Selena
The human quarters were luxurious. At the heart of a square conservatory at the highest point of the building, the silver light of the moon spilled across the golden floors. The furniture was cream and blankets, throws, cushions and rugs adorned the space, making every surface practically huggable. On the walls hung paintings of fields and sunshine and beaches - all the things I'd missed from my old life.
Thames and I shared a room – despite there being plenty of rooms according to Brendan – but I'd insisted, knowing the help she'd need to get around. We'd been through enough together to not let each other down now.
The best things of all were the fresh clothes, the bath, the sweet soap that didn't smell remotely of lavender. I felt brand new again, dressed in a simple pair of jogging bottoms and a t-shirt. Brendan had jotted down our sizes, promising us more clothes soon.
After helping Thames bathe and change, I propped her up in one of the beds. Thames sighed her contentment. “I could get used to this.”
I moved toward the large window, gazing out over the estate. It was breathtaking, overlooking a beautiful rose garden that stretched toward an ancient tower ruin in the distance – perhaps part of an old church. Vines had climbed its grey stones, crawling inside a crumbling hole at the top of it. I made a mental note to explore it the moment I had a chance.
I checked the clock, finding it almost time to meet Varick.
Thames yawned broadly. “You should go, I'm gonna get some sleep anyways.”
“You sure you'll be okay?” I bit my lip and she nodded, ushering me toward the door, sinking down lower on her bed, looking half asleep already.
I headed through the conservatory, passing other people milling about. They threw me curious looks as I reached the large security door. It was metal, silver-plated according to Brendan and had a passcode we weren't allowed to tell the Vampires. I typed it in and the door buzzed open, freeing me from the human quarters.
I met the edge of the staircase, hoping Varick would already be waiting for me, leaning back against the wall, a casual grin on his face. But he wasn't.
I walked down the stairs, glancing around as I waited at the bottom. Time ticked by.
I soon gave up waiting and decided to go exploring, heading into the west wing. I wandered through the cavernous halls, peeking in rooms. The manor seemed to be going through renovations. Half of the rooms I discovered were clearly unused, lined with dust. One even had scaffolding propping up the ceiling. But something about the creaking doors, the wood beams and musty carpets, made me feel at home.
The sound of many voices reached to me as I passed under an arch and emerged in an enormous common room. A fire burned on one side of the room, but it wasn't nearly large enough to warm the space. I wrapped my arms around myself as goosebumps prickled my skin. Vs stiffened as I passed them, smelling the air, their eyes following me as I moved.
“What are you doing here?” Kodiak's voice caught my ear. I turned to face him, sat in an armchair, looking bright-eyed and relatively human.
“I...” I trailed off as I spotted him across the room. Varick. Laughing. Looking like a film star with his high cheek bones and bulging muscles. I would have been floored by that expression, had he not have been offering it to a woman who visually matched his perfection, clutching onto his bicep as she laughed alongside him.
My body froze, neither letting me leave the room nor step toward him.
I couldn't be jealous of a woman I didn't know. That was ridiculous. But I couldn't fight the rising irritation for the reason he'd forgotten about our arrangement.
“Wasn't he supposed to meet you?” Kodiak asked unhelpfully, making my stomach clench.
As Varick's laughter died away, he breathed in deeply, suddenly alert as his head snapped in my direction, evidently smelling me. Not exactly the most dignified way to be noticed. But there it was.
He immediately rushed toward me, his usual surly expression taking the place of his amusement.
Varick paused before me, taking my hand. “Selena, I want you to meet-”
“Weren't you supposed to meet her a while ago?” Kodiak asked bluntly and we both dropped our gaze to him sat before us in his large armchair.
“Oh-Christ.” Varick threw a glance at a clock on the wall. “Time's different for Vs,” he hurried to explain, his eyes blazing at me. “An hour seems like a minute.” He cupped my cheek and my anger ebbed away. “I'm so sorry.” He moved to kiss me but I resisted, not wanting a whole audience of Vampires as witnesses. His eyes darted between mine. “I bumped into someone I know, from a very long time ago.” He turned, tugging me in the direction of the beautiful, ebony-haired woman.
“Selena Grey,” she said brightly as I approached.
I smiled, holding out my hand and she took it. Her palm was ice-cold, taking me by surprise. “Varick's been telling me all about you,” she said, glancing at him over my shoulder. “I'm Nirena, the Vampire who turned him.”
“Oh.” I nodded, unsure how to feel about that. Varick hated being a Vampire, so why did he look like he'd been reunited with an old friend?
Varick's arm slid around my waist. “Nirena has been helping your father here, continuing the work we started all those years ago.”
Nirena's eyes trailed over me as if I was as fragile as an egg. I didn't like it one bit. “Our fates have crossed at last. Things have not worked out as I expected.” Her eyes slid to Varick, unblinking. “But I always knew Varick would play an important role in the development of the cure.”
“So you know how it works?” I asked.
“Sadly...not yet. Though your father and I are very close to an answer. I have some theories we'll soon be testing.”
“On who?” Varick interjected.
She smiled and it was as perfectly shaped as a crescent moon. “Myself, other Vs. You, if you wish?”
Varick nodded once. “Anything to help.”
I spotted Cass over Nirena's shoulder, talking to Kite. I felt a separation from them all I didn't like. The segregation of Vs from the humans was something I'd have to get used to. But I already felt like an outsider standing amongst them.
My stomach growled loudly and some of the Vs nearby laughed. My cheeks scorched with heat – it probably sounded like a thunder clap to their sensitive ears.
“Come, let's find you some food.” Varick took my hand and I nodded my goodbye to Nirena. His grip tightened on me as we walked. “I truly am sorry for leaving you waiting.”
I nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. “It's fine, it gave me some time to explore.”
“And what did you find?” he asked as we strolled beneath the large archway.
“Not much but...” I bit my lip, happiness enveloping me. “Varick, I adore this place.
There's just something about it.” I gazed up at the arching ceiling and when I dropped my gaze, found Varick watching me. I got trapped in his deep eyes and a smile dragged my lips wide.
“Hey!” someone barked, making me jump.
I spotted Darrell striding toward us, his brows drawn together. “No humans down here. It's not appropriate.”
Varick snarled his irritation with Darrell and I battled an eye roll. I didn't want to step out of line here, not after my father had taken us in to his home, even if it was frustrating to follow the rules.
“We'll go elsewhere,” I confirmed and Varick shifted closer.
Darrell gave us a genuine smile. “It's not that I don't commend this-” he gestured between us, “-union. But for your own safety, Miss Grey, I urge you to keep out of this wing.”
I nodded, looking to Varick whose brow was etched with taut lines.
“We understand.” I gripped his hand, tugging him along.
As we passed out of sight around a bend, Varick said in a low voice, “Let's find somewhere more private then.”
My heart danced as we walked silently through the corridors, searching the house until we stumbled across a vast food hall. People were milling about, grabbing drinks and plates of food all laid out on tables. The smell of roast chicken called to me.
“Eat,” Varick encouraged, ushering me toward the buffet. Glancing back at him, the ravenous look in his gaze reminded me that I wasn't the only one who was hungry.
Eyes followed us around the room. Some wore lace masks over their faces, sparking questions in my mind. As I queued up for dinner, Varick waited at the edge of the hall, surveying the room.
Food was laid out on hot plates and in containers, like in a hotel. I took a plate and piled it up with steamed vegetables, moving along the line. In front of me, a man in a mask with scraggly copper hair was adding mashed potato to his already over-flowing plate. His eyes strayed to me more than once.
“Hi,” I said politely, adding a chicken leg to my plate.
He raised his brows above the mask over his face, only his mouth visible beneath it. “You're the Grey girl,” he said, seeming impressed. “I'm Ned. Good to have you here.”
I shook his hand as he offered it to me, finding it warm and human. “Can I ask...why are you wearing that mask?”
“What mask?” he said and I opened and closed my mouth, trying to backtrack.
He roared a laugh, clapping a hand on my shoulder and sending a Yorkshire pudding flying off his plate. “That joke never gets old.” He pointed at the mask. “I'm a Siren.”
I immediately recoiled, thinking of Elijah, of what my father had told me.
He frowned. “Don't worry, I have to wear this mask. Them's the rules. Otherwise you'd be drooling into my roast dinner right now. And we can't have that.”
I gave him a wary smile. “So all you have to do is take that mask off and...” I couldn't quite finish that sentence.
“You'd fall desperately in love with me.” He grinned wolfishly.
A gust of air sent my hair flying around me as Varick arrived at my side. “Time to eat.” He steered me away from Ned, glaring back at him as we went.
“I'm not sure how I feel about Sirens,” I whispered and Varick muttered something incoherent.
After I'd eaten as much food as I could manage – savouring the incredible meal - I led Varick from the room, knowing his own hunger was rising.
“Where are we going?” he mused, letting me guide him.
“I think I know a place- ah here.” I turned toward a door beneath the grand staircase, tugging it open to reveal a wide cloakroom with benches in between the coat racks. Leading Varick inside, I shut the door and pulled my hair aside, lifting a brow when he didn't immediately act.
His eyes travelled down my neck, his Adam's apple rising and falling. “Darrell informed me that drinking from humans is against the rules.”
I bit my lip, gripping his shirt in my hands. “Well our situation is...different.”
He raised a brow, taking a small step closer. “There's blood on offer here, Selena. There's no need for me to drink from you. It was necessary before, but now...you can be free of it.”
I felt a strange, sinking sensation in my chest at his words. Did he think I despised him biting me? Obviously it was different in the game. The starved Vs were vicious, but with Varick, there was something very intimate about sharing blood with him. Giving him humanity...
“I want you to,” I insisted.
His eyes flashed with surprise. “You do?”
Slowly, I nodded, moving into his personal space and sliding my hands up and over his broad shoulders. “Besides, wasn't it you who said we can only drink from each other?”
A smirk pulled up one side of his mouth. “That was before I was banned.”
“We've broken rules before...” I grinned, thinking of our escape from the V Games. What I would have given to have seen the look on Abraham's face as his whole world fell at his feet.
“That we have.” Varick's voice was a low growl, his mouth dropping to my neck. I inhaled at the pierce of his canines, locking my hands around him as I hung in his arms.
When he pulled his teeth free, he immediately kissed me and the metallic taste of my blood ran between us. Heat travelled down my spine, pooling in my belly. His arms encircled me until I was nothing but a ragdoll in his arms. At last, he released me from his hypnotic touch, offering me his blood to heal the bite mark. The second my mouth parted from his wrist, he dragged me out of the cloak room. It was only then I realised he must have heard someone coming our way.
A woman gave as an odd look as she headed past us into the cloak room and we stifled our laughter, hurrying away from the crime scene.
We spent the evening exploring the house, finally able to bask in lengthy hours of each other's company. From the vast library, to the grand bathing house and pool room, we visited every corner of the estate except for the east wing where the other Immortals were housed.
As curiosity got the best of us, we headed in that direction, but before we made it there, Brendan and Darrell appeared in the corridor ahead of us. “Ah there you are. I was wondering if I could borrow Selena for a while?” He lifted a brow at Varick who slid his arm free of my waist.
“And perhaps you'd like to accompany Darrell tonight on a perimeter watch?”
“As you wish.” Varick shrugged, his gaze following me as I moved to my father's side.
As I headed away, I blurted out, “I love you,” like a love-struck idiot. Parting from him wasn't ever easy since we'd left the games, even for small pockets of time. Perhaps my attachment to him was bordering on possessive, but I was too far gone to care.
Varick grinned at me, not looking embarrassed, but proud, his chin tilted high. “I love you too, sweetheart.”