Chapter Twenty-Six

RAUL

I see her sitting there beside my Mother’s throne, and all I can think is how beautiful she is.

It’s wreaking havoc with my brain. It’s not enough that her blood smells the way it does. No, she has to be stunningly beautiful, too.

And the way she’s regarding me now, with a mix of fear and wonder — I hate it. I wish I could tell her the things she does to me. But I barely understand them myself.

Besides, it’s not as if she’ll simply open up herself to me.

So I shift focus to the two prisoners still kneeling on the floor. “You need to feed,” I tell them.

“Yes!” Patricia gasps. “Yes, we’ve been deprived for so long…”

Deprived and left in the sun, I think. That’s the only explanation for their current condition. Vampires can last weeks, maybe months, without a drop of blood. The cravings will take them, but they would not appear as these two do before me.

My Mother’s methods of torture disgust me.

“You know where the blood banks are,” I say. “I will grant you some of the supply from them.”

“Oh, thank you!” Patricia exclaims.

I grimace. “Don’t grovel.”

She pulls back. “I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect —”

“Save it,” I say. My main concern is separating Patricia and her husband from Eleira and April. They're in chains now, but if the bloodlust takes them and they try to go for the two girls — I will have no choice but to destroy them.

After the whole scene I caused in my Mother’s court, I’m reticent to be responsible for that.

“Come,” I say. The two of them stand. It’s pitiful, the state they’re in, but nothing can be done for it now.

Eleira stands as we’re leaving. “Are you just going to leave us here?”

“I’ll be back,” I promise, not looking over my shoulder. “As soon as I deal with these two.”

Once outside of Mother’s castle, I grab both Jacob’s and Patricia’s chain. “How fast can you move?” I ask them.

They look at each other. “Not very.”

“Then I’m sorry for this,” I say, “but we have to be quick.”

I start off with immense speed, dragging both of them behind me in the dirt.

We reach my residence. They’re dirty and soiled and look worse than before.

But they don’t complain about my method of transport.

I let them in. “I’ll get somebody to bring you the blood I promised,” I say. “For now, stay inside, stay quiet, and do not be seen. There are those who would try to curry favor with my mother by going against me and ending your lives. Do you understand?”

The two weakened vampires nod and mutter their gratitude.

“Don’t thank me yet,” I say. “We’re nowhere near to being out of the woods.”

In fact, we’ve only just wandered in.

***

The trek back to the castle takes longer than I would like. Vampires from the assembly try to speak to me about what transpired. I entertain the briefest of conversations, the whole time thinking only of the two girls I left in the throne room.

When I return, I’m relieved to find Eleira and April both still there.

They go still when they see me. Suspicion blooms in their eyes. I walk toward April first. “Go,” I tell her softly. “I need to speak to Eleira alone.”

Eleira takes April’s hand. “Whatever you want to tell me, she can hear,” she says. “The Queen restored her memory. She knows who and where she is.”

I frown. “Is that so?” I had no idea Mother would risk so much. For what? To make Eleira feel comfortable?

April nods, defiant toward me. “She and I are in this together.”

“You realize your little friendship will not last?” I demand of them. “Eleira, you’re set to become like me. April, you’re destined to remain human.”

“She knows,” Eleira says. “Why would that change anything?”

I scoff. “Do you really believe becoming a vampire won’t change you?” I step toward April. “I can resist her. But I’ve had centuries of experience. You think you won’t want to drain her of every last drop of her red, sweet, precious, life-giving human blood the moment the transformation hits?”

Even speaking of feeding threatens my resolve not to touch April.

I quickly change the subject and lower my voice. “But… there might be a way to delay it.”

“What?” Eleira asks. At the same time, April exclaims, “Why!”

“To give Eleira more time,” I say, focusing on the girl I feel so protective of. “You’ve been thrown into this headfirst. You’re not getting out. There is no escape from The Haven for you. But that does not mean I’m not willing to help you come to grips with who you are.”

“I know who I am,” she says haughtily. The spark is back in her eyes.

“Yes,” I say. “But you don’t know all that we expect from you.”

“You expect me to be someone I’m not,” she tells me, straight-up. “Someone I never was.”

“But someone you were born to be,” I say. My gaze goes around the empty chamber. “Don’t let Mother hear that doubt. We are in her domain. The walls have ears. You never know who might be listening.”

Eleira takes a small step back. I can see her fright and the desperate way she’s trying to hide it.

I have the insatiable urge to take her into my arms and give her comfort. But what would she do if I tried? She’d be repelled by me. How can I show her that, in spite of who I am, I am on her side in all this?

At least, as much as I can hope to be.

“We need to get out of the castle,” I take another look around. “I’ll bring you back to your chambers. You’re safest there.”

I turn away and start to walk out but get the feeling they are not following. I look back. “Well?”

“I don’t want to be locked up again,” Eleira says resolutely. “I want to see all parts of The Haven. I want to go into the village and meet the people.”

I laugh. “I’m afraid that is an impossible request.”

“Why?” she demands. “April’s been there. She can show me. She can introduce me to the people she knows.”

I shake my head. “You don’t understand. Vampires and humans keep separate. They do not mingle. We live here together, yes, but the only way the arrangement works is if we both keep to our own parts. Besides,” I look her up and down, “word will have spread about you. Nobody would dare speak to you for fear of inciting a vampire’s wrath.”

April takes a sudden step forward. “I speak to her,” she says.

“Yes, but you’re different from the rest of them,” I nearly snarl. “You are not so cowering. You have ambitions the other humans would not dream of entertaining. Is it not true you lay with my brother? Is it not true you are the one who helped frame Jacob and Patricia?”

April wavers under my questions.

“Ha!” I bark. “Just as I thought.” I see the surprise on Eleira’s face. “Oh, and your friend thought it was a lie, did she?” I ask. I can’t help the tempestuous words spilling from my mouth. “She thought the accusations were false? Or maybe your friendship isn’t yet on the level I’d assumed. Hmm?”

Both girls stare at me as if I’d transformed into some horrible monster.

“I saw…” Eleira says. “I saw the Queen do something to your arm.” She looks at April. “She protected you. Didn’t she?”

April nods, but then shakes her head as she says, “I don’t know why she did it.”

“So you see?” I demand. Both their attention snaps back to me. “You girls are out of your depth. I’m the only one who can offer sanctuary. Will you come with me, or not?” I give a cruel smile. “I’d much rather not have to force you to my will.”