head?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I take a stroll out to the lighthouse, climb the stairs and watch the waves talking to the shore.¡± She smiled at something distant. ¡°Ever since they first erected that lighthouse in fourteen-oh-two, it¡¯s been my go-to place.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been here that long?¡± She nodded. ¡°I was human back then, but, yes, I¡¯ve been here some years now.¡± ¡°Years? That¡¯s more than years.¡± She nodded again, thoughtful. ¡°Time passes differently here. Feels like only yesterday young Lilith was running these halls.¡± I sighed, imagining Lilith as a child, but with everything else occupying my head, her face faded quickly, leaving only my troubles. ¡°How do I get to the lighthouse? No one will show me the way.¡± I closed the cover on the piano. ¡°Go out here and through the garden to the left.¡± She pointed to the big doors. ¡°There¡¯s a dirt road leading through the forest. Follow that to a clearing and go down the hill. You¡¯ll see the lighthouse from quite far off. You can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and stood up. ¡°And, um, I didn''t get your name.¡± ¡°Kitty, lovely. Kitty Jomane-lonique.¡± I extended my hand and she shook it softly. ¡°Nice to meet you, Kitty.¡± ¡°Pleasure is all mine, Princess.¡± She bowed her head and took to another room, leaving me alone again in the shadows of a newly-forming day. The dirt road appeared quite quickly once I started walking, and the fresh air made all my problems seem further away¡ªnot so much like a blanket around my shoulders. The trunks of the forest trees parted for the dirt path, their wispy leaves closing the canopy in above, allowing passage for enough light to filter kaleidoscope patterns across the ground. Aside from the graceful breeze and the summer song of birds, I could also hear my tactless, human guards following me. If I were human, I¡¯d never notice them there¡ªthey were really quite clever¡ªbut I could smell them and hear their hearts pumping as they tried to keep up with me. Poor things. Mike shouldn''t have them following me until they can handle it. ¡°Would you like some company, my lady?¡± I turned to Arthur, approaching from behind. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Can I walk with you?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± I was about to say no, but he looked so young and carefree in his jeans and white button-down shirt, with the sun making his messed hair gleam, that I didn''t have the heart to tell him I was in a bitter mood and just needed everyone to leave me the hell alone. ¡°Yeah, okay. I''m not really sure I¡¯ll be very good company, though, Arthur.¡± ¡°Is something on your mind?¡± I laughed. ¡°There always is.¡± ¡°Would you like to talk about it?¡± I pressed my lips together and rolled them to one side. ¡°No. I mean, I would, but I think distracting myself might be better.¡± ¡°Very well, then,¡± he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. ¡°I shall do my best to blindly steer your mind around these undefined troubles.¡± I laughed again, bumping shoulders with him gently. ¡°Thanks, Arthur.¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± We held a smile between us for a second past uncomfortable, until I looked away. He was so much like David¡ªthe ancestral connection very clear between the two¡ªwhich made walking out here, in a forest, hard¡ªmade me very glad David was actually alive, or I might¡¯ve fallen to the floor in a sobbing mess. ¡°You look so human today, Arthur.¡± ¡°I do?¡± he said, half frowning, half smiling. ¡°Yeah. I mean¡­I guess I just never pictured you in jeans.¡± He looked down at his pants, shrugging. ¡°Well, I can be quite human at times. I trust, by the end of my stay, you will have a more unguarded opinion of me.¡± ¡°Unguarded?¡± I asked, noticing the path narrowing at my feet, closing in with long, green grass. ¡°Oh, you think I don''t trust you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just guarded.¡± He smiled, looking away quickly. ¡°Like you''re afraid you might say something you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Hm. Clever. ¡°You have been around for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Arthur began, looking up as Petey came running down the trail toward us, ¡°you pick up a little about human nature when you live for a few¡ªfor as long as I have.¡± ¡°Hey, Petey.¡± I squatted down and scratched the top of his head, then peered up at Arthur. ¡°How long have you lived?¡± ¡°Lived?¡± He bounced a little as he started walking again. ¡°I lived for only thirty years.¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± I followed him, patting my leg for Petey to come, too. ¡°And technically, you¡¯re still living. Since vampires aren¡¯t dead.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Do¡­do you ever get tired¡ªof living?¡± He made a tight line of his lips, a smile in his eyes, and nodded. ¡°So, are you alone now? Like, were David and Jason the last of your bloodline?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Arthur.¡± He reached across Petey, who walked between us, and took my hand. ¡°Well, at least I still have you.¡± ¡°Yes. You do.¡± I gently squeezed his fingers. ¡°We immortals have to stick together, right?¡± ¡°Right. And I must say, I look forward to your friendship over the years to come.¡± I almost thought about that for a second¡ªeternity¡ªbut my dad¡¯s face popped into my mind, and the idea of seeing him die one day, knowing I¡¯ll never see him again, felt too heavy, so I pushed it all aside and dropped Arthur¡¯s hand, walking a little faster. ¡°Everything all right, my lady?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, why the sudden dash for distance?¡± ¡°I don''t like to think about it¡ªeternity. It¡¯s just a bit¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Empty.¡± He nodded and we both slowed, coming to the edge of the forest, the trees opening out to a wide field of wind-swept grass; its hues of pale green on a backdrop of blue ran as far as the eye could see. ¡°I shouldn''t say this, as I do not wish to cause you grief, but I understand the pain of living without those we love. I know you think of David when you imagine eternity, and¡ª¡± ¡°Please.¡± I closed my eyes, angling my head away from him. ¡°Please don''t talk about him.¡± ¡°Of course, my lady.¡± I started ahead, my footfalls sinking heavily on the uneven ground, while my fingers ran lazily through the blades of grass, making sweeping motions, like I did in the dreams where I walked a field much the same as this, with Jason. ¡°Do you see that¡ªwhere the ground disappears up there?¡± Arthur pointed ahead, past the lone, wide tree. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the cliffs and¡ª¡± ¡°The lighthouse.¡± I looked all the way up at it in the distance; white, tall, just like I imagined it would be, but also really far away¡ªenough that I could cover it with my thumb from where I stood. ¡°This place is beautiful,¡± I said. ¡°Yes. I have always loved it here,¡± Arthur noted, then pointed to a steep incline of trees to our left that bordered the manor¡ªleaving the other side of this grassy plane open. ¡°Have you been told of the myth about that forest.¡± ¡°Um, yeah¡ªsomething about if you go in there at dawn, you¡¯ll be trapped for eternity.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± He smiled, walking with his hands behind his back. ¡°This place has so many of those stories. I''ve heard several since I came here,¡± I noted, watching Petey run ahead, chasing a murder of crows. ¡°Well, live in any one place for long enough, and myths will form. Nevertheless, be mindful to choose carefully which ones you believe, Princess. All legends derive from some fact.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said, hiding a smile, but stopped walking suddenly when the tree came into full view. ¡°That¡¯s my tree!¡± ¡°Your tree?¡± Arthur stood beside me, looking at my face, then the tree sitting centre field, its branches reaching out like welcoming arms. ¡°Yes. My tree.¡± I almost folded over and started crying, feeling so close to a part of my past¡ªa part with a boy I was made to love¡ªthat, in that breath, I couldn¡¯t stand the fact of his death. ¡°Jason showed me this place¡ªin my dreams. But he said I chose it, except, I¡¯ve never been here before.¡± ¡°Perhaps he lied.¡± Arthur walked ahead. ¡°Why?¡± I bolted forward, Lilithian-style, stopping only once the cool shade of the tree covered my skin from the sun, closing me in, showing me home once more. I touched its trunk, feeling him there¡ªfeeling Jason within its spirit¡ªand let the urge to cry trickle away with each panting breath. ¡°Why would he lie?¡± ¡°I''m not sure.¡± Arthur appeared beside me. ¡°Perhaps he didn''t wish to explain why this place was special to him.¡± I slid down the bark of the tree, feeling each ridge, then each blade of grass under my knees, touching my skin. It felt just like the dream¡ªlike reality, and when I looked up at the man beside me, I half expected to see Jason. ¡°This is the field Jason and David played in as boys?¡± Page 17 Arthur nodded, looking upon the scene as if the children might be running there once more, then sat down carefully beside me. ¡°Jason loved Loslilian. When he became a vampire and was forced to move to the castle, it nearly broke his heart.¡±Advertisement ¡°Forced?¡± ¡°Yes. That was where our Set resided.¡± ¡°How come Drake lived there then? Didn''t he have his own Set?¡± ¡°No. Drake lived wherever he wanted. The castle was merely where he chose to be for the last decade or so.¡± ¡°Why? I mean, was there a reason?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I was not privy to such information.¡± ¡°So, you never talked as friends?¡± ¡°We did.¡± He nodded. ¡°I just never asked him what reasons he had for coming or going. He was always a wanderer.¡± ¡°But he made everyone else stay in one place?¡± ¡°No. We moved on¡ªhad opportunity to see the world.¡± ¡°By moving each winter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I thought about poor Emily¡ªhow she lost Jason to that tradition. ¡°Why did you move all the time?¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± Arthur folded his hands in his lap, crossing his legs at the ankles. ¡°It began as a tradition¡ªone we started in a time where food became scarce as the days grew colder.¡± ¡°Scarce? Why?¡± ¡°Farmers would have no crops to tend, markets would close when it snowed and travellers would lodge until spring broke. And since it is our strong belief it¡¯s bad form to kill a man in his own bed, we travelled to warmer parts of the world, returning to our original homes when the snow melted.¡± ¡°But, not if you were a Set leader¡ªthen you could stay?¡± ¡°If on your two years¡¯ leave, yes. But we were required to check in weekly, meet with other Set leaders on occasion to keep updated.¡± I nodded. ¡°Eric told me once that he had to ¡®check-in¡¯ daily. What¡¯s with that?¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why so many questions, my dear?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Guess I''m just trying to get an idea of how the Sets worked¡ªyou know, since I¡¯ll be disbanding them soon.¡± He grinned at my teasing tone. ¡°The check-ins were vital to keep tabs on all vampires. Each person had a different time, and would be hunted down by the Warriors if they failed to check-in on time.¡± ¡°Hunted?¡± ¡°Yes. And brought to trial.¡± ¡°Punished?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°So, the Warriors were like vampire cops?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arthur laughed lightly. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what Jason was?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His voice became small. I exhaled and looked around the field then; it felt strange to be sitting here, knowing I was awake. ¡°So, why did Jason love this place so much?¡± ¡°He always felt safe here, like he belonged.¡± He slid down a little, leaning on his elbow, his face in line with my shoulder. ¡°After their aunt died, the boys lived here until they became vampires. This was home.¡± ¡°And Drake let you live away from the Set while you raised them?¡± ¡°No, we simply moved the Set here.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Mike told me you were Lord of Loslilian. So, that was when the boys were human?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow. And¡­you just up and moved the entire Set here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How did everyone else feel about that¡ªabout moving just so you could raise the boys?¡± ¡°We had some resistance.¡± He looked up at me, his brilliant blue eyes shocking me for a second. ¡°Drake quickly put a stop to it.¡± I toyed with the hem of my dress. ¡°Why was he so accommodating?¡± ¡°I was an old friend of his.¡± Arthur sat up a little more and dusted the grass off his palms. ¡°I had always given the best of myself to the throne¡ªnot to mention, one of my conditions of becoming a vampire was that I always watch over my brother¡¯s bloodline. I couldn¡¯t let the boys end up in an orphanage, possibly never to know what became of them, so Drake and I came to an arrangement.¡± ¡°Arrangement? The way you say that makes it sound like there was crux.¡± He nodded. ¡°Smart girl.¡± ¡°So, what was it¡ªthe catch?¡± He reached across and picked a yellow daisy from beside my knee. ¡°Drake let us live here on the condition that, when the boys came of age, I would turn them both.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow, David never told me that part.¡± ¡°He never knew that.¡± I sat back against the tree, feeling superior for knowing more than David did¡ªfor once. ¡°So, if Drake was such a good friend, so good he changed laws and moved an entire Set just because he knew what the boys meant to you, why did he order David killed?¡± Arthur let out a long breath, his chest sinking. ¡°There are laws, my dear, even I cannot protect someone from. That is why I told Jason to warn you¡ªand to run.¡± ¡°But he gave David up instead.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said, his tone deep. ¡°I know he thought it would give you time to escape. After all, it was you they were truly after. Without you, they could never have killed David.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I nodded, pressing my tongue to my fang. ¡°Guess that makes sense.¡± ¡°I fought for him, though.¡± He touched my hand until I looked at him. ¡°I fought for David''s life to be spared. But Drake overruled it¡ªsaid he had to make an example of David.¡± I sunk back a little. ¡°Sorry, Arthur.¡± ¡°Don''t be sorry.¡± He patted my hand. ¡°None of this was in your control.¡± I looked down at his fingers, then wound mine softly through his, as if he was the boy I missed so much. And it was just as easy as it was touching Jason, but this time, was merely a gesture of friendship. Something it had never been with Jason. ¡°I am sorry he¡¯s dead, you know?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Jason.¡± He squeezed my hand. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°He was always more human than David. He never even had to try.¡± ¡°And you always liked human, didn''t you?¡± I nodded. ¡°It was the first thing I noticed in his eyes, after I changed him,¡± Arthur said. ¡°What was?¡± ¡°The glimmer of compassion¡ªsomething vampires commonly lose.¡± ¡°But he lost it later, didn''t he? When David took Rochelle.¡± Arthur looked down. ¡°Yes, but not completely.¡± I thought about Rochelle for a second. ¡°He described it once, the way he felt to fall in love with a human. If he never lost his compassion, how come falling for a human changed so much in him?¡± ¡°Love does that. It opens your world.¡± Arthur laughed, letting go of my hand to unfold his in front of him, like wiping paint across the sky. ¡°Once you¡¯ve felt love, you notice light in the day you never saw before.¡± I smiled. ¡°Yeah. I guess that¡¯s true. It was like that for me when I fell for David.¡± ¡°And for Jason?¡± I shuffled uncomfortably. ¡°That can''t be classed as real love, Arthur.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he bound me. I was compelled to love him.¡± ¡°But you still cared for him¡ªlove aside.¡± ¡°I¡­I don''t know.¡± ¡°What does your heart tell you?¡± I asked it, in my mind, and the answer was always the same. ¡°I hate the way David treated him. I hate that David killed Rochelle. I just feel so empty for Jason, and I know that''s wrong, I know I should hate him for what he did to me, but, honestly, Arthur, if he were here right now, I¡¯d thank him. And the next time I saw David, I¡¯d punch him in the arm for being such a butt-wipe brother.¡± Arthur laughed loudly. ¡°Oh, my dear, if Jason could only have heard you speak those words, I know it would have washed away so much of the agony for what he was made to do to you.¡± His smile simmered away to thought. ¡°I''m sure he is resting peacefully in his grave now.¡± ¡°You buried him?¡± ¡°Of course. What else would I have done?¡± ¡°Cremated him¡ªlike¡ª¡± I didn''t need to say it. Arthur knew who I was talking about. ¡°I know that is the preferred method after a venom death, but Drake was not there to enforce that law, and I could not bring myself to betray Jason¡¯s wishes.¡± ¡°His wishes?¡± ¡°Yes. When he was a boy, on his deathbed, we asked him if he would rather cremation or burial.¡± His voice softened. ¡°He asked that he be buried beside his mother.¡± ¡°Is that where he is?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s next to his brother¡¯s empty grave, and that of his aunt.¡± ¡°In his old grave?¡± I nearly shot forward. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How could you? He should have had a proper burial.¡± ¡°Amara, imagine the paperwork I would have to file in order to commission a new grave for a member of society who was nineteen years of age and died suddenly of unknown causes.¡± ¡°But¡ªthat¡¯s what your Set does. You forge things, don''t you, you have doctors on your side?¡± ¡°Yes. But Jason was, by all legal rights, supposed to be cremated. Those who die of venom must be burned. That is the law. Who would I ask to help me write the orders up to bury him, when I was breaking the law by doing that?¡± ¡°Didn''t you have friends that would lie for you?¡± ¡°My girl, if they were my friends, I would not ask them to risk punishment by lying for me.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so wrong. He shouldn''t be buried in his old grave¡ªmarked as dying in nineteen-sixteen. People should know who he is and what his life meant to those who loved him!¡± Arthur softened. ¡°And his memory will live on in those people, for eternity. You''re immortal now, Amara, and sometimes you have to act unfavourably in order to survive.¡± ¡°I don''t like it.¡± ¡°I''m sorry. It¡¯s the way things are.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, sitting straight. ¡°As soon as we have control of the vampires, I''m having him exhumed and buried properly.¡± ¡°This bothers you deeply, doesn''t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°Does it not bother you that the ashes of your husband remain in the cindering base of the fireplace in the room where he died?¡± I looked away. ¡°I try not to think about it.¡± ¡°Then you will do the same when it comes to Jason¡¯s final resting place.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I bit my teeth together. ¡°I must tell you¡ª¡± Arthur said, breaking the calm song of nature that filled the silence, ¡°¡ªhow it warms my heart to know Jason was loved once, before he died.¡± ¡°Loved once?¡± I felt the muscles in my brow fold in. ¡°Rochelle loved him, too.¡± Arthur exhaled. ¡°Not when she learned what he was.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She came to him, told him she was pregnant. Concerned for hers and the child¡¯s well-being, Jason brought her to me, asked that I deliver news to this girl that her boyfriend and child were vampires.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She told him to burn in Hell, then tried to kill him with the crucifix she wore around her neck.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°He never told me that.¡± ¡°He never told a soul. I only knew because I was there.¡± ¡°Did David know?¡± Arthur scratched his cheek. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Before or after he killed her?¡± ¡°I suspect¡­before.¡± So many questions simmered through me, like an alternately cold then hot pulse. I wondered if that was the real reason David killed her¡ªbecause she meant to kill Jason, because she thought of his child¡ªtheir child¡ªas an abomination. ¡°Poor Jason.¡± Arthur looked down; his long lashes hiding his blue eyes. ¡°The world cannot hurt him any longer, my dear.¡± But that wasn¡¯t enough for me. My chest shook and my face crumpled; I barely had time to cover my mouth before it all came out in a torrent of tears. ¡°Oh, Arthur. It¡¯s not fair. It¡¯s just not fair.¡± ¡°I know, my dear. I know.¡± He gently wrapped his arms around me, letting me sob, my whole body shaking in his arms. ¡°I don''t want to feel anything for him. But he was so real. He was real and he got hurt, and no one made it all okay for him. And I keep telling myself it¡¯s the spirit bind that makes me care, but it should be gone by now. I''m strong. I''m a vampire. The bind should be dissipating by now.¡± ¡°Has¡ª¡± He sat me up a little and looked into my face. ¡°Have your feelings toward Mike eased?¡± I nodded, my tears stopping for wide eyes. ¡°Like, heaps. I feel normal around him now.¡± Arthur¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Then you must grieve Jason, Princess. Grieve him and the pain will ease.¡± I shook my head against his jaw, covering my whole face with my hands. ¡°It doesn''t help. I¡¯ve cried for him. I¡¯ve cried for everyone I¡¯ve lost, and it doesn''t change how much I love them.¡± ¡°And it probably never will. But it will do you no good to deny your broken heart, either.¡± I hiccupped a few times, sniffling. ¡°Arthur?¡± Page 18 ¡°Yes, my dear?¡±Advertisement ¡°Please don''t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Tell anyone what?¡± ¡°That I dreamed of him¡ªthat¡­that I cared for him.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t even consider it, Princess. Our conversations¡ªall our conversations¡ªremain private.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said in a quiet whisper against his shoulder. When the tears finally settled, exhausted from all the things in my head, I laid back on the grass, with Arthur beside me, and we watched the clouds move slowly across the blue sky. The simplicity of the moment brought a kind of ease to my soul I¡¯d not felt since I was human. Petey eventually came back from his all-important crow-chasing activities and laid beside me¡ªmy last connection to a man I wished I¡¯d admitted I cared for when he could have heard me say it. Yesterday afternoon¡¯s training left me exhausted. By the time I finally fell into bed, after a long dinner¡ªentertainment being the heated political debate between Arthur and the Lilithians¡ªI pretty much passed out. Didn''t even have any dreams; no scary ghost version of me and, to my disappointment, no memories of Jason. I wondered if I¡¯d seen them all now¡ªif I¡¯d removed all the mind blocks he left in place. And that idea made my soul feel empty, disconnected. I ran the brush through the lengths of my hair, watching each movement through the mirror of Arietta¡¯s dresser, then picked up the perfume bottle by my hand and sniffed it. Nope, no garlic. I had cornflakes for breakfast, and I was pretty sure they didn''t contain any garlic, so it seemed odd to be able to smell it. Perhaps it was some potion Arthur was cooking up. I did see a few cloves of garlic on his windowsill the other day. I sprayed a little perfume on my wrist, just to make sure the garlic smell wasn¡¯t me, then walked out of my room, closing my door behind me. ¡°Ara.¡± Mike came charging down the corridor at a half run. ¡°There you are.¡± ¡°Been here the whole time. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I''m coming with you this morning.¡± ¡°With me?¡± I shrugged, simultaneously shaking my head and frowning. ¡°Don''t play dumb. I know you''re going down to the cellblock.¡± ¡°Who told you?¡± He grinned. ¡°I have eyes and ears everywhere.¡± I looked at the wall beside me, to the focused gaze of the woman in the painting there. ¡°When I get back, I''m hanging you upside down.¡± Mike laughed. ¡°Don''t take it out on her. Blame yourself for being foolish enough to think you¡¯d get away with it.¡± I dropped my arms to my sides. ¡°I just want to see them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, baby, but you shouldn''t have planned to go alone. You don''t know what¡¯s down there.¡± ¡°I have a map.¡± I pulled a small, repeatedly folded piece of paper from my pocket and held it up to Mike, who took it, opened it out, then laughed. ¡°Baby, this is a map of de la Mort¡¯s cell block. Not Loslilian.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Where did you get this, anyway?¡± He tucked it away in his own back pocket. ¡°I took it from Arthur¡¯s ro¡ª¡± Oops. ¡°What were you doing in there?¡± ¡°Relax.¡± I started walking. ¡°I was just watering his plants. He asked me to do it while he was away on Saturday.¡± ¡°Fine. But, does he know you have his map?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I was gonna put it back.¡± ¡°Not anymore. I''m keeping it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I said as we reached the base of the stairwell. ¡°Because it¡¯s exactly what we need.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He turned his head, his narrowed eyes searching my face, while sunlight shone through the doors of the Great Hall, making his hair gold. ¡°What¡¯s with the hundred questions today?¡± I shrugged. ¡°You took something that''s mine. I want to know why.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not yours, so it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s Core talk.¡± ¡°And what, I can''t know what my army is up to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not relevant to you.¡± Hmpf! I bit my teeth together. We wandered through the pale-coloured rooms along the first floor of the east wing, stopping by a large door at the very end. ¡°Throne room slash Court,¡± Mike said, pushing the door open. ¡°The only people allowed to access it this way are your council, the House and you.¡± ¡°How does everyone else get in?¡± ¡°The front doors¡ªon the outside of the manor.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± We walked in and I expected to see a grand room with high ceilings, but I met the blue back of a curtain, closing us off in a small space. Mike shut the door behind us and kicked a rug out of the way, revealing a hatch. ¡°A secret door?¡± I smirked. ¡°Nope.¡± He opened the hatch and pulled something out. ¡°Secret key.¡± ¡°Oh. Cool.¡± In the wall panel behind him, hidden to the right of the door, was a small hole. He pressed the key in, turned it, and the panel came forward just enough for him to slip his fingers between it and the wall. ¡°This isn''t the way I was told to come,¡± I said. ¡°This is the fastest way to the section you¡¯re going. Usually you¡¯d take the stairs through the Round room and follow a passage.¡± ¡°But, one of the maids said the door to the underground was in the Council Chamber.¡± ¡°Right. The Round Room.¡± I frowned. ¡°I thought the Council Chamber was that room we all sat in last night with the House.¡± Mike groaned. ¡°Ara¡ªare you serious?¡± I moved my shoulders up to my ears in a really slow shrug. ¡°Baby, the Round Room is important¡ªit has, not only great historical significance, but is the place you¡¯ll hold all your Private Council meetings¡ªfor the rest of forever. That room we were in last night was the board room.¡± ¡°Oh. I wondered why it wasn''t round.¡± Mike laughed. ¡°Oh, baby, sometimes your lack of focus can be very endearing.¡± I looked at the slightly open secret door. ¡°So, where is the Round Room?¡± ¡°Through there.¡± He pointed to the curtain. ¡°It¡¯s underground, dark, secret, all that stuff.¡± ¡°And round?¡± ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s not called the Round Room just because it¡¯s round. There¡¯s an old stone tablet in there¡ªwhich is round¡ªand is said to have been the meeting circle of the first knights.¡± ¡°Meeting circle? What, like, a table or something?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, thanks for clearing that up.¡± ¡°Anytime. Now, come on.¡± He took my hand and the underground chill rose up from the depth of the dark beyond, creeping around everything that contained life out here and sucking it away. I pulled back a little. ¡°Are there stairs there?¡± ¡°Come on. You¡¯ll see.¡± Mike drew his phone from his pocket and opened iTorch, shining the white light down the barrel of a cavernous hole; stone steps led away in a curve around a cylindrical column hiding who knew what. ¡°Mike?¡± I laid a shaky hand to the air before me. ¡°I don''t like it down here.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, baby,¡± he said, placing my hand onto the wall. ¡°Just follow the curves and you won''t fall.¡± ¡°Why is it so steep?¡± I couldn''t see how far down this stairwell went, but it had a feel to it¡ªa tilt, like walking down a really big hill. ¡°It goes pretty deep under the manor, Ara. What did you expect?¡± I tried to shrug, but my shoulders were too stiff. When the door closed behind us with a thud, sending an echo into the pits below, I squealed, hearing my own voice hit every step in this tunnel before bouncing back to embarrass me repeatedly. ¡°Ha! And you wanted to come down here alone.¡± ¡°I didn''t know it would be this scary.¡± I moved closer to Mike and took his hand. ¡°Is the other tunnel like this one?¡± ¡°Worse,¡± he scoffed, angling his torch to show the steps directly below our feet; they were all I could see¡ªall I would focus on. The walls rose up around us, becoming higher and higher as we descended beneath the manor, and when we finally came to the base of the stairs, the slimy brown stones spread out to a corridor¡ªlonger than my eyes could make out, with a roof low enough that Mike had to hunch a little. ¡°Can¡¯t you make that torch any brighter?¡± I nodded at the phone. ¡°This is as bright as it gets. You wanna hope I don''t run out of battery.¡± He laughed. I did not find that funny at all. ¡°You could use your electric light thing¡ªin your hands.¡± I looked at my fingertips for a second. ¡°I don''t think it works that way, Mike.¡± ¡°Try it.¡± Among the eerie weight of fear this darkness pressed on me, I found a solid little thought¡ªa happy one, and focused on it; David¡ªhis smile, his arms, his love. But despite the static charge in my skin, the light stayed dormant. I stretched my fingers, making them stiff, as if that would help, but it didn''t. ¡°I can''t, Mike. It won''t work when I''m scared.¡± ¡°It works if you¡¯re gonna lose a fight.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s because I hate losing.¡± ¡°Well,¡± he said, and I noticed there was no echo to his voice, despite the empty, cavernous tunnel, ¡°maybe you should imagine you¡¯ll lose a bet. Maybe I¡¯ll bet you can''t make your light work down here.¡± I smiled. ¡°Nah. I don''t really feel like having a headache today, anyway.¡± ¡°You still getting those?¡± I nodded, but he probably didn''t see it through the darkness. ¡°If I''m on my own, just shooting stuff, I don''t always get it.¡± ¡°Right. Well, we just need to exercise it. It¡¯s like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it¡¯ll get.¡± ¡°Hm. Well, I¡¯ll just have to take your word for it,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯d be a first.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I aimed a soft punch at his arm, but missed, feeling his shoulder blade under my knuckles instead. He laughed, and we walked along for a while in silence then, our footsteps and my laboured breathing the only other sounds. I¡¯d expected to hear screams of terror or moaning and groaning from our tortured prisoners, even expected to be grabbed at by reaching hands of despair, but as I ran my guiding touch along the wall, I noticed that, not only were there no horrible sounds, but no cell doors, either. It was just one long blank wall, leading to a black vortex a few meters in front where the light was too weak to reach. I looked across at Mike; I could just see his jaw, his elbow and his wrist where he held the light, and I knew I was safe with him. Was also really glad he came with me. ¡°Glad I came with you now?¡± he asked, grinning. ¡°No. I could handle this on my own.¡± I stepped away from him, out of the safe glow of the light. ¡°I wasn''t planning to set them free or anything.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past you, my sweet friend.¡± ¡°Even if I did, they¡¯re children, Mike.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°Do you get that? Children.¡± ¡°And that is exactly why I''m coming.¡± He pointed at me. ¡°The Lilithians don''t trust them, Ara. There has to be a reason for that.¡± ¡°Have you been down to see them yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I dunno, Ar. ¡®Cause I haven''t.¡± He rubbed his neck, rolling it a little. As we walked, a rancid smell of decay seeped in and swathed us like humid raw meat. And the worst part was, I actually knew that smell only too well. I covered my nose. ¡°David told me once that the Immortal Damned are fed live humans. That¡¯s true, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Far as I know.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what I can smell¡ªthe decomposed bodies?¡± ¡°What¡¯s left of them, yeah.¡± It made me tense then, knowing I was breathing the scent of death¡ªof life stolen under panic and fear. ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± ¡°Yep. But the Damned won''t eat them if they¡¯re already dead. It¡¯s the kill, the stalk, the terror they thrive on. Not just blood.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Those cages are secure, right?¡± Mike laughed. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve only ever had one escape.¡± ¡°Really? Did it kill anyone?¡± ¡°It ripped the flesh off a maid¡¯s torso, but she was immortal, so she actually recovered.¡± ¡°Guess it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re immortal, then.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Immortal. Not undying. You know that. If it¡¯d taken her head off, she¡¯d have been dead.¡± ¡°Or the heart, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯d you mean?¡± ¡°Jason took my heart out, and I stayed dead until he put it back.¡± I rubbed my chest, dropping my hand as soon as I realised I was doing it. ¡°If they ripped the heart out, would a Created Lilithian stay dead?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°What if we put it back?¡± ¡°Providing the Damned didn''t actually eat the heart, they may regenerate.¡± ¡°Ew. So, you wanna hope you never lose a body part, then?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, not a vital one.¡± ¡°Is it the same for you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Death. Can you die, like I can?¡± Page 19 He sighed heavily. ¡°A bit easier, actually. From what I''m told, if you slice the back of my neck, you know, sever the spinal cord, I¡¯d be gone.¡± ¡°Would you come back if we regenerated you?¡±Advertisement ¡°I don''t think so. Created Lilithians don''t¡ªnot from that.¡± ¡°Why do I?¡± ¡°Well, you technically don''t, either. Once your soul leaves your body, you reincarnate. There¡¯s no going back.¡± ¡°But Jason said I needed some serum to kill my kind¡ªto stay dead.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a load of bullshit, Ara. If he¡¯d not put your heart back in your body, or if your head had been chopped off, you¡¯d have stayed dead.¡± ¡°But not real death. He said that my soul stays tethered to the realm of life¡ªthat it¡¯s really hard to sever the connection.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Did he?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°What¡¯s hm?¡± ¡°Just¡­there may be some truth to that. I read somewhere that if a body is rendered useless, but the soul hasn''t been untied, they wander the earth for eternity¡ªand that¡¯s how we get ghosts.¡± ¡°So, what, because I''m a pure blood, my soul can''t be untethered?¡± ¡°I''m not sure, baby. Guess we¡¯ll have to do a bit more reading.¡± ¡°I could ask Arthur.¡± ¡°What would he know about it?¡± ¡°He knows quite a bit.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, let¡¯s just keep him out of it for now. Ask your husband, instead.¡± ¡°What would David know?¡± ¡°More than you might think, pretty girl.¡± I smiled to myself. He hadn''t called me that in ages. ¡°So, being that we¡¯re Lilithian¡ªquite close to human, will the Damned try to eat us if we go in the cage?¡± ¡°Ara, they try to eat vampires. And they won''t just eat you¡ªthey¡¯ll toy with you first, make you really scared so your blood warms.¡± ¡°No, they won''t.¡± I smirked to myself. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to scare me.¡± I heard him laugh, and when I looked up at him, I had to laugh, too. ¡°You look like a big uncle playing in his nephew¡¯s cubby house,¡± I said. ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯ll take the other passage next time.¡± He reached up to touch the roof without any effort. ¡°This was built in a time when humans weren¡¯t quite as tall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too low for me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Ara, you can walk straight in a tube slide.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I flicked my hand out at him. ¡°Ow.¡± He rubbed his chest. ¡°You gotta stop slapping me.¡± ¡°Aw, doesn''t baby like a little slap?¡± ¡°Me? I love a slap. I just like to be the one doing the slapping.¡± He gave my butt a soft whack, to which I returned a little squeal. ¡°I can''t believe you just did that.¡± ¡°Meh, it¡¯ll do you some good. And what¡¯re you gonna do about it?¡± he said, shining the torch in my face; I covered my eyes from the almost blue flash. ¡°You gonna tell the king on me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said, pushing his hand down, seeing the grin he wore behind the light¡¯s glare. ¡°Ha! He¡¯d probably shake my hand for disciplining you.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± I looked away, my smile dropping with the ghostly sound of dripping water. My shoulders tightened, and an unnerving cold moved in, layering my tongue with a strange metal tang. I moved saliva around in my mouth, trying to swallow the taste down. ¡°Right.¡± Mike angled the light to show a string of lanterns hanging from the arched ceiling. ¡°Look for matches.¡± ¡°Matches?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know, little sticks that bring flame.¡± ¡°Ha-ha.¡± I dropped to my knees and scrambled around for the feel of a box or something, but there was only dirt, really cold dirt. ¡°Here. Got ¡®em.¡± ¡°Erk. Of course you do.¡± I stood up and dusted my hands on my jeans. ¡°You just wanted to see me get all dirty.¡± ¡°Or I just thought you should get down on your knees and pray.¡± He laughed, making himself sound like a preacher. ¡°Yeah, how ¡®bout I pray for Lilithians to have night vision as good as vampires do?¡± ¡°Great idea. While you¡¯re at it, get me the power to read minds, will you? That¡¯d be a handy tool.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± I said drily. ¡°Want a sense of humour, too¡ªamong other miracles?¡± ¡°Are you saying I''m not funny?¡± ¡°Who me? Never.¡± ¡°Good, because I might just have another smack on the butt sitting dormant in these hands.¡± He laughed. ¡°And shut up, I can''t concentrate on lighting this match with you talking at me.¡± A golden flame came to life then, warming the eeriness of the cellblock in the small circle where Mike and I stood, but outside that, the flickering wick of the lantern cast dancing shadows in a creepy theatre show on the walls. ¡°Where are the cells?¡± I asked. ¡°At the end.¡± He held his arm straight, the lantern hanging from his curled finger, swaying with the movement. I grabbed the base and held it still. ¡°That¡¯s freaky. Don''t let it swing like that. I feel like the clich¨¦ blond chick in a horror film¡ªyou know, the one who gets killed first.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± he said, and started walking. ¡°Your boobs aren¡¯t big enough. You¡¯ll be the one who lives to tell the tale.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I folded my arms and followed him. Twenty or so paces ahead, I could just make out hollows in the walls on both sides, and as we neared them, the dry, powdery scent of dirt made me want to take shallower breaths, not letting them slip past the back of my throat. ¡°You okay, babe?¡± Mike walked closer to me, matching my footsteps exactly. ¡°Why are they so silent?¡± ¡°No reason to make noise, I guess.¡± He was right. There were no windows, no sunlight, no fresh air, not even a drafty breeze. Just¡­stillness, darkness. When we reached the end of the tunnel, I peered in through the bars on both sides; two cells, sitting directly across from each other, about three classrooms wide, but completely empty. ¡°Where are all the other cells? I know we have more than two.¡± He tapped the brick wall. ¡°Through here¡ªthis leads back out to the other passage.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no door, though.¡± ¡°Not all is what it seems.¡± He winked, then walked to one end of the wall and slipped his hand through it. ¡°What the hell?¡± I ran over and traced the length of his arm, following it through the wall. ¡°It¡¯s an illusion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He pulled his hand back; he hadn¡¯t put it through the wall at all¡ªthere was no wall there. It ended short on that side, but it was so dark in here that, from the way the bricks were lined up, no one would know there was an opening. ¡°Pretty cool, hey?¡± ¡°Hell yeah.¡± ¡°They say de la Mort is pretty much made up of walls just like this.¡± He tapped the bricks with a flat palm. ¡°And that¡¯s why you want the map.¡± He looked back at me, lifting the lantern a little to see my face. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Fine. But I''m telling Arthur you have it.¡± ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll tell David you drank Arthur¡¯s blood the other day.¡± I grumbled to myself. ¡°Fine. I won''t tell Arthur you have the map.¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d come to your senses.¡± He wandered over and shone the lantern into the cage; ¡°Can you see them?¡± ¡°No. Are they even in there?¡± ¡°They cluster in the back corner.¡± A man popped up suddenly. ¡°Oh, God!¡± I touched a hand to my racing heart. ¡°You scared me.¡± ¡°Sorry, Majesty.¡± His ghastly old face showed in the dim light; the folds in his skin made deep shadows along his jaw and under his eyes, while his crooked nose darkened the gaps in his teeth behind a curt smile. He walked with a hunched gait, as if he¡¯d trolled these low-roofed tunnels for too many centuries and now lacked the ability to stand tall. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. ¡°Caretaker. Folks call me Mr. Keeper.¡± He turned away and nodded into the cell. ¡°Strange, really, how they all bunch together like that.¡± He held his own lantern up to the bars, and I saw them then¡ªlittle faces, about twenty of them¡ªall huddling against each other like puppies in a small box. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°Yerp. No feelings, no sense, yet they all seem to bunch up, like they¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°They are scared.¡± I grabbed the set of keys from the caretaker¡¯s dirt-covered hands. ¡°They¡¯re children.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you,¡± the hideous old man warned. ¡°It¡¯s feeding day¡ªyou¡¯ll get ripped to shreds.¡± ¡°I''m willing to take the risk,¡± I said, and as I jammed the key in the lock, Mike grabbed my hand. ¡°Okay, Ara, you¡¯ve had your fun. It stops there.¡± ¡°But, Mike?¡± ¡°No buts.¡± He took the keys and hooked them over a nail on the magic wall. ¡°Baby, even if they were capable of humanity, which they¡¯re not, they¡¯re hungry. Look how unreasonable you get when you¡¯re hungry.¡± My heart grew bigger and split open inside, filling my chest with a tight ache when I saw the gaze of the few who dared to look up; sad black eyes, like opals, set deeply into pale faces absent of innocence and animation. ¡°How often do you feed them?¡± ¡°Couple of humans a month,¡± the caretaker said. I spun around quickly to face him. ¡°What? That''s not enough for that many children.¡± ¡°Ara¡ª¡± Mike stepped forward, reaching. ¡°Move away from the cage.¡± I sidestepped quickly, looking behind me, catching a glimpse of a grey hand stretching through the bars, just out of reach of my hair. The child hissed at me, his mouth gaping like a hollow cave; his eyes completely black and empty. ¡°That was close.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Too close. Now, move a few more steps away,¡± Mike said, but his eyes went wide, the world going cold all around his soul as my head jerked awkwardly to one side, my feet leaving the ground as my spine hit the bars, the wind bursting from my lungs in a short squeal. Solid little hands circled my face, ripping at my hair; I reached up to pry them away as Mike darted forward, driving his elbow between my neck and the bars. But there were too many¡ªgrabbing my skin, scratching it, their dry, sour-tasting fingers slipping into the corner of my mouth, yanking my head against the metal. They refused to give up, fighting so hard against Mike that I felt like a sack of beans on the backseat of a minivan driving off-road. I couldn''t even scream, couldn¡¯t get a breath past the thumping in my throat. ¡°Snap her neck!¡± the caretaker yelled over the chaos. ¡°Snap her neck, and they¡¯ll back off.¡± My eyes shot to Mike¡¯s; a split second passed as he played that thought out in his mind. ¡°No,¡± I breathed. ¡°Sorry, Ar¡ª¡± His hands moved in slow motion; one cupping my chin, the other firmly grasping the back of my head. I screamed, jolting forward as tiny talons dragged my feet backward through the bars. Mike dropped me, reaching out quick, catching my hair as I went down. I heard it rip as my elbows hit the dirt¡ªfelt it come lose from my scalp in a big clump that he threw to the floor by my hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. I got you.¡± His feet parted, his hand coming down to grab my arm, just as my body spun, slipping forward at full speed toward the cage until I wore the bars like a metal pair of underwear, driving into my flesh, threatening to rip me apart from the middle, up. I screamed out as my shoes came away, then the legs of my jeans, leaving my shins and ankles bare, cold. I couldn''t kick, couldn''t drag myself away from the cage. And Mike pulled, lifting my arms above my head, fighting a battle of tug-of-war with starving immortals. ¡°Get back!¡± a thunderous voice sent a shockwave of fear over the tunnels. Mike and I flew backward into the wall, landing in a tangled heap as my legs suddenly came free. High-pitched shrieks wailed through the air, circling around and disappearing like a banshee¡¯s echo, the children retreating to the rear of the cell. I struggled to my feet, with a little help from Mike, clutching the base of my neck where my hair was missing, and hobbled over to the cage. ¡°You. Know! The. Rules!¡± the caretaker jammed his metal stick into the floor on each word. My eyes strained against the darkness, with the torch lamps dim, lying sideways on the ground. But as I peered through the bars, wrapping my fingers around them, saw something shift under the caretaker¡¯s stick¡ªsomething no bigger than a pillow. ¡°You rotten little maggot!¡± he growled. ¡°Ah!¡± A boy howled, tucking himself into a ball as his ribs wore the brunt of the caretaker¡¯s fury. He sounded like any other child, not some demonic immortal; his small voice quivered, laden with panic, calling through his hands for his mother¡ªan instinct so human it broke my heart. ¡°Stop it,¡± I screeched, dropping to my knees, reaching in through the bars. ¡°Stop hurting him.¡± Mike landed in the dirt beside me, grabbing my shoulders. ¡°Baby, stay back.¡± ¡°No.¡± I tried to get up¡ªto go to them. ¡°Let me help them.¡± Page 20 ¡°Baby, you can''t. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all right.¡±Advertisement ¡°No. It¡¯s not.¡± I grabbed his shirt, hearing the desperate shrieks of that child became nothing but a whimper. ¡°He¡¯s just a little boy.¡± ¡°Mate,¡± Mike called out. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°I decide when it¡¯s enough.¡± The caretaker jammed the stick down again, and this time, the child didn¡¯t even move. My throat trapped my breath, tears coating my eyes. I felt Mike shift, felt him go to stand but stop. Then, he took a larger breath and yelled in his thunderous cop voice, ¡°I said that¡¯s enough. Leave the boy alone!¡± The caretaker stopped mid-thrust and groaned. ¡°As you wish.¡± From the border of the shadows, a hand came out and grabbed the limp boy¡¯s wrist, dragging him into the darkest corner of the cell, leaving a trail of blood behind in the last dregs of light from the lantern. Mike hauled me away from the bars, and I heard the great, groaning creak of the door slamming shut. ¡°How could you?¡± I wiped my face, looking up at the haggard old man, sobbing so hard I had hiccups. ¡°How could I?¡± he said. ¡°My lady, if I had not, you would have no scalp.¡± I jumped to my feet. ¡°There are other ways to deal with children! This is not acceptable.¡± ¡°Baby¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± I shoved Mike off me. ¡°I won¡¯t stand for this.¡± ¡°The boy will heal, Ara. He¡¯s immortal, remember?¡± ¡°How can you say that, Mike?¡± I clenched my teeth tight enough to taste blood. ¡°How can you think this is okay?¡± ¡°I don''t. Not even a little bit. But there¡¯s nothing you can do for them, baby. They can''t be taught. They live by instinct¡ªlike animals.¡± I shoved him again when he tried to hug me. ¡°Even animals deserve better than this.¡± ¡°And what do you propose we do?¡± asked the caretaker. ¡°Try. I don''t know. But we have to try.¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Mike took my shoulders and turned me to face him. ¡°You''re shaking.¡± Of course I was, but I couldn¡¯t feel it. I felt only numb¡ªthe beating of that boy repeating itself in my mind¡ªblending with the horrible thought that it probably wasn¡¯t the first time. And for what? Probably to satiate the caretaker¡¯s own wicked needs to feel like a master. Hatred for him burned through me, coming out in a piercing gaze. ¡°How often are you in charge of these children?¡± ¡°Only during feeding times,¡± the caretaker said. ¡°Then, they¡¯re on their own.¡± ¡°How long have you been their keeper?¡± ¡°¡¯Bout¡ª¡± the man paused, taking a breath, ¡°¡ªtwo hundred years, give or take.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± I walked away from Mike, rubbing the ache of torn hair at the back of my neck. ¡°As of now, you''re fired.¡± ¡°What?¡± both Mike and the man said at the same time. ¡°You heard me,¡± I said. ¡°Mike? See Mr. Keeper to a new position in the manor, would you? Perhaps toilet cleaning.¡± ¡°Ar, come back, baby,¡± he called after me. ¡°No!¡± I walked away, barely aware that Mike hadn¡¯t followed, unable to see but in no state to care. I felt my way along the wall in the darkness, tripping when I found the stairs suddenly, then clambered up, using my hands to feel the curves of each one. I have no idea how long I climbed those stairs for, but it felt like forever, moving inch by inch, one at a time, on my hands and knees until my head hit a wooden panel¡ªthe door. I looked back into the darkness behind me; Mike¡¯s torch was nowhere to be seen. He probably went the other way. When I pushed the door open and landed in an exhausted heap in the calming but dim light, I¡¯d never been so happy to breathe warm air in all of my life. I laid on the slightly turned-up rug, my arms out wide, letting my heart beat its erratic tale until it eventually calmed and my breathing finally slowed¡ªallowing me to feel the pain of my broken flesh from the scratches the children left. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go check on her.¡± Mike¡¯s scuffing steps came up the stairs; I jumped to my feet and darted behind the curtain. ¡°Okay, mate. See ya later.¡± He slipped his phone in his pocket as he surfaced, then stood for a second and looked around; I stayed hidden, peering out through a small gap. ¡°Ar?¡± I held my breath. ¡°Ar, you here, baby?¡± He shrugged, then walked away, closing the throne room door behind him, but left the secret passage open. Two decisions weighed on me; I looked at the light coming in through a crack under the Throne Room doors, then back at the drafty depths of the cellblock. And despite everything that hurt, I pushed the curtains aside and ran into the darkness again, closing the door behind me. I needed to make sure the children were all right. Navigating downward through the dark was trickier than it had been upward. I sat down and felt for the ledge of each step with my toes, then slid my bottom onto it, using my hands to acknowledge the step behind me. When I finally reached the base again, I let out the breath I¡¯d been holding; the gentle vocalisation of that relief sat in the cool air like a helium balloon¡ªno echo, not even a light acoustic reverberation¡ªjust a dense, flat sound, lingering right in front of me. And I know it should have scared me¡ªall of it; the dark, the chill, the feel of¡­something down here¡ªsomething that was lurking like a creep walking behind me on a dark, empty street, matching my footsteps exactly. I felt like, at any minute, I¡¯d turn around and see his face. And screaming wouldn¡¯t be enough. Running wouldn¡¯t save me. I¡¯d reach the end of the tunnel, feel for the gap in that brick wall, and it would be gone. I would have to face him, alone¡ªnot knowing what he wanted or what terrors he had lived through that made him compassionless¡ªable to do¡­unspeakable things to young girls. But none of those fears were enough to stop me planting my hand to the wall and following it along¡ªtoward those children. They needed me more than I needed to feel to safe. I just kept imagining them in that cell, hugging themselves for comfort after being beaten for trying to eat. It wasn¡¯t right. It wasn¡¯t fair. I just wanted to wrap them all up in my arms and tell them it would be all right. Then make it all right. Words weren''t enough. Promises, no good. It was time to take action. Each step deeper into the nothing felt like a bad idea, and my pulse was so strong, my heart gunning in my throat so hard it was almost difficult to breathe. The wall under my fingertips felt slimy yet gritty; I lifted my hand every few seconds to wipe some of the smut away, but it stuck to my skin like a bad memory. ¡°Why did you cry for us?¡± a little voice asked; I froze¡ªmy arms out in front, hands angled to the ground. The voice sounded so close, like the child who owned it was right in front of me. ¡°Where¡­where are you?¡± ¡°To your left,¡± it said very quietly. I turned my head, brushing my hands out blindly in that same direction, stopping on metal, realising then that I came further than I thought. I¡¯d half expected to feel the matchbox at my toes or at least hear the dripping of the leaky faucet I heard before, but there was nothing¡ªnot even the murky, rotten smell. Using the bars, I felt my way down to the floor¡ªhoping the children didn''t grab my hand. ¡°Are you¡ªare you out of the cell?¡± I asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hang on,¡± I said, combing around the dirt. ¡°I¡¯ll light a match.¡± ¡°That big man put them with the lantern,¡± the child said. ¡°Where¡¯s the lantern?¡± ¡°On the wall.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± On my knees, I shuffled slowly to the back wall and ran my hands over each bump in the bricks until my fingers met with something cold and hard. And sure enough, the matches were in the lantern. I had to use all my other senses to get the damn box open, pull out a match and strike it, and when my fingertips, wrist and the base of the lantern showed under the flame¡¯s gentle glow, I held my breath instead of exhaling relief, in case I blew it out. The cinder of smoke and warm flame ran past my nostrils, though, despite holding my breath, and circled the calm spot of familiarity inside me. ¡°Why did you come back?¡± I looked up from the lantern to the cell, and saw it then¡ªa child, with its back to me, its pale grey skin hugging each pebble-like bone in its spine. ¡°I wanted to make sure that little boy was all right.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Dead?¡± ¡°For now. He¡¯s not breathing.¡± I covered my mouth with shaky fingers. ¡°Will he be okay?¡± ¡°Do you care?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said, placing the lantern beside my knees as I sat down in the dirt. ¡°Why?¡± the child said, making no effort to look at me. I wondered what I¡¯d see in that face; if he hid it because he knew the truths that burrowed deep within his dark little soul, or if he was hiding because he was shy. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know why they lock you in here?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re bad.¡± ¡°Oh, sweetie, it¡¯s not because you¡¯re bad¡ªyou¡¯re not bad.¡± I slid closer to the cage. ¡°You¡¯re just a vampire. The ones who lock you away are afraid you won¡¯t control the killing¡ªthat you might hurt too many humans.¡± He didn''t say anything, just kept moving his arm back and forth. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked. ¡°Playing.¡± ¡°A game?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What game?¡± ¡°Noughts and crosses.¡± ¡°I like that game. Can I play, too?¡± He turned around and his black eyes looked so chilling, yet full of so much innocence my heart burned. ¡°Do you have a stick?¡± the boy asked. ¡°I¡ª¡± I looked around, not seeing one, so I stood up and grabbed the keys off the wall. ¡°I can use these.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°You be crosses.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I took a quick glance into the back of the cell, my mouth dropping when I saw the other children; each one sat in small groups, whispering to each other, watching us or playing games of their own. My hand shook as I made a game board in the dirt¡ªon my side of the bars. ¡°Can you reach this?¡± The boy rose onto his knees and slowly placed his stick through the bars. His hand was so tiny¡ªcovered in dried and fresh blood, cacked with dirt. His nails were long, really long, with black ridges making lines all the way down them. I felt the sting of the healed scratches those nails had given me. ¡°I¡¯ll make my cross in the centre,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s always the best place to start.¡± He considered the board for a moment, then drew a circle on the far corner. ¡°Very good,¡± I said, looking away from his face. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Maggot.¡± ¡°Maggot?¡± I frowned, then laughed. ¡°Oh, is that what the keeper calls you?¡± ¡°That''s what he calls everyone.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± I stopped for a second, listening, sure I heard a distant echo in the direction I came from. ¡°That¡¯s not your name. What did your mum and dad call you before you came here? Do you remember?¡± His dark eyes narrowed, strained concentration making his face appear aged beyond his probably only six human years. ¡°Maxwell.¡± ¡°Max,¡± I whispered. ¡°Then, that¡¯s your name¡ªnot Maggot.¡± I stood up and dusted myself off. ¡°I''m coming back for you¡ªall of you, and I''m going to give you a home. You¡¯re not monsters, okay? But you will have to learn to behave. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Will you let us play outside¡ªsee the grass?¡± A little girl appeared, her fingers around the bars, her smiling face pressed between them. ¡°Yes.¡± I placed my hand over my heart to steady it. ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°That''s what the last one said,¡± Max muttered. ¡°Last one? What last one?¡± ¡°The angel,¡± another piped up from the back of the cell. ¡°Hair of gold,¡± said another. ¡°Arietta.¡± A tall, almost teenage boy stood up and walked over to me. ¡°She promised to set us free¡ªbut she never came back.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°She had a baby,¡± said another. ¡°People don''t care about other kids when they have their own.¡± ¡°Oh. Oh, no.¡± I grabbed the bars and pressed my face between them. ¡°You don''t understand. She died. She never got to have her baby.¡± ¡°Then, are you going to die too?¡± Max asked. ¡°No, Max.¡± I touched his dirty, blonde hair. ¡°I''m the new queen. I¡ª¡± I looked at the keys on the floor beside the lantern. ¡°I''m going to let you out. Okay?¡± ¡°Ara?¡± Mike grabbed my hand and yanked me back from the bars; the children fled from sight. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not monsters, Mike,¡± I beamed. He swept the keys off the floor and stood up again, groaning. ¡°When are you going to learn? You never listen. Never! One day you''re going to get yourself killed, girl.¡± ¡°Mike, they talked to me. They¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, nice trick, isn''t it? They''re predators, Ara.¡± He stepped into me. ¡°What did you think they were doing? They want to eat you¡ªnot befriend you.¡± Page 21 ¡°No, I¡ª¡±Advertisement ¡°Yes,¡± Mike yelled, taking both my arms, the keys pressing into my flesh. ¡°Listen carefully. I stayed while they were being fed. I sat there¡ª¡± he pointed across from the cell, ¡°¡ªI watched the keeper drag a woman in¡ªtied up, unconscious. He threw her into the cell, slammed the door, and the Damned did nothing. Nothing. Until the woman stirred.¡± He walked a step away, running a hand through his hair. ¡°She started breathing heavily, panicking. Next thing I know, I hear this rip.¡± ¡°What kind of rip?¡± ¡°The Damned untied her, baby. They unbound her hands and her feet, and they let her run. They let her cower by the bars, screaming for help.¡± ¡°Mike, don''t. You''re lying.¡± ¡°I''m not lying,¡± he yelled. ¡°This is what they do. This is not a joke. David, Eric, even Emily¡ªwhat they are is not a joke. They kill people. Those Damned moved in on that woman¡ªthey ripped her clothes off, held her arms apart and fed on her, kept her alive, her blood warm and pumping until she was goddamn well dry as the Mojave Desert.¡± I shook my head, covering my ears. ¡°I don''t believe you.¡± ¡°You don''t? Fine.¡± He grabbed his phone from his pocket, thumbed it until iTorch came on, then angled it to the back of the cage. ¡°See for yourself.¡± I turned my head slowly, squinting at first, then covered my face, squealing as the last dregs of an image shivered through my spine. ¡°That¡¯s not real.¡± I looked up again at the naked woman, her body spread like a white, fleshy butterfly, glued to the back wall¡ªher bones missing from her skin. ¡°That¡¯s not real.¡± ¡°It is real.¡± My gut heaved as I folded over, gripping my knees. ¡°Do you see now? Do you take me seriously now?¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± I walked slowly over to the cage and peered inside. I could hear them in there, playing, laughing, like that dead woman was just a bear-skin rug on the wall in their father¡¯s study. ¡°But, they play, Mike, and I talked with them.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s a lure.¡± He dragged me away from the cage by the arm. ¡°You open that door, they will take you apart.¡± ¡°I don''t agree.¡± I pulled my arm free. ¡°That boy held a civil conversation with me. If they were treated properly¡ªfed and loved and¡ª¡± ¡°Ara?¡± Mike pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Really? You''re too old for this. I can''t keep chasing you around¡ªtrying to protect you from stupid things like this.¡± ¡°Then don''t,¡± I said and grabbed the keys from his hand. ¡°They won''t hurt me, Mike. I''m not a kill. I''m not their next meal. They trust me. They want to be free, and I know they can behave.¡± ¡°Then open that door.¡± He presented it, conceit refining his grin. I thrust my shoulders back, held my head high and jammed the key in the lock, but stopped before turning it. What if he was right? What if they really were monsters? But David never believed that. He believed we could help them; he wanted me to help them¡ªtold me I wasn¡¯t worth a damn if I didn''t have the heart to help them. ¡°Ara?¡± Mike said gently. ¡°Why don''t we just sit down and talk about this?¡± I turned my head to look at him. ¡°If I do, will you¡ª¡± ¡°Shit, Ara, move!¡± A breath of shock started my heart when he jumped toward me, my fingers scrunching together around the key as a small hand forced it in a turn. Mike grabbed my wrist, his fingers slipping along it as I jolted forward, landing on my hands and knees, the door hitting the wall with a loud metal echo. ¡°Ara, run!¡± I looked up from my dirt-covered fingers, wide eyes taking in the open cage for only a heartbeat before I sunk to the ground, covering my head as the force of twenty screaming children came down on top of me like racing horses. I heard Mike cry out somewhere under the terror of their shrieks, and then, like a storm passing in a whirlwind of racket and chaos, the noise retreated suddenly, leaving me alone on the floor, untouched, with only an eerie still surrounding me. I curled up as small as I could get, trying in vein to quiet my panicked breath. Several seconds passed, counted out by the thump in my chest. ¡°Mike?¡± I slowly pushed up on my hands and turned my head to the dark space he¡¯d been standing before. He was gone. ¡°No.¡± A small cry of panic quivered in the back of my throat. I reached forward, my hands trembling so viciously my elbows shook, and felt for a wall or the bars¡ªanything. But all I found was cold dirt. The panic rose again; I shuffled back further into the cell, tucking my knees to my chest, seeing that dead woman in my thoughts as my eyes scanned the darkness. ¡°Oh, my God,¡± I whispered, my gut expanding then shrinking quickly back in when I saw a silhouette in the corridor; it stood there, three feet high, still as death¡ªlooking right at me. A bubble of dread burst open in the middle of my chest. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked in a small voice. The thing stepped forward, its slow steps clipped, forced, a raspy, grating sound coming from its throat. I jumped to my feet, squealing like a small child, and cupped the edge of the iron door, swinging it closed. The twang of metal echoed down the tunnel and its small hand shot in through the bars, the horrid creature spitting and growling at me like it was some kind of rabid beast. It pressed its cheeks against the cage, the skin on its face pulling its eyes into tiny slits, showing bared, bloodied teeth and a long tongue, licking the iron. The ground stayed under my feet as I took a few slow steps backward, finding the wall with flat palms. But as I stopped, the child pulled back, turning its head slowly to look across from me, then disappeared. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I rolled my chin upward, pressing the base of my head into the stone wall, and let myself cry for a moment. Mike was gone. Who knew if he made it out to get help or if they bludgeoned him before he reached the end of the tunnel? Who knew if some of the Damned had escaped and were ravishing the manor as I stood here, crying tears of self-pity? I wished I¡¯d just waited. I wasn''t going to open that damn door. I was just trying to make a point, and the worst part was, I couldn¡¯t even remember what point I was trying to make in the first place. I wasn''t even sure it mattered. Well, I guess it didn''t matter now. I looked around the thick darkness, hardly able to see the red chipped paint on the bars, and certainly blind to the corners and deeper depths of this cell. I wiped my face and ran forward, grabbing the bars, and shook them. But the door was stuck fast, trapping me in this cage with partially decomposed bodies, the scent enough to make me want to stick my fingers down my throat just be sure I hadn''t swallowed any vestiges of rotten flesh. And somewhere under my fear of what was real, what was right outside this door, dangerous enough to rip me apart, I also wondered if the troubled ghosts of those who¡¯d been killed so violently here haunted these cells. But another thought occurred to me then; even if I did get this door open, how was I to know if the damned weren''t just waiting for me¡ªhoping I¡¯d be smart enough to escape, so they could chase me, warm my blood with fear, then tear off my clothes too, and drink my blood. And maybe I wouldn''t die from that; maybe I could be regenerated, but I wasn''t too excited about being ripped apart. Weighing options up in my thoughts, I paid no mind to the sound of a soft breeze, until it started to take shape, form into what I thought were words. I stopped thinking, my whole body going still as I listened. But the noise stopped, too. Maybe it was just the wind. I had no way of knowing which sounds were normal down here, and which weren''t. It made me think more about the Damned¡ªhow frightening it must be for new children to come here, be thrown away, out of sight, out of mind, never to be seen or heard of again. I stopped thinking, my ears pricked; the sound of the whisper spreading through the darkness. I tried to focus on it, make out words, but it stopped. After a few seconds of silence, I walked slowly forward, seeing what I thought was an outline of a rock on the floor, and sunk to my knees in front of the bars. There hadn''t been any rocks out there in corridor before. I wondered what that was, and as I looked closer, the object sharpened into a boot. A big, heavy, black boot. Mike¡¯s boot. The sound of my shock echoed around me in a breathy gasp; I covered my mouth, trying not to squeal, but the air came back into my throat in a quivering, high-pitched whimper. ¡°Mike?¡± I reached through the bars, my pale white arm stretching as far as it would go, yet not far enough. ¡°Mike?¡± I said again, yanking my hand back, checking the space outside the bars for a small hand or set of teeth that might grab me. All was still. Nothing moved. Nothing made a sound. But I could feel things around me¡ªfeel eyes on me, prickling the hairs on the back of my neck. It didn''t matter, though. Even if the Damned grabbed my hand and ripped my arm off as soon as I reached for Mike again, I still had to try¡ªto see if I could wake him. Right now, with them out there and me in here, Mike was kind of my only hope. After another few breaths, each one building confidence, I reached out slowly through the bars again, my shoulder pressing past the limits, my chin going with it, making my fingers longer. I held my breath, biting my teeth together, and finally touched the tip of his boot, celebrating a quiet moment of victory before getting up on my knees a little more. I sent my hand back out into enemy territory, the top of my arm sore, burning from the force of the metal, and this time, my nails caught the sole of his boot. I tugged a little, but my fingers slipped, falling to the ground as the shoe disappeared, leaving a trail behind in the dirt where something dragged Mike¡¯s body deeper into the darkness. I jerked my hand back, tucking it into my ribs as I landed against the wall, squeaking to myself. They were out there; the damned were out in the world, and they had Mike. I couldn''t see him, or hear him breathing¡ªtried to listen for the sound of vampires feeding, but it was like they¡¯d just disappeared, locked me in and thrown away the key. I rubbed a flat palm across my hairline, then looked up, eyes bright with new hope. That¡¯s it. The key. Maybe it was still in the lock. I got to my knees and sifted around in the dirt before heading to the door. It had to be there. But my swift movement stirred something, woke something that had clearly been sleeping¡ªsomething still in the cage, with me. It groaned, becoming a solid figure as it creeped out of the shadows, moving by its hands, like a dog with no legs, dragging them loosely behind it. I sat very still, covering my mouth to block the scent of fresh vampire blood and urine coming off its body like heat. Whatever it was hadn''t seen me yet, but it would smell me soon enough. My thoughts left my mouth in a whispering curse, and the thing turned its head, looking right this way; its dark eyes fixing on mine, growing wider inside its head as it hissed, shifting direction quickly, snaking toward me. ¡°Shit!¡± I jumped to my feet, leaped for the bars and climbed, hooking my foot in a hold on the second rung. But it slipped, sending my body into a spin, my toes nearly touching the ground again. I quickly glanced back at the child, but it was gone, leaving only a trail where it¡¯d dragged its limp little body through the dirt, toward me¡ªits next meal. My eyes darted across the floor, the world freezing around me when I spotted it, less than an arms-length away. ¡°No!¡± I squealed, pulling myself up higher, clutching the bars in a bone-white grip. ¡°Mike! Get up. Please, Mike!¡± I grabbed the top of the cage, angling my head away from the stone roof, my shoulders hunched against it. When I looked back down, a small hand shot up at me, just missing my foot as I jerked away. The child growled in the back of its throat, the sound coming out through caged teeth, like it was smiling. ¡°Mike! Please!¡± I screamed over at him, aiming my voice down, as if mere volume could wake the dead. But my breath stopped short of my lips when several heads lifted from the aura of his body, smearing blood across their mouths. And under the dead silence, as each eye turned to find me, every fear I ever had¡ªevery creature under the bed, every man in my closet, became apparent in that one breath. If I stayed here, my fingers wrapped around the bars, toes edged out into their world, they¡¯d grab me. But if I dropped down¡ªback into the cage, the demon at my feet would own me¡ªrip me apart. My limbs went tight with tension. I¡¯d never been good at decision-making. But they were closing in¡ªslowly walking toward the cage, while the demon under me fastened its fingers around the bars, pulling itself closer, its legs dangling behind it like dead meat. ¡°Get off!¡± I thrust my foot into its head, feeling its hair under my toes. It went down, its tiny hand shooting up, catching my ankle. ¡°Please. No.¡± ¡°Get back in your cage!¡± A thunderous voice broke through the darkness, and like a dragon scorching the night sky, hunting for its young, the children shrieked, their entourage breaking apart, forcing the cage door open beside me. I fell to the floor with a thud so hard my teeth knocked together inside my mouth, and the child¡¯s hand locked around my foot. There was nothing to grab¡ªno time to roll over and crawl away; it pulled me closer as the chaos of bodies moved past us, and opened its mouth, its tongue rolling out over my toes. But my foot came loose suddenly, sending me, with all my fight, tumbling back on my hands¡ªthe keeper¡¯s stick coming down, spearing the demon¡¯s shoulder. It screeched, cupping its neck, scrambling around to find ground with its hands. I couldn¡¯t watch. I didn''t want to see this again; I curled up on the floor, hands over my head, knees tucked to my chest, and cried. Page 22 ¡°You foolish little girl.¡± The keeper grabbed my wrist and dragged me across the dirt¡ªhooking his toes around the cage door to close it as he shoved me into the bloody heap that was my best friend.Advertisement ¡°Mike?¡± I whimpered, rising up on my hands to touch his face. ¡°Mike. Please be okay.¡± But he wasn''t okay. His chest, his neck, his whole shirt was drenched in the sticky, thick paste of redness they¡¯d drained from his veins. I shook his shoulders, slapping his cheek, listening for breath. ¡°Do something!¡± I yelled at the keeper. ¡°Nuttin¡¯ to be done now, missy. You got what you came ¡®ere for.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± I spun around to look at him, spite littering my upturned lip. ¡°A lesson.¡± He turned away. I was about to find the nearest rock and ditch it at his head, but Mike grumbled, his hand moving to grasp his neck. ¡°Mike?¡± I sat back on my heels, giving him space. ¡°Argh. You¡ª¡± he groaned, rolling up. ¡°Never. Listen.¡± ¡°I''m so sorry, Mike. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Is that a joke?¡± he said, thumbing a massive gash on his elbow. ¡°I¡¯ve just attended a three-course meal, Ara, and I was the bloody main.¡± ¡°I''m so, so sorry.¡± I was about to say I should¡¯ve listened to you, but Mike cut in with ¡°No, you¡¯re not¡± and stumbled to his feet, leaving me on the ground to look up at him. ¡°You¡¯re bloody lucky those Damned were just fed, or I¡¯d be in the regeneration chamber right now.¡± He winced, wiping his jaw. ¡°That really freakin hurts.¡± ¡°So?¡± The keeper looked down at me, leaning on his metal stick. ¡°Learned any valuable lessons today, Your Royal Pain in the Arse?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I scoffed. ¡°You can''t call me that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll allow it this time,¡± Mike said, shaking his obviously very irritating sore arm. ¡°After all, he was right about you.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes, right¡ªthat you¡¯d come back down here and let those Damned out,¡± Mike said. ¡°Why do you think I left the keys on the hook?¡± The caretaker pointed to the wall. ¡°You set me up?¡± ¡°Baby, I''m sorry, but you always have to learn the hard way.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± I clambered to my feet, using the wall to steady myself. ¡°You knew they¡¯d do that?¡± ¡°Of course, Ara. Did you think I was stupid?¡± Mike shook his head and clapped the keeper on the shoulder, like they were best buds. ¡°We had you figured before you even came down here today. The doors were barricaded at the other end so the Damned wouldn¡¯t get out.¡± ¡°And, what, you were just gonna let them rip me apart?¡± He shrugged, half laughing, half folding over in agony, propping his hands to his knees. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes.¡± ¡°Hu!¡± ¡°What? You¡¯d heal.¡± ¡°Unless they ate my heart or took my head off!¡± He stood up, wiping a hand across his nose. ¡°I was watching for that.¡± ¡°What, you mean you were conscious?¡± ¡°Yep. Ate onion this morning and everything, just to make my blood less appealing.¡± He rubbed the gaping wound on his neck. ¡°Had extra blood, too, so I¡¯d heal faster.¡± ¡°You asshole.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll thank me one day,¡± he said smugly and picked up a lantern. ¡°You needed to see that people generally do things for a reason, Ara. Just because you don''t agree, doesn''t make it wrong.¡± Mute with bewilderment and disappointment, I looked back at the children. ¡°I really thought they were¡ª¡± ¡°I know what you thought.¡± Mike wrapped a heavy arm over my neck; he smelled of blood mixed with dirt and sweat, and, now I thought about it¡ªonion. ¡°Exactly what the last person who talked to them thought, too¡ªand now she¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°I thought you were making that up¡ªto scare me.¡± ¡°Why would I do that, Ara? Honestly.¡± He shook his head again¡ªhis new favourite move when it came to me. ¡°She was all too real, baby. Human. Not lucky enough to be like us. She didn¡¯t even get a chance to heal.¡± I looked at the bloodied mess of Mike¡¯s face, and felt absolutely no pity for him. ¡°Well, you deserve every scratch you got.¡± I folded my arms and stormed past him. ¡°Jerk!¡± ¡°It was worth it,¡± he called after me. I stopped. ¡°Why? So you and your pal there had another chance to beat those children.¡± Mike grabbed my arm, appearing beside me at vamp speed. ¡°No, Ara¡ªit was the only way to teach you a lesson. Maybe now you might start to realise that, sometimes, what your heart tells you, and what¡¯s right, are two different things.¡± ¡°My heart tells me they wouldn¡¯t have hurt me if you weren¡¯t here.¡± I poked his chest. ¡°It¡¯s you and that¡­that thing they¡¯re afraid of.¡± I pointed at the keeper. I meant the stick, but calling him a thing served my point, too. Mike huffed loudly and dropped his arms to his sides. ¡°There¡¯s just no getting through to you, is there?¡± ¡°Not when it comes to what I believe is right and wrong, Mike.¡± ¡°Ara, you¡¯re a little girl, for God¡¯s sake. You wouldn¡¯t know the complexities of right and wrong if they came up and ripped your hair out.¡± ¡°There are no complexities, Michael! Black and white. That¡¯s it. And the black of it is, those Damned are children.¡± I pointed a straight arm at their cage. ¡°And the white of it is, I''m going to help them.¡± ¡°And what are you gonna do?¡± He leaned forward, towering over me. ¡°Let them loose? Give them a bedroom and a dolly to play with?¡± ¡°I don''t know. But one way or another, I will find a way to make their lives better. I know what they¡¯re capable of now, but that changes nothing.¡± ¡°Ara, they¡¯re like the Children of the Corn, baby. They haven¡¯t been changed by compassion for humans. They see killing in black and white, whether you wanna believe that or not.¡± ¡°That may be so, but desperation and loneliness will turn even the sweetest kitten into a savage beast.¡± I started walking again but stopped and looked down at the little boy, now sitting by the bars again. ¡°We have no right to create monsters and then punish them for monstrous behaviour, Mike. We start making plans for a new home for them¡ªtoday!¡± Chapter Five Petey sat by my feet, well, on my foot, while I leaned my elbows on the balcony railing, trying to spot the lighthouse through the orange glow of sunset. Now that I¡¯d been down to the field and knew where the lighthouse was, I could just make out what I thought was the top, but I wasn¡¯t sure. Below my balcony, the summer smell of the forest mixed with the briny salt of sea spray on the breeze, making me thirsty. Really thirsty. ¡°Where do you think he is, Petey?¡± I asked, scratching him on the head. ¡°If he doesn''t call soon, I think I''m just gonna jump over this balcony and go see him. He promised. He said ¡®every day. I will call you every day. Six, no, nine times a day¡¯. What happened to that?¡± Petey whined, licking his chops. ¡°Ara?¡± Mike¡¯s voice kind of made me cringe. I knew why he was here. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at dinner?¡± I looked down at Petey. ¡°Told ya we¡¯d get in trouble.¡± ¡°You¡¯re blaming the dog?¡± ¡°It was his idea,¡± I said, and Petey groaned, moving to sit by Mike¡¯s feet. ¡°Right. Looks that way,¡± Mike said, a little smug. ¡°Okay. Fine. I just¡­I''m too depressed to go down there and pretend I want to listen to everyone argue.¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± he scoffed. ¡°A part of our tradition is to dine in community each night. And you¡¯re the princess¡ªyou don''t get to hide in your room and throw a tantrum because the world isn''t going your way.¡± ¡°Mike? I just got attacked by a gang of bloodthirsty kindergarteners and I haven¡¯t heard from the man who¡¯s supposed to love me for nearly a week, because he doesn''t want to speak to me.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t want to, huh?¡± I nodded. ¡°Look¡ª¡± He scratched just beside his eye. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him for you, okay? But I know he¡¯s just feelin¡¯ it pretty deep¡ªthis whole being apart thing. His way of dealing with that is to distance himself.¡± ¡°How would that help?¡± ¡°Ar, you know how it is¡ªlike when you talk to a friend on the phone that you haven¡¯t seen in ages. It always hurts more right after you hang up.¡± He tugged softly on a strand of my hair. ¡°He still loves ya, baby.¡± ¡°Well, until he tells me that, in his own words, I think I have a right to feel a bit sad.¡± ¡°Yes, you do, but you don''t get to sit here and wallow in it. You have a responsibly to your people, and a part of that is maintaining rituals, even if you don''t feel like it. Now, suck it up and get down stairs.¡± I watched my door swing closed behind him, letting my lip quiver. ¡°I just can''t go down there, Petey. I¡¯ll cry. I know it. If I have to sit through another stupid argument between vampires and Lilithians, I think I¡¯ll just burst into tears.¡± I covered my face. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough. I''m not going.¡± ¡°Not even if I ask you?¡± Eric pushed the curtains back and stepped into the pink light of the setting sun. ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡± I looked back out over the ocean. ¡°Ara, please. You''re the only person worth talking to down there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Do you really think I want to be there?¡± He leaned against the railing beside me, arms folded, back to the view. ¡°I''m a vampire. I have no real need to eat, but I go¡ªfor you.¡± I bit my teeth together, shaking my head. ¡°Please?¡± He grinned, and that dimple-indent thing leaped off his cheek and hit me in the hard exterior. ¡°Uhg! Fine.¡± I threw my hands up. ¡°But only because I''m hungry¡ªnot because you used that cheeky grin on me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He cocked his head, winking. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone you can¡¯t resist me¡ªit¡¯ll be our little secret.¡± ¡°You wish.¡± I punched him softly in the arm. ¡°Hey.¡± He grabbed my wrist. ¡°When did you last have blood?¡± ¡°Just after the attack¡ªa few hours ago. Why?¡± ¡°See this?¡± He ran his index finger over my vein. ¡°See how it¡¯s raised and the smaller veins around it are purple?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°It means you¡¯re blood-thirsty.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°You must have used a lot to heal.¡± I ran a finger over my wrist. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call up a Sacrificial.¡± He went to walk away. ¡°No. Don''t. I¡¯ll just starve.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I really hate those guys. They¡¯re so impersonal.¡± ¡°That''s the idea, kiddo.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­I don''t know. Maybe I''m more like you guys than my kind.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You want to kill?¡± I sighed. ¡°No. Not kill. But¡­I like the bite¡ªthe intimacy. Drinking from some man in a suit, who looks away while I suck his arm, is like washing chocolate down with a glass water, real quick, so you can eat a plate of broccoli.¡± Eric laughed loudly, rolling his head back; his pointy fangs made me miss my vampire so, so much. ¡°Here. You¡¯ll just have to drink from me then, until David can come back.¡± ¡°Are you immune?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mike¡¯s been tipping his blood into a cup for me.¡± He made a face like he was grossed-out. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°And that makes you immune to my venom, too?¡± ¡°To all venom, including Created.¡± I took his hand in a delicate grasp. ¡°I really hope you¡¯re right about that, Eric.¡± ¡°If not, guess we¡¯ll find out the hard way.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± I looked at his wrist, then his caramel eyes, all smiling and knowing. ¡°What about the lust?¡± His brow arched high. ¡°Amara, I think we¡¯re a little past all that now. Just drink.¡± ¡°Well, the prophecy child is no longer an option!¡± one person said sternly; I rolled my eyes, walking into the Great Hall. ¡°I disagree. There is nothing to say it must be conceived with a firstborn son of Knight.¡± ¡°Right, and if it was, Arthur is a firstborn anyway, so he could impregnate her.¡± I looked right at Arthur when I heard that, my lip turned up; he closed his eyes, shaking his head as if to say ¡®sorry¡¯. ¡°Look, right now, we need to focus on catching Drake,¡± Mike cut in. ¡°We can debate the prophecy after that.¡± Everyone stood suddenly, conversations ceasing as I pulled my chair out. I held the urge to swallow in the silence until, as I sat down, everyone else followed, making quiet chatter again. ¡°We should be focusing on the coronation,¡± Portly woman said. ¡°Yes. Steps. We must look at this in steps. The coronation needs to happen.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I said, unfolding my napkin. A few people shook their heads, a couple of eyes rolling. Page 23 ¡°It¡¯s a sacrificial right,¡± Arthur said. ¡°It completes the process of your transformation.¡±Advertisement ¡°Into a Lilithian?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Like a person being baptised,¡± he said. ¡°Baptised? But I don''t believe in God.¡± ¡°That is irrelevant,¡± Arthur¡¯s tone was a little harsher than usual. ¡°Yes, see, Your Majesty, that Stone has power,¡± Moustache Man said with a bit of a stutter. ¡°It is said to be the scale that measures balance between all living things.¡± ¡°And when you make a promise to assist it, you become a part of Nature¡¯s army,¡± a woman in a pink blouse said, ¡°like a bee or a seed, helping keep things in greater order¡ªall life.¡± ¡°What, like, I can make a plant grow by touching it?¡± I half laughed. ¡°It is not just the plants you will command,¡± Moustache Man said, ¡°but the animals¡ªall creatures that walk this earth.¡± ¡°All living creatures,¡± someone corrected. ¡°Yes,¡± Moustache Man amended. ¡°Well, what un-living creatures are there, if vampires aren¡¯t undead?¡± The room grew silent. Everyone seemed to have an answer but no one wanted to say it. ¡°Ghosts?¡± I asked, smiling under high arched brows of sarcasm. ¡°The issue at hand here is not what you will rule, but what you must do before you can,¡± Arthur said. ¡°And, so, I¡¯ll be a complete Lilithian vampire when I make my oath on the Stone?¡± ¡°Once the full ceremony is complete, yes.¡± ¡°I don''t really understand how a simple coronation can change things.¡± ¡°Again, like making your Confirmation in God¡¯s church, you will be bound, the slit of which your purity and your power enters and leaves your soul will, essentially, be sewn shut¡ªset in stone. You will be one with Mother Nature.¡± ¡°Cool. So, if Drake¡¯s destructive and cruel, not really balancing things, how come the Stone lets him rule? Can''t it just do some mumbo jumbo magic and get rid of him?¡± ¡°The Stone is not there to maintain balance. It is a gateway¡ªan energy point that connects the earth and all living creatures to the human world. It has no power to change things itself,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°It needs¡­assistants. Bodies connected to this realm, of which can do its bidding.¡± ¡°Like me,¡± I said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And, so Drake was, what, fired?¡± I asked. ¡°No. Drake never made an oath on the Stone. He commissioned the monarchy and the laws, and is deemed ruler by law, by vote, but it is the one who Nature deems worthy that counts. He can remain on the throne of the vampires, but once you make your oath and prove your worth, Mother Nature will deem you the only ruler¡ªlike Lilith before you.¡± ¡°Right, and with Her backing,¡± Portly Woman said, ¡°Heaven help any who try to get in your way.¡± ¡°So, do we really need to catch Drake and let this prophecy child kill him? Can''t we just coexist, you know, he can rule the vampires and I rule all else?¡± ¡°Drake has become a power hungry man,¡± another said. ¡°He serves a purpose outside maintaining balance now, and that is why Fate has placed you here, it is why there is a child prophesised to kill him, it is why we must not allow him to continue.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s so bad about him? What¡¯s he doing that deems him worthy of death?¡± ¡°Black magic. He incurred a curse on this land many centuries ago, and the runes of the old language once said the curse would come again, with a great darkness commissioned by Drake¡ªaround the time of a new queen¡¯s rising.¡± ¡°Runes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± an old man said. ¡°Aside from prophecies on parchment, written in languages most can no longer read, by a vampire no one has seen in centuries, we Lilithians have been predicting futures by use of stones marked with Symbols.¡± ¡°And you predicted me?¡± ¡°Yes. But not this prophecy child.¡± I sat up, suddenly more interested, while the rest of the table shushed the old man. ¡°No, wait, I want to hear this. So¡­you think there¡¯s no child?¡± ¡°Oh, no, there is a child, but she is of little significance¡ªin this chapter of Drake¡¯s story, anyway.¡± ¡°But¡­will she be the one to free the Damned?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve not had any¡­¡± The old man shook his head a few times, looking at the man who pretty much looked like his double. ¡°I don''t believe we¡¯ve prophesised such a possibility.¡± ¡°But Vampirie did, right?¡± I said, then looked at Arthur, who stared at Morgaine, his eyes narrowed with thought. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, suddenly sitting taller. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯ve deciphered.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I looked back at the old man. ¡°Vampirie says one thing; what did you predict?¡± ¡°Two paths,¡± the old man said. When he stood, I noticed the grey cloak he wore, very out of place among the modern suits and sequined dresses. ¡°A great queen would rise and give birth to a new Order, where two kinds would live in peace. She will defeat the evil for love of a child, but the story will not end there.¡± ¡°Well, what happens next?¡± I realised I was sitting really far forward. ¡°We¡­we don''t know,¡± he said in a shaky voice and sat back down. ¡°Darkness,¡± his double said. ¡°As if the path does not exist, or perhaps has no determination.¡± ¡°What, like a plan-your-own-future story?¡± ¡°Perhaps, or perhaps a decision must be made before the door opens.¡± I nodded to myself. ¡°So, you said there were two paths? What was the other one?¡± Another old man stood, tucking his long beard to his chest as he bowed to me. ¡°A curse, Majesty. If you choose the wrong path, a Darkness will rebirth the curse on these lands. We have seen it¡ªseen death, destruction.¡± ¡°So, how can we stop that from happening? Did you get any clues?¡± ¡°One.¡± I waited. ¡°Love must offer life.¡± ¡°Life?¡± ¡°Yes. Nhym, in the old language,¡± said the man in the grey cloak. ¡°Well, how do we do that? Is it, like, I offer my life in service, or sacrifice myself on the Stone? What do we do?¡± ¡°The door to any path reveals itself as you walk, Princess.¡± The man standing sat back down. ¡°When the time comes, you will know.¡± ¡°And what¡ªin the meantime, I get some freaky power from Mother Nature by making an oath on some stone?¡± ¡°That is not just some stone,¡± Grey Sideburns said. ¡°It is connected deeply to your roots¡ªto Vampirie¡¯s mother, Lilith¡ªyour ancestor. Do not have such little respect.¡± The idea that facts surrounded her story made me feel connected¡ªmade me feel a part of myth and legend, as if I knew Lilith once. ¡°So she was real? Lilith?¡± ¡°No one has proved she either existed or that she didn''t. So, until they do, we have only stories and faith,¡± Arthur said, raising his glass. ¡°Like God.¡± He smiled at me. ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give it a go. Bring on this coronation and let¡¯s see if I really do have Mother Nature¡¯s backing, then I¡¯ll go catch Drake myself.¡± ¡°And do what with him?¡± Arthur asked. I looked around at all the faces; they wanted me to say kill, but I wasn''t going to do that unless I really had to. ¡°Kill him,¡± Morgaine said, jamming her heel into my ankle. ¡°Ouch¡ªur, yeah.¡± I sat back. ¡°Figure out how to kill him, I guess.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have a fight on your hands. You must make sure you¡¯re strong before you do this.¡± I nodded. That much, I knew. But it was like going to a party that hadn¡¯t listed a dress code on the invitation; I had no idea what to expect. For all I knew, he could be like the Head Boss in a video game¡ªa riddle I had to figure out on the spot, and I was sure there wouldn¡¯t be any ¡®power up¡¯ cartridges or ¡®health packs¡¯ lying around when I reached a hundred points. ¡°I disagree. From a tactical standpoint, sending an inexperienced fighter¡ªa young girl¡ªto catch an ancient warrior is a bad idea. I mean, this is Ara we¡¯re talking about¡ª¡± Mike presented me, looking at Eric then Morgaine. ¡°She¡¯s not capable of something like that.¡± ¡°Perhaps you just need a little faith, yourself, Michael,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I don''t believe you know what that girl is capable of.¡± ¡°I train with her. I taught her everything she knows. She can''t even fight off a mob of human attackers yet. How¡¯s she gonna measure up against Drake?¡± ¡°Once she has made her oath, her powers will enrich,¡± the old cloak man said. ¡°Give her a chance before you place limitations on her.¡± Mike sat back. I knew he wouldn¡¯t believe I could just become more powerful by spilling blood on some rock and making a promise; it wasn''t factual enough for him. He needed something tangible, a weapon¡ªa heavy object he could throw, not a mythical story passed down from old man to old man, translated from several different languages since its inception. And maybe he was right not to place too much faith in oracles. But, at the same time, the idea of the runes really sparked my interest. They held more worth, in my mind, than some half-ripped, hard to read prophecy Morgaine, who wasn¡¯t even an expert, had deciphered. I wanted Arthur¡¯s opinion on what the prophecy said. But he hadn¡¯t mentioned it to me at all¡ªlike he was avoiding it. ¡°Anyway, right now, it¡¯s not Amara¡¯s battle with Drake you need to prepare her for, Mike,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°It¡¯s the Walk of Faith.¡± ¡°What''s the Walk of faith?¡± I asked, and everyone groaned. Mike swallowed. ¡°You didn''t tell her?¡± Morgaine looked right at him. ¡°I¡­I was going to.¡± He scratched the back of his neck. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°In order to seal your oath, you must prove your worth,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°This is the right of passage Arthur mentioned.¡± ¡°A walk is a right of passage?¡± ¡°Yes, see, to prove you have the courage and strength to rule, you will take the path of treachery, walk darkness in isolation, to find hope and bring it back to your people.¡± ¡°How do you find hope? It¡¯s not a thing; a stick, a pebble, a¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s a metaphor,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°Basically, by doing the walk you¡¯re finding the hope¡ªor whatever.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay, so I have to walk. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°You start it after you swear your oath¡ªa part of the ceremony that will weaken you, both physically and spiritually,¡± Moustache Man said. ¡°Yes, and you must leave the border of the forest before dawn.¡± ¡°Why before dawn?¡± ¡°Because if you don''t, a; you will be trapped in there for eternity.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°And b; you will have failed your people. You will not be crowned as queen.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down at my plate. ¡°So, I just wander around the forest for the night, that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°It won''t be that simple, my lady,¡± Arthur said. ¡°It will be pitch black, you will be exhausted, burning from your markings and¡ª¡± ¡°There are¡­things in the forest,¡± Portly Woman interrupted. ¡°Only myths and stories have been told of the dangers you must face and the fears you must overcome to prove your worth, but even those are enough to see brave men run.¡± ¡°Yeah, or it¡¯s just a forest and she draws pictures in the dirt with a stick for the night and walks up the hill as the sun starts to show,¡± Eric said. ¡°Well¡ª¡± Morgaine folded her napkin. ¡°We¡¯ve no way of knowing. Not one who entered that forest after making an oath ever came out¡ªexcept Lilith.¡± ¡°There were others?¡± ¡°Yes, but they were not proved to be Lilithians.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There was no way of proving it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I said, sure it was becoming my new favourite word. ¡°It¡¯s easy enough to prove¡ªjust give them a vampire for lunch and see if he dies from the bite.¡± ¡°And where do you propose we¡¯d have gotten one of those?¡± someone else asked. ¡°Do you think Drake would just hand one over¡ªlet us kill it? If he knew those of us who weren''t imprisoned in the cells were searching for a pure blood all these centuries, he¡¯d have had us all beheaded.¡± I touched my hand to my collarbones; to the place I could only pretend I had my locket. ¡°Okay, so, this Walk of Faith is quite possibly fatal?¡± ¡°Possibly,¡± Morgaine said, issuing a stern glare down the table. ¡°But not likely.¡± ¡°You don''t have to do this, baby.¡± Mike reached across and rubbed my shoulder blade. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°No. You don''t. This is your life, Ara, if you don''t want to¡ª¡± ¡°Look, Mike, disagreeable obligations don¡¯t relieve a princess of her duties¡ªyou of all people would be the first to tell me that.¡± I looked around the table. ¡°This changes nothing.¡± Everyone looked at their dinner, except Arthur, who bowed his head to me and smiled. Mike sat back, but his face burned pink with rage and his eyes fixed to one spot on his plate. Page 24 ¡°I say we set a date for the coronation at the House meeting tomorrow.¡±Advertisement ¡°No. It will be discussed between the Private Council first,¡± Mike said. ¡°It should be an event determined and agreed on by all, not just those who¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± I stopped it before it started. ¡°I am officially ruling that no one talks politics or battle tactics at the table for the rest of the night. I am so sick of these arguments.¡± ¡°Here, here.¡± Arthur rapped his knuckles on the table and dug a fork into his dinner. Slowly, everyone went about their meals, and quiet conversations around the table made for a very pleasant evening. Until Eric mentioned le Chateau de la Mort. ¡°Elysium!¡± Arthur slammed his napkin on the table; I glanced up, shocked. ¡°I''m sorry, Councilman. I meant no disrespect.¡± Eric looked into his plate. ¡°Let it be known¡ª¡± Arthur pointed at each person along the table, ¡°¡ªthis is the last time anyone will call my home such a name.¡± ¡°Whoa, hang on.¡± I frowned across at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what it¡¯s called?¡± ¡°No.¡± He took his napkin up again and flipped it into his lap. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a nickname,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°But that¡¯s what David always called it, too.¡± ¡°Did he now?¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Urm¡­uh, maybe it wasn''t him who called it that.¡± I didn''t want to get him in trouble when he ¡®came back to life.¡¯ ¡°So, what¡¯s it really called?¡± ¡°Le Chateau Elysium.¡± ¡°Elysium? Is that like the gardens in the rivers of the Underworld¡ªin Greek Mythology?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arthur gave Eric a sideways glance. ¡°When the castle was built by my ancestor¡ª¡± ¡°Your ancestor?¡± I screeched, then gulped it all back in. ¡°I mean¡­sorry. Continue¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Arthur said, letting out a breath through his nostrils. ¡°The castle was commissioned by a man named John Philippe Knight¡ªbuilt as a home, a sanctuary¡ªa place to end all journeys. And so, he named it after the place he believed to be the afterlife.¡± ¡°So, why do they call it the Castle of Death?¡± ¡°Of the Dead,¡± Eric corrected, becoming smaller beside Arthur. ¡°Because¡ª¡± Arthur turned his head slowly to look away from Eric. ¡°Being that, in Greek Mythology, Elysium is a place the dead go and, over the centuries many deaths occurred at the castle, vampires have quite amused themselves with this heinous nickname.¡± ¡°Yeah, but, Elysium is were the blessed dead go, right? Like Heaven?¡± ¡°Precisely. It is a place of rest, a sanctuary. Not a tomb,¡± he said. ¡°And this bothers you?¡± I asked. ¡°This nickname.¡± He eyed each of the faces staring back at him. ¡°I grew up there, as a boy. It was always only a home to me. I¡¯ll not have her name tarnished by ignorance.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded. ¡°Fine. Like Arthur said, no one calls it de la Mort again. Got it?¡± Everyone on both sides of the table nodded, mumbling to themselves. Arthur bowed his head, smiling softly. ¡°Thank you for your support, my lady.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Petey and I laid on my bed, listening to music, while my foot tapped out the beat of all my emotions. The night outside was incredibly still, slipping past my open balcony door and resting on my brow in a mist of perspiration. It made Petey¡¯s fur, where I lay my head on his ribs, stick to the back of my neck. ¡°This song reminds me of her, you know¡ªof my mum.¡± As always, Petey didn¡¯t respond, but I told him all about her anyway¡ªall about her terrible cooking, the boyfriend who left when she fell pregnant with Harry, and the way she¡¯d dance around the living room with me, singing into hairbrushes. It almost felt like Petey shared my loss, like he knew her too, or at least knew what it felt like to miss somebody that much. When my playlist ended, I talked a while longer, letting midnight creep closer and closer, while the distant song of a cricket gave me a feeling of safety, knowing there were no evil vampires down in the garden, thankfully. Not even my knights. But they were right out in the corridor¡ªguarding me from evil housekeepers and deadly dust motes. ¡°I feel like a kid being punished and made to stay in her room,¡± I said to Petey. ¡°I mean, I know I can leave, but I feel like Falcon¡¯s my dad¡ªwaiting to bark at me if I come out.¡± The dog¡¯s chest shook a little, his musty kibble breath making me cringe. I rolled over and looked into his pale blue eyes. ¡°Did you just laugh, Petey?¡± He held eye contact, his tongue hanging out, but beyond that gaze was the kind of awareness I¡¯d always seen there¡ªlike he was an old soul. ¡°I wonder how you became his dog, Petey¡ªJason¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°And I wish I could read your mind¡ªwish you could talk to me about him.¡± Petey edged forward and licked my nose; I giggled, pushing him away by his collar. ¡°I''m okay, boy. It¡¯s just¡­well, I don''t see him so much in my dreams now. It¡¯s almost like I was left with a certain amount of memories, and now I''ve used them all up.¡± I thought about his sparkling green eyes, how I loved them in a different way to what I love David''s¡ªlike they looked the same, but detained different truths. ¡°It¡¯s getting worse, you know¡ªthis¡­well, David just isn''t who I thought he was, and I¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t say it to Petey, because I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d figured it out in my own head yet. ¡°Love means loving someone no matter what, right?¡± A low whine sounded in the back of Petey¡¯s throat. ¡°There are just so many things in David¡¯s past that I still don''t know, and I''m starting to wonder if I would love him if I knew them all. And him not speaking to me just leaves me alone with all this in my head, and I can''t sort it out myself, Petey. I can''t. I am the worst advice giver ever, and yet I''m the only one that can give myself advice about this.¡± The dog cocked his head; I looked down at his big, heavy paws, making impressions in my white quilt, then flopped onto my back and wound my hair around my fingertip. ¡°If this was Emily I was speaking to, and she said, ¡®hey, Ara, my husband was really cruel as a child and everyone who knew him as an adult cringes when they think of him,¡¯ I¡¯d tell her she should run, you know. That it¡¯d only be a matter of time before that cruelty came out on her. But I love him.¡± I sighed, half waiting for Petey to tell me what to do. ¡°I don''t know. Maybe I just need to see him. Maybe when I look into his eyes and see the humanity I know is there, I¡¯ll forget everything I''ve made him out to be in my mind while I¡¯ve been here.¡± I sat up and jumped off the bed. ¡°That¡¯s it, Petey. I''m going to see him!¡± My iPod fell off the bed with the sudden movement; I grabbed it and pressed play on the David playlist, then opened Arietta¡¯s dresser drawer, pulled out my hairbrush, lip-gloss and a few other travel essentials, stopping when a low growl sounded from behind me. I spun round to Petey¡¯s bared teeth. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± He didn''t answer, so I turned back to continue gathering stuff, but the dog appeared beside me, snatching my hairbrush up in his teeth. ¡°Hey! Give that back.¡± He leaped over my bed and ran across the room. ¡°Get back here!¡± I climbed over the pillowy obstacle and darted after him. ¡°I''m going, Petey. You can''t stop me.¡± The white ball of fur dropped the brush between his paws and showed his teeth again, growling, probably attempting to look scary. ¡°Argh. I''m not afraid of some overgrown marshmallow with a throat condition.¡± I stomped over and grabbed my hairbrush, all slimy and gooey, from the floor. ¡°And what''s it to you, anyway? You''re a dog!¡± He sneezed at me, wiping his paw across the brow of his nose a few times. ¡°Petey, I have no idea what that means.¡± I opened my bedroom door for him. ¡°Now, get your fluffy tail out of my room and let me pack. And don¡¯t think I won¡¯t lock you outside if you show me those teeth one more time, Petey.¡± He trotted off, and I looked at Falcon, who leaned back, propping his foot on the wall as he folded his arms. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I said, and slammed the door. I can''t believe I have to defend my plans to a canine. And what¡¯s worse, Falcon definitely heard me say ¡®pack.¡¯ My shoulders dropped, my chest sinking with a sigh as I looked at the balcony; I¡¯d have to jump if I was going to escape. And I¡¯d have to move fast. Falcon was not born yesterday. I probably had about three minutes to get out of here. I took off on my right foot, the vamp speed knocking a small side table into the corner of an armchair as I passed, and appeared in my wardrobe, still in one piece, then scanned the shelves, top to bottom, for a suitcase or even a plastic shopping bag to stuff my clothes in. A handkerchief folded around a stick would even do. But, there was no need to go all Huckleberry Finn style, since my suitcase was on the top shelf. I took a leap toward it, with a little too much speed, and hit my head on the roof before falling back down on my butt in a pathetic heap. ¡°Some vampire you are, Ara,¡± I said to myself. ¡°Let¡¯s hope you can land better when you jump off the third storey.¡± I clambered to my feet, dusting myself off, and looked up at the top shelf again. ¡°I will get you,¡± I said to the troublesome suitcase; it scowled back down at me. ¡°And when I do, I''m going to stuff you so full you won''t be able to zip yourself up for a week without lubri¡ª¡± ¡°Need some help?¡± Mike asked, leaning on the doorframe; his brow arched, arms folded. Petey sat by his feet, his tongue hanging out over his smug dog-grin. ¡°Dibber-dobber,¡± I snickered at the over-protective fluff-ball¡ªthe dog, not Mike. ¡°What are you doing, Ara?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Aside from holding one-sided conversations with inanimate objects.¡± ¡°I''m going to see David.¡± ¡°Out of the question.¡± ¡°Mike?¡± I slouched forward, skulking out of my wardrobe behind him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What''s the point of us trying to protect our last hope if she''s going to run off all by herself? What if Drake had a mole out there, just waiting for you to do something stupid?¡± ¡°Well, I don''t care. I''m still going to see David.¡± ¡°Right. Come on.¡± He grabbed my arm. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°To see Morgaine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So she can talk some sense into you, since you seem to listen to her.¡± ¡°I say let her go.¡± Morgaine shrugged. ¡°What?¡± Mike and I both said at the same time¡ªundertones of a different sentiment, though. ¡°Yeah. Mike, you heard what Arthur said yesterday. Drake¡¯s not after her right now. He¡¯s got other things going on.¡± ¡°You talked to Arthur about Drake?¡± I said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Morgaine said, as if this was old news. ¡°So, what, he thinks we¡¯re not in any danger?¡± ¡°Not right now¡ªapparently he¡¯s not even in this country.¡± ¡°See?¡± I folded my arms, grinning haughtily at Mike. ¡°No!¡± Mike pushed my arms down from their fold. ¡°It¡¯s not safe.¡± ¡°Well, I don''t care what you say.¡± I folded them again. ¡°You know I¡¯ll go if I want to, and you can''t stop me.¡± ¡°Damn it, Ara.¡± He slammed his fist on the table, knocking Morgaine¡¯s card tower over. ¡°Oh. Mike?¡± she whined. ¡°Sorry, Morg.¡± He looked back at me. ¡°Ara, please, please just listen to me for once in your life, girl. Just once. I''m head of security for a reason. I don''t believe it¡¯s safe out there.¡± ¡°Then come with me. It¡¯s just for a few days, Mike. I just need to see him¡ªtell him I love him.¡± Morgaine looked up at me then, her brow pulling at the centre. I glared at her, confusion moving the muscles in my face. ¡°What, Morg? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡ª¡± She slid her fingers across the table, collecting her cards in a bunch. ¡°No reason.¡± I sunk back on my heels a little. The stress radiating off Mike¡¯s body made even me feel tense. And I felt a little sorry for him, standing there, pinching the bridge of his nose, lacking comprehension for my convictions. If I could just put him inside my head, he¡¯d see why this was so important. But I couldn''t. And I couldn¡¯t make him want to understand either. I sighed, looking past him to the night sky, darkening the front of the manor. This was the first time I¡¯d been in the Common Room, and I barely even noticed the cushy couches and the big open fireplace under the cloud of all my inner turmoil. The d¨¦cor didn''t match the Victorian style of the rest of the manor; this looked more like the lounge room at Vicki''s house, but with a dining table in the middle of the room. ¡°Mike, I''m sorry you disagree with me.¡± ¡°I just don''t see the point, Ara.¡± He shook his head, dropping both hands onto the table. ¡°If I can¡¯t make you listen to me, what¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°I do listen to you, Mike.¡± I touched his shoulder; he shrugged me off. ¡°But I have to go see him. I can''t rule a nation if my heart is broken.¡± Page 25 He ran his hands through his hair, standing tall again.Advertisement ¡°Mike, please? I''m going. Please just support me.¡± ¡°No. If you go, Ara, I¡ª¡± He stopped, scrunching his fists in the air, then took a deep breath and disappeared. ¡°Well,¡± Morgaine chimed, setting her pile of cards aside. ¡°That went well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad.¡± I spun on my heel and headed back to the corridor. ¡°He can¡¯t control me all the time. I''m not a little girl anymore.¡± ¡°No, and you''re not being truthful, either.¡± I looked away from her as she came up beside me. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Come on, Amara. Admit it. You want to see David again because you¡¯re confused about how you feel.¡± ¡°How I feel?¡± She blinked a few times, frowning as if concentrating. ¡°I think you¡¯re not sure if you love him anymore. What happened?¡± I stopped walking, dropping my arms by my sides. ¡°I never said that.¡± Morgaine smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I just¡ª¡± I see his face. When I think of him, I see his face¡ªthe boy in my dreams; he¡¯s so angry, so bitter, and full of so much hate. I just¡ªI can''t¡­I can''t find anything in my heart for him when I see him like that. And I¡­ ¡°I know I love him. I know I do.¡± I touched my chest. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got bad news for you, Princess. You can''t go see him.¡± ¡°But you just said¡ª¡± ¡°I was stirring Mike.¡± She smirked. ¡°He rises to the occasion every time.¡± I shook my head, smiling. ¡°My God, you are a torturer, aren¡¯t you?¡± She chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of fun.¡± ¡°So, why can''t I go see him?¡± ¡°Because he''s not there.¡± ¡°Well, where is he?¡± She pressed her lips together and leaned closer. ¡°Right now, I don''t know. But earlier today, he was here.¡± ¡°Here? At the manor?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I folded over slightly and looked around, as if I might spot him. ¡°Is he crazy? Why would he do that?¡± ¡°He was just checking in on you¡ªhe does that from time to time. I cover his scent for him.¡± ¡°Cover it? With what?¡± ¡°Garlic.¡± She grinned. ¡°What does that do?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know much about vampires, do you?¡± ¡°Morg,¡± I huffed, rolling my head to the side. ¡°How does it work?¡± ¡°Like a mask¡ªit blocks the scent, leaving a rancid perfume. People will know someone¡¯s been spraying it around, but won¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°So, how have I not noticed he¡¯s been here? I¡¯d have smelled him a mile off.¡± ¡°Precisely why he only comes when you¡¯re asleep.¡± ¡°Asleep?¡± My jaw jutted forward. ¡°He watches me while I sleep?¡± She laughed. ¡°Trust me, he doesn''t like being the creepy stalker, but he said he¡¯d go mad if he didn''t get to see you. So, if sleep-time is all he gets, he said that¡¯s better than a padded cell.¡± All the disgust blew out of me in a short huff. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s kind of sweet. But I''m still mad. Why didn''t he wake me¡ªtell me he was here?¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying to figure things out too, Ara.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like how he feels.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more that he¡¯s not sure how you feel about him. I think he can sense it, you know¡ªyour confusion.¡± ¡°I''m not really confused,¡± I said. ¡°Right. Of course you¡¯re not. You never are.¡± She leaned on the wall. ¡°But, I think he¡¯s wondering if maybe you¡¯ve moved on¡ªin your heart. Like maybe he¡¯s not enough for you.¡± ¡°Why would he think that? I never said or felt anything like that.¡± Morgaine cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°You know those dreams you¡¯ve been having?¡± ¡°Dreams?¡± ¡°About Jason.¡± ¡°What do you know about them? I never told you about them, did I?¡± I went through my conversations with her. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°But David saw a few.¡± ¡°What?¡± Morgaine flicked her cherry red hair and smiled. ¡°When you sleep, you''re not as good at that mind-block thing as when you''re awake.¡± I sunk back and leaned on the wall across from her. ¡°What¡­what did he see?¡± ¡°You tell me.¡± ¡°I¡ªhis childhood?¡± I tried. She shrugged, her shoulders staying up for a second. ¡°I don''t really know. All I know is that he¡¯s pretty convinced you don''t love him so much now, and that if he doesn''t do something soon, he¡¯s going to lose you forever.¡± I breathed out, touching my collarbone. ¡°But, that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. I¡¯ve just got a lot of issues to work through. But I still love him.¡± ¡°Then tell him that.¡± ¡°How? He won''t speak to me. He¡­he comes here and doesn''t tell me. How am I supposed to even apologise for the argument we had?¡± ¡°You know, this not speaking to you thing is for a reason. And it¡¯s not what you think.¡± ¡°Well, what is it?¡± ¡°He¡­he dug up some info on your family, and it¡¯s bad news. That¡¯s all I know.¡± She raised her hands before I could jump in with an inquisition. ¡°He¡¯s worried that, with you catching his thoughts sometimes, especially when you get¡­¡± she cleared her throat, ¡°¡ªhot, that you might see something he''s not ready to tell you.¡± ¡°But shouldn¡¯t I know? If he knows something about me, he should tell me¡ªI have a right to know, too.¡± ¡°No. Not until he''s sure. He doesn¡¯t want you to be upset for no reason if it turns out to be wrong.¡± ¡°If what does? What does he know?¡± ¡°I don''t know, Amara. He wouldn¡¯t tell me. Look¡ª¡± she touched my shoulder, ¡°¡ªhave faith in him, for once. Just once, don''t go looking for trouble. He will come to you when he''s ready¡ª¡± ¡°No, he won''t, Morgaine. You know he won''t tell me if it¡¯s something that¡¯ll upset me. Please?¡± My voice quivered with desperation. ¡°Morg? Please?¡± She rolled her eyes, at herself, I think, and exhaled. ¡°Okay, look, all I can tell you is that¡­he took a DNA sample from you while you were sleeping and¡ª¡± ¡°He did?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She touched her thumb to her cheek. ¡°Just a swab. But¡­he had it matched against your great grandmother¡ªyou remember that really old woman I discovered?¡± ¡°Yeah, my mum¡¯s grandmother.¡± ¡°It wasn''t a match. So, he fed her blood while she was sleeping¡ªdid that a few times and¡­nothing. She¡¯s not Lilithian. And she¡¯s not related to you¡ªin any way.¡± ¡°So¡­my mum wasn''t really my mum?¡± I said quietly, already knowing that deep down inside. Morgaine shook her head. ¡°I''m sorry, Amara.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± I muttered, more to myself than her. ¡°So¡­what about my dad, then? Is he actually my dad?¡± ¡°I don''t know. David wouldn''t tell me that much. He¡¯s very guarded about all this, Princess.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded, a little breathless. ¡°So¡ª¡± ¡°So, for now¡ª¡± she patted my shoulder, ¡°¡ªjust know that he''s checking in on you from time to time, and maybe you can leave him a note or something.¡± ¡°No. Checking in on me is not good enough. He should have come to me. He should have told me all that.¡± ¡°He will in his own time.¡± She turned me so I faced her, and held both my shoulders firmly. ¡°Don''t you bring this up with him, Amara. I told you that stuff in confidence. If you want him to trust me, he can''t know I told you anything, or he will keep things from me, too. Got it?¡± I nodded. ¡°Fine. But I''m still allowed to be mad at him for sleep-stalking me and not telling me he¡¯s been coming here.¡± ¡°Yes, you have every right.¡± She smiled and shook her head. ¡°But he has to stop coming here anyway. The vamp-rebellion arrives tomorrow and then it¡¯ll be impossible for him to get past the guards.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We have some very skilled trackers. One of the guys was our top vampire Scout; he will smell David, and he will know he''s alive. Had the Scout been Lilithian, we could¡¯ve risked him knowing about David. But, if he''s a mole, then we could lose this battle before it¡¯s begun. So, David promised not to come after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then I need to get upstairs and write a note for him.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go tell Mike you thought about what he said and decided to listen to him,¡± she said as I walked away. ¡°He won¡¯t believe you,¡± I called without turning back. Dear spineless. No, scratch that. Dear annoying, no, not that either. Dear David. That¡¯s better. Wake me when you come to spy on me. I need to speak to you. If you don''t, I will file for divorce! No, scratch that. If you don''t, I will cry myself to sleep for the next ten years. Love, Ara. There. I left the note on my nightstand, folded in half so it stood up like a name card on a wedding table, and retraced the letters on the front so it said, in bold, READ ME, then changed into a soft cotton nightdress and crawled into bed. Outside, the horizon turned darker over the ocean closer to the west, with a pale hint of the day to come seeping in from the east. Though my body had dragged the exhaustion of the day to bed with it, I couldn''t just slip off to sleep¡ªnot with the possibility that he¡¯d come and wouldn¡¯t wake me. If I didn''t see him soon, I was sure I¡¯d spontaneously combust, or at least do something incredibly stupid just to look into his eyes again. I rolled over and puffed the pillows, then laid still for a moment, and since that didn''t work, puffed the pillows again and rolled back the other way. My heart raced, my breath uneven. I listened carefully for the sound of silence, hoping the crickets would hush and give sign that he was out there somewhere. But they were even nosier than usual, almost like a chirpy slap in the face; the little buggers were probably dancing around a bonfire singing, ¡°He doesn''t love you. He''s not coming. Ha-ha, ha-ha.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± I screamed at them, slamming a pillow over my face. But the pillow disappeared with a cool rush of air. ¡°I didn''t say anything yet.¡± I jumped involuntarily, scuffling to the back of my bed when a body became apparent beside me, but as soon as the amazing green gaze of my husband registered in my sight, I rocketed forward and flung my arms around his neck. ¡°You came!¡± He wore two weeks worth of tears, loneliness, sorrow, regret, happiness and missing him, all over his face in a collection of probably very sloppy kisses. ¡°Whoa, Ara.¡± He laughed, unfastening my wrists from around his neck, then laid me back on the pillow beside him. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I haven¡¯t seen you in weeks, and you expect anything less than a smothering of kisses?¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I kind of expected a slap first.¡± ¡°That was the plan,¡± I huffed, folding my arms. ¡°Damn you and your cute dimples.¡± His half smile curved deeply into his cheek, showing just a little of his fang. ¡°Hungry?¡± ¡°What makes you think I''m hungry?¡± He placed his hand over my heart. ¡°Because this just picked up about ten beats and your temperature increased about three degrees.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not hunger,¡± I said, rocking my knees. He jumped up, leaving the space beside me empty. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for that.¡± ¡°For what¡ªto make love to your wife?¡± I rolled my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. ¡°No,¡± he said, folding his arms, his solemn gaze on the dawn outside my window. ¡°I came to give you a kiss, tell you I love you, then get back to work.¡± ¡°Work? What are you working on?¡± ¡°I''m hunting down Drake at the moment.¡± ¡°And what about my family history?¡± The ball of his throat shifted. ¡°Another time, okay.¡± ¡°Fine. But¡­have you had any good leads on Drake?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Have you checked out Mu¡ªer, Elysium?¡± David smirked, angling his head to look down at me. ¡°Elysium?¡± ¡°Ur, yeah, we kind of got in a little trouble for calling it The Castle of the Dead.¡± He rolled his head back, laughing. ¡°Who was it? Who slipped up?¡± ¡°Eric.¡± He laughed harder. ¡°Oh, I wish I¡¯d been there.¡± ¡°No, you don''t. I told Arthur you always called it that, and he was not impressed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, my resurrection from the dead will save me any trouble. And I only called it that around you to stop you Googling it to find out where I lived.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I half laughed. ¡°Because¡­I would never have actually thought of that.¡± ¡°It wouldn''t have surprised me if you had. I could just imagine waking up to tap on the shoulder from the castle butler saying there was a nice human girl at the door for me.¡± Page 26 ¡°Now I wish I had thought of looking it up.¡±Advertisement ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have done you any good, anyway. Googling Le Chateau de la Mort wouldn¡¯t have led you to Elysium.¡± I wrapped one arm along his back, curving it around to sit on his waist. ¡°Hey, David?¡± ¡°Yes, my love.¡± Those two last words ¡®my love¡¯ simmered through me like milky calm. ¡°I''m sorry¡ªabout the fight we had the day I left for the mano¡ª¡± ¡°Ara.¡± He turned me to face him. ¡°It¡¯s in the past, sweetheart. And it is I who should be sorry. Not you. I took my stress out on you. I should not have behaved that way.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not mad at me, why haven¡¯t you been taking my calls?¡± He looked out the window again, his head moving slowly. ¡°Can you¡­just this once, and I¡¯ll never ask it of you again, can you just take my word that I wanted to, but had reasons why I didn''t? And they were not because I don''t love you, or because I don''t care about you.¡± ¡°If you cared about me, you wouldn¡¯t have left me so long without any contact.¡± He sighed, tucking me into his chest. ¡°There are reasons for everything I do, Ara. One day, you will understand.¡± ¡°Why not just tell me now?¡± ¡°Because I shouldn¡¯t even be here. My mere presence is risking everything that''s already been¡­.¡± He bit his teeth together. ¡°Look, just be okay without me for a little longer. Please?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said, sighing, then glanced up to his stern face. ¡°So¡­you''re not worried about Mike and the spirit bind, anymore?¡± ¡°No. Morgaine told me it¡¯s faded. Is that true?¡± ¡°Mostly.¡± I nodded. ¡°I still love him, but I think I can distinguish the two kinds of love now.¡± His lips broke apart with a breath of laughter. ¡°I''m very happy to hear that. And, has he stopped calling you ¡®baby¡¯?¡± ¡°No. Did you ask him to?¡± He groaned. ¡°Ask¡ªdemand. Same things, really.¡± I smiled to myself. ¡°Well, he still calls me baby, but he doesn''t mean anything by it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Then what is?¡± I said harshly. ¡°He¡¯s had your back, you know? He always stands up for you¡ªthe baby thing isn''t intentionally disrespectful.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He nodded, running a hand through his dark, wavy hair. ¡°And he¡¯s been keeping me sane when it comes to you. Ha! I almost ruined it all the other day, when you fell over at training and hurt your ankle.¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember.¡± My cheeks flushed with humiliation. ¡°You saw that?¡± He smiled. ¡°Mike spotted me outside¡ªmanaged to make me leave right before Blade carried you out.¡± My gut sunk; he was right there. Right outside, and I didn''t see him. ¡°I can''t keep this up much longer, David.¡± ¡°Nor can I, sweetheart.¡± He held me into his chest and kissed the top of my head; I could feel the warmth of his breath and smell the way his orange-chocolate scent mixed with the heat, making me feel as if I was wrapped up tightly in naked-him. ¡°I better get going.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± I grabbed his sleeve as he pulled away. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Ara, Blade¡¯s on guard tonight, and he may not be immortal yet, but if he hears me in here¡ª¡± ¡°Please. Just lay with me for a bit? Help me get to sleep.¡± He looked at the bed, then the rising day outside, and sighed. ¡°Okay. Just for a while.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± I clapped, and I didn¡¯t even feel silly for my immature display of excitement. But the sudden jumping made that dull ache I¡¯d come to know so well sear up on the side of my head; I cupped my hand over it, wincing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± David pulled my hand down, looking at the spot I covered. ¡°It¡¯s the headache. Every time Mike makes me use my electricity, I get them really bad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don''t know. He seems to think it¡¯ll pass when I''m fully transformed.¡± David nodded as he pulled me into his chest again. ¡°I''m sorry, Ara. I never wanted this life for you.¡± ¡°It was never your choice to make.¡± ¡°It was, once¡ªbefore I gave you my blood.¡± With a sigh, I shook my head. ¡°Even if I was given a crystal ball back then, and saw our future¡ªall the bad we¡¯ve been through, I¡¯d still take it, David, for all the good.¡± He leaned in slowly, holding the tops of both my arms, and kissed my forehead. ¡°And that is one of the reasons I love you so much.¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± I smiled, both inside and out, because I meant it. Despite everything I¡¯d learned about him, I still meant it. ¡°David?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°I need to tell you something.¡± He leaned back a little, a guarded smile on his lips. ¡°Why don''t I like the sound of this?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± I walked away and hugged myself across the room. ¡°Morgaine said you saw a dream I had¡ªabout when you and Jason were young.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well¡ªthat wasn¡¯t the only one I had.¡± He sighed. ¡°I thought as much.¡± ¡°Are you mad at m¡ª¡± I stopped when I spun around, expecting him to be across the room, angry and scowling, not right behind me, smiling. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I love you, okay.¡± He stroked one finger down my cheek. ¡°You worry too much. I knew you were having dreams. I knew he showed you our childhood, because you¡¯ve slipped up, said things so many times that you couldn¡¯t have known.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you tell me you knew?¡± He smiled as if the answer were obvious. ¡°I wanted you to tell me.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I became smaller, looking at his shiny black shoes. ¡°But you did tell me.¡± He moved in and kissed my hair. ¡°So, it¡¯s okay. And I can''t be mad at you for things he showed you while you slept.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad that I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°I was. But I got over it. Missing you has a way of putting things into perspective for me.¡± He rubbed the tops of my arms. ¡°Just¡­don''t ever keep secrets from me again.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I shuffled my feet closer to his and turned my head as I rested my ear against his shirt. ¡°But¡­that was all, right?¡± David asked. ¡°He only showed you our past? He didn''t¡­you didn''t¡­do anything else, did you?¡± I looked up at him, eyes of fear mixing with eyes of concern. ¡°No.¡± With that lie, the glass of my broken promise shattered on the ground around my feet, and I heard it, felt it, but didn''t regret it. They were dreams. They were in the past. They had to stay in the past¡ªnot destroy our future. ¡°Okay.¡± He exhaled relief. ¡°I guess I kind of knew that. It¡¯s not like I thought anything happened, but I just¡­¡± ¡°You were just worried.¡± I wrapped my arms around his waist. ¡°I just had this feeling, you know, that something was going on. And, I know that¡¯s not the case, but I just¡­I don''t know. Perhaps it¡¯s because I know how much he wanted to hurt me, and the one way to do that¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the past,¡± I cut him off. ¡°He¡¯s gone now, and he can never hurt us again.¡± ¡°And you think that makes me feel better?¡± He turned away, breaking our embrace. ¡°Oh, David. I''m sorry.¡± ¡°I hate myself, Ara.¡± He glanced back at me for a second before returning his gaze to the waning night below the window. ¡°I never understood before, exactly what I¡¯d done to him. I blamed him for so many things, and I let my anger turn to hatred.¡± He took a breath through his nose, his shoulders lifting slowly. ¡°The worst part is, I knew the truth. I knew it was never his fault¡ªthe things I blamed him for, but somehow, placing it all on him made it easier to bear the grief. And I never got to make amends for that.¡± He stared out past the glass, talking as if I wasn¡¯t in the room. ¡°He deserved that much. What he did to you¡ªto us¡ªwas horrible, but it truly was all my fault.¡± I walked very slowly over to him and let my fingertips hover above his shoulder blade before touching him. ¡°I''m sorry, David.¡± ¡°Don''t be sorry, Ara.¡± He shook his head a few times, biting his lip. ¡°Just¡­you don''t have to be sorry for anything.¡± ¡°I could¡¯ve stopped him¡ªfrom killing himself.¡± I stared out at the place David stared for so long, hoping to find the resolution he was looking for too. But there was none there. ¡°I could¡¯ve taken the vial and snapped it.¡± ¡°But you didn''t know then.¡± David reached down and took my hand, keeping them between us. ¡°You hated him¡ªthought he wanted to kill you. Don''t feel regret for that, Ara. He wanted to die. It was his choice.¡± ¡°Yeah, because of what he did to me.¡± David opened his mouth to speak, his thoughts seeming to change direction instead. ¡°I''m not sure his death was for that reason. He was a smart kid, Ara, and he would¡¯ve known, only too well, that you¡¯d forgive him when you found out the truth about why he tortured you.¡± ¡°Do you think?¡± He nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll bet that¡¯s why he left you those memories¡ªwith the blocks in place¡ªso they¡¯d come out one by one, when he wanted you to see them.¡± ¡°So I could empathise with him?¡± David shrugged one shoulder. ¡°Maybe.¡± I nodded, my eyes tracing the white oak divide of each French pane. ¡°He showed me Arietta. I saw her face, heard her voice.¡± My fingers pulsed where David''s tightened around mine. ¡°She was very beautiful,¡± I said. A distant smile rested on his lips. ¡°And she loved Jason.¡± ¡°More than you?¡± ¡°Sometimes¡­it felt that way.¡± ¡°Maybe she was just making up for the love Jason never got from you¡ªor from your father?¡± ¡°He did love us, you know. He wasn¡¯t all bad.¡± ¡°He did?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded, his lips pursed. ¡°And that''s why it was so confusing. When we were babies, he fathered us the way he should. But, as the pain of losing my mother wore his soul down, he drank more, and his love became subjective to his sobriety.¡± The very depth of his tone sent a message into the air, that he felt it¡ªthat he still carried so much of that confusion, even as a man. ¡°That must have been hard; to be loved one minute, mistreated the next.¡± He turned and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s in the past.¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± I looked up at him, ¡°¡ªit¡¯s not. You still feel the pain. And I don''t know much about the way he treated you, only that he punished quite harshly¡ª¡± ¡°You saw some of those punishments?¡± ¡°No. None. But Arthur told me how Jason got pneumonia.¡± David nodded, relaxing. ¡°Father loved us, Ara, for what it¡¯s worth. He just couldn¡¯t cope in the end.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses for him, David. He mistreated you, and you spent your life hating Jason for that.¡± ¡°My hatred for my brother was not because of the mistreatment,¡± he said. ¡°It was because Father blamed me when Jason would step out of turn.¡± ¡°Beat you when Jason would step out of turn.¡± His eyes narrowed, focusing on nothing. ¡°Why would Arthur tell you that?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t. You just did.¡± The stare broke away to a smile. ¡°You and your assumptions.¡± ¡°My correct assumptions,¡± I said, to which he added nothing. ¡°You started your life alone, David.¡± I wrapped my arms around him again and felt each indent in his stomach, his ribs and the little place between his breastbones where I liked to rest my cheek. ¡°But you''re not alone anymore¡ªI''m here. I love you, and I¡¯ll never let anyone hurt you like that, ever again.¡± He nodded, absentmindedly stroking my hair. ¡°Please don''t hate me for the things you learn while you''re here, Ara. I have changed since I met you.¡± He tilted my chin upward; regimented David back in place. ¡°Everything you know of me now is who I really am. Don''t let my past destroy our future.¡± I smiled, because he used the same words I had thought only minutes ago. ¡°It would take something pretty awful to get me to hate you.¡± He looked down then and placed a soft hand to my belly. ¡°No luck?¡± ¡°Nope. No baby. I had my period last week.¡± ¡°Well, maybe one day.¡± He leaned down and kissed my cheek. ¡°I have to go now.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± I grabbed his arm with both hands and held on tight. ¡°You said you¡¯d stay until I fell asleep.¡± ¡°Well, that was before we spent the last ten minutes talking, Ara.¡± He looked at his watch then sighed. ¡°Fine. Another half hour, and that¡¯s it. It¡¯s very hard to sneak out of this place in the daylight.¡± ¡°I''m sure you¡¯ll manage.¡± I smirked. He reached out and placed his hand on the back of my neck, directing me to the bed like a naughty child at a nineteen-hundreds boarding school. ¡°Maybe I should manage you better, then I wouldn''t find myself in so much trouble.¡± ¡°I can think of one way you could manage me.¡± I landed on the bed with a soft bounce and smiled up at him suggestively. Page 27 ¡°By manage,¡± he said, landing on his knees between my legs, taking both my hands and pinning them gently beside my face, ¡°I assume you mean make love.¡±Advertisement I nodded, closing my eyes with the smell of his sweet breath touching my nose as he lowered himself, warm and solid, on top of me. ¡°If I make love to you now, it¡¯ll be noon before I leave this place.¡± ¡°Ha! Yeah, right. It¡¯s been two weeks since we had sex, David, it¡¯ll probably only take three minutes.¡± The warmth of his laughter made my whole body tingle, and the way his fangs showed when he rolled his head back like that made me want to be under them¡ªmy blood spilling past his lips. His laughter ceased, trickling away to a soft smile as he wrapped my arms around his neck and gently ran a hand up my thigh, lifting my nightdress. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve got something to prove. I hope you don''t plan on walking for the rest of today.¡± I giggled, nuzzling my nose into the skin below his neck. ¡°I don''t plan on walking for the rest of the year. So you can do whatever you want to me.¡± He pulled back a little and looked down at me. ¡°You shouldn''t say things like that, my love. You sound sadistic.¡± ¡°You know I''m only being playful.¡± ¡°I don''t like that kind of playful, Ara. You know that.¡± ¡°Okay then. Sorry.¡± I tucked my cheek into my shoulder, smiling sheepishly. ¡°Know what I do like, though?¡± I shrugged. ¡°You.¡± He slid his fingertips under my head and lifted it slightly, bringing my lips up to meet his, but stopped there and whispered, ¡°I''m the luckiest guy in the world, that I get to kiss you, hold you and love you, whenever I want.¡± ¡°Not yet, you don''t,¡± I said, touching my lips to his once. ¡°We can''t be free to love each other until we rid the world of all its evil. Until then, we have to take small moments of bliss.¡± ¡°Small moments that last three minutes, huh?¡± He laughed, sliding his hand into the front of my undies. The sheet felt like a satin kiss across my almost naked skin, drawing a smooth, tingling sensation down the length of my body as it came away, leaving me uncovered in the cool air. My eyes flicked open to an emerald green gaze, foreground to another night sky. Somehow I¡¯d slept through all my responsibilities, all the things I wanted to run from, and been left in the arms of this man I loved so much. ¡°You stayed with me?¡± I said. But he shook his head. ¡°No, sweet girl. I returned to you.¡± I felt my eyes become smaller, focusing more carefully on his face; the shape of his eyes, the boyish gentility in his smile¡ªthe fact that he said ¡®sweet girl¡¯. ¡°Jason?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± His form disappeared from beside me, standing suddenly by the bed, his hand extended; I searched the tips of his fingers, the creases in his palm, the chains of destiny around his wrist, and the clear veins in his arm¡ªall the way to his soft emerald eyes. ¡°Are you real?¡± He nodded to his hand. ¡°Touch.¡± My fingertips shook, travelling across space and time to fold into his, and it felt so real, so warm and so solid, like he was really there, right beside me. He helped me to stand, and a tight, tingling pull permeated through my limbs, like I¡¯d left something behind, something that fell from my soul. ¡°Care to dance?¡± ¡°I¡ªI''m not dressed for a dance,¡± I said. He only smiled and looked at my underwear and bra, then smoothed his hand gently down my face; my eyes closed under his touch, and my lips parted as his fingers tickled across them, cool against my warm breath. I felt dizzy, breathless from the craving. ¡°Open your eyes, Ara.¡± Slowly, I looked down to a swirl of blue light, rising up in soft, smoky plumes, encircling my legs, hips, then waist. ¡°Is this a dream?¡± I whispered, feeling the tingle over my bare skin. Jason nodded toward my bed. I turned slightly and looked at the girl¡ªcurled up under the white silk sheet, breathing deep, peaceful breaths¡ªsound asleep, alone. ¡°She¡ª¡± ¡°Shh.¡± He held his finger across his lip, smiling behind it. ¡°Don''t wake her.¡± I smiled back at him. The blue light faded then, dissipating slowly, leaving behind a silky feel of fabric around my waist and over the tips of my toes, the colour yellow shining up at me in the shape of a ball gown. ¡°How did you do that?¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked. I ran my fingers over the waist and onto the full skirt. ¡°I love it. It¡¯s my favourite colour.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jason reached up and placed something cool and sweetly-scented beside my ear, tucking my hair back with it. ¡°And this is my favourite blossom.¡± I drew a sharp intake of breath when I touched my fingers to the flower, feeling the solid, silky petals of a rose¡ªso real, even its scent, as if we were actually standing right here, face to face, hip to hip, breath to breath. But we weren¡¯t, and I knew that¡ªas sure as I could see myself sleeping right behind me, I knew this was just a dream, and it made my stomach sink as much as it made me excited. Alone here, in this dream, nothing mattered; not the way I felt for David; not the way I felt for Jason. I took his hand when he offered it, and noticed only then, as he led me into the now empty room across from my bed, that he was dressed formal, too, in a tuxedo. He looked so human and so sweetly handsome I nearly laughed. I caught sight of our reflection in the mirror above the mantle of the fireplace¡ªthe only objects left in the room¡ªand smiled, thinking we¡¯d fit perfectly in a turn-of-the-century romance novel. We took step to a rhythm I couldn¡¯t hear; Jason glided across the floor with the grace of a vampire, leading me with a kind of gentility that felt like floating. I was never much of a ballroom dancer, but in his arms, I was flying. The feel of his hand, flat against the small of my back, consumed everything in my mind, and the song I couldn''t hear, the song he sung to me with his steps, rose up from the back of my mind, giving life to the room. Colours swirled around us¡ªmasked strangers appearing, smiling, laughing, dancing just like Jason and I, but turning in the opposite direction, making the movement of our steps feel like a cog in a clock¡ªticking, spinning, purposeful, but different. My bare feet felt each rise of the wooden floorboards, each grain of sand or brush of his shoes past my foot, and he kept me close, the grace and charm of his tall, straight shoulders, and the perfection of his eyes, locking to mine, made me want to stay here forever. And it wasn¡¯t a trick. Not this time. This time, I felt this way because I cared for him¡ªbecause I wanted him to be here, to dance with me. In his eyes, I could see so many thoughts, so many things he wanted to say. But he lost the chance. He took his own life, and my mind, as much as I knew his face, could never put words in his mouth that had never been said. And that was the saddest thing about this dream; that in the morning, the daylight would steal all that was perfect in the night. The music became louder, and I looked over at my sleeping body; she did not wake. She did not know what her heart was doing while she dreamed peacefully of her husband, whom she made love with only moments ago. ¡°I wish you weren¡¯t just a dream,¡± I whispered, closing my eyes. Jason held me closer, his fingers curling slightly against my hand. ¡°What would you say to me¡ªif I was not a dream?¡± My eyelids fluttered as I rolled my face up to look at him. ¡°Kiss me.¡± His brow pulled tight and the song slowed again¡ªa violin the only instrument. We stopped dancing and the others in the room faded away like quivering shadows, leaving Jason and I alone. He slowly rolled me back in his arm, tipping me toward the ground; my hair swept the rug where it hung down, the blossom falling from its place, landing alone on the floor by our feet. I looked back up into the green magnificence of his eyes¡ªall the love, the soul, the pain, the truth¡ªeverything he was and suffered and cared for shining out through that gaze, pulling me into his world, begging me to save him from it. And I wanted to. If I could go back. If I could go back and be his¡ªI would. My jaw shook, my mouth open, crying out inside for his to touch mine. But he closed his eyes and scrolled his lips along my jaw, letting his warm breath fall heavily against my neck. ¡°Bite me,¡± I said, tilting my chin, opening the longing of my skin to his teeth. ¡°Bite me, and then make love to me.¡± His hand rose to my collarbones, and he clenched his fist above my flesh, hesitation stalling his desires. ¡°Please, Jase?¡± Without looking away, he opened his hand and smoothed it down my throat, between my breasts and over my stomach. I felt him¡ªfelt the touch against my bare skin, as if there was no dress there. ¡°I have no right to you,¡± he whispered, his nose to mine. ¡°And I have no right to want you,¡± I breathed, closing my eyes. When I opened them again, light filled the room and a shock of ice washed through me, leaving me half naked, covered only by silk and the scent of my husband. I sat bolt upright, clutching the sheet to my breasts, covered in blood, confused¡ªso confused, and so, so alone. A cool breeze brought a faint hint of a rainy day, making me feel stony and out of place. I looked over at the rose on my nightstand, my heart pounding in my throat, easing when I touched the thornless stem. I laid down again, sinking into the feathers of my pillows as they rose up around my cheeks, and my dark hair tickled my nose. Images of my dream flashed in my mind, forcing my eyes shut for each brush of his lips across my skin, hold my breath for each time I felt the desire to be in his arms. And then David''s face came to mind; the way he looked down at me as he slipped inside me; the way he smiled when he gave my body another chance to create life from his; the way he kissed my lips so softly, lingering for just a little longer than usual, before he left me. And the scent of the rose became the memory jerker to my confusion. I rolled over and tucked my knees to my chest, folding the petals of the rose down, one by one. By the time the smell of pancakes came wafting in with the morning heat, there were no petals left on the flower. I wiped a stream of tears from my cheek and climbed out of bed. I needed to talk to someone. I needed to sort this out in my head, but I couldn¡¯t do that alone. I just needed someone who understood that I loved David, but dreamed of his brother. Chapter Six I had to stop and ask several people directions to the entrance to Lilith¡¯s garden. Everyone seemed to know exactly where it was, but not really how to get in. I¡¯d seen the wall that bordered it from my balcony, but could never see inside¡ªthe gardens hidden under the pinks of cherry blooms and the greens of leafy trees. I knew there was definitely a garden behind this wall, but just couldn''t find the damn door. ¡°You need the key.¡± Arthur materialised beside me. I pulled my hand down from the small stones of the wall and looked up at him; we were shaded from the sun here, the shadows making the day cool, but Arthur looked a little hot; his collar moist, his hair sticky around his brow. ¡°What have you been up to?¡± I asked. He wiped a hand across his face. ¡°Nothing.¡± Okay, I¡¯ll let that one slip. ¡°So, I need a key?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He took my hand and led me along the wall to a section hidden just inside the Forest of Enchantment. ¡°Should we be in here?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear, it is the only entrance to Lilith¡¯s Garden.¡± ¡°Oh. So, how do you know? Have you been there before?¡± ¡°Not since it was finished.¡± ¡°Finished?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded, using his hand to brush aside a thick mass of vines, growing over the wall from the garden. ¡°I helped Drake plant many of the trees.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± He smiled, then let go of my hand to bend down, standing again with an iron key in hand. ¡°Your key.¡± ¡°Why was it in there?¡± I looked down as he covered the wall with the vine again. ¡°There¡¯s a nook beneath these vines. The key has been there, in plain sight, for some hundreds of years.¡± I held the key up to the small column of light shining in through the tops of the trees. ¡°Where¡¯s the door?¡± He laughed, stepped back a little, then cast a straight arm further down the wall¡ªdeeper into the forest. I gulped. ¡°Will you walk me to it?¡± ¡°I will,¡± Morgaine said, popping up out of nowhere, linking arms with me. ¡°After all, I have a private invitation.¡± Arthur bowed his head, then turned and started in the direction we came. ¡°You ready to see your garden, Majesty?¡± Morgaine practically hugged my arm. ¡°Yes. Very ready.¡± I didn''t even need to tell my feet to move. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with Arthur today?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She looked over her shoulder to where he¡¯d walked away. ¡°He was¡­less than presentable. That¡¯s not like him.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just not coping with being here.¡± ¡°Here? At the manor?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because of Arietta.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. He did mention that.¡± She nodded. ¡°He¡¯ll be okay. He¡¯s just grieving.¡± ¡°Still?¡± She scoffed. ¡°Vampires feel things eternally, Ara. He¡¯ll never move on from her. Well, maybe if he finds another to love.¡± ¡°That''s really sad.¡± I glanced over my shoulder, wishing I could go give him a hug, but we came upon a big set of arched doors then, with iron hinges and a slot just the right size for my new key. Page 28 ¡°Care to do the honours?¡± Morgaine said, letting go of my arm to present the door.Advertisement I slipped the key in the lock and, using two hands, turned it stiffly to the right, then the left and to the right again. But nothing happened. ¡°You need to push,¡± Morg said. ¡°Oh.¡± I gave the door a giant shove with my hand, then the entire right side of my body. It gave way, creaking with protest as it slowly opened. ¡°How long has it been since anyone¡¯s been in here?¡± ¡°The gardener comes in a few times a day, but no one except you is allowed in here, and those you personally invite.¡± She bristled with pride. ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen the inside.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you here when they built it?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It was built when Lilith was a child. I wasn''t ¡®created¡¯ until about thirty years later.¡± ¡°Oh. So, how does the gardener get in here if that door never gets used?¡± ¡°Secret passage.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I breathed out through my nose, smirking. ¡°Should¡¯ve guessed.¡± As we stepped through the thin branches of wilting willows and into the garden, the sweet essence of summer filled the air. I closed my eyes around the beauty of stone steps, shining gates atop, opening out to a cobblestone path. ¡°Come on.¡± Morgaine transformed into the epitome of a little girl, taking my hand and leading me to the garden steps. We pushed through the gates, and I stopped, letting my arms fall to my sides. The cobblestone path led away between plants and trees, and at the centre sat a large square pond with marble edging¡ªa place you could sit to read a book. White swans and plain ducks bathed and dived in the water, and blossoming lilies floated on the top, home to frogs I could hear singing but couldn¡¯t see. ¡°That path leads right around the gardens,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°I was told Lilith had it laid when she was a woman, so she could pass each of her favourite scents as she walked¡ªa way of clearing her head.¡± ¡°Well, then, we should walk it.¡± I took Morgaine¡¯s hand again and started the path, smiling as daisies, roses and tulips greeted each step¡ªa kaleidoscope canvas of colours. I tried to make out the edge of the walls around the garden, but vines and trees and all manor of plant life completely hid it¡ªas if we were in some alternate universe¡ªno walls. I could imagine the garden went on forever, and this magical feeling, this sense of something present here that couldn''t be touched, made me think I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it did, in fact, go on forever. ¡°Morgaine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked back from the tops of the trees. ¡°Everything we say in here is in confidence, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I placed one hand then the other behind my back and watched my blue ballet flats blend in with the tiny multi-coloured stones of the path. Everything felt so bright and richly-hued, like this whole garden was a painting. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Princess?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I blinked back tears. ¡°That bad, huh?¡± After a long sigh, I smiled and told Morgaine all about the dreams I¡¯d been having. We walked the entire path, coming to rest by the rectangle pond again, in a circled section that housed a small white seat and a sundial, surrounded by wispy little stems with snowflake flowers. ¡°So, you think you¡¯re in love with Jason?¡± she said as we sat on the edge of the pond. ¡°No.¡± ¡°It sounds like it. And I get the sense that you are.¡± I sighed, watching a dragonfly whiz past, then drop down and kiss the white and pink blossoms that fell into the water, coming in diagonally on the whisper of the breeze. ¡°I don''t know what to think. That¡¯s why I''m talking to you. I''m confused.¡± ¡°Okay, so, what are you confused about¡ªyour feelings or what your feelings mean?¡± I had an answer on my tongue, but hesitated. ¡°Does dreaming about Jason mean I don''t love David?¡± ¡°Do you love David?¡± she asked simply. I laughed, looking inside my heart to the place I always felt him. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, no, it doesn''t.¡± ¡°Well, am I cheating on him¡ªby having a dream, or¡­memories?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, I held Jason¡¯s hand¡ªkissed him. Is that cheating, when I¡ª¡± ¡°Amara.¡± She placed her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Calm down. Seriously. Jason¡¯s dead. Okay? So, you haven''t done anything wrong. You can''t control your dreams. Sometimes, Princess, they don''t make any sense at all.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I dipped my fingertips into the cool water. ¡°But, I wanted him, Morg. I wanted Jason like I want David.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the spirit bind, Ara. You would never have done that stuff with Jason if he hadn¡¯t made you believe you loved him. And you wouldn¡¯t do it now, would you¡ªif Jason was still alive?¡± I shook my head, feeling a little unsure in my heart. ¡°Good, then don''t worry about it. It¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°Do you think I should tell David?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said in short, her mouth making a circle. ¡°No. I would leave that alone until this thing resolves itself.¡± ¡°Serious?¡± ¡°Uh-hu. You don''t know their history like I do. Jason¡¯s not here for David to go and strangle anymore, so he¡¯d have to find some other way to vent his anger, and it wouldn¡¯t be pretty.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah. Trust me, Amara. He is far better off in Mushroom Land than Truth City.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mushroom Land, you know? Kept in the dark and fed bull¡ª¡± ¡°Uh.¡± I held my hand up, then laughed. ¡°Ok. I get it. But I don¡¯t like it. I feel like I''m lying to him.¡± ¡°Well, then tell him¡ªand what you see on his face will make you wish you hadn''t.¡± She took my hand. ¡°Princess, it was a dream. Nothing happened. Nothing has changed. You don¡¯t need to hurt him for no reason.¡± ¡°Well, if I''ve done nothing wrong then he¡¯d have no reason to be hurt.¡± ¡°Except to know that his brother, even in death, is still causing trouble.¡± ¡°He already knows that.¡± ¡°Leave it in the past, Amara. David''s suffered enough. That much I do know. And I know he won¡¯t delight in you admitting you wanted Jason, even in a dream¡ªespecially since you don''t actually feel that way,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°It wasn¡¯t real, Your Majesty, it doesn¡¯t make sense to hurt him for something that you don''t truly feel.¡± She looked at me then, and frowned. ¡°Or do you?¡± ¡°I''m confused, Morg.¡± I dropped my head into my hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I feel.¡± ¡°Then don''t tell him until you do,¡± she concluded. Mike walked ahead while I followed, taking in the scenery¡ªthe soaring, airy trees, some of them yellow, others green, and the dry, leaf-covered forest floor. It actually wasn''t that scary in here¡ªfor an enchanted forest. I expected a little more¡­enchantment. We strolled in silence for a while, leaving the summer behind on the border, where the shorter trees, with full leafy branches, stood as fairy-tale sentries. The deeper we walked, the darker and cooler it got, and the trees seemed to soar up to the heavens, spaced further apart, though the canopy seemed to close in, miles up into the sky. Mike stopped in front of a large, grey rock and turned to face me. ¡°This is the Stone of Truth.¡± ¡°What?¡± I unfolded my arms and walked over to the big lump of slate in the middle of the clearing. ¡°It looks like a rock.¡± ¡°It is a rock.¡± He smiled. ¡°What did you expect?¡± ¡°I don''t know¡ªmaybe an elaborate altar or something.¡± ¡°Nothing great is ever made of gold, Ara.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°If it looks like a rock, people will only see it as a rock.¡± He ran a flat hand over it. ¡°It¡¯s safe that way.¡± ¡°How did it get magic? Like, what is it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± He frowned. Feeling sheepish, I shook my head. ¡°Come here.¡± He patted the spot beside him as he leaned on the unpretentious altar. ¡°You¡¯re leaning on it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don''t worry, baby, it¡¯s not disrespectful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°No more than picking an apple from a tree. It¡¯s a rock¡ªa part of nature.¡± When I let my hips and butt fall against the Stone, I felt a vibrant warmth coming off it; it seemed so small here, surrounded by so many tall trees, spread so far apart, making a clearing around it, like it had some kind of disease the rest of nature didn''t want to catch. ¡°It feels lonely.¡± ¡°What does?¡± ¡°The rock.¡± ¡°How can a rock feel lonely?¡± He looked behind him to the grey stone. I shrugged. ¡°I don''t know. I just get the sense that it¡¯s lonely.¡± His brow arched. ¡°You are one weird girl.¡± I smiled. ¡°I know. So, anyway¡­how did it get magic?¡± ¡°Well, legend has it¡ªaccording to the Lilithian¡¯s version¡ªthat the original Lilith stole a seed from the Fruit of Wisdom and carried it away. One day, she decided to plant it¡ªto profit from its fruit and its knowledge. When she covered the seed with soil from impure lands, it grew out of the ground, tall and magnificent, then, shrivelled away and turned to stone.¡± He jerked his thumb behind him. ¡°They say a great forest grew around it over many centuries¡ªsaid to be enchanted¡ªto protect the Stone from any who seek to misuse its power.¡± ¡°So it was a tree, and it died, but kept its power?¡± ¡°Or maybe it never died. Maybe the tree is alive in there somewhere.¡± He rapped his knuckles on the Stone. ¡°And this is just an outer shell.¡± I stared at in wonder. ¡°But anyway, like I said¡ªit¡¯s a legend.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don''t care for the rest of it, and neither should you. Just being a vampire is enough weird for me. I can''t even think of the fact that my best friend has to cut herself open and bleed on this rock to satisfy the sick, twisted traditions of a nation that lives on second-hand stories.¡± ¡°You''ll be swearing an oath on this rock soon, too.¡± ¡°Yes, and then I¡¯ll be your slave for life.¡± He bowed low, smiling. ¡°Which will be different to now, how?¡± ¡°Very funny.¡± He folded his arms. ¡°So, back to the guided tour; the first part of the ceremony is held here. After you cut yourself and bleed, you make some freaky magic promise that¡¯ll stain the skin all over your body with painful tattoos¡ª¡± ¡°They fade when the ritual is finished, Mike. You know that.¡± ¡°Yeah, but they burn, don''t they? That¡¯s what everyone says.¡± ¡°So I''ve been told.¡± I looked at my smooth white skin, trying to imagine being covered in black runes. ¡°But, I''m not the only one getting them, Mike. So don''t worry about me.¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s different for me, Ara. I¡¯ll only get one here.¡± He pointed to his upper arm. ¡°You¡¯ll have them everywhere, and we¡¯re not allowed to show pain during the ceremony. No emotion at all, remember?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Mike. I''m strong.¡± ¡°Then why are you shaking?¡± We both looked down at my hands. ¡°Come here.¡± He sighed and wrapped me up safely in his strong, warm embrace, until the shaking died down to tiny trembles. ¡°I''m not that scared¡ªnot really.¡± ¡°You are. You¡¯re obviously scared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the ritual that scares me, though.¡± He looked down at me, releasing his hold gently. ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­I''m actually more afraid I¡¯ll stuff something up¡ªsay the wrong words or trip over.¡± He laughed. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°Well, I''m glad to hear that, then. It means my best friend is still in there somewhere.¡± ¡°Somewhere?¡± He looked down at me, his caramel eyes bright with his smile, and wrapped his arm across my neck. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up a lot in the last few weeks. I don''t feel like slapping you quite so often.¡± ¡°Urk! I can feel the love,¡± I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. ¡°Aw, you know we love ya, baby.¡± ¡°I know. So, the walk¡ªwhere do I go after I bleed on the Stone?¡± He pointed to a path between two tree trunks that looked like Ents with big noses. ¡°Right through Boris and Bert.¡± ¡°Boris and Bert?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what we call those trees, because they look like funny old men with weird names.¡± I chuckled lightly. ¡°That sounds like something I¡¯d name them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said.¡± He rocked back, laughing once. ¡°Funny thing is, it was actually Lilith who named them¡ªwhen she was a child.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°So, you go past Boris and Bert, and once through, the ceremonial crowd will disperse and wait for you to arrive just before dawn on the rim of the forest outside the Throne Room.¡± ¡°And I have to walk at human pace, don''t I? I can''t just do it all in one run then sit on the ground for the night?¡± ¡°Uh, no.¡± He half laughed. ¡°Don''t do that.¡± Page 29 ¡°Why? They wouldn''t know.¡±Advertisement ¡°No, they wouldn¡¯t. But you would.¡± My shoulders dropped. ¡°Good point.¡± ¡°Look, I don''t like this either, Ara. Who¡¯s to say Drake isn''t gonna wait for you to be out here, all alone¡ª¡± he looked up at the loneliness of the empty space, ¡°¡ªand then just swoop in and grab you.¡± ¡°Thanks. I hadn¡¯t thought of that, but now that you mention it, I''m sure I¡¯ll be looking over my shoulder and jumping at every snapping branch I pass.¡± It made the idea of being out here, alone, in the dark, very, very scary. Mike looked up as a crow landed on a branch behind us, cawing loudly in the silence. ¡°Maybe you should just run the whole track.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯s just a forest.¡± I patted his upper arm. ¡°The scariest thing out here will probably be my own imagination. Then again, I am a vampire, so the scariest thing out here would actually be me.¡± ¡°Ha! I love the way you look at things, Ara.¡± ¡°Just doing my bit to be positive.¡± ¡°Well, in the end, that¡¯s what¡¯s gonna get you through this.¡± He looked at the crow again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the damn crow?¡± I said mockingly. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s a spy?¡± ¡°These days, baby, I¡¯d believe almost anything. Come on¡ª¡± With his arm over my shoulder, he turned us and started walking. ¡°It¡¯s time to take you to your first, official, Private Council meeting.¡± ¡°Oh, goodie.¡± I clapped once, sarcasm festering in the air around me. Under a trap door that slid into a concealed pocket when Mike stepped on a tile marked with a Symbol, was a set of stone stairs, leading below the manor in a circle. If I¡¯d walked over that door, being hidden in the twist of the Throne Room¡¯s patterned marble, I¡¯d never have known it was there. And with the door gone, it almost looked like the circle continued, breaking into stairs as it went beneath. We followed them down, tracing the stone column they wrapped, until a dark room opened out before us; flame torches burned low in sconces on the rock walls, which reached high up to the floor of the Throne Room, with hollows displaying small statues, swords or tablets. ¡°Original.¡± I dropped back on my heels, looking at the stone table. ¡°Knight¡¯s of the Round Table.¡± ¡°Where do you think the legend came from?¡± Blade, my sneaky personal guard, came up from behind. ¡°Really? That was made up by Lilithians?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they tell me.¡± He shrugged and sat down, arms crossed behind his head, leaning right back in his chair. ¡°Pretty funny, huh?¡± ¡°It wasn''t made up,¡± said Morgaine as she skipped into the room. ¡°The knight¡¯s were once great and many. The head of each Core sat at this table, with the queen¡ª¡± she pointed at me and then to a chair up the back of the room, ¡°¡ªwhile they wrote the laws that helped form our society. It¡¯s not a myth or a joke, Blade!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± He rolled his eyes and sat forward, dropping his elbows onto his knees. ¡°Ease off the guy, Morg,¡± Falcon said from the opposite side of the room, arms folded, foot against the wall behind him, as if he¡¯d been standing in here the whole time. ¡°Falcon? How¡¯s vampirism treating you?¡± Morgaine asked. ¡°Haven''t seen you since you were bitten.¡± ¡°Strangely, not so different.¡± ¡°Well, once you¡¯re full strength, you¡¯ll love it,¡± she said and placed a phone at the centre of the table. ¡°For Emily to join in.¡± ¡°Just Emily?¡± I asked, hinting that David should be, too. ¡°Yes,¡± Mike said, pulling one of the ordinary kitchen chairs out from the ancient stone table. ¡°That makes the Council complete.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I said, nodding. So, he hadn¡¯t told the knights David was still alive. I wondered if he would. Well, he¡¯d have to soon. I mean, even if I hadn¡¯t decided to have them on my Private Council, they¡¯d still be present for meetings and pretty much anything else I said or did. ¡°Ah, Eric, there you are.¡± Blade flipped his chin; I looked behind me as Eric and Quaid jumped off the last step, laughing. ¡°Something funny, boys?¡± Cop-Mike possessed the easy-going posture of my BFF. ¡°Sorry, Chief. We got lost.¡± Quaid punched Eric softly in the arm. ¡°Yeah, it was my fault. We were hanging out with the maids in the staff quarters, but there are so many doors down there¡ªI swore the exit was the one on the right.¡± Eric stopped laughing for a second and looked at Quaid, but it burst out of them again like a car horn. ¡°Okay¡ª¡± Mike rested his elbows on his knees, ¡°¡ªso, what did you find when you turned right?¡± ¡°Fat Margret and Edgar¡ªkissing in the broom closet.¡± They roared with laughter again. ¡°Old Margie¡ªthat nosey hag from dinner?¡± Blade asked. ¡°Yup.¡± Eric composed himself. ¡°You should have seen the look on her face¡ªbeing caught with a lowly servant.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t have a candlestick, did they?¡± Mike asked, and I laughed, though everyone else just stared at him. ¡°Margret, in the broom closet¡ªyou know, the game¡ªclue-something?¡± he said leadingly. The only response was cleared throats and chirping crickets, though I was probably imagining the crickets. ¡°Don''t worry, Mike. I got it.¡± He smiled at me, shaking his head, then stood up and offered me his chair. ¡°I''m gonna call her Mrs. Peacock from now on.¡± ¡°Mike, that makes no sense,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°That¡¯s because you never played board games.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I sat down. ¡°Mike and I used to play that game with my mum all the time, right, Mike?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He smiled warmly at the past. ¡°Mrs. Peacock was a game?¡± Morg asked. ¡°No¡ªa character from a game,¡± Mike said. ¡°O¡­kay. Whatever.¡± Morgaine sat down. ¡°For an old bird, Morg, you don''t know much about nineties pop-culture,¡± Blade said. ¡°Shut up, douchebag!¡± ¡°Okay, cool it, you two,¡± Mike cut in. ¡°Now, first on the agenda today¡ª¡± He paused and looked at the phone. ¡°Morg, did you actually call Emily?¡± ¡°Oh, Crap.¡± She grabbed the phone, her cheeks blushing, and dialled Em¡¯s number. ¡°Ha! She is like Ara,¡± Quaid piped up, and the other guys shushed him. Morg gave him a vehement glare then turned back to the phone when Emily answered. ¡°Hi, Em. Meeting time.¡± ¡°Okay. Present,¡± Emily said in her sweet voice. ¡°Em?¡± Mike said. ¡°Hey, Mike!¡± ¡°Hey, gorgeous. So, meeting begins now; just speak up if you wanna add something.¡± ¡°M¡¯kay.¡± I looked from the phone, to Mike. It was once weird to see him so affectionately look at another girl¡ªer, phone¡ªbut it kind of felt nice now, to know he was happy¡ªthat he wasn¡¯t alone. He paced the floor, first addressing the subject of the defectors our Order had just inherited, how they seemed to be trustworthy so far, then went on to discuss the coronation, deciding it would be held this week¡ªprovided the Upper House approved. ¡°Which brings us to our next topic.¡± All eyes in the room moved to me; I shrunk in my seat. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Changing of the knights.¡± ¡°Oh boy.¡± I tipped my brow to my hand. ¡°I know, Ara, but the rest of the army have completed the change¡ªthey¡¯re training and ready to go. The only thing left to do, which I know you¡¯re dreading, is to change these guys.¡± Mike clapped Blade on the shoulder. I swallowed, trying to push the feeling, the memory of when Jason flooded my lips with human blood, out of my mind. I could still feel it blazing, and could still taste the acidic tang of Falcon¡¯s blood when I changed him the other day. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Blade shrugged, palms up. ¡°I don''t get it¡ªshe just has to bite us.¡± ¡°Human blood burns her, Blade,¡± Morg said with a very thick smothering of abhorrence. ¡°Lilithian¡¯s just weren¡¯t designed to bite humans¡ªit goes against everything we are.¡± ¡°Sorry, Princess.¡± Blade sunk back a bit. ¡°I didn''t mean to be offensive.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, Blade,¡± I said. ¡°You weren¡¯t to know.¡± ¡°If he¡¯d paid attention the day you bit Falcon, he would know how it affects you,¡± Morgaine barked. Blade looked like a kid cussing at his own mistake. ¡°U¡¯m sorry. I just¡­I thought she was upset ¡®cause she killed him.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, now you know, don''t you.¡± Morgaine took my hand. ¡°But, despite the burn, Amara, you have to do this. The sooner, the better. You may need the knights when you go to kill Drake in a few weeks.¡± ¡°Trap him,¡± I corrected. She looked up at Mike, who gave a small headshake¡ªhis non-verbal ¡®leave it for now.¡¯ ¡°Well, at least I only have to bite three, right. So, when do you want me to do it?¡± ¡°Tonight,¡± Mike said. ¡°After the bonfire shindig.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I rubbed my tongue over the roof of my mouth. ¡°Can you think of a better time?¡± he asked. ¡°We¡¯ll let these guys enjoy their last evening as mortals, then we¡¯ll introduce them to the flip-side of the pillow.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I frowned. ¡°The flip-side¡­¡± his voice trailed off. ¡°It means the cool side of life, you know, ¡®cause your pillow is cold on the other¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°So, tonight?¡± Morgaine said. An air of exhilaration and anticipation washed over the last remaining humans in the room. ¡°Okay. Tonight, then.¡± I nodded. ¡°Sweet.¡± Blade and Ryder smacked hands together, then turned and did the same with Quaid. Falcon remained cool, watching on from his position against the wall, as if he was above it all¡ªway too mature to high-five. ¡°Right,¡± Mike said. ¡°Well, the next meeting will be called in two days¡ªthe morning prior to the coronation. Ara?¡± He looked at me. ¡°Eileen, formerly Lady in Waiting to Queen Lilith, wants to talk with you about the coronation.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mike leaned on the wall, his legs casually slanted in front of him. ¡°She says there¡¯re some things¡ªhistory and reasons for some of the ceremonial stuff, that you need to know.¡± ¡°Great,¡± I groaned. ¡°Look forward to it.¡± Really, though, I actually just felt like catching a taxi to Elysium, running inside, killing myself a bad guy, then taking the first breeze back home¡ªto dad¡¯s house¡ªto normal life again. Morgaine turned her head swiftly and looked into my eyes, while the rest of the council chatted and laughed loudly between themselves. ¡°You okay, Princess?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Right then.¡± Mike stood up off the wall. ¡°Let¡¯s call this meeting adjourned.¡± ¡°Sweet. Dibs on lighting the bonfire,¡± Blade said, rubbing his hands together as he stood. ¡°Yep, and Falcon can get all the firewood,¡± Quaid slapped Mr. Serious on the shoulder as he passed. ¡°Why him?¡± Morgaine asked. ¡°He can pull trees down with his bare hands,¡± Quaid said. ¡°Roooar!¡± Ryder laughed, following the boys up the stairs. Falcon and Mike shook their heads, looking like twins, standing side by side. They even wore the same black fitted shirts and jeans. I wondered if Mike was missing his little bromance with David, enough that he was seeking himself a twin of his very own. ¡°Ara?¡± Mike¡¯s hand came down on my shoulder; I hadn¡¯t even noticed him beside me. ¡°Eileen¡¯s waiting in your room. You can meet us down at the bonfire once you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Will it take that long?¡± I looked at my watch. ¡°I was planning on¡ª¡± I stopped before the words going to the lighthouse slipped out. ¡°You were what?¡± ¡°Nothing. I''m just tired. I wanted a rest first.¡± Morgaine took my hand and whispered quietly, ¡°Would you like me to come to the boring meeting with you?¡± ¡°Yes! Please!¡± I hopped up off the chair. ¡°We can throw paper canons at her head when she¡¯s not looking.¡± She laughed. ¡°Okay, but only if we get to blame you for it. You can''t get in trouble.¡± ¡°Hey, guys?¡± Emily¡¯s voice came up all crackly through the phone, like the connection was dropping. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Are you alone yet?¡± Mike looked over at Falcon. ¡°We¡¯re among friends.¡± ¡°Okay, so I can talk about¡ª¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mike said, cutting her off. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mike?¡± Blade popped his head around the corner. ¡°Em, hold on.¡± Mike looked at Blade. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He stepped off the stairs and gave me a wink, then looked back over at Mike. ¡°Kegs for the shindig just arrived. Jack wants you to sign for it.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll be there in a sec.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Blade had a really boyish, playful charm about him today. He knocked me gently with his elbow as he passed; his lips parting over his teeth, giving a cheeky grin that seemed to apologise for nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll see ya tonight, pretty princess.¡± Page 30 Mike opened his mouth and Falcon stood straight, but Blade disappeared up the stairs again before they could object to his¡­friendliness.Advertisement ¡°Okay, on that note.¡± Morgaine pulled my hand a little. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Eileen.¡± ¡°Emily?¡± I heard Mike say as Morg and I started up the stairs. ¡°Still here,¡± she trilled in a chirpy voice. I wanted to stay and hear what she was going to say about David. Assuming she was going to say anything about him. Whatever it was, though, Falcon was in the ¡®circle of trust¡¯, but not Blade. I wondered why. Maybe certain members of the Private Guard were to be permanently kept in Mushroom Land. In fact, that dark, imaginary place seemed to own too many of us right now¡ªand I would have to put David in there, too, to keep him safe from the truth about my feelings for his dead brother. ¡°Ara?¡± Morgaine startled me from my thoughts. ¡°Can you experience any one emotion for long enough to decide how you¡¯re feeling? You''re exhausting me.¡± ¡°Sorry, Morg. Too much going on in here.¡± I tapped my head. ¡°What else is new?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I said again. ¡°So? What was that thing in there¡ªwhat were you thinking when Mike said you had to meet Eileen?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Um. Nothing, really. I just kind of thought to myself how easy it¡¯d be if I just shot a bolt of electricity at Drake¡¯s head and ended this thing.¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Moody today. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Not really. I''m tired. Like, spiritually tired. I actually just want to go hom¡ª¡± ¡°Shh. Don''t say it.¡± She grabbed my arm, her fingers making small impressions in my flesh. ¡°I know, okay, but you shouldn¡¯t say that here. These people need you, Princess, more than you need to live a normal life.¡± ¡°I know, Morg.¡± I nodded. ¡°Why do you think I''m still here?¡± The short puff of each breath I took made my lungs tight. I¡¯d been running so long I couldn''t remember how to find my way out. My tiny feet pattered, one over the other, in the short-clipped grass, while my fingertips trailed along the sharp, rain-dotted edges of the brush. It smelled like pine and fresh water, even though the maze was planted of shrub, and though the sun was bright outside these walls, the shadows behind them were thick, making it dark down here. I looked behind me again, feeling him there, feeling his presence, hearing his breath through the gaps in the leaves. He was close; he¡¯d find me soon, and despite this being a web of changing walls, I knew there was nowhere to hide. There never was. Running was my only option. ¡°Where are you?¡± his voice jeered in a creeping, ringing tone. ¡°I''m coming to find you, Princess.¡± I squatted down and tucked my knees to my chest, hugging them tight, wishing I could make my breaths quiet, like his. ¡°Where are you?¡± he called again; I turned my head a little, seeing a bulk figure stop beyond the wall right beside me¡ªfilling out the green gaps in the brush with his darkness. My whole body became stiff, hoping he wouldn¡¯t reach through the hedge and grab me. ¡°Lili?¡± He moved on again, and I relaxed. ¡°Lili?¡± Above me, a crow cawed loudly, its silky black wings reflecting the glare of the sun, and under its evil call, the voice of the man trailed away; I was safe. For now. I dared to peek, my lips falling softly apart when I saw his cloak floating around a distant corner; his feet were gone, his ghostly figure looming, purposeful. He knew where he was going, and this was all a game¡ªjust a game, where he let me think I¡¯d escaped. ¡°Lili.¡± His tone peaked on the end. ¡°My little Lili, where are you?¡± Little Lili? I looked down at my small hands; the nails were squared, the skin pink, almost transparent with youth. Lili? Who was Lili? ¡°Ah-hu!¡± Deep blue eyes set on my face, the ghostly fiend jumping out at me; I squealed, taking off in a run, but he grabbed my arm. ¡°I got you, Little Lili. You can never hide from me. I always hear you.¡± He released me and I scrambled back on my heels, stopping in the arms of the shrub wall. ¡°Now, time to run again¡ªand this time,¡± he said, ¡°don''t make it so easy to find you¡ª¡± My eyes snapped open to Morgaine¡¯s face; she pulled her hand back from my shoulder, her mouth moving with words I couldn¡¯t hear. Inside my chest, a thumping pulse owned my breath, and the feel of that man¡¯s hand on my arm remained. As my soul floated gently back down to earth, my tired gaze drifted from Eileen, still pacing, going on with her lecture, to the dome roof above my bed. And the shocking blue eyes of the man in my dream smiled back at me. Drake. The man in the glass, having a tea party with Lilith¡ªLittle Lili¡ªwas Drake. I took a few deep breaths and composed myself. ¡°You okay?¡± Morg whispered. ¡°I had a dream.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Now.¡± I nodded to myself on the chair. ¡°Just then.¡± ¡°Amara, you were awake this whole time. You were talking to me.¡± I stared forward. ¡°I was?¡± She nodded at Eileen when she turned and gave us a glare, her eyes questioning our attention. ¡°Yeah. Don''t tell me you''ve mastered not paying attention¡ªto the point where you can sleep and hold conversations.¡± I slinked down in my chair, taking the pressure off my numb butt, and cast a quick glance to the windows, seeing the daylight slip behind the horizon. The smell of bonfire smoke rose up from the forest below and even the sound of the knights¡¯ laughter managed to find its way into my room to remind me of all the fun I was missing out on. ¡°So, what was your dream about?¡± Morg asked, leaning closer. I took a heart-steadying breath and closed my eyes, looking back into the maze and all its darkness. ¡°Drake¡ªcoming to get me.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Princess.¡± She took my hand and flipped it over, showing the long crease in my palm, around my thumb. ¡°You have a long life-line. He¡¯s not going to get you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not death or capture I¡¯m afraid of, Morg.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± I looked out the window again, frowning. ¡°The hunt.¡± Loud music and laughter filled the warm, summer air¡ªdistant but homely in the leafy rims of the enchanted forest. I traipsed down the dark trail toward it, with my fluffy friend-slash-guard-dog beside me, feeling safer once I spotted the orange glow of firelight. ¡°What do you reckon, Petey¡ªis that the right spot?¡± Petey took off, leaving me behind, charging forward to break apart a group of knights with a spritely bound; they jumped back, laughing and petting his head eagerly. Falcon frowned at the dog, then looked up¡ªlooked around, his wide eyes relaxing as soon as he saw me. I waved; he nodded casually and went back to his conversation. ¡°Hey!¡± Eric stumbled, drunk and loud, toward me. ¡°Kiddo? What took you so long?¡± ¡°That woman!¡± I charged into the glow of the bonfire and stopped right in front of Mike. ¡°She practically gave me a full exposition. I only just broke free. See?¡± I unravelled the blanket I brought from my bedroom and showed the same skirt and white top I was wearing earlier. ¡°I didn''t even have time to change.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Mike handed me a plastic cup. ¡°You must have been desperate to get out of there.¡± My gaze narrowed, watching him sip his drink, his eyes shifting edgily. ¡°Why do I get the sudden feeling you had me kept under deliberate imprisonment?¡± ¡°Beats me.¡± He shrugged, sniffing once before turning and walking toward the group Petey was in. I looked down at the cup of cola in my hand¡ªat the bubbles popping, then let out a long breath. The bonfire crackled in front of me, its rising embers floating on the heat to the tops of the trees, like orange fairies, while the gentle glow spread warmth out over the clearing, giving a kind of border to the intimate little gathering. After a few more breaths, the burning timber, with its homely smell of winter smoke, simmered my irritation down another notch. I settled myself against the trunk of a tree a few meters away from the fire and watched the knights sit in companionship around the blaze, talking and joking with a kind energy you¡¯d see on people celebrating. ¡°Hi.¡± A man fell heavily beside me, spilling his drink near my shoe. I looked up from the sloppy mess on the bark-covered floor and into a pair of black, smiling eyes. ¡°Hey, Blade.¡± ¡°Tough day?¡± he asked. ¡°You have no idea. That woman was a nightmare.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s over now.¡± He reached across and, with the tips of his fingers, untangled a small piece of bonfire ash from my hair. ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled then blew it away. ¡°So, My Queen? Who will you be sinking your teeth into first tonight?¡± The key to nightmares I¡¯d locked up turned inside me, opening the door; I looked away. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± He gently turned my face back. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­whenever I think of human blood, it reminds me of¡­of¡­¡± ¡°Of when you were tortured?¡± I nodded, pressing my lips in. ¡°You know about that, huh?¡± He nodded. ¡°It was one of our first lessons.¡± ¡°I¡­I feel trapped, you know. When I taste it, it makes me feel like I''m laying flat on my back again, with someone doing things to me I don''t want them to do. And I can''t make it stop.¡± He wrapped his arm over my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you don''t want to do it tonight, I¡¯ll talk to Mike for you. Hey?¡± He laughed then. ¡°Maybe I can get you drunk, and you can pretend to pass out.¡± ¡°Thanks, Blade.¡± The bile in my throat flooded away with a small laugh, but came back as I watched Mike for a moment. ¡°I don''t think I¡¯ll be doing any drinking, though.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well, I''m under age, for one.¡± ¡°And two?¡± Blade pressed. ¡°Two?¡± Two is that the last time I drank alcohol, I lost my mother and baby brother. ¡°Two is I don¡¯t drink.¡± ¡°Smart girl.¡± He nodded and sipped his. ¡°So, where did you get your name¡ªit¡¯s really¡­¡± ¡°Odd?¡± I grinned. ¡°Well, I was going to say pretty, but since you said it first.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah, odd.¡± ¡°Um.¡± I shuffled, wriggling the dirt and bark off my upper thigh, sticking where my skirt rose up a little. ¡°Amara was my grandmother¡¯s name.¡± ¡°What about the ¡®Rose¡¯ part?¡± he asked, and his English accent sounded smoother than usual; I smiled to myself. ¡°Well, that was supposedly because my skin was like the softness of a rose petal.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He lifted his hand, his touch hovering above my arm. ¡°May I?¡± I let the blanket fall away and closed my eyes as Blade stroked his fingertip down my skin. ¡°Yeah. Beautiful. Wow. Who¡¯d have thought?¡± I leaned my elbows over my knees and sat forward; the distant warmth of the firelight glowed against my bare arms. ¡°So what¡¯s your real name then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of the point of a nickname, Ara¡ªso you don''t have to use your real name.¡± He ran his hands over his hair, sitting back against the tree trunk, a wide grin lighting up his eyes. ¡°But I want to know. I''m curious.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I know all the other knights¡¯ names.¡± Blade looked around, checking the darkness of the dry, leafy forest, then looked at the fire again. ¡°It¡¯s like a scar, my name. It¡¯s a part of my past I don''t really want to wear.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He shrunk a little. ¡°I¡¯ve done some bad things. Before I jumped onto the right side of the fence, I¡­well, let¡¯s just say I had a rough start. I don''t really wish to wear my father¡¯s name.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s your surname you don''t like?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Well, what¡¯s your first name?¡± He hesitated. ¡°Thomas.¡± ¡°Thomas,¡± I said to myself. ¡°Nice. So, can I call you Tom?¡± He breathed out through his smile and shook his head. ¡°What?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I was serious.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t answer you.¡± He picked up a stick and started snapping it into pieces. ¡°Look, Ara, I like you¡ªbut we¡¯re not even supposed to be talking like this.¡± Blade looked over at Mike. ¡°If he thinks for one second that I''m crossing the line between guard and . . .¡± He shrugged, one corner of his lip lifting into his cheek. ¡°He¡¯ll kick me outta the Core.¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay. Blade, it is.¡± He groaned, leaning back slightly. ¡°No, call me Tom¡ªbut only in private. Okay?¡± A smile forced itself across my face. ¡°Okay, Tom-but-only-in-private.¡± ¡°Aw, you¡¯re a laugh, aren''t ya?¡± He chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s happenin¡¯ guys?¡± Falcon fell beside me. ¡°We¡¯re just talking,¡± I said casually. ¡°Right.¡± He looked at Tom. ¡°Lookin¡¯ pretty cosy over here.¡± ¡°Relax, man. We¡¯re just talking,¡± Blade said, then sighed and stood up, heading for the fire. ¡°Talking? That¡¯s all, huh?¡± Falcon asked me. Page 31 ¡°Falcon, I know you think you¡¯re cool with your newfound ability to hear and all, but it doesn''t give you telepathy. So chill. Blade and I are just getting to know each other.¡± I stood up, too. ¡°That''s the problem, Your Majesty.¡± He appeared in front of me, blocking my path. ¡°It¡¯s his job to protect you¡ªnot know you.¡±Advertisement ¡°Yeah?¡± I looked over at Blade, then folded my arms across my chest. ¡°And that¡¯s the same as you¡ªexcept you seem to think it¡¯s all right to make assumptions about my intentions.¡± ¡°No,¡± he said smugly, ¡°I don''t assume. I know. And it is more than appropriate for me to make those assumptions, Majesty, because it is my job to protect you, and that includes from yourself.¡± ¡°Er!¡± I scoffed, turning away. ¡°You''re starting to sound like Mike.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Falcon stopped behind me. ¡°I¡¯d be proud to be only half the man he is.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, he may be a good man, but when it comes to what¡¯s best for me, he¡¯s getting his clues from the wrong side of the line.¡± Falcon appeared beside me, gently grabbing my arm. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re just too immature and too na?ve to know any better. Maybe it takes a man who is willing to step outside that line to tell you what you need to do.¡± ¡°Falcon.¡± I pushed his hand off. ¡°Now you are being inappropriate.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He stepped back. ¡°But I¡¯ve had to watch Mike fight with you, day after day, worry over the simplest things, because you refuse to listen.¡± He leaned forward and spoke quieter, ¡°Do you have any idea what you put that guy through?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± He leaned back and folded his arms. ¡°Yeah, well, I got news for ya, Princess, it is my business. Everything you do, think, feel or say is my business¡ªand I am not going to let anything bad happen to you.¡± ¡°Bad? By talking to Blade?¡± ¡°By crossing boundaries with him.¡± ¡°So, now I can''t have friends?¡± ¡°Not if they¡¯re in your Guard. It¡¯s against the rules¡ªa dischargeable offence. Blade knows that.¡± Falcon pointed toward the fire. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be talking to you that way.¡± I looked at Blade, who looked down at his feet. ¡°Would Mike really kick him out?¡± ¡°He¡¯s already been warned.¡± Without looking back at Falcon, I nodded. ¡°Okay. Fine. I won¡¯t talk to him anymore.¡± ¡°You can talk to him, just¡­keep it light. No first names.¡± He smiled at me as he trudged past. ¡°You heard all that?¡± My arms dropped, and I followed him, hearing only a soft laugh from ahead. Chapter Seven The early morning sun shone down on the colours in the dome above my bed, making the eyes of what I¡¯d recently concluded was Drake, and the greens of the gardens around Little Lili rich and bright. I twisted my wedding ring around on my finger, imagining David beside me, talking about the strokes and textures that made up the roses and grasses in the stained glass. We had many pretend conversations like this. Somehow, talking to him in my mind helped ease the troubles in my soul. It was like I could predict his answers, then get advice from him about stuff I could never tell him, all while he wasn''t even in the same room. ¡°Knock, knock,¡± Mike said as he opened my door. ¡°Hey, baby. Brought you coffee and toast.¡± I pushed my hands into the mattress to sit up. ¡°No garlic today? ¡°Garlic?¡± he said. ¡°Never mind.¡± I shook my head; he clearly didn''t know about David''s visits. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked, setting a tray down beside my leg. ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your throat?¡± I touched my fingertips to my neck, lifting my chin slightly. ¡°It stopped burning a few hours ago. How are the knights?¡± ¡°Fine. They¡¯re starting to notice changes¡ªsmall things, like their hearing.¡± ¡°Have the bite marks healed?¡± ¡°Blade¡¯s has.¡± I grabbed a coffee cup off the tray and sipped the brown liquid casually. ¡°I think I had my teeth in his flesh longer than the others.¡± ¡°You did?¡± He sat beside me and grabbed a cup, too. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡­I don''t know.¡± I looked down at my fingertips, wrapped around the warmth of my mug, while my mind flipped to the darkness of last night. The fire had burned down to embers, and the only remaining knights were the ones who were still human¡ªthe ones I had to change, aside from Mike and Falcon, who stayed to watch over us, since they were the only sober men at Loslilian. There was so much anticipation in the air, a kind I understood, because once, I had been human, and once, I had wanted David to change me. As it got later, Blade took my hand and led me through the trees until we could no longer hear Mike and the boys talking. I remembered my heart skipping in my chest as he turned to face me, taking both my hands in his and gently helping me to the forest floor. I knelt in front of him, breath responding to my panic, and he so sweetly brushed my hair over my shoulder and planted a very soft kiss to my cheek. I felt each sharp rise of bark under my bare knees, down the length of my shins and my ankles, but the fear of what I had to do consumed more of me. ¡°You''re so scared,¡± he whispered, cupping my face. I closed my eyes and rolled my cheek into his warm, human hand. Each time his heart beat, his blood pulsed, making his flesh rise like ribs with a breath. I listened to the sound, heard his blood, thick and rushing, move through his veins. With a deep breath, I pinpointed where it pulsed closer to the surface¡ªthe place I needed to bite. I knew what I had to do, but wasn''t really sure how. When I had bitten Mike, just a small nick in his skin was enough to change him, but it took him weeks to transform. When I bit Falcon after electrocuting him, I left my teeth in him until his heart started again, and he was fully transformed within a few days. I weighed up the two options in my mind. ¡°Would you like me to take your mind off it?¡± Blade said, pushing the shoestring strap of my top down my shoulder. ¡°I can make you think of other things.¡± I shook my head, and he slid my strap back in place, taking his long, warm fingers up my neck, around the base of my jaw and over my chest, right between my breasts. I felt myself go hot¡ªhotter than I should for another man¡¯s touch¡ªand quickly dismissed it as fear. ¡°You are so lovely and warm.¡± He pressed his hand more firmly to my chest. ¡°I can feel your heart beating. It feels too fast.¡± ¡°It is.¡± I swallowed, looking at his neck¡ªat the pulsing vein. ¡°Are you afraid of the pain¡ªthe burning?¡± I nodded. ¡°Then hurt me.¡± He grabbed my hand and positioned it around his throat. ¡°Hurt me while I hurt you¡ªmake me feel your pain.¡± With a deep, shaky breath, I closed my eyes and wet my lips. One bite, that''s all, just one and it will be over. ¡°Wait?¡± Blade pulled back. ¡°Not there. If you bite me on the neck, you have to do that with the others¡ªit¡¯s too intimate.¡± ¡°You''re right. I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± ¡°You can bite me here.¡± Blade studied my lips carefully, his breath coming through his own with the hope of touching mine, I could feel it, and he slowly pressed his wrist to my mouth¡­ ¡°So? What do you think?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Oh. I, uh¡ª¡± I blinked a few times and set my coffee cup down. ¡°Ara? Were you even listening to me?¡± ¡°Sorry, Mike. I kind of got a little lost.¡± He shook his head and groaned. ¡°Not much has changed, really, has it?¡± I shrank into myself, smiling sheepishly. ¡°In a strange way, though, baby, that¡¯s kind of comforting to know.¡± He winked and handed me a plate of toast. ¡°What I was saying is, I thought I might film the coronation for David¡ªthat way he won¡¯t miss out.¡± ¡°Really? That''s a great idea, Mike.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He winked at me. ¡°So? You nervous yet?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± He grinned and sipped his coffee. ¡°Chief!¡± I jumped out of my skin when Ryder burst through my bedroom door. ¡°Ryder, what¡¯s up?¡± Mike dumped his cup on my nightstand as he stood. ¡°Orion detected a vampire¡ª¡° Blade said, charging straight to the window. ¡°Somewhere on the border of the manor.¡± ¡°Falcon was on it though, Chief.¡± Ryder came back in from my bathroom and started checking behind my curtains, then dropped to his knees to look under my bed. ¡°He ran before the alarm even sounded.¡± ¡°What, he knew?¡± Mike turned to face Ryder, who stood, satisfied there were no Bogey Men under my bed. ¡°Dunno, Chief. He just started running. Didn''t have time to ask.¡± Mike pulled the curtain across with his fingertip and peered outside. ¡°Right. Come on.¡± Ryder and Mike fled my chambers, leaving me, half frozen with shock, alone with Blade. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Your Majesty. They¡¯ll catch him.¡± Blade stood by my bed and looked down at me, a lustful grin shifting the concern from his eyes. My mouth dropped open a little, a silent huff carrying my insult; I covered my slinky summer nightdress with my sheet and scowled at him. Somewhere outside, an alarm was ringing, pulsing and howling for all to exercise caution; I could hear the chaos and confusion of the House and guests all over the manor. But in my room it was calm; just Blade and I, and my barely-covered body. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s an attack?¡± Blade shook his head and sat down on the bed next to me. ¡°Doubt it.¡± ¡°Well, what will they do to the vampire if they catch him?¡± ¡°Depends what he''s doing here. If he¡¯s here to kill you, they¡¯ll rip him apart¡ªif not, they¡¯ll just smash him up good and bring him to you for questioning.¡± He laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s no one we know, or they¡¯ll get a bit of a bloody greeting.¡± I covered my mouth, suddenly realising the vampire sneaking onto the property could be David. ¡°Stop worrying.¡± Blade patted my leg. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here¡ªprotect you.¡± ¡°Not sitting there, you won''t.¡± Mike waltzed in and closed the door. Blade stood tall, his arms by his sides. ¡°Mike?¡± I threw my covers back, happy Blade had distanced himself, and ran over to Mike. ¡°Did they catch him¡ªthe vampire?¡± He grinned. ¡°Yeah. They got him. No time wasted with my knights, Ara. Got him good, too. Heard he¡¯s lookin¡¯ pretty bad.¡± ¡°Mike?¡± My eyes met his. I needed him to read my mind right now. If that vampire was David, we had a conspiracy to cover up. ¡°It wasn''t¡­?¡± But I couldn¡¯t say it. Not with Blade in the room. ¡°What?¡± Mike looked at me, totally confused. Erg! So much for higher intelligence. He could practically read my mind any other time, why not now? ¡°It wasn''t my old weapons instructor, was it?¡± It took him a moment, but then his eyes widened and he shrunk back. ¡°Oh, shit. I dunno. I¡ª¡± ¡°What?¡± Blade placed a hand between Mike and I, forcing us apart. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°David,¡± Mike said. ¡°Mike?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Ara¡ªhe knows,¡± Mike said. ¡°He does?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Blade said, grinning. ¡°Mike told us all yesterday, while you were being tortured by mystical-woman-with-long-stories.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were telling them?¡± ¡°Come on.¡± Mike grabbed my wrist. ¡°No time for this now. We need to get down to the Throne Room. If that''s David, we gotta conceal it quickly.¡± ¡°Never mind that,¡± I screeched. ¡°Blade said the knights will rough him up pretty bad. He could be really hurt.¡± ¡°Ara, that is the least of our problems,¡± Mike said, dragging me¡ªnightdress and all¡ªto the corridor. We burst through the Throne Room doors and Mike threw the curtain aside, dragging me past the back of the big gold chair to the edge of the landing it was perched on. Blade leaped onto the balcony at the back of the room, and Quaid flung open the double doors leading out to the forest. ¡°See anything yet, Blade?¡± Mike called. ¡°No, sir. Just trees¡¯n¡¯shit.¡± Mike turned back to me. ¡°You okay?¡± I nodded and sat down on the steps. Satisfied, Mike wandered over and stomped on the panel that opened the Round Room. ¡°If it¡¯s him, we¡¯ll get him straight into hiding. It¡¯ll be okay, baby.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I said breathily. But it wasn''t our little ¡®David''s dead¡¯ conspiracy I was worried about. ¡°Hey, wanna know a useless piece of information?¡± He placed a hand to the step and fell into it, spinning to sit on his butt beside me. ¡°Might help distract you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Those marble columns that hold the roof up.¡± He pointed to the six cream pillars along the length of the room, sitting in the gaps between each giant window. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°They¡¯re fake. They¡¯re not structural at all. Lilith had them placed in here after she saw a Roman palace.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s my room up there¡ª¡± He pointed to the roof. ¡°Its foundations are set in the external bricks¡ªsame as yours. But no one knows these are fake, so don''t tell anyone, okay?¡± Page 32 ¡°Well, how do you know that?¡±Advertisement He smirked. ¡°I know everything.¡± I smiled, backhanding him softly. Sometimes, his own self-loving could be charming, and it always made me feel better somehow. The gentle scent of clay and pine came through the doors at the back of the room, and the absolute silence felt almost peaceful. It was the calm before the storm. I looked up at the fake marble columns and the pale colours, everything tinted with touches of gold, kind of like Lilith was making extra effort to disguise her throne and her Court as the real deal. I wondered if anyone took her seriously¡ªbelieved in her. For some reason, judging by the fake grandness of this room, I felt like they didn''t¡ªlike maybe she was just like me. ¡°Chief?¡± Blade called down from the balcony outside. ¡°I can see them coming up this way.¡± ¡°Great. How¡¯s the prisoner look?¡± He walked back inside and leaned over the railing, into the Throne Room. ¡°Looks bad.¡± ¡°Is it you know who?¡± Blade appeared beside us then. ¡°Couldn¡¯t tell. Looks too big¡ªtoo built to be him. And his hair was all shaved, like mine.¡± I breathed a soft sigh of relief. There¡¯s no way David would ever shave his head. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s just some dumb kid looking for a place to crash,¡± Mike said. ¡°Hope not. We¡¯ve only got two or three guest rooms left,¡± Blade said, hands on his hips, watching the double doors. ¡°We¡¯ll throw him in the Core then¡ªplenty of rooms at the barracks,¡± Mike said, standing up, and they both just stood there, watching the back doors. It felt like time just ticked by, like the knights were taking forever to get here. Mike reached back, pulled me up to stand, then dropped a quick kiss on my head. ¡°It won''t be David, baby. He¡¯d never shave his head.¡± I laughed. ¡°I know.¡± It was nice that Mike knew that, too. ¡°What¡¯re you so worried about then?¡± ¡°Um.¡± I frowned, going back through my last few thoughts. ¡°I¡­I think I was actually thinking about your room.¡± ¡°My room?¡± he said, looking up for a second. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I was thinking about Lilith, you know, and if we were anything alike, and then I was thinking about the stained glass dome above your bed.¡± Mike stiffened. ¡°I tacked a sheet up over it.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± I half laughed. He nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t look at that anymore. It¡¯s sick.¡± I smiled to myself. He didn''t know it, but Morgaine actually told me what the picture was; a depiction of Lilith¡¯s death¡ªa woman, her legs forced apart by the hips of a man as she cried, reaching out to the nothing, while another slit her throat. Mike had gone to great lengths to keep that from me¡ªeven barred me from his room. ¡°Anyway, why were you thinking about it, baby?¡± ¡°I guess I just feel a kind of connection to Lilith. I¡­I felt sad for her. For the fact that she set this room up to look all grand, and then she had it all taken away.¡± Mike opened his mouth to speak just as the knights burst through the doors. ¡°Got him, Chief,¡± Ryder called. As soon as I saw the thick, rounded skull and the wide, broad shoulders of the man they dragged between them, I relaxed. This guy looked like he was of European descent¡ªmaybe Italian or something, certainly not the unmistakably Caucasian appearance my David had. Ryder and Falcon dropped the bloodied vampire to the floor; he landed on his hands, then gave up and flopped down, his face bleeding all over the velvet rug below the steps. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Mike asked, squatting beside him. He groaned, trying to lift his head. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Speak louder.¡± Ryder shoved the man with his foot. ¡°Hey, ease off!¡± I walked over and stood with Mike. ¡°Drake. Has.¡± The man coughed and rolled over, clutching his stomach. ¡°Drake has what?¡± Ryder leaned over him. ¡°What has he done?¡± ¡°Give him a break!¡± I yelled, pushing Ryder aside, then knelt down beside the man, who, up close, was no older than me. He was bloodied badly, his lip split, dirt and small pebbles lodged into his temples and cheekbones, and the whole left side of his body was practically limp. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Nate,¡± he wheezed, struggling to speak. ¡°And what happened? Why did you come here?¡± ¡°For safety.¡± ¡°From Drake?¡± He nodded, wincing, his eyes becoming small with pain. ¡°He¡¯s¡­something about blood oaths.¡± ¡°What about them?¡± He coughed, and the gash across his chest pulsed blood as he rolled back. ¡°Oh, God, you¡¯re bleeding bad.¡± I held my wrist out. ¡°Here. Drink.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Mike grabbed my arm and looked up at Quaid. ¡°Get him a human. Lilithian blood won''t be enough.¡± ¡°A human?¡± I practically barked as Quaid ran off. ¡°Relax, Ara. I won''t allow any biting or killing.¡± I reached out and placed my hands on the guy¡¯s chest, forcing pressure down on his wound. It felt like forever before Quaid finally came back, escorting a young girl. She looked so small and so nervous next to him. ¡°Here,¡± he said, and gave her a soft push in our direction. ¡°Hi.¡± I smiled sympathetically at her. ¡°Hello,¡± she said, bowing her head as she knelt beside me. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked. ¡°Danni.¡± ¡°Well, Danni, have you ever had someone drink from you before?¡± She shook her head. ¡°We won''t let him bite you, okay?¡± I said, pushing down harder on the vampire¡¯s chest, feeling the flood of his blood pulse up with each breath he took. ¡°And if you don''t want to do this, you don''t have to.¡± She looked at Quaid; he winked at her, and she gushed, blushing. ¡°I don''t mind.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I slowly pulled my hands back from the bloodied mess and held them out from my body, resisting the urge to lick my fingers, gross as that sounds. Mike squatted right beside Danni and guided her hand to the vampire¡¯s lips, squeezing her wrist as he made a cut; she looked away, scrunching her eyes tight. The warm, dead animal smell of her blood wafted up to my nostrils, making the sweet, desirable scent of vampire on my hands seem suddenly so unappealing, like eating a doughnut in a room where someone farted. Quaid held the head of the newcomer so he couldn¡¯t lift it, and Danni¡¯s blood spilled, drop by drop, against his lips. The bruising along his jaw receded and his eyes changed from black to a bright hazel colour as he sat up and took a deep breath. ¡°Better?¡± I said. He nodded and looked right into Danni¡¯s eyes. ¡°You okay?¡± She nodded. ¡°Thank you for that,¡± he said, touching her arm. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± She blushed again, and Blade helped her to stand, leading her away; she turned back to wave at Quaid, but he was too focused on the man to notice. ¡°Now. What''s going on?¡± Mike said. ¡°Drake turned volatile, started slashing people apart.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I heard it was something to do with oaths. Apparently he wiped out every member of the Blood Army¡ªwent to each Set, killed everyone who¡¯d ever sworn an oath, then came back here and finished them off.¡± ¡°He killed the army?¡± I felt weak, dizzy. ¡°Why would he do that?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Mike said, standing up. ¡°When you take your oath tomorrow night, any man whose allegiance is sworn to the throne will switch to you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I said. ¡°Yep, and that would have included Drake¡¯s army.¡± I looked back at the young vampire. ¡°So, you haven¡¯t sworn an oath?¡± ¡°No.¡± He sat up properly, his chest completely healed; he looked down at it, parting his shirt to give the skin a little poke. ¡°I don''t really care for politics. I just heard screaming, looked out my bedroom door and saw Drake slice a man¡¯s throat open.¡± ¡°Did he¡­did the guy die?¡± ¡°Yeah. I kid you not, yo. Guy just dropped dead, right there on the floor in front of me.¡± ¡°Wait! How is he killing vampires?¡± ¡°Don''t you know?¡± the kid said, his eyes wide. ¡°There¡¯s some new drug called Venom. Wipes ¡®em out in seconds.¡± ¡°Drug?¡± I said, looking at Mike. ¡°What do you mean by drug?¡± Mike said. ¡°Dunno. I just heard some High Council dude say something a few weeks ago.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Something about vials¡ªsaid we had four but Drake took it to his lab in Sussex and had it expanded into...I don''t know.¡± He swallowed, as if his mouth had made too much saliva to keep talking. ¡°I can''t remember, but he made enough of it to walk ¡®round the castle with a sword and just start cuttin¡¯ guys up. Their eyes were open, ma¡¯am¡ªhe just left ¡®em there. Just¡­dead!¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°So, then you left?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I was lucky. I followed some guys out this tunnel and came out to a road.¡± ¡°How many escaped?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Are you the only one that came here?¡± ¡°There were twenty who ran. But they all went in different directions. I only came here ¡®cause of Eric.¡± ¡°Eric de la Rose?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡ªa few months ago he said he was fleeing the Set¡ªasked me to come. I didn''t wanna risk capture, and he wouldn¡¯t tell me why he was leaving, so I told him I¡¯d stay. He just handed me a map and said if I changed my mind to come here.¡± He looked up at Falcon. ¡°I''m sorry, man, I didn''t know this was some royal chateau or nothin¡¯. I just thought Eric had really rich parents or something.¡± Falcon laughed and helped the vampire to his feet. ¡°No harm done.¡± ¡°What did you say your name was, kid?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Nate.¡± He folded over a little, obviously still in pain. ¡°Well, Nate, welcome to Loslilian. This here¡ª¡± Mike presented me, ¡°¡ªis our princess, soon to be the new ruler of the Three Worlds.¡± Nate looked at me then, flipping his chin. ¡°¡¯Sup.¡± Everyone in the room laughed. ¡°Blade, go get Morgaine. Tell her to prepare a guest room for our new friend.¡± Blade saluted with two fingers and turned on his heel, disappearing. He¡¯d learned to use that speedy vamp run really well for a vampire who was only a few hours old. Smart bugger. ¡°So, you guys are all Lilithians?¡± Nate asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Mike bristled with pride. ¡°I heard of your kind.¡± ¡°What have you heard?¡± I said. ¡°You drink vampire blood. Some say Drake¡¯s building a new army to come get some kid you guys stole or something.¡± ¡°New army?¡± Nate nodded. ¡°He ships humans in¡ªthirty a day. At first I thought he was just really hungry, but then a mate of mine in decomp said he was only burning about half that.¡± ¡°Decomp?¡± I looked at Mike. Mike winced and without looking at me said, ¡°Decomposition. It¡¯s the guys who get rid of bodies.¡± I felt queasy. ¡°So, he¡¯s creating a new army?¡± Mike sunk back a little, exhaling through his nose as realisation seared through him at the same time it did Falcon and Quaid. ¡°Because of the allegiance shift?¡± I said. ¡°Yep. But he can''t make them swear an oath because, not only does he not have access to the Stone, but the oath would be invalid as soon as you swear yours. He¡¯ll have to brainwash them.¡± ¡°Mike¡ª¡± I grabbed his sleeve, my eyes tearing. ¡°We have to save those people.¡± He wrapped me up in his arms, grimacing at the blood on my hands, dirtying his shirt. ¡°Baby, there¡¯s nothing we can do to help them. We¡¯re not ready to go after Drake, yet.¡± ¡°But this is good news,¡± Falcon said. ¡°Not that humans are dying, but that his army won''t be ready for some time. He needs to change them, train them and make sure they¡¯re reliable enough to carry out whatever task he asks of them.¡± Quaid looked at Nate then at Falcon. ¡°Right. This at least means Ara¡¯ll be safe while she does the Walk of Faith. I doubt he¡¯s gonna come onto Lilithian grounds without some protection.¡± Falcon nodded and clapped Nate affectionately on the shoulder. ¡°Nate, my man, welcome to Loslilian.¡± ¡°A toast.¡± Mike, chirpier than usual, stood and tapped his glass. ¡°To the knights, for their exceptionally quick reaction time, the successful capture of an alleged bad guy, and also to our new comrade, Nate.¡± We raised our glasses, one by one, all thirty-something people down the table. More chairs had been added since our little family grew; first, my Private Guard being invited to dine with us each night, then a half dozen new vampires, and now Nate. But the head of the table still remained empty¡ªanother reminder we had no king and, for me, another reminder that David would miss my coronation ceremony tomorrow. ¡°Well, I''m glad to be on this side of the fence.¡± Nate held his glass up to Falcon. ¡°Your knights pack a pretty wicked punch.¡± Falcon sipped his wine, smiling into his glass; it was the same kind of smile he gave when he knew he was right about something. Page 33 ¡°I must say,¡± Margret, now nick-named Mrs. Peacock, spoke over everyone. ¡°Michael, I underestimated you. It seems you¡¯ve trained your knights well.¡±Advertisement ¡°Yes,¡± Moustache Man piped up. ¡°I watched from my window this morning as they caught our new friend.¡± Nate shuffled in his seat. ¡°Young Falcon here is quite a force,¡± Mrs. Peacock said. ¡°Just doing my job.¡± Falcon nodded once. My ears adjusted to a quieter conversation near me, and as the rest of the table went about their private dinner chatter, I looked at Eric and Nate. ¡°What¡¯s it mean?¡± Nate asked Eric. ¡°It¡¯s permanent, man. You¡¯d have no life.¡± ¡°How is that different to now?¡± ¡°Amara¡¯s disbanding the Sets when she¡¯s sworn in¡ªwe¡¯ll be free to go where we want.¡± ¡°Serious?¡± He glanced at me then back at Eric. ¡°Can I go home¡ªto my family?¡± ¡°No, man, but you can get on with your life.¡± ¡°So, are you swearing an oath?¡± Nate asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You will if you want to be on the Private Council,¡± Arthur said, coming into the conversation uninvited. Eric¡¯s jaw came forward¡ªthe serious side of him. He looked down at his plate. ¡°Why, Arthur?¡± I asked across the table; several people hushed. ¡°It¡¯s the law. Those in your Private Council must be sworn to the throne or to the people.¡± ¡°What does the oath do?¡± Nate asked. ¡°It makes those who bear the mark bound to obey any command given in strong order by their ruler.¡± ¡°Except those sworn to the people,¡± a man said. ¡°Then they may disobey, should they see the order detrimental to the greater good.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°And what if they swear to the other one¡ªthe¡­throne, was it?¡± Nate asked. ¡°Yes, the throne,¡± Arthur said. ¡°In that case, they must obey, no matter what.¡± ¡°Did you swear an oath, Arthur?¡± I cut in. He nodded, sipping his wine. ¡°I was on the World Council. It was a requirement.¡± ¡°But not as Set leader¡ªlike David was?¡± He shook his head. ¡°So, Arthur, if Drake was to call you up now and tell you to come back, would you have to?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What if you were sworn to the throne?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And Jason? What was he sworn to?¡± I asked, ignoring the quiet gasps when I mentioned his name. ¡°The throne.¡± ¡°So, when I take over, his allegiance would automatically have transferred?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°And I swear my allegiance to the people?¡± I touched my chest. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But, I don''t have to do what they say if they order me to?¡± ¡°No. As long as you never do anything that directly affects the people in a grossly negative way¡ª¡± ¡°What if some of them would die by a decision I make?¡± ¡°As long as you knew in your heart it was for the greater benefit, it would be okay.¡± ¡°And¡­if, say, Nate was to swear to the throne, he¡¯d have to do whatever I tell him?¡± ¡°No. The compulsion act only applies to orders of a certain nature,¡± Arthur said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, you can give an order for Mike to, say, punch Falcon,¡± Morgaine started into the conversation. ¡°And he can refuse. But if you compel him to obey, he would have to.¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kind of energy you use, so I''m told.¡± ¡°You will come to understand it once you¡¯ve made your oath,¡± a man with a long grey beard said, bowing his head slightly. ¡°So, I can only use that after I''m sworn in.¡± ¡°No, it would work now, for those who have made an oath to the people¡ªif they believe you to be the true ruler.¡± ¡°How do I do it¡ªhow do I compel someone?¡± Arthur leaned forward, his arms on the table. ¡°Request something of them as though you hold all authority. Ask as though you would bring all hell down on their soul if they did not do as you said.¡± ¡°Morgaine?¡± I turned to her. ¡°Yes, Majesty?¡± ¡°Can I try it on you?¡± She rubbed the top of her arm, the place I knew she had the same marking as Jason. ¡°Of course, Princess Amara.¡± I took a breath and worked up the same tone my mum used on me when she was sending me to my room, and I would look in her eyes and know damn well if I didn''t move it, she was going to start spitting green stuff, her head turning around on her shoulders. ¡°Answer this honestly; do you believe any of the people at this table may be traitors?¡± Everyone gasped, the energy in the room going tense. Morgaine looked into her plate. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can keep your whispers to yourself, Margret,¡± Arthur said suddenly in his stern voice. ¡°I would just as soon give my life at her feet. I am no traitor.¡± I offered him a warm smile. ¡°I know that, Arthur.¡± ¡°And I cannot be the traitor,¡± said Moustache Man. ¡°I''m Lilithian.¡± ¡°As am I,¡± said Grey Sideburns, then a few others. No one seemed to look particularly guilty, except Morgaine. I wondered if she knew who the traitor was or if she only suspected someone. Either way, we were going to have a sit down chat¡ªa long one. ¡°So, those who swore to the throne of Lilith, what happened to their oaths when she died?¡± ¡°They remained faithful. Since Drake never made an oath, he could not have control of us,¡± Margret-slash-Mrs. Peacock said, bowing her head. ¡°Our allegiance remains faithful to the Lilithian rule, even if you never make an oath.¡± ¡°So, if I wanna stay here,¡± Nate said, ¡°do I have to make an oath?¡± ¡°Only if you plan to serve on the Private Guard or the Private Council,¡± someone said. ¡°Cool.¡± He nodded. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s all the same, I¡¯ll just stick to being one of the guests for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, Nate,¡± I said, tearing my eyes away from his with the sense of another¡¯s on me, and when they brushed across Arthur¡¯s face, he looked away. ¡°Morg?¡± I kicked her foot under the table; she looked up at me. ¡°Is your ¡®getting people¡¯ thing turned on right now?¡± She frowned, half smiling. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Can you read¡­I mean¡­¡± I nodded in Arthur¡¯s direction when he turned away to answer a question. ¡°He looked at me weird.¡± Morgaine stared at him, then shook her head and smiled. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, leaning closer. ¡°Why was he looking at me like that?¡± Arthur looked right at me then, and I sat up, pretending not to be talking about him, but I felt my cheeks flush, the heat rising up from my chest. I could only imagine what scent he was catching from me then, because he scratched his brow with one finger, laughing a little. Even Morgaine laughed. ¡°Morg?¡± I whispered, not so quietly. ¡°What are you two laughing at?¡± ¡°You don''t have anything to worry about.¡± She smiled at Arthur, who didn¡¯t even bother to look away this time. ¡°From what I gather, he thinks you look pretty tonight.¡± With another flush in my cheeks, I looked up at Arthur¡¯s vibrant blue eyes and smiled. ¡°Stop that!¡± Mike kicked my foot. ¡°Ouch,¡± I whined. ¡°Stop what?¡± ¡°Flirting.¡± He leaned closer. ¡°I can feel the heat coming off your body.¡± ¡°I was not.¡± I scowled at him and went back to eating my dinner. From my peripheral, I saw Mike point at Morgaine. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t encourage her.¡± Morgaine just giggled and looked up at me from under her lashes, but her gaze slipped quickly past me to look over at Nate, talking with another vampire about David. ¡°What about David?¡± I shot my voice across the table; all hushed. Nate shifted in his chair. ¡°He just found out he¡¯s dead,¡± Eric said. I twisted my wedding band around with my thumb. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡ªI keep to myself. I¡¯ve pretty much just hidden in my room at the castle since I was changed. I didn''t even know there was a war going on.¡± ¡°Nate¡¯s new,¡± Arthur explained. ¡°He was recently brought in by a Scout.¡± ¡°Scout?¡± I frowned. ¡°Like Orion,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°Same guys who would¡¯ve eventually come for Emily.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked over at our newcomer. ¡°So, you knew David, Nate?¡± ¡°Yeah. I went to school with him.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Just last year.¡± My core imploded. ¡°Nate¡ªis that¡­is that short for Nathan?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure is.¡± ¡°Holy cow! You¡¯re Nathan Rossi? I went to your funeral!¡± He laughed. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! Oh, my God. You¡¯re not dead!¡± ¡°Ur¡ª¡± He looked down at his own body. ¡°Not as far as I can tell.¡± ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I said a few times. ¡°Does Emily know?¡± ¡°Emily?¡± Nathan looked at Eric. ¡°Who¡¯s Emily?¡± ¡°Emily¡¯s a vampire, Nathan.¡± I tried to contain my excitement, but heard my own voice travel across the table louder than it should be. ¡°Emily from school.¡± ¡°Emily¡­¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Emily Peirce? David''s Emily?¡± Everyone went quiet. ¡°David¡¯s Emily?¡± I gulped. ¡°What exactly do you mean by David''s Emily?¡± ¡°She¡­she was¡­I mean, she was the only girl he ever hung out with.¡± He shrugged. ¡°They were close.¡± My heart dropped in my stomach. ¡°Close?¡± ¡°Yeah. None of us guys were allowed to touch her. So¡­what happened to him¡ªDavid? Why¡¯d he die?¡± Eric clapped Nathan on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in after dinner, man.¡± I scratched my head, sitting back. ¡°So, is she here? Em?¡± Nate asked. ¡°No.¡± I looked at Mike; he was as stiff as I was. ¡°She will be tomorrow, though.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± Nathan grinned. ¡°That¡¯s really cool. I always liked Em.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s engaged now.¡± I jerked my head in Mike¡¯s direction. ¡°Yeah? No kidding. That''s awesome.¡± Mike nodded and looked down at his lap, a blue light making his face glow from under the table. I felt the double vibration of his message tone come through the base of my seat. ¡°So, how did you know David, Princess Amara?¡± Nathan asked. Eric leaned in to Nathan and whispered, ¡°She was his wife.¡± Nathan sat taller, his eyes wide. ¡°Oh. But¡ªI thought he¡­I mean, last I spoke to him, he was hooked on some other girl. Ara, or something weird like that.¡± I laughed through my nose. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s me. I get called Ara, Ara-Rose, all different names.¡± His lip quirked on one side as he took a closer look at my face than he had before. ¡°So, you married him?¡± I nodded, unable to stop from smiling at his obvious joy. ¡°Well, I''m really glad to hear that, Ara.¡± The table huffed at such an informal address, but Nathan didn''t even notice. ¡°I know he was pretty in love with you.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah. He was.¡± ¡°I''m sorry he¡¯s dead. He was a good friend of mine.¡± He looked down at his plate. ¡°So, who turned you?¡± Morgaine asked, looking around Falcon, down the long line of vampires on her side of the table. ¡°Yeah,¡± I added. ¡°David told me once it wasn''t him.¡± Nathan looked at Arthur, then at Eric. ¡°I uh¡­I don''t know.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down. ¡°So, you didn''t see the guy?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Could¡¯ve been a girl, for all I know.¡± A few others shot questions at Nathan, while I looked at Mike. Him, with all his rules, was the last person I ever expected to see texting under the table. ¡°Mike?¡± He looked at me. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± I nodded to the phone. ¡°Em,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Oh. Did you tell her about Nathan?¡± He nodded and held up his phone. All I saw was exclamation marks, then laughed. ¡°Guess she¡¯s happy then?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, just a tad.¡± He leaned forward and stuffed his phone in his back pocket. ¡°You okay?¡± I asked, patting his hand. ¡°Yeah. You?¡± he breathed, forcing a smile. I swallowed. ¡°David''s Emily.¡± ¡°Look, I kind of knew it was like that,¡± he said. ¡°And I think you did, too. Doesn''t mean anything, baby.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know. It was just a shock to hear it put that way.¡± He patted my hand with his other one. ¡°I know. I just feel sorry for¡­you know who. I bet they¡±¡ªby they, he meant David¡ª ¡°are gonna cop an earful when you see them next.¡± I laughed. ¡°Probably not. I can never stay mad at hi¡ªer, her when we¡¯re in the same room.¡± Mike laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve always loved that about you.¡± Page 34 The training hall seemed cold without the heat of fifty bodies filling it. Mike fitted a metal cuff to his forearm and winked at me as he grabbed a sword.Advertisement ¡°Why do we need protection?¡± I rubbed the cuff on my arm. ¡°We¡¯re vampires. We won¡¯t die from a cut.¡± ¡°No, but do you have any idea how much energy it uses to heal a slash every ten seconds? That energy¡ªthat blood¡ªis better spent cutting up bad guys on the battlefield, Ar.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I shoved a finger under it to scratch my skin. ¡°Makes sense. But, I was kind of wondering, and¡­I know this is probably a really stupid question, so don''t get mad, okay?¡± ¡°Sure, baby, what is it?¡± He jammed a sword into his scabbard. ¡°If¡­if we¡¯re strong enough to cut vampires open with a butterknife, why do we need Lilithian steel blades? I thought that was just so humans could cut them.¡± ¡°Because,¡± he said, handing me a sword from the table. ¡°To cut them with plain iron would, again, take more effort, and the chances of cutting deep enough to bleed them out and let the venom tip do its trick are one in five. Lilithian steel guarantees the best possible result.¡± ¡°Is their skin really that tough?¡± Mike smirked, sighing heavily. ¡°You just have no idea about anything, do you, girl?¡± I swallowed with a little gulp. He was right. I hadn''t really thought about any of this. I guess I just took it for granted that I was a vampire and so were they¡ªthat we¡¯d all just do some biting and waving of swords until someone wore out and went home. ¡°Come on then.¡± Mike lowered into his stance, his eager grin drawing me into battle. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± I twisted my sword over, holding it in a dagger grip, then extended my arm, my fist aimed at Mike, the blade of my sword following the length of my forearm. ¡°Ara, you¡¯re holding that wrong. Point your blade upward, like this.¡± He showed me how one is supposed to hold a sword. I shook my head. ¡°I have my own style. It¡¯s non-conventional, Mike, but this works for me.¡± He scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°It does. Just watch.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he said, and his deep, godly tone made me not so sure of myself. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± I angled my wrist and dipped my arm, waving my blade through the air in a figure eight, then dropped my shoulder, flipping onto my back as Mike stepped in. The ground caught me with a jolt, but it wasn¡¯t enough to wind me. I grabbed his ankle while he was still looking for me in his line of direct sight, and slashed his shin¡ªbringing him down to the ground beside me. He hit hard, dropping his blade with a loud clunk, and I was on him, legs either side of his chest, my sword to his throat. ¡°Yield?¡± He coughed, laughing, his face red with obvious pain, and held my hips with both hands. ¡°Girl one. Guy nothing.¡± I laid my sword on the floor beside us. ¡°Still think I need to hold my sword ¡®properly¡¯?¡± He knocked my hands down from their sarcastic pose of ¡®quotation marks¡¯ and dragged me into his chest for a bear-tight hug. ¡°You¡¯re fine, baby. You hold that sword however you want¡ªlong as you fight like that.¡± I smiled into his sweaty neck, feeling the short, gristly stubble along his hairline behind his ear. It felt good to be this close to him again¡ªlike we¡¯d not hugged in so long. He let me free, and I sat up, looking down at the caramel gaze of my bestest friend in the whole world. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, Mike.¡± He took a very long breath, wrapping his big hands around my hips again. ¡°I missed you too, Ar.¡± ¡°And, Mike?¡± I grinned mischievously. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, his eyes small with the relaxation his body stupidly felt while under me. ¡°Never let your guard down,¡± I said. He had time only to widen his eyes as I rose up on my knees, making enough room for his body to twist under mine, then grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over, pressing my blade to the ball of his throat, holding his head in place by the scruff of his hair. ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Falcon said as he came in. ¡°Mike, you going easy on that girl again?¡± Mike¡¯s arms came up, twisting at the elbows to knock my wrists away; my blade tore across his throat with the force, while the roll of his hips sent me to my back, on the floor, my legs open around him. ¡°Maybe just a little.¡± I pushed my cuff to his chin, holding him off me. ¡°You were not,¡± I said, struggling. ¡°You¡¯re just embarrassed to be pinned by a girl.¡± He laughed and eased off me, leaving me breathless. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re just too quick for me, Ara.¡± When he offered his hand to help me up, I ignored it and rolled over, clambering clumsily to my feet. ¡°I had you. You were pinned.¡± Mike smirked, wiping blood off his neck. ¡°You¡¯re right. You did. But you let your guard down, baby, and the battle flipped in my favour.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± I dusted myself off and looked at Falcon, who was covering his grin, then back at Mike. ¡°It won''t happen again.¡± The boys laughed behind me as I stormed from the training hall, into the cool sprinkle of summer rain outside. The greyish glow of the single torch in the corner under the stone steps gave little light to the room; I sat on a chair in the border of its warmth, tapping my fingers on the round table, checking my watch every few seconds. Mike had a good excuse for being late to the council meeting, because Emily apparently arrived about ten minutes ago, but where were the rest of them? Somewhere up in the Throne Room, a door slammed, its sudden echo making me jump a little, while a quick gust of air rushed down the tunnel of stairs, sweeping the roundness of the room, and blew out my torchlight, thrusting me into the pitch black of the underground. ¡°Looks like even the flames gave up waiting,¡± I said to the torch, standing up. In the darkness, it almost felt like I could hit my head on something, though I knew the roof was much too high for that. I felt my way around the cold stone curve of the table and wandered, hands out, to the wall under the stairs, finding the matchbox right where we usually left it. The birth of the flame brought an instant bubble of safety with its warm glow. I rested it to the wick of the torch; it sizzled and flourished into a bold, bright light again, touching the shadows in the corner under the stairs. I quickly looked around to make sure there were no Bogey Men, then sighed, my shoulders dropping. ¡°Who? Amara?¡± Morgaine said in a high-pitched voice, coming down the stairs. ¡°Blade¡ªwhat are you saying?¡± ¡°You know what I''m saying, Morg.¡± I dropped the unstruck match to my side and pressed my back against the wall, masking myself in the shadows. ¡°Yes, I think I do, and I can''t say I''m terribly impressed.¡± As they walked in and sat down with their backs to me, I drew my toes into the shadows, hoping the rapid beating of Blade¡¯s heart would hide my own. But they seemed too distracted by their conversation to even notice my partially heavy breathing. Blade rested his head in his hands. ¡°I just don''t get it. Why am I so hooked on her?¡± Morgaine laughed softly. ¡°It¡¯s the curse of her blood¡ªLilith¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°Queen Lilith?¡± ¡°No, the original Lilith. History reports that she was cursed with beauty beyond imagination and the burden of desire. This was believed to have been a punishment for deceiving Eve¡ªconvincing her to eat the Fruit of Wisdom.¡± Morgaine touched Blade¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Cain, Lilith¡¯s husband, had been cursed for the murder of his bother with a thirst for blood. All who take the poison of the cursed inherit the burden. For the Created, we simply became vampires, but any who descend from the bloodline of Lilith will take the hearts of men. It¡¯s why Lilith was known in history as the Goddess of Seduction.¡± ¡°I don''t get it? What does that have to do with this?¡± He pressed his hand to his chest. ¡°Because any man that piques her interest will be cursed to love her.¡± ¡°So¡ªthis isn¡¯t real? It¡¯s just that she, what, Amara fancies me? That''s why I feel like I¡¯ll die if I don''t hold her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But I don''t have any feelings for him, Morg!¡± I shot forward, aiming a finger in Blade¡¯s direction; they both spun around, shock paling their faces. ¡°I don''t. How can he be cursed if I don''t feel anything for him?¡± She shook her head slightly, sitting back a little. ¡°Did you ever feel a flutter in your heart for him¡ªmaybe for a certain action¡ªperhaps he was kind, perhaps a certain smile or something?¡± I swallowed, my eyes tearing, mouth open like I could say something to defend myself. ¡°That¡¯s all it takes, Princess,¡± Morgaine added. ¡°But, I mean¡­we just¡­¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± she said with a smug grin. ¡°When were you planning to tell me this?¡± I yelled, digging my finger into my chest. ¡°I wasn¡¯t allowed to.¡± She held up defensive or maybe calming hands. ¡°Who said?¡± ¡°Mike.¡± I took a few deep, laboured breaths, my shoulders rising and falling until it all came down on top of me. I sunk into the chair beside Blade, my head in my hands. ¡°Oh, God. Blade. I''m so sorry.¡± ¡°Don''t be, Amara.¡± He touched my shoulder. ¡°Blade!¡± Morgaine gasped. ¡°I understand you have feelings for our queen, but there are boundaries. You have no right to touch her.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He dropped his hand, then slipped off his chair and squatted beside me. ¡°I''m sorry. It¡¯s just¡ªcan''t you see, Morg? She blames herself.¡± Morgaine sat in Blade¡¯s chair and took my hand. ¡°This is not in your control, Amara. It¡¯s a curse¡ªone you inherited with your blood.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m cursed to make men fall for me¡ªfor a simple thing as liking their smile?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Morgaine looked down. ¡°But¡ªI don¡¯t love Blade. I mean, I like him as a friend, but¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter. You care about him. That¡¯s all it takes.¡± ¡°Oh, God!¡± I buried my face in my hands. ¡°I''m so stupid.¡± ¡°No. Mike¡¯s stupid.¡± Morgaine reached across, between Blade and I, and placed her hand on my shoulder, bringing us all into a huddle. ¡°He should¡¯ve let David tell you.¡± ¡°So, David knows?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I pushed her hand off me, sitting straight, eyes wide. ¡°The curse¡ªdoes that mean David''s love for me isn¡¯t real?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s real.¡± Morg laughed. ¡°David fell for you before you were changed¡ªas did Mike. But you, my friend¡ª¡± she turned to Blade, ¡°¡ªyou are just a part of an eternal curse Amara has to suffer for the sins of her ancestors.¡± ¡°Morg, are you sure, I mean, about the curse taking hold after David and I fell in love?¡± She smiled softly. ¡°Yes, I''m certain. David loves you, okay. And it is real love. I can sense it.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sure mine isn''t?¡± Blade said. She looked at him. ¡°Yep. Sorry, Blade, you just have to get over it.¡± ¡°Should I quit?¡± He looked at Morg, not me. ¡°Maybe I should work in the general Core? I might be too close to Amara to ever break free of the spell?¡± ¡°Is that what you want to do?¡± I asked. ¡°Work in General?¡± ¡°No,¡± Blade said, rubbing his brow. ¡°I really don¡¯t, but I can¡¯t seem to stop thinking about you.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Blade. If I¡¯d known about this curse, I¡¯d never have even talked to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°The curse only works on men whose hearts don''t belong to another.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I looked up then. ¡°Yes.¡± Morgaine reached down and took both of Blade¡¯s hands, drawing them up to her lap. ¡°When you fall in love, the curse will break.¡± Blade exhaled, his shoulders dropping. ¡°So, like, what¡ªtrue love breaks its spell?¡± Morgaine laughed. ¡°Yes. So, all you have to do is find a nice girl and get her to fall in love with you.¡± He rubbed his hairline with the heel of his palm. ¡°Story of my life.¡± Morgaine¡¯s eyes glistened and she flicked her cherry hair from her face. ¡°Story of all our lives, Blade.¡± I stifled a cough in the back of my throat that tried to escape as laughter. For once, I totally ¡®got¡¯ Morgaine, and it was hilarious. Blade stood up and walked across the room, still rubbing his head. ¡°No offence, Your Majesty, but I''m glad I''m not really in love with you.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± I said, then frowned. ¡°Hey, why are you glad?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s wrong. I''m supposed to protect you¡ªnot fall in love with you. It goes against everything I''ve been trained to do¡ªagainst everything I believe in.¡± ¡°Well, then, I guess we need to find you a girl as soon as possible. Got a preference?¡± He turned around, his grin lighting the room, the shadows on his face making the contours around his nose and mouth look like a moustache. ¡°Blondes.¡± ¡°Blondes?¡± Morgaine scoffed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just do.¡± Blade shrugged. ¡°I''m a bit shallow. That was the dead giveaway that something was wrong when I started thinking about Amara in all the wrong ways.¡± He extended his arm, an upturned palm pointing to me. ¡°No offence.¡± Page 35 ¡°None taken.¡± I raised both hands then looked to Morgaine, but she was gone. ¡°Hey, where¡¯d she go?¡±Advertisement Blade looked to the stairs. ¡°Weird. Don''t know.¡± ¡°Maybe she went to see where the rest of the Council are.¡± I turned back and made patterns over the cracks on the tabletop. ¡°You okay.¡± Blade sat down carefully beside me. I felt his hesitation. ¡°Yeah. I''m okay. I guess it explains why guys would possibly ever fall for me.¡± ¡°Aw, hey, don''t be like that.¡± He carefully tilted my chin upward. ¡°One of the first things I noticed about ya was how pretty you are. That¡¯s why guys fall for a girl. From there on in, it¡¯s to do with personality. But, put a pretty face like this in front of a guy and he¡¯s bound to want your affections, curse or not.¡± His English accent made me smile; somehow, everything sounded better coming out of his mouth. And I realised then¡ªthat was how it happened. I felt an attraction to his accent, his cute smile, his cheeky mannerism. I dropped my head into my hand again. ¡°I pity any guy who ever walks in a room with me if he has an accent and a cheeky grin.¡± ¡°Sucker for it, huh?¡± I nodded into my hands. ¡°Uh-hu.¡± ¡°Then I guess a cheeky grin is my curse.¡± He sat back then, resting his knuckles by the corner of his lip, his elbow on the table. ¡°You haven''t felt anything for Falcon, have you?¡± I laughed. ¡°God, no. He¡¯s Mike reincarnated.¡± ¡°Ha! That''s what we say over at the barracks.¡± He rolled back with laughter. ¡°We all reckon Falcon and Morgaine should get together¡ªsince Morg is so much like you, red hair aside.¡± ¡°Why Falcon and Morg?¡± ¡°They¡¯d be the Mike and Ara that never happened.¡± I smiled. ¡°Well, Mike has Emily. That¡¯s the way it was always meant to be.¡± ¡°Emily?¡± Blade scoffed. ¡°You mean that fianc¨¦ we never hear about?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He talks more about Morgaine than he does Emily. I was starting to think she was just a trophy.¡± I sighed. ¡°No, he just¡­he keeps his heart closed off. Besides¡ª¡± I grinned, looking back up the stairs to make sure no one was coming. ¡°I have sneaking suspicion Morgaine might actually like you.¡± ¡°Me!¡± He jostled, rolling his neck so he almost had a double chin. ¡°No way. She throws her shoes at me.¡± ¡°Ha! Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He rubbed his elbow. ¡°She got me real good, too.¡± ¡°I got news for ya, Blade. Girls pick on guys when they like them. Didn¡¯t you ever go to kindergarten?¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Oh. Um¡ªwell, she¡¯s being mean to you because she¡¯s insulted you haven''t taken her very subtle signals that she has feelings for you and done something about it. You''re expected to read her mind.¡± Blade nodded, his lips turning down with thought. ¡°So, do you like her?¡± ¡°Uh, not really. It¡¯s hard to like someone when they¡¯re calling you names.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Ask her out on a date; if she stops calling you names, it means she likes you.¡± ¡°And what if she doesn''t like me?¡± ¡°Then start collecting the shoes she throws at you until she has none left.¡± He laughed, and I couldn¡¯t help but join in. I knew I shouldn¡¯t, but it felt so good to laugh. There was this moment, when finding something funny, where you could actually completely forget all your problems. ¡°Okay.¡± He stood up, giving the table a soft whack with both palms. ¡°A date then.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going on a date?¡± Mike asked, stepping into the room. ¡°Not you two?¡± ¡°No, Mike.¡± I sighed and stood up. ¡°Blade and Morgaine.¡± Mike smiled at Blade. ¡°I thought she hated you?¡± ¡°Turns out girls hate you because they¡¯re angry at you for not noticing that they like you.¡± Blade shrugged. ¡°Is that so?¡± Mike raised a brow in my direction. ¡°Good to know.¡± ¡°Hey, Chief.¡± Quaid came bounding into the room and sat down on one of the chairs. ¡°What''s on the agenda today?¡± Mike stood taller and folded his arms, looking at me. ¡°Discussing the knighting ceremony.¡± Quaid¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Did you ask her?¡± Mike shook his head. ¡°I''m just about to.¡± ¡°Ask who what?¡± I said. ¡°Ask you.¡± Quaid tipped a chair back and forth with his foot. ¡°We want to move the knighting ceremony to tomorrow,¡± Blade said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no sense in waiting. Saves getting the people out here again for another festival,¡± Mike added. ¡°We need to take action and get ready for this attack on La Chat¡ªI mean Elysium.¡± ¡°But¡­if you do that, I can''t be there for it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Mike looked down at his folded arms and nodded. ¡°But it¡¯s only the Ritual of Rights you¡¯ll miss¡ªyou kinda have to be there for the ceremony, since you¡¯re the one who knights us.¡± I swiped a hand slowly across my forehead, wiping away the sweat of the summer day, sneaking in through the open hatch up top. ¡°And,¡± Mike said, taking a deep breath. ¡°If we can get your approval, we want to move in on Drake Monday night.¡± ¡°Monday?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He looked at Falcon as he came in. ¡°We¡¯d do it Sunday, after the crowning, but we all have to attend that stupid ball.¡± ¡°So that leaves Monday,¡± Blade said. ¡°But¡­I''m not ready yet, I¡ª¡± ¡°You won''t be coming.¡± Mike leaned on the wall, tucking his foot up under his thigh. ¡°The hell I won''t!¡± ¡°Baby, look, we¡¯ve been dicking around¡ªwasting time. Drake knows you''re alive. If he comes here, we can keep you safe, but casualties would be insurmountable. I don''t want to sit on this any longer.¡± ¡°Fine, but if you plan to strike Monday, I''m coming with you.¡± ¡°Out of the question.¡± ¡°Why do you always say that?¡± I stomped my foot. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. I''m Lilithian. I''m powerful, Mike. You''ve seen it. Why won¡¯t you trust me?¡± ¡°I trust you, Ara. But there¡¯s no need for you to be there. My bite, Blade¡¯s bite, they all do the same thing¡ªand we¡¯re stronger than you are. Ryder pinned you in training yesterday.¡± He held his palm out as Ryder came in. ¡°If he can pin you, especially being a newb, it¡¯s a damn sure bet Drake can.¡± ¡°I agree, Ara.¡± Blade moved into me; I shrugged away from his touch. ¡°You don''t need to be there.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not on topic right now,¡± Mike said. ¡°I need to move the ceremony to Sunday morning¡ªright after your first official session of Court. We¡¯ll perform our rituals in the forest while you¡¯re doing your Walk of Faith, and¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this is about?¡± My narrowed gaze fell over Mike and his conspiring. ¡°You don''t want me out in the forest alone! That''s what this really is, isn''t it?¡± I yelled. He shrank, all eyes in the room on him. ¡°Baby, this is because we need to move in on Drake. We all gain power from swearing an oath, too. Okay. So this is not just about you!¡± It was my turn to shrink. His voice had that effect. Mike sighed and slumped down in a chair, making a steeple of his fingers in front of his lips. ¡°Look, Ara¡­I''m worried about you.¡± He looked right at me. ¡°I think we need to bring David back into the picture, and I can''t do that until Drake¡¯s locked up or dead.¡± ¡°Why do we need David back?¡± I looked around at all my knights. ¡°What''s the big deal?¡± Mike¡¯s tongue moved around the corner of his lip for a second; he looked at Falcon, who stepped forward. ¡°We think you''ve been away from David for too long,¡± Falcon said. Mike stood up, scuffing his chair across the floor until it hit the wall softly. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you two to be apart. Morg says you¡¯re not right¡ªshe says there are things she can¡¯t tell me because they¡¯re personal¡ª¡± He ran both hands through his hair, ¡°¡ªthings about you, and the only thing she can tell me is that we need to hurry and get David back.¡± ¡°They''re two pieces of one puzzle,¡± Quaid said from his seat at the table; we all looked over at him. ¡°Keep them apart too long and the equilibrium starts to shift.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mike nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s it, isn''t it? It¡¯s like the world isn''t right, somehow. It makes me uneasy.¡± ¡°And I''ve never seen David like this either.¡± Emily gently placed her fingers against mine. ¡°Em!¡± I spun around quickly and wrapped my arms around her neck. ¡°Oh my God. It¡¯s so good to see you.¡± ¡°I missed you too, Ara¡ªyou and all your crazy.¡± She laughed and stood back. ¡°Are you okay? How are you feeling about tonight?¡± I shrugged one shoulder, looking at my feet. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She squeezed my fingertips. I wanted to tell her everything about the whole magic pheromones curse¡ªtell her she was right; there was no true reason for all these guys to keep falling for me, but a part of me wondered if she already knew. David always told her things he couldn¡¯t tell me; she was starting to feel like an extension¡ªthe part of me David could confide in; the sensible, reasonable, mature part of me. Best of both worlds. I suddenly felt the weight of all the bullshit they used to fertilise the Mushroom Land I¡¯d been living in. At some point, while I was lost in thought, everyone had decided, despite my disagreement, that the ceremonial procedures for the knighting would begin tonight, after I started my Walk of Faith¡ªending tomorrow when I would officially knight them into the Core. ¡°Are you kidding? It makes us official.¡± Blade grinned. ¡°Yeah, all the hours of practice and study¡ªit¡¯s time to get a title for it,¡± Quaid said. ¡°You know, I always wanted to be a knight when I grew up.¡± Ryder leaned back in his chair. ¡°Then you better hurry and grow up,¡± Blade said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you grow up.¡± Ryder dived off his chair, pummelling Blade, and they fell to the ground, scuffling about, laughing harder than they were punching. Emily and I stepped back, covering our smiles as the other knights jumped up and piled onto the stack. ¡°Typical boys,¡± Morgaine scoffed, coming back into the room. ¡°Do they ever grow up?¡± ¡°Is that a rhetorical question?¡± I asked, watching the ¡®men¡¯ flounder around on the floor like children. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see the Lilithian family back together again.¡± Morg wiped an imaginary tear from her cheek. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day.¡± ¡°So, what do you think, Morg?¡± I asked, branching us away from the chaos. ¡°Mike wants to move the knighting ceremony to tomorrow.¡± ¡°He already spoke to me about it. I agree. We might as well be a complete unit by weeks¡¯ end.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s unanimous?¡± I turned and faced the guys as they stood up, patting themselves off, breathing heavily. ¡°Aside from one vote.¡± Mike placed his phone at the centre of the table. ¡°I officially call this meeting to order.¡± Everyone laughed. ¡°David? You there?¡± Mike said. ¡°Here.¡± David''s voice came through the phone like a long-forgotten melody, and I nearly melted to the floor. Emily pushed a chair under me as I sunk down, ignoring the roaring amusement of my council. ¡°What are you all laughing at?¡± David asked. ¡°Ara,¡± Mike said. ¡°She practically fainted at the sound of your voice.¡± ¡°Ara?¡± David sounded weary, detached. ¡°My love, are you okay?¡± ¡°I''m fine. Are you?¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± he said, but he sounded puffed-out. ¡°Are you around humans?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah. How can you tell?¡± ¡°You never breathe heavily unless you''re walking fast¡ªin public. And I can hear your footsteps, too,¡± I said. ¡°Oh, right. Uh, well, I''m at the store. Had a hankering for pizza.¡± ¡°Oh. Lucky. I wish my life was that simple.¡± ¡°Hey guys?¡± Mike spoke louder. ¡°You do realise the rest of us are here, right?¡± ¡°Shut up, Mike,¡± I said. ¡°So what''s on the agenda for today?¡± David asked. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve all agreed we want to move the knighting ceremony forward¡ªto tomorrow, rituals being done tonight, and¡­¡± Mike hesitated. ¡°And?¡± David said. ¡°We wanna move in on Drake,¡± Mike finished. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Monday,¡± four of us spoke at the same time. ¡°Uh¡ª¡± David paused, probably rubbing between his brows. ¡°Right. Well, I agree to the ceremony being moved. But, why Monday for Drake? It seems a little soon. And who¡¯s going? Ara? You''re not planning on¡ª¡± ¡°Do you really think I''m that stupid, David,¡± Mike interrupted. David just groaned. ¡°I know you¡¯re not, bro. But I know Ara. And you and I both know if she wants to go¡­there¡¯ll be no stopping her.¡± Page 36 ¡°Yeah.¡± Mike looked at me. ¡°I know.¡±Advertisement ¡°I''m going.¡± My hands fell on my hips. ¡°I don''t care if you try to stop me. I¡¯ll be coming with you.¡± Everyone looked at me. ¡°Guys?¡± Morgaine piped up. ¡°Ara won¡¯t be strong enough after the coronation. The whole process will weaken her.¡± ¡°Don''t care. I''m coming.¡± I held firm when Mike looked at me again. ¡°What if we leave it for a week or so¡ªthe attack?¡± Falcon asked Morgaine. ¡°Will she be strong enough then?¡± ¡°I would bet my life on it.¡± Mike nodded, exhaling heavily through his nose. ¡°Fine. Okay. You can come¡ª¡± I jumped in my seat a little, clapping. ¡°But, we can¡¯t leave it too much longer,¡± he continued. ¡°Drake¡¯s rebuilding his forces¡ªkilling humans every day to do it. We need to act soon.¡± I hugged my arms to my chest. Maybe he was right. Maybe we should attack now. I couldn''t stand the thought of all those people dying every day for a thing as simple as not having the gene to become a vampire. ¡°Will he make them immune?¡± I asked, breaking through their conversations. Everyone looked at me. ¡°If he plans to attack our vampires, they¡¯ll need to be immune. How will he do that without our blood?¡± A cool calm washed over the room. ¡°No one but us knows about immunity, Ara. Hopefully he hasn¡¯t figured that out.¡± ¡°But¡­he survived an attack with a tipped blade. He must know about it.¡± Mike looked at Falcon, who looked at me. ¡°We¡¯ve already thought of that, Princess,¡± Falcon said. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry. Let us do that part for you, okay. You need to focus on your coronation.¡± I nodded. I wanted to argue, but I knew Falcon was right. ¡°Right,¡± Mike said, then looked at the four guards. ¡°And, guys? I want to brief you again over the knighting ritual before afternoon training today.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Ryder smiled. ¡°Second that,¡± added Blade. ¡°Great.¡± Mike looked around the room, cupping his hands together. ¡°Then, let¡¯s do this.¡± Morgaine touched my shoulder and squeezed gently, looking at Mike. ¡°Okay, can you call this meeting, Mike. I need to brief Amara, too.¡± ¡°Right then.¡± Mike picked up the phone. ¡°Meeting adjourned. David? I¡¯ll call you later,¡± he said and hung up without letting me say goodbye first. ¡°Mike?¡± Emily practically snarled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ara might¡¯ve wanted to talk to David.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He looked at me then the phone in his hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Never mind.¡± The rest of the knights fled up the stairs in a crowd of excited hurry, laughing and bumping each other until their noise disappeared. Eric touched my shoulder, smiled sympathetically at me, then followed them up, taking two steps at a time. ¡°I¡¯ll see you up there.¡± Mike kissed Emily on the cheek, then disappeared too. ¡°Nervous?¡± Emily sat beside me. ¡°A little. How¡¯s David?¡± I asked. She looked over my shoulder at Morgaine, then smiled back at me. ¡°Actually, he¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°A mess?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s like a mopey teenager. He¡¯s fine when he¡¯s focusing on work, but he hasn''t got a lead on your family history or word on what''s happening in La Chateau de la¡ªlysium,¡± she corrected. ¡°He¡¯s miserable.¡± ¡°Hence the pizza.¡± I smiled to myself. ¡°If he starts eating ice-cream, we know things are serious,¡± I joked, but Emily bit her lip. ¡°Oh, Em¡ªdon''t tell me he¡¯s that miserable.¡± ¡°He just misses you. He hates being away, and he hates that he can''t be here tonight¡ªto see you take your oath.¡± I swallowed. ¡°I hate it, too. But I¡¯ll bet you''re happy you¡¯ll be here for the knighting ceremony?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah. It was hard choosing between my mum¡¯s fiftieth or seeing my fianc¨¦ become a knight.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s why he was so insistent we move the ceremony?¡± Emily shrugged. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°I''m sure it was,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°Then again, he is pretty anxious to get in there and kick some evil Blood King butt.¡± I laughed. ¡°Yeah, maybe I should be letting them go without me. I mean, it¡¯s better for the people, right?¡± ¡°And what if you¡¯re right, Ara?¡± Emily said. ¡°What if they do need you there to kill Drake?¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only reason I didn''t pipe up and say something.¡± Morgaine took my other hand and pulled me to stand. ¡°Well, none of that matters, right now. We need to go dress you for your big night.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Right, and, Em?¡± Morg looked back at her as we reached the stairs. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Come by and give Amara some blood in about an hour, okay?¡± ¡°Really? I thought she wasn¡¯t allowed to eat today.¡± Morg smiled. ¡°No one said she couldn''t have a little blood to get her through.¡± ¡°Rule breaker,¡± I said; she just shrugged. ¡°Now, remember, there are strict rules to adhere to¡ªformalities that you must not corrupt,¡± Morgaine said sternly. ¡°No smiling, waving, say nothing except your oath, show no emotion, no pain, no joy, no fear¡ª¡± ¡°I know,¡± I moaned. ¡°You¡¯ve only told me fifty times, Morg.¡± ¡°Right. And remember, when you reach the edge of the forest, after the Walk of Faith, you must smile.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± I saluted, smiling at her through the reflection of my dresser mirror. ¡°I''m sorry, Amara. I don''t mean to be hard on you¡ªit¡¯s just¡­we have these rules for a reason. Royalty is something highly valued among our people.¡± She sat down on my bed. ¡°In the world you grew up in, Princess, no one cares about formalities anymore. But we still do. You must adhere to our traditions.¡± ¡°I will, Morg.¡± I rubbed my temples, leaning on my elbows. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said in a soft, high tone, then stood up. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go over this one more time; you carry the dagger to the Stone and use it to make the first cut along your mouth.¡± I ran my tongue over my bottom lip. ¡°Right. The blood of the lips to bind my words to truth.¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± She prompted. I spread my fingers and showed an open palm. ¡°Blood of the hand to hold the promise.¡± ¡°And blood of the heart,¡± she said. ¡°A pledge to rule with that which guides the soul.¡± I touched a hand to my chest. ¡°How am I going to stay alive if I have to jab a dagger into my heart?¡± She scratched her nose. ¡°Just don''t dig too deep. It only has to be from the place surrounding the heart, Amara¡ªyou don''t actually have to stab your own heart.¡± ¡°And what if I do?¡± ¡°Then you fall to the floor and we do the coronation on the next full moon.¡± Morg looked at my face in the reflection then turned around and grabbed her purple velvet cloak from the bed. ¡°Here¡ª¡± She ripped off one of the wooden toggles. ¡°Just bite down hard on this¡ªit¡¯ll help.¡± I studied it. ¡°Right. A pop-stick¡¯s going to ease the agony of cutting myself open and splashing my blood on a piece of rock.¡± ¡°I said it would help.¡± ¡°Yeah, help me not bite my tongue off.¡± ¡°There now, that''s looking on the bright side.¡± She patted my arm. I glared up at her, unamused. ¡°Could be worse.¡± She shrugged. ¡°You could have to make the oath naked, like Lilith did.¡± I shuddered, then smiled down at the small scar on my wrist; the one Jason left when he attacked me. It was minuscule now, barely a sliver of a memory, but still there, still visible in the light. ¡°The tatt¡ªer, markings, they fade, right? Like, you''re not lying about that part, are you?¡± ¡°No. When the crown is set atop your head, the ritual is over, and they will fade. I promise.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± My wide eyes forced my brows up. ¡°Look, I never liked tattoos. I really don''t want to¡ª¡± ¡°Amara. You¡¯ll be fine. Stop worrying.¡± She massaged my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯ll be the best day of your life. And we¡¯ll all be there waiting for you at the end.¡± ¡°I know, Morg. I''m just¡­I mean, what if I forget the words for the incantation?¡± ¡°Just say them in your head as you walk to the Stone, and you¡¯ll be fine. Now¡ª¡± She unclipped my hair and let it fall loosely down my back, then took my hand, standing me up. ¡°You remember what Eileen said? How, instead of nakedness, they¡¯re letting you take your oath in a fabric made of nature.¡± ¡°Yup. Patesco Silk.¡± I closed my eyes for a second, rolling my head as if it¡¯d help bring the information to the surface. ¡°Spun from spiders¡¯ webs, dyed silver as an offering to the Goddess of the Moon.¡± ¡°And¡­why the Goddess of the Moon?¡± she asked in a tone one would use with a child in primary school. ¡°Uh, I know this¡ª¡± I held my finger up, racking my brain. ¡°It¡¯s the spirit which strengthens Lilithian power.¡± ¡°And what else is She?¡± Morg asked leadingly. ¡°Um, and¡­¡± I stopped, closing my eyes: ¡°She also represents purity and serenity.¡± ¡°So you were listening the other day?¡± Morgaine laughed, helping me out of my bathrobe. ¡°I thought you might have gone to sleep at one point.¡± ¡°I thought I had.¡± I chuckled, covering my bare breasts. ¡°I mean, the first three hours were okay, but after that I lost interest.¡± Morgaine grabbed the silver cloth from the bed behind her and wrapped it across my front, tying it around my ribs and over my hips, leaving it hanging loosely from my thighs downward, with a split on each side that revealed my legs. If I moved the wrong way, everyone would see my nakedness beneath. ¡°Man, could this be any more revealing?¡± I ran my fingers over my stomach and turned slightly to see myself in the mirror. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be, so your people can read the runes of your promise as you head toward the Walk of Faith.¡± ¡°But I feel so naked.¡± ¡°You look amazing.¡± She stood behind me and swept my hair back. ¡°When we get outside, I need to get a picture, okay. David wants to see how it looks.¡± I laughed. ¡°He was relieved when I told him I wasn¡¯t doing the coronation as close to nature as Lilith did.¡± ¡°Well, nakedness wasn¡¯t taken sexually back then. It was a thing of beauty, of perfection.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s what the Council tried to tell me when they argued with me about it.¡± I touched my hand to my collarbone, wishing I could grab my silver locket. ¡°I just wish David was here to actually see me like this.¡± ¡°He is.¡± She reached around and placed her hand over mine. ¡°In here.¡± ¡°Even that¡¯s still too far away.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She nodded. ¡°When I was dating him, even I found it hard to be away from him. He¡¯s¡­for all his darkest depths, he¡¯s something pretty special.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just special to me, Morg. He¡¯s my soul.¡± I dropped my hand to my side, feeling the emptiness of his not being there to catch it. ¡°Do you mean soul-mate?¡± ¡°No. I mean¡ªhe¡¯s my soul. He¡¯s just the part that broke away.¡± Morgaine studied my eyes for a second, her chocolate gaze stealing my emotions to decipher them. ¡°Well¡ª¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Then, let¡¯s hope we catch Drake soon, so you and David can be together again.¡± ¡°I think, at this point, I¡¯d happily kill Drake just to have David back.¡± ¡°Which scares me,¡± she said. ¡°Don''t lose who you are, Princess, for the sake of heartbreak. You never know what the future might hold.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I said, spinning around. ¡°Nothing,¡± she said, looking back at me from her distraction, then cupped her hands on my arms and made me sit on the dresser stool, facing her. ¡°One more thing. Remember how we chose that dress for the crowning?¡± ¡°Yeah, the black one.¡± ¡°Right, well, you need to be wearing that when you come out of the forest. I know it¡¯s tacky, but you have to change in the bushes before you emerge.¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not tacky. It¡¯s just like a ballet concert. We had to change on the side of the stage sometimes. It¡¯s what the crowd sees that counts, right?¡± Morgaine smiled widely. ¡°I love how agreeable you are.¡± ¡°Agreeable?¡± I scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be the only person who would ever say that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Your people love you, Amara¡ªall of them.¡± I rubbed my nose a few times to get the itch of Morgaine¡¯s musky perfume from it. ¡°So, the dress, does it just slip over this one?¡± ¡°Yep. It¡¯ll hide it perfectly. Then you just have to walk to the throne, smiling, and sit in the chair all day for your first Court session. Once that¡¯s over, you can knight the Guard and you¡¯ll be free for a few hours until the ball.¡± Page 37 ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded, picturing the events ahead. ¡°So, how did it look¡ªthe crowning dress? Is it like the picture we drew?¡±Advertisement ¡°Even better.¡± Morgaine¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Great. I think I''m most excited about that part.¡± She stood up and leaned over the dresser to dash on some of my lip-gloss. ¡°And what are you most scared about?¡± ¡°Um¡­I think the whole enchanted forest thing, you know. People say there¡¯s evil out there, and that if I don''t get out before dawn, I¡¯ll be stuck in there for eternity.¡± Morgaine¡¯s shoulders dropped. ¡°Um. Look. I know you want reassurance, but¡­well¡­just finish the walk before then, and we won¡¯t have to find out.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I feel better now.¡± ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s not much I can say. I don''t know if those rumours are true, and I''m not willing to test them on you, Majesty. Just don''t fail us.¡± Feeling a deep rumble in the pit of my stomach, I inhaled the wafting, savoury scent of chickens being roasted in the kitchen. Morgaine looked up from straightening her dress and focused on the tight clutch of my hands over my stomach. ¡°Ara, the sun has barely touched the Earth. You still have a whole twenty or so hours to get through before you can eat. Are you going to be okay?¡± ¡°No,¡± I scoffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t designed to go without food. Especially knowing my faithful subjects will be feasting in my absence. Those chickens smell great.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She smiled. ¡°But the feast at the ball tomorrow night will be even better. Trust me¡ªit¡¯s worth the starvation.¡± ¡°I don''t see why they¡¯re sticking to the fasting rule.¡± I rubbed my tummy. ¡°I feel weak enough as it is.¡± ¡°Like I said, we love our rules and rituals around here.¡± The golden sun, setting around the world outside, sent its pink light into my room, warming the walls with the soft kiss of twilight. I shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s nearly time.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Morgaine took a step back and grabbed her cape off the bed. ¡°Five minutes.¡± I took a deep, jagged breath, then smiled. ¡°I like your hair that colour. Is it naturally brown?¡± ¡°Yep. But the purple streak is dye.¡± She grinned, touching it. ¡°It matches my dress for tomorrow night¡¯s ball.¡± ¡°And the cape, too.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said. ¡°I''m going for a whole purple theme.¡± ¡°I like.¡± She fastened her cloak over her long, fitted black dress and smiled at me as my deep breath turned into a yawn. ¡°You tired already?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± I yawned again. ¡°Will I get any sleep for the next two days? I mean, I¡¯ll be up all night tonight, walking, then all day tomorrow on the throne, doing queenly duties, then the ball¡ª¡± ¡°Nope. Welcome to being queen. They expect you to be super-human. Oh, wait¡ª¡± she touched her fingertip to her chin, ¡°¡ªyou are.¡± ¡°I don''t feel super-human.¡± ¡°Well, you look super hot.¡± She elbowed me gently. ¡°And I actually think that dress is more perfectly close to nature than being naked.¡± I touched my fingers to the stiff, almost gristly feel of the fabric. ¡°Hey, Morg, I have another question.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°Um, in the oath, I have to say a word that translates to One Entity. Arthur said it means God.¡± ¡°Yeah, and?¡± ¡°Well, I don''t really know if I believe in God. How can I make an oath to Him if I don''t believe in Him?¡± ¡°Why don''t you believe in Him?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I just think if He was all so powerful and great, there wouldn¡¯t be such things as war and famine and¡­¡± ¡°Look, Ara, I could so easily get into a debate with you about how ludicrous that statement is, but we don''t have time. The One Entity can be any god you want. It just means a higher power than yourself.¡± ¡°But¡­all the old people here believe in God. Aren¡¯t I supposed to believe what my people believe?¡± ¡°Most of your people don''t know what to believe, Amara. Only the Ancients believe in God.¡± ¡°Did Lilith believe?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You can''t make yourself believe in anything, Princess. And, like I said, as long as you believe in something bigger than yourself, you can choose whichever religion you want. Drake, for example, was a Pagan.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is that because he¡¯s a witch?¡± ¡°No. Study the intricacies of the Pagan religion, Amara. Witchcraft and Paganism are very different.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Because you don''t have to be a witch to be a Pagan, and you don''t have to be a Pagan to be a witch. Why not do some reading, find out for yourself?¡± ¡°Okay. Maybe I will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡ªas long as you believe in something.¡± I looked into my heart for a second as I followed Morgaine from my room. I knew there were things in my soul I would never understand, but I also knew I felt something deeper than myself¡ªsomething I couldn¡¯t explain. There had to be some entity up there, somewhere, which ruled over all. That much I was sure of. Whether it was God or not, I just couldn¡¯t say. But there was something. Morgaine turned back and grabbed my hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go write some history¡ªyou can think about the mysteries of God tomorrow.¡± Chapter Eight A rushing sound, like an express train in a subway, forced my eyes open. Small needles of dry pine blurred my vision for a second; I blinked them from my lashes, my eyes focusing on the waning daylight, while a woodsy, earthy smell dried my nostrils with each breath. I lifted my face from the crook of my elbow and sat up, circling on my knees a few times in the barky bed I was laying. Above me, trees soared high into the summer sky, opening to a ribbon of pink. I jumped to my feet and scuffed back, stopping, palms flat over the bark of a tree trunk. ¡°Mike!¡± I called. ¡°Mike? Are you out there?¡± No one answered. I couldn''t hear anyone or anything. There were no birds, no scuffling of little animals hiding under the brush, not even a breeze¡ªjust my own shallow breath and the thumping of my heart. I scrunched my eyes shut, folding over from the tight, searing pulse along my veins; getting hotter the closer it got to my core. And several questions fell through me like water over a window; how the hell did I get out here, and where was everyone else? There were no trees that looked like funny old men with weird names, no rock and no Mike. Nothing but me and my confusion. I sat down with my legs crossed and ran a fingertip from my ankle to my upper thigh, tracing each tiny little word in black ink. They looked like whirly notepad art or the veins on the back of a leaf. I could feel the burn of the Mark around my eyes and nose, like a mask, but without a puddle or a lake to see my refection, I¡¯d never know what they looked like. Strangely, though, when I leaned closer to my shin and looked carefully at the words, they peered back up at me like text from a children¡¯s book. I knew the swerves and curls of each rune were letters of the old language, just like Jason¡¯s tattoo, but I could read them¡ªevery word, as if they were in plain English. I looked away quickly. Above me, the sky darkened, with thick purple clouds closing it in, lowering shadows onto the forest with an eerie chill. One thing was clear; somehow, I¡¯d made my oath and ended up in the depths of the forest. But I had no memory of it. No idea where I was or how I got here. After a deep breath, I got to my feet and checked myself; my lip wasn''t cut, neither was my hand, and¡­I felt my chest¡­I clearly hadn¡¯t jabbed myself in the heart. Or maybe I did, and now I was dead¡ªwell, as dead as I could be¡ªor unconscious. I closed my eyes and focused on my toes, feeling the earth and tiny bits of bark between them, felt the cool of the twilight air, settling around the tops of my ears and the edges of my shoulders. It was real. All too real to be a dream or death. Which meant that, once that sun went down, I would have a hard time figuring out which way led back to civilisation. In fact, I wasn''t even sure this was the same forest surrounding the manor. It felt bigger, deeper, scarier than the one I walked in with Mike that day. The trees, though I knew they were filled out with leaves at the very tops, all felt bare and lifeless, slanting inward, looking down on me. I was alone out here, but I didn''t feel alone. Not one little bit. Rubbing the pulse in my wrist with my thumb, I started walking, cautious eyes checking every branch before passing under it. But the ghostly chill of dusk, gathering at the nape of my neck and seeping down my spine, made me walk a little faster, worrying less about what might be in the trees and more about what might be following me. Out here, gravity owned my steps; it seemed I¡¯d been stripped of immortality and all the powers that went with it. The ground felt weird, kind of hard¡ªlike I¡¯d been in bed for three days and only just got up. It received my steps, but didn''t return them, and I didn''t like it. Didn¡¯t like the hunger, the cold, the¡­feeling human. But if I could overcome it and make it home by dawn, I would finally prove to everyone that I''m not just a dumb little girl. With that, I stood a little taller, dropping my arms to my sides. Pain or none, I could do this. I was born for this. Despite this forest being so uninhabited that the branches had never been trimmed and a trail had never been cleared, it felt kind of like the trees made an aisle for me, turning their heads as I passed, wondering what my business here was. But other than that small feeling of being watched, everything was normal; no marshy bogs or tar pits, no shape-shifting crows that swooped in to kidnap me. It was actually even quite pretty¡ªthe raw, untamed part of the forest. Even the weeds, tipped with furry flowers that broke into motes of dust when I passed them, looked pretty in the wild, because they were meant to be here. They weren¡¯t doing any harm¡ªnot spoiling prized roses or messing up garden beds. This was their home, and, out here, I was the intruder¡ªthe weed. Up ahead, a solid figure caught my eye; I stopped dead, looking through the foggy air, past the straight columns of tree trunks. ¡°Mike?¡± I called cautiously. Whatever it was stopped moving. I focused on it, squinting. ¡°Hey!¡± I called again, cupping my hands around my mouth; my voice echoed all around me. ¡°Mike? Is that you¡­ou¡­ou?¡± The soles of my feet ached where twigs entered the delicate flesh between my toes and under the bridge of my foot, but I didn''t care. I walked carelessly, fast and anxious, stopping when I neared the tree where I¡¯d seen the person¡ªor thought I saw a person. ¡°Hello?¡± I said, then spun in a couple of circles, looked up the hill and down, but found nothing. No one. This time, my tone held a little caution. ¡°Mike, are you out there?¡± I waited longer to hear a voice, but only the crass caw of a crow answered. Behind me, the bird sat on a wiry branch, his weight making it bend a little, his call still sounding in my ears. We stared each other down for a few breaths, my heart pounding in my chest, each steady thump like a deliberate bang on a drum. Then, he cawed again and flew off, his silky wings beating the foggy air, until he ducked past a branch and was gone. I made the prompt decision then that yelling out, screaming through the forest that I was alone, might perhaps be a bad idea. There was no knowing what was out here. No knowing if the stories were true¡ªif maybe I¡¯d find hundreds of vampires who¡¯d been trapped in here at dawn and were starving¡ªhunting their next meal. And if that eerie-looking crow was anything to go by, it was na?ve of me to think I was alone. Maybe the person I saw was Mike, but I was so not going to call out to him again. A heavy stillness crawled down around me then, bringing night closer and closer, and I felt the tight fist of panic unfurl in my gut. The silent hope I¡¯d had of finding Mike out here¡ªpossibly performing his Sacrificial Rights¡ªjust became locked behind an iron door. This was all up to me, alone, and all I could do was walk¡ªone way or another, I had to move, and just hope I was headed in the right direction¡ªhope it would lead me to the border by sunrise¡ªany border, even if it wasn''t the one lining the Throne Room. I lifted my leg a little and rolled my foot to look at the damage; twigs and pebbles stuck out from my skin, finding pockets of softness to hide in. I swiped my hand down them, wincing as a few dragged themselves from the bloodied clasp of my flesh, then dropped my foot back down on its side, so I wasn¡¯t standing on the cuts, and started walking again. The further I walked, the deeper I must have headed into the forest. Sunset followed me, sitting in the sky like a timeless wrap. Night should have closed in, should have taken hold of this walk by now, but it seemed as though I¡¯d been dropped off in an empty world that knew no time. I had no watch, but my body-clock was still active, and I knew enough time had passed to bring morning¡ªbut hadn''t presented a way out of this vast landscape. Suddenly, the idea that this was an enchanted forest seemed a little less ridiculous. The branches around my feet had shrivelled away from thick and bold to skinny and scrawny, the shrubs and grasses making way for cages of dead twigs. Each tree I passed screeched at me, creaking as if my presence made their roots ache. I sunk my neck into tight shoulders and tucked my elbows closer to my ribs. It felt darker. Every step took me deeper and deeper into the forest, down a hill that never looked like a hill until I glanced behind me. When I looked up from my feet, night seemed to own the path ahead, but I never seemed to reach it, either. Page 38 One thing was for sure, though; at any minute, that sun could disappear and this would all get a lot worse. The sheer vastness of the trees and the waning warmth of day made me feel very small and very out in the open.Advertisement All around me, the cold turned from a brush against my cheeks and ears to a lake of chill, lapping the tops of my thighs and knees. I ran my tongue over my bottom lip, licking away a few strings of dried skin, then pressed them together to keep the moisture there. But only two breaths later, the dryness returned, travelling down my throat, stopping in my belly where I was sure my stomach had eaten itself. But that was the least of my worries. In fact, there were too many terrible things to think about or be afraid of. In my mind, I went off on a little wander, taking myself through the past, through hopes for the future, and came upon a memory of Mike and I as children¡ªplaying hide and seek in the bushes back home. It was almost as if it came alive then¡ªas if my hands showed youth, my feet, even the baby soft hair falling over my shoulder. I let myself imagine it¡ªlet myself see this as a place where children played. ¡°Ready or not,¡± I said, so quiet my bare feet made more sound over the dry leaves. ¡°Here I come.¡± The imaginary version of Mike laughed, running behind a tree. I saw him¡ªsaw which one he hid behind. He was so silly. He always made it too easy. ¡°I saw you, Mike,¡± I said, smiling for real as I came upon the tree. ¡°I always see yo¡ª¡± But he was gone. I looked over my shoulder and saw the little boy, hair of gold, run behind another tree, laughing. My sneaking feet balanced over the bark and twigs carefully; I had to be quiet if I was going to surprise him. But a twig snapped, its crack echoing all around me like an artificial sound. I stopped dead and looked down at my feet; there was no twig there¡ªnot under my foot, anyway. ¡°Found you!¡± the little boy said, stopping just in front of me. He was small, wearing black shorts and a stripy shirt, his face dirty, his cheeks plump, but it wasn¡¯t Mike. ¡°Who are you?¡± I said. He looked behind him, then took off in a run, giggling. I ran after him, pushing wiry branches aside as they struck my cheeks, my brow, my forearms, and as I flew into the clearing where the little boy went, stopped dead. It was empty. No one was there. I could see all the way up the slope, all the way to the darkest part of the forest on all sides, but there was no child. ¡°Where did you go?¡± I called. He didn''t answer. The fog closed in around me, fingering my legs, my arms and shoulders until it blotted out the trees and even the ground just below my feet. That furl of panic returned. I exhaled into the air, feeling my breath brush back on my own lips. ¡°Hello?¡± I said, pushing my arms out to my sides slowly to make sure I hadn''t fallen into a small hole or woken up buried in a coffin. As I reached into the empty space, a small hand appeared around my wrist. I gasped, yanking back, falling to the ground with my arm raised to protect my face. But nothing happened. Very slowly, I slid my hand down from my eyes and peeked out past my wrist, dropping it completely when the empty, clear lines of the forest stared back. The fog was gone. The hand, gone. The gravity of loneliness opened the world around me then, as if I could pan out to a view above everything and see myself, so small, so alone, out here in the forest with no one but myself to protect me. That was just a recipe for disaster. I looked up to the weaving branches, blending in with the black of night as the last clouds ate the sun. Darkness fell, descending like a velvet cloak, ingesting the treetops, the branches and, finally, the trunks, until all I could see was my own hands if I held them right up to my nose. I was alone. Burning. Starving. Weak. Hopeless. Inevitability surrounded me on all four sides; the shadowed density of night that circled the trees would be the path I¡¯d walk until dawn. The timer had started. My mission had begun. I had only hours now to get out of here. But I didn''t want to walk. I didn''t want to go deeper into a landscape I couldn¡¯t see. How was I to know if I¡¯d fall off a cliff or hit a tree? How could I possibly walk through what I couldn¡¯t actually see? And despite that, I felt myself get up, protest screaming within me, and start walking. If I sat there all night, I might not get hit by branches or feel the itch of hairs raising on the back of my neck from things I couldn''t see, but one thing was guaranteed; if I didn''t get up, get walking and find my way, all hope would be lost, and I would not only fail my people, but never make it home again. Chapter Nine I felt around for a tree trunk, pressing my forehead into the dry, scratchy bark when I found it. My body swayed, too worn to stand straight. Rushes of cold then hot kept making me want to flop down and rest. Just rest¡ªjust five minutes and I might have the strength to go on. I slid my hands down the tree and felt for the ground. There was no grass, like I hoped, only dry dirt. But it was cool¡ªsoothing against the hot Markings. I laid on my back, pressure rising in my nose, cheekbones and brow, making my headache throb, and brushed my limbs through the dirt, forming mounds under my elbows and shins. The night felt longer than it should be. I¡¯d been convinced at least twice that the sun should be showing on the distant horizon, but it never came. I¡¯d walk and stumble and feel pointy branches scrape and pinch my skin, not focusing too much on time, until I walked so long I had to stop and catch my breath, realising only then that day hadn''t come any closer. That time vortex had hold of me again, and I wasn''t so sure this darkness had an end. But if I could sleep, maybe just fall asleep for a little while, the sun might be there when I opened my eyes. The skin around my elbow pulled, the dried wounds cracking when I folded my arms in and rested my hands on my belly. Just five minutes. Just close my eyes for a little while, I said to myself. Just a little while¡­. ¡°Ara.¡± My eyes snapped open and I sat up, darkness all around me, the ring of that whisper warm in my ear. I think I even dreamed a face to go with it¡ªsaw the grey skin, the red lips, the dark hair. I shook my head, dislodging it, and scuffled back on my hands until I felt the trunk of the tree on my spine. Clearly, I hadn''t slept long enough to bring day or to make myself feel any better. The burn in my skin retreated for the chills again. I hugged my arms across my chest and tucked my knees up, making myself small, but there was nowhere to hide, no way to escape the cold. The trees were all thin and bare, and the only warmth I found all night was the five minute intervals where my skin burned before it grew cold again, making me shake. Every muscle in my body ached like the flu; my lower back, legs, the ones around my neck and shoulder blades, even my bones ached. I pressed the back of my wrist to my forehead; it felt muggy, sweaty, but underneath that, really hot¡ªhot enough to warm my throat just by breathing near it. Even my tongue felt hot. ¡°How can they expect me to do this?¡± I murmured to myself, or maybe to that One Entity. ¡°I''m sick. I just need to go home to bed.¡± But it didn''t matter. No one had installed the red button of panic out here. I couldn¡¯t just call Mike and beg him to come pick me up. I had to finish this. I had no choice but to either find a way out of here or be lost in the black purgatory for a time longer than I could comprehend. Around the changing temperature of my body, the night air suddenly became cooler, settling over my toes, the very tips of my fingers and nose in an icy layer. I held my hand out to the emptiness, half expecting to feel snow, when I heard something¡ªa scuffle, a purposeful brush of a form against a tree branch. Singular. Lone. No other sound to follow it or around it. It wasn¡¯t wind, because there was no wind. It wasn¡¯t the crow, because he was rude and noisy. It had to be something else. ¡°Ara.¡± A whisper slipped along my neckline. I spun around to the tree¡ªjust a tree, nothing else. ¡°Ara.¡± The voice came at me again, creeping down my spine in a tepid breath. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I whirled around, the thump of my heart using more energy than I had spare. I felt weaker, so weak I knew I couldn¡¯t run if there really was a person there. ¡°Who¡­who are you?¡± I said carefully, not really wanting an answer. But the sound that came next left me with nothing but confusion; it started as a winding sound, like a cog or a crank, and grew into a soft, chilling lullaby. I rolled onto my knees, digging my hands into the earth to steady myself. Music. It was music. Like the box David gave me before our wedding. ¡°Hello?¡± I called again, sitting very still, waiting to hear a sound. ¡°Ara?¡± It whispered right by my face¡ªI felt it, felt its dry skin by my wrist; I snatched my hand into my chest and sprung back from the voice, white shock blackening my mind as my heart caught hold of itself. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± It said, talking faster than I had. I wiped a hand across the ground, grabbing the first stick I felt, then aimed it into the darkness, waving it around blindly. ¡°I¡­I have a stick,¡± I stuttered. ¡°And I will use it.¡± ¡°Will use it,¡± the voice said. I frowned. ¡°She sells seashells by the sea shore.¡± ¡°By the sea shore,¡± It whispered back, a breathy, speedy echo of myself. I think. Panting heavily in gusty breaths of cold, I pressed my hand to my forehead again; the fever was burning, clearly making me hallucinate. I got up, ready to move on from this spot, and snapped the tip of the twig with my thumb. But a cold wash of fresh fear straightened my spine when an identical snap echoed from behind me. My shoulders lifted into stiffness as I turned slowly, deathly afraid of the form I might find. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A hot breath moistened my ear. I dropped the stick and ran, fast as I could but slow as a human¡ªwishing my legs would work properly. Each step hit the ground under me with a crunch of dry leaves, and the stranger mimicked. I pushed harder, faster, closing my fist, tilting my head for fear of hitting a tree and gouging my eyes out on its razor claws. ¡°Leave me alone,¡± I screeched, panicked sobs choking my breath. The sound of the stranger¡¯s footfalls thumped faster, doubling mine as we sped through the black, until my heel slipped, skidding out on a rock that sent me onto my side, dragging my leg, my ribs and my head along the sloped ground after it. I stopped on my tangled shins at the base of a tree and covered my face. ¡°Please, don''t hurt me.¡± But nothing grabbed me. Nothing touched me or poked me or whispered in my ear. Several beats of my heart passed, and the exhaustion forced a wave of calm through my limbs. Slowly, I slid my hands down from my face and blinked against a glare. Daylight! A hysterical giggle jolted the pit of my empty stomach, though it refused to break through my lips. I looked up at the changing sky, looked at my hands, my dirty feet, my stained dress and all the gashes along my arms, legs and hands. It was a dream. The thing. Just a dream. Feeling a little silly, I pushed up to stand, holding the trunk of a tree to keep my balance. The soles of my feet burned like walking on hot asphalt in the summer¡ªthey even felt sticky as if it had melted there, too. I curled my toes to keep them from touching the hard ground. All around me crickets sounded the song of dawn, and the trees, with their tall, reaching branches, stretched out to the heavens, warming their leaves in the golden glow of the sun, while a fresh, moist breeze brought a dewy, sugared taste to each breath I took. But the colour of dawn drained the blood from my face. I slid down the bark of the tree and covered my mouth, tears blurring the yellow beginning of day. I failed them. I failed the Walk of Faith. Morning had broken, and I hadn¡¯t found the black dress, the border of the forest or hope. My eyes traced the skin all the way along my wrists and down the backs of my hands; the tattoos were gone¡ªfaded away to a silvery memory under my skin. They were supposed to disappear as the crown touched my head, clearly not because it was a mystical crown, but because it took a night for my soul to absorb the promise¡ªa promise I no longer had any right to wear. I traced the absent Markings with a fingertip, scratching the skin as if I could make it come back. But I couldn¡¯t. They were right. All of them. I am just a baby. The all-powerful pure blood, and yet, I couldn¡¯t even finish the Walk of Faith. In my mind, I could see them all by the edge of the forest, waiting for me. They¡¯d all be standing there right now, their eyes hopeful, their smiles starting to slip as each second of sunrise passed. Mike would lower his head, Emily would cover her mouth, and everyone would turn away slowly and go home. And that would be that. It was over before it even begun. But I would be here. I would be lost in this forest for the rest of eternity, and still, that wasn¡¯t what scared me. What scared me most was what would happen to those people without me. My bite turned Mike, my existence made others change their allegiance, and now, Drake would come back and kill them all for it. And it was, without any doubt in my heart, my fault. I stood up and turned on my heel, indifferent to the beauty of the day, wandering aimlessly forward, with nowhere really left to be. A weary princess wearing a broken promise. Throughout the hours that passed me, I thought about my dad a lot. I wondered if Mike would tell him the truth about why I disappeared for eternity. And a part of me smiled because, somewhere inside, I felt like Dad would come out here to find me. If anyone would, it¡¯d be my dad. Of all the people I needed in my life, he was always the one who was there¡ªthrough everything. He came to me when I lost my mum; he wrapped his arms around me and told me it would be all right. And he made it all right. He gave me a home and a bed and he hugged me every day. And maybe I was hurting inside, and it was a hurt he couldn''t heal, but I knew he wanted to. I knew he would give up everything and anything to make me safe. Page 39 But I never felt safe. Not really. And the worst part was, until now, I didn''t understand some of that feeling. It was never in the sense that I was afraid I¡¯d be kidnapped or tortured, this was before all that; this was when I felt afraid of having nothing. I wondered how I would live if I didn''t have a bed or food or my mum and dad, and now I''ve come to understand a new truth altogether; you don''t need any of it. You don''t need a bed or food or love, because, at the end of the day, even without all that, you''re still alive. While you''re missing the smell of roast chicken or crying because you can¡¯t hold those you love, you are surely and definitely still alive. It¡¯s the cruelty of the world, I suppose¡ªto take everything we need, everything we thought we needed to survive, and show us our hearts will keep on beating; we will keep on breathing without it.Advertisement And that¡¯s when you have to hope. That¡¯s what hope is. Nothing is final until you''re dead. I looked up at the clouds and closed my eyes as the warmth of the day made my skin feel yellow and bright all over. Where there is life, there is hope. And I wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore; I couldn¡¯t lay in my bed, safe and warm with my dad down the hall¡ªthe one who always knew what to do; the one who always told me it would be okay. It was my job to be that now. And maybe I didn''t feel like it would all be okay; maybe I was scared all the time, but I at least had to be the one who said it would be okay. I had to be the leader. But I learned that too late. I opened my eyes again and let out a long breath, then poked at the seeping gash on my arm; it was swollen and red, probably infected, since, out here, I no longer seemed to be Lilithian. I was more human than I¡¯d ever been before. And it hurt and it sucked and I hated every breath of it. But this was it for me now. This would be my new life, and all I could do was find some food or some water and wander every tiny inch of this forest until, maybe one day, I might find the border again. Who knows? It wasn¡¯t much, but it was¡­a hope. And at least if I eventually did make it out, I could say that I¡¯d done it on my own¡ªthat I may have failed my people, but I did not fail myself. As the day wore on, I trudged up an endless hill; I could see the top, but as the sun moved to the west, that distance hadn¡¯t changed, and when I looked back behind me into the mouth of the valley, it looked as though I¡¯d only taken forty steps. The sun glared down on my faded tattoos and sweat beaded across my brow, seeping into the swollen, yawning cuts all over my body. The muscles in my upper thigh were tight and burning from the constant uphill, and I was sure my mind had been turning the small shrubberies into sandwiches as I passed them¡ªjust to tease me. By now, everyone would know I failed. David would be worried; he would¡¯ve pinched his brow, probably even shook his head. Deep down inside, he knew I wasn¡¯t capable of this¡ªMike knew, everyone knew. I was the only one who didn''t. I was the only one who actually believed I might stand a chance. I smiled then, thinking of another. Arthur. He believed in me, too. He always did. And I couldn¡¯t understand why. I never gave him any real reason to believe. Everything clever I learned about ruling, I learned from him. But maybe that was the point. Maybe it wasn¡¯t that I was dumb and young, but that I was capable of learning. Of all the people who would shake their heads in disappointment at this useless princess, Arthur would be the one man who would take me up in his arms, probably kiss my forehead and say he was glad to have me back. If I ever made it out of here. As I distracted myself with his memory, I felt the unusual sensation of flat ground under me. I fell to my knees and locked my hands into the dirt, a snap decision away from kissing it, but I knew, with my luck, I¡¯d end up with an ant biting my lip or dirt in my mouth which would just dry it out even more and send me into a coughing fit. Not bothering too much to cover myself from Nature¡¯s eye, I spun around disgracefully and sat on the ground, my gaze on the cavernous valley below. The grot around my fingernails stung, like the blood was tightening as it dried, peeling the delicate skin around my cuticles back. I didn''t even have enough saliva to spit on them and wash some of it off. I blew on them instead, trying to rub the skin back the right way. In the forest beside me, a beam of light broke the dimness, and fluttering along, ignorant to the agony I¡¯d suffered, was a beautiful blue and black butterfly. It let the soft breeze carry it, landing right on the corner of my elbow. ¡°Hello,¡± I said, trying not to breathe on it. ¡°What are you doing out here all by yourself?¡± Without answering, it rose up into the air and fluttered to the border of the trees, where it sat on the ground for a second, shaking its wings. And something glinted under the soil, the sunlight beaming for a second. I struggled to my feet, gravity weighing me down, and wandered over, flopping onto my knees in the dirt. The butterfly took flight, leaving me alone with this mysterious silver thing hiding in the earth. Each grain of dirt stuck to the dried blood, wriggling under the lifted skin around my nails as I burrowed my fingertips under the metal and dragged out a solid little key. ¡°How did you get all the way out here?¡± I said, wiping my thumb over the symbol on the top; it looked like a headless snake, winding and tangling around itself; no beginning; no end. A thin silver chain hung down from it, delicate and shimmering, like a spider¡¯s web in the sunlight. The key was old, that much I was sure of, but it wasn¡¯t rusted to decaying. It looked as though it belonged to something¡ªto someone, once. ¡°Well,¡± I said, fastening the chain around my neck. ¡°It belongs to me, now.¡± It rested neatly just below my collarbones, the chain slightly longer than the one my locket used to hang from¡ªmy own little treasure, the key to all my secrets. I stood up again, dusting my knees off, brushing aside the silly idea that they key might be a metaphor¡ªthe key to hope. No way. That¡¯s way too corny. As I took a step, heading to who knows where, my ears pricked to attention. Somewhere in the distance, I was sure I heard voices. The newfound idea of hoping awakened my positive internal thinker and so, I farewelled the endless valley with one loathsome glimpse, and walked toward the ¡®possible¡¯ chatter. But I only took two steps before my heart stopped and my feet froze, my eyes widening around the most magnificent sight I¡¯d ever seen. People! My insides went on a frenzy. They¡¯d found me. ¡°Mike?¡± I called, my dry throat amplifying the angst in my voice but drowning out the volume. I looked inside myself for some strength. I hadn¡¯t used my voice for so long now I could hardly remember how to say my own name. Swallowing, I moistened my throat with the last stratum of saliva and took a breath. ¡°Mike!¡± The sun was almost gone again, but darkness shouldn''t affect his hearing. I trudged over the dry ground and stood right beside him, laughing. ¡°Mike.¡± But he didn''t hear me. He plain didn''t hear me; he stared forward, focusing on something, as did every person in this small clearing with him. I looked at each face, studying each concerned gaze, and realised they were all watching one thing; my head turned slowly to the centre of the clearing and my heart washed away with a breath of pure shock. The blood oath. There, by the Stone of Truth, kneeling, eyes closed, bloodied wrist outstretched, was¡ªme! I hadn¡¯t left yet? I was still there. ¡°No!¡± I ran toward me. ¡°What are you doing? We¡¯ve done this! We¡¯ve done this!¡± I yelled at her, but she didn''t hear. ¡°Please? I walked all night. Don¡¯t you see?¡± None of them saw, though; they all watched her as she cut herself open and bled on the Stone, her lips moving with the words of her promise. I felt hollowed out, numb, walking backward until I found the welcome embrace of wiry branches, holding me up. ¡°Please stop,¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°Please don''t say the oath.¡± Her words trickled through me like a bad memory¡ªone you wish you could forget, and without looking up, without taking a breath, she lifted the dagger and held it to her chest. ¡°No.¡± I reached out, buckling over with wide eyes bulging when a jagged, burning sear scorched the bones inside my chest. And with a tight-fisted grunt, drew back, hitting my head against the tree as the tip of her blade popped the surrounding pocket of fluid inside my heart, pausing its ragged beat momentarily. Her breath stopped; my breath stopped, and time flattened out around me. She slowly scraped the dagger out; every inch like a slather of wood grating over teeth. Sound came rushing back, the volume too loud, and I gasped a wild, shrieking breath, clutching my breast. My heart started back up again, pumping gushes of blood out over my fingers, staining the silver silk¡ªsoaking through and dribbling in a warm tickle down my stomach. ¡°What''s happening?¡± I said, my breath barely a whisper; my eyes open, unblinking. ¡°I don''t understand.¡± Mike and Emily watched as I bled my oath¡ªthe real me¡ªor the imposter, I didn¡¯t know, but I watched on too. She rose to her feet, and with her eyes closed, her lip stiff¡ªtrying in vain to hide her pain under the mask of deception¡ªshe walked toward Mike¡ªtoward the edge of the forest. As she passed each subject, they read aloud the words that burned her skin¡ªmy skin¡ªeach sentence like spiky, acid spears of hot lava. Wasps, bees, bashing my knee on a step was nothing in comparison to this. But she walked¡ªher face perfect, her lips red with blood, her skin pale under the dark inks of her Markings. She was flawless and so beautiful, while I fought to breathe¡ªa sticky, sweaty mess of my own tears and blood. Mike reached for her as she passed him, and though it was a small movement, I saw her shake her head, keeping her eyes closed, as if she knew, as if she needn''t see him reach out but knew he would. I wanted so badly for her to fall into his arms, have him make everything okay¡ªjust know that somewhere out there, one of us was safe. But she wouldn''t. She had a path to walk¡ªand she walked it blindly, not knowing the hell I¡¯d been through¡ªthe hell we would go through all over again as soon as she set foot over that border. Morgaine edged forward several times, hesitating before launching after Ara and wrapping a dark-purple cloak over her shoulders without disturbing even one step. I saw it wrap her, but felt the warmth on my own skin, and when I looked down, the silky velvet rested softly over my shoulders, hiding the silver dress. I touched my bloodied fingers to it, matting the velvet slightly. ¡°She looks so beautiful,¡± Morgaine said, covering her mouth. Mike blinked a few times, practically biting his own fist. ¡°I don''t like this, Morg.¡± Her fingers floated slowly up through the air and came to rest on Mike¡¯s arm; he looked at her. ¡°She¡¯ll be okay, Mike.¡± ¡°I''m not so sure anymore, I... We gotta stop her.¡± He darted forward and everything disappeared in a cloud of whitewash as Ara placed her foot to the doorstep of this ever-holding prison. ¡°No!¡± I screamed at her, grasping the air where Mike¡¯s hand had been. ¡°What have you done!¡± Each step she took forward, deeper and deeper into the Walk of Faith, saw the burn of our promise mark my skin once more. I held my arm out and watched it snake its way along¡ªthe words becoming clear to me once more; you will never escape. Leave the forest by dawn or be trapped in there for eternity. I closed my eyes and listened to the ghostly whispers of the warning. ¡°Never step foot in the Forest of Enchantment¡ªnever step foot in there at dawn.¡± Dawn. The word echoed all around me in the haunting silence of eternally consequential mistakes. My failure would repeat itself over and over again for me to watch, to relive. I rested the back of my head against the bark of the tree, but stumbled back, falling through nothing, seeing the world go white around me¡­ ¡­My eyes flashed open. I looked down, standing where Ara had been only a second ago. We merged. I became her, but with the memory of a treacherous night too fresh in my mind to stop the tears. I just wanted to go home¡ªbe normal, be with David. Nothing more, nothing less. I sunk to the ground¡ªa pitiless soul in an empty world¡ªand hugged my knees to my chest, weeping into my arms. I was alone. Forgotten. A memory they would mourn, for sure, but evermore only that. Trudging endlessly down an entirely different path, I shivered at the thought of the darkness to come. My legs hurt, aching as if hands of reverberating sharpness were rubbing up and down my thighs, and my stomach felt like I swallowed a big, empty bowl of space. Even the grumbling hurt. I rubbed the tops of my legs, letting my skirt rise higher than I would if there were others around. All over my skin, the Markings made me look like a favourite old Barbie doll someone¡¯s little brother had gotten hold of and scribbled on with a permanent pen. ¡°This sucks!¡± I flopped down on my back, blowing my tantrum out with a hard pant. Overhead, my only friend shone down on me, lighting the sky pink as it had done on the last dusk, and beside that, my enemy crept in like purple shadows, disguising itself as clouds. Hope was lost. It was my job to find it out here, but I failed. Now, I couldn¡¯t even seem to find the beauty of the forest, either. It wasn¡¯t pleasant like a national park or the forest by the lake. This was wild and untamed and open and no one knew where to find me. I wished the trees weren¡¯t so high, so that maybe I could feel sheltered. I just felt so out in the open¡ªlike anyone, anything could be watching. But nothing ever showed. That rude crow hadn''t even returned. Though this world maintained it was dusk, I felt time passing again. I lay on the dirt, semi-conscious, singing to the sky, twirling the key around and around. Every now and then, I held it up to the light and moved it along so the pink sun made the silver sparkle. I wondered whose key it was¡ªwhat it locked away, whether it was a good secret or maybe a bad one. And wondered if perhaps it was a secret of the heart, like the ones I held. Maybe whoever owned this key felt love for another man, even though she was married, or maybe, in truth, it opened the lock to her lies¡ªperhaps lies she told herself because she didn¡¯t want to know the secrets. Page 40 The longer I laid on the cold dirt, the clearer the sounds around me became; the lonely song of twilight hummed my heart to ease¡ªthe crickets, the buzzing of mosquitoes, the distant, sleepy ballad of a bird. I closed my eyes and let myself imagine home. Home. Mike. His smile, his smell, all powdery-smooth, and the warm, scratchy stubble on his chin that¡¯d prickle my forehead when he¡¯d kiss my brow.Advertisement Home is David. His eyes. Green. Greener after we¡¯d make love and the electric blue surge of my uncontrolled passion had run free of them. I shut my eyes tighter around the memory and held it all inside. Eventually these memories would fade, just like all the faces of my past. But right now, while I¡¯d only been lost for a few days, they were as clear as a summer sky. When I opened my eyes again, with the memory of summer so strong in my heart, midday actually filled out the forest around me. A sweet chocolaty scent ran through me with a deeper breath as I rolled onto my side, seeing a shape through the glare, like a beautiful man laying right in front of me, face to face. His green eyes stared into mine, but even though the day was so bright that sadness seemed misplaced here, his soul looked lost, broken. I reached up, slowly tracing my thumb over each grain of hair along his jaw, feeling every bump, every rise in his skin, stopping on a small scar at the base of his chin¡ªone he got when his six-year-old brother kicked him for losing a paper boat he¡¯d made. ¡°Jason?¡± His smile was so filled with kindness that my heart burned with the almost forgotten feeling of being loved. ¡°Jase, are you really here?¡± ¡°Ara?¡± he said in that smooth, low voice. ¡°You have to get up¡ªyou have to keep moving.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± My eyes rolled back, closing. ¡°I can¡¯t. I failed, Jase¡ª¡± ¡°No. You only fail if you don¡¯t get up.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t find it¡ªhope. I thought I did, but¡­it was only a thought¡ªan idea, and I keep losing it. I just keep losing it.¡± ¡°Hope was never to be found, Ara. Hope is something you always had in you.¡± ¡°But, I''m not what my people needed me to be.¡± ¡°No, because you are more than they hoped you would be¡ªcapable of more than they allowed you to believe.¡± I shook my head against the dirt. ¡°I couldn''t finish the walk. I''m no good to anyone, now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still as valued as you were when you left. You never needed to prove anything to them about your worth, sweet girl¡ªyou only need to prove it to yourself.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s all gone. Everything I was supposed to be¡ªsupposed to do¡ªall gone.¡± ¡°I don''t know what the future holds for you when you return, Ara, and I don''t know what your people will say, but I know that no matter what you¡¯re worth to them, you will always be everything to one person in this world.¡± His shaggy hair fell loosely in the dirt above his brow, and his sparkling grin, as he ran his fingertips along my face, made me feel as if he was really here. ¡°Find your way home, Ara¡ªfind your way back to that one person, and you will never doubt yourself or your worth, ever again.¡± ¡°Well, who are you talking about? What one person?¡± ¡°Your true love.¡± He shuffled a little closer; I felt his knees against mine. ¡°He will hold you, kiss you and adore you¡ªcome what may.¡± ¡°David.¡± I smiled. ¡°Perhaps.¡± He stroked the tip of his thumb down my nose. ¡°Or perhaps not. Perhaps he is much closer than you think¡ªwaiting for you to return to your dreams again, so he can hold you there, in his lonely reality¡ªfor eternity.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°Come back to me, Ara.¡± He took both my hands. ¡°Come back to me¡­¡± Dark splotches distorted the image of Jason¡¯s face; I blinked a few times, trying to make it clearer. ¡°Come back to me¡­¡± His voice echoed away. ¡°Jase?¡± His touch dissolved. I sat bolt upright in the dark of night. ¡°Jase?¡± Stay. But he was gone again, leaving me battling with the deepest part of myself that loved him once¡ªloved him, but never got to say goodbye. I wish I could¡¯ve told him how I really felt¡ªwish I could¡¯ve told him in a room where it would have mattered. But each time that battle began in me, screaming at the heavens, telling me to love him, I fought it down¡ªsent it away. The girl I saw in my dreams was right; I loved him once, and I didn''t want to grieve him. I could grieve my mum, I could possibly even grieve Mike, but¡­just not Jason. I covered my face, trying to sneak back into the world he and I shared. But it was always only a dream¡ªone that equalled reality in all five senses. I wanted to go back there¡ªto him. And that scared me. Because I knew, of all things I had to face here, facing that truth was the worst. I got up, got to my feet and started walking again. He asked me to come back to him. He was here¡ªif that was a dream or not, I didn''t care. I felt home¡ªfelt him, and I just wanted that back again. Death, dream or reality. It didn''t matter anymore. The trees thickened around me as I scuffed gracelessly over the dirt. Each entangled finger of branches seemed to deliberately slow me down¡ªtouching me, grabbing me, snagging on my dress and arms. ¡°Stop it.¡± I shoved a dry, twiggy talon off my flesh. ¡°Stop. Touching. Me!¡± But none of them listened. They had me. They owned this part of the forest, and I wasn''t allowed to go there. I swiped my tears away and stood still in the crowded cage of dense shrubbery. Maybe the trees were right. Maybe I was headed in the wrong direction. In my mind, I was walking to him¡ªto Jason, but I was supposed to be walking home¡ªto David. My husband. The one who has stayed with me, married me, put up with all my temper tantrums and stupid ideals. The one who always would. Maybe I was supposed to walk back to him. Maybe I could never go to Jason because the road to the underworld was guarded by things unseen. I had to turn around. I had to get back home¡ªto life, to my people¡ªto David. Somewhere up in the night sky, the moon had risen, offering a pale glow to the darkness, illuminating the base of the trees in a soft, dull-blue¡ªgiving everything a dreary, grainy appearance. I looked along the length of my forearm and twisted it to see my elbow; the tattoos glowed, as if the moon was calling to them, and they were answering. Perhaps they had a clue, a message of some kind that would tell me how to get out of this forest. Everyone seemed to have had their own theories before I left; ¡®Follow the North star,¡¯ Walter said. ¡®Walk the path before your feet and don''t look up,¡¯ someone else had said, and Emily quite simply said, ¡®Let your heart guide you.¡¯ I looked behind me then to the path I¡¯d been heading¡ªto Jason¡ªnoticing that the trees had closed in, blocking that trail, making it impossible to get through. Was that it? Follow my heart? Was I walking toward my heart? I thought of David¡ªsaw his secret smile in my mind, felt the warmth of his love and let it fill me up from inside my chest, branching out like climbing vines. ¡°David.¡± I spun around then, in a completely different direction, but I knew it was the way. Walk toward what your heart desires. ¡°David,¡± I said to myself, and as I took a step, something cracked under my foot¡ªthe sound making my eyes wide before my hair and arms went vertical and my feet carried my body on a direct path downward. I squealed, grasping at every branch to stop myself falling, coming to rest with a thunderous impact on my knees, my hands, then my head¡­. A rushing sound, like an express train in a subway, forced my eyes open. Small needles of dry pine blurred my vision for a second; I blinked them from my lashes, my eyes focusing on the waning daylight, while a woodsy, earthy smell dried my nostrils with each breath. I lifted my face from the crook of my elbow and sat up, circling on my knees a few times in the barky bed I was laying. ¡°Wait!¡± I frowned and looked down at my hands, my arms and my stained dress. ¡°D¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡± My heart faltered. Everything stopped. I sunk down into my elbow and rolled onto the ground, flat on my back. ¡°D¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡± Chapter Ten With my hands clasped over my belly, the ability to cry deflated from my tired soul, I decided to let myself stay put and expire. As midday drank the cool in the air and infected it with a gooey heat, I laid, watching memories like films in my head, while the bare branches above me joined hands again across the grey-white sky, applauding the movies as they ended. Everything seemed to move slightly around me, as if it couldn''t sit still. Worse had come to worst. All the hope I thought I found was never really hope at all; it was positive thinking¡ªjust the thoughts of a stupid young girl who really believed that everything would be all right in the end. But it isn¡¯t. It couldn¡¯t be. Why would it be? It was all Emily¡¯s fault. Listen to my heart. What kind of stupid advice is that? All it¡¯s done is get me into more trouble. I should have listened to myself and just given up a few sunrises ago. Then I wouldn¡¯t be even more tired, even more beat up and bruised. ¡°Okay, fine. You got me!¡± I yelled at the forest. ¡°I''m not afraid of you anymore. You want me, I''m right here.¡± I flopped back down. Forget them. All of them. None of it matters now. The monarchy will die. The people will go about their lives. And if Drake doesn''t kill everyone, Mike will probably go home, marry Emily. David will probably marry her too¡ªsome foul three-way. Morg will be with Blade, Sam will grow up and never think of me. And Jason¡ªhis face stole my thoughts, making me smile¡ªJason will be lost in his illusory dreams until I lose consciousness one day and meet him there. We¡¯ll hold hands and lay in the grass all day, every day, for forever. I rubbed that thought away from my hot brow with an icy hand. How could you think like that? I asked myself. How could you place your happy ending in some imaginary world with your husband¡¯s brother? ¡°I love David. David.¡± I hit my temples. ¡°David! David! David! David!¡± ¡°Sssure you do,¡± a slow, whispering hiss said. ¡°I do!¡± ¡°Then why did following your heart bring you back here?¡± It said very slowly. ¡°My heart didn''t bring me here. I fell.¡± ¡°You fell through the web of your own lies.¡± I scoffed, staying flat on my back, my lip lifting. ¡°The other path was blocked.¡± ¡°Blocked?¡± It said. ¡°Or maybe you needed to fight harder to make it through.¡± ¡°What would you know?¡± ¡°I know all.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I don''t see what business it is of yours, evil-voice-that-doesn''t-exist.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job to see you find your way.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re fired.¡± ¡°You can''t fire me.¡± ¡°I just did.¡± ¡°Then, I won''t tell you what I came to say.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I said to the nothing. ¡°Then you¡¯re unfired. Now, what did you want to say?¡± ¡°You need to follow your heart.¡± I scratched my nose. ¡°Did that. So, unless you can give me some good advice, buzz off and let me die.¡± ¡°Perhaps not advice. Perhaps I can tell you something you don''t know.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like what¡¯s in your heart¡ªwhat''s really in there.¡± ¡°I already know that. It¡¯s David.¡± ¡°But you feel him, too!¡± It hummed. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The brother.¡± My chest lifted with a super huge sigh. ¡°No. I keep thinking that, but it¡¯s not true. It can''t be. And, so what if it was true?¡± ¡°The truth,¡± It hissed, ¡°will be the one hope you can offer yourself¡ªonly then can you give it to others.¡± ¡°What would you know about it, you''re just a figment of my¡ª¡± I pushed up on my elbows, ¡°¡ªGah!¡± A shiny black snake hissed back at me, its wide mouth gaping, showing pointy fangs. I jumped up, stumbling backward over a rock and fell on my hands. ¡°Afraid?¡± It crept forward, almost smiling with its soulless eyes. ¡°Get away.¡° I screamed, brushing my legs with my hands. ¡°You ugly, horrible little thing. Get away from me.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve come with a message,¡± it hissed without moving its lips. ¡°One that will mark you on your way to being a great ruler.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± I stopped wriggling, shrinking into myself with the snake¡¯s advance. ¡°What message?¡± It stopped by my foot. ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hope is the light you follow; faith is believing there is actually a light¡ªthey are the refusal to give up when you have no reason to go on. Get up!¡± it hissed again. ¡°Walk, Run, but do not lay there to die!¡± ¡°I did. I walked!¡± I yelled at the slithering guru. ¡°I walked, and I never got anywhere.¡± ¡°Then you keep walking until you do!¡± I looked away, allowing defeat to swallow the fight in my voice. ¡°No. I can''t take the pain of believing in myself and failing, over and over again. Losing hope is worse than the actual failure.¡± ¡°Then walk, because there is no reason to believe you will ever get out, no reason to live, no reason to go on except that you must. You are stronger than you know. Now, get up!¡± It slithered closer; I tucked my ankle under my thigh. ¡°Get up, and go on, or die.¡± Page 41 ¡°For how long?¡± I cried out. ¡°How much longer do I have to endure this?¡±Advertisement ¡°Until you have fought with your last breath, walked every path which leads to nowhere and cried every worthless, faithless tear at the bottomless pits of Hell.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I wiped my eyes. ¡°Why do you have to be so cruel?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not cruelty, it¡¯s a lesson. What does not kill us, only shows us where to find strength when we are in the dark.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t find it. I''m lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lost, Amara. You¡¯re just not looking for the right question.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ask not why, ask not when, ask not what you need to do?¡± ¡°Then what do I ask?¡± ¡°Try asking, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± My mouth sat slightly open and I looked to one side. What the hell is this slimy reptile droning on about? ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°I want you to know the question to the answer.¡± ¡°Well, what''s the answer, then?¡± ¡°You!¡± Me? Me? Why would I be the answer? And what is the question? Me? I looked around at the tops of the trees. I''m the answer¡ªto what? To the Lilithian¡¯s future? Maybe. But what does that have to do with finding hope on this Walk of Faith? Ask not what I need to do, but what I need to¡­learn? I looked up at the black, scaly creature. ¡°What is hope?¡± I asked. It seemed to smile but didn''t answer. What is hope? Is that what I need to learn? I squinted, thinking hard. I know it¡¯s in me, but what is it? ¡°Close,¡± the snake whispered. ¡°Hope is a part of faith,¡± I started, going over the words in my head. ¡°I came out here to find hope and bring it home to them. I came here to find¡­¡± I looked up, realisation flooding me like a wash of cold water. ¡°Myself?¡± ¡°Yes. You!¡± ¡°Well, I found her¡ªshe was making the oath.¡± I shook my head. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°She is not you. She is a repeat manifestation of the lies that make you whole.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Truth. Truth must be uncovered before you can find what you are looking for¡ªbefore you can find yourself.¡± ¡°What is the truth?¡± ¡°That,¡± she hissed, ¡°is exactly the right question.¡± ¡°Er!¡± I screeched and backed away as the snake launched forward. ¡°Get away from me.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± It slithered toward my foot, shifting in weaving patterns across the dirt. ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± ¡°I don''t know any truth.¡± ¡°Yessss, you doo.¡± It lifted its head off the ground and rocked from side to side, as if it had shoulders to sway from. ¡°I don''t know what the lie is¡­so I can''t tell you the truth.¡± ¡°Then you are lying to yourself.¡± ¡°No. I know myself. I know my inner truths. I always follow my¡­¡± I paused. My heart. ¡°My heart is the lie?¡± ¡°Or perhaps what¡¯s in your heart.¡± I looked at the snake and felt the tight pull of my brow at the centre. ¡°I already told you; David''s in my heart.¡± ¡°Is he?¡± I nodded. ¡°Is he there alone?¡± ¡°Of course he is.¡± ¡°Answer me truthfully, girl. Is. He. There. Alone?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I looked down at my dirt-covered legs. ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°Yes, you do. Ask your heart, and do not deny the first answer it gives you.¡± I touched a hand to my chest and searched deeper inside myself, already knowing the true answer. ¡°I''m not capable of loving just one¡­am I?¡± I looked back at the snake. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know I am.¡± ¡°Don''t lie to yourself, Amara. You cannot find hope if you cannot see the truth.¡± ¡°No. That is the truth!¡± I shuffled away from the snake. ¡°I love David. Do you hear? Never anyone else. I get confused. But I love him! Only him!¡± ¡°Lies. Black heart¡ªblack as the night. You, demon child¡ª¡± It slithered, slowly edging closer, ¡°¡ªYou are nothing more than what I am; a sinister nonentity, a parasitical fiend, and you will perish in this Hell.¡± ¡°No!¡± I pointed to the snake. ¡°You¡¯re trying to trick me into admitting I''m something I''m not.¡± ¡°Trickster. Faker. Liar. Me? No.¡± It shook its head. ¡°You are the worst kind of fraud, little girl, because you lie to yourself.¡± It glided toward me again. ¡°You don''t have to like the truth, but in order to be free, you must admit it.¡± ¡°No.¡± I covered my ears, scuffling away. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what¡¯s in my heart.¡± ¡°I don''t need to, child. You admitted this already. Admit it now. Admit it once and for all, and you will be free!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Stubborn girl,¡± It said, forcing me to shift farther away with each inch it came closer. ¡°It was all you had to do.¡± My hand slipped on a sharp, rocky overhang, and the flaking sound of raining dirt and stones echoed off the gluttonous canyon behind me, narrowing my options; it was either into the path of the snake, or a fall, possibly to my death. ¡°What are you doing?¡± my voice quivered as the snake advanced, slinking toward my right foot. ¡°Taking you back to Hell.¡± ¡°Get off me!¡± I smashed my foot into its tail, but the grappling, tubular body wriggled up my leg, and my scream trailed off as my hands met the absence of the rocky edge, reaching up, grabbing the cold neck of the snake as I went over, free-falling toward nothing. And it was too late to say it¡ªtoo late to admit what I truly felt in my heart. But I saw him as I looked out over the endless valley¡ªsaw Jason, saw his smile, felt my heart fill with blood for the longing to be beside him. And that was the truth. I loved him, but I also loved David. The quiet emptiness of falling into nothing stole a scream from my lips, but returned it as a silent breath, and my fingers unfolded, releasing the snake into freedom as the ground rushed up faster than I could control. Hope, by definition, means, wish, desire¡ªa chance of success. Nowhere does it say faith. They had hope, but they never believed in me¡ªnever had faith. They wanted someone to walk them from the darkest nights of their everlasting pain and bring them to the dawn, but they needed a warrior, not a little girl who was so broken from the past she couldn''t even love just one man. The dawn came and went many times while I stumbled through this treacherous forest, and as I opened my tired eyes, my entire body burning and aching, I met the dawn again. The last dregs of hope faded. I had believed in myself; I had believed I¡¯d make it out¡ªthat I¡¯d be the queen they needed. But they just couldn¡¯t see that. No one ever had any faith in me, and this was my only chance to prove I was strong¡ªto prove I could do anything I wanted to¡ªif I wanted to do it. And I did want to. I never wanted to be queen before, but I cared about those people¡ªall of them, and I wanted them to be free, to live in peace. If I was the only one that could make it happen, then I would have done my best. But the belief I had in myself was merely the na?ve ideals of a child who read too many fairy-tales when she was young. I couldn¡¯t do it. I didn''t make it. And they knew I wouldn''t. I reached my arm out, keeping my eyes shut, and closed my fist softly around the dewy grass, while the distant lashing of a wild ocean forced a painful smile onto my lips. I¡¯d not heard the ocean for days. I never went to see that lighthouse¡ªnever got to sit on the roof and watch the day wear on. Never even had the chance to tell Arthur that David was alive. I would. If I could go back, I¡¯d tell him, so that maybe his heart could be free. And Mike, I¡¯d tell him how sorry I was for breaking his heart, and even admit that he was always right¡ªthat I needed to listen to him more often. As I rubbed one foot over the other to scratch off an irritating bug, I frowned at the feel of fabric, like rustling silk mixed with cotton, but weighty¡ªstacked on top of me. I rolled up on my elbows and looked down. A black dress, fitted to the waist, sprawled out around me like a pool of black blood, and all along my arms, the Markings gleamed against my perfect white skin. As golden sunlight shifted across the long grass, following some imaginary path of duty, I saw a tree¡ªat the centre of a field. Jason¡¯s field. I must have died¡ªor knocked myself unconscious. Leaning on one elbow, I reached across my body and pinched my own arm¡ªand it hurt. I looked up at the tree again. This world was too real to be Jason¡¯s¡ªthe undertone of fogginess it came with wasn''t looming. This was bright. Fresh. Flavoured like a summer morning. I shot to my feet and watched the dawn sun travel over my toes and ankles, up the fabric of my dress, making it orange, and finally, over my hands¡ªbrightening the ancient symbols¡ªmy promise in ink. But it slipped past me quickly, heading for the border of the forest. Dawn. I had to run. I had to make it through to the other side¡ªto the manor, the Throne Room¡ªto my people. It wasn¡¯t too late. But if the light touched that tree line, I¡¯d never make it out of that forest. I hitched my dress up and ran, racing the rise of the sun. And as I came upon the forest, stepped a little more cautiously, holding my hands up as if to ward off something evil. ¡°I command you not to trap me in here for eternity,¡± I said to it, and my fingertips became warm. I walked carefully through the trees; they huddled together like frightened children, and as I lifted my dress above my feet, noticed that my toes, my nails, my ankles, everything was clean¡ªpolished, as if I¡¯d never left. And maybe that was right. Maybe I never left. Maybe I never really went anywhere at all, because everything I needed to find was already in me. A breath of composure filled my lungs and cooled my soul as I slowed to a walk, making my heart settle its erratic beat. I closed my eyes, wearing a soft smile, breaking free of the forest just as the orange sun touched the canopy. Each step I took over the grass felt like walking on clouds; my powers were back, I could feel them. I could feel myself almost floating, as if gravity had forgotten me. I watched, waiting for someone in the faceless crowd to notice I was here, and as the sun came past the trees, sinking down the canopy and out through the trunks, everyone turned their heads, one by one¡ªshock drinking their eyes, moving to their lips in a smile. I finally reached the top of the small hill, and each subject, barely able to contain the applause, laid a path of white roses at my feet. I walked right over them, feeling them break beneath me, but the thorns did not cut; my feet had grown stronger¡ªtorn down to be built back up. Nothing would ever break me again. I had proven my worth. I made it. Arthur¡¯s face showed among the blur, and he bowed to me, receiving the warmest smile I owned. In his heart, I could almost hear him say I never doubted you. And I appreciated that. Because I knew he was the only one who never did. As I walked through the doors of the Throne Room, Lilith¡¯s marble columns seemed to greet me, and, for some reason, I didn''t mind that they were fake¡ªnot structural, because it was what people saw that really counted. They saw a Throne Room, they saw a princess walk the red carpet, and in that, they saw a future. It didn''t matter what foundations the lie had been built on, as long as it stayed solid. As long as it was real to them. The white roses stopped below the first step to my throne, but as I made it to the top, saw one red rose on the seat; I reached out and grabbed it, looking up quickly when I felt its thornless stem. And as I turned back to face my people, searched the crowd for David, knowing he was out there¡ªsomewhere. A man in a long burgundy cloak stepped up beside me, and as he placed a small, uninteresting gold circle atop my head, an intensely warm surge of blood heated my skin under the inscription of my promise¡ªigniting the dense black to a brilliant, glowing blue, as if a tiny light shone from behind each word. My blood pulsed and shifted under the burn, but I smiled, clenching my fists, focusing on the cold rose in my hand. My David. He¡¯s here¡ªwatching. He¡¯s actually here. The fire receded and a unified gasp filled the court as the Markings discoloured¡ªfading into my skin. The oath was complete. My promise, eternal. I started this journey as a young girl, and now, stood before my people as something so much more. This is the path. This is the question. I am the answer. I am faith. I am hope. I am Queen. Chapter Eleven As instructed by the old cronies who really run the show around here, for the entire three hours of my very first Court session, I nodded, smiled, glanced at Walter Moustache Man for an answer and ruled everything according to his and the Councils¡¯ wishes. In future, I¡¯d probably look to Mike or Falcon, but since they and my other three knights were off completing their sacrificial rights, you know, kneeling in prayer and all that, I only had Emily, Eric, Morg and the House. And Arthur, but he¡¯d nodded only once in opinion and it was on something very minor. I knew he felt it wasn¡¯t his place to say, and that was true, he had no real business giving me advice unless he was on my council, but I trusted his opinion. I sat back in my chair, listening to the last dregs of this Lilithian¡¯s complaint, trying not to look utterly exhausted. But the Walk of Faith was still thick in my bones and my emotions, and, a few times, I¡¯d even had to resist the urge to break down and cry. I felt dirty¡ªlike I was still covered in blood and muck from the forest floor, but each time I looked down at my hands, was surprised to see perfectly trimmed, perfectly clean nails. Page 42 But things were winding down. From what I could tell, we had about two or three cases left to deal with¡ªthen I could rest for a few hours before the ball.Advertisement When the Lilithian stepped back into the crowd, Walter stood up from his House table to my left and wandered forward, flipping pages in his notepad. ¡°Your Majesty, Queen Amara, I present Derek Hill, of the Lower House.¡± I smiled at Derek, who bowed, smiling back as he stood; he had an eager kind of grin¡ªsmall eyes, bright with intelligence and what I read as a lust for life¡ªproverbially¡ªnot the kind he usually lusted after, being that he was a vampire. My stomach growled. ¡°Your Majesty, first of all, congratulations on this special day.¡± ¡°Thank you, Derek.¡± I gave a soft nod. ¡°And, what can I do for you today?¡± ¡°I am here to address the new laws of Vampire Sets.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°We are thrilled with the recent decision that those under your rule are free from their Set, but were unclear on a few of the restrictions.¡± ¡°Okay, what did you want to know?¡± ¡°Several of my people wish to partake in career paths which may lead to one being widely noticed.¡± ¡°Like famous?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± I looked over at Morgaine. She did warn me that simply allowing vampires to be under my rule without issuing guidelines would be a bad idea. But I never thought of anything like fame. I guess I just assumed free meant free. ¡°Declined,¡± Walter said, without even looking up. ¡°Now, hang on a sec.¡± I stood up. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Queen Amara, you know the reasons we have the laws we do. Even when Lilith ruled, this restriction applied to Lilithians also, not just vampires. We must not be a spectacle in the public eye.¡± ¡°Why, because we don''t age?¡± ¡°That, and people may study us too closely, come to conclusions about what we are.¡± ¡°Walter, were you not in the Queen¡¯s Navy¡ªwhen Lilith ruled?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, but¡ª¡± ¡°Then you were well-known?¡± ¡°Yes, but it differs greatly to one seeking world fame in modern society.¡± ¡°Right. Okay, so¡­¡± I looked back at Derek. ¡°What kinds of careers are we talking?¡± ¡°I have two bands and an aspiring actor.¡± ¡°Denied,¡± Walter said, without giving the man any further chance to speak. ¡°Stop saying that.¡± I stomped my foot. ¡°My queen, not only is it unsafe, as it may expose us to the human world, but we have skills and experience far beyond that of a human,¡± Walter reasoned. ¡°What right do we have to take rolls they could otherwise occupy?¡± ¡°By giving music to the world?¡± My brow arched. ¡°Walter, what right do we have to keep music from anybody, just because we may be better than someone else? Music¡ªany area of creativity and self-expression should belong to everyone¡ªvampires, humans, Lilithians¡ªwhoever. It¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°And what about in twenty years when this famous person has not aged?¡± Margret said. ¡°With the advances in medical science now, no one would really notice,¡± I said. ¡°Well, that''s not the point, Your Majesty. We stick to tradition.¡± Walter sat down. ¡°Well, I don''t like it.¡± I sat down, too. ¡°What does everyone else here think?¡± The crowd looked among themselves, shrugging, their eyes a little wide. ¡°Someone speak up,¡± I said. ¡°Should vampires and Lilithians be allowed to follow careers of passion, which would lead to fame?¡± A hand shot up in the back of the room. ¡°I think so, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°As do I,¡± another said, and it seemed to be unified. Mainly only really ancient vampires or Lilithians disapproved. I looked at Arthur, who didn''t seem to have an opinion either way. I wished he did, because I¡¯d have ruled based on what he thought. I even gave a little nod, with wider eyes, prompting his guidance, but he just smiled apologetically. ¡°What kinds of music?¡± I finally looked back at Derek. He glanced over his shoulder at a group of young guys, who nodded eagerly at him. ¡°Alternative and rock.¡± And I was sold. To my right, Eric sat beside Emily, grinning widely at the vampires behind Derek. I wondered if they were in his band or if maybe he just knew them. ¡°So, you want to write original songs?¡± I looked directly at the bands. When ushered forward, one guy stepped up and bowed quickly. ¡°We already have, Majesty¡ªwe¡¯ve been writing for about twenty years. But we¡¯ve just been working the cover scene, you know, since we aren¡¯t allowed to get noticed.¡± I took a deep breath. I wanted to say yes, I really did, but Walter and the rest of the House would surely skin me if I did. Except, it wasn¡¯t fair; none of the Ancients played music¡ªnot one from the House could even play piano. They just didn''t have the passion, didn''t understand the burn it caused inside you¡ªwhat it took to write a song and want to share that with the world. And if someone told me I could never live that dream, just because I was bitten and turned into a vampire, I think I¡¯d shut myself in a coffin for the rest of eternity¡ªbecause that''s what it would feel like anyway. Eric gave me a reassuring smile, and the excitement in his eyes set the words to my mouth before I saw them shape in my brain. ¡°Granted,¡± I said. Walter stood, a few people gasped, but it was buried under the loud rejoicing of the major population. Derek bowed lowly and said, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You''re welcome.¡± I turned my head to catch Eric¡¯s eye for a second. ¡°But you all know how to keep yourselves in check. Don''t make what you are obvious and don''t do anything stupid, or I will revoke your rights. Got it?¡± The boys in the bands all nodded, bowing then nodding again. ¡°Okay. Next on the list, Walter?¡± He was pissed, I could tell. But it was kind of okay, and this queen duties thing was actually pretty fun¡ªwell, most of it. ¡°Your Majesty, I present case number¡ª¡± he looked at his notepad, ¡°¡ªsixty five; Mr. Hamilton and Miss Crane.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± I nodded to them; they both bowed nervously. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The man knelt before me, his hand on his heart. ¡°I am in love with this girl, and I wish to marry her. But her sister, a twin, was recently granted rights to become a vampire, by the former king. Only¡­¡± He looked back at the girl. ¡°She didn''t have the gene.¡± I tensed, remembering the day I discovered that same fact about myself; the girl held back tears, standing tall and strong. ¡°And what would you like to do about that?¡± I asked. ¡°With your permission, Majesty, we seek the right to live together¡ªto¡­to be together while she remain human.¡± Everyone gasped. ¡°You understand there are reasons this has not been allowed in the past¡ªunless under very special circumstances?¡± ¡°I do, Your Majesty.¡± He bowed lower, tension resting on his shoulders like a heavy load. ¡°But I¡­I love her, and I can''t risk losing her.¡± ¡°Have you ever thought of, perhaps, changing her into a Lilithian?¡± He looked up at me. ¡°No, Your Majesty, I hadn¡¯t. I didn''t know that was a possibility.¡± ¡°Things have changed around here,¡± I said and stood up, taking a few steps to stand before the man. ¡°To your feet.¡± He slowly got up, arching his back to keep his head lower than mine. How terribly old fashioned. But I understood, thanks to all my lectures from the Officials, that this was how it had to be, silly or not. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, as her bite can put you in a coma¡ª¡± I smiled over my shoulder at my Private Council, wishing we could spread word about immunity. ¡°But, knowing this, would you want that life for her? She will be forced to feed through a slit in a willing vampire¡¯s vein¡ªshe can never bite,¡± I said. He looked up at me, his eyes bright with a smile. ¡°Yes, my queen, that would be fine¡ªfor the sake of eternity together, I would do anything¡ªeven feed her myself.¡± Behind him, the girl¡¯s eyes glittered with hope. I didn''t even need to ask if she wanted this or not. ¡°Good. Then I approve.¡± I looked over at Morgaine, half noticing the man step back and take his girlfriend¡¯s hand. ¡°Morg, can you see this happens for them, please?¡± ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯ll turn her myself.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± I said. ¡°Then it is done.¡± ¡°Thank you, Queen Amara.¡± His voice almost broke. ¡°I am your eternal servant.¡± I kind of laughed. ¡°No need for that. But, if ever you feel the need to extend your family, please do consider adopting one of the Immortal Damned. We¡¯re hoping to have them ready for society within a few months, and we¡¯re looking, pre-emptively, for families to care for them.¡± The man¡¯s grey eyes became wider and he shook his head, bowing at the same time. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. We¡­we¡¯d be only too happy to.¡± ¡°Great.¡± I smiled out across the crowded room, finally happy to be queen. Given that the knighting ceremony was supposed to be next week, I¡¯d brushed off the ¡®Rising of the Knights¡¯ speech, figuring I¡¯d learn it after the coronation. I stood behind the curtain of my throne, Court finished for the day, knees shaking, knowing I would make a fool of myself when I walked out there in front of five hundred people, words lost in the back of my throat, and let out only a small squeak. They say preparation is confidence, but I was so not prepared. When Walter announced me, I thrust my shoulders back, tilted my chin to the sky and stepped out from the curtain. Every breath, with every step I took, sounded like it was exhaled right into a microphone. I could hear everything around me; the heartbeats of my people, the silent worry of my council, the throat clearing of the old vampires, and the foot tapping of eager subjects in the back row. I stopped with my toes just on the edge of the top step, and my eyes washed across the crowd¡ªtightly packed into the court, lining the walls, leaving one clear isle of red carpet where the knights would walk in a few moments. And a proverbial furry cat climbed into my throat and ate my tongue. After a tense pause, I inhaled a deep, shaky breath of nerves and held it, closing my eyes. The words of my speech rolled across my eyelids, and my mind flashed to the memory of the day Mike delivered this same speech to the knights¡ªwhen they were still human. He stood so tall in front of the hundreds, as if they were a small group of friends¡ªconfident, comfortable in his own skin. ¡°For generations,¡± he¡¯d said, ¡°the Lilithian knights have survived in secrecy; trained by night, kept underground, unknown to exist. We have been few and ineffective. Now, with the rising of a new queen, we too have clambered from the ashes of insignificance. We will become strong, impenetrable¡ªa force to be reckoned with.¡± And listening in my head to his words, my own part of the speech came to mind. ¡°The legend of the knights began with the first Created Lilithian,¡± I started, my voice clear, unwavering. ¡°Queen Lilith, whose source of nourishment saw the deaths of many vampires, discovered that her brother sought to imprison her and take the throne. Knowing the creation of vampires to be possible from a bite, she attempted the same on a human man named Lancelot. ¡°The transformation turned this meagre mortal into a powerful being, giving him the ability, like Lilith, to end the life of a vampire. An army was created, and after pledging their creed upon the Stone of Truth, the Guardians of the Pure became known to all as,¡± ¡ªpause for effect¡ª ¡°Lilithian Knights.¡± The crowd cheered; the energy in the room had a different feel now¡ªalmost like the last day of school before summer break. ¡°And now,¡± I continued over the noise. ¡°Rising from the ashes of a long forgotten tradition, is a new era of guardians. Five men will be sworn in; five men have taken their oath. On their honour, on their blood, they will serve with their lives¡ªprotect queen and country¡ªLilithians, Vampires and Humans¡ªunited.¡± The roar of elation spread further this time; those at the back of the room wildly applauding; their thunderous calls infecting the hundreds outside who came today¡ªall of them to see the new Lilithian revolution begin. I moved away from the lip of the step and sat in my throne, quite satisfied that, even with an exhausted brain and shaking knees, I still managed to remember the whole speech. A gentle, quiet calm blew in like a breeze, and the Court came to a standstill. In one, sweeping movement, all heads turned to the back of the room¡ªwatching, waiting. Walter banged a giant brass stick three times, and the glass doors parted. My eyes adjusted to the warm yellow glow of the afternoon that entered, making silhouettes of five figures. As they marched forward, the anticipation beating in my heart made my blood run warm, and the silhouettes sharpened into men before my eyes. My knights. They looked like nineteenth-century officers of the Queen¡¯s Navy, in uniforms of white¡ªwith long, double breasted jackets and ropes hanging across their chests, which I knew were special kinds of rope¡ªearned by doing some act. ¡°Love the new get up, Em,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know.¡± I could hear the smile in her voice. ¡°Wait ¡®til you see Mike.¡± The five men turned to one as they filed into a line and marched down the centre of the aisle. Blade came first; his head held high, his face straight¡ªfor once¡ªone arm by his side and the other resting over the hilt of his sword. I just wanted to leap out of my seat and jump around, telling them all how great they looked. Page 43 As Blade moved to one side, Quaid, Ryder and Falcon came up the step, forming a straight line in front of the throne. Then, Mike came into view. My heart skipped audibly in my chest and melted all over the floor. Time slowed down, making everything spin as he took the last step toward me. He looked so¡­debonair, so strong, so¡ªknightly. His sandy hair was brushed back, revealing most of his face¡ªthe scruffy, half-shaven look he usually sports was gone, giving way to the smooth, square shape of his jaw. He looked right at me, a bright smile lighting up the spirit behind those caramel eyes, but absent on his lips.Advertisement As I walked toward them, each knight dropped to one knee, his head lowered. I¡¯d been given a few options on the knighting ceremony, told that, traditionally, the knights were slapped hard with a glove or a hand to make them remember their oath. But I didn''t like the idea of that, or the whole tapping the shoulder with a sword thing. We opted for a different method. Although, if Blade continued to look up and grin, I might consider slapping him. ¡°You have sworn your promise in blood.¡± I spoke loud so the whole Court would hear. ¡°You are bound to the throne for eternity, to serve with your honour.¡± I touched Mike. ¡°Your strength.¡± I touched Falcon. ¡°Your blood, your soul.¡± I touched Ryder and Quaid. ¡°And with your heart.¡± I touched Blade, and he smiled up at me. That slap tingled in my fingertips. He looked down instantly when I scowled at him. ¡°For eternity, you will serve your queen and your people with these gifts you possess. Today, you kneel before me as men.¡± I touched Mike on the shoulder again. ¡°But arise as knights. Sir Michael Christopher White.¡± Mike stood as I moved on to Falcon, kinda nervous about coming into physical contact with him. My hand shook a little as I rested it to his shoulder again. ¡°Sir Brett Wesley Falcon.¡± He stood too, and I touched Ryder¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sir Zeidyn Gable Ryder. Sir Shamus Arian Quaid, and¡ª¡± My hand warmed as it fell on Blade and the sudden jump to his heart made me smile. ¡°Sir Thomas James Blade.¡± He looked up at me, eyes wide, lips parted into a half smile. ¡°New life, new surname,¡± I whispered, but most of the court, being vampires, would have heard it anyway. Blade rose to his feet as the others had done, and they all turned on their heels to face the crowd; their hands behind their backs, chins high. I straightened my spine to feel taller beside them. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen of the Court, I present to you¡ª¡± I held my hand out. ¡°The Queen¡¯s Guard.¡± As the joyous applause unified the court with warmth again, they took off on their right foot and marched down the red carpet. I sat back down in my chair¡ªthrone¡ªwhatever they want to call it¡ªit was a giant, overgrown cushion as far as I was concerned¡ªand slumped lazily on the arm. But the knights broke apart suddenly and a few gasps came from the back of the room as the doors burst open again. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Orion called, appearing from within the crowd, hauling a man by the arm. ¡°We have a messenger.¡± He thrust the man forward, who fell to his knees, then stood up, straightening his clothes. ¡°How dare you treat me in such a manner.¡± I walked over and stood on the edge of the step above him. ¡°You say you have a message.¡± He dusted himself off again, melodramatically, and glared at Orion. ¡°I do. It is from his majesty, King Drake.¡± Everyone laughed. ¡°There is no Blood King,¡± Walter said. ¡°Only a queen.¡± The uniformed man scoffed. ¡°I know of no queen. Now, read the message. I must be on my way.¡± Walter took an envelope from the man. ¡°Would you like to read it, Majesty, or shall I do the honours?¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed my knights stayed in the room until Mike stepped up from behind me and held his hand out. ¡°I¡¯ll read it.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Walter passed him the letter. He cleared his throat, holding it up. ¡°Dearest Niece, it saddens me that we have come to war after centuries of peace. If you turn yourself over and hand back the manor and the throne, I will be merciful.¡± His voice slowed a little; he looked at the crowd then continued reading; ¡°Your death will be quick, as will that of your people. You have until sunset, a month from today, to turn yourself over, or I will attack and forcefully take back what is rightfully mine. Sincerely, Uncle Drake.¡± Everyone laughed, even me. Mike refolded the letter and looked down at the messenger. ¡°Tell your king he will have word in a fortnight.¡± The messenger nodded and spun on his heel, then walked down the aisle, with Orion behind him. I looked around for Arthur then, to see what he thought, but he was gone. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Walter said. ¡°I announce this session of Court closed.¡± He banged his stick three times and the crowd turned away, quiet chatters of both joy and fear among them. I spun around to look at my knights. ¡°Is he serious? Drake?¡± Walter came up and took the note from Mike then laid it out on the House table so the others could paw over it. We watched for a second. ¡°Sounded pretty serious,¡± Eric said, popping up beside me. ¡°It sounded like an unreasonable demand,¡± Mike said, wrapping his arm over Emily as she came up and hugged him. ¡°I think it¡¯s a distraction from the truth. He wants something else.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± I asked. ¡°Think about it.¡± Mike moved away from Em so he could pace. Walter and the others looked up with interest. ¡°He knows his opponent. He knows you won¡¯t accept those terms. You might sacrifice yourself, but never your people.¡± I smiled; it was nice that Mike, for all his opinions on me, actually knew that one truth. ¡°I agree,¡± Falcon said. ¡°He¡¯s up to something. He wants us focusing on an attack¡ªit¡¯s a trick of the hand.¡± ¡°I concur,¡± Walter said, turning back to us, with the letter in hand. ¡°Question is, what doesn''t he want us focusing on?¡± ¡°Good question,¡± Blade said, rubbing his jaw. ¡°Well, clearly he knows you¡¯ve been crowned now, and clearly knows you''re alive,¡± Quaid said. ¡°Maybe he knows we plan to attack him. Maybe he¡¯s, by giving us a month, buying himself more time.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s too simple.¡± Mike waved his index finger like a drumstick. ¡°He wouldn''t send a demand to buy time. He¡¯d ask for a truce¡ªknowing Ara would accept¡ªthen he¡¯d just attack.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s waiting for a reply in a fortnight, right?¡± Quaid said. ¡°I say we continue with our plan to attack next week¡ªtake him by surprise.¡± ¡°No. We have to cancel the attack,¡± Mike said. ¡°Why?¡± I said. ¡°Because he¡¯s probably aware of our plans,¡± Falcon said. ¡°He would know about the crowning process, the powers it will give you. I bet he¡¯s expecting us to attack.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Mike said. ¡°So¡­we don''t attack?¡± I asked. Everyone looked at everyone else. ¡°We could wait,¡± Morgaine suggested. ¡°We could send out spies to investigate Elysium and see what he¡¯s got going out there¡ªsee what we¡¯re up against.¡± ¡°Maybe we can let him attack us here, and we¡¯ll just wipe him out,¡± Blade suggested. ¡°That would be fighting fire with a garden hose, Blade,¡± Mike said. ¡°There will be no attack here; we have families living on this land.¡± ¡°Right, and the queen,¡± Falcon added. Mike looked at him. ¡°That goes without saying.¡± ¡°So, what, we¡¯ll send knights in to investigate?¡± I asked. ¡°That would also be a bad idea,¡± Arthur said from the base of the stairs. ¡°This is not your concern, vampire.¡± Mike spun around to face him. ¡°It is House and Private Council business.¡± ¡°Then speak in private quarters,¡± Arthur said and stepped away. ¡°Wait, Arthur?¡± I ran down the steps and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Why? Why would it be a bad idea?¡± He looked at Mike, then back at me again. "Because, my queen, he may be all too aware of immunity, for examp¡ª¡± ¡°What!¡± Morgaine gasped. ¡°How do you know about that?¡± ¡°Immunity?¡± Walter walked closer. ¡°What immunity?¡± Arthur took my hands, ignoring the rest, who went on with a conversation behind us. ¡°My dear, he may be looking to get his hands on a Pure Created. A mere Created Lilithian would not protect his army against your swords. He is a master of strategy. Everything he does has been planned out to make you think you have looked past the first two options and are clever enough to guess his real motive.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded. ¡°So, we won''t send Pure Created knights in there.¡± He looked over at the bunch of old and new immortals arguing and waving their hands around as the House learned about immunity for the first time. ¡°I am sorry I had to bring that up, but it is no longer a card you hold.¡± I nodded. ¡°How did you know?¡± He smiled. ¡°You let something slip.¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His eyes darkened. ¡°I only wish you had known of this before my sons died.¡± I touched his shoulder, feeling Mike¡¯s vehement glare on the side of my face. ¡°I''m sorry, Arthur.¡± He bowed and turned away. I watched his back until he disappeared into the crowds outside in the afternoon sun. ¡°You told him about immunity?¡± Mike grabbed my arm. ¡°I¡­he said I let something slip.¡± ¡°Ara, this is exactly what I was afraid of.¡± He shoved me away softly and rubbed his brow. ¡°Now Drake probably knows.¡± ¡°Probably. But I don''t think Arthur would have told him, or he wouldn''t have just admitted that he knew about it.¡± ¡°Or would he? To make us think he wouldn¡¯t have told Drake, since he''d be the first we''d suspect anyway.¡± I sighed, exasperated. ¡°Look, Mike, I''m tired. I just wanna go have a shower and get some rest before the ball tonight. Can we please discuss all this in the meeting tomorrow?¡± He backed down, smiling softly at me¡ªthe old, loving Mike. ¡°I haven¡¯t even had a chance to tell you how proud I am of you.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mike,¡± I said in a squeezed breath as he hugged me tight. ¡°And, by the way, you look sooo hot in that.¡± He grinned, leaning back a little to look down at me. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Does the tattoo hurt?¡± I touched his upper arm. ¡°Nope. Yours?¡± I shook my head, and as soon as I felt the air between us from the distance of his body, Emily came flying in, practically squealing with excitement. ¡°Ara. You look so pretty, and I was crying so hard when you finally came out of that forest. I literally paced the floors all night, worrying about you.¡± I patted her back, breathing deep the smell of her apple shampoo. ¡°I''m okay.¡± ¡°So, is it haunted?¡± she asked, stepping back. ¡°The forest?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I looked back into the memory for a second. ¡°I think it probably is.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± She cupped her hands under her chin. ¡°You poor thing. Were you scared?¡± Mike took this opportunity of girl talk to slink back to the manly political discussion going on at the top of the stairs. I looked back at Emily. ¡°I was okay. Um, Em, I¡¯ll talk later, okay. I really need some sleep before tonight.¡± And probably a good cry. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll talk at the ball then.¡± She touched my arm softly then walked away. Flowing hot water soothed my skin only minutes ago, but the silence of my own thoughts¡ªwhere I spent most of last night¡ªwas all too much for me to bear as I laid on my bed in the coloured light streaming through the dome. Though I was clean and fed, and the dry, pulsing sting of blood-thirst had eased, I felt empty and cold. After the Walk of Terror, I should be grateful for simple comforts, but I couldn''t stop thinking about the things I faced in that forest long enough to even enjoy the absence of gravity again. So, I got up and went down to the beach. My heels sunk deep into the white sand, making it squeak each time I turned to pace back the other way. I didn''t want to cry; I wanted to be strong¡ªto move on from all the horrors of last night and just be a resilient, powerful queen. But seeing Jason in that forest made him feel so real, and the place I used to go inside my head to hate him was gone. That walk had changed things in me, that was for sure, but I wasn''t sure if what had changed was for the better. All the grief I never wanted to feel for losing Jason came to the surface, down here, by the giant cliffs, safe from judging eyes. And it scared me, because I¡¯d never grieved so deeply for anything. Never. I leaned my back against the ancient rock wall and covered my face, finally letting myself cry¡ªlet the tears fall down, uninvited, unwanted, worthless, because they were shed for a pain that would never heal. And I just couldn''t make it stop. Too much was hurting inside. I¡¯d been dragged through too much and it was all finally coming down on top of me. You should be ashamed, the other version of me said, appearing beside me. ¡°Go away.¡± I hid my face in my hands. ¡°You¡¯re not real. Go away.¡± She just laughed. You pathetic waste of life. How dare you? How dare you cry for him? How could you let yourself fall in love with a ghost¡ªone who mutilated and tortured you¡ªburned his own brother alive? Page 44 ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled into my hands. ¡°Stop it. I can''t let myself believe I loved him!¡±Advertisement Oh, you loved him. You did, and you know it. ¡°No!¡± I stopped the thought abruptly, but it crept back in to betray me with its truth. What is it that hurts, Ara? She asked from deep inside my nightmare. Is it that he¡¯s gone, or that you¡¯re psychotic and perverted for loving him? ¡°Both,¡± I said, finally defeated enough to admit it in this real world¡ªaway from the pressure of snakes or falling from cliffs. This will kill him, you know, this will kill David when he finds out. ¡°No! Stop it, please. I''ve done nothing wrong!¡± I shouted. ¡°Nothing!¡± Nothing? A wild summer wind swept over the sand and brushed it stiffly across my legs; I composed myself with a few jagged breaths, wiping my soaking face. I was exhausted. That¡¯s what this was really about. Even my soul was tired. I just needed rest. If I could just go to sleep, I¡¯d wake up and see that everything really was okay¡ªthat maybe it was true, maybe I did love Jason, but maybe it didn''t matter, because he was gone, and I still had David. The shadow of the lighthouse, sitting high atop the cliff, stole the white from the sand as it stretched across the beach in a grey shadow. Behind it, the sun blinded me when I tried to make out the distance from here to the top. I wanted to jump up there but, exhausted as I felt, I¡¯d probably slip and fall off. So, I wandered away from the windbreak of the cliff and let the ocean breeze wrap around me, bringing the soft scent of frangipani fabric softener and salty sea spray. And with that smell, a tiny little positive crept up to make me smile; at least I never have to do dishes or laundry, ever again. That¡¯s pretty cool. ¡°Amara?¡± The confused tone of a pleasantly deep voice made my shoulders sink as a hand came upon me. ¡°Hello, Arthur.¡± I glanced back and smiled. ¡°My lady?¡± He stopped beside me. ¡°What are you doing out here by yourself? You should be resting.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I nodded and folded my arms across my chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like being alone.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Arthur looked around. ¡°You are alone.¡± ¡°Not like I am when I''m inside.¡± I turned to the thrashing waves and flicked my head so my hair blew away from my neck. ¡°Out here, I have the wind and the open air to distract me¡ªit kind of makes my heart beat for me, you know, but when I''m alone, in the still, it¡¯s like I''m too warm, wrapped up in a blanket I can''t get out of.¡± Arthur¡¯s brows pinched in the middle, and my eyes, as I looked at him, watered from the blinding light of the high afternoon sun. ¡°You''re not all right, are you?¡± he asked. I shook my head. He let out a breath and wrapped one arm, then the other, over my shoulders, and tugged me until I fell into his chest, my cheek against the indent between his breastbones. ¡°Just cry. My darling girl. Let it all out.¡± He stroked my hair. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll make it all better.¡± My chest heaved, each breath a jagged shriek that coughed back out. Arthur¡¯s embrace was so firm that I no longer felt the wind, so tight that my lungs struggled to draw air, and so loving I almost felt like his girl. ¡°It¡¯s been a long few years, hasn¡¯t it?¡± he said in a low, soothing voice. ¡°You''ve been through so much for such a young girl, and I imagine you''ve probably not spoken of how deeply you''re hurting?¡± My chest shuddered, the sobs turning to short, quick breaths as I settled myself. When I pulled slightly away from Arthur and saw the wet outline of a face all over his white silk shirt, my cheeks burned. ¡°Oh, my God, Arthur, I''m sorry.¡± He looked down too, wiping his hand over my mess. ¡°I wear the tears of the queen with honour.¡± I laughed once. ¡°It sounds funny when you say queen.¡± His teeth showed on one side as he breathed a smile. ¡°Yes, but you are queen. And we are all so proud of you.¡± ¡°I thought I failed, you know.¡± I stepped away from his arms and let the wind dry my cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how scared I was that I¡¯d let everyone down.¡± He only nodded, as if waiting for me to speak. Then, like falling asleep with a heavy book on your chest and suddenly waking to lift it off, I sat in the sand with Arthur, by the lashing whitewash, and, leaving out the part about David being alive, told him everything. Everything. Told him all I saw on the Walk of Faith, everything I came to face¡ªall the failures, all the truths¡ªespecially the truth about Jason. And he listened, with his hands linked together, his arms falling loosely over bended knees, smiling, nodding every now and then. As the blanket of shame, fear and sadness blew away in the wind, I took a deep, shaky breath and turned my head to look at him for the first time since we sat down. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± I grabbed his arm and looked at his watch. ¡°I¡¯ve been talking for an hour.¡± ¡°Then you have nowhere near been talking long enough.¡± He touched his hand over mine. I sniffled. ¡°You''re a good friend, Arthur.¡± He opened his mouth, his chest lifting with a deep breath that he let out slowly. ¡°I''m glad you told me all this.¡± ¡°What do you think it all means¡ªall that snake business?¡± He sighed. ¡°I''m not sure. But, like you said, this snake, this entity who came to you, it wanted you to realise the truth of yourself, right?¡± I nodded, more than a little eager to hear his take on it. ¡°Perhaps, that is the truth. Perhaps you loved them both¡ªJason and David, and maybe when you come to terms with this, your life can take a journey on a new path.¡± ¡°I have come to terms with it, Arthur. So where¡¯s this new path?¡± ¡°No, my dear, you have not. You have admitted it¡ªbarely, but you have not come to terms with it.¡± ¡°Aren''t they the same things?¡± He laughed softly. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, how do I come to terms with it?¡± ¡°That, my dear child, you will have to learn on your own. One day, you will wake up and everything will suddenly make sense to you¡ªthe path you must take, the road you¡¯ve been down, all the questions you ask yourself about why¡ªit will all make sense, and then, and only then, does it mean you have come to terms with what is in your heart, and essentially, what you, deep down inside, are.¡± ¡°What I am? What do you mean by that?¡± He looked out at the ocean. ¡°I mean that¡­you perceive yourself as this confused little girl, who thinks she knows what''s right but doesn¡¯t trust herself. You also believe every impure thought you have¡ªperhaps thoughts for another man¡ªmake you a bad person, somehow. But you¡¯re not. You are, for all intents and purposes, human. And you make human mistakes and feel human emotions. You berate yourself far too harshly for what you feel, Amara, and that will, in the end, be your undoing.¡± ¡°My undoing?¡± ¡°Emotionally. You cannot rule if you are not strong, in here.¡± He tapped his chest. ¡°And you cannot be strong if you do not love yourself¡ªor at the very least, understand yourself.¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I can''t understand how I could feel anything for Jason at all. I can''t understand how I can love anyone else but David. He¡­¡± I looked ahead, closing my eyes for a second. ¡°Even though he¡¯s gone, he should still be the only one I ever love.¡± ¡°Amara, don''t be so harsh on yourself. You cannot expect to be alone for the rest of your days.¡± ¡°I know. But what about when he was alive?¡± I said. ¡°I loved Jason then, Arthur, and I can''t forgive myself for that.¡± ¡°Did David ever know how you felt about his brother?¡± ¡°He asked me a few times¡ªbut we always got interrupted and just never continued the conversation.¡± ¡°What do you think he would say now¡ªif he were to find out?¡± I went a little stiff. ¡°I''m not sure. I think he¡¯d hate me.¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°Really?¡± I looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re nodding. So, you agree?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, my dear, I can''t honestly answer that. You see, David spoke to me shortly after he first saw you. And we had many conversations preceding that, where I learned two things. One; David had lost faith in the world. He believed there was no good left in anyone¡ªnot vampires and not humans. The other thing I learned was that, through reading the minds of humans for a hundred years, David had a bitter hatred for their kind. Until you came along. He saw in you a pure soul; he said all your thoughts were battles between right and wrong and he had never met a girl so innocent, so undamaged by the world, that he instantly fell for you.¡± ¡°Undamaged?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Arthur, I have to be just about the most damaged girl in the world.¡± He laughed. ¡°Yes, but he meant that you were not tainted by the world¡¯s ways. You weren¡¯t mean, harsh¡ªyou thought of others before yourself.¡± ¡°I did?¡± I rubbed my hairline. ¡°Boy, did he have me figured all wrong.¡± ¡°No, my dear, he did not. He was right. Sometimes you look past other people, too busy worrying about how not to hurt them, that you do just that. I know what you are, and David fell in love with what you are. He told me he learned more about compassion and kindness in a week with you than he did in an entire century from the human race.¡± The sun made his nose look longer as he looked at the ocean again. ¡°He loved you fiercely, my dear, and it was because you are a good, pure soul.¡± ¡°Which is exactly why he¡¯d hate me so much if he realised that I''m not.¡± ¡°By loving another?¡± Arthur frowned. ¡°You think you¡¯re impure because your heart wanted his brother?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you have his brother? Did you cheat on David?¡± ¡°No. I mean, I don''t really know. I held hands with Jason and I know I kissed him, but¡ª¡± ¡°But this was in your dreams.¡± ¡°Mind-links.¡± ¡°Or maybe they were merely dreams, Amara. You don''t actually know, do you?¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°I guess not.¡± ¡°And, if Jason were here right now, alive, would you be with him?¡± ¡°Um, no. Not if David were alive as well.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I love David. I''d never want to hurt him like that.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°So, what are you saying? What''s your point?¡± ¡°My point is¡­David would hate you for doing the wrong thing, Ara. He would likely be immensely angered to learn you had feelings for Jason, but unless you acted on those, I doubt he could ever bring himself to hate you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Even then, it doesn''t make having feelings for Jason right.¡± ¡°No, but you are not declaring that you didn''t love David by facing the truth that you love Jason.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess not.¡± I laughed, moving my toes to make patterns in the sand under them. ¡°But¡­I still lose sleep over it.¡± ¡°Well, if ever you find yourself unable to sleep, come to my chamber,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I have some herbal remedies that assist with relaxing the mind of a vampire.¡± ¡°Do you have one that makes the heart stop feeling anything?¡± ¡°No. And you do not need such things.¡± ¡°Hmpf!¡± ¡°Amara¡ª¡± He turned my face to look at him. ¡°You''re a young girl, nineteen, to be exact. You are still learning the inner workings of your heart. Most girls your age have had many boys in their life at this point to learn from, but you, my dear, have had one.¡± ¡°No, two,¡± I corrected. ¡°Ah, of course.¡± He drew a breath through his teeth. ¡°Mike. But, Amara, falling for, having feelings for, and even acting on those feelings for boys, does not mean you are bad or promiscuous¡ªit simply means you are young.¡± ¡°So, are you saying I shouldn¡¯t have gotten married¡ªthat I can never be monogamous in my heart because I''m young?¡± ¡°No.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Simply that if your heart wants, don''t hate yourself for it. A wise young girl once told me that the heart lives by its own set of rules.¡± He smiled; I smiled back. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± he continued, ¡°the world has created its own rules about how love should be, too. That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s natural. Queen Lilith, for example, had four husbands¡ª¡± ¡°But I thought she was promised to marry Peter?¡± ¡°She was. He would have been her fifth.¡± ¡°Then why do we see him in the dome, and not the other husbands?¡± ¡°Because he was the catalyst that saw her demise.¡± ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°He gave Drake information on how to kill her, since it was he who discovered that if a pure-blood is beheaded, they will remain in a state, like death, until reassembled. We didn¡¯t know that. We figured she was indestructible like her father and brother¡ªaside from the fact that her venom was deathly to vampires.¡± Arthur smiled, tapping his tooth. ¡°And that fact was the only thing that rendered Drake compliant when Vampirie stripped him of his title as king.¡± ¡°Why did Vampirie do that?¡± Arthur cleared his throat, sniffing once. ¡°Drake¡¯s love for his new wife Anandene turned to obsession; he became reckless, nonchalant in his duties as king. Vampires were out of control again and wreaking havoc on the world. It was more than the Set leaders and the World Council, combined, could control.¡± Page 45 ¡°So, what, Vampirie just came in and kicked Drake out?¡±Advertisement ¡°Yes. Then rounded up a number of vampires¡ªany who had committed offences in the past¡ªand handed them over to Lilith. She kept these vampires as food for the next few years¡ªridding the world, once again, of around three quarters of the population of vampires.¡± ¡°Wow, and¡­where did Drake go?¡± ¡°He and Anandene disappeared for a while.¡± ¡°And then what? How did he come to kill Lilith?¡± ¡°Some years later, Drake returned to Loslilian and reunited with his sister. The family feud had healed and all was well, for a while. But Anandene was a well-known, very powerful witch, and when she learned of the Stone¡¯s powers, sought to use it to cast a great spell.¡± ¡°What kind of spell?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I only know that Lilith warned her this spell would bring a curse down on the lands.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it was black magic¡ªused for personal gain, not for good.¡± ¡°And the Stone doesn¡¯t condone that?¡± ¡°No.¡± He laughed. ¡°It doesn''t.¡± ¡°So, what happened then?¡± Arthur looked at his watch. ¡°Anandene went behind Lilith¡¯s back. She used the Stone and, sure enough, a plague hit. Many people died. In a desperate attempt to right the wrong, Lilith went to her father. He told her the life that cast the curse must be given back to the Stone.¡± ¡°Anandene?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Lilith had to kill her?¡± ¡°On the Stone. Yes.¡± ¡°Did she?¡± Arthur hesitated. ¡°This story, my dear, is not the one you will read in books¡ªnor is it the one you will be told, should you ask Morgaine. And I do hope this will stay between us.¡± I nodded. ¡°But, why doesn''t anyone know this story?¡± ¡°They know what Drake wanted them to know. All this I have learned over the centuries by doing some digging¡ªdrawing conclusions. I may have some of the story wrong. But it has been kept a secret, for reasons unknown to me, and I intend to do the same¡ªuntil I piece everything together.¡± ¡°Okay. I won''t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Be sure you don''t.¡± ¡°So¡­did she do it? Did Lilith kill Drake¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°To begin with, Drake actually offered his life in place of Anandene.¡± ¡°And Lilith agreed?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°But when he went to the forest to die, Lilith had him captured¡ªlocked away under hold of Created Lilithian venom. When he woke from a nightmare, hearing his beloved scream, he was released to a healed world¡ªthe curse lifted, Anandene cold in the ground.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°So, he wanted Lilith dead because she killed Anandene?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I let out the breath I¡¯d kept inside for too long. ¡°Wow, well, that¡¯s a different spin on the story to what Morg gave me.¡± ¡°I know. Try not to listen too closely to what she says. She¡­Drake gives titbits of information he wants you to have for some greater purpose of his own. She believes he let slip the story about the coming of a Pure Blood and a prophecy, but I don''t believe he is that careless.¡± ¡°So, you think he wanted her to set up a knighthood¡ªset up hope for the Lilithians?¡± ¡°I cannot even begin to understand his strategy, and I have exhausted myself trying. All I can do now, Princess, is try to stop him.¡± I laughed inside that he called me Princess. ¡°So, did the other Set leaders know about Anandene?¡± ¡°For some reason, no. When I approached even the World Council leaders, they knew nothing of her death.¡± ¡°How can that be? Weren¡¯t you all some kind of brotherhood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, how can you know, but they didn''t?¡± ¡°These proceedings occurred here in the United States, and the world was a much bigger place then, Amara, gossip did not travel the way it does today. Our only method of communication was via letters.¡± ¡°So, they just never got on the grapevine?¡± ¡°Grapevine?¡± I laughed. ¡°It¡¯s my dad¡¯s term¡ªfor being in the loop.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± I sat back a bit then and rubbed open palms over my cold thighs. ¡°I don''t understand how Drake kept it a secret all this time¡ªto the point were Miss Nosey herself doesn''t even know.¡± ¡°Miss nosey?¡± ¡°Morgaine.¡± Arthur laughed. ¡°Well, there was no one left to tell the story. Morgaine lived in Paris at that time and, within a month of Anandene¡¯s death, any who knew she passed were dead.¡± ¡°Vampires too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How? If Drake killed Lilith, how did he kill the vampires without her venom?¡± ¡°He used the only remaining stores we had.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down at my sandy feet. ¡°So, he obviously went to great lengths to keep this a secret?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, Morgaine doesn''t know any of this¡ªat all¡ªnot even one bit?¡± ¡°No. Even Lilith kept what Anandene did and what she did to Anandene a secret from the greater population in the weeks before Drake came for her.¡± ¡°And, what about Walter? And Margret. They were on Lilith¡¯s Council then? Do they know?¡± ¡°No. That is why they¡¯re still alive. They were living human lives at the time and hadn¡¯t seen Lilith for some years.¡± ¡°Hang on. So that¡¯s why Drake stormed Loslilian and killed everyone¡ªbecause they all knew Lilith killed Anandene?¡± Arthur sat back a little. ¡°For the most part, I believe so.¡± I sat back too, feeling a bit more alert, a bit more awake now. ¡°Wow. Devious little bugger, isn''t he?¡± ¡°My dear, there is so much deception going on around here, I''m beginning to think myself an illusion.¡± I laughed. ¡°Maybe you are.¡± ¡°Well, one cannot be an illusion and a traitor,¡± he said mockingly. ¡°You¡¯re not a traitor.¡± I bumped him softly with my shoulder. ¡°But I think you have some grand plan¡ªsome reason you¡¯re here that you¡¯re not telling me.¡± ¡°Perhaps. But until I figure out what everyone else¡¯s plans are¡ªand where, in the midst of it all, you sit, I will keep those plans to myself.¡± ¡°I''m queen. I sit on the top,¡± I said proudly, and Arthur smiled. ¡°Amara, the queen very rarely sits on top. You have all the power, but you will come to find that, essentially, you make very few of the decisions.¡± ¡°So I''m a puppet?¡± He cupped my hand in both of his. ¡°But you are not alone. I will not see them control you.¡± ¡°I didn''t realise they were.¡± I frowned at the distant cliffs. ¡°I know. And this is why I watch from the sidelines, rather than to step in and make my point known. Very few people notice a pawn while the Bishops are rallying around the queen.¡± ¡°And very few ever worry about the king, either, do they?¡± ¡°No. And I imagine, if David were here right now, he would be operating things from behind the scenes somewhere¡ªunnoticed.¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°He always knew how to play a hand, make you think you¡¯d won until he blew you out of the water. He was under Drake¡¯s rule long enough to pick up some clever strategies.¡± I smiled. ¡°Yeah. When he died, I found myself waiting for him to come back¡ªhoping it was just some kind of ploy, you know, that maybe he found out about immunity before I did and was just faking his death.¡± Arthur gently rubbed his hand against his heart. ¡°When I first discovered immunity, I had hoped the same thing.¡± ¡°Did you ever go back?¡± I asked delicately. ¡°To the chamber. Did you ever go see his remains?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I wanted to. I wanted to sweep them from the fireplace and set them free on the wind, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to open that door.¡± His eyes pooled with the agony of that memory. ¡°That was once a room of gathering where, when I was a child, my father and mother would invite our guests to dine and dance. To reach that door and find myself unable to enter was the final straw for me. I left the castle and haven¡¯t returned.¡± ¡°I''m so sorry, Arthur.¡± His mouth moved as if he was going to say something, but he didn''t. ¡°Hey, maybe when we get rid of Drake, you can refurbish it and make it grand again,¡± I suggested. ¡°It will not change the fact that I''ve seen so many die there¡ªmany of those being people I loved.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but to smile then, thinking about what Arthur said before. ¡°You must have known him pretty well¡ªlike, better than he knew himself.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°David. To know he¡¯d be working in the background, using his queen as a pawn¡ªa distraction from what he was really doing.¡± I shook my head, dusting some sand off my leg. ¡°If he was alive, that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯d do.¡± Arthur reached across and, using his thumb, swept a piece of dried seaweed away from my ankle. ¡°I know. And I like that you knew him well enough to know that, too. I''m glad he found you.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± I thought back to the school football field¡ªDavid''s secret smile, his hair with the gold tones in the summer sun and the vibrant green of his eyes that turned blue when we made love. ¡°Hey, Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°If Peter loved Lilith enough to marry her, why did he betray her?¡± ¡°Power,¡± he said simply. ¡°Drake was well-known for his significant, paranormal skills, and Peter wanted something.¡± ¡°So he sold the information?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°What did he ask for?¡± ¡°The power to transform into any creature he desired, so he could stalk the homes of men, feed from them, unnoticed.¡± ¡°Really? For blood? That''s it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arthur scratched the base of his ear and took a breath. ¡°You have to understand, he was a vampire, his heart was not changed by the love of a human¡ªstill driven by the raw, voracious blood-obsession.¡± ¡°And what did Drake do¡ªdid he give him the power?¡± ¡°Yes. He did. And after Lilith¡¯s death, Peter disappeared.¡± ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°No one knows. Some have whispered that he¡¯s the white dog we call Petey, but it¡¯s all speculation¡ªno way to be certain.¡± ¡°Wow. Petey? A vampire?¡± ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a rumour¡ªa very old one. One I personally do not believe.¡± Arthur brought his arms forward and dusted the sand off his hands. ¡°So, how did Peter actually discover Lilith could die? Like, what brought him to discover her head could be chopped off?¡± ¡°They had a certain amount of abhorrence between them.¡± He coughed into his hand. ¡°It was a love of raw passion, filled with neurotic hate.¡± ¡°So, what? He just chopped off her head one day?¡± ¡°Well, he had no reason to believe it would come off. He was merely trying to cut her¡ª¡± ¡°Ew. That''s so awful.¡± Arthur smiled and nodded. ¡°Well, I bet he regrets that decision now,¡± I said. ¡°I imagine he would, if he is, in fact, alive¡ªperhaps a dog.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a dog,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe not Petey, but he¡¯s a dog all right¡ªa dirty, mangy mutt.¡± ¡°Be mindful not to judge, Amara. Until you have endured the path of those you scorn, your opinion should remain unvoiced.¡± ¡°Hmpf!¡± I scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever get exhausted being so fanatical about this judge not stuff? ¡°Yes.¡± Arthur laughed warmly. ¡°I actually do.¡± After a deep, calm breath, I looked up at the darkening sky. I felt better now¡ªlighter, not so clouded. ¡°Thank you, Arthur. I really needed to talk to someone.¡± ¡°Well, Prin¡ªmy queen.¡± He chuckled then and took my fingers in his. ¡°Anytime you need a sympathetic ear, I will drop whatever I am doing and come to your aid¡ªyou need only look at me with those pretty eyes, and I''m all yours.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Like I said, anytime.¡± ¡°Hey, Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°If I can get Mike to agree, would you be on my Private Council?¡± He smiled widely. ¡°Oh, my dear, it would be a great privilege, and it is an honour that you even asked, but¡­I must decline.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I believe I am of more use to you by being a friend.¡± ¡°That doesn''t make sense.¡± ¡°Perhaps not to you, but¡ª¡± he paused for a long time, his eyes shifting with what I thought were several different directions of conversation. ¡°I care for you, and I am here to see you become a great queen. Despite that¡­I¡¯ve been forced to keep some secrets, Amara, and I know you will trust me when I say this is for your own good. However, if I were on your Private Council, I would be obligated to tell you such things.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± He smirked. ¡°You¡¯re missing the point of the word secret.¡± Page 46 ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded, resting my arms over my knees. ¡°Fine then. But¡­can you at least advise me of things in Court sessions, you know, we can work out a wink or a nod combo?¡±Advertisement ¡°I''m sorry, I can''t do that,¡± he said in his austere voice. ¡°I know what influence my words have on you, and it would be unfair of me to, essentially, rule the nation like a puppeteer. It would also be irresponsible of me. You will, in time, learn what is wrong and what works, and you will do that with my guidance, not my opinions. Okay?¡± I turned my whole upper body to look at him. ¡°Man, you are too good at this.¡± ¡°At what?¡± He laughed. ¡°At¡­I don''t know¡­being noble and all.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had a lot of practice.¡± ¡°Clearly.¡± We both sat in silence for a while. All the things I¡¯d just learned about Drake, Anandene and Vampirie skipped around in my head, lapping over the legends we¡¯d based this entire monarchy on¡ªlegends that may be wrong. How was I to know what to believe now? I sighed and hugged Arthur¡¯s arm, resting my head on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°I was wondering if you might know something about this.¡± I reached down and lifted the key from under my shirt. ¡°I found it in the forest,¡± I added as he held it in his fingertips, studying it carefully. ¡°No, sorry, my lady, I¡¯ve not seen it before. But this¡ª¡± He pointed to the rope-like symbol on the top, ¡°¡ªis called a Celtic Knot.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a Celtic Knot?¡± ¡°Many have argued its interpretation and significance, but one truth I have come to find in all my years is that it represents an unending force¡ªperhaps immortal life.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± I took the key back. ¡°Do you think it belonged to Lilith once?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d have no way of knowing, but I never saw her with any key such as this. I can tell you that this symbol is a part of Drake¡¯s family crest, though.¡± ¡°Really? So, is that like my family crest then?¡± ¡°No. It was designed for him and his descendants.¡± ¡°He has descendants?¡± ¡°He has several.¡± ¡°From Anandene?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do they¡­I mean, do I know any of them¡ªhave any defected?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You have met one before, though.¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Yes. You killed him.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°I did? Well, who was he?¡± ¡°He was a vile creature, Amara, do not pity him. He was born of sin and wreaked such atrocities on the world his own father locked him in a coffin six feet beneath the earth for a century.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It all began when Drake sought to experiment with different breeds of vampires. He tried mating with Created Lilithians, attempting to form a new species, but was never successful¡ªthe Created couldn''t seem to bear children like the pure bloods could. So, he had a child with a human woman, then, when that half-blood grew up, a daughter, he¡­¡± Arthur left that bit hanging. ¡°He had a child with her?¡± Arthur looked down. ¡°He did.¡± ¡°With his own daughter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nearly vomited. ¡°And¡­what was the child? I mean, was it a half-blood or¡­¡± ¡°It was something else, entirely. You may have heard that, throughout history, it was common for humans to inbreed¡ªwhich led to deformities.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, the powerful blood of immortals merely magnified that. The boy was normal of appearance but, inside, he was like a beast¡ªtwisted, vile and cruel. He did some very¡­unspeakable things.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Arthur looked at me carefully then closed his eyes for a second. ¡°I''m afraid, Your Majesty, I should not taint your pure heart with such tales.¡± ¡°Please tell me.¡± He shook his head, his lips tight. ¡°All I will say is that he preferred to prey on the innocent. He enjoyed watching something pure and sweet writhe and squeal. And what he did to some of those creatures, not all of them being human, haunts my dreams.¡± ¡°So, how did I come to kill him then, and when?¡± ¡°Do you remember the boy you bit¡ªin the council chamber?¡± ¡°The blonde boy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course I do. I still have nightmares about it.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± He took my hand firmly. ¡°Do not. He was a creature not fit for this world. So heinous, in fact, I fear for the devil if he owns that boy¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°So¡­I killed a monster¡ªnot a boy?¡± ¡°Monster is too kind a word for what he was. A soulless, demonic entity, might better describe him.¡± I let out a really long breath and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°I¡­I''ve been suffering so much guilt for having killed that boy. There was never any resolution for me. I just kept wondering what he did wrong¡ªwhat he did to deserve being killed.¡± Arthur smiled. ¡°I wish I had told you sooner. I''m sorry. I did not think of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know now.¡± I rubbed my face firmly, then my neck, shaking my head the whole time. ¡°How is it that pretty much any conversation we have leaves me with more information about everything to do with vampires than an entire eight week lesson with Morgaine?¡± Arthur chuckled. ¡°She thinks she knows everything. I actually do.¡± I laughed, too, looking up when a shadow passed over my face on the left. ¡°Hey, guys.¡± Eric sat down beside me. ¡°Hey, Eric,¡± I said; Arthur merely nodded. ¡°So¡ª¡± He knocked me casually with his elbow. ¡°Emily sent me out here to look for you. Says Morgaine told Mike you weren¡¯t in your room, and now he¡¯s gone mad looking for you.¡± From the corner of my eye I saw Arthur¡¯s dimple press into his cheek as he looked down. ¡°Well, I''m right here. I''ve just been talking with Arthur.¡± Eric laughed. ¡°That''s what Mike¡¯s worried about.¡± And that made me feel heavy. It seemed even proving myself as queen wasn''t enough to get Mike off my back. Eric placed his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him, kissing me quickly on the top of the head. ¡°Good job last night, kiddo. I nearly fell over with pride when you came up that hill today.¡± ¡°Thanks, Eric.¡± I rubbed his chest then sat up again. ¡°Anytime.¡± He stood and dusted the sand off his jeans. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell Mike I found you down here alone and sent you to your room, okay?¡± I smiled up at him. ¡°Thanks.¡± He nodded, then gave Arthur a slight bow, a force of habit, I guess, and wandered up the giant, steep stone stairs, like a human. ¡°He¡¯s afraid of you, isn''t he?¡± I said. Arthur laughed. ¡°Only with good reason.¡± ¡°He still bows.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He laughed again. ¡°I noticed that.¡± I linked my arm through Arthur¡¯s and rested my head on his shoulder again. ¡°Hey, Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear,¡± he said in a much warmer tone than any before. ¡°I''m glad you''re here.¡± He patted my hand. ¡°Me too, princess.¡± Chapter Twelve Sitting in front of my dresser, I angled my wrist into the light and rolled it, making sure the Markings had completely faded. The absence of black ink showed the perfect, unblemished white skin; all my scars had healed now, even the few Jason left when he kidnapped me at the Masquerade. I touched my fingers to my neck and traced down my chest to where he literally tore my heart out only a few months ago. That scar was gone, too. I¡¯d made the full transition to queen¡ªto Lilithian, and completely left the past behind¡ªeven its scars. But somehow, that made me feel a little sad. The mysterious Celtic Knot key rested just above the red silk of my ball gown, looking ever so shiny, like a silvery blade in a pool of blood. It suited me, this key, and I was glad I found it¡ªglad I found something to replace the locket Jason took and never gave back. The door opened and I looked up, putting my thoughts away. ¡°You nearly ready, Queen Amara?¡± Morgaine stepped in. ¡°Yeah. Is my hair okay?¡± I motioned to the ornate pile of curls on my head, falling softly over my ears and neck. ¡°You look perfect. Most beautiful queen we ever had.¡± She shook her head a few times, slumping on the foot of my bed. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am that we found you, Amara. And how lucky it is that David and I used to date because, Your Majesty, if I hadn¡¯t loved him once, I¡¯d have tortured him, and you¡ª¡± Her face went a little pallid, her dark eyes round. ¡°You¡¯d be dead.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I smiled, feeling my curls tickle my neck as I nodded. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just¡­destiny.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I''m just really tired.¡± ¡°Well, plenty of time for sleep later.¡± She held up a small, grey gun-looking thing and grinned. ¡°You wanna wear earrings tonight?¡± ¡°Um.¡± I looked at the silver box David gave me the night before our wedding. I did have a nice pair of black coral earrings that¡¯d go great with this dress. ¡°Maybe. But, my ears are already pierced, Morg.¡± ¡°Uh, no, they¡¯re not.¡± ¡°Uh, yes, they are.¡± I turned back to the mirror. ¡°Amara, you¡¯re a vampire. If you don''t keep your earrings in, your holes close over in a matter of seconds.¡± She stood behind me with the gun. ¡°Oh.¡± I touched my earlobe. ¡°Didn''t think of that.¡± ¡°How terribly human of you,¡± she said. ¡°So, you want me to pierce them or not?¡± I looked at the box again then opened it and, seeing the moonstone bangle, decided against earrings. ¡°Nah, I think I¡¯ll just wear this and my key tonight,¡± I said slipping it on. ¡°Okay then.¡± She glanced over her shoulder at my balcony for a second. ¡°And, Arthur¡¯s waiting for you, by the way. He requested the first dance.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I stood up, being careful not to step on my skirt, and wandered over to Morgaine. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­does it have to be the first dance?¡± ¡°Only with your permission, Amara.¡± My head rolled slowly down as I bunched a handful of fabric in my fingertips. ¡°Shall I give you another minute or two?¡± ¡°Please.¡± I nodded, not looking up. I heard the door close, and stood in the middle of my room for a few breaths, feeling the loneliness weigh me down. My dress felt too tight and the heat outside seemed to creep in through my windows and wrap my shoulders, making it hard to breathe. I ran for the cool air of the balcony and grabbed the railing, thrusting my shoulders past my hands, leaning out into the night. The moon above was only inches from the full circle it had been last night when I made my torturous walk. Its soft, silvery glow turned everything out here pale and white¡ªas if I were in a mystical painting, with sequined sparkles glistening on a blanket of jet-black sky. The only other colour was the golden warmth from flickering candles on the other side of my curtains. It was a nice setting for a ball, really. Magic happened on nights like this. With a deep breath of dewy air, I closed my eyes, imagining that the moonlight touching my face was actually David''s fingers, his lips¡ªhis breath. ¡°I miss you, David,¡± I whispered into the wind, believing he could hear me. ¡°I miss you too, my love.¡± I squealed, covering my mouth to hold it in when I turned and set eyes upon the tall, grinning vampire, leaning casually against the railing across the way. ¡°David. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I missed you,¡± he said simply, shrugging, and I flew into his arms, feeling them wrap me up so safely¡ªtheir grip controlled by a tight band of longing and separation. And silently, his embrace told me all he¡¯d felt while we were apart, because I felt it too. ¡°You smell so good,¡± I cried. He leaned out from our embrace and smiled down at me, his eyes becoming small with adoration, pride and so many other emotions. ¡°My love, you look beautiful.¡± ¡°You don''t think the whole full hoop skirt is too much?¡± I ran my fingers over the fitted waist of my dress. ¡°Not at all. You are a queen now, my beautiful girl. And you look the part.¡± He smiled down at my teary gaze, taking my hand. ¡°Would my lady care to dance?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± My voice broke into a quiver, which David noticed, but gave no more attention than a quick, secret smile, then led me to the centre of the balcony and positioned our hands, sweeping me closer by my hips. ¡°You didn¡¯t honestly think I¡¯d let you give away our first dance, did you?¡± he said. ¡°I didn''t think it mattered to you like it did to me.¡± He shook his head, that same smile staying on his lips as we danced circles over the moonlight on the marble floor, stepping to the rhythm of music lilting up from the Great Hall. ¡°Ara, everything to do with you matters to me.¡± I tried not to cry, but I was so happy to hold him again that the tears came up anyway, making it hard to see. I hid my face against his chest, sniffling, breaking the romance of this magic little moment. I¡¯d waited so long to dance like this, in his arms, as husband and wife, with nothing between us but the simplicity of our love¡ªsomething I¡¯d questioned so often since being here at Loslilian. But in his arms, I didn''t need words or promises to know he loved me and I loved him. And that was all there was to it. It was simple; in his arms, I was home. Page 47 ¡°David?¡± I closed my eyes.Advertisement ¡°Yes, my love?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever let me go.¡± He pressed his hand over my ear and breathed cool air against the top of my head. ¡°I never have.¡± The song in the Great Hall ended and another began with a familiar, sorrowful stroke of the bow across the strings of a violin. David bowed and kissed my hand, stepping back. ¡°It has been a pleasure, my love.¡± ¡°Thank you, David,¡± I whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t know what this means to me.¡± He kissed my hand again, smoothing the wetness away with his thumb. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± I placed my other hand over his. ¡°I miss you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± We walked back to the edge of the balcony and David turned to me. ¡°Don''t ever think being apart means I''m not here with you. I will always be with you.¡± I nodded. ¡°I love you, David.¡± ¡°Come here,¡± he said, and with my eyes closed, I flung myself into his arms once more¡ªdress, makeup, perfect hair and all¡ªthen squeezed him as tight as possible. He kissed my hair, his lips lingering. ¡°I love you, too, Ara. I will miss you in every breath I must take without you.¡± ¡°Then don''t go.¡± He laughed once and stood back, closing his eyes as he traced his fingertip in a cross over his heart. ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to¡ªbelieve me.¡± I rested my hand over his wish. ¡°Me too.¡± That small moment, just a breath of silence between us before the inevitable farewell, would last a lifetime, as long as my eyes stayed closed. But I felt David lean in, his warm lips on my hand, and a cool wash of air where he stepped away. I opened my eyes and the moment was lost. ¡°Until we next meet, my love,¡± he said, and evaporated, saturating me in the emptiness he left behind. My heart sunk into my belly. I stood reaching into the darkness, as if I might feel some of his lingering energy. ¡°Love you,¡± I whispered once more, sure this time he would hear me. ¡°Ara?¡± Morgaine stepped onto the balcony. ¡°Hey, Morg.¡± I sighed. ¡°Are you ready now?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Well, ready or not, you have a room full of handsome men waiting to dance with you.¡± She grinned, and the beaming light radiating off her, with the contrast of a deep purple dress on her milk-white skin, made me draw a breath. ¡°Morg, you look so beautiful.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± she took my hand as we started walking, ¡°¡ªI have a special date tonight.¡± ¡°Who?¡± I asked, then smiled. ¡°Is it Blade?¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Intuition.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± she said, closing my bedroom door. ¡°Well, I don''t need intuition to smell a certain individual all over you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down at my dress, then at a piece of fabric she held out to me. ¡°What''s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a stole.¡± ¡°A what?¡± She grabbed it and wrapped it over my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s like a shawl.¡± ¡°Oh. Why am I wearing it?¡± ¡°It has David''s scent on it. It was Arietta¡¯s; he kept it after she died.¡± ¡°Do I have to wear it all night?¡± I touched my fingers to it; it was delicate, black, transparent, and it looked nice against the red of my dress but kept slipping off my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s either this or garlic. You choose.¡± ¡°The stole it is,¡± I said. ¡°So, will this really be enough to disguise his scent on me?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said, as we strolled through the corridor to the stairs. ¡°But it will be enough to stop questions being raised.¡± ¡°You hope.¡± She smiled back at me. ¡°I hope.¡± From the balcony, overlooking the room of ball gowns and tuxedos, I spotted Arthur, laying his violin aside. He looked up, his eyes meeting mine as if he sensed me across the room. I waved at him, and he bowed, closing his eyes for a second, then started toward us. Mike watched Arthur move, tracking his gaze, and when he looked up and saw me, placed his wine glass on the piano top, farewelled his comrades and moved swiftly across the floor, taking sideways glances at Arthur. ¡°Is he actually racing?¡± I asked Morgaine. She laughed when she looked at him. ¡°In a gentlemanly fashion, but yes, I believe he is.¡± ¡°Oh dear. If they both get to me at the same time, how do I choose which one to dance with first?¡± ¡°The one on the right,¡± Morg said. ¡°You offer your right hand, so go with the one on the right.¡± My dress tugged lightly around my hips as I took each step, the skirt flowing out behind me like a shadow. When I stopped on the last step, the room came to a standstill, aside from my moving counterparts. I bowed my head to the crowd and ushered them to continue, giving a wave of my hand. ¡°Good job,¡± Morgaine reassured under her breath. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said through a smile, not taking my eyes off the room. They all moved again, joining to dance as a song began, and Arthur stepped up, beating Mike to the queen, and took my hand. ¡°Amara, may I have this dance?¡± ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± I said, refusing to look at Mike. We wandered, hand in hand, to the middle of the room, and Arthur took me in his arms like a delicate treasure. ¡°You are a picture of beauty, Amara.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled, turning my cheek to hide the flushing. He leaned in and kissed me gently where the heat in my face burned, but as he drew a breath against my skin, his eyes shifted to one side, like a thought escaped him, making his body slightly stiff. He stood taller and looked across the room, then to the doors leading onto the balcony. ¡°Are you okay, Arthur?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He relaxed then and held me closer, guiding my careless feet into a gentle glide. But I felt the tension in his shoulders still, and it made my heart beat a little too fast, hoping he hadn''t smelled David on me. ¡°You ask of my well-being, Amara, but something seems to be troubling you.¡± ¡°Oh, um, no.¡± I forced a smile. ¡°I was just thinking how much I love the way all you old vampires dance. It¡¯s so¡­formal.¡± He laughed, his cool breath brushing the corner of my eye. ¡°Well, I don''t imagine the Nutbush would go down too well at one of these events.¡± ¡°You can do the Nutbush?¡± He just laughed again. We passed Mike then, who still looked like he¡¯d lost his best friend, so to speak. I felt bad for him, but Arthur did, after all, make it to me first. ¡°This was Arietta¡¯s,¡± Arthur noted, touching my shoulder. ¡°Yes.¡± I looked up from his hand. ¡°David kept it when she died. Morgaine thought it might make missing him tonight less painful.¡± Arthur held me a little closer; I could feel a delicacy to his energy, like he was charged with the kind of adrenaline you get when you have to say something you don''t want to. ¡°I wish I could make a potion that would ease a broken heart.¡± ¡°Friendship helps.¡± I squeezed his hand; he squeezed back. ¡°You''re very much like her, you know.¡± He nodded to the bracelet on my wrist¡ªthe one David gave me the night before our wedding. ¡°Like who?¡± I asked inquisitively. ¡°Like his mother¡ªElizabeth.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How so?¡± He rested his chin against the top of my head. ¡°She was petite, like you¡ªpretty, with remarkable eyes. But it¡¯s mostly your personality which reminds me of her; your passion, your girlish confusion.¡± He smiled fondly, looking down at me. ¡°When I''m with you, it makes me miss her.¡± ¡°You knew her well?¡± ¡°We were very close. Perhaps that is why I fell so in love with her sister.¡± I understood that only too well. ¡°May I cut in,¡± Mike interrupted, tapping Arthur on the shoulder; the politely formal request to hand over the damn girl. As Mike waited patiently, another song already beginning, Arthur turned his back to him and lowered his lips to my ear. ¡°I wonder if I might steal you for a quiet word?¡± ¡°No!¡± Mike answered for me. ¡°I promise to bring her back.¡± Arthur faced him, blocking my view. ¡°Yes,¡± I spoke over Arthur¡¯s shoulder and gave Mike the don¡¯t-you-dare frown. ¡°Just for a moment.¡± Mike studied Arthur through a narrowed glare. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I stepped around Arthur and rested my palm on Mike¡¯s chest, pushing him gently away. ¡°Go dance with Emily¡ªshe¡¯s going home tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ara?¡± He grabbed my arm as I turned away. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡± He wrapped his fingers loosely around my wrist, scratching his head with his other hand. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­the last time I left you in another man¡¯s arms at a ball¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, Mike?¡± My heart melted; I slid my arms around his waist, pressing every inch of my chest to his. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I''m not human anymore, I¡ª¡± ¡°That won¡¯t stop you from being hurt.¡± He stood back, eyeing Arthur. ¡°I trust Arthur, Mike¡ªfor what it¡¯s worth.¡± I glanced between the two of them. ¡°But, if it makes you feel any better, you can stand here and watch us.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mike stared me down. ¡°Why are you being so reasonable?¡± I tried to hold back from laughing. ¡°Because I realised, Mike, how much I need you, and¡­¡± He waited, smiling expectantly. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And¡­most of the time, you actually turn out to be right about things.¡± His eyes narrowed with a smile. ¡°Okay, who are you and what have you done with my best friend?¡± I laughed, balancing on my toes to kiss his cheek. ¡°I love you, okay.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I took Arthur¡¯s hand and as we walked through the doors to the balcony, turned back to look at Mike. ¡°We¡¯ll be right outside. I promise.¡± He folded his arms and leaned on the doorframe. ¡°And I¡¯ll be right here.¡± I shook my head, feeling more love than anger for Mike and his over-protection. Under the light of the stars outside, the cool breeze filled my lungs with a fresh, floral scent. Once far enough away from Mike¡¯s aura of tension, we stopped by the marble ledge of the balcony, overlooking the small garden we sat in on the first day I came here. I smiled at the swing, still seeing us sitting there, arguing. It seemed like so long ago¡ªand even then, I knew so little compared to what I know now. It made me feel older, in a good way. ¡°Thank you,¡± Arthur said quietly to someone behind us. I turned to watch him shake a man¡¯s hand and walk back over to me, carrying something under his arm. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, a little embarrassed that I hadn''t even noticed he¡¯d walked away. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± He placed a long wooden box on the marble ledge. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Just open it.¡± I dropped the stole from my shoulders and laid it carefully over the railing, then, using my thumbs, pushed the latch on the box up. Before I even saw what it was, shining metal glinted in the dull candlelight. I threw the lid all the way open and reached for the sword inside, but didn¡¯t touch it. ¡°Arthur, this is beautiful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lilithian steel.¡± He ran a fingertip over the blade, then lifted it and pointed to the hilt. ¡°This snake is made of copper, to conduct electricity. If I am not mistaken about your powers, your touch should charge this blade with that energy of yours.¡± With wide eyes and a round mouth, I took the sword from Arthur¡¯s hand. It was light, comfortable, like it was made for my hands. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± ¡°I had it commissioned for you.¡± My eyes shifted from the blade to Arthur. ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°Her name is Nhym.¡± He pointed to the opaque markings on the steel. ¡°This, in the language of the ancients, reads Where there is life, there is hope.¡± I felt the light reflect off the blade and shine across my face, like a mask. ¡°Go ahead¡ª¡± He turned it in my hand so the snake rested in my palm. ¡°Try it out.¡± Looking at my reflection in the darkened glass beside me, I held the sword up; face to face. Life and breath. My hands charged, the static rising, heating my wrists, my fingertips. I felt it leave my body, felt it snake up the copper embellishment into the blade, and the blue light circled the tip, soft yet powerful, like lashes of plasma in a globe. It looked pretty, innocent, harmless, but I knew the damage it would do to any who dared strike their metal against mine. ¡°It¡¯s perfect, Arthur.¡± I lowered the blade and let the electricity simmer away with a deep breath. Though the pounding in my head made me want to fold over and hold my temples, I didn''t; Arthur¡¯s warm smile and the eagerness in his eyes forced me to show only appreciation. But not just for the sword¡ªfor being the only one who ever actually believed in me. ¡°I can''t think of another person in this entire manor who would¡¯ve thought of such a gift, Arthur.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a gift, Amara. It¡¯s a statement.¡± ¡°Statement?¡± He took the sword delicately from my hands and laid it back in the box. ¡°You¡¯re ready for this. You¡¯re ready to fight for your people, my queen. This weapon symbolises you stepping into your role as not only our leader, but a warrior for your people. With the gift of life¡ª¡± he touched Nhym ¡°¡ªat your fingertips, you will be the one who leads us to freedom.¡± Page 48 I thrust myself forward, wrapping my arms around his neck; he patted my rib cage softly, laughing.Advertisement ¡°Thank you, Arthur. Thank you for always believing in me.¡± ¡°Well, Amara¡ª¡± He cupped both hands against my sides and pulled away from the hug, holding me there, just in front of his body, ¡°¡ªYou give me good reason to believe in you. What Mike sees, what your people see, it holds no bearing on what you¡¯re capable of. And I have seen it in you. I have seen you fight against all manner of terror to survive¡ªto give hope of a better world.¡± I dropped my arms back down to my sides, as did Arthur, and we stood in front of each other, nothing much to say, but comfortable in the closeness of friendship. ¡°Hey, Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°Can I ask you something personal?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said, fastening the snake latch in place on Nhym¡¯s box. I moved away and hoisted myself onto the marble ledge, my dress puffing up around my hips and ribs, falling in layers toward my feet. ¡°Why don''t you have a girlfriend or anything?¡± He half laughed, wiping a hand across his nose. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Well, I don''t know.¡± I twirled a lock of hair around my finger. ¡°You just¡­you seem like such a nice guy. It doesn''t make sense that you never married or anything.¡± He leaned on the balcony ledge beside me. ¡°I¡¯ve never found someone to love after Arietta.¡± ¡°Why don''t you just date someone¡ªmaybe you''d fall in love?¡± ¡°Date?¡± His brow arched. ¡°Yeah. You dated Morgaine once, right?¡± ¡°Morgaine?¡± He almost spat the words out. ¡°What ever gave you that idea?¡± Cold washed through me, my cheeks burning with the warm rush after. ¡°I¡­that¡¯s what people say.¡± He scratched his head, his face all screwed up. He looked kinda human when he did that¡ªnot so much like a seventeenth-century prince. ¡°Uh, well¡­Morgaine and I may have¡­¡± He moved his hand down and scratched his neck. ¡°We might have¡­bedded, but¡ª¡± I burst out laughing, barely covering my mouth to catch all the spit. ¡°Oh, my God. Arthur, you''re so awkward about this stuff.¡± He dropped his hand, a Cheshire cat grin narrowing his eyes. ¡°Well, Majesty, I come from a time where men did not discuss such things, especially not with a lady¡ªhis queen, to be exact.¡± I grabbed his hand and cupped my other one over it. ¡°But times are moving, Arthur.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve noticed.¡± ¡°Look, I''m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to embarrass you, but I think about it a lot¡ªhow lonely it must be to have no one. You know, you go back to an empty room every night, for all eternity. Never have someone to lay with, talk with, tell secrets to.¡± He nodded, sliding his hand slowly out of mine. ¡°It does get tiresome.¡± ¡°So, why not date?¡± His dimple showed with the thoughts rolling across his face. ¡°I don''t fit in so well these days. I''m afraid I¡¯ve spent too much time in the depths of century old traditions and monarchies. I would have to either date someone from our world, or make a fool of myself in the human realm.¡± ¡°You¡¯d fit in with humans just fine,¡± I said, jumping down off the ledge, feeling shorter suddenly beside him. ¡°You just need to loosen up a little. Here¡ª¡± I grabbed both his shoulders and pulled forward. ¡°Slouch a bit. You''re so stiff. This isn¡¯t the army.¡± He rolled his spine, making himself shorter. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°No.¡± I laughed. ¡°Now you just look like you have a hunch.¡± He stood straight and tall again. ¡°I''m afraid my century of birth suits my personality better.¡± ¡°Do you¡­do you think, if we find a way to turn vampires back to human, like, if the prophecy child was real, do you think you¡¯ll ever fit into that world again.¡± He sighed. ¡°I''m sure of it. It might take practice, but I would be more than willing to try. However¡ª¡± He slid his hand down my arm, making little bumps rise with his soft touch, and took my hand. ¡°Your husband is gone, Amara. What hope is there of a prophecy child now?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Who knows? Maybe I¡¯ll love again.¡± ¡°But the child would not be the one foretold; she would not be blood of Knight.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s meant to happen, if the only child that can cure vampirism is one from that bloodline, then Fate wouldn¡¯t have taken my husband¡ªand Jason as well.¡± He swiped his thumb over his chin and folded his arms, glancing quickly over at Mike then back again. ¡°They were not the only blood of Knight, Amara.¡± Before I could stop it, a snicker grumbled in the back of my throat. ¡°Are you¡­are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°I''m glad the idea amuses you.¡± He turned away and leaned over the railing. I thought he was upset, until I leaned beside him and noticed a smile in his eyes. ¡°I''m sorry, Arthur. I didn''t mean to laugh. It¡¯s just¡­you know¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little creepy.¡± His breath of laughter eased the tension. ¡°Uh, yeah. It¡¯s, I mean¡­it¡¯s not that I don''t find you sweet¡­and even attractive, it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°David was my nephew.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah. That. It kind of makes you family.¡± ¡°It does make us family,¡± he breathed. ¡°But, for us to have a child would not be incestuous, my dear. We¡¯re not of the same blood.¡± ¡°I know. And¡­I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± I laughed again, feeling way too much blood under my cheekbones. ¡°But¡­I mean, we probably better not mention this to anyone.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± He stood tall again. ¡°I agree. I imagine no amount of ancient experience would save me from the wrath of Mike if he were to find out.¡± I laughed too. ¡°No. But¡­thank you, Arthur. You know¡­for offering.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say you''re welcome, but somehow, that just seems inappropriate.¡± He cupped both my arms and rested a gentle kiss on my brow. ¡°I''m proud of you, Amara. And I love you dearly. I would do anything for you.¡± I wanted to rub the kiss away, not because it was gross, but because it was a little chilly. But I let it rest there, knowing he could see the moisture his lips left on my skin, because it felt rightly placed. It was a kiss of friendship. And I liked this friendship. ¡°You know I feel the same, right? And if¡ª¡± If David wasn''t alive. ¡°If the need ever arises and the prophecy child is possible, I would be proud for you to be her father.¡± His eyes sparkled with tears; he didn¡¯t even try to hide them. I touched his face and let my hand slide down the gristly stubble on his cheek. ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Arthur.¡± He cleared his throat and sniffed once. ¡°We should head back in.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I took his arm and rested my head on his shoulder for a quick moment. ¡°I better go dance with Mike.¡± My footprints left a lonely trail in the sand¡ªthe only proof life here existed. The morning was new, but the red sky and wild winds gave warning that today would not display summer so much as it would the wrath of Mother Nature. I closed my eyes and listened to the wind caution the rocks, roaring and wailing¡ªeach breath of its cry thrashing my hair out in claw-like fingers around my face. Last night had passed like a softly spoken story to a child; I smiled and danced, playing the role of a queen, but inside, I felt only the heart of a girl¡ªone who wanted nothing more than to mend the past and undo the future. When Mike finally got the chance to dance with me, I nearly told him what Arthur offered, but bit my tongue instead. Poor Arthur would be so humiliated when he found out that David was actually alive, and with the secret of immunity out now, part of me wondered if he already suspected it. But, if he did, then why would he have offered a child? ¡°Hey, baby. I thought I might find you out here.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I smiled, not turning around. ¡°Or you just asked your knights where I was.¡± He tromped up right beside me and cast his eyes to the sea. ¡°Looks like rough weather?¡± ¡°Yep. A storm.¡± I rubbed my temples. ¡°Do you need me to come sleep by your window tonight?¡± I drew my shoulder up to my cheek. ¡°I''m okay. They don''t scare me so much anymore. Mostly, I just get headaches.¡± ¡°From the storm?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°Probably something to do with static energy.¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s Arthur¡¯s theory.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve talked to him about it?¡± ¡°I talk to him about everything.¡± ¡°Including the secret of immunity,¡± he said drily. ¡°No. I didn''t. Not about that.¡± ¡°Ara, don''t lie to me, baby. You couldn¡¯t hide a lie on that face if you wore a mask.¡± My lips tugged on the corners, making me smile. ¡°Okay. Maybe. But it was an accident. He said I let something slip, but I don''t even know what it was.¡± Mike became smaller beside me, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. ¡°Does he know about David?¡± I shook my head, hugging my cardigan around me. ¡°You think we should tell him?¡± he asked. My mouth gaped. ¡°You''re asking my opinion?¡± He looked back out at the grey day. ¡°I know you¡¯ll tell him if you want to¡ªdespite what I say. I¡¯d just rather you told me if you were going to do that.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I touched just under the sleeve of his shirt, where his Mark showed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a heads-up if I do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I ask, baby.¡± I took a breath, feeling the slight warmth of it blow back in my face with the fierce wind. ¡°Isn''t it strange that we don''t have to yell over the wind anymore?¡± I heard a soft laugh beside me. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s great. When we finally get a vacation one day, we should go back to Australia, go surfing. We¡¯d be able to talk to each other in the barrel of a wave.¡± I laughed too. ¡°Mm. That actually sounds really good. Tubetalk.¡± ¡°Good idea. Tubetalk,¡± he repeated to himself. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to see your mum and dad again. I bet they¡¯re missing you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He stuffed his hands in his pockets and toed the sand, becoming the boy I grew up with all of a sudden. ¡°But they¡¯re okay. They just got a spa installed.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Mike nodded. ¡°Awesome. We¡¯re staying at your house when we go back then.¡± He leaned in and gave me a gentle peck on the cheek. ¡°I miss you. Miss us.¡± I nodded. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°I''m sorry I¡¯ve been a bit absent lately, baby.¡± His tone sounded as if he was going to continue, perhaps with an explanation, but he didn''t. He just looked back at the ocean, his hands still in pockets, his shoulders high. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you know. I get it. I''m just glad you¡¯re here if I do really need you.¡± The shadow he cast nodded. ¡°Well, I gotta get up to training. See you in a few?¡± ¡°Yep. Oh, hey, Mike?¡± He stopped a few steps away. ¡°The Immortal Damned¡ªhow¡¯s the new quarters coming along?¡± He stepped back down the sand to me. ¡°Good. I told you we moved them to the upper cell block, right¡ªso they¡¯d have sun?¡± I nodded. ¡°Right, well, the new prison should be done by week¡¯s end. I¡¯ve got sixty knights working on it, and the Lilithian community has rallied together to help as well.¡± I smiled, picturing the plans from blueprint, rising up to the three dimensions, all bright and white and airy. ¡°Great. And when can we move them?¡± ¡°Well, even once the building¡¯s finished, I still wanna wait a few extra days, maybe a week. They¡¯re being fed more often and we¡¯re seeing small changes in general behaviour, but they attacked Mr. Keeper last night.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Don''t be like that, baby. He¡¯s been really good to those kids lately. He just needed to be taught how to treat¡­well, humans.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I rescinded. ¡°And, by the way, don''t call the new quarters a prison again, Mike.¡± ¡°Ara,¡± he laughed my name out. ¡°It is a prison.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a home.¡± ¡°It has bars.¡± ¡°So does a casino, but you don''t call that a prison.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± His whole body jolted back with fake laughter. ¡°You¡¯re so funny.¡± I gave him a soft shove. ¡°Go to training.¡± He skipped off like a ten-year-old boy. ¡°I¡¯ll see ya soon, baby.¡± ¡°Bye,¡± I called, without turning to wave at him. The heat of electricity formed a shield around me, and even with my eyes closed, I could feel the barrier of the cage. I heard Mike¡¯s voice over the noise, yelling at me, counting down to the second I was allowed to stop, but the pain in my head made it sound as though he was standing on the opposite side of a mountain gorge. ¡°I can''t, Mike,¡± I yelled, scrunching my eyes tighter. ¡°I can''t do it anymore.¡± ¡°Just ten more seconds, baby.¡± His count and my count went at different speeds. I ground my back teeth together, forcing my feet to stay flat, my hands shaking as the electricity fired from my raw fingertips and into the metal cage protecting those on the other side. Page 49 ¡°Three, two¡­¡± I heard Mike call.Advertisement ¡°Ah! No more.¡± I dropped to my knees, the electricity ceasing, leaving my fingertips icy cool. ¡°You okay?¡± Mike said. My eyes stayed shut, but I felt him nearby, felt him kick the cage softly, mockingly. ¡°It¡¯s really bad this time, Mike.¡± I winced, pushing my hands firmly against both sides of my head. ¡°You¡¯ll be right.¡± ¡°Doesn''t feel like it.¡± The cage door came open and Falcon lifted me to my feet. ¡°You okay?¡± I nodded, stumbling a little. My butt found the bench at the side of the room, and Falcon squatted down in front of me, his hand just between his legs, a smile on his face. ¡°You lasted ten minutes.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know. It felt like forty.¡± He gently pulled my hand away from my head and studied my brow, running a fingertip over where it pulsed the worst. ¡°You might need blood. Your vein is showing.¡± ¡°Erg!¡± I pressed it back into my head. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s going to split open.¡± ¡°Hey, good job, Ar.¡± Mike tapped my toe with his heavy boot. ¡°You¡¯re getting stronger.¡± I looked up, my face all pinched. ¡°I know. But it¡¯s hurting more than it did before.¡± He just smiled, writing something down on his iPad. ¡°Welcome to getting fit. Remember I could hardly walk for days after seeing my personal trainer?¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡± I drew a tight breath through my teeth. ¡°This is different.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not, baby. You just need to grow up.¡± Falcon frowned, his eyes thoughtful. ¡°I dunno, Chief,¡± he said, half turning to look at Mike. ¡°I think she might need to lay down for a bit.¡± ¡°Nope. She needs to keep exercising it.¡± He put his iPad down and reached a hand out for mine. ¡°Come on. One more, then we¡¯ll call it quits for the day.¡± I looked at his hand, then Falcon, and covered my face, breaking to tears. ¡°I can''t, Mike. Please. Please don''t make me do it.¡± ¡°Be strong, Ara,¡± he said with flat sympathy. ¡°Just one more. Come on, then I¡¯ll take you up and run you a nice warm bath.¡± My hands tightened against my forehead. I felt red, like my whole face would be blazing, coloured with my agony, as if the electricity was still lashing my fingers, sending violent surges into my brain; I held my breath, moaning in the back of my throat as the pain intensified, travelling down my neck, into my spine. ¡°Ara?¡± Mike squatted beside me. ¡°Baby? Why are you making that noise?¡± ¡°It hurts!¡± I screamed, slipping off the bench. ¡°Make it stop, Mike. Make it stop!¡± A hand came upon my ribs as I curled into a ball, tucking my knees as close to my chin as they¡¯d go. ¡°What happened?¡± Arthur said. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Mike knelt beside me, cupping a warm, strong hand over the two I had fused to my skull. ¡°She just fell to the floor.¡± Arthur lifted my chin and looked into my eye, forcing it open with his thumb. ¡°Dear God, look at her pupils.¡± Mike leaned in and his eyes went wide, but I didn''t care what they looked like. The white shock of pain locked me down, trapping me in a world where absolutely nothing mattered. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mike grabbed Arthur¡¯s arm as he slipped them under me. ¡°I have some herbs that will help.¡± ¡°Help? How? Tell me what it is before I let you touch her.¡± ¡°Passion Flower.¡± Arthur rolled back on his heels, leaving me on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s used in humans for conditions of anxiety and tension. In vampires, it can help bridge the communications between electrodes in the brain.¡± ¡°I don''t like it. No!¡± Mike shook his head, scooping my arm over his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡ª¡± ¡°Ah!¡± A jolt of heat shot from my head, through my arm and stabbed my shoulder. ¡°Arthur! Please? Don''t listen to him¡ªjust help me.¡± Arthur looked at Mike, and Mike stepped away with a sigh. ¡°Fine. Just do it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, princess.¡± He bundled me in his arms, warm and safe, and kissed my head. ¡°I¡¯ll see you well in no time.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Mike blocked our path. ¡°Anything happens to her, I¡¯ll have you drawn and quartered.¡± Arthur bowed his head and pushed past. ¡°And have her back before the Council meeting at four.¡± Arthur stopped again, his whole body tensing, kind of trembling. ¡°To hell with your Council meeting, Michael. The girl needs rest.¡± I closed my eyes and snuggled into Arthur¡¯s neck, seeing Mike drop his finger of caution before I buried my face. As the fresh air of the countryside washed across my limbs, the screeching grate of claws in my head became knives¡ªscratching, pulsing. White spots filled my eyes as they rolled back in my head. ¡°Amara? Stay with me,¡± Arthur said, panic lucid in his tone. ¡°I just want David, Arthur. I miss him so much.¡± ¡°I know, my dear. I know.¡± The curtains were open, the sun brightening everything, but I was lost behind the pained circle of shadow shrouding my vision. ¡°Arthur?¡± I gripped my head, rolling onto my side in his bed. ¡°Why is it so much worse this time?¡± ¡°I don''t know, my dear.¡± I heard the scratch of his curtains along the railing and felt the darkness close me in. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a second. I''m just getting my kit.¡± I didn¡¯t even bother to answer, not even a nod. Arthur¡¯s voice dissolved under the ringing in my ears, and I flinched when he landed beside me again, a few glass bottles clanking together. He rolled me onto my back and laid my arms neatly by my sides, then lifted my head and wiped a wet, potent-smelling slime under my neck. ¡°What is that?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯ll make you relax.¡± ¡°It stinks,¡± I said, but the deep breath I took made my heart slow, and a warm calm inched down my throat, my chest and along my arms¡ªnot reaching my curled toes. ¡°Will it make me sleepy?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said from right above my face, his eyes concentrating on my forehead, his thumb smoothing dots of a cinnamon-scented powder across my hairline. ¡°My head feels tight now,¡± I noted, watching him sit back and crush something in his stone bowl. ¡°Tight is good.¡± He smiled and kept mashing. ¡°Tight is better than sore.¡± I nodded and closed my eyes, opening them again to his fingers unbuttoning my shirt. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°My darling girl.¡± He pushed my hands back down. ¡°I''m not going to touch you. I just need to put this across the top of your chest.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I looked at the black slime on his fingertip. ¡°It¡¯s a Ginkgo extract; you breathe the vapour¡ªit helps oxygen flow through your blood.¡± ¡°Why do I need more oxygen?¡± ¡°So you don''t pass out.¡± He opened my shirt, stretching the collar apart enough to reveal my red bra, and smoothed a firm, cold hand over my sternum and collarbones¡ªnowhere near my breasts. Thank God. ¡°There. See?¡± He closed my shirt. ¡°All done.¡± ¡°Arthur?¡± I whispered, feeling a loose, spinning sensation in my head. ¡°Shh. Rest now, my dear.¡± He ran his fingertips over my eyes, making them close. ¡°I can''t take much more,¡± I said sleepily. ¡°Of what, my dear?¡± ¡°Of life,¡± I whispered as my mind started to drift. ¡°I need him to come back. I can¡¯t go on much longer without him.¡± He shifted my body and laid under me, his widespread fingers closing over the side of my face as he held me tight, his chest dropping as he exhaled. ¡°Please don''t say that, Amara. It hurts me deeply to think you would rather live for someone else, or be dead¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± I murmured, my words flaking away. ¡°It is, my sweet, young girl. It is.¡± He stroked my head. ¡°And it¡¯s very sad.¡± I shut my eyes, opening them again to the morning light in my own bedroom¡ªthe headache gone, Arthur gone, my shirt buttoned back into place and the blankets pulled all the way up to my chin. Nowhere, in any of my thoughts, could I find the memory of how I got here. I laid back and smiled, thinking, Thanks, Arthur. ¡°Ara.¡± Mike stopped me by the library door. ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you doing in this wing of the manor,¡± I said playfully. ¡°Just wanted to let you know that we moved yesterday¡¯s council meeting to tomorrow¡ªso you can be there.¡± ¡°Oh, joy¡ªer, I mean, thanks.¡± I flashed a fake smile. ¡°No worries,¡± he said, then ran off in the direction he¡¯d come from. And that was that. Quick flashes of my old BFF were all I seemed to get these days. Brushing off that pitiful gut wrench of loneliness, I pushed the heavy library door open; it made a fuss about being moved, and when I stepped into the nook of the little third floor balcony and turned around, I saw why. It was no door at all, but a passage concealed in a bookcase. As it closed, the exit disappeared, and I stood staring at it for a second, wondering how I¡¯d get back out again. ¡°Open sesame.¡± I waved my hands around; the door stayed hidden. ¡°Abracadabra?¡± My lips twisted, moving from side to side. I tried knocking, even tugging on the shelf, but it didn''t open. ¡°Looks like a one-way access.¡± I turned on my heel then and leaned over the railing of the balcony, spotting another door down on the second floor underneath me, and smiled with relief. Hopefully that one opened without any mumbo-jumbo. The whole room had a lonely kind of feel to it, as if the books on the shelves, covering the entire room, had not been opened and read in centuries. I felt lonely here, and I think even the books felt lonely. I took a quiet moment then to really appreciate the sheer height and magnificence of floor to roof books, divided by snaking platforms with winding staircases leading up. In my personal little nook, the landing fattened out a little, making room for a cosy armchair, a round rug and a small table to rest a coffee cup on. Perfect. This was my new favourite room. All the books on the shelves in this dark little nook looked like old non-fiction reads, half of them behind locked glass screens. But since Morgaine said this was my own personal reading space, I¡¯d have them all replaced with paranormal romance and classics. I propped my hands on my hips, looking up then down, and all around; somewhere in these shelves there had to be a book on the Markings I inherited from my oath. Morgaine promised they¡¯d all fade, but each time I checked my body in the mirror, one line kept staring back out at me. It hadn''t bothered me until I woke this morning to realise it wasn''t planning on going anywhere. I fingered the spines along the shelves, reading the titles aloud to myself, and came upon an opening in the rail, the ground dropping for a windy staircase. It was sturdy, made of solid wood rather than metal, taking my weight easily as I headed down; I half expected it to rattle and tremble. Downstairs, the room opened out to the massive windows overlooking the south side of the manor, and between them, a round rug sat guard in front of a huge fireplace, flanked by another armchair¡ªa place I could envision Arthur sitting, with two eager-eyed boys looking up at him while he read stories, maybe even with Arietta beside him. I smiled and wandered forward, touching the large oak tables, chairs and lamps as I passed, familiarising myself with every surface in the room. But it would take a lifetime to be that familiar with all these books. There was no way I¡¯d ever find the time to read them all. And as I gazed over the locked cabinets and thick spines of century-old hardbacks, I realised there¡¯d be no way to find a book about a topic I wasn¡¯t sure anyone had even written about. I scratched my ribcage, where the Mark remained, then headed out the second floor door. There was only one person I could think of who¡¯d know where to find a book about my Markings. ¡°Arthur?¡± I wandered into his room, uninvited. ¡°Amara, how are you feeling this morning?¡± ¡°I''m okay,¡± I said, and nodded at the bowl on the table in front of him. ¡°What''s that for?¡± He looked down, considering the contents carefully. ¡°It¡¯s to relieve extreme night terrors.¡± ¡°Night terrors? What, like, bad dreams?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him. ¡°Well, who¡¯s having night terrors?¡± ¡°A friend.¡± ¡°Anyone I know?¡± He looked up from the bowl. ¡°Is there something I can help you with, Amara?¡± ¡°Um.¡± My shoulders sunk. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Morgaine said all my Markings would fade after I finished my coronation, but one didn''t.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Arthur placed the stone utensil he was mixing with into the bowl. ¡°Where is it? May I see?¡± I stood up, gathered the base of my top and lifted it up over my belly then my ribs, and turned slightly so Arthur could see the two lines of scripture just below my breast, like a poem sneaking its way toward my spine. His eyes traced my curves, stopping on the tattoo. ¡°And this is a remaining Mark¡ªit¡¯s not new, is it? You found this immediately after the coronation?¡± he asked, wandering over to kneel in front of me. ¡°Yeah, it was there when I got undressed that night.¡± I giggled a bit when he smoothed his hands up my ribs to push my top completely out of the way. Page 50 I watched his lips move and his face contort as he obviously translated the text inside his head, his long fingers firmly holding my waist, looking ever so much like David''s skin against mine.Advertisement ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± he said. ¡°And Morgaine was right, Queen Lilith was not left with any Markings, but this is simply a signature¡ªa line of promise, like a wedding band. Speaking of which¡ª¡± He stood again and gently lowered my top, then turned and grabbed something off the table. ¡°Mike asked me to give these to you.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± I slipped my wedding ring back on and put the key in my pocket, wondering why Mike didn''t just give them to me himself. ¡°He makes me take all my jewellery off when I go in the cage.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He leaned his butt on the table, bobbing his head like he was thinking. ¡°I don''t like that cage, Amara. I¡¯ve asked him to stop using it.¡± ¡°He won''t. He thinks it¡¯s vital to the study of my powers. And Mike¡¯s always right¡ªabout everything.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Not this time.¡± His folded arms tightened. ¡°I won''t see you treated that way. It¡¯s not acceptable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all in the name of science.¡± He shook his head and looked at my hand where I scratched at my Mark. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s bothering you?¡± I dropped my hand. ¡°I don''t like tattoos.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a tattoo.¡± ¡°Well, it looks like one.¡± ¡°Even then, it suits you.¡± ¡°You think?¡± He grinned, his gaze running from my waist to my eyes. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very¡­sexy.¡± I thrust my head back, laughing loudly. ¡°That word sounds so funny coming from your mouth.¡± ¡°Right. Well¡ª¡± He nodded, clearing his throat. ¡°That¡¯s the last time I attempt crass modern-day lingo for the purpose of flattery.¡± I laughed again. ¡°So, what did the Mark actually say, anyway?¡± ¡°Can you not read it?¡± I shook my head. ¡°It says something along the lines of By oath of blood, by promise of heart, I honour my vow,¡± he said, then turned away and wandered over to his window box, grabbing the scissors to trim leaves off a plant. I walked around to the side of his bed and sunk down. ¡°Well, I don''t want it there. It sucks.¡± He looked up quickly. ¡°Language, please, my lady.¡± I rolled my eyes at the old man and flopped onto my back with a huff. ¡°Will it go away?¡± ¡°I can find out, if you like.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°There''s a book¡ªin the library. Shall I get it?¡± I lifted my top again and arched my spine so I could see the Mark. ¡°Yes, please. If you don''t mind.¡± ¡°Not at all, my lady.¡± And he disappeared. On the nightstand, his phone buzzed. I reached across and grabbed it, saw the message didn''t show up on his screen automatically, like mine did, then pressed my thumb to an orange icon, leading me to his playlists. We liked a lot of the same music, strangely. I half expected his selection to be like David''s, but it almost seemed as if he made a point of having nothing but modern stuff on here. ¡°Bon Jovi? Seriously?¡± I said to myself. ¡°I move with the times,¡± he said, standing by the bed. ¡°Oh. Crap. Sorry.¡± I put the phone down beside me. ¡°I was just¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± He smiled, carrying a book under his arm. ¡°It¡¯s more than all right, princess.¡± I smiled back and grabbed his phone again. ¡°You got a message, by the way.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s it from?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Dunno. I wasn''t gonna go checking your messages, Arthur.¡± He sat down on the edge of the bed, making it dip a little, and opened the book in his lap. ¡°Can you check it for me, since you clearly have no intentions of handing my phone over?¡± I grinned to myself and opened his messages. ¡°It¡¯s just a phone service message. Apparently you¡¯ve won an iPad if you text this word to this number.¡± I showed him the screen; he laughed. ¡°So, find anything in that book?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, flipping the pages. ¡°This one mentions certain markings that appear after acts of sin or treason, there doesn''t seem to be anything on the Mark of the Queen¡¯s Promise.¡± ¡°I''m sure you¡¯ll find it,¡± I said absentmindedly, scrolling through the playlists again. He had some good combinations of music, but when I came across one titled ¡®A Rose¡¯ and pressed my thumb to it, my world shifted. Every song in that list was some heartbreaking melody of lost love. ¡°Wow, talk about depressing,¡± I said, laughing a bit. ¡°Did you make this list about Arietta?¡± Arthur stopped reading and looked out the window. ¡°A Rose?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I moved up and laid on his pillow, my thick dark hair spilling out around my shoulders. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, why¡¯d you call it that, then? It has a lot of sad songs.¡± He placed the book on the bed and stood up. ¡°It was not my playlist.¡± ¡°Whose was it?¡± ¡°Jason¡¯s.¡± I stared at it for a few seconds, unable to see through a sudden coating of tears. ¡°Arthur?¡± Morgaine popped her head in. ¡°Yes, Morgaine.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a courier here. Says he¡¯s picking up a package from you.¡± Arthur sighed and touched my shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll talk when I come back up.¡± I nodded, sliding my bottom lip over the other to move a tear from it. Arthur tipped the bowl of stuff he was mixing into a small container and left, shutting the door. The grandfather clock ticked noisily by the drawers across the room, and the gentle sound of rain on glass made me feel closed in. I scrolled down the sad playlist, hearing each song in my head. If this was Jason¡¯s, then he made it for me. I could feel it. But why did Arthur keep this list¡ªwhy not just erase it? And that thought made me wonder what else he¡¯d kept. I pressed the circular button at the centre of the phone and went back to the home page, then clicked on ¡®contacts¡¯ and scrolled down only far enough to see the start of the ¡®J¡¯ names. I¡¯d never seen his name written down anywhere. Isn''t that funny? How you can know someone, come to care for them, but never think of such a silly thing as seeing their name written down? So, I scrolled down, J by J until I saw Jason Knight, losing my heart to the beat it skipped. I copied it to my contacts, and the phone was to my ear, ringing, before I even realised I¡¯d pressed call. I couldn''t believe it was still in service. Maybe it was in his pocket, buried with him, and I would once again, if only in a small way, be able to affect his world for a moment. Or maybe the phone fell from his dead body as they carried him away; perhaps it was kicked across the floor, never to be found again. Or maybe they would find it, and just toss it in the trash or get a new sim card and use it for themselves, as though he never even existed. It rang out. I half expected to hear a recording of his voice, but to my disappointment, the line only went silent¡ªa rushing of air filling the emptiness of my lost hopes. ¡°I miss you,¡± I said to the nothing, as if his ghost might be out there, on an electrical wavelength I could reach by having dialled this number. ¡°I wish you were here,¡± I continued, wiping tears from my face with one side of my hand, then the other. ¡°I dream of you still. I cry for you. Do you know that? I cry for you, and I have no right to.¡± ¡°Amara?¡± Arthur stood in the doorway. I put the phone down, hanging it up with my thumb. ¡°I''m sorry, Arthur. I thought I¡¯d get voicemail.¡± He appeared beside me, wrapping me up in his long, firm arms. ¡°I just thought I¡¯d hear his voice for real,¡± I sobbed. ¡°Oh, princess.¡± He looked at the phone carefully, pressed ¡®end¡¯, as I obviously hadn''t pressed it properly, and wrapped his arms back around me. ¡°Where is his phone? Did you bury it with him?¡± ¡°Now, why would I do a thing like that?¡± ¡°I don''t know.¡± I wiped my face. ¡°I just¡­I guess I just feel like he was taken so quickly. I¡­there''s no closure. What happened to all his things? What happened to everything he loved and cared about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right here¡ªin my arms.¡± He looked down at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but let the hysterics out. The sadness of everything Jason¡¯s life was before he died made my heart so, so heavy. ¡°Is that true? Did he really care about me that much?¡± Arthur laughed a little. ¡°My dear, it is near impossible not to care for you.¡± I laughed too, using my thumb to wipe the corner of my eye. ¡°Why are you always so nice to me?¡± He sat down and pushed both phones away from our legs as he pulled me into his chest. ¡°Someone has to be.¡± Once the tears finally eased, Arthur went back to his work, and I laid on his bed, on my belly, kicking my feet to the songs on his ¡®Jogging¡¯ playlist. ¡°We like to run to the same songs,¡± I said. ¡°Do we?¡± He barely looked up from his work. ¡°Mm-hm.¡± I rolled onto my back and rested my lower leg on my knee. ¡°Hey, Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°Can I see your Mark¡ªfrom your oath?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± His shadow appeared over my face. ¡°Because, it would be terribly inappropriate for me to remove my shirt in front of you while in private.¡± ¡°Can''t you just roll your sleeve up?¡± He looked at the long arm of his shirt. ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of shirt, Amara.¡± ¡°Will you show it to me another day?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He extended his hand and helped me to my feet. ¡°Perhaps I will wear a t-shirt tomorrow. Sound good?¡± I nodded, straightening my clothes. ¡°Right. Well, for now, we best part ways, my dear. Dinner will be served in a quarter hour, and I need to freshen up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I wandered over and opened his door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± He smiled kindly. ¡°You will.¡± I shut his door behind me and turned around to look at Falcon, leaning on the wall, arms folded, legs crossed out on a slant. ¡°You know you¡¯re not supposed to be in there with him¡ªalone,¡± he said. ¡°I know, Falcon.¡± I started walking. ¡°But he means no harm. He was just teaching me about plants and herbs.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Falcon wandered slowly behind me. ¡°I was listening to every word.¡± I looked over my shoulder at him. ¡°Are you allowed to do that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Isn''t that a little invasive?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I think it is.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°Mike says it¡¯s not.¡± He folded his arms. ¡°Fine. I don''t care. Go ahead. Listen. You won¡¯t hear anything juicy going on.¡± He smiled softly. ¡°I know, Ara. I''m not worried about that.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯re you worried about? That he¡¯ll kill me?¡± He shook his head. ¡°What then?¡± ¡°I''m worried about his intentions¡ªromantically.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down at my feet. ¡°Well, don''t. Our relationship is about as platonic as it gets.¡± He walked quietly behind me then, like a good little bodyguard. When we reached my room, I opened the door and waved at Quaid, who popped up on the balcony and darted around the space, way too fast for me to see. ¡°Is it really necessary to check my room every time I go in there?¡± Falcon folded his arms and stared at that spot of nothing on the wall he always looked at while playing guard. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I''m going to win this, you know. I will have you guys reassigned while I''m on manor grounds.¡± I used my best queen-sounding tone. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be followed everywhere.¡± He just bowed his head a little, keeping his eyes on that spot. I stood next to him and angled my head to look at it, too, as if there was something of great interest there. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± I nodded. ¡°I see what you mean. Fascinating patch of paint, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Go ahead. Mock me,¡± Falcon said. ¡°Won''t change the fact that you can''t walk anywhere, talk to anyone or so much as look at a painting in this manor without my knowing about it.¡± I curled my lip up, my head wobbling side to side as I repeated his sentence in a very mocking tone. He just smirked, unperturbed. ¡°Yeah, well, there¡¯ll be two less of you for a few weeks soon. Mike told me you decided to send Pure Createds to Elysium to spy on Drake.¡± Falcon nodded once. ¡°Is¡­you know who going?¡± He looked at me, and I knew he could tell from my eyes that I was asking about David. ¡°No. We can''t risk him being discovered.¡± ¡°Are¡­¡± I hesitated. I didn''t really want this answer. ¡°Are you and Mike going?¡± ¡°No. Quaid and Ryder are.¡± ¡°Why them? Why not ordinary Created Lilithians?¡± He sighed. ¡°Mike wants a quick, clean mission. Quaid and Ryder are highly trained for this kind of operation.¡± ¡°What, like, from when they were human?¡± He nodded. Page 51 ¡°Cool.¡± He nodded again.Advertisement ¡°Well, I''m glad you¡¯re not going.¡± I leaned on the wall beside him again. ¡°You¡¯re the biggest pain in the arse when it comes to guard evasion, but¡­I kinda feel safer with you around.¡± He nodded again, moistening his tight lips. ¡°Anyway.¡± I skipped off. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± He gave one last nod as I closed my bedroom door to a bad-guy-free room. The sweet, spicy scent of butter chicken wafted away as a plate of custard and apple pie took its place. I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath. Down the line of vampires at the dining table, most meals went back to the kitchen untouched. But I knew Chef wasn''t insulted, he was used to it. They only really ate if it was something sweet or salty. Arthur and Nathan ate on most days, but Eric was more of a drinker than an eater. Half the pitchers resting between the soft glow of candles were filled with wine, and the other half with blood. David never drank blood that way, well, not in front of me anyway, but I¡¯d recently learned it was quite pleasurable for vampires to enjoy it as a beverage with a meal. It made me wonder why they couldn¡¯t just do that instead of killing. And when I piped up to ask that question, was quickly shot down with several arguments. Now, I had taken the role of the quiet, eloquent queen, who only spoke when she had something of real value to say. Which worked well for me, because it actually made me seem more intelligent when I just nodded in agreement to whoever was getting the most positive reaction from their statements at the time. I¡¯d finally figured this queen thing out. ¡°So, when do you plan to send the knights to the castle?¡± Nathan asked, projecting his voice down the table to Mike. ¡°We¡¯re still debating over who¡¯s going,¡± Blade said. Mike pinched his lips, drawing his hand away after. ¡°Blade. The decision is final. I won''t argue this with you again.¡± ¡°I was under the assumption the queen¡¯s Private Guard were employed to protect only her,¡± Margret said, emphasising enough words to make that sound patronizing. ¡°Not go on recon missions.¡± ¡°Our reasons for sending the guard are private,¡± Mike said. ¡°All we¡¯re saying, young man, is that you should give more value to what our associate here said about Drake seeking to kidnap a Pure Created and drain it.¡± Walter motioned to the vampire side of the table. Arthur looked up from his dinner as though he¡¯d been dragged into a conversation he didn''t want to be a part of. ¡°It is not for us to decide, Walt,¡± he said. ¡°Whether I am right or not is irrelevant.¡± ¡°It is more than relevant, Arthur,¡± Walter said. ¡°Immunity could mean a war that tips in Drake¡¯s favour.¡± ¡°Then we need to work harder to find other ways to kill vampires,¡± I said. ¡°If The Department for Vampiric Research has not been successful in that venture after all these centuries, what makes you think we will find a way within a month?¡± a man said. ¡°What about my electric power thing?¡± I held my hand up. ¡°Can''t we look into that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, Ara,¡± Mike cut in, pushing my hand down. ¡°Drake is not out to kidnap a Pure Created, nor will he actually catch one.¡± ¡°When do they leave?¡± Nathan asked. ¡°In a few days. I''m waiting on word from an informant of mine¡ª¡± Mike meant David, ¡°¡ªto let me know when Drake leaves the castle.¡± ¡°I thought you were keeping that informant away from Elysium,¡± I said. Mike shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s just sweeping past, Ar. Don''t worry.¡± ¡°And who is this informant you trust so much?¡± Walter asked. ¡°You¡¯re not privy to that information.¡± Mike went back to eating his dessert, ignoring the insult his little remark caused. ¡°And what then?¡± Nathan asked, sitting forward. ¡°Once the knights return¡ªwhat are you doing about Drake?¡± Mike sighed, dropping his fork with a bit too much agitation. ¡°We may still attack¡ªwe may not. It depends what the knights find. Why so many questions, mate?¡± Nathan shrugged, looking down. ¡°Just curious. Kinda worried we might have a battle or something. I mean, I like war movies and stuff, but I never wanna be in one.¡± Mike eased off then, laughing to himself. ¡°You¡¯ll be right, mate. We won''t bring a battle to Loslilian.¡± Nathan nodded, seemingly satisfied with that, and went back to eating. I brushed my fork along my plate and scooped up a heap of apple pie, smothered in sweet vanilla custard, then popped it in my mouth, smoothing the fork past my lips really slowly. It tasted divine¡ªlike forbidden fruit with the creamy sap of the world¡¯s truth. That chef was a culinary master. I could even taste the cinnamon infused in the apple. ¡°Mike?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± he said with his mouth full. ¡°Can I go down and meet the chef?¡± ¡°Course. Why?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Just wanted to tell him how good his food is.¡± Mike laughed. ¡°He¡¯d love that, Ara.¡± ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll go see him after dinner?¡± ¡°Okay. But the staff usually go down to the ground floor once they¡¯re done for the day. You¡¯ll need Quaid to show you down¡ªhe¡¯s on duty tonight.¡± ¡°I need him to show me which one is Chef, too. It¡¯s pretty bad if I have to ask my own staff who cooks all our food.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the big black guy¡ªthe rest of them are white.¡± Mike chuckled. ¡°You can''t miss him.¡± ¡°Okay. Cool. And¡­thanks, Mike.¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± I shrugged one shoulder. ¡°For letting me go down there, I guess. You usually say no to everything I wanna do.¡± He bumped my knee with his under the table. ¡°I''m fine with anything you want, if you¡¯re fine with taking a knight.¡± ¡°But not an Arthur Knight.¡± I grinned. ¡°Ha-ha. Funny.¡± I smiled into my plate. I thought it was funny. Chapter Thirteen Quaid guided me back to the grand staircase and stepped back into guard mode once I knew my way around. I spotted Mike heading up to the east wing and darted after him, grabbing his sleeve. ¡°Hey, Mike.¡± ¡°Hey, baby, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Chef said we got popcorn in the pantry. You wanna watch a movie or something tonight?¡± ¡°Aw, baby, I can''t. I got a thing with the boys.¡± He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, as if the knights were standing there, which they weren¡¯t. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°But, I could cancel¡ªif, you know, if you¡¯re feeling really lonely or¡ª¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine.¡± I smiled, waving a hand. ¡°I''m actually pretty tired anyway. I might just get an early night.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he said softly as I walked away, holding my breath. ¡°Everything all right, my lady?¡± Arthur¡¯s smiling face met mine at the base of the stairs, his eyes warm, as if he¡¯d smelled me coming around the corner from a mile away. ¡°I''m okay,¡± I said, but knew it wasn¡¯t convincing. I crossed my arms and walked past him. ¡°G¡¯night, Arthur.¡± ¡°I was just headed down to the kitchen,¡± his suggestive tone rose an octave. ¡°I hear they have popcorn in the pantry. Would you like to watch a film with me tonight?¡± I stopped walking, smiling to myself before turning around. ¡°Did you just hear me talking to Mike?¡± He grinned, looking at his feet, his blue eyes sparkling under those thick lashes. ¡°Maybe. But I was planning to watch something anyway. I¡¯d like the company.¡± I huffed. ¡°Yeah. Okay. I¡¯d love to.¡± He held out his hand, and I took it, instantly feeling better¡ªa little less¡­lonely. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend, Arthur.¡± He smiled to himself as we wandered slowly down the stairs. ¡°I know.¡± And it was pleasant. Turns out he and I like all the same movies, too. I even quizzed him a few times just to see if he was lying. But he passed every time. ¡°Okay, so you say you liked Kate and Leopold. Why?¡± I said, while Arthur, sitting beside me, scrolled through the files on his iPad. ¡°Leopold reminds me of myself, I guess, in many ways.¡± ¡°And Kate?¡± He smiled at the screen resting on his knee. ¡°I like her boisterous personality. She¡¯s not like other girls and, as hideous an attribute as that can be, it is also incredibly charming.¡± I settled back on his pillow and dusted some popcorn and salt off my shirt. ¡°So, what are we watching next?¡± ¡°New one. Not even released in cinemas yet.¡± I sat up a little when he tilted the screen to show me. ¡°Oh, my God. You film pirate.¡± He smiled. ¡°Actually, this was given to me by the producer himself. We¡¯re good friends.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± I sat back. ¡°Does he know you¡¯re a vampire?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How do you know him?¡± ¡°Met at a convention.¡± He shrugged, closing the case on his iPad after pressing play; the movie stared on the LCD at the foot of his bed, and a tickle of excitement charged my skin. I¡¯d actually been waiting for this movie to come out for two years. ¡°This is really cool, Arthur.¡± ¡°What is?¡± I hooked my arm around his and rested my head on his bony shoulder. ¡°This¡ªthe movie, the big screen¡ªeven that thing you play the movie through.¡± ¡°Apple TV?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s really cool.¡± He nodded. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Do you think I can get a TV in my room?¡± ¡°My dear¡ª¡± He kissed the top of my head and covered my shoulder with his blanket. ¡°I''m sure you can have whatever you want.¡± ¡°Even a piano?¡± ¡°Yes, especially that.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± By the time the credits rolled on the third film of the night, I was so sleepy I didn''t even bother to walk down the hall to my own bed. I snuggled up safely next to my good friend, and he leaned down, rolled my shoes off my feet, tucked me up tightly and switched out the lamp. The next thing I felt was cool lips on my brow, then the absence of Arthur¡¯s energy as I let myself slip away. At some ungodly hour, the sound of snoring pulled me from restful slumber. I sat up, rolled the thick blankets back and hopped out of bed. Arthur was miles away in dreamland, his head cocked awkwardly to one side, a thin blanket pulled up to his chin, and his feet propped on a stool across from the armchair he was sleeping in. I sighed, brushed his thick dark hair back and kissed his head, then grabbed my shoes and left, closing the door behind me. ¡°Morning, Quaid,¡± I said, when he stood from his lean on the wall and started down the hall after me. ¡°Morning, Queen Ara. Sleep well?¡± I glanced back at him. ¡°Why are you laughing at me?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± ¡°I didn''t sleep with him, if that¡¯s why you¡¯re implying.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± His dark face was almost red with humour. ¡°Only that Mike¡¯s gonna spit chips when he finds out.¡± I huffed, stopping in the middle of the corridor. ¡°Don''t tell him. Simple.¡± ¡°Stop disappearing on me, and I won''t tell him.¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± I took off walking again. ¡°You¡¯re too easy to get away from.¡± ¡°Yes, but, I get in trouble when I lose you.¡± ¡°Then get better at not losing me.¡± I smirked, slamming my bedroom door on him. The morning crept along the treetops outside my window, but in here, it was still quite dark and peaceful. I slipped into bed and snuggled down into my soft mattress, hugged warmly by the weight of my quilt, which, for some reason smelled like David. And just like Arthur¡¯s grandfather clock, the one on the wall across my room ticked, a steady beat to ensure time was passing, but as I slipped beyond the realm of wake, it slowed down and I felt kind of weightless, hooking my hand under my pillow to stay grounded. Jason stared back at me from a memory; his green eyes so full of life, so vibrant and bright, as if his soul held all the purity in the world. ¡°I miss you, Jase,¡± I whispered, but my breath came back in my own face, thick with the putrid scent of beef or rotting flesh. ¡°Ew!¡± I looked up, and Jason¡¯s green eyes became the cool blue gaze of my marshmallow pal, sitting by my bed, his inquisitive stare probing me to wake. ¡°What, Petey?¡± I sat up a bit, rubbing my face. ¡°It¡¯s early, boy. What¡¯d ya want?¡± He lowered his head to the floor and came back up with something delicate and silver in his mouth. I reached out and touched his head; his fur was cold and a little moist with dew. ¡°What is it? What ya got?¡± I said in my best get-excited-we¡¯re-going-walkies voice. Petey nuzzled my hand, making me open it, then released the slimy silver string into my palm, and my eyes grew inside my head, becoming wider to take in what I only thought I saw. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± He didn''t answer. I looked back at my hand and gently flipped the trinket over, sure only once I saw an inscription in French that this was my locket. My heart. The silver representation of my attachment to David. ¡°Petey,¡± I said with a little more urgency. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± He got to his feet, as if someone had just grabbed his lead, and wagged his tail, making his whole body sway with the movement. I threw my covers back and stood up, drying the locket on my leg. There was no way he could have found this here at Loslilian¡ªunless Arthur had it. Maybe Jason gave it to him to give back to me. Maybe Petey found it and knew it was mine. Page 52 But Petey¡¯s sudden excitement and the fact that he bolted out my balcony door and stood on his hind legs, paws on the railing, whimpering and licking his chops, filled me with a tiny bubble of hope.Advertisement ¡°What¡¯s out there, boy?¡± I looked across the treetops to the grassy field. ¡°Is it him? Is he here?¡± He barked, dropping his paws to the ground, then ran to my bedroom door. I pocketed the locket and followed him, hesitant but shaking with excitement. My fingers wrapped the handle slowly. There was no way Jason could be alive. No way. I saw him die. I watched him fade. I¡­I threw dirt on his face. The handle grated in the turn, and I became ultra aware of each breath, rolling the door slowly toward me, closing my eyes for fear I¡¯d see nothing there. ¡°Rolf!¡± Petey brushed past my leg, knocking me into the doorframe, and ran down the hall¡ªdisappearing around the stairwell. ¡°Petey? Wait.¡± He didn''t wait. ¡°You okay?¡± Quaid asked. ¡°Ur, yeah.¡± I blinked a few times, discreetly checking every square inch of the corridor. ¡°Was¡­did you see anyone out here?¡± ¡°Nope. Why?¡± ¡°Oh. No reason.¡± He looked to where Petey had run. ¡°That dog¡¯s mad, Ara. He probably just ran off ¡®cause he needed some private time.¡± ¡°Yeah. Probably.¡± I shut the door and leaned against it, my heart thumping in my throat, then reached into my pocket and pulled out the locket. I never thought I¡¯d see it again. A part of me never wanted to see it again. I guess I hoped Jason had taken it to his grave with him¡ªforever to hold a part of my heart. Huffing silently, I looked down at my bare feet and jeans, then flattened my hair with my hands a little. I needed to follow Petey, which meant I needed to give Quaid the slip. I opened my door again. ¡°Quaid?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Can you do me a huge favour?¡± ¡°Uh, maybe¡­¡± He stood taller, looking around. ¡°I am on duty, so, I can''t leave my post. But what is it?¡± ¡°Um.¡± I screwed my face up as if this was awkward for me. ¡°I kinda just got that girlie time of the month.¡± Quaid went totally stiff, wide eyes and all. ¡°Oh. Right.¡± ¡°Yeah, um, and¡­I don''t have any tampons.¡± Ha! An embarrassed man. I love it. ¡°Could you maybe go down to the Medic room and get me some?¡± His eyes shifted to the end of the corridor then back to his feet, anywhere but my face. ¡°I¡­you know I''m not s¡¯posed to leave you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay right here. I swear. In fact, I¡¯ll be in the shower¡ª¡± I looked down, keeping half my body hidden behind the door. ¡°I can''t go anywhere while I have blood dripping down my legs.¡± And that was enough for Quaid. I¡¯d never seen black skin go so white. He turned stiffly away, taking wide steps down the corridor. I ran back to my bathroom, twisted the shower taps on and locked the door, closing it behind me, then left a note telling Quaid to leave the tampons on my dresser. Petey appeared in my doorway, his head angled like a curious puppy. ¡°Don''t judge, Petey. You¡¯d have done the same.¡± He gave a high-pitched groan and turned away, his tail knocking my door into the wall, as if to open it further¡ªinviting me along. And without a second more thought, I grabbed my cardigan and followed him. Hopefully, Quaid wouldn¡¯t call through the bathroom wall to ask if I was all right. If I knew Quaid like I thought I did, he wouldn''t. He¡¯d be too afraid my answer might be descriptive. Petey trotted down the quiet, empty corridors, and I scaled along behind him, keeping close to the wall, making up excuses in my head as to why I might be wandering around at this hour, should anyone catch me. But I owned the breath of relief I took when we reached the Great Hall and tiptoed over the shiny wood floors, past the partially-set breakfast table and into the garden, unnoticed. Staff were busy all around the manor; the gardener was trimming roses, the maids were obviously dressing in their rooms on the ground floor and there were several people at the far end of the manor, carrying boxes, walking up and down the stone steps leading to the kitchen. Breakfast wafted out through that door with the homely warmth of bacon and stewed apples. My stomach groaned, but my heart jumped with anticipation as I followed my furry friend through the dirt path between the trees of the forest and came upon the field. It was empty. I squinted against the morning sun to see the tree, and though the base was darkened by dawn¡¯s shadow still, I was sure no one was sitting there. Petey, however, was not convinced. He charged forward, and I followed, glad I hadn¡¯t been sucked into the enchanted forest. The sun was probably high enough now to class this as morning, not dawn. Either that or the forest saw me as a welcome wanderer, given that I was One with Mother Nature now. ¡°Petey?¡± I called. ¡°Wait for me.¡± He was fast, the little bugger, and in my weakened state, still recovering from the headaches, I¡¯d lost some of my ability to run. I came up on the tree, huffing and puffing, and folded over to grasp my knees. ¡°Outrun by a dog?¡± a humoured voice said. My mouth popped open and I rolled incredibly slow to stand, my eyes wrapping in tearful disbelief around dark hair, intense green eyes and a smile that could melt a glacier. ¡°Jason?¡± ¡°In the flesh.¡± He flashed a grin. He looked so sassy and so boyish, leaning against the tree in a pinstripe jersey and a blue Yankees cap. I didn''t know he was a Yankees fan. ¡°What surprises you more?¡± he said, holding his shirt out from his chest a little. ¡°That I''m alive, or that I''m a Yankees fan?¡± My shaking hand rose slowly to cover to my lips. ¡°What are you¡­how are you¡­?¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± He rushed in, scooping me into his arms before my buckling knees sent me to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°No.¡± I cried into his collar, cupping my hand around his neck, running my thumb over his hair at the back just to see if he was real. ¡°You¡¯re dead. I watched you die.¡± He squeezed me a little tighter. ¡°I know. I''m sorry you had to see that.¡± ¡°But¡­I¡­¡± He smelled so normal, like a human; no orange chocolate, just powdery fabric softener and a light hint of some spicy cologne, and it was the most darling scent in the world. My human version of David. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he said, his voice vibrating through his throat against my brow. ¡°I got a very heartbreaking call from a strange number.¡± I sobbed a little harder. He laughed and continued. ¡°And, I mean, what could I say to that? I shouldn¡¯t be here, and quite frankly, my uncle will probably give me a beating for this.¡± He half laughed. ¡°But I needed to be with you. That phone call just cemented it.¡± I rolled my face upward to look into his radiant, shining green eyes. ¡°I thought I¡¯d get voicemail.¡± ¡°I know. I heard, and I also heard the pain in your soul through only the whisper of your voice.¡± His eyes seemed distant then, like he was remembering something¡ªsomething that hurt really badly. ¡°I know my being here stuffs up everyone¡¯s plans, but I couldn''t leave you alone any longer.¡± ¡°Where have you been? What¡­how are you alive?¡± He smiled¡ªhis secret smile. ¡°I was never dead, Ara. I had to fake my death so Drake couldn¡¯t order me to hurt you again. Now that you¡¯re queen, only you can do that, and even then¡­¡± He shook his head, smiling down at me. ¡°So¡­but, the venom?¡± I looked at his chest, where the syringe had gone in. ¡°Created venom.¡± He smirked. My world rocked back¡ªeverything going blurry and ultimately still. ¡°Holy crap!¡± He laughed. ¡°Damn needle broke off in my chest, too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He tapped it. ¡°Do you have any idea how hard it was to get that thing out by myself?¡± ¡°Were you¡­¡± I pictured the way he was laying; the way breath left his body and he stilled, as though he had no life left, and the way I said goodbye, accused him of being the worst kind of monster. In fact, I''m pretty sure I may have even condemned him to Hell. But it was all kind of fuzzy. ¡°Could you hear what was said once you¡­fainted?¡± He grabbed my hand and held it softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ara. I tortured you, beat you, made you cry¡ª¡± His voice quivered. ¡°Anything you said or did to me after that was fair.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it wasn''t. You helped me. You¡­you saved me from so much worse.¡± He stroked my chin with his thumb. ¡°It¡¯s all over now, sweet girl. Nothing like that will ever happen to you again.¡± I nodded, cupping my hand over his against my cheek. ¡°Does Arthur know you¡¯re alive?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± My mouth fell open, dry, my lips numb. ¡°He couldn¡¯t tell you, Ara.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°A few reasons.¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°Well, for one¡­¡± He let out a breath. ¡°I''ve not even shown you a quarter of the things I''m capable of. Drake knows many of my powers, many of which could have, all this time, helped him get to you. If I was alive, he would¡¯ve compelled me to grab you.¡± He looked over his shoulder, motioning to the field. ¡°Look how easy it was for me to get in here. No one has a clue. I could¡¯ve come here many times, and no one would¡¯ve known.¡± ¡°Did you? Come here, I mean.¡± I wiped my nose with the back of my wrist. Jason shook his head. ¡°No, sweet girl. I wanted to, but that would, and I guess has, ruined Arthur¡¯s diabolical plan.¡± ¡°He has a plan?¡± ¡°He always has a plan.¡± ¡°Well, what is it?¡± ¡°Has he asked you to have a child with him yet?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I blinked a few extra times. ¡°Yes. Why?¡± He laughed, shaking his head, and wandered over to our tree. ¡°How did you react to that?¡± ¡°How did you know he was going to ask?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s one of the reasons he¡¯s here.¡± He slid down the bark and sat in the long grass, still kind of laughing. ¡°To have a baby with me?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Is that just because he wants to be free¡ªyou know, ¡®cause he wants the prophecy to happen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of my conclusions, but¡­I suppose he never told you he was sent here by Drake, did he?¡± ¡°No. He left that bit out.¡± ¡°Gee, I wonder why.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Was he really sent here on a mission to impregnate me?¡± Jason laughed. ¡°For one, yes. But also to find something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Dagger of Yahanna.¡± ¡°Death? Yahanna means death, in the ancient language, right?¡± ¡°Right. You¡¯ve been studying.¡± ¡°No.¡± I sat down beside him. ¡°I just know a few words.¡± ¡°Well, yes, he¡¯s after this dagger¡ªforged from the bone of an original and spelled on the Stone of Truth.¡± ¡°What does Drake want it for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way to kill your child.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If he kills this child created of two immortals, all the power the child is born with will negotiate to him.¡± ¡°And, so, he asked Arthur to father this child, then hand it and the dagger over so he could kill it?¡± Jason nodded, grinning. ¡°Arthur would never do that!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then¡­why did he ask me to have a baby with him?¡± ¡°My only conclusion is that he wants to see if this myth that a child can set vampires free of immortality is true¡ªor he wants to be king by right of heir.¡± ¡°By right of heir?¡± ¡°Yes, your first husband is always the only true king that can rule in your absence, unless he fails to provide an heir. In that case, the father of your child would become rightful king.¡± ¡°I didn''t know that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°So¡­what if he had a baby with me, but then that child died?¡± ¡°Then he would no longer be king.¡± ¡°Wow. So, how is your presence here ruining Arthur¡¯s plan to impregnate me?¡± ¡°Because, if I was alive, you would never give yourself to him.¡± ¡°Er!¡± My lip curled. ¡°And you just¡­you were just going to allow that?¡± ¡°God, no.¡± He sat back, straightening his shirt. ¡°Of course not. I knew you wouldn¡¯t do it with him.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Of course, Ara. I know you. There''s no way you¡¯d have sex with Arthur, even if David were actually dead.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s huh?¡± ¡°What did you just say about David?¡± ¡°Ara, come on¡ªyou don''t seriously expect me to believe he actually died, do you?¡± ¡°Wait, so¡­you know about immunity?¡± ¡°Of course. Why do you think I let you bite him?¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°I thought you were ordered to do that.¡± ¡°Ordered. Not compelled.¡± ¡°So, you would never have killed him?¡± He rose to his knees right before me, taking my cheeks in his hands. ¡°No.¡± Page 53 ¡°But¡­I thought you hated him.¡±Advertisement ¡°Not enough to kill him, Ara.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down, feeling pretty bad about that assumption. ¡°So, how did you figure out the immunity thing?¡± ¡°I didn''t. It was you.¡± He leaned in and kissed my forehead. ¡°You, with that beautiful mind of yours.¡± He kissed it again. ¡°You tried to keep the thought from me, about you and David having shared blood and bitten each other, but I saw it, and it was all I needed.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. I can''t believe you saw that thought.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He smirked. ¡°That could have been very dangerous information for me to have.¡± As everything that happened down in that cell flooded back through me, I stared blankly at the day. ¡°So, was it you who told Arthur about immunity?¡± ¡°No. Does he know?¡± ¡°Yes. He said I slipped up. But I didn''t,¡± I said, sitting taller, shaking my head. ¡°I went through it, I really didn''t. I swear.¡± Jason¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Does he know about David, then?¡± ¡°I was going to ask you the same thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve not heard any thoughts. But then, I haven''t seen him for some weeks, either.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been out of the country.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Needed to get away.¡± ¡°From what?¡± ¡°From the temptation to come back here to you.¡± He smiled. ¡°You do realise I''m destroying David and Morgaine¡¯s little conspiracy right now as well.¡± ¡°Their what?¡± ¡°Conspiracy,¡± he said, as if it was yesterday¡¯s news. ¡°They know about the dagger, and for some reason, haven''t told you.¡± ¡°How do they know about it?¡± ¡°I stole a page from a book Arthur was reading and posted it to David, signed by ¡®anonymous¡¯.¡± ¡°So, what, you think they¡¯re looking for the dagger, too?¡± ¡°I¡¯d bet my life on it.¡± He folded his arms, looking a little smug. ¡°Does Mike know about it?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°How do you know he doesn''t know?¡± ¡°Because Arthur hasn¡¯t been taken for torture and questioning yet.¡± He laughed. ¡°If Mike knew there was a dagger Drake planned to use on your child, what do you think he¡¯d do to Arthur?¡± I nodded, pushing my tongue into my cheek. ¡°Good point. So, it¡¯s just David and Morg then?¡± ¡°Far as I know.¡± ¡°Not Emily?¡± He shook his head. Good. At least I still had one friend who was on my side. ¡°Uh.¡± Jason cleared his throat, holding up two fingers and a cute grin. ¡°Did you just read my mind?¡± He shrugged. ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Don''t do that. Figure me out some other way. Stay out of my head.¡± ¡°Fine. Easy. I can figure you out by watching your face.¡± He sat back, smiling. ¡°What I can''t figure out is why Morg and David are sticking to this prophecy child thing.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You haven''t caught on?¡± I scratched my nose. ¡°I didn''t know there was anything to catch.¡± ¡°No, of course you didn''t, sweet girl, because you trust David too much for your own good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°I mean, think about it. If the whole point of David being dead is to stop Drake coming after you, because the prophecy child must be conceived only with a firstborn son of Knight, then why do they think it¡¯s okay for Arthur to be here, and not David?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± he said. ¡°David could return, and there is still the same chance of Drake attacking as there is without David. I don''t know why he¡¯s pretending to be dead still?¡± ¡°I¡­I don''t know. Maybe so he can follow Arthur¡ªperhaps Arthur will lead him to the dagger.¡± ¡°But David isn¡¯t following Arthur.¡± Jason ushered around the grounds. ¡°So, what are they up to?¡± ¡°I know he¡¯s sneaking around Elysium and giving us info on Drake¡¯s whereabouts.¡± Jason shook his head again, the smug grin growing. ¡°Nope. Wrong again. Mike has a vampire informant¡ªone who lives at Elysium.¡± ¡°He does?¡± ¡°Uh-hu.¡± ¡°Then¡­why¡¯s David putting me through this¡ªmaking me live without him?¡± ¡°I''m not sure. But, whatever it is, it must be pretty serious to be keeping him from you.¡± I slumped back, running everything over in my head. ¡°So, Drake wanted to kill me because of some prophecy child that could kill him, but now, all of a sudden, it¡¯s that he wants me to have this child so he can steal its powers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the latest.¡± I thought about that for a second. ¡°That doesn''t really fit. He ordered me dead¡ª¡± ¡°No, the council ordered you dead because Drake swore death to all Lilithians.¡± ¡°So, he didn''t really want me dead?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The frown on my face deepened, disappearing with a sudden realisation. ¡°Is that why Drake put you in charge of my torture¡ªbecause he knew you wouldn''t really kill me?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± He smirked. ¡°I have a funny feeling Drake may have had his own agenda this entire time¡ªperhaps one not even a high councilman like my uncle was aware of.¡± ¡°So¡­wow. This goes so much deeper than I thought. I can''t even begin to piece it together.¡± ¡°Oh, trust me, I know. I''ve been trying. The only things I can deduce are that Arthur is here on Drake¡¯s request but has an agenda of his own, and I believe Drake actually thinks David''s dead¡ª¡± ¡°And that, what, there¡¯s no hope of a prophecy child?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Drake wants your child. He doesn¡¯t seem too concerned about which Knight it comes from.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep. But, you have to realise that, no matter who the father is, Ara, that child will be born of immortal blood. She will be very powerful.¡± ¡°So, do you think he made the prophecy up¡ªjust to make me have a baby that he could kidnap and kill to steal powers from?¡± ¡°Possibly. He may have even forged prophetic parchments to throw the Lilithians off his true plan all these centuries.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s his only plan¡ªjust to kill an infant?¡± ¡°I don''t know. There could be more to it. It seems like a great length to go to just for a bit of extra power. I¡­¡± He tapped his head. ¡°I keep going round in circles with it¡ªeven storyboarded it and couldn¡¯t figure it out. He''s a master of strategy and deception.¡± ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s focus on the facts. One; Arthur is here for the dagger¡ªon Drake''s request, but we don''t think he plans to hand it over?¡± ¡°Yes, but if it¡¯s true that the child can restore life to those who are immortal, then Drake would gain that power by killing your child, and it¡¯s possible that¡¯s what he offered Arthur in exchange.¡± ¡°Would Arthur give up his own flesh and blood for his freedom? Does he want it that bad?¡± ¡°I hope not.¡± I went quiet. ¡°I feel really unsteady now, Jase.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don''t know who to trust.¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± ¡°So¡­you''re staying, then?¡± He smiled down at me, gently brushing my hair back behind my ear, and I felt the closeness between us, the heat from his body alongside mine, barely two inches away. ¡°Of course I am. Not only will it be impossible for me to leave you now, but the fact that Morgaine, who¡¯s known about this dagger since the day after you were rescued, hasn¡¯t told you, indicates there are several different agendas in effect here.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re going to help me figure it all out?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We need to devise our own plan¡ªdraw out some of the motives of others.¡± ¡°How do we do that?¡± ¡°By redesigning the board at every move. We¡¯ve got to analyse first, then discuss. We¡¯ll figure things out as we go. But, to start with, I want to see what Mike knows.¡± ¡°Mm, yeah, I don''t see him having a sit-down chat and cuppa with you, Jase.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll read his mind.¡± He laughed. ¡°It¡¯s best not to raise suspicions by asking questions, anyway. We also need to know what Morgaine is hiding, and if David¡¯s in on it or not. And we need to find that dagger.¡± ¡°Arthur probably has it.¡± ¡°Oh, without a doubt. But I need you to find it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So I can destroy it.¡± ¡°And then what? What about Drake?¡± ¡°We have to find a way to kill him.¡± ¡°Venom?¡± ¡°Nope. He¡¯d be immune now.¡± ¡°My electricity?¡± I held my hand up and let a flash of blue spark my fingertips. Jason grabbed it, smiling in wonder. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Have you studied the full extent of this power yet?¡± ¡°Mike puts me in a metal cage and makes me shoot things with it, but I get headaches when I do.¡± His whole face screwed up. ¡°A metal cage?¡± ¡°Yeah, just so that I don''t shoot anyone unintentionally.¡± ¡°You''re not a goddamn Tesla Coil.¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± He frowned, looking away. ¡°Does Arthur know Mike¡¯s doing that to you?¡± I nodded. ¡°Asshole.¡± ¡°Who? Arthur?¡± ¡°Yes. He didn''t tell me. He didn''t even tell me you had that power.¡± ¡°Hm. Weird. I wonder why.¡± ¡°Probably because he knew what I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°What would that be?¡± ¡°Well, for starters, I would have been on the first plane back here, and when I found out they were forcing you to shoot things, I¡¯d have shut Mike in a cage and made him run on a spinning wheel for ten hours, like a lab-born hamster.¡± His voice got gradually louder. ¡°That¡¯s just plain stupidity. I can''t believe he did that. He knows nothing about science. Nothing! He could have really hurt you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°We need to be studying your powers, Ara, not forcing you to use them as a weapon. Those headaches could be serious. You might not be able to die that easily, but you can get brain damage.¡± ¡°I can?¡± ¡°Yes. I''m not sure if it would be permanent, but being in that state, even for a few months, would be horrible for you¡ªand for your people.¡± I twiddled my fingers in my lap. ¡°What if he¡¯s right, though? What if I do need to be exercising this power?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll find another way¡ªa kinder way.¡± He moved my hands apart and stole one, looking carefully at my fingertips and nails. ¡°So, the light¡ªit just shoots up out of your skin?¡± I nodded, closing my eyes; his tickly touch felt so soothing, kind of relaxing. ¡°And how often do you get these headaches?¡± ¡°Pretty much every time now.¡± Except when I have sex. ¡°What¡¯s sex got to do with it?¡± My eyes flung open. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ara, I read your mind. What has sex got to do with it?¡± ¡°Oh, um. I light up when I have sex, and I can read David''s mind when I get¡­¡± ¡°Turned on?¡± I nodded, feeling the pulse of extra heat in my cheeks. He stared down at my hand, his eyes small with thought. ¡°That¡¯s just¡­that is fascinating on so many levels.¡± ¡°Yeah, but, it¡¯s also bad, because if I shoot anyone with it, like, if I accidently shoot vampires, they feel their hearts beat for a second.¡± He folded his fingers firmly around mine and pressed my hand to his chest. ¡°Do it to me. Shoot me.¡± ¡°No way.¡± I drew my hand back. ¡°I nearly killed Falcon when he was human.¡± ¡°I don''t care.¡± He took my hand again. ¡°Shoot me. I want to see what it does.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± I looked into his green eyes, watching the morning shadows of leaves dance across his nose and cheekbones. ¡°If I shoot you with it, I¡¯ll have a headache for the rest of the day, and I''m really too stressed to deal with that as well right now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He patted my hand, keeping it against his heart for a second, then dropped it into his lap. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll work on it another day.¡± I closed my eyes around the deep, smooth tone of his voice, feeling it melt through me; it was so different to David''s¡ªsofter, kinder almost, like he¡¯d never say a harsh word or speak ill of anyone else. ¡°God, it is sooo good to hear your voice again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so good to touch you again.¡± He squeezed my hand. ¡°And even sweeter that we¡¯re here, in our field, awake.¡± I opened my eyes and looked up at our tree. ¡°It doesn''t feel that different.¡± He placed his thumb to my chin and tilted my face up to his, then gently and so sweetly pressed his lips to mine. I let him do it; let him stay there for the single breath we both took through our noses, before he pulled slowly away, staying right in front of my mouth. ¡°Does that feel different?¡± Page 54 I nodded, tasting him on my lips. It felt warm and loving and so real. ¡°I really missed you, Jase. There''s so much I''ve wanted to say¡ªso many things I wanted to tell you. I just¡­¡± I cast my teary gaze to the wide field of grass, moving and dancing in the breeze, hiding the fluffy white dog chasing crows in the distance. ¡°The thought of you being gone forever, I¡­now that you''re here, alive, I''m sure I''m going to have nightmares about losing you again.¡±Advertisement He cupped my face and turned it to his. ¡°I will never, ever leave you again. Not for anything. I promise.¡± I nodded, placing his hand over my heart. ¡°Thank you for coming back to me.¡± ¡°It would only have been a matter of time before I came back.¡± He looked at his hand, then slid it up to my shoulder and, in one move, swept me into him, spine to chest between his legs, his arms wrapped tightly around my ribs. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡± ¡°I missed you, too.¡± ¡°I know. And you have no idea what those words mean to me.¡± He leaned in, pressing his cheek firmly against mine, and I could almost feel that his eyes were closed, holding in everything that wanted to burst out from his soul. And I held my breath, trapping all the chaotic emotions inside; the desire to cry, to laugh, to jump up and down and to hold onto him tighter than I¡¯d ever held anything before. All the things I wanted to say, all the regrets I had after losing him, none of them mattered now, because I got that second chance. And I wouldn¡¯t waste it. I wouldn¡¯t ever let him go again. I would use this chance to make his life right¡ªto see that he found happiness, even though that happiness couldn''t be with me. ¡°Jase?¡± I rubbed his forearm. ¡°You have to understand that what you''re doing right now isn''t right, though¡ªholding me like this.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He ran his nose down the side of my face, breathing me in. ¡°Because I''m married.¡± I laughed, working up the strength to believe my next words. ¡°And, I mean, I know how things were before¡ªin our dreams, but that was all due to the bind. That¡¯s passed now. I don''t love you that way anymore.¡± He released me a little. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°And, besides¡ª¡± I turned around to look at him. ¡°Your feelings for me aren¡¯t real, either.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not?¡± ¡°No.¡± I ignored that sarcastic grin of his. ¡°See, there¡¯s this curse¡ªthe Curse of Seduction, and¡ª¡± ¡°You''ve got to be kidding me?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s said to be passed down¡ª¡± ¡°No, I mean, I can''t believe you actually think my feelings are because of the curse.¡± ¡°You think they''re not?¡± ¡°Ara¡ª¡± He grabbed my hand and placed it on his chest. ¡°Tell me what you feel.¡± ¡°Um, a chest.¡± He chuckled once. ¡°Precisely. No heartbeat, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°The curse only works on those with a heartbeat.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But, Morgaine told me¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, right, I see now.¡± He sat back against the tree trunk, shaking his head. ¡°Ara, that girl knows nothing. She is beginning to really piss me off.¡± ¡°So¡­she¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, she is wrong on so many levels it¡¯s not even funny.¡± He leaned forward, his elbows over his knees as I moved to sit beside him again. ¡°Take the prophecy, for example; she¡¯s got the whole nation convinced this child¡¯s gonna come in and cure vampires of immortality. She hasn¡¯t checked her facts, and no one seems to care that she''s misinterpreted the scrolls or that they, themselves, haven¡¯t actually seen them. I¡¯ve seen them, so I know it¡¯s not all based on some bogus lie, but I don''t interpret them the way she does.¡± ¡°Well, how do you interpret them?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I read them a long time ago when I was at college¡ªstudying Lilithian History as a minor subject¡ª¡± ¡°They study that at school?¡± ¡°Not human school. Vampires have, well, had universities as well.¡± ¡°Oh. So, you don''t remember what the scrolls said?¡± ¡°Never had any real reason to commit them to memory, and all my assignments were tossed out decades ago. But I don''t remember there being anything about a child that could cure vampires, or I¡¯d have been hunting it down.¡± ¡°So, is that why no one else knew there was a prophecy until now¡ªbecause there isn''t one?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, the scrolls are there¡ªfor all to see. She''s just the only one who would¡¯ve interpreted them to be a prophecy.¡± ¡°So, it might not be?¡± He rubbed his forehead. ¡°I don''t know. The page she¡¯s talking about¡ªthe one that mentions blood of Knight¡ªwas hidden. In truth, I came across it by accident, so, there is a possibility that it¡¯s a prophecy. I¡¯d need to take a look at it again to make any real conclusions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the library, apparently. Maybe we can go down there once you''re settled in.¡± ¡°I already planned to,¡± he said. ¡°This prophecy thing has had me going around in circles. I''ve tried to believe Morgaine¡¯s side of the story, but it doesn''t really fit. I mean, there''s no way Drake would leave a scroll, prophesising the coming of a pure blood that could end him, in the library. Locked up or not. No way. He¡¯d have destroyed it.¡± ¡°So, you think it¡¯s there because he wanted it to be found?¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely.¡± ¡°And¡­the curse¡­Lilith¡¯s curse¡­?¡± He took my hand. ¡°I will show you that book. Morgaine interprets things as she wants them to sound. She¡¯s¡­I''m sorry, it¡¯s not nice to say, but she¡¯s an idiot.¡± I laughed. ¡°Okay, come on. Let¡¯s go up to the manor. I want to find her and get to the bottom of all this.¡± ¡°Okay, but, I think you and I should go about this slowly.¡± We both stood up. ¡°There¡¯s a reason they kept the dagger from you. I don''t think we should go in there unprepared. We need to play dumb for now¡ªdo some digging.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather go in there and strangle them all.¡± Jason laughed, scratching Petey¡¯s head as he came up beside us¡ªall puffed out. ¡°We can do that if you want, but, like I said, it seems everyone here has a different agenda. If we let them know we¡¯re smarter than we look, they might be more careful around us¡ªpossibly cover it up with another lie.¡± ¡°Underdogs?¡± I looked at Petey; his ears pinned back as he cocked his head. ¡°Right,¡± Jason said. ¡°Team Underdog. You and me. We¡¯ll figure this out.¡± He hooked his fingertip under my chin and rolled my face upward. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡ª¡± I turned my body away but kept my arm around his waist. ¡°What will we tell people about why you¡¯re back?¡± He spun his baseball cap forward and hugged me closer. ¡°Tell them I was returning your heart.¡± Chapter Fourteen Jason stayed by the wall, while I crept up the sandstone steps to the kitchen. ¡°How do you know she¡¯s in there,¡± he whispered loudly. ¡°She always has coffee with Mike at eight.¡± ¡°Really?¡± his voice dipped on the ¡®e¡¯. ¡°Yeah. Shh.¡± I scowled at him, repairing it with a smile before peeking over the lower half of the split door. Sure enough, there was Morg and Mike, sitting face to face, chatting quietly in the calm of the country-style kitchen. If they were wearing old-fashioned clothes, they¡¯d look like they were on set of a photo-shoot for ¡®History Magazine¡¯. I stood on my toes and reached a hand up, waving it a little. Morg laughed at Mike, shaking her head, then said something that made him laugh, too. ¡°Morg?¡± I whispered, trying to make it loud enough for her to hear, but not the vampire directly across from her. She didn''t hear it. ¡°Psst,¡± I said louder and ducked down. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jason asked. ¡°Hiding.¡± ¡°Get up. You can''t psst someone then hide from them.¡± ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡± I stood a little taller and peeked over the door again. ¡°Psst.¡± Morgaine frowned then looked around, as if she wasn¡¯t sure she heard that. I waved my hand and quickly pressed my finger to my lip when she opened her mouth. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll take that,¡± she said to Mike and took his cup, then wandered over to the sink just near the door. I squatted down when Mike stood, his chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. ¡°Yep, I¡¯ll see you up there,¡± Morgaine said¡ªnot to me. ¡°Okay. I gotta go see Quaid before his shift change.¡± Gulp. Crap, Quaid was about to be caught out with a missing queen. A head popped over the door and Morgaine¡¯s piercing gaze made me shudder as I stood up and stepped back. ¡°What are you doing, Amara?¡± My shoulders came up; I nodded down the steps to Jason, hiding flat against the wall. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Her hand flew over her mouth. ¡°Shh.¡± I grabbed her and we hustled down the stairs to stand with Jason, concealed from the gardens by the steps. ¡°Ara! Are you crazy?¡± She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Jason. ¡°How is he magically alive?¡± ¡°I''m not magically alive¡ª¡± Jason placed his hand between us and gently pushed Morgaine aside. ¡°I was never dead to begin with. I staged my death.¡± ¡°Staged? Why?¡± ¡°Because of the oath, Morgaine,¡± he said, like it was obvious. ¡°Drake compelled me to hurt Ara. I wasn''t free of that until she was crowned.¡± ¡°So¡­you''ve been alive? All this time. Just waiting to come back here and¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Jason practically yelled. ¡°Don''t think like that and don''t say it!¡± Morgaine shrunk, folding her arms. ¡°Sorry. I know.¡± ¡°You know what?¡± I cut in. ¡°What did she think?¡± Jason huffed and leaned on the wall, his head angled to the sky. ¡°Okay,¡± she said, both of them ignoring my question. ¡°So why are you here?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± He sounded a bit defeated. ¡°Does Arthur know you¡¯re not dead?¡± she asked. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Does¡­¡± Jason looked up and smiled, dropping the foot he had propped under him. ¡°Morg, I know he¡¯s alive. I knew about immunity all along.¡± ¡°You did?¡± Both Jason and I nodded. ¡°Does¡­anyone else know?¡± ¡°You mean Drake?¡± he said, his brows high. ¡°Yeah, he knows.¡± ¡°How do you know he knows? I mean, how can you be sure, Jason?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still alive¡ªthat¡¯s how. I was the one who gave that Warrior the venom-tipped sword, Morgaine. Drake should be dead. He either knows about immunity or is indestructible.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You choose which one to believe.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She rubbed her brow. ¡°So¡­you¡¯re here to stay, then?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± both Jason and I said together. ¡°Okay.¡± She smiled¡ªit was forced, though. I looked carefully at Jason, knowing only too well that he was reading her mind and she was doing her best to think of other things. ¡°Ha!¡± Morgaine laughed, scaring me a little with the sudden noise. ¡°Mike¡¯s going to flip.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I spoke quieter. ¡°That¡¯s why I came to you. Can you tell him for me?¡± ¡°Tell Mike what?¡± Mike asked, leaning over the bottom half of the door. ¡°That I''m alive,¡± Jason said, stepping into Mike¡¯s view. ¡°What the hell!¡± Mike jumped down from the top step, landing gracefully on the ground between Jason and I, as though Jason was some kind of threat. ¡°Mike?¡± I grabbed his arm. ¡°He¡¯s not here to hurt me.¡± ¡°I don''t care.¡± He pushed me aside and grabbed Jason by the shirt. ¡°I get a second chance at killing you now.¡± ¡°Back off, Mike,¡± Jason said calmly. ¡°I don''t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°Hurt me?¡± Mike laughed and slammed Jason into the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll rip your damn arms off.¡± ¡°Fine. You give me no choice.¡± Jason sighed then looked at me. ¡°I''m sorry, Ara.¡± ¡°For wha¡ª¡± My words slipped away as Mike¡¯s grip loosened and he dropped to his knees, folding forward into an unconscious heap at Jason¡¯s feet. ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Morgaine screeched, squatting beside Mike. Jason just smiled, dusted off his shirt and stepped over Mike. ¡°I put him to sleep¡ªa deep sleep.¡± ¡°Jason?¡± I knelt beside Morg. ¡°Well, what did you expect? He wasn''t willing to listen.¡± My shoulders dropped with a breath. ¡°Morg, go find Jason a room and get him settled in, please. I¡¯ll deal with Mike.¡± ¡°Uh, sure thing, Your Majesty. Um¡ª¡± She stood up and looked back at Mike. ¡°When will he wake up?¡± ¡°Now.¡± Jason winked at me and disappeared. ¡°Ugh,¡± Mike groaned, rubbing his head. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Jason taught you a lesson in humility. You should have been more civil.¡± I helped him to his feet. Page 55 ¡°Civil? I¡¯ll give him civil.¡± He held up his fist. ¡°And then I¡¯ll give him reasonable.¡± Held up his other fist.Advertisement ¡°Stop being so macho, Mike¡ªit doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°I don''t care, Ara. That guy is the reason for all of this. If he¡¯d never turned you over, we¡¯d¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯d never have known what I was, Mike. Or maybe we would, who cares. That¡¯s not the point. He only did that because he was compelled to. Otherwise he¡¯d have taken me away and looked after me!¡± ¡°Bullshit, Ara.¡± ¡°How can you say that? Mike, you made a blood oath. You know that what happened to me was out of Jason¡¯s control. If my husband can forgive him, then you should, too.¡± ¡°Blood oath,¡± he scoffed, folding his arms. ¡°No excuse.¡± I folded my arms, too, smiling ruefully. ¡°Hey, Mike?¡± He looked up at me, and I summoned my most authoritative voice. ¡°Punch yourself in the face.¡± ¡°Damn it,¡± he said as his fist flew up to his jaw, sending him tumbling backward. ¡°Blood oath, huh?¡± I walked away with my arms folded. ¡°No excuse.¡± When I reached my bedroom door, Quaid looked up from his phone and frowned. ¡°How did you get out of your room?¡± he said. I pushed past him. ¡°Do yourself a favour, Quaid. If Mike asks, you followed me this morning and I talked with Jason in the field, okay?¡± His mouth popped open but I shut the door on him, sliding down it to the floor. The taps were still running in the bathroom, giving me a sudden pang of guilt for the water I would¡¯ve wasted. I got myself up and headed in there to turn them off, but opted for a shower instead, and came out feeling almost human again. But the soft hum of Arthur¡¯s violin flowed off the early morning breeze and came in through my window. And instead of feeling joy and radiance like I usually did with that sound, I felt only blind rage. He lied to me. He watched me cry over Jason. He held me while I grieved a person who wasn¡¯t dead. I stormed out of my room and down the corridor, with Quaid wandering behind in the cloud of my infuriation. ¡°Quaid. Unless you want me to tell Mike you weren¡¯t there when I chatted with his arch enemy this morning, I suggest you stay here.¡± He stopped walking. ¡°I can''t. I have to follow you.¡± ¡°No. You don''t.¡± I pointed at him, stopping long enough to make my words as clear as the goddamn day. ¡°I will compel you to stay put if you follow me. And I won''t order you to move for a week.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± he called. ¡°To see Arthur.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s not in his room.¡± I stopped by Arthur¡¯s door. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Great Hall.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, and his round eyes watched me as I turned away. I felt mean, but he couldn''t know the subject matter I was headed to argue with Arthur. No one could. Arthur spun around as I approached at a very fast, human pace, and his eyes lit with surprise at the obvious anger in mine. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I practically yelled, not really meaning to. ¡°Amara? What is it?¡± He placed his violin on the stand and reached for me. I shoved him away, forcing my palms into his chest; he didn''t even stumble back, just grabbed my thrashing arms and held them. ¡°Ara, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I hate you!¡± I shoved him again. ¡°You lied to me!¡± ¡°My dear girl.¡± He cradled me against him as my knees went weak. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You told me he was dead. You told me you buried him!¡± His chest sunk. ¡°Jason came to see you.¡± ¡°You sat there¡ª¡± I stepped away and looked up at him. ¡°You listened to me grieve for him¡ªconfused about grieving for him, and you didn''t tell me.¡± He took both my hands in his again. ¡°I''m sorry, Amara, I¡ª¡± ¡°I needed him.¡± I pulled my hands free, feeling hollowed out, breathless and so betrayed. ¡°Why would you do that to me?¡± ¡°Because of the child.¡± ¡°What child?¡± ¡°The prophecy.¡± ¡°Because you think I wouldn¡¯t have one with you if he was here?¡± I asked rhetorically, pointing off to the stairs. ¡°Arthur, it wouldn¡¯t matter if he were here or not. I won''t do that. I won''t have one with you. What makes you think I would ever let you touch me that way?¡± ¡°Do you think I want to! Do you think I want to betray my nephew, who I loved, by fornicating with his wife!¡± He turned away, brushing a hand across his brow. ¡°The child of the prophecy is only that if she is your firstborn. And those scriptures, whether you believe it or not, Ara, say it must be conceived with a firstborn son of Knight.¡± ¡°Why does it matter to you so much¡ªso much that you¡¯d be willing to watch me hurt like this?¡± ¡°I want to be free. I told you this.¡± I looked away from his wrists; from the way he presented the clear veins as if they were shackles. ¡°And you think you''re the only one who can give me that child?¡± ¡°Amara, you know how I feel about you.¡± He moved in and grabbed the tops of my arms. ¡°You are one of my dearest friends, and if Jason could father the child, I¡¯d have brought him here already. He loves you, and you two, in David''s absence, should be together. But your child needs to be with me.¡± I shook my head, sniffling, inching away from him. ¡°Arthur. I can''t. I can''t ever do that with you. I don''t love you that way and¡ª¡± ¡°I''m not asking you to love me, Amara¡ªmerely¡­¡± He looked away, shaking his head. ¡°Merely give me one night with you.¡± My lips went tight. ¡°It would make me sick.¡± His shoulders dropped; he looked away. ¡°I''m sorry, Arthur, you know I love you.¡± I touched my chest. ¡°You know I do, but I can''t be with you that way. I never will.¡± ¡°Then all hope is lost.¡± I took another step back, nodding to the ground. ¡°Then I guess it is.¡± Arthur, with a hand to his heart, bowed and walked past me at human pace; his shoulders stiff, his head held high. ¡°I''m so sorry, Arthur,¡± I whispered to myself. Morgaine came up the steps outside then and practically skipped into the Great Hall. ¡°Morg?¡± ¡°Oh, hey, what¡¯s up?¡± she said, stopping beside me, the smell of summer grass and sunshine gently wafting off her skin with each pulse of her heart. ¡°Where did you put Jason?¡± Her shoulders dropped. ¡°I''m not telling. Mike doesn¡¯t want you near him.¡± ¡°Morg. I don''t care.¡± I angled my head to the ground, the sound of impatience festering in my tone. ¡°Mike is not the queen. I am. Now, where is Jason?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the west wing,¡± she huffed the words out. ¡°Thanks. Second floor, I imagine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She followed me as I headed up the stairs. ¡°Mike tried to put him in the east wing¡ªas far away from you as he could get, but we¡¯ve run out of rooms. Jason got the last one in the entire manor.¡± ¡°What number¡¯s his room?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the one at the very end¡ªno number on the door.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I said and walked a little faster¡ªmy silent indication for her not to follow. She dropped back, obviously ¡®sensing¡¯ it, and by the time I stepped onto the landing of the second floor, she was completely gone. The only other people around were Ryder, quietly taking over from Quaid¡¯s shift, a maid cleaning the windows with lemon-scented Windex, and Nathan, charging toward me at full human speed. He nearly bowled me over, glancing back as he passed. ¡°Ara! D¡¯you hear?¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± ¡°Jason¡¯s alive,¡± he called over his shoulder. ¡°Yeah.¡± I smiled to myself. ¡°I heard.¡± I followed Nathan down the softly-lit corridor, him running, me walking gracefully, all the way to the room at the very end, and stopped beside him with my arms around my waist. ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it,¡± he said, then rapped on the door four or five times. When it opened, he laughed, charging Jason. ¡°Knight!¡± ¡°Nate!¡± There was a moment of back patting and jumping around, before the boys stood back from each other, smiling. ¡°What¡¯s the deal, man?¡± Nathan said. ¡°Are you a zombie or something¡ªcoming back from the dead?¡± Jason laughed, slipping his shirt over his head, pulling it down past his golden abs. ¡°I''m not back from the dead, Nate.¡± ¡°Yeah, so what¡¯s the deal? Why¡¯d you stage your death?¡± ¡°King was after me.¡± ¡°Dude. Not cool. Wah¡¯d ya do?¡± Jason looked at me and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve got some mad skills and a blood oath issue that would¡¯ve made me his super slave if he knew I was alive.¡± Nathan rocked back, running a hand over his shaved head. ¡°Well, I''m glad you¡¯re alive. How ya been?¡± ¡°Uh, okay, I suppose.¡± I could tell it was a lie. ¡°So, your bro wouldn¡¯t happen to be alive, too, would he?¡± ¡°Nah, man. He¡¯s six feet under.¡± ¡°Drat.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Miss him.¡± Nathan wandered over and sat himself down on Jason¡¯s bed. ¡°We all miss him,¡± I said and stood with my arms folded, leaning on the wall by the open door. This room was exactly the same as Arthur¡¯s, but smaller, with only one window. I could see why it was the last room left. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­I haven''t seen him since he dug me up,¡± Nate said. ¡°I never really got to thank him.¡± ¡°Dug you up?¡± I asked. Nathan looked back at me then at Jason. ¡°What¡¯d you mean, Nathe?¡± Jason said. ¡°This is spoken under the brotherhood code, right?¡± Jason nodded, sitting next to Nathan; he had a real human look to him when he smirked that way, as if he already knew what Nathan was going to say. ¡°Yeah. No probs, Nathe. Ara won''t say anything, either.¡± ¡°¡¯Kay. Well, I got sick, right¡ªdoc told me I had cancer. ¡®Cept, we didn¡¯t wanna tell anyone, you know. Didn''t want the pity.¡± ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± Jason said. ¡°Yeah, it was all cool. They gave me six months to live. So, David comes to me, right, tells me he¡¯s a vampire¡ªsays he thinks he figured out how to turn a human. He said he wanted to turn his girlfriend but wasn''t sure if it¡¯d work¡ªsaid if it didn''t, she¡¯d die.¡± Jason nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. So, what, he wanted to test on you?¡± ¡°Since I was dying anyway, we figured it was a good way to go.¡± He laid back on his elbow, smiling. ¡°We got some beers, got wasted, and he did his thing. Next thing I know, I''m being hauled away in some pine box.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°So you got buried?¡± He looked back at me. ¡°Yeah. But David warned me I would. Said he¡¯d come for me before my phone battery ran out.¡± ¡°So, he knew you were alive? That whole time¡ªeven at your funeral?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Nate laughed. ¡°When they closed the casket, he walked up and made some smart-ass joke¡ªhad me pissing myself laughing. I couldn¡¯t hold it.¡± He looked at Jason. ¡°I had to lay in my own waste for about ten hours¡ªplayin¡¯ Tetris.¡± Jason covered his mouth with a tight fist, laughing. ¡°Good thing you didn''t get your mouth sewn up by the mortician.¡± ¡°Nah, David said he took care of all that¡ªsaid I went into a coma for a bit first, so he had a doctor diagnose me with some rare virus, then forged himself a degree and was the ¡®on-call¡¯ guy for the funeral home the day I ¡®died¡¯.¡± ¡°What about your mum?¡± I stomped my foot down. ¡°She cried for you!¡± Nathan stood and faced me. ¡°I know. But¡­I was dying. There was nothing we could do about that, and I couldn¡¯t stay¡ªhow would I justify my sudden cure and lack of heartbeat?¡± ¡°Not to mention, the Set wouldn¡¯t allow it,¡± Jason added. I knew that¡ªI knew all of it, but somehow it just didn''t make it okay. ¡°David left her some money,¡± Nathan said. ¡°I didn''t have none to give, so he paid all the expenses, you know, made an anonymous donation at that benefit concert.¡± He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. ¡°I miss her, Ara, you know. I didn''t wanna leave her, but I check in on her all the time.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know. I''m sorry, Nathan. Of course you didn''t want this. I just¡­I''m just still struggling to deal with all this, too.¡± He appeared beside me at vamp speed and touched my shoulder. ¡°I know how you feel.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Hey, Nate.¡± Jason stood. ¡°Can you give us a minute?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He dropped his hand from my arm and shook Jason''s. ¡°Good to see you again, man.¡± ¡°You too, bro.¡± Jason gave a one-armed hug and walked him to the door, closing it behind him. ¡°I didn''t know you knew Nathan.¡± I dropped my hands to my hips. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s the only one of Em¡¯s friends I ever met. They hung out quite a bit.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± I nodded. ¡°So, David turned him. Did you know that?¡± Page 56 He shook his head, coming to stand right in front of me. ¡°Nah. But I kinda suspected it.¡±Advertisement ¡°But¡­he told me it wasn''t him.¡± ¡°Actually, I said I didn''t kill Nathan.¡± I looked up to the new voice in the room. ¡°David!¡± ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s happiness to see me,¡± he said, wrapping his arms around my head and shoulders as I launched into his loving embrace. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Got a call¡ªheard my brother was still alive.¡± I pulled back from the hug and looked at the two boys. ¡°Who told you?¡± ¡°Mike,¡± they both said, and laughed. ¡°When did you get here?¡± He looked at his watch. ¡°¡¯Bout twenty minutes ago.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± I bit my lip, looking from one face to the other. ¡°Are you guys okay? I mean, there weren¡¯t any fists flying or¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± David said. ¡°We¡¯re all good.¡± ¡°Yeah, death has a funny way of putting things into perspective,¡± Jason added. ¡°So, are you back?¡± I hugged David''s arm, looking up at him. ¡°I mean, now Jason¡¯s here, won''t they try to say the prophecy child can be with him?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because, despite him being of my blood¡ª¡± ¡°An exact copy of your blood,¡± I challenged. ¡°It doesn''t matter, Ara. He is not the firstborn¡ªnothing can change that.¡± ¡°I don''t think the people will care. I think you should just come home and we¡¯ll face Drake together if he wants to come get us.¡± David groaned and walked away. ¡°David, please. Come on. We¡¯re strong now. He can come here, he can fight us¡ªhe won''t win.¡± ¡°And what makes you so sure, Ara?¡± David spun around from where he stood facing the window. ¡°You don''t know what he¡¯s capable of, and you don''t even know what you¡¯re capable of. Mike fills me in, my love¡ªhe tells me everything to do with you, and I know you can''t use that static light as well as you¡¯d like to think. We can''t put all our cards in that basket.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re putting them in the prophecy child one? We¡¯re putting them all there when you¡¯re never even here to create a child, we put them there when we don''t even know if she can be conceived.¡± David rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Ara, just stop it.¡± ¡°No! I won''t. I''m tired of this. I¡­I have all these questions, David, and I never ask. I never question what you do, because I trust you. But I don''t think I should anymore. Either you''re incredibly dumb or you''re incredibly na?ve and you just believe everything Morg tells you or¡­¡± I paused. ¡°Or you''re keeping things from me.¡± ¡°And what if I was, Ara?¡± He stepped up and grabbed my arm. ¡°What if I am keeping things from you¡ªwould you leave it alone? Would you back down and let me do my thing?¡± he asked, his eyes shifting to each of mine. ¡°Yes.¡± He dropped my arm with a sigh. ¡°Look, I can''t do this anymore, either, Ara. I don''t want to be away from you. I don''t want to lie to you. But I have to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you won''t like the truth.¡± ¡°What if I promise to at least go along with it¡ªeven if it¡¯s bad?¡± He shook his head then looked over at Jason. ¡°There are things¡­¡± I stood very still, like a doe that spotted a hunter, waiting for him to continue. David sighed and sat on the bed, his head in his hands. ¡°Things that we¡¯ve discovered about certain people here, Ara. We may have more than one traitor in our midst, and we just don''t know who.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything?¡± He half looked up at me. ¡°My being away is for reasons I cannot share, right now.¡± ¡°Because of the traitors?¡± ¡°Because they may hurt you to get information I have.¡± ¡°Well, won''t they do that anyway?¡± ¡°Not while they believe you to be this na?ve, easily-led young girl. If I shared even half my knowledge with you, you wouldn''t be the same.¡± ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, looking back down at the ground. ¡°All I can tell you right now is that I went through Arthur¡¯s room at Elysium. I found notes on the prophecy. Turns out he knew about it long before the vampire council came to find you. And it wasn¡¯t common knowledge. I was ordered to kill a Lilithian upon my entrance to the council, and even I wasn''t told about this prophecy.¡± ¡°So, Arthur knew about this child¡ªeven before he knew a Lilithian had been found?¡± ¡°I suspect so. But his notes on the deciphering of the prophecy differed. And it makes sense¡ªall of it. There is no evidence that this child will kill Drake, Ara. I don''t know where Morgaine got that information, but¡ª¡± ¡°From Drake,¡± I said, and both the boys looked up. ¡°She got it straight from him.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± ¡°Arthur told me Drake was the one who told Morgaine about the prophecy. That''s what made her go searching for parchments and scrolls.¡± David stood up, his eyes narrowed. He walked slowly toward me but stopped and turned to look at Jason. ¡°What do you know, brother? You know more than you¡¯re letting on. What is it?¡± Jason moistened his lips, looking from me to David. ¡°Drake told Morgaine what he wanted her to know,¡± I cut in. ¡°To serve his own greater purpose. These scrolls you all get your information from could possibly have been forged by Drake to look like prophecy scrolls.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Jason said. ¡°There was no signature on those scrolls. Every other prophecy held Vampirie¡¯s seal. You know that.¡± David nodded. ¡°But I never questioned it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked. David''s lip turned sharply on the corner. ¡°All this began because you were kidnapped by Drake. I trusted Morgaine¡ªshe was willing to help me rescue you. I¡¯d have believed anything she said.¡± ¡°And now the dust has settled,¡± Jason said, ¡°it seems as though there are a few things coming into sharper focus.¡± David frowned then, and as the same idea he obviously had sunk in to my head, my mouth dropped. ¡°Is she the traitor?¡± His hand came slowly up to his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± I took a few steps back and let out a long, quiet breath, almost seeing it come past my lips in the colour of disbelief. ¡°Look, we don¡¯t know for sure,¡± David said. ¡°I mean, what motive would she have for getting you on the throne, for saving you? All of it.¡± ¡°Because, like you said, maybe this was never about the child. Maybe all this¡ª¡± I motioned around the room. ¡°Is for some other reason.¡± ¡°Yeah, but, what?¡± Jason said. ¡°I don''t know. But we need to flush it out.¡± ¡°How?¡± I said. They both scratched their cheekbones on one side. ¡°Is the child even possible?¡± I placed a flat hand across my belly. ¡°I don''t know,¡± David said, looking at my hand. ¡°Are you pregnant yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± I let my hand fall away. ¡°I mean, I haven''t had my period, but that¡¯s probably the stress.¡± David half smiled. ¡°Maybe. Have you taken a pregnancy test?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Maybe you should do that.¡± ¡°And what then?¡± I asked. ¡°What if I am pregnant? What do we tell our people? The king is dead. They¡¯ll demand to know whose baby it is.¡± ¡°Tell them it¡¯s mine,¡± Jason piped up. We both looked at him. ¡°Ara and I can just pretend to be together.¡± David ran a hand over his hair. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s actually a good idea, but she¡¯s not pregnant, Jason. I can smell her. She smells exactly the same as she always does.¡± Jason nodded. ¡°So, why not tell them she is anyway? Tell them it doesn¡¯t change her body like it does a human. None of them would know. None of them were around when Lilith had children, right?¡± ¡°Except Arthur,¡± I said. ¡°No. He wasn''t. He was alive, but he never came to Loslilian,¡± Jason said. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Because we talked about it¡ªtalked about Lilith having children. He said he never saw the miracle occur, but was told stories of this childbearing vampire.¡± ¡°Okay, but, why would we lie¡ªwhy would we tell them I''m pregnant?¡± ¡°To see what reaction it has.¡± ¡°Also, it would make Jason king by rights,¡± David said. ¡°It would appease the distress of the people.¡± ¡°Yeah, but when I go to swear my oath, David and I can switch places,¡± Jason said. I looked up at David with a smile. ¡°Yes. You could become official.¡± His eyes narrowed as if this idea suited him. ¡°Come to think of it, feigning pregnancy would flush out Morgaine¡¯s true motive as well¡ªif she has one.¡± ¡°Yeah, especially if she doesn''t really believe in this prophecy child,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°And who knows, if she is the traitor, it might change her allegiance.¡± ¡°Doubt it.¡± ¡°But on the bright side, Ara,¡± David said, reaching across to pull me into him. ¡°With Jason here, I can come back more often and no one will question the scent.¡± ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Everything brightened, like the sun just shone down through the roof. ¡°I didn''t think of that.¡± He kissed my forehead. ¡°It was one of my very first thoughts.¡± I snuggled into him and squeezed his ribs tight. ¡°So, will you stay tonight?¡± He shook his head against the top of mine. ¡°I can''t. When I got the call, I was in the middle of something.¡± ¡°What?¡± He looked at Jason, sighing. ¡°Really?¡± Jason said. David nodded. ¡°Well, tell her.¡± ¡°Tell me what?¡± I looked up at David. His jaw went square, tight. ¡°I''m not ready to tell you, Ara.¡± ¡°Please tell me. Or at least tell me what it¡¯s about.¡± ¡°Your family,¡± Jason said. ¡°Your bloodline.¡± I stepped back a little so I could look at David without angling my neck. ¡°What about it?¡± He let the hesitation out through his open mouth in a hard breath. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get your dad¡¯s DNA. I wanted to test it against yours, so I took some of Sam''s.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And¡­I gave it to a friend of mine who works in human medicine. She ran a DNA scan. I wanted her to run some other tests but she couldn''t get permission for those kinds of investigations¡ª¡± ¡°What kinds?¡± ¡°I wanted to know, not only if Sam was biologically related to you, through your father, but if he had odd cells, maybe proving if he was a half-blood or even of Lilithian descent.¡± ¡°What, like my dad might be Lilithian and not know it?¡± ¡°Perhaps. If Amara was his mother, then he would be Lilithian, surely. We just don''t know how it works; we don''t know why only females are born to Lilithians, but I wanted to find out. She couldn¡¯t do those tests, but she did check the DNA.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And¡­there is a distant ancestral connection.¡± He paused. I frowned at him. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means that your father is not your father, Ara,¡± Jason said. My heart sunk; David grabbed my arm. ¡°But he is related to your bloodline¡ªjust, perhaps not the Lilithian bloodline,¡± David said. ¡°Maybe he was your real father¡¯s cousin or uncle or something. I don''t know. That wasn''t discussed, but, my love?¡± He sat beside me where I fell onto Jason¡¯s bed. ¡°One fact was certain; Greg Thompson is not your real father.¡± My hands shook, my eyes tearing to blindness. ¡°Then my namesake¡ªhis mother. Was she¡­¡± ¡°I think Greg may have been adopted by Amara¡ªand it¡¯s possible she¡¯s not the same Amara I saved.¡± I nodded, biting my lip. David delicately wrapped me up in his arms. ¡°I''m sorry, Ara. I didn''t want to tell you this.¡± I nodded, wiping my face. ¡°I¡­we both kind of knew it was a possibility. It¡¯s just¡­I have no one now, David. My mum, who wasn¡¯t really my mum, is dead, and now I don''t have a dad, either.¡± ¡°You still have a dad, Ara.¡± He cradled my face against his quiet heart. ¡°That man loves you and would give his own life for you. He is your dad whether that relation is biological or not.¡± I sat up from him and looked at Jason for a second, who seemed as though he was fighting some great internal battle not to push David aside and hold me. ¡°So, you need to trace his family tree, in order to find mine, right? If we were distantly related.¡± David stiffened. ¡°When I say distant, I mean, quite possibly, centuries of distance.¡± I swallowed. ¡°So, what are you doing about it then? Just¡­nothing?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I''ve traced back as far as I can go, but, I had an idea this morning. I remembered a book in Arthur¡¯s study back home, and the name Greg came up, but the book was ancient. The only reason I even thought of it¡ªconnected it to you, was because it also mentioned something about grapevines.¡± Page 57 ¡°Grapevines?¡±Advertisement ¡°Yeah.¡± He kind of laughed. ¡°It was a novel written by a very old vampire. The story followed a man named Greg. I don''t recall the surname, but¡ª¡± ¡°Thompson,¡± Jason said out of the blue. We looked up at him; he wandered over and sat beside me. ¡°I remember it. It was Thompson.¡± ¡°Well, so¡­what does that mean? Was it a prophecy or just some fictional story, written by my dad, who is actually a vampire?¡± David laughed. ¡°Your dad¡¯s not a vampire, Ara. He ages. I¡¯ve seen it and I¡¯ve heard his heartbeat¡ªeven read his mind. I can''t read vampire minds, you know that.¡± ¡°Well, maybe he¡¯s another breed?¡± ¡°I doubt it, but I''m looking into it. And this book, I don''t remember the story¡ª¡± David looked at Jason; Jason shrugged as if to say he didn''t either, ¡°¡ªBut I''m going in to Elysium to get it. I want to find out how many similarities there are.¡± ¡°Do you think, if this was Arthur¡¯s book, maybe he knows something?¡± David shook his head. ¡°The book was of very little significance, Ara. I only thought of it because I was thinking about us and remembered when you first mentioned grapevines. It was an unassuming, unimportant thought that flittered past in a memory, and something just clicked. It probably has no relevance at all.¡± I nodded. ¡°Will you tell me? Like, if you find anything, will you tell me?¡± He looked at Jason. ¡°I will. I promise.¡± I wrapped my arms around him again. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it. Now¡ª¡± He stood up, taking my hand, and pulled me into another hug. ¡°I have to go. I need to sneak into Elysium at sunset.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because that''s when the guards change over. It¡¯s the easiest time to get in.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay. So, why don''t you take Quaid and Ryder with you¡ªI''m really worried Arthur might be right about Drake trying to get his hands on a Pure Created, but Mike won''t listen.¡± David nodded, cupping a hand over my head and placing a soft kiss on my hair. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go sneak down to the barracks and see what the deal is.¡± I squeezed him tighter. ¡°Thanks, David.¡± He squeezed back. ¡°You take care, okay? I¡¯ll hopefully have word back about this book before tomorrow.¡± I nodded against his chest. ¡°Okay.¡± Jason stepped up, and David broke away from our embrace to hug his brother. ¡°I''m glad you''re alive, bro,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah.¡± Jason patted David''s back. ¡°Me too. And don''t worry, I¡¯ll watch over her for you.¡± David nodded, studying me then Jason carefully. ¡°The bind¡­it is broken now, right?¡± I smiled. ¡°Yeah. It is.¡± ¡°Okay. Just¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, brother.¡± Jason reached across and clapped David on the shoulder. ¡°I won''t touch her. I swear.¡± He nodded, satisfied, and leaned in to kiss my cheek softly before disappearing into thin air, leaving only a wispy breeze and the billowing curtain. ¡°Good thing this isn''t Australia,¡± I said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯d have a hard time getting in and out if there were flyscreens on all the windows.¡± Jason laughed loudly. ¡°So, what were you thinking before?¡± I asked, remembering back to when David demanded he share his thoughts. ¡°Oh, um.¡± He looked at me, half smiling, kind of surprised as well. ¡°I can''t believe you picked up on that.¡± ¡°I pick up on everything,¡± I said, and sat down on his bed. ¡°Well¡ª¡± He sat down, too. ¡°David said Arthur¡¯s notes differed to Morgaine¡¯s deciphering of the prophecy¡ªthat he didn''t seem to have scribed any possibility of a child that can cure vampirism.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, why does he want a child with you, on the premise that he wants to be free, if he doesn''t believe the prophecy?¡± All the blood drained from my face. ¡°Precisely,¡± Jason said, grinning. ¡°Wanna know something else?¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± ¡°David had a flash of an image in his mind while we were talking; it was mostly just scribble, but I saw the dagger in there.¡± ¡°What, a picture of it, or the actual dagger?¡± ¡°Just a picture¡ªdone in charcoal. He knows what he¡¯s looking for, but hasn''t found it¡ªand his not being here has something to do with it, so does his eagerness to be crowned.¡± ¡°Wow, and you got all that from one thought?¡± ¡°Thoughts happen very quickly, Ara. Once a neuron in your brain fires up, it sends other signals, like knocking over a line of dominoes, until the thought becomes whole. I simply grab that first thought at the flick of that switch, and there¡¯s nothing anyone can do to stop me. By the time you realise you¡¯re thinking something you don''t want to share, I¡¯ve already seen it.¡± ¡°Okay, so you think he wants to be sworn in as king for some greater purpose?¡± ¡°Yes. And I want to know what it is.¡± ¡°Maybe just to finally be king.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. It wasn''t that. I felt it¡ªsaw the look on his face. He thought it was a great idea but not for that reason. Enough of a great idea that he¡¯s going along with you and I pretending to be together.¡± ¡°What, didn''t he like that idea?¡± Jason nearly laughed. ¡°No. I think I caught a flash of him slowly rolling my entrails out through my anus.¡± ¡°Jason!¡± I slapped his chest. ¡°That is really gross.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± He laughed. He wasn¡¯t sorry. ¡°But he¡¯s going along with it. So he either really wants to flush out the traitor by lie of a pregnancy, or really wants to be crowned.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, he agreed to us in a pretend romance awfully quick for the David I know¡ªand that was before the idea of crowning came up.¡± ¡°Maybe he thinks you¡¯re already pregnant and knows he¡¯ll be forced to return if that truth comes out,¡± he said through a yawn, covering his mouth. I nodded and looked down at my belly. ¡°Surely he¡¯d have said that¡ªif he thought I was pregnant.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Who knows? Personally, I''m beat, Ara. I¡¯ve been on a plane all night, unable to sleep, followed by a two hour run here. I need to hit the hay.¡± He jerked his thumb to his bed. ¡°Okay.¡± I stood up and headed for his door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner?¡± ¡°Yeah. I look forward to it.¡± He leaned his cheek against his door while I stood in the hall. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll announce our plans to be a couple.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No way. Not yet.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don''t think Mike would take it too well, Jase. I''m pretty sure he''s on the verge of a nervous breakdown.¡± Jason¡¯s shoulders lifted with his single breath of humour. ¡°Well, I don''t really give a damn about him, Ara. We have limited time until Drake comes along and reveals his true plan, by then, we need to have flushed out the traitors and have some kind of defence prepared.¡± I reached across and touched his left arm, imagining his Mark beneath the sleeve of his shirt. ¡°I''m glad you¡¯re here. I hate to think how things would¡¯ve turned out if you¡¯d not come back.¡± He nodded. ¡°Arthur¡¯s been watching out for you, Ara. He probably suspects Morgaine already¡ªprobably knows exactly what''s going on.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± It felt kind of scary to know I¡¯d been left here alone with traitors in the mix¡ªpossibly people I was close with. ¡°It¡¯s always the people you¡¯re close with, Ara, they¡¯re the ones you really have to watch.¡± I frowned up at him, rolling my eyes when I realised he¡¯d just read my mind. ¡°Will you stop that?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± He grinned. ¡°G¡¯night, Ara.¡± ¡°Night, Jase.¡± Our new guest didn''t join us for dinner, but despite his absence, Mike was super quiet and everyone else was charged with excitement, except Arthur, who was clearly sulking. ¡°It doesn''t matter,¡± Margret said. ¡°It¡¯s the law. The queen must take a king within her first six months and produce an heir within a year.¡± ¡°Those laws are out-dated, Margret,¡± Mike said, practically spitting. ¡°She¡¯s too young to have a baby, and without blood of Knight, there¡¯s no hope of the prophecy child, so what¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°To have an heir to the throne.¡± ¡°You can have one. Just not yet,¡± Mike finished. ¡°Have you considered a child with Arthur?¡± Walter asked; Arthur dropped his fork onto the table and folded his napkin. ¡°He¡¯s a firstborn¡ªperhaps you should try. The worst that can happen is that the child be powerless.¡± ¡°Yes, but that would make Arthur king regnant,¡± Margret said, and everyone on the table broke into mutters among themselves. I looked at Arthur; he looked away. ¡°Well, Jason has returned,¡± Grey Sideburns said. ¡°Was it not rumoured he and our queen were once in love?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said, smiling at the almost audible sound of Mike¡¯s blood boiling. ¡°Perhaps we should switch focus¡ªforget this prophecy. I knew nothing of it until recently and I care nothing for it, either. I care for our freedom, and it seems¡ª¡± the woman motioned around our table of united breeds, ¡°¡ªthat Her Majesty has already achieved this much. She should focus on finding a king and bearing an heir.¡± ¡°Here, here.¡± Mutuality united the table with rapping knuckles. ¡°Drake plans to attack in a month,¡± Mike said. ¡°We should focus on a battle plan¡ªor a way to kill him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your job, young man,¡± said Margret, waving her hand as if he was a fly. ¡°Ours is to worry what the queen and the people do.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said another snooty old woman with almost purple hair. ¡°Let us do our part, and you can take care of yours.¡± I blocked out the other conversations around the table and leaned in to Mike. ¡°Did you speak to your informant¡ªabout Quaid and Ryder going to Elysium?¡± He nodded. ¡°He took my side. We wait.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down. ¡°Did he mention¡­anything else?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± I sat back in my chair. So he hadn¡¯t told Mike that Jason and I were planning to feign a relationship and a pregnancy. I wondered why. Maybe he really was opposed to it and was using it to distract Jason and I from something else. But what? ¡°Morg?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You know it makes sense, right?¡± ¡°What does?¡± ¡°Me being with Jason.¡± She studied me carefully, her eyes narrowed. ¡°We could crown him king,¡± I said suggestively, hoping she ¡®got¡¯ me. ¡°And, who knows, maybe I¡¯ll fall pregnant straight away.¡± She looked at Mike; I could feel his burning gaze in my neck. They weren¡¯t getting it. ¡°I mean,¡± I continued, half aware that several people had stopped talking and were listening. ¡°He looks just like my dead husband. Maybe I could just imagine it¡¯s him¡ªmaybe I¡¯ll come to love him one day.¡± I saw the light switch on in her head. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked. Mike huffed, sinking back in his chair, while Morgaine sat straight. ¡°She has a point, Mike.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°I think that''s a wonderful idea,¡± Margret joined our private conversation. ¡°What does our new guest think of this?¡± ¡°I¡­I haven¡¯t mentioned it, but I think he¡¯ll be happy with it,¡± I said. Arthur slammed his napkin on the table then pushed his chair out and stormed away. Mike sat staring into his plate, his face red, holding his breath for about two beats after Arthur left, then shoved out from the table and stormed away, too. A quiet hum of laughter settled over the room, lightening the mood. And it stayed that way for the rest of the night. With the tension of a kingless nation eased and the renewed possibility of an heir to the throne, I think my people felt a sense of hope for the first time in so long, even if that heir to be born wasn''t the prophecy child Morgaine had told everyone about. I placed a soft hand to my belly and looked around at all the smiling faces. Very soon, I was going to make everything all right for these people. Very soon, their king would return and, together, we would finally unite all vampires and Lilithians. Chapter Fifteen A circle of darkness made the field an eerie place to be; I slowly wandered forward, seeing the grass appear at my feet with each step, following a distant, gloomy hum of a song. Each word came like a lost soul sung its last wish, and the hollow, haunting ring of the tune left bumps of chill down my bare arms. I stopped dead when I saw a man kneeling on the ground under my tree; his shoulders hunched, his dark hair shining with flames I could feel but not see. His hands moved purposefully up and down, and when I stepped closer, hesitant and ready to run, he looked up at me; his green eyes like glass, his face smudged with red. I gasped, jumping back, and the man went about his business, ignoring me. In his lap, a mess of hair and blood coloured the night, seeping down the pale white skin and yellow dress of the limp girl, her head buried facedown against his knees. A great gaping tear seemed to spilt her in two, following her spine, and the man rocked back and forth over her, singing his song, stitching her skin closed from the top of her neck, down. Page 58 ¡°What happened?¡±Advertisement ¡°She loved me,¡± he said. ¡°She trusted me, and I hurt her.¡± ¡°Jason?¡± I touched his shoulder. ¡°I can''t make her smile again.¡± He stopped rocking and looked up at me. ¡°Look what I did to her. Look how broken she is.¡± We both looked back at the girl, and almost as if he forgot I was here, his song started again with a new kind of melody, laden with a sliver of malice, as he continued his vain attempt to suture her up. But she couldn¡¯t be fixed. She was damaged beyond repair, and no matter how tight he pulled that stitch, she would never look at him again. ¡°Jason.¡± I tried to make him see, tried to make him realise I was here, but he was lost in his own agony¡ªtoo far gone for me to save. He was with her, in whatever Hell they had been dragged down to. ¡°Oh, Ara.¡± He lifted the girl, making her spine bend in an unnatural way, and cradled the back of her head against his face. ¡°Ara. Ara. Ara,¡± he said, over and over again. It started echoing away, becoming a ghostly call, like a wild wind howling through the treetops. I looked up, heard it resonate from over the hill, out there, somewhere in the darkness. Ara. I looked behind me. Ara. My eyes flashed open to a dark room, my blanket scrunched in a tight fist, the cry of the wind living outside my dream. It howled again, screaming my name. I jumped out of bed and wandered slowly across my room, following the noise. It was so dark I bumped my leg on several things as my bare feet fell carefully over the floorboards and rugs beneath them. When I reached the fireplace, the sound of my name being screamed carried up the emptiness inside it and whirled around my head. ¡°Aaaaarraaaaa!¡± I grabbed the mantle and leaned in, holding my breath, but the noise stopped. ¡°Hello?¡± I called cautiously, squatting down, placing flat palms on the hearth. It was empty, deep, nothing but a draft and the smell of soot and ash inside. I slightly crawled into the hollow, praying nothing creepy sprung up out and grabbed me. And the noise came again; I lifted my head, rocked back on my heels and looked around. It wasn''t coming from the fireplace; it was coming from the wall. I was just about to rush across my room and flick the light on, when I heard glass breaking down the hall. I ran for the door, yanked it open and looked past Falcon to the end of the corridor. Arthur came out from his room, cursing to himself, and walked toward the stairs, carrying his stone mixing bowl. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Falcon. He shrugged. ¡°Nothing. Why?¡± ¡°I heard screaming.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°It was probably just a bad dream. I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡± I nodded, but I knew I heard it, even if he didn''t. ¡°I don''t expect you to understand, Falcon, so you can follow me if you want to, but don''t stop me. I need to see what Arthur¡¯s up to.¡± I took off walking, vaguely mindful that Falcon was behind me, and also extremely glad. That noise was a sound of pure terror; the person who screamed it, a lost soul, suffering an agony that couldn¡¯t be repaired. I had to find them. I had to set them free. When I came upon the second floor landing, Arthur was already gone. I spun around a few times, trying to catch his scent. Falcon cleared his throat and pointed toward the west wing. ¡°Thanks, Falcon.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it,¡± he said, and we started walking. The noise continued down here, and this time, I knew Falcon heard it. He went stiff, coming up quickly beside me. ¡°What is that?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s the screaming I heard.¡± A door popped open at the end of the hall, and Falcon grabbed my arm, pulling me closer to the wall. A man closed that door behind him, and when he approached, becoming visible in the light, I let myself breath again. ¡°Arthur?¡± I said, shrugging out of my knight¡¯s grip. ¡°Ara?¡± He stopped dead. ¡°What are you doing out of bed?¡± ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡± I nodded to the bowl. ¡°What happened?¡± He looked weary, worn. He rubbed his brow and walked past me. ¡°Night terrors.¡± ¡°Night terrors?¡± I looked at Jason''s door. ¡°Is he okay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s asleep now. As should you be.¡± ¡°I heard my name being called.¡± Arthur dropped his hand from his brow and pressed it to my back, guiding me down the corridor. ¡°He was calling for you in his sleep.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He sighed. ¡°Who do you think he was dreaming about?¡± My heart tightened. ¡°Is it¡­does he dream about the tortu¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he cut in. ¡°Leave it in the past, Amara. It¡¯s late.¡± And that was that. He walked ahead and disappeared, leaving me in the darkness of the second floor corridor. I looked up at Falcon. ¡°Night terrors.¡± He nodded. ¡°Guilty conscience.¡± ¡°But¡­he shouldn''t be feeling guilt.¡± ¡°He wouldn''t be human if he didn''t, Ara.¡± I smiled. ¡°He¡¯s not human.¡± ¡°Yes, he is. He¡¯s just an immortal human.¡± The evening chatter seemed to be louder tonight, the people alive with the presence of our newcomer. And though I was feeling quite refreshed from having seen my husband yesterday, I still found myself looking at his empty chair. Morgaine hardly took her eyes off Mike all night, and he¡¯d hardly touched his food, even Eric was quiet. None of the knights were yelling jokes down the table at each other and the tell-tale sign that Arthur was in some deep pit of turmoil was when Margret forced her opinions around about the reign of Genghis Kahn, and he just sat there, with nothing to say. Her theories were enough to make me choke. In fact, the only time Arthur came to life was to rap Jason across the back of the head every time he leaned forward to gawk at me. On the bright side, at least Mike and Arthur shared one thing in common, for once; they both wanted to flatten Jason. The same conversations we¡¯d had nearly every night continued down the table, except, tonight, Jason was joining in. I tuned out most of it, since it was all irrelevant; my husband was alive, so, who the father of my child should be really wasn''t important. ¡°These discussions have gone on long enough,¡± Walter said. ¡°Fact is, we need a new king and an heir¡ªthe prophecy is of little significance at this point.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Jason shrugged; everyone looked at him. ¡°Even if the queen doesn¡¯t love me, I¡¯ll be more than happy to step into my brother¡¯s role.¡± ¡°And what a powerful king you would be, too,¡± Old Margret said, grinning bashfully at Jason. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard stories of your talents.¡± He winked at her. ¡°Even then, I bet you haven¡¯t heard the half of it.¡± You tease! He looked over at me and scratched his nose, attempting to hide his laughter. ¡°Yes, imagine the gifts their child¡ªour future queen¡ªwould possess,¡± Walter said. ¡°Remarkable,¡± another said. ¡°I still believe she should pair with Arthur. He is, after all, a firstborn son,¡± a vampire woman said. ¡°Perhaps we can achieve the prophecy child, and I am sure Arthur would make a great king.¡± ¡°Can we stop deliberating who my best friend needs to have sex with, please?¡± Mike said and dropped his head into hands. ¡°We¡¯re at the damn dinner table, for God¡¯s sake.¡± I reached over and pried his hand away from his hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mike.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not.¡± He looked around at everyone. ¡°Forget the prophecy child. She is not having sex with him or him!¡± He pointed at both Arthur and Jason. ¡°I disagree. I think she should unite with her former husband¡¯s brother. If the prophecy child was supposed to be with blood of David Knight, then surely his own DNA would suffice in place.¡± ¡°Yes, in magic this works, too,¡± Grey Beard said. ¡°With a spell based on one¡¯s blood, a twin can offer themselves up in place.¡± ¡°But,¡± the other grey beard man said. ¡°Our runes never predicted anything which indicated your child need be blood of a firstborn, or that she would be powerful¡ªonly that there were two options; one path would lead to the end of all this, the other would see it resolved but not final.¡± A few arguments broke out across the table. I looked at Morgaine. ¡°Ara, what matters is what Drake believes,¡± she said, obviously sensing my confusion. ¡°He¡¯s the one we¡¯re running from.¡± ¡°Okay, but, what does it matter if we have a prophecy child or not, I¡ª¡± ¡°Because she is the one foretold to free the Damned,¡± Morg said, practically singing each word out in an impatient tone. ¡°I disagree.¡± I folded my arms, finally ready to challenge her. ¡°You said the prophecy foretold her making a change, seeing an end to Drake, not that no one else could.¡± ¡°I agree with Ara,¡± Jason said, smiling as if he¡¯d been in our conversation the whole time. ¡°Our queen may be the key.¡± ¡°Shut up, Jason. You''re just saying that because you want to be the one who fathers the child!¡± Morgaine spat. Jason sat back in his chair, his smug grin making him look incredibly cute. ¡°Last I checked, prophecies foretold events that happen. If this child were meant to be with my brother, he wouldn''t have died. It was always meant to be me.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± said a woman. ¡°I say they marry at once.¡± Mike spat his food out on his plate, coughing. ¡°Well, for now, we¡¯ll just see what happens.¡± I looked at Mike then Arthur. ¡°Jason and I aren¡¯t even together.¡± ¡°Well, your majesty, you have a duty to uphold.¡± Margret sipped her drink, her pinkie in the air beside her goblet. ¡°I agree with Francine; you should marry tomorrow and conceive immediately.¡± ¡°Now, just a minute.¡± Mike stood up. ¡°Ara is only nineteen. There are plenty of years for a child.¡± ¡°That may be so¡ª¡± Arthur stood too and glared at me, ¡°¡ªbut she has a responsibility to her people. If there is a possibility of a child, she should take it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. There are to be no more discussions about this,¡± Mike said, slamming his hands on the table. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d be more willing to discuss it if you were among the options,¡± Arthur said. ¡°This has nothing to do with my feelings for Ara. She is a young girl, goddamn it, and I won''t see her forced to have a child with someone she doesn''t love.¡± ¡°Well you''ve got no choice. Neither does she.¡± He pointed at me, his face red with fury. ¡°None of us bloody well do.¡± His voice softened on the end and he walked briskly from the room, shaking his head. A wash of stunned silence rolled over the table until, one by one, everyone went back to their meals and Mike sat down. ¡°Mike?¡± He looked at me, clearly biting his teeth together inside his mouth. ¡°None of this matters.¡± I motioned around the table, referring to the topic of childbearing with other men. ¡°Our informant will see to it.¡± He looked around, probably checking no one caught on to my not-so-cryptic remark. ¡°That''s not what this is about, Ara.¡± ¡°Well, what are you so upset about?¡± He sat back in his chair, shaking his head, then exhaled and pushed out from the table. ¡°Mike?¡± I called, but he kept walking. ¡°Wow, this party is getting smaller and smaller,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him, Morg?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be all right,¡± she said. ¡°He was kind of hoping the people wouldn''t support a union with anyone else for a while.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they can make you marry and sleep with Jason if that¡¯s who they choose.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Why do you think Lilith hated Peter so much?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I smiled down at my empty plate. ¡°And Mike¡¯s worried I might end up with more than one husband?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll have to get over it,¡± Jason said, sitting in Mike¡¯s chair. Morgaine¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of her head. ¡°You¡¯d better hope Mike doesn''t come back and see you sitting¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, Morg.¡± He threw a pea at her from Mike¡¯s plate. ¡°I''m not afraid of him.¡± ¡°Should be,¡± she scoffed under her breath. ¡°So¡ª¡± he grinned, leaning closer, ¡°¡ªcare to sneak away from this dreary evening?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Morgaine sat forward, throwing her napkin down. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Morg, stay out of it.¡± ¡°No. Mike will freak.¡± ¡°Yeah, and Mike is about this close to getting replaced by Falcon.¡± I held up an imaginary tiny thing between my fingers, ¡°He needs to chill out. He¡¯s making me tense all the time.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t replace him.¡± ¡°Yes, Morg. I would.¡± I stood up with Jason. ¡°I can only take so much of his over-protectiveness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for a good reason, Amara.¡± ¡°Well, Jason is officially my boyfriend, now.¡± I stared her down. ¡°If my advisor says it¡¯s a good idea, then you can damn well go along with it, Morg. Discussion closed.¡± She sat back, folding her arms, practically resting her bottom lip in her lap with its pout. Page 59 ¡°I''ve never been in the Garden of Strategy before,¡± I said, strolling over the squares of marble and grass, patterned like a chessboard.Advertisement ¡°Elysium has one just like it,¡± Jason said. ¡°Did anyone ever hold a game here?¡± I nodded to the decaying ruins of stone pawns and knights, their cracks bleeding vines and moss. ¡°Once.¡± He nodded, keeping his gaze ahead of us. We strolled along, quiet then, until we reached the end of the manor, just below his room and, above that, my windows. We both looked up, my head turning slightly to the side to catch his thoughtful gaze. ¡°What is it, Jase?¡± ¡°Can I talk to you in private?¡± ¡°Sure. We could go to the Garden of Lilith,¡± I suggested. ¡°The guards aren¡¯t allowed in there.¡± He looked over his shoulder to Blade, standing in the shadows, playing with his phone, not too concerned about what we were doing or saying. ¡°I¡¯d rather go someplace else they¡¯re not allowed to go.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Up.¡± He grabbed my hand, grinning, and jumped into the air, taking me with him. I felt his arms wrap my waist and barely had time to hold my breath before we flew through the open window and into his room. ¡°Jerk!¡± I shoved him when he released me to the safety of the floor. He just laughed and wandered over to light a lantern. The room came to life under its golden flame and he sat down on the foot of his bed, placing the lantern on his blanket box. ¡°Come. Sit.¡± I plonked down right on his hand; he moved it, clearly finding my sudden moodiness quite amusing. ¡°I''m going to get in trouble now, you know. You should have told me you were gonna do that,¡± I said. ¡°Why? Then Blade could¡¯ve stopped us.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°Don''t do that.¡± He shoved his hand between the fold and pushed them down. ¡°You know damn well you would have come anyway, if I asked you.¡± I smirked at his smirk. ¡°Okay. Fine. I would. But, just tell me next time you''re going to hoist me a few feet into the air.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± He laid back on the bed, his hands behind his head. I could smell the strong, aromatic spice of his cologne, coming up from the heat under his shirt, and I wanted to lay on his chest and sniff him. He was just so gorgeously human. ¡°You like human?¡± he said. ¡°Stay out of my head!¡± I slapped his chest, letting my hand fall down on the bed right by his ribs. In truth, I didn''t really want him to stay out of my head; I liked it. I missed when David used to be able to read my mind. Things had become so complicated since I had to explain my thoughts and emotions to him now. ¡°So, he can¡¯t read your mind anymore¡ªat all?¡± I shook my head. ¡°We were working on projecting thoughts, and I could sometimes read his mind¡ª¡± when we were having sex, ¡°¡ªbut I can¡¯t really control it yet.¡± ¡°Maybe I can help you.¡± He rubbed the side of my arm, rolling up a little. ¡°I''m kind of an expert.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really that important.¡± ¡°Sounds like it is.¡± I shrugged one shoulder, looking around his room; it had so much personality already, like he¡¯d gathered things from his childhood and brought them here. There was a baseball glove and ball on his drawer top, his wallet on his nightstand, a gold-trimmed picture frame with a drawing of what I assumed was Arietta, and a pair of jeans, a shirt and two socks on the floor by the foot of his bed. It seemed like he was kind of untidy, like me. I glanced over at the stack of books on the wooden table by the fireplace, sitting under his Yankees cap, but couldn''t make out the titles on the spine. I wondered if he sat up late reading them, avoiding sleep¡ªavoiding the nightmares. ¡°Hey, Jase?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Sure. Anything.¡± ¡°What are your nightmares about?¡± ¡°Anything but that,¡± he said dismissively, looking at the bedpost. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± He shut his mouth and sat quiet for a second. ¡°I guess I don''t really want to let you in to that part of myself, Ara.¡± ¡°What part? And why?¡± ¡°I''m not really sure how to describe it.¡± ¡°Well, what, like, the deeper part of you¡ªyour emotional soft spot?¡± He laughed. ¡°No, you¡¯re already in there.¡± ¡°Well, can you try to explain it to me?¡± I touched his hand. ¡°I actually just want to help.¡± ¡°You can''t help.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because unless you can cure guilt, then I just have to let this run its course.¡± ¡°Guilt?¡± I closed my eyes, flashing back to that cell, where he beat me and cut me open and did things I had scars from but no memory. ¡°David said there were things on that list, Jase, that¡ª¡± ¡°Ara, please?¡± He shut his eyes tight. ¡°No. I want to know.¡± ¡°To know what?¡± ¡°Did you erase anything¡ªof what you¡ª¡± ¡°Ara.¡± He held his hand up. ¡°Don''t ask me that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because, if I lie, you¡¯ll know, and if I tell you the truth, you¡¯ll pester me for more information until I give in. And I can''t, sweet girl. I can''t tell you, and I find it really hard to resist you when you bug me.¡± ¡°So, you did erase things?¡± He shook his head to himself, angling his face to look away from me, making the shadow of his nose, down the underside of his arm, longer. My thoughts flashed to the scar I had on the base of my spine¡ªthe one Eric seemed to know something about but would never tell me, and with that, came a flashback of the horrible dream that woke me last night. ¡°How did you see that?¡± he asked, startling me with the sudden panic in his tone. ¡°See what?¡± He sat up and grabbed my face. ¡°That dream.¡± I sat confused for a second. ¡°Oh, the one I had last night?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡­I dreamed it, I guess,¡± I said sarcastically. Jason sat back, staring into nothing. ¡°What?¡± I waved a hand in front of his face. He shook it off¡ªwhatever it was, and smiled. ¡°Arthur was a bit¡­uh, pissed-off tonight.¡± I laughed, letting him slink away to the land of dark secrets concealed for another day. ¡°Yeah. What was with him?¡± A few seconds of silence passed. ¡°I''ve never seen him behave like that, you know?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He rolled onto his side, softly tracing a strand of hair that fell down my back. ¡°I don''t know what you said to him yesterday, Ara, but one thing I do know is that what you saw tonight wasn¡¯t anger, it was heartbreak.¡± ¡°Don''t say that, Jase.¡± I sighed. ¡°I feel really bad as is.¡± ¡°Don''t. He¡¯s a grown man. He¡¯ll get over it.¡± ¡°I don''t know if he will.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I told him it¡¯d make me sick to have sex with him.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°I know. I¡­I didn¡¯t mean it to sound so nasty.¡± ¡°Mm, well, I wouldn¡¯t worry. For the sake of whatever his plan is, he¡¯ll have to force himself to get over it.¡± He moved forward and lifted my arm, sliding under it so his head rested in my lap. ¡°If you think he¡¯s gonna drop this child thing just ¡®cause I''m here, you''re kidding yourself.¡± I gently ground my teeth together. ¡°Well, I better hurry and fall pregnant then.¡± ¡°You need my brother here for that,¡± he said, inching away from me as though I was going to jump on him and steal his seed. ¡°Ha-ha. Jerk.¡± I poked his upper arm. ¡°I know. But, can you talk to him for me¡ªto David? I can''t fall pregnant if he never comes to see me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He smiled softly, his beautiful fangs showing under those perfect dark lips. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him. I¡¯ll threaten to impregnate you myself if he doesn''t.¡± ¡°Don''t do that. He might think you''re serious.¡± ¡°Who says I''m not?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°So, when are we going to announce our imaginary pregnancy?¡± ¡°When they believe we¡¯re in love.¡± His grin set my heart ablaze, those fangs showing again, and without mind for territorial boundaries, I smoothed my thumb over his lip and touched it gently to his fang. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked, removing my hand. ¡°It¡¯s been so long now since I''ve been bitten. Mike won¡¯t let anyone bite me, or feed from me. I''m like a golden shrine.¡± ¡°Does he let you bite?¡± ¡°No¡ª I have to get my vamp-immunity from approved veins, and even then, only through a pre-cut slit.¡± ¡°Mm. Appetising.¡± He winced. ¡°Nah. It¡¯s okay. I feed from Eric sometimes. And Lilithians don''t crave the bite like vampires do. Well¡ª¡± I looked at his mouth again, ¡°¡ªwe¡¯re not supposed to. I miss it, though, and I miss being bitten.¡± He looked at my neck for a second too long, then let out a deep breath, focusing on the roof. ¡°I wish we could share blood. But, before you freak out listing all the reasons we can''t, just know, not only can I not do it, but I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there is no way I could resist going further with you.¡± ¡°Okay, so that''s the why, what¡¯s the can¡¯t?¡± ¡°I''m not immune¡ªI don''t drink Lilithian blood.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± I whacked my own brow with the heel of my palm. ¡°I forget you haven¡¯t been here. Are you going to, though¡ªbe immune, I mean?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I like knowing I can escape from life.¡± ¡°Death? Why would you want death?¡± He let out a breath through his nose. ¡°It doesn''t matter. Look, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll walk you back to your room.¡± ¡°Jase?¡± He stood up and appeared by his open door, not looking at me. ¡°Come on. Mike¡¯ll go crazy if he can¡¯t find you.¡± I laid on my belly, my forearm under my chin, one fingertip in the cool pond, watching my reflection under the backdrop of a cloudy sky. The Garden of Lilith had a kind of presence to it, as if all life, all living things gathered here to celebrate the beauty of nature. And it was peaceful. Private. Secluded. A frog jumped up from the water, sending ripples out in circles that grew and overlapped each other, stopping on the marble edge of the pond. ¡°Are you a prince?¡± I asked him. ¡°Would you like a kiss?¡± He croaked at me and hopped back into the water, and as I sat up and looked across the reflection, I thought I saw a child on the rope swing. I spun around quickly to look at the tree; the leaves rustled in the soft, warm breeze, and the swing rocked purposefully back and forth, but there was no child there. ¡°Hello?¡± No one answered. When I looked at the pond again, the ripples were gone, leaving a definite image of a little girl in the reflection¡ªswinging on the swing. But, sure enough, when I looked up, she was gone. I got to my knees, leaning right over the water to focus on her, gasping when her eyes met mine. I jumped back, landing on my butt and hands in the grass, while a soft giggle trickled around the treetops then, following the child as she hopped off the swing and ran through the gates, out of the garden, leaving me feeling very alone. The clouds closed in above me, bringing the night sky with them, and a cool chill settled on the pond, making plumes of fog rise up off the surface in whorls. I got up and walked backward toward the gate, squealing when an ill-mannered crow yelled at me from the brick wall. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked it. It buried its beak in its wing, pulling something silver and long from within. I walked slowly toward it and held my hand out, looking up quickly when it dropped my silver key into my palm. ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± The little girl appeared beside me, snatching the key. The crow cawed again, swooping at me as I covered my head. When I looked up again, the girl was gone, the garden gone, the crow, everything. I sat up in my bed and looked around. The key. On my dresser, the music box sung when I opened it and moved my treasures aside; David''s moonstone bangle, my coral earrings, my engagement ring and¡ªphew, still there¡ªmy key. I closed my hand around it, feeling its warmth, then tucked it safely back in the box and closed the lid. But somewhere, maybe resonating from within that dream, I thought I could still hear that child giggling¡ªlike the sound was coming out of my fireplace again. I shook the idea off quickly. If there were actually ghosts haunting this place, I was not going to go looking for them. Outside, the sun was quite high in the sky, and despite today being Sunday, it seemed odd that no one had come to wake me. I wandered over and looked out my window, seeing Jason down in the Garden of Strategy, running about with Petey and some old rag they were using as a chew toy. He stopped as Petey ran off to fetch the cloth, and looked over his shoulder, right up at me. I waved; he waved back and went about his game. He was a different kind of guy when he played with that dog, almost like a younger, freer version of himself. I liked that version¡ªa little too much. I turned away, shut my curtain and headed to get ready for the day. Page 60 Morgaine pulled a chair out next to her when I stepped in late to the council meeting. But, since learning she might be a traitor, I¡¯d had a hard time pretending to be her friend, so I stood slightly behind her instead, pretending not to have noticed her gesture.Advertisement ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing,¡± Quaid said. ¡°At least then David can come home sometimes, since it¡¯d explain the scent.¡± ¡°True,¡± Blade said. ¡°It¡¯ll also explain a pregnancy if it ever happens,¡± Falcon added. I realised then that they were discussing the idea of my feigned relationship with Jason. ¡°I say we fake a pregnancy so we can crown David now¡ªwhy wait until Ara actually conceives?¡± Morgaine said. ¡°Hey, good idea, Morg,¡± Quaid said. ¡°What¡¯d you guys think?¡± ¡°I''m okay with it,¡± Eric said, and it seemed everyone else agreed. But not me, because it spoiled my plan to draw out Morgaine¡¯s motives. I shrugged when they looked at me. ¡°Works fine for me.¡± ¡°No,¡± Mike stated, standing taller. ¡°It¡¯s out of the question.¡± ¡°Mike, they will force her to marry soon, and I can''t be back there yet¡ª¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mike cut David off. ¡°All your reasons for being away make no sense, given current events, David. What''s really going on?¡± Morgaine shifted in her chair; I finally sat down. ¡°I''m with Mike on this one,¡± Eric said, looking at the phone. ¡°How can we protect our queen, and our nation, if you¡¯re keeping things from us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like I said.¡± Morgaine stood up. ¡°What Margret or Walter or any of the Ancient Rune Readers have to say is irrelevant. Drake believes David to be the knight of the prophecy, and the only reason he didn''t attack before the coronation is because, Ara might be powerful, but she is not worth a damn without that child.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± I said, though I didn''t agree. In truth, I knew David had things to hide, but I trusted him. After all, he was the one person who absolutely had my best interests at heart. So, I¡¯d help him keep those secrets for now, even if I didn''t know what they were. ¡°David''s been busting his chops trying to find another Lilithian¡ªtrying to find Vampirie, and you guys have the audacity to question his motives.¡± Everyone looked at me. ¡°He has nothing but our best interests at heart, and you would all do well to respect his decisions,¡± I finished. ¡°Right,¡± Morgaine said. ¡°We stick to plan A; get this prophecy child conceived and get David crowned under disguise of Jason.¡± ¡°And to do that, Jason has to be Ara¡¯s husband,¡± Mike yelled. ¡°They have to wed!¡± ¡°Not if she¡¯s pregnant first,¡± Morg reasoned. ¡°They don''t have to be married if he is king by right of heir.¡± ¡°But the child has to be born first, doesn''t it?¡± Quaid asked. ¡°Nope,¡± Blade said. ¡°As long as it¡¯s conceived, the father will have rights to be ruler.¡± ¡°Yes, which get revoked if the child dies,¡± Morg finished for him. ¡°Right. So, again, we¡¯ll feign a pregnancy and crown David in Jason¡¯s place,¡± I said simply. ¡°Like we planned before you started debating this, Mike.¡± Mike dropped his head against his fist. ¡°Ara, you''re killing me.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t really be together,¡± I said. ¡°And it means David will inherit greater powers from the Stone, too. Who knows, maybe he and I can kill Drake together.¡± Mike sat down. ¡°How long before we can announce a pregnancy?¡± Emily asked, her voice quieter through the phone than David''s had been. ¡°A month¡ªmaybe less. Better give it about that long, anyway, since Jason¡¯s only just arrived,¡± David said. ¡°I''m not sure how the people would react to an instant pregnancy.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mike nodded, pushing off the table to stand up again. ¡°A month then.¡± ¡°Good,¡± David said. I knew he was happy because that would give him a month longer to do whatever it was he was doing out there. But I was sad because it meant a month longer that he¡¯d be gone¡ªfor reasons I knew nothing of. ¡°Okay then.¡± Morgaine clapped once, seemingly happy with all this. ¡°Then Jason will officially be Ara¡¯s new boyfriend.¡± ¡°Ara?¡± David said, his voice disappearing under the crappy connection. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Take the phone somewhere private, please. I want to talk to you.¡± I felt everyone¡¯s eyes on me as I snatched it, then flew up the stairs to the Throne Room, switching it from loudspeaker to handset. ¡°Hey, what''s up?¡± I said chirpily. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For covering for me in there.¡± He paused. ¡°I¡¯ve been an absent husband¡ªleft you alone, yelled at you, confessed that I''m keeping things from you, yet you stepped up to support me despite that.¡± I smiled to myself. ¡°Well, what else would I do?¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t know how much I appreciate that¡ªespecially since you don''t even know what you''re supporting.¡± ¡°I do, David. I''m supporting you. Whatever you decide, I know it¡¯s always for the best. So, you don''t have to be honest with me, yet, okay. You¡¯ve got my hundred percent backing.¡± He went quiet for a very long time. ¡°David?¡± ¡°Still here.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I''ve missed it.¡± ¡°Missed what?¡± ¡°Seeing you grow up.¡± My bottom lip pouted. ¡°You think I''m grown up?¡± He sighed. ¡°My love, you have no idea how different you sound each time I talk to you, and it makes me so happy to see you becoming the woman I always knew you were¡ªdeep down inside.¡± ¡°Really deep down,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°Well, the past doesn''t matter now. I''m so proud of you, and I can''t even begin to tell you what your support means to me.¡± ¡°Well, I love you, David. I trust you.¡± ¡°I love you, too, Ara. And I always will. No matter where I am or how long we¡¯re apart¡ªI will love you in this life and the next.¡± ¡°The next?¡± I laughed. ¡°We don''t get an afterlife.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°With immortality, we live many lifetimes, and in that, we change our lives. That''s what I meant.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I smiled. ¡°Well, I look forward to thousands of lifetimes with you.¡± ¡°As do I,¡± he said and hung up the phone. I stared at it for a second, turning around when my council came out from an adjourned meeting. ¡°Anything interesting happen while I wasn¡¯t there?¡± I asked Mike. He snatched the phone, then took my hand. ¡°Yes. I''m taking you down to see the new Immortal Damned house.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I grinned up at him. ¡°It¡¯s finished?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah. I wanna be with you when you see it for the first time.¡± After following a leaf-covered trail, we stopped by some hedges, and Mike covered my eyes. ¡°No peeking until I say, okay?¡± I nodded, placing my hands over his as we walked forward. He guided my heels with his toes, and after about thirty paces said, ¡°Okay. You can look now.¡± ¡°Oh, Mike.¡± I touched my collarbone, taking in the white rendered brick and red roof of the prettiest little home I ever saw. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°See that?¡± He pointed forward. ¡°We painted the bars on the windows white¡ªso they¡¯d blend in.¡± I nodded, covering my smile. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of sunlight, comfortable beds, toys, games¡ªeverything you asked for.¡± ¡°Bathrooms?¡± ¡°Yep. Even a few recently immortalised child-health experts to help teach the Damned how to use them¡ªsince most of these children have never seen a modern toilet or shower before.¡± I couldn''t take my eyes off the house, imagining how happy the children would be now, how nice it must be to live in darkness for so long, and then suddenly feel the sun¡¯s warmth, see the grass, splash fresh water over your face. ¡°Come see.¡± He headed down the small hill toward it. I caught up and looped my arm through his. ¡°When can we move them in?¡± He patted my arm, grinning to himself as we neared, and I heard the unfamiliar sounds of children laughing and talking nosily under the booming of a loud yet kind voice. ¡°Is that them? Are they in there?¡± He nodded, smiling warmly, as if he knew what that meant to me. ¡°Now, just be sure you don''t get this building mixed up with the training hall.¡± We stopped by an iron gate. ¡°Mike, it may look the same¡ªaside from the bars, but it¡¯s at a completely different end of the grounds. I''m not stupid.¡± ¡°Yeah, but if I caught you here alone, that¡¯d be the first excuse you''d think to give me.¡± ¡°True. So, for you to think of it, does that make me smart, or you stupid?¡± ¡°Neither¡ªit makes me big and you small, and if I catch you here with these demons, alone, I will hurt you.¡± ¡°Liar. You wouldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t test me, Ara-Rose. I''m at the end of my tether with you, young lady.¡± He gently squeezed my cheeks between his fingers, smiling, so I squiggled my tongue out through my puckered lips and licked his hand. ¡°Er! Ara, that¡¯s gross.¡± I dried my mouth, laughing. ¡°Now¡ª¡± He wiped his hand on his jeans then grabbed a key from his pocket and turned it in the lock. ¡°We have a double entry. It¡¯s important to make sure you close and lock this gate before you open the interior one. Clear?¡± ¡°Clear.¡± ¡°Uh, wait.¡± He placed his hand on my shoulder as I stepped inside and moved toward the second door. ¡°I''m not letting you in there today. You can watch from back here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not ready for visitors, yet,¡± he said, closing the outer door. ¡°Oh.¡± The entrance was small, with a bench to the left for personal effects, a door off to the right leading somewhere else, and just enough space for about four people. I peered in through the glass screen covering the next iron door, and there, across the room, in a square of sunlight over the floorboards, sat a little boy, pressing a sail into place on a wooden boat. ¡°Max?¡± The boy looked up; his hair was golden and clean, his face round and his cheeks coloured with pink. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him,¡± Mike said warmly. ¡°He looks so¡­human.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mike laughed. ¡°He kinda does. Hey, see what we did with the beds; space and planet theme for the boys, and princesses for the girls.¡± ¡°Very cute,¡± I said, my eyes running along twelve or so small beds with squishy quilts, lining one side of the room, then over shelves full of books and toys on the other side. The keeper stood centre to it all, tall and clean-cut, his metal stick beside him like a staff. ¡°Why does he still have that stick?¡± ¡°Because the children aren¡¯t cured, Ara. They are still dangerous and we do still have a few issues with them. It¡¯s why we¡¯re only moving ten over at a time.¡± ¡°And where are the rest?¡± ¡°They''re in the cells, still. But they have beds and sunlight and they¡¯re being properly cared for. We had to take all the toys away, though, because the little buggers used them as weapons against their keepers.¡± I smiled. ¡°But these kids are okay?¡± ¡°These are the ones that showed the ability to be reasoned with.¡± Behind Max, another boy squatted down and pointed to the sail, then picked up some glue and helped him put it in place. ¡°Who¡¯s that other boy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Joshua.¡± ¡°How old is he? He looks¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s twelve.¡± ¡°Twelve? Why would they lock away a twelve-year-old?¡± ¡°He wanted to stay with his brother.¡± Mike nodded toward them. ¡°Max is his brother?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He ran a hand over his head. ¡°We hold the most hope for those two.¡± Joshua looked up at Mike with a timid smile and a half-wave. Mike waved back: his eyes lighting up. ¡°We¡¯re pals.¡± He shrugged. I looked around the room, seeing children on beds, talking to each other, watching them play cards or knuckles on round rugs by the window, and thought back to the first day I met them. ¡°Mike?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What happened to the little boy the caretaker beat?¡± Mike moistened his lips, smiling, and nodded to a child coming in from the bathroom, holding the hand of woman with soft brown hair and a kind smile. ¡°That¡¯s him?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± The little boy glanced over at us, curiosity showing in his frown. I gave a little wave, but he looked away, sitting down with his carer on an armchair by the bookcase. ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked Mike. ¡°Uh, well, physically, yes, but we haven''t been able to get him to speak yet¡ªor sleep.¡± My eyes closed around the image of him cowering under that metal weapon. ¡°Maybe we should have Jase come down and erase his memory.¡¯¡± Mike¡¯s head moved quickly, his eyes going a little wider. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not a bad idea, Ar.¡± Page 61 I nodded. ¡°Shall I ask him?¡±Advertisement ¡°Yeah. Sure, go ahead.¡± He took my hand. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s leave them to it.¡± ¡°So,¡± I asked as we headed for the door again, ¡°do you think they¡¯ll be okay? One day?¡± ¡°You know, Ara?¡± He stopped and placed both hands on my arms. ¡°I think, for once, you might¡¯ve been right. I''m sure they¡¯ll be fine¡ªone day.¡± Self-satisfaction made me smile; I wanted to bathe in the glory of being right, but didn''t want to ruin the moment. ¡°Even if there¡¯s no such thing as this prophecy child?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He looked back at Joshua and Max. ¡°I mean, it¡¯ll be a long eternity for them¡ªnever growing up, but, they do have the option of death¡ªif they want it.¡± I didn''t like that idea¡ªor the idea that they¡¯d never grow up, never marry, never get their first car or have their first beer. But this was the best we could do for now, until I figured out all these different agendas and uncovered the truth of the past that we so solidly based our entire future on. ¡°So, um, when will you bring the others?¡± ¡°When this group are successfully adopted out.¡± ¡°Have you lined up any Lilithian families yet?¡± ¡°I''m pleased to say, yes, we have.¡± Mike opened the door for me, closing it behind us. ¡°And there are even a few vampire families.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, nice couples too. Very human.¡± ¡°So, they''re not still mental from the blood-lust?¡± ¡°No, the couples who¡¯re adopting are one¡¯s who¡¯ve been in love with a human before¡ªmost of them still with that partner. So, they¡¯re only as messed-up as you or David.¡± ¡°That''s great, Mike. This is the kind of thing I''ve been needing to hear.¡± I stopped walking and stood on my toes, my lips by Mike¡¯s cheek. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± He grinned as I kissed him. ¡°Now, about this Jason thing.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Mike. Don¡¯t give me hard time.¡± ¡°No, Ara,¡± he said softly. ¡°I was just going to say I give it my blessing. I don''t like it, but I understand it. Okay? Just don''t let me down¡ªjust don''t¡ª¡± he paused, ¡°¡ªdon''t do anything with him.¡± ¡°Okay. I promise.¡± ¡°Good. And just because I''m not going to give you a hard time, doesn¡¯t mean I''m gonna go easy on him.¡± ¡°No, that would be too much to ask for, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I remarked sourly. ¡°Ara?¡± He leaned on the wall. ¡°You know how much I hate that guy. Okay? So just let me be the protector, and you just be a good girl and live with it.¡± ¡°No. You can treat Jason civilly, or I go back to being a pain in the arse.¡± ¡°All right,¡± he huffed. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be civil. I¡¯ll even spar with him at training today, how¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°You know he can put you out, Mike, if you cross him? You better not try to hurt him.¡± ¡°Hu!¡± He breathed. ¡°You''re worried about me hurting him? Where¡¯s the loyalty?¡± ¡°You don''t need it. He does.¡± ¡°Just because no one likes him.¡± ¡°I like him.¡± ¡°You worry me.¡± He pointed at me and walked away. After sparring with Ryder, and losing in front of the entire Guard, I sculled some water down with a couple of aspirin and sat back to watch Mike spar with Eric. They were a good match; Eric had years of experience in kickboxing, but Mike had brute strength and courage. They reminded me of lions in the wild, fighting over a kill, except, both of them were laughing and making comical observations about each other¡¯s mums. I smiled up at Jason as he sat beside me on the bench by the mirrors, with Petey in tow. ¡°Hey, Ara.¡± ¡°Hey, Jase. Petey.¡± I scratched the dog¡¯s head. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen him for a while.¡± ¡°He comes and goes.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Sometimes we don''t see him for a couple of decades.¡± ¡°Where does he go?¡± ¡°No one knows, and it¡¯s not like we can ask him, either.¡± ¡°You can.¡± ¡°Shh.¡± He looked around at a few knights standing nearby. ¡°I rather people don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay. Why?¡± ¡°Because they might try to use him as a spy.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Kidnap you¡ªthreaten to torture you if I don''t tell them everything the dog, who everyone talks openly around, knows.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. Never thought of that.¡± As I sat back again, my blood ran cold, and I looked up with wide eyes. ¡°Has Petey told you anything I''ve ever said to him?¡± Jason¡¯s closed lips twitched, turning up a bit, while his eyes stayed forward. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Aw, Petey!¡± Petey barked once over Jason¡¯s laughter, and Mike looked up to the noise, copping Eric¡¯s fist to the side of his head; he went down, hitting the sparring mat hard, Eric¡¯s knee jamming into his skull in a knockout strike. The knights roared, some howling like wolves, others exchanging money. ¡°Oops.¡± I shrunk a bit. ¡°It wasn''t your fault, Ara.¡± Jason stood up and peered over the crowd at Eric, propping his foot on Mike¡¯s chest, his arms raised to the ceiling, flaunting his own victory. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Eric knocked him out.¡± I got to my feet, too. ¡°Isn''t someone gonna help him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Jason took off on one foot, but Mike slowly rolled up to sit, rubbing his head. ¡°Toughen up,¡± Eric said, offering a hand. ¡°That was a lucky strike.¡± Mike stumbled to his feet and gave Eric a one-armed hug. ¡°I pity the next guy to try that.¡± ¡°I pity Ara.¡± Eric winked at me. ¡°She¡¯s the one who distracted you.¡± Mike threw me a vehement glare, wiping his face on a towel. ¡°Sorry, Mike.¡± ¡°S¡¯okay, baby. I was just kidding.¡± ¡°Good fight, man!¡± Jason slapped Eric¡¯s palm, bumping shoulders with him as he came over. ¡°Yeah.¡± Eric swiped blood off his lip. ¡°Mike had that round ¡®til the end there, though.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll have the next one,¡± Mike said, then pointed at Jason. ¡°Your turn, villain.¡± ¡°Bring it on.¡± Jason flipped his chin in Mike¡¯s direction. ¡°Eager for another beating, are ya?¡± Mike took off to the centre of the room and stood waiting like a hungry wolf in a standoff. Jase just scoffed coolly, as if he didn''t care, then rolled his spine, taking his shirt over his shoulders. ¡°Keep hold of that for me.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I said, catching it. As he wandered over to Mike, flexing his fingers and wrists, my mind subconsciously compared the two; Mike, with his broad shoulders and huge arms, sweat covering his hairless chest in a fine layer, and Jason, who was half Mike¡¯s bulk; his arms and back thin, but contoured nicely with definition, enough that my heart started a little faster. He turned to grin back at me, clearly having heard it. The rest of the immortals in the room kept their eyes forward, politely pretending not to have noticed. ¡°Knock him dead, man,¡± Eric said playfully. ¡°Hey, Ara?¡± Jase called over to me. ¡°How ¡®bout a good luck kis¡ª¡± ¡°Jase!¡± I leaped from my seat as Mike smashed his elbow into Jason¡¯s head, sending him flying into the mirror; it cracked under Jason¡¯s weight, his hand pressing hard to the glass as he found his balance and pushed off the wall, forcing himself back up to swing at Mike. ¡°Nice try,¡± Mike said, ducking, and grabbed Jason¡¯s waist, slamming him to the ground. All the knights rushed in, surrounding them, making a ring of bodies with barely a millimetre between shoulders. I stood on my toes, and Petey took off under the knights¡¯ legs, barking loudly. The roars came in waves, the men wincing and waving their fists in the air. ¡°I can''t see,¡± I whinged, pushing at them. ¡°Here, climb up.¡± Eric took my hand and helped me up onto the bench. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± He stood with his arms folded then, feet slightly apart, watching the crowd of soldiers barking like animals, while I steadied myself with a hand to his shoulder, rising onto my toes to see over them. It was a mess of flesh and red, moving so fast I could only make out dark hair to blonde, until Mike caught Jase in a chokehold, sweeping his foot under the huddle, dragging them both to the ground. ¡°Come on, Jase,¡± I said to myself. As if he heard me, Jase managed to disentangle his arm from under his ribs, and reached up, jamming his thumb into the soft flesh below Mike¡¯s chin, sending him backward. ¡°He¡¯s got spirit,¡± I said, but as soon as the words left my mouth, Mike spun a really wicked roundhouse kick into Jason¡¯s chest, which he blocked, only to receive a straight-cut jab to the skull that would¡¯ve lobotomised a human. ¡°Go for the balls, Jase!¡± I yelled, and several of the knights turned to look at me; I shrugged. ¡°Ara?¡± Eric tugged my hand. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don''t watch anymore, kiddo.¡± ¡°I have to. I have to make sure Jason¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°That''s my point.¡± He cupped his hands under my arms and pulled me down to the ground. ¡°Mike ruled that we can''t use special abilities in sparring, and Jason¡¯s nowhere near strong enough to beat him in a fair fight.¡± He nodded to the men exchanging more money. ¡°We all know that.¡± I covered my mouth slowly. ¡°Wait, how come he lets me use my static power then?¡± Eric smirked. ¡°Exactly.¡± I frowned over at the heat cloud of sweaty bodies surrounding Mike and Jase. ¡°So, what, he made that ruling on knights only?¡± ¡°Uh-hu.¡± ¡°But, Jason¡¯s not a knight. Neither are you.¡± He nodded, his smirk growing. ¡°That rule applies to whom and to when it suits Mike.¡± ¡°So, this is just some lame excuse to beat the shit out of Jason?¡± Eric¡¯s head whipped around to look at me. ¡°I don''t think I¡¯ve ever heard you swear before.¡± My teeth grinded in the back of my mouth, my fists tight. I charged forward, electricity flickering in my hands. ¡°Ara.¡± Eric grabbed my shoulder. ¡°Stay out of it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because if you intervene, you may as well label Jason a pansy now. No, in fact, how ¡®bout you tie a big pink ribbon around his chest and call him Mary-Anne.¡± ¡°I don''t care about his reputation, Eric. Someone has to help him.¡± He dropped back from his lean toward me. ¡°I¡¯ll step in soon, okay. If it gets much worse.¡± ¡°Why can you step in but not me?¡± ¡°¡¯Cause I''m a guy, Ara.¡± I scratched my head and looked at Jason, on the floor¡ªjust able to see his hair through the legs of a knight. He was beaten bloody, weak, and still trying to finish the fight. I couldn¡¯t watch him get hit again. ¡°Fine. I have a headache from Mike forcing me to zap things today, anyway. I need to go rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Eric nodded and smiled, keeping his eyes on the fight as I wandered away. ¡°Oh, and Ara?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He held his arm out; I folded into his embrace, frowning while he hugged me tightly. ¡°What was that for?¡± I asked, stepping back. He shrugged. ¡°Just because.¡± ¡°O...kay,¡± I said, and walked away again. As I made it to the doors, the knights¡¯ roar of disgust barely masked the sound of something wet splashing across the floor. I walked faster. I didn¡¯t want to know who or what just split open, and I so was not petting either of them up afterward. Chapter Sixteen Morgaine stroked the brush through my hair. Tingles of pleasure trickled through the long waves, like static fingers, kissing my nerves. I closed my eyes. ¡°How¡¯s the headache now, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fading.¡± I looked down at my hands. ¡°It seems like every time I get stronger, the headaches get more severe. I shot Falcon back ten feet today with my spark, and Eric said he felt his heart start when he got hit¡ªlike David, at the lake.¡± ¡°I wonder what it would do to a vampire if their heart actually started?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Maybe they¡¯d turn back into a human?¡± ¡°If only it were so easy.¡± Morg laughed. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± Mike tapped lightly on the door. ¡°What?¡± I said, with more than a little hostility. ¡°Ur, can I come in?¡± I looked at Morgaine through the mirror, and she put the brush down, walking over to push Mike out. ¡°Her Majesty isn''t talking to you, Mike.¡± ¡°Ar, come on,¡± he whined. ¡°I''m sorry, okay. Maybe it was a bit mean to go up against him that way, but he asked for it.¡± ¡°How?¡± I stood up; Morg stepped back. ¡°By doing everything he can to help us out.¡± ¡°Help us out?¡± he scoffed. ¡°How¡¯s he helping?¡± ¡°By being a friend. By¡­I don''t know. He¡¯s on our side. I thought that counted for something.¡± Mike sighed and wandered into my room. ¡°I don''t trust him, Ara. I never will.¡± Page 62 I sat down on the blanket box. ¡°But you were unfair today. You¡­if you did that to any of your knights, you¡¯d be dishonourably discharged, Mike. That was flat-out abuse, and you know it.¡±Advertisement He looked at Morg; she shrugged and slinked backward, closing my bedroom door behind her. ¡°Okay. Maybe you¡¯re right. But¡ª¡± He huffed and sat down beside me. ¡°Can you blame me, really?¡± I folded my arms and turned my body to face away from him. ¡°I thought you had more honour than that.¡± In the reflection of my dresser mirror, I saw him rock back, sitting a little taller, my statement clearly hitting him in the heart. ¡°Look, I didn''t come up here to argue this Jason thing, I¡ª¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± I asked. ¡°Did you leave him unconscious in the training room, or did you at least have him moved?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the Medic room.¡± My heart shattered. ¡°Medic room! What did you do to him?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be okay. He just¡­He hasn''t regained consciousness yet.¡± ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I stood up. ¡°Mike!¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, look¡ª¡± He stood up and grabbed my forearm. ¡°I came up here to tell you something.¡± ¡°No. I have to go see him.¡± I went to walk away, but his fingers tightened on my arm. ¡°Baby, Eric¡¯s leaving.¡± ¡°What?¡± I screeched. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, he¡¯s leaving. He¡¯s got his bag and he¡¯s outside, right now, waiting for a taxi.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mike shrugged and opened my door. ¡°When was he going to tell me this?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t. He was just gonna leave.¡± ¡°Why? Why would he do that?¡± ¡°He hates goodbyes, Ara. He didn¡¯t want to upset you¡ªor more to the point, have to see you upset.¡± ¡°No! If he''s leaving, he can damn well say goodbye.¡± I stormed out of the room. ¡°Eric!¡± I leaped past the last set of stairs and sprung up on the front doorstep. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ara?¡± He looked up at Mike as he came out behind me. ¡°Thanks, Mike. So much for a clean getaway.¡± ¡°A clean getaway?¡± I said. ¡°Eric, you don''t make clean getaways from your friends.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Ara. I just didn¡¯t wanna do the goodbyes.¡± ¡°But what about me? What if I wanted to?¡± I turned away so he wouldn¡¯t see me cry. ¡°Aw, kiddo.¡± I heard a car pull up on the gravel as Eric¡¯s hand came down on my shoulder. ¡°I''m sorry, but my band just got signed. This a great opportu¡ª¡± ¡°What?¡± I spun around. ¡°I¡ª¡± He toed the ground. ¡°We got a contract with a really huge record label, and¡ª¡± I cut his words off with my arms around his neck. ¡°Eric, that¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He laughed, patting my back. ¡°I know. So, please don''t be upset. I never wanted to leave you, but¡­this isn''t really my thing.¡± He motioned around the manor. ¡°I kinda got dragged into all this, and, I mean, I¡¯ll always be a friend, but¡­¡± ¡°You have a life to live.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± His lip twitched on one corner. ¡°Then go.¡± I patted his shoulder and nodded to the taxi. ¡°This is why I disbanded the Sets, Eric. I want nothing more than for you to have your freedom.¡± ¡°See, that¡¯s exactly why I didn¡¯t wanna tell you I was leaving.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because, you¡¯re such a great girl, Amara, and I¡­I owe you¡ª¡± ¡°You owe me? Eric, I think I¡ª¡± ¡°No, seriously.¡± He stopped me. ¡°Look at it from my point of view; I¡¯ve spent my entire vampire existence dying for a way to escape this prison¡ªwatching people rise to fame¡ªBiebers and other pop-music douchebags, when I¡¯ve got a sound that could rock the world. You¡¯ve given me the freedom to live that dream, Ara. I owe you, and I really didn¡¯t wanna make you unhappy by leaving.¡± ¡°Well, Eric, it¡¯ll make me happy to know that you''re living. Okay? So, go¡ª¡± I gave him an affectionate shove. ¡°Go rock the world.¡± He dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me slightly off the ground. ¡°Thank you, Ara.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Just¡­make sure you send a postcard every ten years or so. Okay?¡± ¡°I will, I promise.¡± He grinned. ¡°I love you, Eric. I¡¯ll miss you.¡± ¡°You too, Ara.¡± He swallowed, his throat moving with the size of the lump, then picked up his bag. ¡°I¡¯ll see ya ¡®round.¡± ¡°Yeah. See ya ¡®round.¡± I nodded, slipping my hands into my back pockets as Eric hopped into the taxi, closed the door and disappeared out of my life. Mike¡¯s solid form came up beside me. ¡°Thanks for telling me, Mike.¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d wanna say goodbye.¡± He looked into the distance and waved. The manor was dead quiet¡ªall the vampires sleeping. Not a creature was stirring, not even a ghost of the past. I wandered through the open spaces, down lengthy corridors, bare feet over cold ground, carrying a sandwich and a cup of juice. When I reached the stairs, the grandfather clock in the common room down the hall sounded the hour of midnight, and the front door popped open, eyes of surprise meeting mine. ¡°Ara, what¡¯re you doing out of bed this late?¡± Jason said, closing the door. ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡± I stepped back off the stairs and wandered over to him. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He wiped his thumb over his chin, removing a splotch of blood. ¡°Not mine.¡± ¡°Whose is it?¡± ¡°Dinner.¡± He shrugged, popping it in his mouth. ¡°I went hunting.¡± My lips fell apart with the drop of my jaw, and I stood motionless, looking at my sandwich then at Jason. ¡°Well, I''m not hungry anymore.¡± I shoved the plate into his chest and dumped the cup in his hand. ¡°Ara?¡± he called out. ¡°Don''t talk to me,¡± I said. ¡°Why does it bother you so much for me to kill?¡± ¡°I don''t know, Jason.¡± I spun around to look down at him. ¡°Maybe because I used to be your prey!¡± The heartbreak across his face made me feel awful. I didn''t mean to say that, but I guess that''s how I felt. I spun on my heel quickly, running up the stairs to my room, and slammed the door. By the time clocks all over the manor sent two loud chimes into the air, my guilt had not settled, and only seemed to grow as three, four, five and six chimed, too. The sun came up, shining pink light over my ankles, my legs and my nightdress, where I sat on my settee, repeatedly seeing the look on Jason¡¯s face. He already suffered enough guilt for what he did to me in the past, why did I have to go and make matters worse? ¡°Hey, Ara.¡± Quaid stood above me, holding out a sandwich; I didn''t even hear him come in. ¡°Quaid. Hi.¡± I sat up a little, taking the plate. ¡°Jason dropped this off for you.¡± He sat down on the coffee table in front of me. ¡°He told me what happened.¡± I thumbed the bread, checking the filling. ¡°Yeah. I feel awful. I shouldn¡¯t have said that to him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s okay, you know.¡± He grabbed the blanket from behind me and wrapped my shoulders. ¡°He¡¯s not mad at you.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s not him being mad I was worried about.¡± ¡°Hurt?¡± I nodded. ¡°He might be a little hurt. But he knows you¡ªwe all know you, Ara. You didn''t really mean that¡ªespecially not if you were getting a sandwich at the time.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re hell grumpy when you¡¯re hungry.¡± ¡°Yeah, true, I guess.¡± I popped a bit of bread into my mouth. ¡°Hey, where¡¯d you get that?¡± He nodded at my collarbone. ¡°This?¡± I grabbed my locket. ¡°Jason had it. David gave it to me when we were younger.¡± He smiled warmly. ¡°My mum had one just like it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. I bought it for her thirtieth birthday.¡± ¡°Thirtieth? I don''t think I was even crawling when my mum was thirty.¡± He laughed. ¡°Mum was pretty young when she had me.¡± ¡°Where is she now?¡± His eyes wandered away. ¡°She died.¡± ¡°Oh. I''m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was her time.¡± I nodded, breaking off another small corner of my sandwich. ¡°Can I ask you something personal?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°How come your name is Shamus? I mean, isn''t that kind of a weird name for a guy who¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Black?¡± He laughed, nodding. ¡°Yeah. My mother was Irish.¡± I frowned to myself. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°No.¡± He laughed louder. ¡°I uh¡­I actually changed it when I fled the US a few years ago.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, Mike told me you were accused of ¡®crimes against your country¡¯.¡± ¡°Yeah. I was¡­am innocent, though.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know. Mike wouldn¡¯t have you in the Core if he didn''t believe that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good guy¡ªMike,¡± Quaid said. ¡°I know you two haven¡¯t really seen eye-to-eye lately, but he cares for you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I said, sitting up a little more. ¡°So, why did you choose Shamus?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Who¡¯s gonna come looking for black guy named Shamus?¡± I laughed. ¡°True. What was your name before?¡± ¡°Kamau.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± I nodded. ¡°Why not change it back then? You¡¯re free here. Nothing to run from.¡± He sniffed once, his eyes thoughtful. ¡°Most people call me Quaid now. Not much need to change it, I guess.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± I smiled. ¡°But, can I call you Kamau¡ªwhen you¡¯re off duty?¡± He nodded. ¡°You most certainly can.¡± ¡°Quaid?¡± Mike said, tapping on the door. ¡°Yeah, Chief.¡± Quaid stood to attention. ¡°At ease.¡± Mike leaned into the room. ¡°Just checking you hadn''t left your post.¡± ¡°Never do, sir.¡± I smiled at Quaid then at Mike. ¡°Yeah, wouldn¡¯t wanna waste taxpayers¡¯ money on a guard who¡¯s not doing his unnecessary job.¡± ¡°I was just delivering a sandwich, sir.¡± Quaid¡¯s eyes remained forward. I stood up and dumped the sandwich on the table where Quaid had been sitting. ¡°Don''t worry about it, Quaid. Mike¡¯s just afraid he might miss out on two seconds¡¯ worth of gossip.¡± ¡°Gossip?¡± Mike stepped further into my room. ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡± I smirked. ¡°You remember how I said I¡¯d win this fight¡ªthat I¡¯d get the knights reassigned and off my permanent trail?¡± Mike frowned at me. ¡°Well, the Upper and Lower House believe you¡¯re paying these guys to be your private spies¡ªto report all my business back to you because of your insane jealously.¡± ¡°Ara, what have you done?¡± he asked in a clipped tone. ¡°I may or may not have gotten the council on my side. They may or may not be making a ruling about how the Private Guard¡¯s time should be used.¡± ¡°Ara, you know why I have the Guard on you. It¡¯s not so I can get all the gossip.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Then why do you have them report back everything I do?¡± He sighed, his shoulders dropping. ¡°Yeah, I thought so.¡± I angled my head to the side, propping one hand on my hip. ¡°We have fifty guards who line halls, doors and walls around this place who, if we get attacked, are trained to save me, and only me. I think I can get by without these guys manning my door and my heels, for that matter.¡± I jerked a thumb in Quaid¡¯s direction. Mike sat on my blanket box, his thumb to his brow. ¡°You stupid, stubborn little brat. I can''t believe you went behind my back on this, Ara. This has got to be about the dumbest thing you''ve ever done.¡± ¡°No, Mike¡ªthis is a game to you. The truth is, you don''t like not having control over me, and clearly they keep you too busy here to keep an eye on me yourself. It¡¯s sick. It¡¯s twisted that you pay people to report back everything I do. If they were just guards, who looked at a blank place on the wall, said nothing, kept my business confidential and didn''t think it was okay to listen in on my private conversations, I wouldn¡¯t have a problem with this overprotection. But face it, Mike¡ªyou know, and everyone here at the manor knows, I am more than safe. You don''t need these guys on me.¡± His hand moved up his brow, over his head. ¡°So this is what the House meeting has been called for this afternoon?¡± My smirk widened. ¡°Girl one; guy nothing.¡± He stood up and stormed out of the room. I looked at Quaid, who couldn¡¯t close his mouth. ¡°Do you think I''m wrong?¡± I asked. The stiff soldier fled his spine, leaving the casual, relaxed Kamau behind. ¡°In ways, but in ways, no. I think we should be assigned to watch over you if you¡¯re leaving the manor grounds, but here¡ª¡± he looked around, shrugging, ¡°¡ªI kinda think you¡¯re okay.¡± Page 63 ¡°What does Falcon think?¡±Advertisement Quaid frowned. ¡°What''s he got to do with it?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I trust his opinion over Mike¡¯s when it comes to what''s best for me, because he''s not using his heart to judge.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. Well, I know he thinks you need to be watched over, but he¡¯s eased off a bit since your coronation¡ªsays you don''t make as many stupid mistakes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. He''s not worried anymore that you¡¯ll cross the wrong boundaries with Arthur, either. I know he even told Mike we should just place a guard on you while you sleep¡ªleave it at that.¡± I nodded. ¡°Do you think it was wrong of me to seek the opinion of the House?¡± Quaid shook his head. ¡°Not if they also agreed with you.¡± ¡°Which they did.¡± I looked at my door. ¡°Arthur?¡± I ran up behind him, feeling lighter without guards flanking my heels. He stopped on the landing and turned slightly to look down at me as I came bounding toward him. ¡°My lady.¡± ¡°Hi, um.¡± I stopped, huffing a bit. ¡°Can I borrow you for a few minutes today?¡± ¡°May I enquire the reason?¡± ¡°Yes, formal Arthur.¡± I frowned at him, quickly covering it with a smile. ¡°I need to go to the scroll room, but Morgaine said I could only go in there with her or you, and I can''t go with her.¡± ¡°Is there a reason?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a big fat liar, and I need to get the truth.¡± One of Arthur¡¯s brows lowered. ¡°She told me about this curse,¡± I said. ¡°The Curse of Lilith, you know, the seduction one.¡± ¡°Yes, I''ve heard of it.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, she neglected to mention that it only works on men with a heartbeat. And Jason said¡ª¡± ¡°So Jason¡¯s in on this, too.¡± He turned and started walking away. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s going to show me the correct interpretation.¡± ¡°And you never thought to come to me?¡± ¡°I¡­I didn''t know I could¡ªor should.¡± I folded my arms, following him. ¡°Jason pointed out these oddities, Arthur. You never even talk to me about the prophecy or anything to do with my family history.¡± He stopped walking; I stopped, too. ¡°It¡¯s like you avoid it¡ªfor some reason,¡± I finished. ¡°I haven¡¯t been avoiding it.¡± ¡°Well, that may be the case, but you, of all people, should have been talking to me about it. I didn''t even know how many things I had wrong. I mean, I always just assumed everyone in the vampire world knew about the prophecy, and then you tell me they didn''t¡ªthat no one knew, and now Jason tells me he was studying Lilithian History at college and read the scroll, which he doesn''t believe is a prophecy at all, and¡­I¡¯m really confused.¡± Arthur turned back around. ¡°Jason¡¯s right. But he¡¯s also wrong.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°There are many lies for us to sift through. Morgaine is not lying, and I''m not one hundred percent sure she¡¯s aware of her misinterpretations, either.¡± ¡°So, you don''t think it¡¯s deliberate?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been by herself all these centuries, Amara. She¡¯s been one of only twenty Lilithian¡¯s allowed to walk the light, and any information she has come across that gave her hope for a better future, she¡¯s held onto like a precious stone.¡± My shoulders dropped. ¡°She may have read the scrolls wrong, but look at all she has achieved because of that.¡± He stepped into me. ¡°It was her knights who stormed Elysium and rescued you. It was her interpretation of the scrolls that saw hundreds of vampires and Lilithians follow a young girl¡ªpossibly to their deaths, should Morgaine be wrong. Of course I have not spoken with you of the correct interpretation, because everything good we have here is based on what Morgaine started. And that is more than enough to have brought freedom to many who were suffering.¡± I didn''t realise I was standing on my toes until I relaxed back and felt shorter again. ¡°So, you think I shouldn¡¯t meddle in this, because the lie works?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a lie, my lady. It¡¯s a misconception¡ªand that''s the truth. The problem with that is, no matter how many men read those scrolls, it is subject to the opinion of the interpreter.¡± ¡°So, do you even think there is a prophecy?¡± He hesitated. ¡°I hope so.¡± Mike came out from the east wing staircase and started toward us. ¡°Hey, Ara, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Library,¡± Arthur said quietly, touching my shoulder. ¡°Eight o¡¯clock tonight.¡± I nodded, and he disappeared. ¡°Hey, Mike. What¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°Heading home for the night.¡± ¡°Home?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± I noticed the duffle bag over his shoulder then. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, aside from the fact that I am clearly not needed here,¡± he said spitefully, but smiled at me after. ¡°There¡¯s a bit of a problem with Emily.¡± ¡°Is she okay?¡± He shook his head. ¡°She just screamed down the phone at me¡ªtold me to admit that I don''t love her.¡± ¡°Oh. Why?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Guess I¡¯ve just been so busy I haven¡¯t really had time to call her and tell her otherwise.¡± ¡°Mike,¡± I groaned. ¡°You always do this.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± He followed me to the front door. ¡°You were great when you were with me, but before that, half those girls you dated ended up sobbing piles of neglected waste. You¡­I don''t know, it¡¯s like you want them there when you need them, and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that with Em.¡± He sighed and opened the door. ¡°Okay, in truth, it might¡¯ve been like that with the others because I didn''t love them, but I do love Emily.¡± I shrugged, staying inside as he stepped onto the front landing. ¡°It¡¯s not me you need to convince.¡± He leaned in to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll see ya tomorrow. Oh, before I go¡ª¡± He pulled out his phone and stood beside me, holding it up. ¡°I gotta snap a recent pic for your mum and dad. I¡¯ll drop by and tell them all about my holiday to Paris.¡± I smiled for the photo, stepping away from Mike after. ¡°Tell Dad I said hi, and give Sam a slap for me.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°And¡­take your time, Mike. We¡¯re okay here,¡± I said, leaning on the doorframe. ¡°No, I gotta be back tomorrow arvo for training.¡± ¡°Why? We can train without you.¡± He grinned. ¡°I know. But I''m sparring with your dead husband¡¯s brother again.¡± I shook my head, groaning, and slammed the door in his face. ¡°Pig.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d rather get back here to kick Jason''s butt instead of staying and making sure his fianc¨¦ felt loved. That poor girl. A part of me started to wonder if maybe she deserved better than Mike. ¡°She does.¡± Jason popped up out of nowhere. ¡°God, don''t do that.¡± I touched a hand to my heart. ¡°Sorry.¡± He walked alongside me toward the stairs. ¡°So, did you get Arthur on board?¡± ¡°Yup. Eight p.m.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He bounced off. ¡°See you then.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± I waved. After pressing send on a dad-appeasing email, I sat back and looked out the giant window in the library. My House had kindly decked out a few desks with modern research tools, called computers, and were in the process of digitally cataloguing all the books. We¡¯d even hired a librarian, who would arrive in about three days. Beside me, a few neutrally-coloured hardbacks, covered in two inches of dust, gave off a stuffy, mouldy kind of smell. I slipped my fingers under the one on top and dragged it down in front of me, swiping some of the dust from the cover, then gently opened it; the pages were old and yellowing on the edges, kind of stuck together. It took a bit of extra care and effort to part some without tearing them. I read over the titles and text of historical events, looking for something of interest, and each time I flipped a page, the scent of ancient paper became stronger, almost reminding me of the way libraries smelled when I was a kid, like it had changed somehow¡ªfaded as I grew older. Then again, maybe it hadn''t. Maybe I just didn''t notice it so much anymore. Halfway through the book, an image stared back at me, one I knew well from my studies at school; Vlad the Impaler, enjoying lunch around a forest of staked bodies. ¡°This is one of my favourite books,¡± Jase said, pointing to the page. ¡°All these stories are the human versions of historical events, and here¡ª¡± He flipped one page over. ¡°Are the original versions.¡± ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Hi.¡± He smiled and sat down beside me. ¡°So, you guys started the Vlad legend?¡± ¡°Yup. Drake did, actually.¡± ¡°How?¡± His eyes flicked over the page a few times, a small smile on his lips, then he looked up. ¡°That¡¯s right, now I remember. He was fond of impaling as punishment¡ªused it for offences like infidelity or cruelty to one¡¯s wives.¡± ¡°Really? Cruelty I can understand, but, infidelity?¡± ¡°Yeah, and this picture¡ª¡± He flipped the page back over to ¡®Picnic Impalement¡¯. ¡°This is a depiction that Drake himself described to the original artists, so it could be published in a local news rag, showing what would be done to any who continued to break those bonds.¡± ¡°Bonds?¡± ¡°Marriage bonds. The promise to love, honour, protect and obey.¡± ¡°He¡¯s big on promises?¡± ¡°Vows, yes.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± I ran my fingers over the page, studying the face of Vlad. ¡°This looks nothing like Drake.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jason stood up and wandered across the room. ¡°It wasn''t supposed to.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Hi, Ara.¡± I glanced over my shoulder and smiled at Nate as he walked into the library¡ªthat confident human bounce still a part of his step. ¡°Hey, Nate. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nommuch.¡± He leaned on the table beside me, his hands under his hips. ¡°Bored. What you doin¡¯?¡± ¡°Just looking at this. You might be interested in this book, actually,¡± I said, turning it around for him to see. ¡°It¡¯s all about stories that were made up by vampires.¡± ¡°Vlad the Impaler,¡± he read aloud, squinting at the page. ¡°What¡¯s impaling?¡± I pointed to the image of men, speared through their mid-sections on sticks rising up out of the ground. ¡°He would sharpen the tips of stakes, oil them up so they slid in slowly, then tie the legs of his victims with ropes strapped to horses and other objects, then have them lowered onto the point very, very slowly. It could sometimes take days for them to die.¡± I didn''t know it was possible, but the vampire nearly turned green. ¡°Yeah. Um, I think I¡¯ll pass. Got any books on sports?¡± I laughed out loud, my heart warming to the sound of Jason¡¯s chuckle coming from across the room. ¡°What¡¯s up, Nate?¡± Jase said, cupping hands with him then bumping shoulders. ¡°Not feeling too good?¡± ¡°How can you guys talk about that stuff like it¡¯s on topic at a Bible reading?¡± he shoved the book away, closing it. ¡°We¡¯re used to it,¡± Jason said, massaging my shoulders gently. ¡°Well¡ª¡± Nate looked up to the wall of books. ¡°I think I¡¯ll try the comedy section. Arthur says I should read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s on the second floor,¡± I said, smiling as Nate walked away. ¡°He¡¯s a sweet guy.¡± ¡°Yep. One of the better vampires in this community.¡± I nodded, shuffling the papers on the desk. ¡°I never knew him in life, but everyone said he was a good guy. Seems to be true.¡± ¡°You don''t¡­like him, do you?¡± Insult littered my upturned lip. ¡°Jason!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± He stepped back, palms raised. ¡°Just asking.¡± ¡°God, I don''t like every guy that walks in the room.¡± ¡°I''m sorry. It¡¯s just¡­you know, there¡¯s a lot of guys around this place, and¡ª¡± ¡°And there are a lot of girls, too.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you don''t notice the girls.¡± I huffed, folding my arms. ¡°You wanna know why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because boys aren''t whiny and nosey and bitchy. I like video games and running around and joking about things of bad taste. The girls don''t. They¡¯re boring. All they wanna do is shop and talk about boys.¡± I held my hands up. ¡±I''m sorry, I just don''t enjoy that sorta thing. I never have.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a point.¡± I slumped down lower in the chair. ¡°Why does everyone always think the worst of me?¡± ¡°I don''t, sweet girl.¡± He turned my chair and squatted down in front of me, a hand to my knee. ¡°I just¡­you talk about the boys all the time. You laugh with them, joke with them, but it makes sense¡ªyou getting along better with boys. It all makes more sense now.¡± ¡°I know the lines now, you know.¡± I looked into his warm green eyes. ¡°I can think a guy is cute, I can want to give him a hug when he¡¯s down¡ªcare about him, it doesn¡¯t mean I''m falling for him.¡± Page 64 ¡°I know.¡±Advertisement I twiddled my thumbs in my lap. ¡°I don''t blame you for thinking that, though. I mean, I never really understood the lines before. I never knew the difference between what it felt like to love a friend and what it felt like to love someone more. But it¡¯s clear now. And I think Nate is sweet and an absolute gem of a person, but I don''t have feelings for him other than a friend.¡± He nodded, looking down at his hand on my leg. ¡°I''m sorry, Ara.¡± ¡°Don''t be sorry, okay.¡± I stood up, agitation coming with me. ¡°I kinda¡ªI guess I just get sick of Mike always thinking I''m gonna cross lines with people, and then telling the guards to watch me for it.¡± I ushered a hand to Falcon, walking too casually past the door¡ªagain. ¡°I¡¯ve changed. And Mike can''t see that.¡± ¡°Maybe he just doesn''t want to see it.¡± Jason came up behind me, his fingers draping my shoulders. ¡°What do I have to do to prove to him that I''m not that confused, messed-up little girl I was when I left him at the altar?¡± Jason¡¯s fingers tightened comfortingly; he pressed his lips to the back of my head. ¡°Give it time, sweet girl. He¡¯ll see one day¡ªhe¡¯s just gonna be the last, is all.¡± I nodded, touching my hand to his. The cuckoo clock chimed eight and, right on cue, Arthur walked in, carrying a set of keys. He waltzed straight over to the middle of the room, shifted the oak table aside like it was plastic, and kicked the rug back, bending down. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I appeared beside him. ¡°Opening the scroll room hatch.¡± ¡°Hatch?¡± ¡°Yep, hatch.¡± Jason grabbed my arms gently and walked me backward as the ground sunk where I was standing. Arthur pulled the giant key out from a dent in the stone and stepped back, too. ¡°Jason, go get a lantern, please.¡± I leaned closer and peered into the cold, musty-smelling space, coughing into my hand. ¡°When was the last time anyone was down there?¡± ¡°A few weeks ago. Morgaine came down to make a copy of the scrolls.¡± ¡°Does she know we¡¯re going in there tonight?¡± Arthur hesitated. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hey, Nate?¡± Jason called out, passing a lantern to Arthur. ¡°Yerp?¡± Nate¡¯s head popped over the railing on the next floor. ¡°Keep watch. Anyone comes, holler.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± He saluted and disappeared over the railing again. ¡°All right. Let me show you my theory,¡± Jason said, tweezing a corner of the scroll to flatten it. I leaned in to look closer, holding the candle up to see the text. ¡°That''s a lot of weird symbols.¡± ¡°Yup. So, I¡¯ve interpreted these runes to the ancient language.¡± He pointed to a sheet of paper beside the scroll. ¡°And here, I''ve translated the ancient language to English. Now, see the words in brackets here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I''ve underlined those words on this page. What that means is that there are a few different interpretations from the symbols to the spoken words, and even to English. We have several words that can mean what these do¡ª¡± He pointed to the three underlined words. ¡°So, this symbol that looks like a fork with curly prongs can mean¡­¡± I tried to read the words in the ancient language on the next page, but couldn''t even begin to pronounce them, so I went straight to the English translation. ¡°Pure one, noble or even clean?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± I looked at Arthur. ¡°Do you agree with that, Arthur?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look over them once you¡¯re done,¡± he said, keeping his eyes on the few loose leafs he was reading, sitting in the armchair across the room. Jason rolled his eyes when I looked back at him. ¡°Anyway, as you can see, the English translation reads, A time will come for the Pure One to rise. In Her reign of light and hope, she will free the land of the fated curse and bear a child with great power.¡± He grabbed the other piece of paper and placed them side by side. ¡°Here¡¯s where it gets tricky. See, this line says something along the lines of, A child, possible only if conceived of pure¡ª¡± He pointed to the English words. ¡°But can also mean noble blood¡ªknight. Not necessarily even knight with a capital K.¡± ¡°So, it could be any knight¡ªany noble blood?¡± ¡°Right, and this word¡ª¡± He pointed to another between the words Born as and Son. ¡°This symbol actually has no translation. It¡¯s similar to a word meaning firstborn, but also to one meaning disguised.¡± A line of question marks floated past my eyes. ¡°That makes no sense.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Arthur glanced up from his papers and watched us for a second. He looked like an old man, like he should be wearing a silk robe, smoking a pipe while drinking Scotch. I smiled at him; he didn''t smile back. ¡°So, then it goes on, and this is the bit that always had me confused.¡± He showed the base of the original scroll. ¡°This mark here is like a number from a filing system¡ªit¡¯s something you find on ancient Vampirian legal documents.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I suspect¡ª¡± He looked at Arthur. ¡°That this isn¡¯t actually a prophecy at all, but a contract.¡± I frowned. Arthur sat taller. ¡°What do you mean, like, someone signed my child over to Drake?¡± ¡°Could even be that someone signed you over to him¡ªpromised you¡¯d be born.¡± ¡°So, the pure blood¡ªthe noble¡ªcould that be¡­me?¡± ¡°Well, it clearly talks about a child that will have pure blood, but, like I said, I think this symbol means it wasn¡¯t a foretold child, but a promised one.¡± ¡°Do you think Drake made a deal with someone?¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Maybe even Peter?¡± ¡°All right. That¡¯s enough.¡± Arthur stood, dumping his pages on the lamp table. ¡°Stop filling the girl¡¯s head with your stories, son.¡± ¡°But, Uncle Arthur¡ª¡± ¡°I said that''s enough.¡± Arthur grabbed the lantern and took me by the hand. ¡°If you have even half a brain, my dear, you will stop worrying about what these scrolls say and start worrying about an heir.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts.¡± He led me to the stairs, leaving Jason behind. ¡°Your head has been filled with enough misinterpretations of that damn scroll, and I''ve had it. This all needs to stop.¡± We reached the library again and Arthur blew the lantern out. ¡°Why don''t you just tell me what your interpretation is, then?¡± I stopped and spun to face him. ¡°If you seem to know so much.¡± ¡°Because my notes on the prophecy are at Elysium.¡± ¡°Bull shi¡ªthat¡¯s a lie, Arthur!¡± I challenged. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯d come here and not bring those notes¡ªor at least have them committed to memory. So, what are you hiding?¡± ¡°I have nothing to hide.¡± As Jason came up the stairs, he unrolled a page and held it up to the light. ¡°Uncle Arthur, she needs to see the truth.¡± Arthur gazed at it, then at me, and stepped back. ¡°Go on then. Read that last line to her, and you will see why I asked you to stay out of it.¡± Jase frowned at his uncle, clearly trying to read his motive. ¡°It says, If the child is conceived, all shall be restored to what it once was. And that¡¯s where the scroll ends,¡± Jason said, rolling it back up. ¡°That¡¯s the part that¡¯s been torn off.¡± ¡°All will be restored?¡± I said it over in my head, too, thinking about it all. ¡°Is that what Morg interprets to mean my child can free the Immortal Damned¡ªrestore them, make them human again?¡± Arthur kept his eyes on Jason as he said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But¡­that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Jason said. ¡°So¡ª¡± My eyes watered as they brushed over Arthur¡¯s frown. ¡°Is there even any hope of freeing the Damned?¡± He sniffed and glared at Jason. ¡°She needed that hope. This is exactly why I didn¡¯t want you meddling in this!¡± My teary gaze followed Arthur out of the room then landed on Jason. ¡°What does he mean?¡± ¡°He doesn''t know what he means, Ara. Look, I just wanted you to see that these scrolls can be interpreted any way you want them to be.¡± He walked over and closed the hatch in the floor. ¡°I actually believe in the hope for the Immortal Damned, but I think it¡¯s in you¡ªnot your child.¡± I swiped a few fat, lukewarm tears from my cheeks. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. That power of yours is said to start hearts, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°I think it might be the key.¡± ¡°Really? It could be that simple?¡± ¡°The trickiest problems usually have the most basic solution.¡± He grinned, pressing the translated pages into my palm. ¡°I think we need to get a move on examining your powers from a scientific point of view.¡± ¡°Scientific?¡± ¡°Yeah, you''re all energy and light. It should be studied, not forced. Maybe we should reopen the laboratory in the west wing. Could even give Arthur a place to make his herbal potions again and¡ª¡± ¡°Hang on. We have a lab?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been shut down for two hundred years, so I''m not sure we can call it a lab, really, and the space is a bit dusty¡ª¡± ¡°Why don''t we fix it up then¡ªrenovate, make it like Drake¡¯s New York labs?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jason¡¯s smile spread like the first light of day. ¡°You¡¯d really let us set up a new lab¡ªhere? At Loslilian? A real lab?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe you could even research more ways to kill vampires.¡± ¡°Ara.¡± He grabbed my shoulder, looking at the ground. ¡°That would be a dream come true. I¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°I tried so hard to get on the scientific team in New York, but when it came to the interviews, it was between myself and a man who¡¯d studied under Einstein, so I got stuck with the Blood Army instead.¡± ¡°Well, are you qualified to be Head of Research?¡± ¡°Qualified?¡± he scoffed. ¡°More than. I''ve spent my entire vampire life at university studying. I only quit a few years ago when I joined the Blood Army.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you go to university if you had to leave every year?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but it made my experience broader. It meant that I was taught by hundreds of different lecturers and, as a result, was exposed to many different opinions and lessons. So, it was hard, but beneficial at the same time.¡± I leaned my butt on one of the tables. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll need to get approval from the House, but, I¡¯ll run it by them in the next House meeting. Sound good?¡± He shook his head, his mouth wide with a smile. ¡°That would be, for lack of a better word, wicked!¡± Chapter Seventeen I sat on the deckchair in the lower garden, reading my book, enjoying the sunshine and a quiet moment to myself. But shadows formed around my face and the sweet scent of orange-chocolate filled the air. ¡°Guess who?¡± said a voice in my ear. ¡°Uh, gee, is it¡­¡± I turned around, pulling the hand down from my eyes, and gasped. ¡°Oh, my God. What are you doing here?¡± The face of my husband grinned back at me. ¡°What, I¡¯ve been here for days, Ara.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Yeah, sorry, Jason. I just meant what are you doing in the garden?¡± David sat on the deckchair next to mine, running his hand over the warm golden tones in his hair. ¡°I came to check if you were okay, you know, after finding out about your dad the other day.¡± I nodded. ¡°I''m¡­coping. I mean, it was a shock, but, I''m kind of getting used to it now. And you never called me, by the way. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to let me know if you got any info from that book of Arthur¡¯s?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find it.¡± He reached across and took my hand. ¡°Sorry. I just forgot to mention it. Did you take that pregnancy test?¡± ¡°Not really any need. You said you couldn''t smell any difference in my scent.¡± His hand tightened on mine. ¡°I¡¯d still like to know.¡± ¡°Okay. We have one in the Medic room. I¡¯ll do it later and text you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± His secret smile showed that lovely dimple in the side of his cheek, making his eyes sparkle like the Emerald City. ¡°I uh¡­I spoke to that friend of yours¡ªthe one you asked to have a word with me about not being around to make a baby.¡± I nodded. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And, I''m sorry. It¡¯s just bad timing. I''m too busy, my love.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here now,¡± I said suggestively. He looked at the book in my lap and smiled. ¡°Not today.¡± I looked down at my book, too. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Just¡­not today.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I ground my back teeth together, the irritation making a question I was going to leave alone¡ªin the past¡ªcreep up my tongue. ¡°Hey, Da¡ªJase?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He laughed. ¡°Why did Nate say that Em was, quote, ¡®David''s Emily¡¯?¡± His eyes shifted to the side, his spine straightening. ¡°He said that, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. In front of everyone.¡± My voice quivered. ¡°So what did he mean by that?¡± Page 65 He cleared his throat and sat back, dropping my hand. ¡°What are you really asking, Ara?¡±Advertisement I stared at him for a long moment. ¡°Did you sleep with her?¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Ever. I don''t know. You share blood, you were clearly ¡®best buds¡¯ in high school.¡± I sat up, placing my feet to the floor in front of David''s. ¡°Have you slept with her?¡± His gaze stayed on my feet. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Look me in the eye and say that.¡± He looked me in the eye, the pupil small and black, swimming in the green. ¡°No. I never slept with Emily.¡± ¡°Was she your girl?¡± ¡°I just¡­she¡­¡± He ran his hand through his hair again. ¡°When I first got to the school, Emily was the only nice person there. I had to work my way up in the ranks, Ara. I was pretty much the jocks¡¯ punching bag for the first semester.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He laughed. ¡°Good thing I can handle a punch. But it wasn¡¯t until I joined the football team that people started to respect me.¡± ¡°And you let them treat you like that?¡± He shrugged. ¡°What can I say; I was pretty broken. I just didn''t care.¡± I took his hand. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± He pulled his hand from mine. ¡°Emily was nice to me, Ara, and I found out a few things that made me feel kinda¡­I guess, bad for her.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± He hesitated. ¡°This is her personal business, my love. All I can say is that I kind of took her under my wing¡ªtold the jocks to lay off.¡± ¡°What were they doing?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just¡­they just treated her like a piece of meat. She didn¡¯t deserve that.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± He stood up, his shadow taking the warmth of the sun from my face. ¡°It doesn''t matter. It¡¯s in the past. I protected her, I guess. Made it seem like we were some kind of item.¡± ¡°Like you owned her?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And she was okay with this?¡± He turned around to face me, dropping his hands from his head. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did you know she was in love with you back then?¡± He laughed. ¡°Yeah. But¡­it was little-girl-love, Ara. Very different to how she feels for Mike now.¡± I nodded. I understood that love only too well. ¡°Jason?¡± Walter said, coming down the stairs toward us. ¡°Walter,¡± David said, tipping an imaginary hat. ¡°Lovely day.¡± ¡°Splendid. And I see you¡¯re making yourself acquainted with our queen.¡± Walter clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°So, there may be hope for this prophecy child after all?¡± David turned his head and winked at me. ¡°If I have anything to do with it.¡± I nearly laughed. He played his brother so well even I was convinced; he became lighter¡ªthe weight of the world leaving his shoulders, his eyes and his voice for a second. ¡°Good. Good. Hopefully we¡¯ll have word of an heir within the month, then we can name you king.¡± David bowed, smiling, and Walter headed down the base of the garden, leaving us alone again. ¡°We¡¯re going to announce it next month,¡± I said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A pregnancy.¡± ¡°You can''t,¡± he said, sitting down, the weighted, stiff version of David taking over the light-hearted act of his brother. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll check you if there¡¯re no obvious signs.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± He held his hands up. ¡°I know we said it would be good to flush out ulterior motives and to get Ja¡­me crowned, but things have changed. It won¡¯t be so easy.¡± ¡°So, what do we do?¡± He sat back. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Nope. There¡¯s nothing to be done. We¡¯ll just catch Drake and leave it at that. If we drain him and starve him, his immunity will fade and then we can kill him.¡± ¡°So that''s the plan? Just catch him and kill him?¡± ¡°Right now, yes.¡± He frowned down at his hands. ¡°I just¡­I don''t think you''re ready for a child, Ara. And I know you¡¯ll do it for the sake of your people and the Immortal Damned, but they¡¯re not suffering right now and there are other ways we can kill Drake. I don''t want to put you through a teen pregnancy if I don''t have to.¡± ¡°So you think I can''t handle it?¡± He scratched his cheekbone. ¡°It¡¯s not to be insulting, my love. I just¡­you¡¯re only nineteen.¡± I wanted to be insulted, but I was a little bit too happy for that. ¡°What?¡± he said. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck. ¡°Thank you, Da¡ªson.¡± ¡°For what?¡± He laughed, patting my elbow. ¡°You¡¯re right. I''m not ready to have a baby, but I¡­I just didn''t want to let everyone down.¡± He squeezed me tight. ¡°I know.¡± I smiled into his neck. ¡°You always know.¡± ¡°But, for now, I need you to continue this fake relationship.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I gasped, sitting back. ¡°It gives me time. While the people are waiting for you to turn up pregnant, they¡¯re not hassling for a wedding or pushing you to bare a child. They¡¯re at ease. If you ¡®break up¡¯ with Jason, they may actually force you to fornicate with a man of their choosing, and something tells me it might end up being Walter.¡± ¡°Walter? Why him?¡± I nearly threw up. David laughed. ¡°The House want him in power. He¡¯s one of the people we¡¯ve been watching closely.¡± ¡°But he''s Lilithian.¡± ¡°I know. Exactly why no one would suspect him.¡± ¡°Isn''t he sworn to the throne of Lilith?¡± David smirked, sniffing once. ¡°Can you keep this to yourself?¡± I nodded eagerly. ¡°You can''t tell Jason¡ªor think it around him.¡± I nodded again. ¡°Walt doesn''t have a Mark.¡± ¡°What?¡± David sat back, making himself comfortable, as if he was Jason. ¡°I snuck into his quarters and saw it for myself. He¡¯s pretending to have taken an oath. In fact, I bet if you compelled him to do something, he¡¯d do it just to keep that pretence up.¡± ¡°So, what, you think he wants the throne?¡± He nodded, squinting in the sun. ¡°Yep.¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°All this royalty and conspiracy stuff really sucks. Will there ever be any rest?¡± He laughed and sat up again. ¡°When Drake is gone, yes, I trust that things will change. And¡­I actually feel better knowing my brother is watching over you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s one of the most powerful vampires here, Ara, and that¡¯s¡­partially why I want him to pose as your partner.¡± ¡°So you want him with me twenty-four-seven?¡± ¡°Not that often.¡± He reached out and tickled my ribs, making me squirm; I grabbed his hand and held it tight. ¡°But, yes, for the most part, I want him with you¡ªespecially now we no longer have your personal guard.¡± I looked down. ¡°Do you think I was stupid to do that?¡± He lifted my chin. ¡°No. I don''t.¡± ¡°Mike does.¡± ¡°I know. But, I had my suspicions for a while that Mike¡¯s intentions with those guards may not have been professional.¡± ¡°So, you think he¡¯s, like, stalking me?¡± He laughed aloud. ¡°I think he¡¯s¡­he¡¯s not used to letting you go off by yourself. He¡¯s always been there¡ªalways been your¡­bodyguard. Even when you were kids. And, I know you liked that because he made you feel safe¡ªhe was almost like the father-figure you needed. And that¡¯s a twisted way to look at it, I know, but I believe he¡¯s having a hard time not being the number-one man in your life.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s not over me?¡± ¡°I think he is. But it¡¯s a habit for him to be this way with you. And you pulling against that, trying to grow up¡ªgo out on your own branch, it¡¯s got him panicked.¡± ¡°Like he''s gonna lose me?¡± ¡°Or just¡­that things will change.¡± ¡°But they have changed. We¡¯re vampires.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Not much has changed, Ara. You¡¯re still under his wing. You¡¯re still his little ¡®baby girl¡¯.¡± I smirked. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± He scoffed, straightening his collar. ¡°With a face like this? I got no need to be worried about Mike.¡± My mouth opened wide for the breathy giggle his sexy self-appreciation forced from my lips. ¡°I love it when you play around like that. I miss that version of you.¡± I saw his heart melt a bit in the warmth of his eyes. ¡°I miss it, too. I miss us.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Are you coping okay¡ªbeing alone all the time?¡± I sat back, clicking my thumbnails over each other. ¡°Yeah, for now. But I miss having someone to talk to, you know¡ªsomeone who listens and doesn¡¯t roll their eyes at me if I ask a stupid question.¡± ¡°What kind of question?¡± I looked right at him. ¡°Don''t roll your eyes at me, okay?¡± He touched his chest. ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, um, Drake never made an oath. So¡­how come Ja¡ªyou could be compelled by him?¡± He rolled his eyes, exaggerating the move, and we both laughed. ¡°No, um, it¡¯s actually because, without a true queen¡ªa pure blood that¡¯s connected to the Stone¡ªan oath made to any ruler would be upheld¡ªeven the president of the Untied States.¡± ¡°Oh, so, now that I''m queen, Drake would have to kill me to get allegiance back?¡± He nodded. ¡°Okay. And¡­when you¡¯re king, you¡¯ll be One with Mother Nature, too?¡± ¡°Yes, because you actually swear me in by your blood¡ªas the one true king.¡± I nodded. ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool.¡± ¡°So, like, I cut myself and bleed on your blood¡ªthat sort of thing?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I said softly, and slowly wound a finger under his, then slipped my hand all the way into his palm. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For not rolling your eyes at me, like, well, for not meaning it.¡± He laughed. ¡°Ara, I love you. And I know how your mind works¡ª¡± He tapped his head. ¡°You miss things. It doesn''t make you stupid; it just means you were thinking about something more important at the time.¡± I smiled down at our hands. ¡°It¡¯s hard, you know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Being the fool.¡± He squeezed my hand. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean¡­everyone thinks I''m an idiot. No one trusts me, or my opinion, and I just feel like¡ª¡± I looked up and shrugged. ¡°What am I even doing here?¡± By command of a slight tug of his hand, we stood up and he wrapped his arms over my shoulders, kissing the top of my head. ¡°My love, you don''t see what other people see. You haven¡¯t stopped to look back and realise what you''ve achieved.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t achieved anything.¡± ¡°Haven''t you?¡± He tilted my chin up. ¡°Did you not give Eric the dream he always wanted; did you not give hundreds of vampires a new home, did you not turn their loved ones immortal? Have you not seen the rescue and freedom of four hundred tortured Lilithians, and have you not changed the lives of those Damned, so dramatically that when I went to see them, one of those kids hugged me¡ªactually hugged me, having remembered me from fifty years ago when I gave him an extra cup of blood?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He smiled down at me. ¡°And look at you, my girl in the yellow dress. You¡¯re still her¡ªstill that same girl, but you¡¯ve changed so many lives. Look how far we¡¯ve come from that first day at school when I accidently called you Ara-Rose in the library and nearly bit my own tongue off for it.¡± He stroked his thumb over my locket as I laughed lightly. ¡°Don''t tell me you''re not worth anything, Ara, because you are the blessing in so many people¡¯s lives, and you don''t even know it.¡± I bit my lips in, unable to see through my tears. ¡°Come here,¡± he said, and pulled me in for the tightest, most loving hug I ever had. ¡°I''m sorry I can''t be here to tell you this every day, but you know I love you, and you know I am always here for you.¡± I nodded into his shirt, letting myself cry, safe and loved in his arms. As the conversations died down and the candles burned to the last, waxy remains under the wick, I looked over at Arthur and smiled. He shook his head, as if my mere presence annoyed the hell out of him, and I felt my gut sink. ¡°Hey?¡± Jason landed in Mike¡¯s empty chair. Morgaine didn¡¯t even bother looking up this time; she just sighed and pushed her peas around her plate with her fork. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Don''t worry about Arthur,¡± he said quietly, reaching under the table to take my hand. I curled my fingers over his. ¡°I don''t like it when people are mad at me.¡± We both looked up at Arthur then, who turned his head a fraction, breaking himself away from a conversation. Page 66 Jason gave me a reassuring smile. ¡°Hey, why don''t you come to the lighthouse with me tonight? It might cheer you up.¡±Advertisement ¡°Maybe. I have been meaning to¡ª¡± I stopped then and watched Arthur stand, shaking his head, and walk away. As he passed, I looked up, hoping he¡¯d at least make eye contact. He didn''t. ¡°Stop feeling bad, Ara.¡± Jason slid closer in the seat, leaning his elbow on the table, practically face to face with me. ¡°In human years, he¡¯s nearly twice your age.¡± ¡°He¡¯s only thirty.¡± I frowned. ¡°And you''re nineteen.¡± ¡°That''s hardly twice my age.¡± ¡°I know¡ªbut it sounded more repulsive.¡± He sat back in his chair. ¡°He¡¯s like my father¡ªit¡¯s disturbing to me that you¡¯re friends with him.¡± ¡°Jase?¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I know that¡¯s unfair, but it¡¯s also that¡­clearly, you¡¯re hurt by his not speaking to you, and¡­I don''t like that. I don''t want you to be sad.¡± I stood up. ¡°I''m going to talk to him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I need to sort this out.¡± Jason folded his arms, entertained. ¡°You just can¡¯t leave anything alone, can you?¡± ¡°Not when people are hurting, Jason.¡± I shook my head and walked from the room. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± He grabbed my arm. ¡°What about the lighthouse?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there after.¡± He stayed put, his eyes burning into my back as I walked away. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± I drew a breath. ¡°I was thinking about some of our earlier conversations, and I remembered you said that you used the war as an excuse to turn Jason and David.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°And¡­it was their idea to go, right?¡± ¡°Jason¡¯s, yes. I believe David followed so as not to appear a coward.¡± ¡°Really? I was under the impression he followed to protect Jason.¡± ¡°What gave you that impression?¡± ¡°David.¡± Arthur frowned. ¡°Hm. Why do you ask, anyway, my dear?¡± ¡°Well, when we first met, you and I, after the¡­the whole kidnapping thing, you said something about the blood feud¡ªabout it being the reason you changed them.¡± His shoulders slowly became straighter all the way across. ¡°Did I?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Well, then you also said that Drake had made a deal with you, that if he let the boys live here after Arietta died, you¡¯d change them when they grew up. So, it¡¯s connected, right? Drake wanted the boys immortal because he knew, even then, that they had something to do with this prophecy¡ªand the prophecy has something to do with the feud?¡± ¡°To be honest, Amara, I''m not so sure now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Many things have come to light since that day, and what I knew then was only half of what I have come to learn since.¡± He moistened his lips. ¡°For many centuries, I gave this prophecy little thought. I knew it foretold a child and the involvement of knight blood, and in the back of my mind, wondered if it spoke of myself and my blood¡ªmy heir. But I never believed it would come to fruition¡ªuntil Drake strangely requested I turn the boys.¡± ¡°How did that change your belief?¡± ¡°Because, for Drake to request such a thing directly contradicted the agreement he and I made in the days before I became immortal.¡± ¡°What agreement?¡± ¡°That if I was to be his loyal, eternal servant, I would honour the promise to my dying brother, and watch over his family and their descendants for the rest of eternity.¡± ¡°And not turn them into vampires?¡± ¡°Correct. My brother knew what I was about to become. He was also given the option, but he believed vampirism to be sinful lifestyle. He chose to die along with many others in those following years.¡± ¡°What did he die of?¡± ¡°The Black Death.¡± Arthur looked down at his open palm. ¡°In my new state, free of human limitations, I was able to comfort many people as they passed¡ªmost of them had already watched their own children wither, and die. And when my brother took his last breath, a part of me wished I had gone with him. But I had made my choice, and I kept my promise to watch over his bloodline, until I broke it for the sake of David and Jason.¡± ¡°So, how did Drake¡¯s request to turn them make you connect the boys to the prophecy?¡± ¡°Drake is a man of honour; he upholds his word, no matter what. For whatever reason he needed those boys immortal, it must have been of great importance to him. I concluded that it had something to do with this prophecy.¡± ¡°And, so, you thought David was the Knight the prophecy spoke of then?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Because he was born first?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But your interpretation of the scrolls was different to Morgaine¡¯s, wasn''t it? So why did you think David was the one?¡± His eyes flickered. I could see he hadn''t expected me to be so alert, and I was starting to wonder if he was getting caught up in his own lies. ¡°I have reasons for keeping my interpretations to myself all these years.¡± ¡°What reasons?¡± ¡°I wasn''t sure who I could trust.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Drake told Morgaine about the prophecy. He very rarely confides in a person for the sake of an eased conscience. I had no way of knowing what he had truly said or even offered her to either help fulfil the prophecy or see no one ever heard of it.¡± ¡°But you want it to come true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you think we can trust Morgaine now?¡± ¡°I''m still not sure. But as long as her aim is to see you safe and in power, then it seems we all have the same agenda.¡± I looked down at my hands, seeing the history, the lineage, the ancient ancestral connections in all the fine lines. ¡°Did¡­were you searching for a Lilithian¡ªor did you just stumble across me?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t searching, but I believe Drake was. However, we found you purely by accident.¡± ¡°What about Amara¡ªmy grandmother? Was finding her an accident?¡± ¡°One of Drake¡¯s scouts found her,¡± Arthur said. ¡°So I have no way of knowing.¡± ¡°Did you know David hadn''t really killed her?¡± ¡°Yes. I actually went to kidnap her from the orphanage, but she had already been adopted¡ªand her family, when I searched for them, had disappeared.¡± ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°Back then, I suspected that Drake had discovered David''s lie and taken to kill the child and all humans who knew she existed. But, David was never arrested for lying, so I had to move on with the belief that Drake was unaware, and the hope that maybe Vampirie had found the infant, instead.¡± ¡°Okay, none of this makes sense.¡± I scratched my eyebrow. ¡°Drake knew about this prophecy¡ªtold Morgaine of a child that could kill him, and then made sure the only man who was capable of fathering that child was turned into a vampire, and gave the only remaining Lilithian at the time to a newbie Council leader to kill. I thought he was trying to stop this prophecy from happening¡ªnot help it along.¡± Arthur nodded to himself, then smiled. ¡°I never quite understand why Mike has so little faith in you. You¡¯re a very clever girl.¡± ¡°So, I''m right? He could have just killed David when he was born if he didn''t want this to happen.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then this isn¡¯t just about Drake being afraid of a vampire-hunting kid.¡± ¡°My dear, it would take a lot more than a powerful child to turn Drake in fear.¡± ¡°So, why does he want me dead¡ªmy child dead? And why did he kill David if he thought he was the prophecy knight?¡± ¡°What have you concluded about David''s death, at this point?¡± ¡°That Drake wanted him dead because of the prophecy, but that he couldn¡¯t let anyone else know about it, so David died under the disguise of laws he¡¯d broken¡ªby associating with me.¡± Arthur breathed out through his nose. ¡°The truth, my dear, is what I already told you¡ªthat David broke the law. Drake himself could not change the outcome of that.¡± ¡°But, if David''s the prophecy knight, then¡­¡± ¡°Or perhaps he¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Then¡­who?¡± ¡°There is a word in the prophecy. You saw it¡ªsaw that the whole document is written in hieroglyphics. That language has no real base. Some say the English language was based on that of the Ancients, but I see no real evidence of that aside from the pattern of words. But there was one rune, between son of and knight, that may depict firstborn, however, this could also mean many things. In my own interpretation, it can mean ¡®a¡¯ son of knight, and I believe Drake also reads it this way.¡± ¡°So, in your interpretation, the knight could even be Jason?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°Or you?¡± He nodded again. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any possibility it could be a contract?¡± He rubbed his stubbly chin. ¡°It¡¯s a clever theory. And, in truth, there may be some fact there. I noticed that same mark and thought nothing of it. Our laws and filing systems changed so much over the centuries that it took a person who studied our society as subject in History to point out something I should have seen. But, if we focus on that, we lose sight of what¡¯s important, and right now, killing Drake is at the top of the priority list¡ªespecially if that is, indeed, a contract.¡± ¡°So¡ª¡± I tried to piece things together in my head. ¡°What does he want my child for if she can''t kill him?¡± ¡°I never said she cannot kill him, or that she will not have the power to mortalise vampires, but his true interest in your child is not known to me.¡± ¡°You know what?¡± I stood up, shoving my chair back with my legs. ¡°No more lies. I already know, Arthur. Jason told me you''re here to steal my child and give it to Drake.¡± He looked down, rubbing a hand across his mouth. ¡°Jason knows?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, calm. ¡°What else has he told you?¡± ¡°That he doesn''t believe you¡¯re a traitor.¡± ¡°I''m not a traitor.¡± ¡°How do I know that? You came here on Drake¡¯s request.¡± He appeared beside me, taking my trembling hand. ¡°I was already planning my stay here when I was called to Drake¡¯s bedside.¡± ¡°His bedside?¡± ¡°He was dying,¡± Arthur said. ¡°He had consumed the entire box of blood stores Jason took from you in order to survive that venom-tipped sword, and even then, he was struggling.¡± ¡°So, he knows about immunity¡ªthat¡¯s how you found out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And, he called you to him for what¡ªto come get more blood from me?¡± ¡°No. My king addressed me as his friend, not his council leader. He thanked me for all that I had done and asked that I go to Loslilian on one last mission before I took my leave.¡± ¡°To impregnate me and kidnap our baby?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­there was something else.¡± Arthur wandered across the room, then opened his drawer. ¡°Loslilian is also home to this.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± I asked, eyeing a box very similar to the one Nhym came in. ¡°It¡¯s the Dagger of Yahanna.¡± ¡°Of death?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± He flipped the lid and spun the box around on the table so I could see inside; above the bone blade, the hilt was twisted silver, rising up around a red stone, like snakes on a Celtic Knot. ¡°This dagger is said to be spelled; that if Drake uses this on the Stone of Truth, forces it through the heart of your infant child, he will gain all power the child holds. Including the rumoured power to reverse immortality.¡± Bingo! The truth. I tried not to grin. ¡°But¡­if my child can do that anyway, why would he want to take that from her? Why not just¡ª¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s power. Why would anyone follow a dark entity when they can follow the light?¡± ¡°If he holds all power, he reigns supreme.¡± I nodded to myself, feeling numb. ¡°And, what¡­he promised you mortality if you gave up my baby?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you agreed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I felt my fingertips twitch, a stroke across his face their destination. ¡°But it was a lie.¡± He grabbed my hand. ¡°Then why are you really here?¡± I yanked away from him. ¡°Because this goes deeper than any of us can possibly imagine. I am here to protect you¡ªprotect the world from what may come.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Think about it¡ªwhat does Drake know? What kind of power will that child have that he¡¯s willing to wait six centuries for it?¡± I swallowed my own words, dropping back on my heels. ¡°This is not just about the reversal of immortality, Amara, because, quite frankly, Drake does not give a damn whether a vampire wants to live or die.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I unclenched my fists. ¡°What does he want her for?¡± ¡°You tell me,¡± he said, then sighed, pinching his brow. ¡°Look, after Drake let you escape, I¡ª¡± ¡°Let me escape?¡± Page 67 Arthur half laughed. ¡°Yes. My dear, if he truly wanted you dead that day, you would have been.¡±Advertisement ¡°But I thought he thought I was dead all that time¡ªbefore I was crowned.¡± ¡°No. He knows all that goes on in that castle.¡± ¡°Then he must know Jason¡¯s alive.¡± And David. ¡°Possibly. But many other people also knew you were still alive. No one knew about Jason. He was taken away with the rest of the dead.¡± I pictured that in my mind; a pile of bloodied bodies, and Jason beneath them. ¡°The castle was unattended for a long period of time preceding that,¡± Arthur continued. ¡°Your escape happened before Drake was stabbed. Anything after might have slipped his attention.¡± ¡°So, if he let me escape because he wanted me to have this kid, then he¡¯s not really going to attack us, is he?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said calmly. ¡°How long will he give us to deliver what he wants?¡± ¡°I''m not sure.¡± I chuckled nervously, numb and confused, sitting on the chair again. ¡°I bet he was pissed when the council arrested me in the first place, then.¡± ¡°Yes. He was muttering something about changing tactic when I first entered his chamber.¡± He knelt down in front of me. ¡°I promised him I would come to Loslilian, father a child with you, and bring it to him. But that was never my intention.¡± ¡°Then what is your intention, Arthur?¡± He sighed heavily, standing up. ¡°At first, I was going to help you flee the country, change your identity¡ªmake you safe. But, after Drake told me of the dagger, I went to the library to research the location and legend surrounding it. All I found was Drake¡¯s Book of Shadows, which had a half a page of information, a spell Drake had placed on it long ago, and ripped away and stuffed in the back of the book, I found a note.¡± ¡°What did it say?¡± ¡°I don''t remember the exact words, because when I returned to the library after getting the Dictionary of Translation, the note was gone.¡± ¡°Who took it?¡± ¡°I have no way of knowing. All I know is that the runes I remembered on the note gave indication that the dagger had another use.¡± ¡°Chopping up steak?¡± ¡°No.¡± He laughed and gently lifted the dagger from the box, squatting before me again. ¡°That, if wielded by one deemed ruler by the mother of the Earth, one who is sworn in on the Stone of Truth, it could pierce the heart of any vampire, and send its soul to the other side.¡± ¡°Kill it?¡± ¡°Not just kill.¡± He rested his elbow over one knee, loosely holding the dagger. ¡°Do you remember being told that it is near impossible to sever the connection of a Lilithian soul from the realm of life?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Vampires are not so different. Our souls are created immortal¡ªto reincarnate over and over again. They are the reason only some humans can be turned to vampires.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s because of the sucky gene.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because you must have a soul capable of immortality.¡± ¡°Not a gene?¡± ¡°There is no gene.¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°It was a lie made up to generate fear¡ªto stop vampires changing men randomly and creating the wars we had at the beginning of time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°My God.¡± I frowned at nothing. ¡°That gene lie caused so much trouble for me.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He patted my knee. ¡°But, even if it were true, and you had the gene, you could not have been a vampire, because you were born of Lilithian blood. You cannot be Vampirian and Lilithian.¡± ¡°I know. But it just¡­I just wish I knew then what I know now.¡± ¡°As do we all,¡± he said sympathetically. ¡°But, even if you¡¯d known you were Lilithian back when Jason bit you at the masquerade, it wouldn''t have saved you from slipping into a coma as the venom poisoned your system.¡± ¡°I know. But, it would have saved David a lot of anguish for thinking I was going to die.¡± ¡°If I could have trusted him to protect you, knowing what you were, I would have told him.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you trust him?¡± ¡°I was concerned, at first, that his love for the law outweighed his love for you.¡± I nodded to myself. ¡°So, how can you tell if someone has an immortal soul?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in their eyes. Have you ever met someone, seen a child born who has a certain depth about them¡ªwise, as if they¡¯ve been here before?¡± ¡°Yes. I have, actually.¡± ¡°Those are the souls who reincarnate¡ªthe ones who become great leaders, wise prophets, scientists¡ªvampires.¡± ¡°But, what about Lilithians? No human has ever died when being turned Lilithian?¡± ¡°No. We believe the Lilithian venom can immortalise a soul.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure, but your kind is so much closer to nature than the Vampirian bloodline and all its created. Perhaps a way to look at it would be that one is created of God, the other manmade.¡± ¡°So, are there many immortal souls in the world?¡± ¡°Yes, roughly over a third of today¡¯s population.¡± ¡°Then, those Drake turned to create his new army¡ªwhy did so many die?¡± ¡°That was exactly the question I asked myself, and my answer was¡ª¡± He stood up again, ¡°¡ªI suspect he killed half of them deliberately to maintain the lie of the gene. Our people would ask questions if he suddenly created masses of vampires from mere men.¡± ¡°Wow. So the story unfolds,¡± I said; Arthur laughed. ¡°So, this dagger can send an immortal soul to heaven?¡± ¡°Or hell.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Prevents it from reincarnating.¡± I looked at the dagger. ¡°Then, it could kill you, or even me?¡± Arthur touched the tip of his finger to it. ¡°Yes. But only if wielded by the hand of the king¡ªan entity we do not posses. Unless¡ª¡± ¡°Unless?¡± ¡°By right of heir.¡± ¡°And that''s why you want a child with me¡ªnot because of the prophecy.¡± ¡°Yes. So I can kill Drake.¡± ¡°Why do you want to be the one?¡± ¡°Because, there is something else you must know about this dagger.¡± ¡°What?¡± He angled it to the light, making the silver sparkle on the edge of the hilt. ¡°He who drives the dagger takes the fate of that beneath it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Whoever kills Drake will die along with him.¡± My lips parted, cold breath making them dry. ¡°Do you see, Amara, I never wanted to hurt you; never wanted to have a child with you for my own selfish reasons. I want to die, knowing I''ve taken that son of a bitch to Hell with me, and that, in the process, I would be saving my nephews.¡± I nodded, looking up quickly when the ring of his plural registered in my ears. ¡°Nephews? Then you know?¡± ¡°That David''s alive, yes.¡± He nodded. My jaw almost hit the floor. ¡°How long have you known?¡± He sniffed, leaning back on the table. ¡°I suspected it for a while. But, the Coronation Ball was a dead giveaway.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I smelled him all over you. At first I thought Jason had come back, but you were much too melancholy for that to be the case. And Jason was supposedly out of the country. It meant only one thing¡­my David was alive.¡± His lip pulled into a smile as he turned around, placed Yahanna in its box and closed the lid. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me you knew?¡± ¡°To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure you even knew. I watched you closely when you cried for him, when you were sad talking about him, and I could not, for the life of me, decipher your true emotions. I thought maybe he had come to you that day, while you slept, and kissed your hair to show you how proud he was, but that you were left unaware.¡± I touched a hand to my chest, feeling it burn. ¡°Then why didn''t you just ask me if I knew?¡± ¡°Because, my dear, if David believed it was safer for you to be left in the dark, I would respect that. I know nothing of his intentions or plans, only that he has good reason for every decision he makes.¡± ¡°So, do you think he knows that the dagger can kill Drake?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°I suspect so.¡± ¡°What makes you so certain?¡± ¡°Because you weren¡¯t surprised when I mentioned the dagger, which means Jason knows about that as well, and if Jason knows, there is no way he would keep that kind of information from his own brother.¡± He grinned. ¡°My David is a smart boy. He knows what this dagger does by now, I would bet my life on it.¡± ¡°So, he thinks he has to kill Drake? Is that what he plans to do?¡± ¡°If I know him, yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­why isn''t he here? Why hasn''t he come to see me, tell me, spend time with me before he just wanders off to die!¡± ¡°I''m not sure, but whatever his reasons, it must pose some risk to you for him to be here. Or¡ª¡± He took a moment before continuing. ¡°Or he is mentally preparing you for his death?¡± My chest lifted, moving my shoulders with each panicked breath. ¡°By leaving me alone?¡± ¡°Perhaps to learn to cope without him¡ªto see you do not need him to be strong.¡± The tears broke past restraint. I cried into my hand, my shoulders shaking. ¡°How can he live with that? How can he have known all this time that he¡¯s going to die¡ªgoing to give up our forever, and not tell me?¡± ¡°I imagine he would not have wanted to see you like this.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s ridiculous! So, he was just going to go off and die, and what, someone else would pick up the pieces?¡± Arthur sighed, sympathy warming his soft smile. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. No! He doesn''t get to do this. He doesn''t get to just¡ª¡± ¡°Amara, calm down.¡± He cupped both my shoulders, holding me firmly. ¡°It doesn''t have to be that way. It won''t be that way.¡± I shook, letting my head fall against his chest. ¡°And¡­you understand now, that I''m not the creepy uncle trying to fondle his niece in-law?¡± He stroked my hair gently. ¡°My offer of a child still stands, but it may not be the prophecy child¡ªif she is, indeed, possible. However, it will save your husband from certain death¡ªa death he is only too aware he''s headed for.¡± My eyes watered. ¡°So, we have to stop the coronation from happening. If he gets crowned¡ª¡± ¡°I believe that¡¯s all he¡¯s waiting for¡ªaside from the dagger.¡± ¡°How do you know he hasn''t found it?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s still here, so, you needn¡¯t worry. And he won''t find it.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°Because that, my dear¡ª¡± he nodded to the box, ¡°¡ªis not the dagger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a fake.¡± ¡°Where''s the real one?¡± He smirked. ¡°Only I know that. And it will remain that way.¡± ¡°Insurance policy, huh?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s to protect those who seek to protect you, from themselves.¡± I ran that over in my head. ¡°By stopping David from using the dagger,¡± he clarified, ¡°I am stopping him from letting it fall into Drake¡¯s hands. Without that, your child is merely a child. He can kill her, but there would be little point.¡± ¡°Except to take revenge on me for being Lilithian.¡± Arthur shook his head softly. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°No, Amara, I told you already; everything any vampire living today knows about Lilith is based on rumours created by Drake himself. Some people don''t even know what year this all took place. I once heard Eric reference the death of Lilith to have occurred in early thirteen hundred, and had to laugh to myself.¡± ¡°When was it?¡± ¡°Fourteen hundred and¡ªI can''t remember the exact year. But I know she ruled for only twelve.¡± ¡°Twelve?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°So, Arthur?¡± I looked at him carefully, swallowing my nerves. ¡°This child¡­¡± ¡°Shh.¡± He held his hand up, looking down. ¡°Say no more. We¡¯ve shared enough for tonight, my dear, and I do believe you have a lighthouse date with a certain nephew of mine.¡± I smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± He helped me to stand. ¡°Go relax, have some fun; we can talk more about this tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­.¡± It all started to sink in. ¡°Okay, well, I¡¯ll give it some very serious thought.¡± He nodded. ¡°However, I know that mind-block of yours is getting stronger, but you must be careful to keep this from Jason, or we will have a fight on our hands.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He rolled his head to one side, smiling. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°What, you think he¡¯ll want to father the child?¡± ¡°Without a doubt.¡± ¡°Why¡ªso he can die?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± My heart turned hard inside my chest. ¡°Why?¡± Arthur stood staring at nothing, biting his lip a little. ¡°This stays between us.¡± I nodded. Page 68 ¡°When the council brought Eric before them to question his whereabouts on the night several people had reported seeing David, he lied, told them he had been with Jason and his girlfriend. But when the security tapes were checked, evidence proved that the man in the tape was David. Eric was arrested and sentenced to six years hard torture.¡±Advertisement ¡°Oh, my God,¡± I said into my fist. ¡°Jason panicked¡ªtold the council he and Eric had been following David, that they¡¯d not reported his whereabouts because they suspected he would lead them to a pure blood Lilithian.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. He had no way of knowing then exactly what he had set in motion, and he had no intentions of ever letting them catch you. I was there when he confessed to the king, and it is only that confession that saved both himself and Eric.¡± ¡°So, what did Drake do?¡± ¡°Nothing. He stood in the shadows while his World Council discussed our options and made plans for David''s arrest and your capture. I reported the information back to Jason each evening, and we devised our own plan¡ªto help you escape. But we needed a back-up plan.¡± ¡°Which was?¡± ¡°We were only too aware of what would happen to you if they brought you in. One of us, who cared for you, needed to be approved as your persecutor. And I knew Jason¡¯s good soul could not handle that. I offered to be the one, but he fought me on it¡ªsaid that you were safe in his hands¡ªthat no one in this world could possibly love you the way he does, and in that, could not torture you delicately enough.¡± My eyes watered, my gentle exhalations jagged. ¡°I put forward the request for this young Blood Warrior to be your persecutor, and strangely, Drake approved.¡± ¡°Why is that strange?¡± ¡°Jason was young, new to the army, not really qualified for this kind of mission.¡± ¡°If he¡¯d been denied, would you have applied?¡± He looked at his feet. ¡°Yes, but, to be honest, when Drake approved Jason, I was relieved.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I didn''t want to hurt you. I¡¯d seen your pretty face once or twice when I¡¯d checked up on David, and it tore my heart out to even think of you suffering. I''m afraid I would have blown our cover in the first act. But Jason¡¯s heart was stronger, as was his love for you, and he knew the importance of holding out until help came.¡± ¡°But that was it¡ªhe was going to kill himself after that?¡± ¡°Jason sat me down, made me swear an oath on our bloodline that I would get you to safety when the time came. When he asked this of me, I realised only then that he did not plan to live with what he¡¯d be forced to do to you. He didn''t want that burden on his soul.¡± He rubbed his brow fiercely, then dropped his hand into folded arms. ¡°The plan was for him to erase everything from your mind, then erase himself from this world. And the fact that his plans to kidnap you and keep you safe failed, meant that everything you suffered was his fault¡ªbecause he told the council of your existence.¡± ¡°But he did that to save Eric, Arthur. That wasn''t his fault.¡± ¡°I know. And I argued this with him, but he¡¯d made up his mind. He took an extra vial of your venom, planning to use it for his own death, until later that week, when we realised that Drake was playing along too easily with Jason¡¯s excuses as to why he hadn''t finished the list.¡± ¡°Playing along?¡± ¡°Mm. You see, Drake is a hard man; he does not allow excuses, of any kind. But he allowed this. And it seemed strange that each time the council gathered to watch your torture on the monitor, Drake had somewhere else to be, almost as if he couldn''t watch.¡± ¡°Why couldn''t he watch?¡± Arthur smiled softly at my face. ¡°You¡¯re his niece, essentially. He¡¯s always been a family man, and he loved Lilith. I believe it pained him to see you cry that way.¡± I looked away then, from the wash of hurt across Arthur¡¯s face as he clearly remembered things he¡¯d seen. ¡°Did you watch?¡± ¡°Some, yes. Only for Jason¡¯s sake, though.¡± ¡°How was it for his sake?¡± ¡°I was watching him for signs of psychological distress. But it seemed the compulsion act Drake gave him¡ªto hate your kind¡ªhelped Jason cope in those moments.¡± ¡°So, when Drake refused to watch, you suspected he didn''t want me dead?¡± ¡°I suspected that this went deeper than just what we had learned about the prophecy so far. I managed to convince Jason to stay alive until we figured this out, told him that, even once we rescued you, you would not be safe from Drake. He promised to live only until we had seen Drake¡¯s demise.¡± ¡°So¡­he still plans to die?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°He¡¯s going to end his life just because he was forced to hurt me?¡± ¡°Not just for what he did to you in that chamber, Amara, but for all he did before that. For the fact that he was at fault, for the fact that his torture of you at the masquerade was the reason I discovered you were Lilithian, but, most of all, for the guilt he suffered because of the bind.¡± ¡°Why the bind?¡± He scratched his chin with his thumb. ¡°When he confessed that to me, that he had tricked you into loving him under disguise of your best friend, he was so aggrieved that the words came out unintelligible. He is a good man, was always a good boy, and he let his anger turn him into something he was not¡ªsomething he could only try to be. But it ate away at his soul. And I know, of all the things he did to hurt both you and his brother, the bind was the one he regretted the most.¡± ¡°But¡­I forgive him for that, Arthur.¡± ¡°I know. But he cannot forgive himself. It would be like a man of God¡ªa priest¡ªmurdering someone. The forgiveness of others does not heal the hatred we have for ourselves.¡± I covered my mouth tightly, holding in a sharp snivel. Arthur softened, coming to wrap an arm around me. ¡°We will see this resolved, my dear. I will not stand by and see either of my nephews die. No matter what.¡± I nodded, looking up into his kind eyes. ¡°Arthur, how am I going to do this? How am I supposed to talk with Jason, knowing how deeply he regrets things he doesn''t need to regret, and how will I see David¡ªhow will I look into his eyes, knowing he believes he¡¯s going to die?¡± ¡°You are strong, my dear. What David suffers for the fear of his own fate is, as far as I''m concerned, his own doing. He could have come to you¡ªhe could have come to me, but he chose to deal with this on his own. That is not your burden. And, as for Jason,¡± he said, walking me to his door. ¡°Time heals hearts. He needs your friendship right now, and that is all. Do not try to reason with him, because it will only see him tunnel into his own proverbial shell. Just hold your tongue, bide your time, and I will see that everything will be all right in the end.¡± I hugged him tightly. ¡°Thank you, Arthur.¡± ¡°You are most welcome.¡± He patted my back then opened the door for me. ¡°And thank you, also, for¡­you know, for being okay after what I said to you the other day. I really need your friendship. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s kind of all I have right now.¡± ¡°You will always have my friendship, Amara. Even if your words have destroyed my heart, I will be here for you.¡± I smiled up at him once, then walked down the corridor, wiping my face dry, nodding to convince myself I was okay. Chapter Eighteen The wind subsided as the doors closed behind us and we walked, our feet clonking up the steel steps through the barrel of the lighthouse. All around us, the smell of damp, briny leather and engine fuel on heavy ropes reminded me of the time I went on a submarine, while a strong breeze coming down in howling gusts from the room at the top of the stairs weakened the scent the higher we climbed. ¡°How¡¯s Arthur?¡± Jason asked. I closed my eyes and took a breath, stepping more carefully, concentrating on the mind-blanket. ¡°He¡¯s okay now.¡± ¡°Was he unkind to you?¡± ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been crying. Your face is all red.¡± I wiped it again, massaging my cheeks to help the blood-flow. ¡°I was crying because he accepted my apology.¡± ¡°Apology for what?¡± He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. My eyes met his for a second before I started walking again. ¡°For saying I¡¯d be sick if I slept with him.¡± ¡°You didn''t need to apologise for that, Ara!¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Well, maybe not for feeling that way, but at least for hurting him.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s hurt by the way you feel about him, that¡¯s his problem. Not yours.¡± ¡°Just drop it, okay.¡± ¡°No.¡± I spun around. ¡°Then I''m going back home to bed.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He blocked my path, lowering his head to swallow his issues. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll drop it. I''m sorry. I just¡ªI don''t like it if you¡¯re crying and I''m not there to make it okay.¡± I reached across and ran my fingers over his hair, feeling it slide through them like soft ribbons. ¡°I''m okay.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± he said, and started up the stairs again. ¡°What¡¯s hm?¡± I asked, pushing past him to stay in front, as if it¡¯d help me keep the mind-blanket in place. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, but I could hear the suspicion in his tone. ¡°You know, that dress probably wasn''t really the right thing to wear up here tonight, Ara.¡± I looked behind me. ¡°Don''t look up then.¡± ¡°Where am I supposed to look?¡± He showed his palms defensively. ¡°If you put a cute little butt in front of a guy and show him you''re wearing red lace over it, he¡¯s going to look.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I pinned my dress to my legs. ¡°Pervert.¡± His hand shot out and he pinched me. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Don''t pretend you don''t like it.¡± I huffed and started walking faster. Jason¡¯s steps picked up behind mine, the clang of metal louder as our feet thumped at full human speed¡ªthe narrow walls echoing our laughter into the night. ¡°Racing me, huh?¡± He pushed past. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you there.¡± ¡°Not on your life.¡± I grabbed the handrail to pull myself up faster. He started taking two steps at a time, leaning deep into his thighs, and reached the top before me. ¡°Told ya I¡¯d beat ya.¡± ¡°Hmpf!¡± ¡°Come on.¡± He laughed and offered his hand as I stepped up onto the wet, wooden platform of the room at the top. The wind washed a cool, salty spray across my face¡ªleaving tiny dots of moisture over my cheeks, and the gigantic globe at the centre of the room spun around, shooting light out to sea. I half expected there to be glass covering the windows, like other lighthouses I¡¯d been to when I was younger, but there wasn¡¯t. ¡°You okay, Ara?¡± Jase spoke slightly louder over the clatter of the wind, as if I was human and couldn''t hear him. ¡°Yeah,¡± I breathed, trying not to fold over. ¡°Just a bit puffed-out.¡± He frowned, his eyes nearly black in the dim light. ¡°You shouldn''t be puffed-out.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I nodded, making myself stand straight. ¡°So, how do we get on the roof?¡± ¡°We climb.¡± ¡°Climb?¡± I gasped. ¡°Yeah¡ªcome on.¡± He took my hand and we stepped through the window frame onto a thin platform, wrapping the lighthouse like a balcony with no railing. ¡°Stay here¡ªI¡¯ll go up first then reach back down for you.¡± I nodded, resting my hands and butt flat against the wall, trying not to look at the crashing waves I could hear abusing the rocks below. ¡°Jase?¡± I called. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?¡± After a few choice words in another language, Jason popped his head over the ledge above and smiled. ¡°Give me your hand?¡± My hand didn''t want to move; it stayed stuck to the wall, safe there. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Uh-uh.¡± I shook my head. The width of a wide world stood before me, open and wild, eager to challenge this girl and her need for gravity. If I reached up¡ªif I moved my hand off the wall, I would feel that space. I would feel the absence of ground, and I could fall. ¡°I¡¯ll jump down after you if you fall, Ara. Not that I¡¯d let that happen.¡± He hung right over the edge, using one hand to support himself, and grabbed the strap of my dress. ¡°Come on. Give me your hand.¡± Shaking, I moved my hand, and as soon as my fingertips were in reach, he grabbed them and hoisted me out over the ledge, swinging my body by the wrist so I came up into his arms. I screamed, hiding in his chest for a second, while the violent wind rushed up my legs, revealing my underwear. Jason swept his hands over the back of my thighs and held my dress down for me. ¡°Are you okay, Ara?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you want to get down?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I''m okay. Just gimme a sec.¡± He drew a really deep breath against the top of my head and let it out slowly, warming my hair, wrapping his arms just a little tighter around me. ¡°No problems. You take all the time you need.¡± And I did. I stood there, in his arms, warm and wrapped up like a child, until the wind softened and died down to a breeze. ¡°My legs are numb,¡± I said. Jase laughed and took my hand, guiding me down to the curve of the white metal roof, helping me and my shaking legs to sit. Page 69 With the dark of night surrounding me, and the wind soft enough not to knock me off the edge, I took a moment to appreciate the sheer height of the lighthouse and the magnificence of everything below it. ¡°Holy cow.¡±Advertisement ¡°It¡¯s great, isn''t it?¡± Jason noted. I nodded and rested back on my hands, tilting my chin upward to the stars. ¡°I''ve been meaning to get up here for so long now.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°And you would have made it here that last time, too, but Mike got wind of your plan.¡± ¡°What last time?¡± ¡°The bonfire night.¡± I frowned at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You were planning to come out here then, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded. ¡°But how did you know that?¡± He linked his hands together under his bent knees. ¡°I read Mike¡¯s mind. He found out what you were planning and, since he was too busy to watch over you that day, and the Private Guard were still human, he had Eileen extend her speech until nightfall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it was so long?¡± Jason nodded. ¡°Bastard!¡± I slammed my hands into the cold, hard surface under me. ¡°He¡¯s so damn controlling.¡± Jason nodded, amused. ¡°Er!¡± I let my frustration out in a loud gust. ¡°I''m really mad at him. That whole afternoon was a nightmare.¡± ¡°I''m sure you¡¯ve suffered worse,¡± he said quietly, looking away. I studied him as he stared with wide, glassy eyes, at the sky. ¡°You okay, Jase?¡± ¡°They''re magnificent, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°The stars?¡± I sat up and rested my hands in my lap. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent my life studying them, you know, and still, even though I know each one, I can¡¯t help but to feel like there must be something bigger out there than us.¡± ¡°There is.¡± He placed his arm around me and squeezed my shoulders. ¡°Is there?¡± ¡°Uh-hu.¡± I nodded. ¡°And what would that be?¡± ¡°Jupiter.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± He rocked back a bit. ¡°That¡¯s pretty funny.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I snuggled into his shoulder. ¡°No one else in the entire vampire community would have laughed at that, but, I appreciate your amusement.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re funny, Ara. I ¡®get¡¯ you,¡± he said simply. I hugged his arm, shivering a little. ¡°Will you tell me about one of the stars?¡± ¡°Really?¡± He looked down at me, surprise alight in his eyes. ¡°Yeah. I always wondered about them, but just never thought to read a book or ask someone.¡± ¡°Well, I would actually love to tell you about them,¡± he laughed his words out. ¡°No one ever wants to talk about this stuff. It seems like all the immortals have lost that sense of wonder, and any human I ever hung out with lacked the depth to sit and talk about such things.¡± I shuffled my hips a little bit closer to his, stealing some of the warmth from his body. ¡°You can talk about them all night to me, Jase. I¡¯d love that.¡± ¡°Know what I love?¡± ¡°What?¡± I looked up at him. ¡°I love it when you call me Jase. No one ever has.¡± ¡°Serious?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just you. And I really like it.¡± I grinned into his shoulder. ¡°Well, Jase, talk stars with me.¡± ¡°Okay, well, see that star up there?¡± He pointed into the eternity of night. ¡°The silver one, or the silver one next to it?¡± I laughed. He rubbed his chin and shook his head, smiling. ¡°Good point. Um, pick the brightest star in the sky.¡± My eyes scanned the firefly convention and stopped on one; my wishing star. ¡°Okay. I see it.¡± ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s called?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Sirius. As a scientist, I''m tempted to say it¡¯s technically not the brightest star in the sky, just the brightest one you see. And I should tell you it¡¯s made of this and that, but you¡¯d prefer the romantic, historical side, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± I nodded against his shoulder. ¡°Historians consider it to be so much more than just a star¡ªsome actually believed it was magic. A nineteenth century writer said that it has some kind of mystic influence over our world, and ancient Egyptian¡¯s believed it was responsible for the flooding of the Nile each year, which, in turn, brought new life through soil regeneration¡ªan occurrence they relied on for survival and prosperity.¡± ¡°A star flooded the Nile?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they believed. So, even as far back as when the Pyramids were built, Sirius was influencing people¡¯s imaginations¡ªand lives.¡± ¡°So it is a magic star?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Has a wish ever come true for you?¡± I angled my face up to smile in the radiance of his grin. ¡°You came back.¡± His eyes softened and he looked away. ¡°Then maybe my wish will come true, too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your wish?¡± He looked down at my knees, pressed tightly together to keep from shaking. ¡°Are you cold?¡± I nodded, biting my teeth together so they wouldn¡¯t chatter. ¡°Silly girl. You should have told me. I don''t feel the cold like you do.¡± He rolled his shirt off his shoulders and wrapped it over mine, leaving himself in the white T-shirt he had under it. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°A little.¡± I tugged it around me, laying the base slightly over my knees. ¡°Do you want to go inside?¡± ¡°No. I''m fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not fine. You¡¯re shaking.¡± He put his arm around me. ¡°That¡¯s a bit better,¡± I said, pushing my shoulder into the warmth of his armpit. ¡°Okay. Just a few more minutes and we¡¯ll go in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± But a few minutes passed and turned into hours, and the stars rotated in the sky, taking today and turning it into tomorrow. I calmed myself from the laughter of his last comment about movie topics no one had ever covered, and a good one came to mind. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± I said. ¡°Aliens versus vampires.¡± He laughed loudly. ¡°Who do you think would win?¡± ¡°Guess it depends what the alien race is capable of. But, if you think about it, we¡¯ll probably get to find out one day. I mean, we¡¯re immortal, so we may have to defend the Earth against evil aliens somewhere in the future.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He nodded. ¡°Never thought of that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the good thing about never dying, I guess.¡± ¡°What, being able to see if aliens are real?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Learning the secrets of the universe.¡± ¡°Being around for the end of the world.¡± ¡°End of the world,¡± I said very quietly to myself, thinking about that as I looked across the almost pitch-black ocean. ¡°Do you really think there¡¯re aliens out there?¡± ¡°There is. We¡¯ve already found proof of living organisms¡ª¡± ¡°No, I mean like aliens on TV.¡± ¡°Could be.¡± He shrugged, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s a big universe out there, and we¡¯ve only got the technology to actually see about four percent of it.¡± ¡°So what''s the other ninety¡­?¡± Oh, crap, brain not working. ¡°Six,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah. I knew that. What¡¯s the other ninety-six percent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the eternal question, Ara, and the answer is; we have no idea.¡± ¡°Helpful.¡± He laughed. ¡°We have theories, though. Since the nineteen-thirties, we scientists have come to call the stuff we can''t see¡ªthe invisible substance that holds everything together¡ªDark Matter.¡± ¡°Dark Matter?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Sounds like a problem you have with a Sith Lord.¡± Jason chuckled. ¡°And yet it is much more complex than a bad guy with a Lightsaber.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because we can''t see it¡ªyet. We know it¡¯s there, because we can see the gravitational effect it has on objects around it, but light just shines right through it¡ªwe can''t touch it or capture it.¡± ¡°Riiiight. A force that no one can actually see, yet you¡¯re sure is there,¡± I said. ¡°Yes. I mean, realistically, the stars in the galaxies don''t contain enough mass or gravity to stay together; Dark Matter is that bond¡ªit¡¯s what stops them all from flinging apart.¡± ¡°A magic bond.¡± I smiled to myself. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°And, you know what¡¯s great about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not solid?¡± I joked. ¡°Funny tonight, aren¡¯t we?¡± He pinched my cheek. ¡°No, what''s great is that we don''t know much about it. Right now, it¡¯s just a mysterious form of energy. Imagine the things we can dream from that¡ªimagine what may be possible if we could study it¡ªharness it. Maybe all the magic of life is hiding up there, inside that secret. ¡± ¡°So you believe in magic now?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don''t really know, but then, if there''s no magic in the world, what are we?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re the result of a genetic polarity that¡¯s been triggered by vampire venom to change the way your cells interact with the universe and each other.¡± Jason lifted my hand into his, threading his fingers through mine. ¡°And you are simply a miracle.¡± I looked at the stars all the way over to my right so he wouldn''t see my probably very red cheeks. ¡°Why do they twinkle?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The stars, dummy.¡± I backhanded him; he caught my wrist before impact. ¡°Astronomical scintillation.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± He grinned, kissing the back of my hand, then tucked it into his chest. ¡°The light has to come through the atmosphere before we see it, and the interference of various elements bends that light, giving stars the appearance of twinkling.¡± ¡°Well, that''s not very magical.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He leaned his head on top of mine. ¡°But it doesn''t mean they¡¯re not wishing stars. Nothing is impossible until you¡¯ve proven it impossible.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean that, until you can give me proof that each and every one of those stars in the sky cannot and will not ever have the capacity to grant a wish, then I, and you, have every right to believe they will.¡± I bit my smiling lip. ¡°David says wishing is good time wasted.¡± He laughed. ¡°Do you know where he got that from?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°My father.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I sat up and looked at him. ¡°Yup. It was Father¡¯s favourite line.¡± ¡°Why?¡± His shoulder came up to his ear then back down again. ¡°He never had a lot of faith in anything good¡ªespecially us boys.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I looked out at the ocean. ¡°David tries to justify your father¡¯s behaviour.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his way of dealing with the abuse.¡± I sat back a bit to look at him. ¡°How bad was it?¡± ¡°It was worse for David than me.¡± ¡°Why? I thought your father saw you as evil or something.¡± ¡°Precisely why he saved his fits of rage for the child who was not protected by the devil.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°What did he do to David?¡± Jason rested his arms over his knees and leaned forward. ¡°He wanted to break him.¡± ¡°His spirit?¡± He nodded. ¡°David never cried. Didn¡¯t matter what Father did to him¡ªhe never cried.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It was his only defence. He wouldn''t give Father the satisfaction.¡± His jaw came forward a bit, his brows pinching in the middle. ¡°I saw him cry once, though.¡± ¡°Did your father see it?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Well, what happened?¡± ¡°Father came home drunk one afternoon to find David and I fighting again. He pulled us apart and gave us a lecture about being young men¡ªbeing good brothers. And David didn''t mean to, but¡­he laughed. So¡ª¡± He sniffed once, ¡°¡ªFather threw him into the wall¡ªbroke his arm.¡± I pressed my palm firmly to my lips. ¡°He had the maids toss David into the cellar; told them not to open the door until he cried.¡± ¡°And he cried?¡± ¡°Not in that cellar, no.¡± ¡°How did he get out?¡± ¡°I was walking home from school a few days later when Uncle Arthur came back into town¡ªjust passing through. He asked where David was, and I told him.¡± ¡°And he helped?¡± Jase nodded, still not really looking at me. ¡°That night, David was in his bed, his arm all bandaged up, and I saw him wipe a tear from his cheek.¡± The picture of the lonely scene made me ache all over. ¡°Did you comfort him?¡± He shook his head, breathing out, and I could see that he was reliving that memory, because he just couldn¡¯t stop shaking his head. ¡°David and I had grown apart more and more by that stage. We loved each other, but for me to acknowledge his pain would have been to humiliate him. So, I blew out the lantern and went to bed with a pillow over my head.¡± Page 70 ¡°You poor, poor things.¡±Advertisement ¡°Come on.¡± He stood up, grabbed my arm gently and helped me to my feet. ¡°Time to go inside. Your lips are turning blue.¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Yes. Look at you, you¡¯re shaking.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± I pinched the hem of my dress. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ara?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve hardly spent any time with you since you¡¯ve been here.¡± ¡°We can come out here again,¡± he suggested. ¡°And I¡¯ll still be here tomorrow.¡± I nodded, looking at my feet. ¡°Do you think¡­Can¡­when we get back to the manor, can you stay with me for a bit?¡± ¡°Stay?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± He grew a little taller, and the wind moved under his arms as he rubbed his head, brushing a mix of his cologne and him across my nose. ¡°Ara, I want to¡ªGod knows, but it¡¯s late.¡± ¡°Well, I''m not ready to go to bed yet.¡± ¡°Yes, you are. I can see how tired you are.¡± He ran his icy thumb across the skin under my eye. ¡°I know, but, I like spending time with you, Jase¡ªtime that¡¯s not just a dream.¡± ¡°Aw, you sweet thing.¡± He tucked my hair behind my ear. ¡°How can I possibly resist that?¡± The stars faded, keeping the secrets of this pair who sat talking all night, watching the sun rise in each other¡¯s company. There were so many things I wanted to ask him¡ªso many things I wanted to say, but each time my thoughts brushed on horrors of the past¡ªthings he locked inside as his own torturous regrets¡ªhe¡¯d switch the subject. He was fighting a battle inside for what he¡¯d done to me, and he was fighting it alone. I shuffled down a little more on the settee by the fireplace and crossed my ankles, my legs straightened out over his lap. ¡°I wish we could do this every night.¡± Jason smiled down at my wedding ring, twisting it around on my finger for the hundredth time. ¡°I''m sure my brother would approve of that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just talking. I don''t think he¡¯d mind.¡± He looked at my legs. ¡°I¡¯d mind¡ªif I was him.¡± I laughed. ¡°Only because you know you have all the wrong intentions. Whereas, I, on the other hand, don''t.¡± He shook his head, his eyes small, his tight lips blossoming into a full grin. ¡°You are a terrible liar, Ara-Rose.¡± ¡°Me? A liar?¡± I said, crossing my ankles the other way. ¡°You¡¯re just reading into it wrong. And why do you keep doing that with my ring?¡± He grinned down and brought his other hand up slowly, pinching the white-gold band between his fingertips. ¡°I''m taking it off you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I straightened my finger, letting him slide the ring over my knuckle. ¡°Because it looks wrong. We¡¯re supposed to be a couple, yet you wear this like some shrine to your supposedly dead husband.¡± He slipped it into his pocket. ¡°Removing this will give the people some hope.¡± I kept my eyes on his pocket for a few seconds. ¡°Fine. But don''t lose it.¡± He laid a hand to his chest. ¡°I''ve never lost anything I hold close to my heart.¡± ¡°So, your heart is in your back pocket?¡± I joked. ¡°No. It¡¯s on my sleeve,¡± he said. I rolled my eyes, but inside, thought that was really sweet. In the background, an acoustic playlist of my favourite bands kept time to our magic little world; each song bringing this closer to an end. We sat quietly then, both hearing the words to a song about being in a dream together, and Jason smiled, because they fit so perfectly to our situation. ¡°Who¡¯s this by?¡± he asked. ¡°Gavin DeGraw.¡± The corner of his lip turned up sharply and his smiling eyes focused on nothing, as the words played out around us. ¡°Do you think he wrote it just for us?¡± ¡°Maybe he did and he doesn''t know it.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± I ran the tip of my thumb over his nail, feeling the melody fill me up like Jason¡¯s mere presence did, and neither of us had words for a while, because everything we wanted to say was being sung to us by a person we¡¯d never met. But the song ended with the rise of day, and the sun reached out to all corners of the manor, blowing away the intimacy of candlelight with the cold light of truth. ¡°I should go,¡± he said, rubbing a hand over my leg, warming it a little. ¡°It¡¯s not really right for me to be in here with you like this.¡± ¡°How noble of you.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Yet it was okay while it was dark.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Ara. It¡¯s just¡ªI forget sometimes, you know.¡± His eyes narrowed as if he was thinking really hard. ¡°I''m so used to you being mine, so used to being in that world of neither here nor there that it¡¯s automatic for me to love you as my own. But it¡¯s wrong, and I don''t wanna be that guy.¡± ¡°I know. And I don''t want to be that girl, either.¡± He brushed his thumb over my jaw, smiling. ¡°I know you don''t, Ara. And when we were in those dreams before, we were both so caught up in the confusion of it all, and, honestly, I never cared if I hurt David, but, somehow, throwing him on a fire to burn alive kinda mended the hatred I had for him.¡± ¡°Then why didn''t you try that in the first place¡ªinstead of ruining the first ball I ever went to?¡± ¡°Ooh, low-blow,¡± he said with a grin, his lovely dimple showing. ¡°Well, if I could go back, I¡¯d do it all differently.¡± ¡°I know that, Jase.¡± I patted his hand. ¡°And you¡¯re right, you know¡ªDavid would be very pissed-off to see us sitting like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just so hard, though,¡± he whined. ¡°I want to be this way with you, and I know you want it, too. And maybe that¡¯ll change when you¡¯ve got David here to love you like you need, but, right now, while he¡¯s not, and while you¡¯re willing to let me be close with you, I will have to fight incredibly hard with myself not to put us in situations like this.¡± ¡°Situations?¡± I looked down at his hand on my lower thigh, his fingers falling softly between them. ¡°Yeah, you know, getting closer, hanging out like we¡¯re in love¡ªspending the night together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we slept together.¡± ¡°It will happen, though, Ara,¡± he stated. ¡°If we keep this up, I won''t be able to let you go when he comes back, and neither will you.¡± I laughed then because, as he said that, a song playing said, ¡°I won''t let you go,¡± as if my playlist had been perfectly selected to musically portray our emotions. If Highway to Hell came on, I¡¯d be very concerned. Jason laughed, obviously having read all that in my thoughts. ¡°Speaking of highway,¡± he said, shifting my legs as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll hit it¡ªleave you to sleep.¡± ¡°I''m not tired.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± He grinned and wandered over to my fireplace. I sat up. ¡°Um, Jase, the door¡¯s the other way.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said, then just stood there, rapping on the wall. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I have a theory about this wall.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Well, my room has only one window, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But, from the outside of the manor, there are exactly sixteen windows on the west wing¡¯s second floor. So¡­where is the last room, if my window is number fifteen?¡± ¡°Urm¡­I don''t know.¡± I walked over to stand beside him. ¡°Exactly. So, I got to thinking, and I did a little digging around.¡± He pushed on the wall panel. ¡°When I was a kid, we used to find secret passages all over this place.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Can you show me some?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He pushed another spot on the wall and smiled. ¡°One thing we came to learn was that most secret doors were a push-release panel; you shove it, it pops out, then you can open it.¡± He stood back and revealed a small opening where my wall was a second ago. ¡°It¡¯s a secret passage.¡± He nodded. ¡°Leading into whatever is beside my room.¡± I looked at him, then at the door. ¡°Can we go check it out?¡± He smiled, pressing the panel back in place. ¡°Not today. You need sleep, and I want to make sure it¡¯s safe before you go wandering around down there. This passage may not even lead to that room. I only suspected it because you said you heard noises coming up from the wall.¡± ¡°I told you that?¡± ¡°Well, okay, no, you thought it, but, the point still stands. I¡¯d just really like to be there to explore it with you. Will you wait for me?¡± ¡°Why can''t we go now?¡± ¡°Because¡ª¡± He looked at his watch. ¡°You have to be up for queen duties in two hours, and I¡¯ve got to go into town today.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Shopping.¡± He grinned. ¡°I didn''t bother packing any clothes when I left Rome, so I''ve been borrowing Eric¡¯s, but he¡¯s a bit bigger in the waist than I am.¡± He lifted his shirt and showed the gap between his golden V of muscles and the waistband of his jeans. ¡°I need some new clothes.¡± ¡°Clearly.¡± ¡°Want anything from town while I''m there?¡± My eyes went wide. ¡°A block of chocolate!¡± ¡°Okay. If you promise to wait for me before you go down that tunnel, I¡¯ll bring you a month¡¯s supply.¡± ¡°Okay. I promise.¡± He leaned in and lowered his face to meet me eye-to-eye, then held out his little finger. ¡°Pinkie promise?¡± I looped mine over his. ¡°Pinkie promise.¡± ¡°Good. Now.¡± He kissed my head. ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said, folding my arms, watching him open my bedroom door. ¡°Night, Jase.¡± ¡°Night, Ara.¡± As the door closed, the loneliness of my room swallowed me up again. All around my head, overtiredness mixed with confusion, and I felt a tear on my cheek. I swiped it away and looked down at my hand¡ªat the clear patch of skin where my ring should be. Since speaking to Arthur last night, I¡¯d not had a chance to digest what he told me, because I couldn¡¯t think of it while Jason was around. But, alone, in my room, finally with time to think, I didn''t want to. I waltzed over and sat by my dresser mirror, my eyes tracing lines over the face of the girl there. When she looked back at me these days, I saw only myself¡ªnot the mask, not the confusion or the troubled eyes of the lost soul¡ªjust me. What I felt for David, what I felt for Jason and even Mike was all clear in my head now. And it was okay. I loved Jason, though I had to keep that secret for the rest of forever. I loved David, but couldn''t be with him yet. And I loved Mike as a friend. Clear. But being clear about how I felt meant one other thing confused me more; what to do about this dagger and Arthur. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and texted, Arthur, I don''t need to think about it anymore. I can''t lose him. Meet me tonight? He didn''t reply. I tapped my heel, drumming my fingers on my knee while I waited. But there was nothing. I sent another; Arthur. Did you get my message? A reply came through immediately; My dear, you haven¡¯t thought this through. Get some sleep. We¡¯ll talk about it in a few weeks. No! I sent back. I need to do this before I chicken out and run away to another state. I''m scared, Arthur, and we¡¯re running out of time. It could take a month or more before we¡¯ll even know if I''m pregnant. I crawled into bed and hugged my pillow, tugging a corner of my blanket over my knees, when my phone bleeped with another message. Have you done a test to make sure you¡¯re not already pregnant? Yes, I wrote. It was negative. The clock across the room ticked, and I focused so intently on it that the minute hand moved over three or four numbers, my heart remaining steady the whole time, until another message came through; Ok. What does ¡®Ok¡¯ mean? Tonight, he wrote. I swallowed, blinking away the hot, stinging tears, then wrote back ¡®Ok¡¯ and deleted the messages before turning off my phone. Chapter Nineteen We were just two shadows in the darkness of the training hall; no one passing would see us here, and no one was close enough to hear what we were about to do¡ªhow I was about to betray my husband to save his life. Last night, being so close to Jason on the lighthouse rooftop, then spending all day away from him, made me realise that I may have admitted I loved him, but had in no way come to terms with it, and in that, wasn''t ready to let him die for me¡ªor for my people. However, I knew if it was a choice between Jason and David, I¡¯d let Jason go, but while I had a choice¡ªwhile Arthur was here, right in front of me, ready to give his life up, I¡¯d let him. He took my hand and drew me closer, sliding his cool touch down my spine and back up again, lifting my dress, taking it over my head. I watched it fall to the floor in the dark, tucking my elbows into my bare chest¡ªnot quite ready to let him see. ¡°You¡¯re so tiny. Such a fragile little thing.¡± He cupped his hand to the side of my face, gently moving my wrists away from my chest. ¡°Don''t be scared, Amara. I won''t hurt you.¡± ¡°I''m not scared,¡± I whispered in a shaky breath. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­it just feels so wrong.¡± Page 71 ¡°I know.¡± He slid his fingers down my face, over my neck and cupped my hips. ¡°Let¡¯s just do this quickly, okay. Lay down.¡±Advertisement My knees trembled until I felt the ground beneath them¡ªfelt the aged blood and sweat these floorboards had soaked up since this whole thing began. And Arthur lowered himself, too, kneeling before me, making the hairs along my neck prickle under his smooth touch. He traced every inch of my spine, slowly wrapping me up in his arms; I felt small but safe, cradled into his chest. ¡°You smell like strawberries,¡± he said, kissing my neck; his lips were so warm, so wet and so foreign, his breath hot down the curve of my tight shoulder¡ªhis teeth grazing the flesh above my artery. And it felt nice, but wrong; this was Arthur¡ªnot David, not even Jason; he was my husband¡¯s uncle¡ªa man I looked up to. A man I cared about, but never wanted to be with this way. I closed my eyes, praying for strength. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he whispered in my ear, and though my stomach was tight and my body so stiff I could hardly swallow, I managed to roll myself back, restraining my tears, focusing on the chill of the cold ground under my tailbone, up each vertebra in my spine and across my shoulders. As I lay flat, the world around me felt wider, larger, like there was suddenly more space, or like the roof I¡¯d seen a thousand times before, laying right here, usually pinned by a knight, seemed to sit miles up in the sky. My chest lifted, my ribs expanding around the fear and hesitation inside me. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± I asked Arthur. He studied my thigh, running his hand along it so slowly I held my breath. ¡°You¡¯re just so young, Amara¡ªtoo young.¡± ¡°I''m nineteen.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± He dropped his hand, his head following. ¡°I''m afraid what this will do to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been through worse.¡± He laughed, but I couldn''t really see his smile in the darkness. He could see me, though¡ªhis perfect vampire vision making him privilege to all the things I would never have showed him. I bit my lip when his cool touch parted my legs at the knees, and he knelt between them, his bare hip brushing the inside of my thigh. ¡°Oh, God,¡± I said to myself. ¡°Just don''t look.¡± He wiped his thumb over my eyelid. ¡°Just close your eyes.¡± ¡°I¡­I can''t,¡± I said, looking up at him, and I couldn''t help it, I cried. He clicked his tongue, sinking back. ¡°Amara.¡± ¡°I''m okay. I''m¡­I''m okay.¡± I let my knees fall softly together. ¡°You¡¯re not okay.¡± I nodded. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°We can do this another time if you¡¯re not ready.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It needs to be now.¡± He moistened his lips, breathing out through his nose, his eyes square with hesitation. ¡°Okay. Just¡­just imagine I''m him.¡± I nodded, tangling my fingers in my hair. ¡°Lift your hips,¡± he said, touching the rim of my underwear. ¡°We won''t get far with these in the way.¡± I shut my eyes again, feeling the lace slip past my thighs, over my knees and away from my ankles. And we were naked. Together. My legs completely open; Arthur between them. He slid his hands under my bottom and pulled me forward so the harder part of him brushed softly against the warmest part of me. I looked into his eyes, seeing the fear and concern I was feeling, too. One movement, one millimetre and he¡¯d be in me¡ªand with just a few strokes, all this would be over. Providing I actually fell pregnant. ¡°I''m just going to check you first¡ªmake sure you¡¯re wet.¡± ¡°Wai¡ª?¡± My toes curled over and I jumped when he placed a cold finger just inside me, then pulled it away. ¡°You¡¯re not ready. It¡¯ll hurt if you¡¯re dry.¡± All I could feel was a flood of adrenaline in my arms, making them weak, unattached, disturbed by the tension and memory of his finger inside me, and as soon as that feeling reached my heart, I broke apart into a mess of short, hiccupping sobs. Arthur¡¯s whole body moved, as if his soul had just been dragged backward inside him. ¡°I''m so sorry, Amara,¡± he said. ¡°I never wanted to see you this way¡ªto touch you this way.¡± ¡°I know, Arthur,¡± I said, wiping warm tears from my temples and ears. ¡°But I can''t lose him. I have to do this.¡± He nodded, watching my trembling lip. ¡°Oh no.¡± The shaking in my chest spread to my gut, twisting it, making dinner inch up my throat. I covered my mouth with the back of my hand. ¡°You all right?¡± ¡°Mm. No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I think I''m gonna be sick.¡± He moved back just in time for me to roll onto my side and blast the contents of my gut all over the training room floor. As I heaved and gasped, a shirt came over my shoulders, and I felt the air on my cheeks and jaw where my hair had been. Arthur held it back until I finished, reaching around to guide my spine against his chest after. ¡°Feel better?¡± He chuckled, wiping my mouth with something cool and cotton, then placed the square of fabric into my hand. I nodded, swallowing the horrid, sour taste in my mouth. My stomach hurt, contracting and quivering. I wrapped my shaky arms across it. ¡°I''m sorry, Arthur.¡± ¡°No need to be sorry, my dear.¡± He sat down under me then, turning my body a little so I no longer felt his nakedness against me, and stroked my hair, wiping a few vestiges of puke or saliva away with his thumb. ¡°You know I care for you a great deal, don''t you?¡± I nodded into his chest. ¡°And you know I¡­I love David, too, Amara. But, I''m sorry¡ª¡± His chest sunk. ¡°I just can¡¯t do this to you. I just can''t have you this way.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I''m saying I¡­¡± He moistened his lips, his eyes focusing on something across the room. ¡°Arthur, please?¡± I sat up from him; he looked down at my naked chest and pulled his shirt to cover me, slowly buttoning it closed, staying quiet. ¡°Arthur. Please say something¡ªanything?¡± ¡°Perhaps we should just let Drake live.¡± My world rocked, heat rising as anger inside me. ¡°David will never allow that¡ªnot as long as he knows Drake wants to steal power from our unborn child.¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°I know this. But look at you¡ªlook what you''ve done to yourself.¡± I looked over my shoulder at the stinky pile of vomit. ¡°I can''t lose him.¡± ¡°Then we will have to find some other way to kill Drake, my dear, because this friendship has been pushed to its limits, and neither of us can take this. I won''t see you destroyed by my touching you, and I won''t see my nephew die because I can''t bring myself to hurt you this way.¡± I wiped my face with his handkerchief, sitting back as he stood up and, in the dark and the quiet of our little world, pulled his jeans on, grabbed his jacket and walked to the door. ¡°I''m sorry, Amara.¡± ¡°Don''t be sorry,¡± I said to the ground, swiping a tear off the tip of my nose. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± He looked down at this pathetic heap and then at my mess. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to clean that up.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Don''t. I just¡­I just need some time to myself first.¡± He bowed his head and left me, in the middle of the training hall, wearing nothing but his shirt and deep concern for the fate of my husband. The moon¡¯s shadows gave proof of time passing. By now, the men who sat in the parlour and drank Scotch after dinner would have retired, and all around the manor grounds, lights would be going out, maids shutting their doors on the day, and knights and guests would be laying their heads on their pillows. But I was here, huddled against the mirror on the wall, half naked, feeling numb, sick, cold and so, so alone. I failed David. I couldn''t give him the one thing he deserved¡ªlife. On my finger, the bare skin where my ring was until Jason took it off felt cold and empty¡ªa reminder that David and I were so far apart and that, worst of all, might possibly be separated forever. What would my life be without him now? How would I kiss him when I saw him next, knowing it would be one of the last times? How could he kiss me each time he came here, knowing that when he said forever, it was a lie? ¡°Hello?¡± a cautious voice called into the room. The moonlight outlined a broad silhouette. I tucked myself into a smaller ball and hid my eyes when the light came on, blinding me. ¡°Ar?¡± Mike landed beside me, taking my face in his thick fingers. ¡°Baby, what are you doing out here?¡± He looked behind him then. ¡°Did you throw up?¡± I nodded, clutching my hands to my stomach. ¡°What¡­how did you¡­what were you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡­I think I was sleepwalking.¡± I hid Arthur¡¯s hanky under my arm. He sat back on his heels, frowning. ¡°Then why can I smell Arthur all over you?¡± I took a quick breath and looked down at the shirt covering my otherwise naked body. He looked too. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Ara!¡± He stood up, hauling me to my feet by the arm. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Nothing, I¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re naked,¡± he said, running his hand up the back of my thigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, Mike. I swear, I¡ª¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± he screamed, the veins in his eyes bulging. ¡°Did you fuck him?¡± ¡°No.¡± He walked away, running his hands over his head. ¡°No. Nup, this doesn¡¯t make sense. None of it.¡± ¡°Mike, please?¡± He appeared in front of me, pinning my back to the ice-cold mirror. ¡°What are you playing at, Ara? What are you up to?¡± ¡°Nothing, Mike. I honestly don''t know how I got down here.¡± He studied my cheeks and my lips. ¡°You¡¯ve been crying.¡± ¡°I¡­I''m okay.¡± I reached up and wiped the moisture of remaining tears from under my eye. ¡°Wait.¡± Mike grabbed my hand, squeezing it so tight my fingertips pulsed with blood. ¡°Where¡¯s your ring?¡± I looked at my hand then back at his fierce eyes. ¡°Where is your ring!¡± ¡°I¡­I took it off.¡± ¡°Why?¡± he said quietly, but an eruption of volume festered underneath. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°It¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t think. I couldn¡¯t even remember when I took it off. His fingers tightened on my arms, saliva leaving his lips, spattering all over mine as he screamed something in my face. ¡°Jason took it off me!¡± I wailed. ¡°It looked wrong. My husband is supposed to be dead, Mike.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s not dead.¡± He slammed me against the mirror again, cracking it under my spine. ¡°He¡¯s alive, and you''re down here, naked under Arthur¡¯s shirt!¡± I looked right into his eyes then, both of us seeing truths about each other we didn''t want to see, and my legs moved out from under me; I wanted to sink down and curl into a ball, but he held me up, leaning on my body with so much weight my lungs couldn¡¯t draw a breath. ¡°I didn''t do anything with him, Mike.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± He walked away again. I sat on the floor, looking at the exit then my best friend. ¡°Ara, you can''t lie to me.¡± ¡°I''m not lying. I¡­All I remember is getting down here and then I threw up.¡± He appeared beside me, squatting, lifting my face. ¡°If that''s true, then why are your clothes over there on the floor?¡± I looked over at them, my lie falling apart before my eyes. ¡°You stupid little slut,¡± he said through his teeth and snapped his hand across my cheek. I squealed, slowly touching my fingers to it, swiping my hair away from my lip. ¡°Do you know what this will do to him? Do you!¡± He grabbed me again, shaking me. ¡°He will hate you, Ara. He will never touch you again, he¡ª¡± His words stopped and he jerked backward, cool air rushing between us as he skidded into the wall across the room. ¡°Back down, or I will put you in a permanent state of vegetation!¡± Jason pointed at him, coming up out of nowhere. Mike sat up, clutching his jaw, then stumbled to his feet. I saw the same shock I was feeling become present in his eyes; he looked down at his hands, and I turned away, burying my face in Jason¡¯s shoulder as he squatted beside me. ¡°Baby. I''m sorry,¡± Mike said, and when I looked up again, he was gone. ¡°Ara?¡± Jason covered me with his jacket. ¡°I can¡¯t do it, Jase. I can''t.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t do what?¡± ¡°What kind of a person am I?¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°I couldn''t even¡­I just couldn''t¡­¡± I felt his hands on me, trying to comfort me, but my breath became too thin, my head swirling as the sound in the room rang through my ears in a high-pitched tone. I opened my eyes and smiled, turning my head away. ¡°Don''t look at me like that.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Jason jumped up from the chair by my bed and came to sit right against my hip. ¡°Like you''re really concerned.¡± He stroked his thumb over my cheek. ¡°He hit you.¡± ¡°It was a tiny slap,¡± I said, pulling his hand away. ¡°And I kinda had it coming.¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve been through enough. He had no right to touch you that way. I will skin him alive.¡± He closed his eyes in emphasis of the word. Page 72 ¡°I''m okay,¡± I said.Advertisement ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t be. You shouldn¡¯t brush this off like it doesn''t matter, Ara. He is ten times bigger than you, and he¡ª¡± ¡°I''ve got bigger things to worry about right now, Jase.¡± I rolled away, pulling the blanket up over my shoulder. ¡°Just let it go.¡± He swept my hair back, pressing his lips firmly to the side of my head. ¡°I love you, Ara. I won''t let this go. But we¡¯ll talk about it in the morning.¡± ¡°Jase?¡± ¡°Shh.¡± He tucked me in a little tighter. ¡°Just sleep.¡± ¡°No.¡± I rolled over and shoved the blanket back. ¡°Let it go. Mike didn''t mean to do that. He¡¯s¡­I mean¡­look what I put him through. This was just the final straw, okay. He clearly can''t take anymore of¡­well, me.¡± He sighed and turned away, lowering his head to his hands. ¡°I understand that, Ara, probably better than you might think, but he¡¯s not just your friend anymore; he''s head of security. No matter what you do or have done, he should have more self-control than to have slapped you.¡± ¡°It was a little tap.¡± I smirked. He turned his head to look out from behind his hands. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Jase. Go to bed. You look tired.¡± He sighed. ¡°I am tired.¡± ¡°Did you sleep at all last night?¡± He stiffened a little. ¡°What would make you think I hadn''t slept?¡± ¡°You know already, Jase, you can read my mind.¡± I reached across and touched his arm. ¡°How long have you been having those night terrors?¡± His eyes narrowed and he studied me carefully. ¡°You¡­so you did see that dream?¡± I nodded. He sunk back, exhaling. ¡°Are they always that bad¡ªthe dreams?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°Ara, please don''t¡ªjust¡­don''t say you¡¯re sorry. I''m sorry. I''m the one who¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± I grabbed his hand and tucked it against my locket. ¡°All of that¡¯s in the past. I know what you did for me. I know it was to protect me, Jase, I forgave you a very, very long time ago.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°No, you don''t. It hurts me for you to feel such deep regret. You¡¯re punishing yourself for something you had no control over.¡± He drew his hand away from mine. ¡°I just¡­¡± ¡°Jase. It¡¯s. In. The. Past,¡± I said slowly to make it clear as a bell. ¡°Stop dreaming about it.¡± ¡°To do that, I¡¯d have to stop sleeping.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°How ¡®bout you come visit me in our sleep again instead. We¡¯ll make some nice dreams for you.¡± ¡°I''m not sure it¡¯s really appropriate for us to be alone like that, Ara.¡± ¡°I know. But I can''t have you reliving that torture every night. I won''t. Not to mention, if I''m slipping into your dreams somehow, I don''t really want to be seeing that every time I close my eyes, either.¡± He kind of laughed, looking boyish and sweet. ¡°Okay. No more nightmares then.¡± ¡°Good,¡± I said in a business-like tone. ¡°Now, I have question for you.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°The mind-links?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°Did¡­¡± I tried not to smile. ¡°Did you visit me¡ªin our dreams¡ªwhile you were supposedly dead?¡± His smile grew. ¡°Maybe. Once or twice.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± I slapped my covers then looked back at him. ¡°So¡­the yellow dress.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, I¡­figured I owed you a new dress¡ªsince I ruined the blue one.¡± ¡°Ha! I can''t believe you just said that.¡± He shrugged timidly. ¡°And, what about the memories? Did you leave mind-blocks in place, or were you actually in those dreams with me, showing me all those things yourself?¡± ¡°Many of those were memories¡ªthings we did before¡­¡± His voice trailed off. ¡°I never placed mind-blocks. I erased those things, but only enough to hide them from a human mind. As you grew stronger, your brain lifted the sheet.¡± ¡°Sheet? But you said you erased them.¡± ¡°Nothing can ever truly be erased from a mind. It¡¯s like a hard drive¡ªunless you have some pretty high-tech equipment, there¡¯s always an imprint left behind.¡± ¡°Right. So, all those things you showed me about your childhood¡ª¡± ¡°You asked. I answered.¡± I nodded. ¡°Did you want me to hate David?¡± He laughed. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if you did. But, no. I did and do want you to know what he¡¯s like, though.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He looked at my cheek and wiped his thumb over it. ¡°You have such a forgiving heart that, well, now I''m sure you¡¯d forgive David if he struck you in anger¡ªand his strike would not be a tiny slap.¡± ¡°You only say that because you think I''m going to let Mike get away with it.¡± ¡°No, I say that because my brother can seem to do no wrong. I¡¯ve seen him raise his voice at you, and you only blame yourself¡ªtell yourself not to push him. Ara, that¡¯s a recipe for a submissive nineteen-fifties abused housewife. I just don''t want to see you crying on a kitchen floor, punished because the Pavlova sunk, and, sweet girl, I wouldn¡¯t put it past him.¡± ¡°You don''t think very highly of him, do you?¡± ¡°I love my brother. I do. But I know him¡ªinside and out, and he¡¯s old fashioned. He doesn''t see anything wrong with disciplining his wife. It¡¯s not a personality fault; it¡¯s a time corruption.¡± ¡°He¡¯d never hit me, Jase.¡± He softened, stroking his thumb gently down my cheek again. ¡°Neither would Mike.¡± I pushed his hand away. ¡°And David would never even do that much.¡± ¡°I hope not. And I hope, if he ever does, you would come to me¡ªyou would see it as an error on his part, and not just think yourself the problem.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. Okay? I know it might seem like I let him get away with being all controlling and forceful, but if he ever did anything to me that I didn''t like, I¡¯d leave. I have a no-strike policy with men, Jase. If he hits me, even once, he¡¯s gone, because that¡¯s not love.¡± ¡°I hit you.¡± My heart sunk. ¡°Jase. Don''t. Okay? Just stop feeling guilty. Look¡ª¡± I sighed. ¡°Okay, you hit me, you¡¯re a bastard. I hate you.¡± I grinned. He rocked his jaw, swiping his thumb across a tear on his cheek. ¡°You were just so small and precious. Every strike felt as if you¡¯d snap, shatter, like porcelain. I¡ª¡± He cleared his throat, his voice breaking. ¡°I hit as softly as I possibly could, but I¡ª¡± I placed my hand over his, bringing him back from the world he¡¯d slipped away to. ¡°Don''t go there anymore. Just, when you think about it, go to a place where we were happy, instead.¡± He flipped his hand over under mine and wound our fingers together. ¡°Only if I can take you there with me.¡± I nodded, tightening my hold. ¡°I will go anywhere, do anything to make you okay again. It kills me that you¡¯re stuck in that torture without me, Jase. I''m okay. I''m here. I''m alive, and I¡­¡± I knew what I wanted to say, but couldn''t let myself say it. Not ever. ¡°I care about you. A lot. So, please, just¡­just don¡¯t go back there anymore. Move on. Leave it behind where it belongs¡ªin the past.¡± ¡°See¡ª¡± He moved forward and sat closer, tucking my hair behind my ear. ¡°This is why I love you. Look how easily you can heal my heart. See how effortless it is for you to take my terrors away.¡± He shook his head looking down at his hand. ¡°I just¡­I don''t know where I¡¯d be if I¡¯d not found you.¡± I laughed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He looked up from our hands. ¡°No one has ever cared so much before¡ªto want to take my pain away and see that I dream of things that don''t leave scars when I wake.¡± I stroked his dimple with my thumb. ¡°I''m sorry you never found a girl who would see you the way I do.¡± His hand tightened even more on mine. ¡°But I did find one.¡± I smiled softly at him, attempting to hide the sympathy. ¡°Yes, but, I want you to have love¡ªlike David and I do. I want you to find your eternal person.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Eternal person?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, I found her. I''m just waiting for her to realise we were made for each other, then I get my happy ending.¡± I pulled my hand free. ¡°That won''t happen.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He cupped his hands in his lap, nodding. ¡°But eternity is a very long time. I can hope that, one day, you¡¯ll feel the way I do.¡± ¡°If you really do care for me, then you won''t think like that. Because, for all the confusion I have in my heart, I only want David.¡± His head bounced in a kind of nod¡ªto himself, I think. He took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°Okay. Then I hope you never love me. I hope you and David live eternally happy lives together.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± We both laughed. ¡°I''m trying, Ara. I do want what''s best for you. And if that''s my brother, then, in my heart, he''s who I want you to be with.¡± ¡°Then you should stop touching me like your girlfriend. If he saw that, he¡¯d be really pissed.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± He moved his hands off my body. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Hey, can I ask you something?¡± He sat back on the chair beside my bed. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you demand I give your ring back?¡± I frowned. ¡°I didn''t know that was an option.¡± ¡°Ara, you never sit by and let things happen if you don''t approve. If you wanted that ring, you¡¯d have stomped your foot until I gave it to you. So, why didn''t you?¡± I stared at him for a second. ¡°You''re reading into it too much.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± With a boyish grin, he reached for my hand, pressed my wedding band into my palm and folded my fingers around it. ¡°Or are you just not telling me what you really think?¡± I rolled over again, slipping the ring back in place. ¡°Go away, Jason. You don''t know anything about me.¡± ¡°Oh, don''t know anything about you, huh?¡± He pulled the blanket away, his voice light with humour. ¡°I know your ticklish spot.¡± ¡°No!¡± I squealed, jerking around as he dug his fingers into my ribs. ¡°Stop!¡± He laughed, his voice deep and gentle, while his strong fingers forced my body to thrash about in a very unladylike manner, wriggling and screaming. But he seemed so young and so human when he played this way that I really didn''t want him to stop¡ªand he knew that, so he didn''t. ¡°See?¡± Breathless, a little puffed-out, he pinned both my hands beside my face and leaned right down. ¡°I know more about you than anyone else in this world, Ara-Rose. And I know you didn¡¯t ask me for that ring because you liked the fact that I had it. You liked knowing how it made me feel to carry it¡ªas if I owned a part of you my brother never would.¡± ¡°What part?¡± ¡°The truth.¡± I stiffened; he smiled, and his eyes slowly travelled from my face to where his legs rested between mine, Arthur¡¯s button-down shirt rising up to reveal I wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath. He released my hands and pulled the shirt to cover me. ¡°What happened down there tonight, Ara?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°In the training hall. Why were you down there¡ªpractically naked?¡± I swallowed, and the pictures of everything that happened flashed across my thoughts before I could stop them. He swept my hair off my brow, frowning. ¡°Whoa. Ara, you¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡± ¡°What?¡± I looked up, half panicked. ¡°That¡¯s what you were doing down there tonight? Arthur? Really?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I blinked a few extra times. ¡°You saw that?¡± ¡°Sweet girl, I saw everything.¡± He backed off me a little, resting on his knees, his hand on my open leg. ¡°So that''s what the dagger¡¯s for¡ªthat¡¯s what David wants it for?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why he hasn''t been coming to see me.¡± I grabbed my locket. ¡°He can''t bear it. He¡¯s wanted to tell me so badly, but he knows I¡¯ll fight him on it. He¡¯s planning to just disappear.¡± Jason moved forward quickly, dropping his hands beside my shoulders, and looked down into my eyes, an intense stare swallowing all the animation from his face. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No, what?¡± He bit his lip, shaking his head. ¡°No. I won''t let this happen.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I''m not letting you do this to yourself.¡± He reached down and started undoing my buttons. ¡°I won''t see you suffer my uncle¡¯s touch then hate yourself for the rest of eternity.¡± ¡°I have to.¡± I cupped my hand over his. ¡°I can''t lose David.¡± ¡°But you can lose me,¡± he said, and rolled the shirt off my shoulder, opening my bare skin to the night. ¡°Jase¡ª¡± My hand slowly came up to rest along his face. ¡°If you father the heir, you¡¯ll be going to your death.¡± Page 73 ¡°Precisely.¡± He laughed.Advertisement ¡°Why would you want that?¡± ¡°You don''t know?¡± I shook my head. ¡°You really have no idea what you are to me, Ara, do you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡­it would take a lifetime for me to show you how I feel. There are no words I could find to say it in one breath, and I love you just doesn¡¯t hold enough weight for the feeling I have in my soul that you are everything. You are my life, my breath, my reason to get up, to smile, to live each day. I will never let you go.¡± He wiped his soft, long fingers down my cheek. ¡°Don''t you see? One day my brother will come back here, and I won''t get to be with you anymore, and, eventually, that will kill me anyway.¡± ¡°But, Jase,¡± I said, trying not to cry. ¡°How can I live in a world without you?¡± He shook his head, taking in my half naked body as he peeled the shirt completely away. ¡°Better than you can live in a world without David.¡± My whole heart tightened with sadness, because I knew it was true, and I knew I could love Jason for one night without hating myself as much as if it was Arthur. ¡°Wait.¡± I pressed my hand to his abs as he lifted his shirt over his head. ¡°Will David really hate me if I have a baby to stop him from dying?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll get over it.¡± He ditched the shirt and fell on his hands, his body over mine. ¡°Think of the agony he''s been going through these past few months, probably worrying whose hands he¡¯d be leaving you in once he¡¯s dead.¡± He looked down at my hips and cupped them both firmly, sliding me down the bed. ¡°He knows this will happen, he just believes it¡¯ll be when he''s gone¡ªcold in the ground. But it doesn''t have to be that way.¡± I was surprised at that, really. I kind of thought he¡¯d jump at the chance to have me for eternity. ¡°No,¡± he said, having read my mind. ¡°Not sad¡ªnot eternally grieving him, Ara. If you really do love him more than me, then you will not ever be happy again if he dies.¡± He reached down and unzipped his jeans. ¡°We¡¯re doing this. I''m giving you my child, and I will die happy, knowing that I at least left a part of myself behind¡ªin you.¡± I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths while he fussed about between my legs, taking off his clothes. And when his bare skin fell smoothly and warmly against mine as he came back down on top of me, I felt myself only more drawn to him. Ready for him. Wanting him. ¡°I''m sorry, but¡­while I have you completely naked, I''m gonna do something I''ve wanted to do for a long time,¡± he said behind that mischievous grin. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked shyly, my cheek to my shoulder. ¡°Kiss you somewhere naughty.¡± As if my body belonged to his every touch, my spine curved, making my ribs press against his, my chin tilting upward by command of his lips; his mouth opened, warm breath over soft skin, and traced lovely wet little kisses from my collarbones to my ribs, then over the line of promise. ¡°This,¡± he said through the kisses, running a finger over my Mark, ¡°looks incredibly sexy on you.¡± ¡°I''m not sure I fit in a sentence with the word sexy,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Tell that to my body.¡± He smiled against my flesh, taking his lips down my belly in a curve, finding the join of my hip and sneaking off to that patch of forbidden hair. I gasped, a rush of heat moistening between my thighs as his tongue entered me where no man had ever kissed before. I grabbed the edge of my pillow, opening my legs wider, trying not to moan loudly, but the glorious ability of this mind reader meant that he knew exactly where to put his fingers and exactly how soft his touch needed to be. He slid one finger slowly out and back in again, kissing me each time it entered. The electricity in my hands snapped, making me hotter all through my core; I drove them under my pillow and bit my lip, giggling inside. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± he asked. ¡°That kind of tickles.¡± He laughed, running his wet hands up my hips and to my breast, his lips following, his hair touching my chin, the faint smell of myself all over his mouth as he kissed my nipple, moving up my neck to my jaw. I wanted to reach down and grab him, slide him inside me, but he kept his hips away, reaching up to grab my hand as soon as the idea entered my mind. ¡°Not yet,¡± he said. ¡°Argh! You¡¯re killing me!¡± His breath left his chest, tinted with a low tone of his beautiful deep voice, and I felt so close to him, hearing him that way, hearing his voice against my skin. I opened my mouth as he came to it, and let my tongue touch his¡ªfelt his lips perfectly shape to mine, his hands reaching around to cradle my spine, as if he couldn''t possibly hold me close enough to drive the desire away. And as I wrapped my legs around his hips, felt the driving force of his love so solidly, so clearly in that first thrust, that I let out a little cry, scrunching my fingers into the flesh between his shoulder blades. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked, laughing into the curve of my neck. ¡°I just¡­¡± David was never that passionate. ¡°I''m okay.¡± His hips moved away from mine, coming closer again, the muscles in his butt tightening each time. I never imagined it could feel this way¡ªall of it; skin on skin, chest to chest, his thin body, so toned and so firm, pressing my breasts flat between us, while the sharp bone of his jaw rested against my head, his throat just above my nose and lips¡ªjust close enough to bite. There was a kind of energy between us, surrounding us, that felt solid, like we were grounded by a force outside our awareness. I leaned down and kissed the Mark on his arm softly, closing my eyes as I remembered the first time I saw it¡ªhow much I loved him even then. ¡°Jase?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I love you.¡± He stopped for a second, and his soft hair tickled my nose as he drew back, then looked down at me. ¡°I love you, too, Ara. For forever.¡± He leaned in and kissed my lips once. ¡°And I will die loving you.¡± I rolled my head back and tilted my hips up to meet his, inviting him to move in me once more; he obliged, keeping his chest and belly off mine, looking down between my legs, watching himself go inside me. And it was about the sexiest thing I¡¯d ever seen. Hot liquid flooded my insides, making Jason grin as he reached down to press his thumb against a really sensitive spot. ¡°Holy shi¡­!¡± I said, as if I¡¯d just plunged down the dip of a roller-coaster. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°Clitoral stimulation.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He laughed, and I looked up¡ªsaw the amusement in his eyes, the tongue of concentration sitting in the corner of his smile. His thumb made my body do things it¡¯d never done before¡ªmake noises my throat didn''t know it could make, and I felt myself tighten around him, from the inside out, pulsing in little twitches as he acted on my every thought. At the point my body could no longer take it, he shoved himself hard inside of me again, hitting a spot way up that sent everything flooding back down. Moisture swam between us, his thighs wet against mine¡ªthe night air sweeping between us, cooling what was so hot I could hardly breathe. Jason moaned loudly then, his chest above my lips, his arms so tight the veins bulged around his elbow as he gripped the bed, holding himself at the deepest point within me. And I felt it¡ªfelt him release, felt his life force rush through me. We were One. There was no going back. A threshold had been crossed and the door closed. And I was nothing but content, even though I knew he would pull away at any second, because right now, he was mine and I was his¡ªjust the way I wanted it to be. As my gasps died down to soft breaths, he pressed his body to mine again, moving slowly, teasing that overexcited spot. I let out a long sigh, feeling so tight in all my limbs, but most deliciously, where he and I connected. ¡°Ara.¡± He slid his hand behind my back, cradling my spine as he rolled me up, gently tucking my face against his chest. ¡°I wish I could hold onto you like this forever.¡± And I felt so loved, so safe in his arms that I wished it, too. I angled my chin to his chest and kissed him where his heart should be beating, breathing deep his spicy cologne and the delicious orange-chocolate of warm blood through his veins, then wrapped both my arms and legs around him, squeezing his body tightly. I never wanted to let go. He was a part of me now, and always would be. I wasn''t sure it meant I had come to terms with how I felt, but I was certainly face to face with it, unable to deny it any longer. ¡°Jase?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He shuffled back, slipping out of me. ¡°This won''t make it okay.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean¡­I love him. I really do, and I¡­I can see his face. I can see the way he¡¯ll look at me when I tell him the baby¡¯s yours.¡± I shut my eyes around that thought. ¡°Shh.¡± He kissed the bone just above my eye. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll tell him together.¡± ¡°No.¡± My eyes shot open. ¡°We can''t. He needs to be free to have an emotional reaction¡ªhe can''t do that with you there¡ªwith anyone else there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his emotional reaction I''m worried about, Ara.¡± ¡°He won''t hurt me, Jase.¡± ¡°Then you don''t know him very well.¡± ¡°Or maybe you don''t.¡± I shoved him off me and stood up. ¡°Stop always thinking the worst of him.¡± ¡°Ara, I¡¯ve seen it. I''ve goddamn well seen him hit a girl before.¡± He stood up, too, following me. ¡°Why won''t you listen to me?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s irrelevant, Jason.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Look what we did.¡± I pointed back to my bed. ¡°We betrayed him. We¡­we loved each other in his bed. He¡¯d be right to hurt me for that, Jason.¡± He ran forward and gently grabbed my arm. ¡°No, Ara. He wouldn''t.¡± ¡°Just¡ªget off me.¡± I shrugged away. ¡°I don''t want this anymore. I don''t want the confusion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not confusing, Ara. You love me. You said it yourself.¡± I shoved him away again. ¡°No. I don''t want this! I don''t want to love you!¡± I screamed. He stood taller, the centre of his being turning to ice, breath by painful breath. His arms fell to his sides, his eyes glazed. ¡°Ara, I can''t read you right now,¡± his voice shook. ¡°I need you to tell me you don''t really mean that.¡± I sunk down, my head in my hands, tears falling over my knees and onto the carpet. ¡°I don''t know what I feel. I just need you to go. I just need to be alone.¡± ¡°Sure. Okay, I¡¯ll uh¡ª¡± His words stopped. I peeked through my fingertips and saw his long toes twitch then shift back, step by step, as he walked away, slipping into his jeans, closing my bedroom door a second later. A sharp ache struck the core of my wretched heart then; I folded into a ball, crying aloud until, as the sun showed a lighter horizon in the distance, the silent sobs of my soul dying rang out into the emptiness around me. Agony finally turned clarity to fog, and everything from my heart deep went numb. The morning felt new, quiet, dark. I thought of Mike, down the other end of the manor, probably unable to sleep because of our fight, and wondered what he¡¯d think to know what I just did. Right now, before the sun rose, no one had a clue, and I could still live in the dream-like state where nothing bad ever truly happened¡ªwhere everything I ever did wrong was just a nightmare. But it wasn''t a nightmare¡ªnot this time. I slept with Jason to keep David, and the regret I felt wasn¡¯t just for the betrayal of my wedding vows; it was because I¡¯d sent Jason to his death, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could live with that¡ªnot after having loved him that way¡ªfelt him love me back like no other man ever had¡­or would. I might have saved David, but I¡¯d revealed an inner truth that was worse than betrayal. I shut my eyes, clasping my hands under my chin, and whispered to that One Entity out there, somewhere past the stars, beyond Dark Matter and planet Jupiter. I needed to be heard; I needed to take back what I did. ¡°Please don''t let me be pregnant to Jason. Please, please,¡± I repeated over and over again. But my words became weak by the time the sun crawled along my naked body, and I sat at the head of my bed, my knees tucked up, thumb against my lips, staring into the truth of the life I just destroyed. There was no wind outside, no sound; the ocean was still and the birds¡­all gone. I deserved no hint of life this morning; deep inside, I was a disgusting soul¡ªgifted with beauty, love, opportunity, and I wasted it. ¡°Forgive me,¡± I whispered. A white nightdress was the only thing covering my lustful, sinning body as I stumbled through the halls toward the gates of release. Freedom. I needed to feel the wind on my face and the sun on my skin to know I was still alive¡ªthat I wasn''t dragged away by the reapers in the middle of the night. I walked through the forest at dawn, praying it would trap me, praying something evil would come to get me. But it let me pass, led me to the field¡ªto the place this all began. Clouds rolled over the sun as I cried my eyes to blindness, fumbling through the long, itching grasses; a storm was on the way, and I wanted it to come, wanted it to electrify the skies with its power and strike me down where I stood. But it wouldn¡¯t, because I was immortal¡ªno longer so blessed to be gifted with death. It was something I¡¯d have to force upon myself¡ªtake myself apart so that I never opened my eyes again. I couldn''t go back to that life. Everything was ruined. What once was innocent now was tainted so black it could never be loved again. David saw a pure soul in me, but in truth, that was the lie. There was no escape from the pain¡ªno escape from the truth that I wanted Jason as badly as I wanted David¡ªin equal measures. The only release I could expect would be a release from life¡ªinto an eternity of Hell. Page 74 I had no memory of taking the steps to the lighthouse roof, no memory of climbing up and finding my way to the edge, but as I stood atop it, the wind whipped its wild fury against my nightdress, and my hair lashed out behind me, circling back in my face and around my neck.Advertisement The sun turned the base of the clouds red, and thunder rolled over the ocean, raising the waves into a swirl of viscous claws, gripping the rocks below. Under me, a light flashed out to dawn sailors, warning all of the treacherous beast that lay among the rough seas¡ªDo not dare endure her heart, it screamed, for you will surely be destroyed. I slowly reached up and yanked David''s locket from my neck. It felt so heavy, weighed down by guilt. I had no right to wear it any longer. I took another step toward the edge, wiping my hair and the mess of tears from my cheeks, but didn¡¯t look down¡ªcouldn¡¯t look toward my fate. The Devil could take me, he could have my ruined soul, but I would not look into his eyes as I fell into his arms. I closed my eyes, and the wind cried, howled across the planes behind me as my toes edged out over the emptiness. And, holding my breath, I launched myself with a soft step, into the open space of nothing. Silence. Peace. There were no voices here, no tears, no regrets. The ocean roared louder the closer I came, calling to me, reaching for me like claws of sanction, pounding the rocks with blowing, bursting white foam. I closed my eyes and lifted my chin, feeling the ocean rip the locket from my fingers as darkness obliterated everything else. When you disregard your own heart, you betray the ones you love before you¡¯ve even committed the act. As the ocean waves washed over this desiccated, abandoned wreck, I waited for death to come¡ªor maybe it was already here, and the agony paralysing me, preventing me from lifting my face out of the drowning waves, was Hell. The sun had not returned from its prison in the clouds, and the darkness felt empty, scary¡ªlike anything could be out there, but nothing worse than what I¡¯d become. I had to get up. I had to try again. I couldn''t let myself live to tell David what I did with his brother¡ªor what I truly felt for him. ¡°Let me go?¡± I asked softly. ¡°If there is a God up there¡ª¡± I rolled my head, choking on the burning salt water, ¡°¡ªjust take me, please?¡± A sharp ache and a rushing frost spread over my entire body then. I could feel my limbs being pulled, shifted, moved about by the ocean¡ªcould feel the rocks gashing my soggy skin, and I wanted to feel it. I wanted to feel that pain. When I closed my eyes, I saw a face¡ªDavid. My David. He looked so scared; his eyes round, ragged, a kind of horror filling them, dragging his soul down behind those tears. ¡°David?¡± I whispered. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°Because I lost her,¡± he said. I stood beside him on the beach, watching the waves shape the rocks, making that fragile body a part of their imprint for eternity. White cloth shifted as the waters receded, and black tendrils floated out from her head, like snakes on the skull of a beast. ¡°It will be a good death,¡± he whispered. ¡°One suited for the fiend she was.¡± ¡°No¡ªshe wasn''t evil; she was just a girl,¡± he said, suddenly squatting beside her, lifting her head. ¡°She just got lost and couldn¡¯t find her way home.¡± ¡°What will you do with her?¡± I asked. ¡°Help her.¡± ¡°No, let her die.¡± I turned away, disgusted in her. ¡°I will. But she needs help. She can''t die on her own.¡± He dropped her head back into the water and held it under. ¡°It¡¯s strange to see her like this¡ªto hate her so much after I loved her.¡± ¡°What changed; why did you stop loving her?¡± I asked. He looked up. ¡°She betrayed me.¡± My eyes flashed open to the dry, open surrounds of the field. The grass remained still, even in the breeze, but my hair lashed out around my face. I stood under the tree, looking off to the cliffs. A silhouette appeared over the horizon, stumbling, and as he came closer, time lapsing to show his movements in skipped scenes, I saw his face¡ªsaw him holding his breath; lost, unable to cry. He carried a girl so close to his heart she looked like a child, while her bloodied arms hung down loosely from her body, her neck tilted back awkwardly, her dark hair dripping with blood and regret. ¡°Leave her there, David,¡± I yelled, watching him pass. ¡°Put her back!¡± But he didn''t hear me. He walked forward, knowing what he had to do; knowing nothing else in the world mattered but to make her safe, because he had no idea what he was saving. His eyes were aged with the pain in his heart, his soul withering under dying hope. He walked with the strength of an eighty-year-old man, and I loved him for that, but hated that, even in death, she brought him pain¡ªthe only colour she ever gave his life was in blood. He started screaming before he even reached the steps to the Great Hall, his voice travelling throughout every corner of the manor. But no one would come. Not if they knew the truth. They would say Let her die. He fell to his knees, dropping the girl to the polished floor by the table she dined at every night with those who once loved her. He tried to touch her¡ªto make her pain go away, but he just didn''t know where to place his hands. ¡°Oh God.¡± He covered his mouth. ¡°I should never have left you alone so long. What have I done?¡± I stood over him, blinking, watching, wondering if he would cry such deep agony if he knew what she¡¯d done. ¡°My love.¡± He calmed, placing a flat hand to her chest, feeling the stillness that accompanied death. ¡°Please. Please don''t be gone. Please.¡± All around us then, the sour scent of shock and fear filled the room as, one by one, faces came from the shadows and stared at the bleeding, massacred remains of my once beautiful body. Each person stood motionless, no one coming to her aide. Perhaps they knew. Perhaps they¡¯d been told what lies would do¡ªhow they would destroy, trap, torture any who bathed in the profits. An eerie silence drew the air in then, like taking a deep breath, as the energy of four familiar beings broke the crowd; I heard them scream, heard them cry, but couldn''t understand it. Why would they do that, when they know what she is? Why did Jason fall to his knees beside his brother and search for a place to touch this girl¡ªa way to hold her? What was it she meant to them that they could cry for her, when she did such terrible things? David knelt back, closing his eyes, as the people around stared at him and Jason¡ªside by side, both alive. Shock marred any joy they may heave felt as realisation sunk in. The king had returned. Mike stepped in then and slipped his hands under my knees and ribs, but Jason held strong long enough to kiss my brow, his lips bloodied as Mike tore me from his arms. I heard none of the yelling, but saw their eyes, their mouths wide as they all screamed at each other, blaming each other¡ªforgetting my broken body, forgetting what needed to be done. But one knew. One slowly walked up, pried my body from Mike¡¯s arms and walked away, speaking a name into my brow as he left the arguments behind. ¡°Put me back, Arthur,¡± I said quietly, knowing he wouldn¡¯t, even if he did hear me. Chapter Twenty David sat by the bedside, holding her hand, whispering a prayer into her skin, while Jason leaned on my dresser, watching through tear-worn eyes. I could tell from how still the body was that she hadn''t started breathing yet. They¡¯d sewn her flesh up with tight, jagged stitches, washed the blood away and dried her hair, but she wasn¡¯t there anymore. And I wasn''t going back. Jason looked up then, to where I stood at the foot of the bed, and his pupils became darker, larger, the colour draining from his face. I looked behind me, saw nothing there, then frowned at him, moving a little closer. ¡°Jase, can you see me?¡± He stood from his lean and unfolded his arms, reaching into thin air. As he moved, I saw a pale-blue light in the reflection¡ªfaint, hard to see; its lashing spectrums fading with every tick of the clock on the wall. I felt his fingers go through me, like a sick feeling, and looked down my own body, seeing it as it was when David pulled me from the ocean. Jase didn''t see what I saw¡ªthe ruined remains¡ªhe saw something beautiful, ghostly, while I was lost in the nightmare of a horror movie. ¡°Jase?¡± I looked up from his hand. ¡°Did you tell him¡ªdid you tell David?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Kill me¡ª¡± I looked back at David. ¡°He can never know. You have to kill me.¡± ¡°Ara,¡± Jason whispered, and everyone in the room looked up; I couldn''t see their faces, but felt their eyes¡ªtheir energy. ¡°What is that?¡± Arthur walked over and reached out. And as if I was some freak on show at a fair, several hands came through my body. ¡°Ara?¡± David stood, staring; his eyes tracing every inch of what I knew he saw as light. ¡°Is that you?¡± His warm hand went through my gut, and my soul broke apart, catching hold of his and latching on, feeling the instant connection; a lifetime of emotion swirled around us both, and I knew he felt it, too; I saw the look in his eye. But in his heart, he was broken. His soul was broken; I could feel that¡ªcould feel the darkness coming to get him. If I died, if I faded away, he would come with me¡ªbut I realised, as I looked deeper into everything he was, that if I went back, he¡¯d go into the night alone. ¡°Jason?¡± ¡°Ara?¡± he said. ¡°Just come back to us.¡± ¡°No. I see now,¡± I said, looking at David. ¡°I can never tell him.¡± ¡°Ara, you don''t need to¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s she saying?¡± David cut in. ¡°Ara?¡± Jason reached out, as if he could grab me. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°No,¡± I said softly, touching David''s face; he closed his eyes, feeling me there. ¡°Tell him I love him. Tell him I always will, but I just¡­I can''t be in this life anymore, Jase. Too much has been broken.¡± ¡°Ara.¡± He stepped closer. ¡°Damn it. Please?¡± I looked over at the open, waving hands of the curtains across my balcony door, greeting me like arms of the soul-taker, and felt peace, somewhere out there, away from the sudden panic of everyone in the room. ¡°Uncle Arthur?¡± Jase said, his quivering voice panicked. ¡°She¡¯s fading. Do something.¡± I stepped away from Arthur. ¡°Tell David goodbye for me.¡± ¡°Ara, no!¡± Jase reached out, but time froze around us, leaving me free to follow the desires in my heart. I kissed my David on the head and stood by the ghostly arms of the soul-taker, looking back once more as time sped up again and darkness took them all away. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time she¡¯s done it,¡± Jason said quietly. ¡°I don''t know that she¡¯s even aware she can,¡± Arthur added. ¡°She¡¯s not. And it stays that way,¡± Mike said. ¡°Talent like that could be dangerous if she¡¯s left in the dark about it. I''m telling her,¡± David said, and my eyes flew open. ¡°David?¡± ¡°Ara?¡± He rose up from a chair beside my bed. ¡°David? What are you doing here?¡± I tried to sit up, but he pinned me down by my chest. ¡°I found you.¡± ¡°Found me? I was lost?¡± He looked off to the side of the room. ¡°You had an accident,¡± Arthur said, appearing in my peripheral. I rubbed my head. ¡°What kind of accident?¡± ¡°You don''t remember?¡± Jason popped up on the other side of my bed and took my hand. ¡°Um.¡± I looked at David then at Jason, trying to find any memory, but everything was just white¡ªeven what I had for breakfast. ¡°No. Did I get hurt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arthur stood at the foot of my bed. ¡°We suspect you fell from the lighthouse.¡± ¡°What?¡± I sat up. ¡°What was I doing on the lighthouse?¡± ¡°We don''t know.¡± Jason rearranged the pillows behind me, smoothing my hair down after. ¡°We all thought you were safe in bed, until David came in screaming.¡± Hot, silent air stopped my words like a golf ball in my mouth. ¡°I don''t remember going out there.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡ª¡± Arthur looked down at me, ¡°¡ªit was a case of noctambulism.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Sleepwalking.¡± David smiled. I laughed a little. ¡°Oh. Well, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, because of your little brush with death, the whole kingdom knows David¡¯s alive,¡± Mike said from across the room. ¡°What?¡± David looked at me, shaking his head. ¡°I brought you back to the manor and came straight through the Great Hall.¡± ¡°Yeah¡ª¡± Jason reached over me and punched David softly. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen the look on their faces when I walked up to see what all the yelling was about.¡± David rubbed his brow. ¡°I just wasn''t thinking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the past, son.¡± Arthur touched his shoulder then looked at me. ¡°Everything has been smoothed over.¡± ¡°What did you tell the people¡ªabout where you¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°The truth. We told them we were trying to conceive a child that could kill Drake¡ªthat we¡¯d gone to great lengths to keep my existence a secret.¡± ¡°Were they okay with that?¡± David''s face warmed with his smile. ¡°They''re rejoicing.¡± Page 75 ¡°So, are you home now, David?¡± I asked. ¡°Since everyone knows about you?¡±Advertisement ¡°For a few days, yes. We just got word that Drake received our letter, offering war, and fled the country.¡± ¡°What! Why?¡± ¡°We don''t know. All we know is that he packed up his entire army and just left.¡± ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°Paris.¡± I frowned. ¡°Do you think he''s scared?¡± Everyone laughed. ¡°No,¡± Mike said. ¡°He¡¯s up to something.¡± ¡°But, at least, for now, he''s not at Elysium,¡± David said. ¡°I plan to go there in a few weeks and free the prisoners.¡± ¡°Free Pepper?¡± He cleared his throat and nodded. ¡°Can I come?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you don''t need to be there.¡± I folded my arms and huffed. ¡°Oh, how I''ve missed this.¡± David motioned to my tantrum-posture, smiling back at Arthur. ¡°Yes, she can be quite endearing at times, can''t she?¡± he said rhetorically and wandered over to sit on a chair by the balcony door. ¡°So, do we crown you king, now?¡± I asked David. He nodded. ¡°As soon as you''re well.¡± I smiled. ¡°When you get back from Elysium then.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll do it before I go.¡± Jason¡¯s head slowly turned to look at Arthur then, his eyes changing. Whatever thought Arthur just had, Jason was clueless to it before. He sat back, his head dropping, and stared at the floor. ¡°King David?¡± Morgaine popped her head in the door. ¡°Morgaine,¡± David said in a very authoritative, kingly voice. ¡°Walter asked that I¡ª¡± She stopped dead and stared at me. ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± David smiled at my hand. ¡°What did Walt want?¡± ¡°Um,¡± she stammered, pushing past Jason, and sat on the bed, taking my hand. ¡°Morg?¡± David insisted. ¡°He, uh¡­oh, Amara!¡± Her arms stretched out and she wrapped them around my neck; I grimaced at David from behind her hair, brushing it away from my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve been so worried about you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I''m okay.¡± I patted her shoulder. She sat back, wiping her cheeks. ¡°You were just so broken. I didn¡¯t really know what to do. I was so scared you weren¡¯t going to¡ª¡± ¡°Morg?¡± David said. ¡°Message from Walt.¡± ¡°Oh, um.¡± She stood up again, her eyes averted, back straight. ¡°Sorry, Your Majesty. Walt asked if I could let you know that he¡¯s calling the House meeting early today because he¡¯s leaving for the weekend.¡± ¡°Right.¡± David nodded. ¡°What time is the meeting?¡± ¡°Um.¡± She shuffled her feet and looked at me. ¡°I''m sorry, we didn''t know our queen was awake.¡± ¡°Morg. What time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s now.¡± David stood and kissed my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± I nodded. ¡°One of you stay with her while I''m gone, please?¡± He looked at Jason and his uncle. ¡°I will.¡± Arthur sat beside me, taking my hand up gently in his. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± David gave a slight nod and turned on his heel, closing the bedroom door behind himself, Mike and Morgaine. ¡°Did he just bow to you?¡± I looked at Arthur. ¡°Yes.¡± Arthur chuckled. ¡°Force of habit.¡± ¡°Wow. I don''t think I''ve ever seen David bow.¡± Jason laughed. ¡°He probably always will.¡± ¡°So, what was up with Morgaine?¡± I tried not to laugh. ¡°She looked like she was afraid of getting a lashing from David or something.¡± ¡°He commands a certain amount of respect,¡± Arthur said. ¡°As king, that has merely magnified.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s slipping into his new role well then?¡± ¡°Perfectly.¡± Arthur nodded once. ¡°It¡¯s so good to have him back.¡± I smiled over at my door, catching a strange shift in Jason¡¯s smile as I looked back. ¡°Jase?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± He looked up from the ground. ¡°You okay?¡± He studied his hand, running the tip of his thumb over his finger, then stood up. ¡°Yeah. I''m just hungry. I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I angled my cheek to his lips as he dropped a gentle kiss there. ¡°Take care, okay, Ara.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡± He nodded and backed away, disappearing out my bedroom door. ¡°The incredible shrinking bedside vigil,¡± I said, smiling at Arthur. ¡°It¡¯s been that way for days. Poor David has not had a moment alone with you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He patted my hand. ¡°Your people love you. We¡¯ve been very frightened for you these past days.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He sighed, looking at my quilt. ¡°Do you truly have no recollection of the events of that night?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Do you remember the training hall?¡± I looked into my thoughts again and tensed all over. ¡°Did we¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What happened, then? I remember you leaving the room but¡­how did I get to the lighthouse?¡± He ran a firm hand down his mouth, looking back at me with tears in his eyes. ¡°Amara, tell me honestly, my dear¡­¡± ¡°Arthur?¡± I touched my hand to his knee. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡± His hand shook. ¡°Did you jump, because of what I tried to make you do?¡± ¡°Oh, God, Arthur, I really don''t think so. Surely I¡¯d remember something like that.¡± ¡°Yes, but I''m not so sure you would tell me if that were the case.¡± My eyes travelled slowly away from his face to the sitting room across from my bed. I squinted against the pain in my head, searching for something¡ªany little thought that might give me a clue about what happened that night. But it was almost as if the event were a painting I¡¯d heard about but never seen, because I couldn''t even muster the slightest image in my mind. ¡°I''m very anti-suicide, Arthur. There¡¯s no way I would¡¯ve jumped. I''m just not that selfish. Think about what it¡¯d do to David¡ªto my people, to my Mum and Dad if they lost me,¡± I said, taking his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no way I jumped.¡± He nodded, his fingers gradually becoming tighter on mine. ¡°I would not forgive myself if you had, Amara.¡± ¡°I don''t think I did.¡± I looked out to my balcony where a man was standing guard, and knew only too well that one of my knights would be right outside my door, too. I wondered if that meant I¡¯d lost the argument about having no guards. ¡°Didn''t any of the Guard see me that night¡ªat least walking toward the lighthouse?¡± ¡°Perhaps. However, all we¡¯ve concluded so far is that you came back to your room before you went down there.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°You were wearing a nightdress when David found you¡ªnot that there was much left of it.¡± That painted a grisly picture in my head. ¡°Didn''t anyone report having seen me?¡± ¡°No. Not since dinner that night. And the men in the Guard who line the halls are not permitted to divulge, even if they had seen you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They swear a vow of secrecy, which protects you from infiltrators. Often, a simple thing like the whereabouts of the queen or the company she keeps can be enough to tear a monarchy down or see a traitor get the upper hand.¡± He eyed me for a few seconds. ¡°I do find it awfully suspicious that you have no memory of anything after I left you that night, though.¡± I rubbed my head. ¡°Arthur. I fell down, like, four hundred feet, onto jagged rocks. I bet my brain was the first thing to die.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His gaze became shadowed then, his thumb brushing my right brow. ¡°Your skull was caved in on one side.¡± I touched my head, my eyes wide. ¡°Seriously?¡± He nodded. ¡°David said you were down there for quite some time; he was, unfortunately, sitting on the lighthouse when he saw something strange against the rocks, but saw no need to investigate until a blue flash sparked from it.¡± ¡°Well, what was he doing up on the lighthouse?¡± ¡°Waiting for the manor to stir. He was here to see you¡ªplanned to tell you the truth about everything¡ªask for your help.¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°Getting the dagger.¡± I grinned. ¡°I¡¯d never do that.¡± ¡°For him, I believe you would.¡± He nodded once. ¡°Not to send him to his death.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He nodded again. ¡°Anyhow, it matters none, my dear. The issue has been resolved.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I offered him the dagger.¡± ¡°What?¡± I sat up. Arthur pushed me back down. ¡°On the condition he stays until you¡¯ve conceived a child¡ªan heir.¡± ¡°But, I don''t want that. I don''t want him to die¡­¡± Arthur smiled, his eyes betraying a deeper plan. ¡°Ever heard of a turkey baster?¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°We can create a child in the artificial method.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°As if I were merely a donor.¡± ¡°Whoa. You wanna put your¡­.¡± ¡°Seed.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°¡­Into a turkey baster, and¡­.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± He held back laughter. ¡°You can be alone when you do this, and there is no need for me to hurt you by touching you that way. Then, as per our previous plan, I will become king by rights, and I will take to kill Drake.¡± ¡°And David doesn¡¯t know this bit?¡± ¡°No. But when he learns the child is not his, we may have a hard time convincing him I¡¯d not touched you.¡± I nodded. ¡°And then what? Will he hate me?¡± ¡°For a while, I''m certain of it.¡± I covered my mouth. ¡°He feels strongly about infidelity, my dear¡ªso strongly, in fact, that after Arietta was murdered, I suspected David had killed her. He never approved of Arietta betraying Victor.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t kill her though, right?¡± I held my breath. ¡°I hope not.¡± Arthur patted my hand. ¡°Just be prepared when he learns the child is not his. He will be bitter for a while, but he will come to see that you were not unfaithful, and hope for your future will not be lost entirely.¡± ¡°When should we, um¡ª?¡± ¡°Not today.¡± He grinned. ¡°You need to rest.¡± ¡°So, do we need to stop the coronation?¡± ¡°No. Go ahead with it. If I father the child, I will reign higher than David anyway.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Jase said, rapping on my door as he opened it. ¡°Hey. Did you eat?¡± He nodded and walked in humbly. ¡°Yeah. All good now.¡± Both Arthur and Jason remained quiet for a second, looking at each other, until Jason nodded and Arthur stood. ¡°Well, my dear, I shall leave you in Jason¡¯s capable hands. I have a few things to take care of.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks, Arthur.¡± He leaned down and kissed my brow. ¡°Be safe.¡± I smiled at him as he walked away; he stopped by Jason, cupped his shoulder firmly and gave him a reassuring smile. ¡°Of course, Uncle,¡± Jase said, nodding, and Arthur left. ¡°And then there was one,¡± I said. He appeared on the chair where David was when I woke up. ¡°You scared the hell out of me.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°I nearly killed him, you know.¡± He stared at the ground between his legs. ¡°I thought he¡¯d¡ª¡± He paused. ¡°I thought he did that to you.¡± ¡°David?¡± I exclaimed. ¡°He¡¯d never hurt me.¡± Jason shook his head, his gaze distant. ¡°I''m really sorry.¡± I reached for his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t say it won¡¯t happen again, because I don''t know how it happened.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s safe to say it won¡¯t happen again.¡± He squeezed my hand. ¡°That I can promise.¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I challenged, with a grin. ¡°And what are you going to do, sleep on the end of my bed?¡± ¡°The thought crossed my mind.¡± ¡°I don''t think David would approve of that.¡± ¡°He can bite me.¡± I laughed aloud, throwing my head back. ¡°He just might do that.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯d get more joy out of torturing me by touching you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, he¡¯s only too aware that every time he kisses you, strokes your hair, sends me away, tells me I need to leave you to rest, it kills me¡ªit kills me that he gets to make that decision.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my husband.¡± ¡°That doesn''t mean I don''t love you.¡± ¡°Brother.¡± David stood in the doorway, his eyes dark, his shoulders so straight I almost didn''t recognise him as my husband. Jason stood up. ¡°David. Impeccable timing.¡± ¡°Yes, perfect, I¡¯d say.¡± He walked slowly into the room. ¡°I don''t know what you think is acceptable, brother, but confessing any feelings toward my wife is crossing the line.¡± Page 76 ¡°Of course.¡± Jason bowed his head, turned back and smiled softly at me, then left, offering David a scowl as he passed.Advertisement ¡°David?¡± I said, slapping the covers. He dropped his shoulders, a smile breaking out across his stone mask. ¡°Did you see the look on his face?¡± ¡°Yes. That was mean.¡± He sprung up on the bed, letting his human weight jiggle it a bit, and wrapped both arms around me, sweeping me into his chest. ¡°I know. But it was funny.¡± ¡°I don''t think he found it funny.¡± ¡°I didn''t find it very funny that he was sitting by your bed, confessing his love for you.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, David. You know how he feels.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said into my brow, kissing me after. ¡°And I know you are too careful of people¡¯s emotions to tell him that¡¯s inappropriate.¡± ¡°I do tell him that.¡± He kissed my head again. ¡°I''m sure you do.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I sat up a little, wincing at the dull ache in my hip. ¡°I mean¡ª¡± He rolled me onto my back and lifted my top, his face hovering just above my waist. ¡°I don''t believe his affections are one-sided.¡± My heart stopped. ¡°Why would you think that?¡± He smiled down at my skin, tracing a line over it. ¡°Perhaps I know you better than you think.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± I rolled up a little and looked down. ¡°Why did you pinch me?¡± ¡°Did you ever suffer from eczema as a child?¡± I frowned, thinking. ¡°Yes. When Mum used certain laundry detergents.¡± He nodded. ¡°I might go speak to housekeeping.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You have a mild rash coming up.¡± He lifted my top a little more, showing the red, raised rash on my hip, just below my underwear. I placed my fingertips to it; it was hot. ¡°Do immortals get eczema?¡± He laughed, pulling my top back down. ¡°Guess they do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s itchy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only itchy because you know it¡¯s there. It wasn''t bothering you a second ago.¡± ¡°It hurt a second ago.¡± ¡°No.¡± He sat back on the pillows, his arms behind his head. ¡°That was your bone. Your hip was completely shattered, Ara. You¡¯re still healing.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± I rubbed my hip. ¡°So, who fixed me up?¡± ¡°Arthur, Morgaine and I.¡± ¡°What did you do¡ªjust pour blood down my throat?¡± ¡°We actually administered it intravenously. We had to stitch you up, too. You just kept bleeding everywhere once we got your heart started again.¡± ¡°It stopped?¡± His chest sunk, his belly no longer moving with his gentle breath. ¡°You were dead, my love. Completely dead. Your soul left your body.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I sat up, crossing my legs under me. He nodded. ¡°And we learned something new about your kind from that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That you can not only die from having your head chopped off and kept off, nor just from having your heart removed, but if your soul leaves your body¡ªeven if it¡¯s perfectly intact, you will slowly decompose and become, essentially, dead.¡± ¡°Like, until my soul goes back in my body or something?¡± ¡°Right. See, if your body is taken apart, your soul cannot re-enter, but, you, my love, have this magic talent where you can choose to leave your body¡ªalmost like your soul isn''t tethered to this form. But if you stay out too long, you die.¡± ¡°And, if I did die from staying out too long, can I ever go back in my body?¡± He swallowed. ¡°I''m not sure.¡± ¡°Well, how long does it take me to die?¡± ¡°Arthur thinks it¡¯s about twenty-four hours or so.¡± ¡°So, how do you know my soul left my body?¡± ¡°Because we saw it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You stood right there like some freaky ghost, haunting us.¡± I looked at where he pointed to the foot of my bed. ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Uh-hu.¡± He tucked his hand back behind his head. ¡°I actually think you can do it on command. In fact, I think you¡¯ve done it before.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± ¡°You always disappear from your own head. A part of me wonders if you might actually be gone¡ªmaybe you have no recollection of it when you return.¡± I looked down at the backs of my hands, then my wrists and up the length of my arms. ¡°I remember a dream I had once¡ªwhere I felt my soul pull away from my own body, and when I looked back, I was watching myself sleep.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I nodded. ¡°Wow. I might try to do that a little more often.¡± ¡°No.¡± He grabbed my wrist, his eyes wide. ¡°Don''t. We weren¡¯t sure you were going to come back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll always come back.¡± I slid my wrist through his grasp until my hand fell into his. ¡°As long as I have you to come back to.¡± His fingers closed around mine. ¡°And what if you didn''t? What if, say¡­Drake killed me¡ªwhat then?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d kill myself and come after you.¡± ¡°What if you had a child to care for¡ªour child?¡± I thought about that for a second. ¡°I¡­¡± He smiled, looking off to the wall across the room. ¡°Good thing we don¡¯t have to worry about that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said shakily and laid on his chest, stuttering a little as I noticed my wedding ring¡ªback in place. I wondered if Jason had given it to David¡ªtold him he took it off me, or if he just slipped it on when no one was looking. ¡°Sure is,¡± I finished. Emily skipped into the throne room and held up her mobile phone. ¡°What?¡± I frowned at her. She pointed dramatically to it, mouthing some word with a round sound between two short mm¡¯s. ¡°M¡­m¡­Mum?¡± I jumped up off my throne. ¡°Is that Vicki?¡± She nodded. I waved my hands around in a criss-cross through the air. Emily nodded. ¡°No,¡± I whispered gruffly. ¡°I''m not here, Em. I¡¯ll let something slip if I talk to her.¡± ¡°Ara,¡± she said through her teeth. ¡°You need to tell them the staying in Paris plan.¡± My shoulders dropped. ¡°Fine. Give it to me.¡± She placed the phone in my hand, practically jumping out of the way after. I held it just by my ear and centred myself, taking a deep breath. ¡°Vicki. Oh, my God, hi!¡± ¡°Ara!¡± she practically yelled. ¡°How are you? You didn''t tell me Emily was on holiday over there with you. What have you been up to, when are you coming home?¡± ¡°Uh¡ª¡± I tucked my neck into my shoulders and walked back to my throne. ¡°It turns out we¡¯ve been having such a good time, we¡¯ve¡­well, we¡¯ve decided to stay in Paris.¡± ¡°What!¡± she shrieked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°David got a job, and I got accepted to university after I sat a test¡ªeven though I didn''t finish high school, and¡ª¡± ¡°So the honeymoon to Paris that turned into a world tour, has now become permanent?¡± Vicki yelled down the phone. ¡°Ara, we haven¡¯t seen you since March. How do we even know you¡¯re still alive? I mean, you ran out on your own wedding¡ª¡± she softened her tone to a reasonable level. ¡°Now, I understand that you realised your flight times were booked wrong, but you didn''t even say goodbye, and now you''re telling me you''re not coming home?¡± ¡°Vicki, I''m sorry, but David landed a great job. We¡¯d be silly to leave now.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you at least come home for a week? Just a week. I¡¯ll pay for the ticket, and¡­¡± ¡°Vicki. I can''t. I''m starting school this week.¡± ¡°But you don''t even speak French.¡± ¡°I do now¡ªa little,¡± I lied. ¡°Well, what does Mike think of this whole arrangement?¡± ¡°He¡¯s happy. He and Em have been keeping my house safe for me, and he made me promise to come for a holiday next month.¡± ¡°Next month?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Yes. I promise. But David''s really happy about this job, Mum. It could mean setting us up for the future.¡± ¡°Well, I don''t like it,¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Mum. David and I are happy, and I really love Paris. I¡¯ll come home in a month, okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better.¡± ¡°I will. So, how''s dad¡¯s conference been going?¡± ¡°He almost didn¡¯t go, since we hadn¡¯t spoken to you in a while.¡± ¡°But he always goes.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s how worried we¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I just lose track of time here; it¡¯s so lovely and there''s so much to do.¡± I looked around the empty courtroom. ¡°I¡¯ll take more care to call, okay. But I better go. I have to be somewhere in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, you take care then, and keep sending emails or letters. I¡¯ll be checking the post daily.¡± ¡°Sure, Mum. I will. I promise.¡± ¡°And tell Emily to take a picture of you holding a sign with the date on it to prove you''re not just a voice recording.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I laughed. ¡°Bye, Ara-Rose, and say hi to David for me as well, send him our love.¡± ¡°I will. Bye.¡± I hung up with my thumb and glared at Em. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± She shrunk. ¡°She¡¯s been calling my phone for, like, a week, leaving panicked messages ¡®cause she can never reach you on the number you gave her; she said she was going to call the police. I didn''t know what to do. I answered the next call, and I panicked¡ªtold her I was in Paris.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s going to figure out the truth when she checks her phone records, Emily. That wasn¡¯t an international call.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Emily winced. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I pulled my phone from the pocket of my light denim jeans. ¡°I¡¯ll get David to take care of it.¡± ¡°I''m really sorry, Ara.¡± I shook my head, resting the phone to my ear. ¡°Like I said, don''t worry about it.¡± The Upper and Lower House filed into the courtroom and took their seats. I nodded to each one, keeping the phone to my ear, then looked at Emily. ¡°He¡¯s not picking up.¡± ¡°You could send Jason,¡± she suggested. ¡°Okay.¡± I hung the phone up and dumped it in my pocket. ¡°Go tell him, please.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She bowed, then stopped. ¡°Uh, I mean, yes, Your Majesty.¡± I smiled, shaking my head. ¡°Morning, Queen Amara.¡± Morgaine bowed as she passed. ¡°Morning, Morg.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s soon-to-be King David?¡± she asked. ¡°He¡¯s on a conference call with the FBI,¡± Walter said, without even looking up from his notepad. ¡°Oh, right.¡± She slapped a palm to her head. ¡°Forgot about that.¡± ¡°Not hard when you have half a brain,¡± Blade scoffed, pushing past her. ¡°Shut up, Butt-face!¡± I watched Blade walk over and sit down at the council table, then looked back at Morg. ¡°Things didn''t work out?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said quietly, hugging herself. ¡°Turns out he¡¯s just a big fat jerk like the rest of the men around here.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Mike scoffed as he walked in. Morg smiled at him. ¡°You don''t count, Mike.¡± ¡°What, as a man or as a jerk?¡± She bumped him with her elbow and they walked over to the table together. ¡°Ara?¡± Emily stood behind me, her arms behind her back, her eyes to the ground. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Jason¡¯s taking care of that thing for us.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I turned away and readied myself for Court, half noticing Emily walk off quietly and take her seat beside Blade. ¡°Ara?¡± Jason called as I reached the front door. ¡°Wait up.¡± ¡°Did you take care of the phone issue yesterday?¡± I asked, opening the door. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you about.¡± He followed me outside. ¡°Where are you going?¡± I held up my book. ¡°To the fountain; peace and quiet time.¡± ¡°Why the fountain?¡± He frowned. ¡°I like the sound of running water¡ªit¡¯s soothing.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay. Well, can I sit with you for a bit?¡± ¡°That kinda defeats the purpose of peace and quiet.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°You just said you wanted to talk to me about something.¡± We stepped off the porch step into the hot August sun. ¡°So what¡¯s it going to be? Talk or quiet?¡± ¡°Is something wrong, Ara?¡± He stopped walking. ¡°You''ve been pretty cold to me today.¡± With a short huff, I sat on the edge of the fountain, setting my book down beside me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I''m just a little moody.¡± Itchy was the right word. I scratched my hip. ¡°Anyway, what did you wanna talk to me about?¡± ¡°Emily.¡± He sat beside me. ¡°Emily?¡± ¡°Yeah. She was crying last night.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Page 77 ¡°She feels really bad about the phone call. She thinks you¡¯re mad at her.¡±Advertisement ¡°I''m not mad.¡± ¡°You''re moody,¡± he offered. ¡°Yes. But not at Emily.¡± ¡°Well, she has this way of beating herself up for things that aren¡¯t her fault. No matter what it is, she will trace a situation backward until she finds some way she can be to blame. You need to talk to her.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Jason grabbed my wrist as I stood. ¡°There''s something else.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡ªI feel like I haven''t seen you since you woke up from the mini coma the other day.¡± ¡°Jason?¡± I huffed. ¡°That was four days ago.¡± ¡°I know, but four days is enough for me to feel like I haven''t seen you in four years. Can we hang out this afternoon¡ªmaybe watch a movie or take a walk together?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said quickly. ¡°Why?¡± Jason stood up as I walked away. ¡°Because it¡¯s inappropriate.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I''m married.¡± ¡°You were married before,¡± he called. I stopped and turned back to face him. ¡°I know, but the people didn''t know that.¡± ¡°So you''re breaking up with me?¡± ¡°We were never together.¡± He stood quietly for a second, shaking his head. ¡°How am I supposed to react to this?¡± ¡°I don''t care.¡± I turned away. ¡°Yes, you do. Don''t do that.¡± He grabbed my wrist again. ¡°Don''t pretend you don''t care.¡± ¡°Let go of me, Jason.¡± ¡°Please, Ara. I know this is hard. I know you¡¯ve never had to deal with having David and I in the same world, but if you just cast me aside now he¡¯s back, I¡­¡± He swallowed, his brow furrowing. ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°What did you expect, Jase?¡± He dropped my wrist, closing his eyes. ¡°I didn''t think that far ahead. I guess¡­I just liked it better when David was faking dead.¡± ¡°Well, he still would be if I hadn¡¯t gone diving off a lighthouse.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said, exhaling. ¡°I just wish I could rewind time.¡± I sat down on the porch step, sweeping my skirt under my legs to hide my undies. ¡°And what would you do differently, if time travel were possible?¡± ¡°I¡¯d make sure I was standing in the street by that phone booth the night you called your mum.¡± He stepped closer and squatted down in front of me, the height of the manor shading us from the sun. ¡°I¡¯d take the phone from your hand and hold you close¡ªtell you everything would be okay. Then I¡¯d drive you home and see you every day until I asked you to marry me¡ªand you¡¯d say yes, because you love me.¡± I let that play out in my mind¡ªhow different my life would be if I had never made that phone call. But my eyes snapped open again to the hot summer of reality. ¡°You can''t say that, Jase.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°Say that you think I love you. I can''t let that be true. I''m sorry.¡± He opened his mouth to speak, closing it at the sound of gravel crunching under tyres. ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked. ¡°Post.¡± He stood up. ¡°That''s not a postal van.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unmarked. That¡¯ll be official mail.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I walked beside Jason to the van. ¡°Hey there.¡± The delivery guy jumped out and smiled. ¡°Got some mail here from the First Order.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sign for that.¡± Jason reached for the clipboard, scribbled his name and took the sack from the man. ¡°Do they let just anyone sign for the mail?¡± I asked. He shrugged and handed the clipboard back. ¡°Have a good one.¡± The driver tipped his baseball cap and jumped in the van. ¡°Was he¡­?¡± ¡°Human?¡± Jason grinned and set the sack down on the ground. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Wow. Don''t see those much anymore.¡± ¡°I see them at least every three days.¡± He threw the sack over his shoulder. ¡°But they¡¯re usually under my teeth, screaming for help.¡± ¡°Ew!¡± I whipped the back of my hand across his chest. ¡°That is really poor humour, Jase.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± He laughed and stopped by the fountain to grab my book. ¡°Let¡¯s go sort this mail out. I¡¯ll bet the letters your dad¡¯s been sending are in here.¡± I looked at the sack; that was a lot of mail to sort. ¡°It¡¯d be easier if we could just have them sent directly to Loslilian.¡± ¡°I know. But a part of keeping up a lie is putting up with inconveniences.¡± ¡°It sucks.¡± ¡°Not as much as being dumped because your girlfriend¡¯s husband came back to life.¡± Each letter from dad said the same things; Sam¡¯s doing well, Vicki bought something new to fill the empty space that used to be my bedroom, constantly changing it to be a room for some other hobby she couldn''t stick to, and also told me about ¡®Conference Season¡¯¡ªhis annual fly-home-and-leave again period, where he¡¯d give History lectures all around the country. He¡¯d stopped asking so much when I was coming home, or if I was coming home. I dumped the pile of letters in my nightstand drawer and looked over at the dog sleeping on the settee across my room. He looked peaceful. I wasn''t sure I¡¯d ever actually seen Petey sleep before. As my gaze moved from the sleeping fluff-ball to the edge of my bed, something caught my eye; a thick, leather-bound book stared back up at me; it was small, like a diary, the aged leather brown and soft, with words in the ancient language embossed on the front. I sat on my dresser stool and thumbed the pages, looking up when Petey woke with a loud, whiney yawn. ¡°Hey, boy.¡± He jumped off the settee, ran straight to me and snatched the book up in his teeth, dropping it to the floor by my feet. ¡°What are you doing, Petey?¡± He pawed at it, his thick, heavy nails scratching up the ancient paper; I bent down to take it from him, but he turned his head, eyes sharp, growling at me. ¡°Okay, fine. Do your thing.¡± I backed away, kneeling beside him. He came to a page showing several figures of various body parts¡ªmarked with patterns and runes, and sat back on his hindquarters, air snuffing from his nose in gusts. I studied his heaving chest and the little slightly discoloured patches of fur above his eyes that looked like brows. ¡°You want me to see something on this page?¡± I said, knowing it was probably asking the obvious. He snuffed again, sitting tall like an army general. I rested my hands down by my knees and peered over the page; there were English translations of several Marks. I read each one, saying them aloud to myself. ¡°I don''t get it, Petey. What are you trying to show me?¡± He leaned across and nuzzled my ribs, biting at my top a little, making it soggy with his hot breath. ¡°My rash?¡± After doing that sneeze thing that I¡¯d come to conclude was a nod, he pressed his heavy paw to the page again, resting it over a picture of a torso. I shoved him off and leaned closer. ¡°Now she wears the Mark of Betrayal; the Cursed Rune of one who will eternally suffer the consequences of her own undoing.¡± I looked into the dog¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± He stared me down. My brow scrunched, my eyes becoming small. ¡°Petey, I don''t get it.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s that beautiful girl of mine?¡± David said, coming out of the bathroom. ¡°Ara?¡± ¡°Down here,¡± I called, standing up. I went to grab the book, but Petey flicked it with his paw, sending it under the bed. ¡°Enjoy your shower?¡± ¡°Thoroughly.¡± David ran up behind me, scooped me into his arms and threw me on the bed, landing between my legs in nothing but a wet towel. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I squealed. ¡°Making love to my wife.¡± I giggled, pushing his hands off my ribs, trying to inch up the bed away from him. ¡°Stop. That really tickles.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said. My body thrashed about under his, my face going tight with blood from all the laughing, and his fangs gleamed in the afternoon light, looking so white and sharp against those oh-so-kissable lips. He stopped then, and we both panted heavily, his sweetly-scented breath coming down on the bridge of my nose. ¡°My coronation¡¯s tomorrow,¡± he said, still a little puffed. ¡°I want to make love to you now in case all the extra power affects my manhood.¡± I inclined my chin so my nose brushed along his, then kissed his soft, full lips once. ¡°I want to, David, but I can''t.¡± ¡°Can''t?¡± he scoffed, his voice high. ¡°Can''t what?¡± I rolled out from under him and jumped off the bed. ¡°I¡­I can''t have sex with you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He got up, too. ¡°I''m just¡­not really in the mood.¡± I looked away from his eyes, worried he¡¯d see I was lying. In truth, I just couldn¡¯t risk falling pregnant to him until Arthur and I had done our deed with the turkey baster. ¡°Not in the mood?¡± He pressed the back of his hand to my brow. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I walked away and flopped back on the bed, huffing. ¡°I''m just tired.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± He grabbed me from under the arms and slid me up to the pillows, cocooning me in the covers from his side of the bed. ¡°Sleep. I¡¯ll go take care of Court this afternoon.¡± ¡°You can''t. You haven¡¯t been crowned.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see them argue that with me,¡± he said with a smirk and kissed my brow, sweeping my hair back as he stood up again. ¡°Just rest. I¡¯ll be back up in a few hours.¡± I rolled over and snuggled into the pillow, smiling. ¡°Thanks, David.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± He disappeared, closing the wardrobe door a second later. The afternoon ticked by. I laid on my bed, looking up at the dome, imagining Little Lili playing with her uncle. In my dreams of her¡ªthe labyrinth one and the Garden of Lilith one¡ªshe was different. I assumed the child with hair of gold, playing on the rope swing, was Little Lili, but Lilith¡¯s hair was dark, like mine. ¡°Sleep well?¡± David asked, leaning on the doorframe, his arms folded, watching me get lost in thought. ¡°I dreamed of her again.¡± ¡°Who?¡± I nodded at the dome. He appeared beside me, angling his head to touch mine as well as look up at the glass. ¡°Lilith?¡± ¡°Yeah. That was the third dream I¡¯ve had about a little girl, except, this time, she was running through the passage Jason discovered.¡± ¡°What passage?¡± ¡°By the fireplace. I don''t know¡ªhe just pushed on a few places, and a door opened in the wall.¡± David appeared by the fireplace, rapping and tapping on several different spots. ¡°Other side of the fireplace,¡± I said. ¡°Oh.¡± He walked over and did his thing, then stopped midway down the panel and pushed. Sure enough, it popped out, and he opened it. ¡°How did you find that so fast?¡± ¡°I''m just that good.¡± He turned back to smile at me, holding out his hand. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Where? Down there?¡± I asked, flying over to stand beside him. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± I pulled back. ¡°I promised Jase I¡¯d go with him.¡± David spun around to look at me, his lip lifting over his teeth. ¡°He¡¯s not your husband. You don''t get to make promises to him.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Come on.¡± He grabbed my hand and dragged me into the darkness. I didn''t mind, though. I kind of wanted to go exploring with David. ¡°So, where do you think this leads?¡± I asked. ¡°Maybe to the village.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Yeah. Quite often, in older buildings that housed the rich or important, they¡¯d build these escape tunnels in case of invasion or robbery.¡± ¡°How come no one knows it¡¯s here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point. You can''t escape out a secret passage if everyone knows you have one.¡± ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t they be able to tell it¡¯s here¡ªI mean, there¡¯d be a gap between the end of the manor outside and where the walls end inside.¡± ¡°You didn''t notice a gap.¡± ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± ¡°Besides, I suspect all the rooms on this end of the manor end short to allow for this passage¡ªno one would notice a few inches if it was consistent.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s not big enough to take up a whole room.¡± I reached out and touched both walls at the same time. ¡°It doesn''t.¡± ¡°It does in Jason¡¯s room¡ªhe only has one window, remember?¡± ¡°Right.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Clever girl. I didn''t think of that.¡± ¡°Neither did I. Jase did.¡± He stood taller. ¡°Can you stop calling him that, please?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Jase,¡± he said in a mock girl¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s immensely irritating.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s just a name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the name I have a problem with; it¡¯s the affectionate undertone, the big dough eyes and the way your voice softens on the end, Ara.¡± Page 78 ¡°It so does not.¡±Advertisement He groaned, shaking his head, and wandered down the stairs, rapping on the inside walls. ¡°David?¡± I ran down after him. ¡°Look.¡± He stopped and turned to face me. ¡°I know how you are, Ara. We¡¯ve always had to deal with this.¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°You and¡­other guys. You get too close. You get too caught up, and¡­you¡¯re not a child anymore, my love. You just can''t behave that way now.¡± ¡°I''m trying, David.¡± ¡°Trying isn''t enough. It stops. All the flirting, all the mucking about, all the looking at other guys. From this moment on, you will not ¡®hang out with¡¯, notice, smile at or even think about a guy, unless it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°So, I can''t even have guy friends, now?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You can''t tell me what to do.¡± ¡°Yes, I can.¡± ¡°No. You can''t! You¡¯re not the boss of me.¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± I put my hands on my hips. ¡°Since I married you. Discussion closed.¡± He turned away. ¡°No! I''m allowed to have friends, David. And it¡¯s twisted and sick that you would even say something like that.¡± He stopped, sighing heavily. ¡°Look, I know, okay. But I have to be more careful with you than I did with other girls, Ara. You can''t keep yourself in check. You don''t know how to control yourself.¡± ¡°I do, David. Okay, maybe I''m a little closer with Jase-on, than I should be, but I can stop that. I can make distance between us, but you can''t tell me what I can and cannot do.¡± I made myself a little taller. ¡°I love you, but I won''t stand for that.¡± He groaned again and started down the stairs, banging around, searching for something. ¡°David, are you mad at me?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said in short. ¡°If anything, I¡¯m mad at my brother.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I don''t want him to love you. I understand why he does; how can he not?¡± He presented me with a flat palm. ¡°But I don''t like it.¡± I looked down at my feet then back up, grinning. ¡°I can be a bitch to him, if you like. I can make him hate me.¡± He laughed. ¡°No, you couldn¡¯t. You¡¯re not capable of that. Just¡­just be careful, okay?¡± I reached out, and he placed his hand in mine. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stop calling him Jase.¡± He smiled to himself, but it was weak. ¡°And, can you just¡­¡± ¡°Just?¡± I prompted him out of his pause. ¡°If I was ever¡­if Drake ever¡­¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°David? Don''t.¡± ¡°No. I need to say this.¡± He put his hand up between us. ¡°If I was ever not around for any reason, you¡­just¡­not my brother, okay?¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay. But it¡¯s not an issue, we¡¯re immortal.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°So, who then?¡± I asked, following him down the stairs. ¡°Hypothetically, if you ever got hit by a car and died, who would you choose for me?¡± He cleared his throat again, grinning when he pushed on the wall and it gave way, revealing a door. ¡°To be honest?¡± I nodded. ¡°No one. Ever.¡± He shoved the door open and it creaked over my shock. ¡°Get a cat.¡± I laughed nervously, squeezing his hand as we stepped into the greyish darkness of a shadowy room. The musty smell of dust dried my nostrils out, and my eyes shot straight to the boarded windows, blocking out all light, all life. The room was cold, ghostly, a bedroom clearly cut in half by the wall of Jason¡¯s room; a doll house, a small table laid out with a tea-set, and a few other things had been shoved aside, sitting awkwardly in a cluster by the four-poster bed. Wooden stars, painted gold, hung down from hooks in the roof above it, and an old round rug, grey with dust, cradled the rail of a wooden rocking horse; its mane streaked in purples, golds and blues. On a shelf by the wall where we stood was a collection of expressionless dolls, copper-eyed bears, tiny lace gloves and other trinkets. ¡°I know what this is,¡± David said, walking across the room. ¡°A child¡¯s bedroom?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said, tugging a board on the window. ¡°But not just any child¡ªit was Lilith¡¯s first daughter.¡± My mouth dropped. David chuckled, tossing the plank of wood aside, and light peeled into the room all around me, showing dancing motes of dust, woken from centuries of slumber or hiding. The bedcovers were still ruffled, once slept in, and right between the window and the fireplace, an old chair sat proudly, a book still open in place on the seat. I ran my fingers over every surface, touching the detailed carvings in the foot of the bed, running my hand down the post, feeling the presence of my ancestors. ¡°This room must be centuries old.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say so,¡± David muttered, nodding at the torn curtains around the bedposts, nearly worn away to nothing but silvery webs. I reached across and plucked a small ragdoll from between the pillows, standing up again to look at her; she was loved once. But someone came in here, took away that little girl and she never saw this place again. Never outgrew her toys, never heard the end of that story¡ªnever even crawled back into bed. ¡°Are you okay, Ara?¡± David came up beside me. I flattened the doll¡¯s hair and hugged her to my chest before placing her back and tucking the blanket around her. ¡°It¡¯s so sad. What happened here?¡± ¡°She died.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Some say it was losing the summer, some say it was heartache.¡± I touched the torn white curtain over her bed, unthreading a web from the base. ¡°How old was she?¡± ¡°She would have been nine the year she died, as far as I¡¯ve read.¡± ¡°What was her name?¡± ¡°Evangeline¡ªThe Rose of Winter. She was born on the first day it snowed that year, with lips red as a rose, and there was never a more loved little girl.¡± ¡°Evangeline? Wasn''t Lilith¡¯s granddaughter named Evangeline, too¡ªmy ancestor?¡± ¡°Something I¡¯ve learned recently?¡± he said, like he was asking if I wanted to know. ¡°None of Lilith¡¯s children reached adulthood. Everything we¡¯ve been taught about her is lies. I''m not sure how your bloodline survived, but I''m starting to wonder if you¡¯re even related to Lilith.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So¡­this Evangeline¡ª¡± I nodded around the room, ¡°¡ªisn''t the one I descended from?¡± ¡°Not in the version of the story I read.¡± I took a moment to combine that with the information Arthur had given me about Drake and his reasons for killing Lilith. ¡°What broke her heart so badly¡ªEvangeline? Why did she lose the summer?¡± He wandered over to the rug, then bent down and picked something up, dusting it off as he stood. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± I reached for it, smiling when I felt its round body, smooth and cool in my palm. ¡°An apple?¡± ¡°Her father Christian, Lilith¡¯s first husband, had this preserved in gold for Eve when she had her accident. It was his way of bringing some of the outside back to a little girl who would never see it again.¡± ¡°So, what happened?¡± I spun the apple between my fingers softly. He sat down on Eve¡¯s bed. ¡°She liked to play in the orchards, back when we still grew apples here. But, one winter, she went down there alone and climbed the oak tree where the workers would sit for lunch, but her foot slipped. She fell.¡± ¡°And she died?¡± ¡°No. She was paralysed. If she¡¯d been of age, they would have given her blood, but they were afraid it would trigger immortality and she would be trapped as a child for eternity. So, they prayed. But as the weeks passed, that vibrant, spirited little girl became a ghost, and she grew ill. She died before she saw the summer again, and I guess they locked this room off to forget.¡± ¡°How do you know all that?¡± I sat beside him, sinking into the mattress. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing some reading.¡± ¡°Is there a book about all this?¡± ¡°There are some. But this was in a maid¡¯s diary¡ªat Elysium.¡± ¡°Can you get it for me¡ªwhen you go there?¡± ¡°Of course. I already planned to bring you all the books, anyway. I just need to take a car with me next time so I can collect all the stuff from my old room, too.¡± I looked down at the apple, polishing it with my fingertip; it was small, for an apple¡ªonly the size of a plum. ¡°Why is it so tiny?¡± ¡°It was winter. Apples don''t grow in the winter.¡± He took it and studied it. ¡°Legend has it that her father went down to the orchard to scream at the gods, and when he looked up at the oak tree, this was sitting on the branch his daughter had fallen from.¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re having me on. That¡¯s a lie.¡± He shook his head, closing my fingers around the apple. ¡°This is just what I read. Wanna know something else?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°After Eve died, Lilith had the orchard torn down¡ªforbid apples to be grown here or eaten here for the rest of eternity. But Christian, believing this apple to be a gift from the gods, couldn¡¯t bear to tear that oak tree down. It now marks the centre of what once was the orchard.¡± I looked up at him, my eyes becoming wide. ¡°The field?¡± He nodded, smiling. ¡°Wow. How come you never told me any of this?¡± He shrugged. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a lot of time for small talk, Ara. And I only read this one a few weeks ago. I might even be wrong about whose room this was.¡± ¡°Will you tell me more stories?¡± I said, using the bedpost to stand myself up as David wandered across the room again, touching everything. ¡°Of course.¡± He stopped by the armchair and picked up the book, his lips turning down with thought. ¡°What were they reading?¡± ¡°No title.¡± He held the cover up. ¡°Can I have the book?¡± I asked. ¡°Like, can I keep it?¡± He placed it in my hand. ¡°It belongs to you, I guess¡ªall this stuff does.¡± ¡°No.¡± I placed the apple and the book on the dresser next to a small wooden jewellery box. ¡°It belongs to Evangeline.¡± ¡°I''m sure she won''t care. She''s dead.¡± ¡°Even still. It doesn''t seem right.¡± I opened the jewellery box and smiled when I saw the collection of trinkets Eve saved; there was a lock of golden hair, tied with a pink ribbon, which might have been hers¡ªbeside that was an oval pendant on a long silver chain and a small bracelet with a flat name plaque. I picked it up and traced the letters, reading them aloud. ¡°What did you just say?¡± David appeared beside me. ¡°Morgana.¡± I held the bracelet up. He took it and studied it carefully. ¡°I thought she was just a myth.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Morgana.¡± ¡°Who was she?¡± ¡°No one knows. I¡¯ve read parchments that mentioned a lost child, and found only one that named her, but never any proof that she existed.¡± ¡°Maybe she died as a child, too.¡± He shook his head and placed the bracelet against my arm. ¡°Not if this was hers. It would fit a girl who was grown¡ªbeyond childhood.¡± I looked back at the wooden box. ¡°I wonder what it¡¯s doing in here then.¡± ¡°I don''t know.¡± He picked up the little box, placed the bracelet in it and closed the lid, looking at the base, the sides and the top. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± he said, spotting something in the mess of fake jewels and other ornaments. He picked up a small crank handle, pressed it into the side of the box, then wound it around and set the box down again, taking a step back. ¡°Open it.¡± Frowning, I slowly lifted the lid, and music chimed through the air; a sad, haunting song. But I knew the tune somehow. As it played, I circled around slowly, hugging myself, taking in the room; purples and blues must have been her favourite colours, and I imagined, from the stars on the roof and the ones I now noticed painted all over the walls, fading with age, that she must have loved the night sky, too. Maybe she was a dreamer, like me; maybe she believed wishes would come true. But she never lived to find out. The song ended, making the room seem like a very lonely place. ¡°How many daughters did Lilith have?¡± I asked. ¡°I''m not sure. I believe there were three¡ªmaybe four with Morgana.¡± ¡°Do you think this room has been boarded up since fourteen hundred?¡± I asked. ¡°Like, did the other children ever live in here?¡± David''s eyes stayed on me, where they¡¯d clearly been the whole time. ¡°I don''t know. Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a rocking horse.¡± I nodded at it. ¡°They weren¡¯t even invented until, well, I can''t remember when, but it wasn¡¯t until around the eighteenth century, was it?¡± He walked over and pushed the ear of the horse, making it rock. ¡°That¡¯s what people say. But I heard my uncle speak of them¡ªtalked of seeing one when he was child. And that was as early as the thirteen hundreds.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, I guess that doesn''t give us any clues about how long this room has been like this, does it?¡± Page 79 ¡°No. Unfortunately.¡± He smiled at the horse then, focusing, a world of thoughts going on behind that secret grin.Advertisement ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°It would be nice,¡± he said, keeping his eyes on the horse. ¡°What would?¡± ¡°To have a child of our own.¡± I wandered over and stood beside him. ¡°One day.¡± ¡°I don''t know, Ara. I¡­now that I can be here with you, I guess¡­things are changing.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I''ve been thinking.¡± ¡°Mm, you shouldn¡¯t do that. Thinking is bad for your health,¡± I said as he slid his arms along my sides, holding me close. ¡°No, it¡¯s bad for your health, mon amour. I''m fine,¡± he joked. ¡°But, I was kinda thinking it might be nice¡ªto maybe at least start trying for a baby again.¡± I frowned at him for a second, about to ask who he was and what he¡¯d done with my David, but Arthur¡¯s words filtered through me, making me grin, though I kind of wanted to slap him as well; he had to have a baby with me to get the dagger. ¡°And you think I''m suddenly ready for a baby now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He turned away quickly and picked up a doll off the shelf. ¡°I think you¡¯d make a great mother, Ara. I mean¡ª¡± He smiled, stroking the doll¡¯s hair. ¡°I think we can do this. You always loved Harry, and you have a heart full of empathy and compassion. That''s all it really takes to begin with. The rest we can learn as we go along¡ª¡± He shrugged and placed the doll down. ¡°Or read books.¡± ¡°I don''t know. I''m still not so sure.¡± ¡°Of course you¡¯re not.¡± He came up and placed his hands on my waist again. ¡°I made you think I had no faith in you, but I do. And I want this¡ªI want to be a family with you.¡± Only so you can leave me as a single mother in order to keep me safe for eternity. ¡°That¡¯s quite a switch from ¡®I''m only nineteen¡¯.¡± ¡°A lot has changed since then.¡± He delicately took my hand. ¡°Okay. Fine,¡± I said, merely because it served my own purpose. ¡°We¡¯ll start trying again.¡± ¡°Great.¡± He leaned in and kissed my cheek, his dimple showing as he stood back, even in the darkness of this room trapped in the past. ¡°I know we can do this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s if I can fall pregnant, David. I can''t even calculate ovulation because I haven¡¯t had a period since I first arrived at the manor.¡± ¡°And you took the pregnancy test?¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s in my drawer, if you wanna see it.¡± He hugged me to him, breathing his concern into the crown of my head. ¡°I hope completing the transformation hasn''t made you infertile, like other vampires.¡± ¡°Don''t say that¡ªthat would be very bad.¡± ¡°I''m sure we¡¯ll be fine.¡± He kissed the top of my head. Everyone clapped as the saltshaker came to rest by a wine glass. I looked to the end of the table, and even David, who I half expected to groan at his brother¡¯s display, was cheering and smiling¡ªhappy. I gave a little wave, to which he returned a bow, in a very kingly manner. ¡°Show us another,¡± Margret said, clapping. Jason looked at his uncle bashfully and took up a spoon. Arthur didn''t seem too impressed at this show of power, and I think Jase¡­Jason knew that. He focused on the spoon, holding it in front of his nose, and slowly lowered his hand, leaving the spoon in the air, floating. I joined in the applause this time, too impressed to play the humble queen, but when David stopped smiling suddenly to glare at me, I lowered my hands into my lap, my eyes following, and sat quietly while our people talked animatedly about Jason¡¯s next cool trick. ¡°Oh, you are a very talented young man,¡± Margret said. ¡°Yes, he is,¡± David said. ¡°Perhaps my bother¡¯s new role should be Court Jester.¡± Everyone laughed. Jason followed with something witty and clever that only amplified that laughter, but I actually didn''t even hear it. My mouth felt dry and my dinner was stuck against a huge lump in my throat. And it wasn''t because David scolded me for joining in¡ªit was something else. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but it just felt like something was missing¡ªlike I¡¯d forgotten something really important, and wherever it was, it made my heart ache. David''s eyes narrowed as he looked past the long line of vampires and saw my obvious sadness. I offered a weak smile and looked back at my lap again. I could feel Jason and Arthur¡¯s eyes on me, too, but I knew if I looked up, Jason''s face would be saying ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± and I would think in my mind ¡°Something¡¯s missing.¡± What a stupid way to feel. Something¡¯s missing. What could be missing? I had everything. My David was sitting at the head of the table, finally, and tonight, we¡¯d go to bed and I¡¯d fall asleep in his arms, and tomorrow, he¡¯d be king. What more could I possibly want? I looked up at Jason then, and sure enough, it was there; the concern, the obvious worry in his eyes. I could almost read his mind, see him jumping to his feet to hold me in his arms, but it was David who appeared beside me. ¡°My queen. Care for a walk?¡± ¡°Of course, my king,¡± I said timidly and took his hand. His touch felt cool and familiar, but strangely, not as familiar as it should have been for all the years we¡¯d been in love. We walked to the garden, and as the loud chatters of our people became distant murmurs, he stopped, turning me in his arms, looking right into my eyes, the moonlight above making his face white, like the dead. ¡°I''m sorry, Ara.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I was a jerk today, and¡­I hurt your feelings. I know that.¡± He gently squeezed the tops of my arms. ¡°I''m just afraid of losing you, I¡­you¡¯re the one thing in my life that I''ve never had control over¡ª¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, with wide eyes, tightening his fingers on my arms. ¡°I don''t want control, Ara. I don''t want to control or own you. I love you. But I just don''t know how to keep you¡ªhow to make sure I never lose you.¡± I slowly lifted my hand up between us and pointed to my wedding ring. ¡°That¡¯s what this means. It means I love you no matter what. It means I will be with you through hell and fire, and it means I will keep my promise to be with you, even when I don''t want to keep that promise anymore.¡± He nodded once, smiling at my ring. ¡°It¡¯s nice to hear you say that.¡± I held my hand to my chest. ¡°Well, I say it because I mean it, okay.¡± He nodded again, sliding his hands down my arms to take my hands. ¡°Can you forgive me?¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For¡­for treating you that way. I don''t want to be that kind of husband¡ªor that kind of man.¡± He closed his eyes, biting his teeth together. ¡°I promised you I¡¯d changed since we met, and what you saw today was me breaking that promise. I understand you, Ara¡ªI understand that your flirtatious nature is a part of you, and might always be, but I just want to make sure I¡¯ll be the only one you¡¯ll ever love.¡± I stepped into him a little more. ¡°Even if death comes for us, you will always be my one true love. Nothing will ever be strong enough to break us apart, David. We¡¯ve been through those fires of hell.¡± I pointed off to nowhere. ¡°And we always come back. We always will.¡± He took my hand delicately and kissed my ring. ¡°I hope so.¡± The grand piano my husband learned to play on was old¡ªancient being a better word. It sat on detailed, heavy-set legs, shining gloriously in a deep mahogany colour, the words Chickering, Boston, in curly letters below the music stand. It must¡¯ve been a rare piano, probably been here since the eighteen-hundreds. I stopped playing and listened to the world around me, starting up again when I was satisfied that the door I thought I heard slam was just the wind. My fingers moved fast over the notes, my wrists sore with the extra weight I had to use on the heavy, ancient keys, and I played the sorrowful song of a symphony written by favourite modern band. It was a complex piece, much too intricate for only two hands, which is why it surprised me so much to hear the harmony being played; I looked beside me to Jason, smiling as his hands moved along with mine. ¡°Hi,¡± I said. ¡°Hi.¡± He smiled warmly, and we continued to play. It was like flying, like running a race and looking behind you, knowing you¡¯re winning, and when the song came to its soft, sorrowful end, I rested my hands in my lap, breathing heavily, kind of laughing. ¡°That was fun.¡± ¡°You are a rare talent, Ara-Rose,¡± he said, kissing my hand. ¡°You play as well as my brother, yet you¡¯re only nineteen human years old.¡± ¡°You play pretty well yourself.¡± He smiled down at the keys, then closed the cover. ¡°Piano was always really more my brother¡¯s thing.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s your thing?¡± He moved one shoulder in a gentle shrug. ¡°Jase?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± He sighed. ¡°Yeah. I''m just¡­there¡¯re a few things on my mind.¡± ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡± He looked over his shoulder, up the stairs and down, then back at me. ¡°I''m happy for him¡ªfor David. Being king¡­it¡¯s a dream he¡¯d always held close to his heart. I''m not sure anyone but he, and maybe me, know how much it truly means to him. But I¡­I don''t know if I can be there tomorrow, Ara.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He swallowed. ¡°I¡­I wish I could tell you why, but¡­¡± I waited, my heart beating fiercely for the agony in his eyes. ¡°But?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± He forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be there. I¡¯ll go. He¡¯s my brother, after all. I should be there to see him become king.¡± I leaned back a little to catch his entire frame in my sight. ¡°Who are you trying to convince?¡± He laughed softly. ¡°Myself. I think.¡± ¡°Ara?¡± Mike¡¯s deep voice reached us, breaking us apart from across the room. ¡°Hey, Mike.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± He walked slowly over, eyeing Jason, then smiled at me. ¡°What¡¯re you doing up so late, baby? You worrying about tomorrow?¡± I smiled softly. ¡°Kinda.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± He reached his hand out. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back up to bed.¡± I looked at Jason; he nodded to me, as if to say Mike¡¯s undertone of accusation hadn''t offended him, but I knew it did. He hadn''t told me himself, but Morgaine filled me in on what happened while I was unconscious¡ªhow everyone somehow came to conclude that Jason was to blame for what happened to me, and that the memory loss I experienced was actually his attempt to cover up something horrible he¡¯d done. I took Mike¡¯s hand and gave Jason a reassuring smile as I stood. Night, Jase, I thought. ¡°Night,¡± he said, turning back to the piano, lifting the cover as Mike led me away. When we reached the second floor, I heard the sultry tunes of the third part of that symphony. It pained me to hear it played that way¡ªmuch slower and more heartfelt than I¡¯d heard before. It almost seemed like a musical message from Jason, screaming out the torment in his soul. But no matter how hard I tried, I¡¯d never be able to free him. Something had come to trouble him since I woke from the coma, and whatever it was, I felt like maybe I¡¯d lost him in a small way¡ªlike there was a rift between us now that couldn''t be repaired. ¡°Please don''t wander around the manor at night, Ara,¡± Mike said, startling me a bit. ¡°I can''t sleep anymore. I find myself checking the training hall and the beach several times a night.¡± ¡°Why not just check my room?¡± I half laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not really a conscious decision. I just wake up in a sweat, panicked, and find myself headed down there.¡± I squeezed his hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. David''s here. He won''t let me fall off the lighthouse again.¡± He scoffed, smiling smugly. ¡°He has no idea you¡¯re out of bed now. How long were you two sitting there, anyway?¡± ¡°Less than a minute or so.¡± ¡°Well, I''m sorry, baby, but David''s asked me to keep an eye out for you¡ªkeep you and Jason apart.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ara, that¡¯s his brother, who is in love with you. Can you blame him?¡± I let my shoulders drop. ¡°No. I suppose not. Guess it¡¯s kinda the same as me not liking David around Emily.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Mike said, overemphasising his nod. ¡°I''m so glad you finally get it.¡± I looked at the corridor ahead, silently counting the windows to my room. ¡°Hey, Mike?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Are you worried about why I don''t remember anything about my fall?¡± ¡°I was,¡± he said in a stern tone. ¡°But, given the state your head was in when David pulled you out of the water, I''m also not surprised. I did question Jason, though¡ªto see if maybe he¡¯d erased something from you?¡± ¡°What would make you think he¡¯d erased something?¡± He shook his head to himself, sighing. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really, it¡¯s just that¡­I can''t remember, for the life of me, what I was doing that night. I remember I had to drop some new cuffs off down at the training hall, but I don''t remember doing it.¡± Page 80 ¡°Maybe you didn''t.¡±Advertisement ¡°Yeah, except the cuffs are in the training hall now.¡± I frowned. ¡°Look, it doesn¡¯t mean anything, really¡ªI¡¯ve seen it happen before, you know. In trauma situations, families of victims can quite often experience mind blanks due to shock. And, I gotta tell you, baby, the things that went through my mind when I saw you that way.¡± He stopped walking. ¡°I wanted to rip shreds off anyone who¡¯d ever touched you. I wanted to kill David for not being here to protect you. I was so blindly angry I actually punched him in the face.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He looked at his fist. ¡°He shoulda been here. He shoulda been here all along, and none of this woulda happened.¡± I rubbed his chest, letting out the breath I¡¯d been holding. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mike. I''m safe now, and¡­if it makes you feel any better, you can put guards on my room at night.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His eyes almost bludged out of his head. ¡°Yeah. Can''t have you losing sleep.¡± He kissed my hand. ¡°Thanks, Ara.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± David woke early, slinking out bed without disturbing the covers, and left the room, wearing joggers. Outside, the crows cawed and the excitement of things to come could almost be heard in the very breath of the earth. Today, Mother Nature gained a king; today, David would don his ceremonial dress and, together, we would spill blood on the Stone. I knew where he was going when he left¡ªknew he needed to run¡ªneeded to clear his head because, in his mind, today marked one of the milestones of his life. He always had great respect for royalty, and to become king was an honour I knew he felt deeper than any of us could understand. But that wasn¡¯t why he went running. He went because this also marked one of the first items in his Inventory of Death. All he needed after today was to get me pregnant so he could have the dagger, and then, he believed, he¡¯d be going to his death¡ªleaving me and our unborn child alone, possibly to fall into Jason¡¯s arms, possibly to get a cat, but eternally and definitely safe from Drake. He loved me that much, loved our future child that much that he was willing to die, never to hold her. I rolled the covers back and sat up, feeling the summer heat in the floorboards under my toes. Across the room, the long double-breasted white coat David would wear to be crowned in sat on the mannequin¡ªall tailored and cut to fit the future king. I wandered over and ran my fingers down the gold buttons, over the tasselled epaulettes on the shoulders and across the blue sash. I imagined him standing tall and proud in this outfit; imagined this being the happiest day of our lives¡ªone not spoiled by Drake; imagined telling the truth about what I planned to do with Arthur, so that maybe, when that crown touched his head, he could rejoice his rise as king, not mourn the death he was facing. ¡°Ara?¡± The door popped open and David walked in. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey, why are you awake so early?¡± ¡°I was worried about you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± He lifted his shirt off. ¡°Why?¡± I shrugged one shoulder. ¡°Seriously.¡± He stood beside me, touching my arm. ¡°Why are you worrying, sweetheart? It''s not like I have to do the Walk of Faith.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I said, looking away from his toned arms, supressing the urge to throw him down on the bed and¡­ ¡°I''m just worried you might be fighting some battle inside that you¡¯re not telling me about.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± he said very softly, tilting my chin to lift my gaze. I shrugged again. ¡°My love.¡± He swept me inward and cradled me against his bare chest. ¡°I love you, okay. And I''m all right. Everything will be all right.¡± ¡°I know it will.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°Because I''m going to make it all right.¡± He stared into my eyes for a long breath, clearly trying to read my thoughts, but all he got was a firm glare, determination hovering over a burn of fight behind them that swore, upon pain of death, I would make this all right. I would not let him go¡ªnot let him die to save me. ¡°Ara?¡± I looked away. ¡°Like you said. Everything will be all right.¡± The manor grounds were coloured with faces from all over the world; vampires, Lilithians and humans¡ªall together, all united to celebrate. I smiled, passing each one as I walked toward the Throne Room, bowing my head to staff and guards, guests and visitors. Everyone was charged with the same kind of excitement, but my smile was a little forced. Though I drew on their energy and could relate it, the deeper concern for David''s emotions today was eating all that up. I stopped by the common room and waltzed inside to where Arthur sat in a chair by the window, staring off thoughtfully into the bright summer day. ¡°Arthur?¡± ¡°My dear.¡± He reached his hand out. I took it and sat down on the arm of his chair. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Splendid.¡± ¡°You look sad,¡± I said, cocking my head. ¡°Thoughtful might be a better word.¡± I slid down onto the tiny spot next to him, forcing him to shift over a little. ¡°Are you worried about David?¡± He leaned his elbow on the armrest, turning his body slightly to look at me. ¡°I''m more concerned about you, actually.¡± ¡°Me? Why?¡± ¡°I''m not sure you can go through with this plan¡ªto have a child. And once that crown touches my nephew¡¯s head, you will have no choice¡ªif you want to keep him.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I looked down. ¡°But, I have a bit of a problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that, my dear?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been pressuring me to¡­make a baby with him, because he wants this dagger. But if I sleep with him, then I might actually fall pregnant and¡ª¡± ¡°Don''t worry.¡± He patted my knee. ¡°He¡¯ll stop pushing you now. He and I have come to a new arrangement.¡± ¡°What arrangement?¡± He cleared his throat quietly as he looked down. ¡°He came to me late last night, fighting his dark conscience¡ªtold me he was uncomfortable being forced to create life under the wrong circumstances. He said if he was ever to father a child, it should be out of love, not force, and he asked that I reconsider my conditions.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± He nodded. ¡°He argued a few very good points.¡± ¡°What did you decide?¡± ¡°That, instead of the dagger being provided upon conception of an heir, it would be offered on condition he stay a few more days¡ªgive you a small sample of the life you deserved to have with him.¡± I rested a hand on his forearm, sitting up a little. ¡°Arthur, promise me you won''t give him that dagger.¡± ¡°I will give it to him¡ªbut not the real dagger,¡± he added quickly when I gasped. ¡°He will leave for Elysium next week under guise of freeing prisoners, and when he gets to Paris, where he¡¯s really going, he will not be able to find Drake.¡± ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± ¡°Because the letter the House received, informing that Drake had fled to Paris, was a copy.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Because the original was sent to me. He wrote me as a friend, announcing his decision to travel around Romania for a month, giving me more time to ¡®impregnate¡¯ you.¡± He held his hands up, smiling. ¡°His words; not mine. Anyway, I forged the letter the House received, and they sent knights to Elysium to confirm Drake was gone.¡± ¡°So, David will come back here then¡ªafter Paris?¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°And by then, you will be pregnant with my heir, and I will name myself king, swear my oath and be in Romania before David even sets foot back on American soil.¡± I nodded. ¡°What if I don''t fall pregnant, though?¡± ¡°Then I will destroy that dagger, because, my dear, David won''t rest until he finds it, and I don''t believe there is any other way to kill Drake.¡± ¡°Not even venom¡ªif we starve him first, break down his immunity?¡± He laughed. ¡°No. In the letter Drake sent, he was bragging about a spell he¡¯d successfully used to save his own life after being stabbed with that sword. He said the side-effect was total immunity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d like to get my hands on that spell¡ªor even the witch he uses to write them.¡± ¡°He has a witch?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a vampire¡ªan old, old woman. I¡¯ve never met her, or even seen her, but he calls her Safia.¡± ¡°Safia?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe he has his own witch.¡± Arthur smiled softly, one corner of his lip pulling, his eyes distant. ¡°Good afternoon, Uncle,¡± David said as he glided into the room. ¡°David, my boy, all ready for the big event?¡± I looked up at him where he stopped by the chair. ¡°Just have to dress, but¡ªcan I borrow my lovely wife for a moment?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Arthur shuffled aside a little more, motioning for David to take me. ¡°Thanks.¡± He scooped me up in his arms like a child. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back in ten, if you still need her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He smiled warmly, resting his knuckles by his lips. ¡°You can keep her.¡± David bowed and walked us out into the open corridor. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°I want you to help me get my ceremonial dress on.¡± ¡°We have staff for that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He smiled into my brow. ¡°But I want as much time with you as I can get.¡± ¡°Before what?¡± ¡°Before¡­nothing.¡± He kissed the tip of my nose, nodding at Jason, who flashed his obviously well-practiced fake smile as we passed. ¡°I just want to spend time with you. That¡¯s all right, isn''t it?¡± I snuggled into him, swinging my arm over his neck, holding on tight. ¡°As long as it¡¯s forever.¡± ¡°Forever is all we ever wanted.¡± ¡°Say you promise,¡± I said, pressing my nose right to his. He stopped walking. ¡°Promise what?¡± ¡°Say you promise forever.¡± His shoulders became straighter, his breath quiet. ¡°I¡­I promise.¡± ¡°Promise what?¡± I grinned. His smiling eyes went a little wider. ¡°I promise not to drop you.¡± I squealed as he let go of me, catching me just before I hit the ground. ¡°You butt-wipe.¡± I slapped his chest. He laughed, standing up again, holding me just a little tighter this time. ¡°I love you, Ara.¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± What should have been the happiest breath I took, came in as more of a sigh¡ªthe joy spoiled by the deep, hidden pain in David''s eyes. I offered a smile, but he couldn''t rise above the sadness enough to return one. It was the first real sign he¡¯d given of the things he was suffering inside. He¡¯d been fine as we dressed together, laughing about things we¡¯d not laughed about since I was human, and while I stood in front of him, naked, he¡¯d dropped to his knees and pressed his cool lips to the rash on my hip, moving sweetly soft kisses up to my ribs and over the Mark of my promise¡ªthe same line he might have soon. But as the day wore on and the sun began to sink in the sky, he grew quiet and thoughtful. I stepped back, pinching the open vein in my arm, and David reached down to take my hand as we spoke the words of our vow, feeling the light of Mother Nature fill our souls with warmth. I didn''t remember feeling this when I took my oath, but it felt like the way Mike described it; as if someone injected hot coffee down the artery in your neck and let it pass through every limb, stopping in your heart like a happy feeling. The darkness in David¡¯s eyes faded a little then, as he spoke the last words of his promise; ¡°To give my life in service of my people and my queen.¡± Across from us, Emily and Morg hugged Mike¡¯s chest, while Blade and Falcon watched on like proud uncles, and Arthur stood almost centre to it all¡ªmy foundation¡ªthe strong knight that would save the world, save my people¡ªsave my husband. David''s fingers tightened ever so slightly on mine, and I felt the heat charge his skin, the Mark of his promise coming to life somewhere underneath. He felt it, too¡ªfelt the burn, felt the power, but showed no distress, no emotion, like a good king. Then, as if by some secret cue, our people moved¡ªparted to make way for us. We bowed to the Stone and started off between Bert and Boris, hand in hand. We weren¡¯t allowed to speak until the crown touched David''s head, but we didn''t need to. I knew he was smiling at me because he thought I looked beautiful in my white ball gown, with my hair falling down in curls under my crown. And he knew I was smiling at him because I was so proud to be beside him; so proud of everything he¡¯d become¡ªeverything he¡¯d sacrificed to make this day possible. I lifted his hand and kissed his palm, tasting the blood of his promise on my lips, thinking, I love you. He reached out then and smoothed the blood away, leaning across to kiss the remains. ¡°Love you, too,¡± he whispered so quietly, his lips shaping his breath as words no one else would hear. I looked up in surprise. Did you hear me? And he just smiled¡ªhis secret smile growing into a radiant grin. My heart fluttered the whole way then as we walked the path of red and white roses at our feet, past the people and the marble columns, down the crimson carpet and took the stairs to the thrones. Page 81 Just before we reached the top, David quickly bent down and grabbed something, then stood back up again, smiling at his closed fist.Advertisement I stared at him quizzically. To new beginnings, his voice came through my thoughts like real words, and he opened his hand, revealing a small red rosebud before pressing it between our palms, linking his fingers through mine. And I knew what he meant; everything we were, everything we had grown to be had started on ground so shaky, and somehow, we¡¯d survived. Somehow, the blossom of love we had between us had never died. Ever since I first felt death in my life, all I wanted was to find my place in the world, and when I found it with this man, he was taken away from me so many times¡ªour forever always a question¡ªalways only a hope we had for the future. But as we stood atop the step, two thrones behind us, hand in hand, eternity was no longer a hope, but a promise I would fight to keep. I squeezed his hand and smiled up at him, feeling the cool flower between us; in this moment, anything was possible. Anything was acceptable. Our future might have looked grim to him as he faked the smile his people saw when the crown touched his head, but I knew in my heart that this little bud of life in my hand was the symbol of true new beginnings¡ªa beginning together. I would be the saviour now. I would never let anything tear us apart, ever again. He came into my life as just a boy who fought to be my knight, and turned out, in the end, to be a king. And I would not lose him. We once promised each other forever¡ªnothing do us part¡ªnot even death. And from this moment on, I would keep that promise, even if it meant I had to betray him.