“I don’t know.” He simply shrugs.
The impossibility that we could continue seeing each other weighs heavily on my heart, but the fact that he has no answer brings to light that this is it. My eyes drop to the ground, the threatening tears sting, and I blink profusely to stop them from escaping. I swallow the lump in my throat and concentrate on controlling my emotions when his hand gently touches my cheek, angling my face up to meet his. I see confusion and hurt etched on his features. He too seems torn with the situation.
“Please don’t cry,” he whispers, wrapping his strong arms around my shoulders, holding me against him.
“Isn’t this hard for you? Don’t you want to rip my head off or something?” I mumble into his shirt.
He chuckles against my hair. “It doesn’t work that way. I have no desire to kill, just the authority to do so.”
I look up at him then. “Oh,” I reply with new clarity and a glimmer of hope.
“This—us—it’s just like it was before. My feelings haven’t changed. The situation has just become complicated,” he explains.
“What are you saying?” I squint up at him.
“I don’t know yet,” he says as he lets go of me. “It is forbidden for me to be with you. I don’t like to think of what would happen if my family found out, but I can’t even fathom the thought of not talking to you, not seeing your beautiful face ever again.”
“But I’m this now. How is it going to work? We are destined to be enemies,” I breathe. “Maybe I should just go back home, make it easier on both of us.” I sigh, the thought breaking my heart.
“No, don’t do that. I couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving just yet. I have no idea how any of this will turn out, but I will make it work.” His eyes dart to his left.
I hear footsteps and a familiar scent wafts past my nose. It’s Vincent. My heart thuds heavily in my chest. “I should go before he sees me here with you.”
“It’s too late. He would already know it’s you. Your scent is more potent now that you have changed,” he explains without taking his eyes off the direction Vincent is about to arrive. “I won’t let him touch you.” He grits his teeth.
We wait, standing side by side, as Vincent strides toward us. Stopping mid-stride a few feet away, eyes bulging when he sees me, he stares at Dominic, and there is an unspoken exchange between the two.
“I thought you might have needed back up, but I now see the reason for the hold up,” Vincent accuses.
“You can leave, Vincent. There is nothing going on here. She has done nothing wrong and will be back in her apartment within minutes.” Dominic scowls.
“You’re weak, Dom.” Vincent shakes his head in disapproval. “This cannot and will not continue.”
“I will handle it. Please just leave us before I have to make you leave.”
Vincent chuckles in amusement. “I always sensed there was something different about you, Katalina, but I never would have guessed this.” He gestures in my direction.
I stand, heart racing, unsure if I should speak. I know deep down that Dominic would protect me if need be, but against his family, I am not so sure. I get the feeling that Vincent won’t let this go.
“Vincent just leave,” Dominic orders.
“I will—this time—but I cannot keep this from your father. He needs to know.” Vincent turns on his heels and storms off down the road.
“Great,” Dominic mutters.
“I’m sorry.” For what, I do not know.
“It’s probably best if you go home now. I am going to have to go deal with this mess. Vincent is adamant about ruining my life.”
“Will you be okay?” I ask, worried.
He doesn’t answer my question. Instead he stares at me. I hear his heart beating steadily in his chest and I hear him sigh before reaching out to cup my face. I lean into his warm hand and close my eyes, relishing his gentle touch. “Please don’t ignore my texts. I need to know that you are okay. Look at me.” His voice is ebbed with concern.
I gaze up into his eyes. Eyes that are dark and knowing.
“Please be careful and follow the rules. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you,” he pleads.
“I will.” I nod in response. “What about you? What about your dad?”
“Leave him to me.” He steps back. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
I step away from him and he grabs my hand. “Katalina.” I turn to him. “Nothing has changed. I don’t care what you are; remember that when you hear otherwise.”
I watch his anguished face torn with emotion. “Okay,” I respond before he lets go of my hand taking one last glance at me and stalking back down the darkened street. I watch him disappear around the corner, the longing tugging at my heart.
Alone in the dark, curled up in bed with the comfort of the blanket pressing on me, I allow my mind to wander for the first time since I turned. I sigh with a heavy heart as I think of my family and how I will explain what I have become. I already long for my before—a before I didn’t know I would lose, a before I did not know would be ripped from me. I have an eternity before me that my mind cannot understand. The thought of watching my loved ones grow old and eventually die rips my heart to bits, and it is with this thought that my tears start to fall. I bury my face in my pillow to muffle the sobs until I’m sure I have my emotions under control. I lie still listening to my breathing, willing sleep to consume the night, listening to the sounds of the city outside my window, but the dreaded, lonely night seems to drag on. The loud humming of the distant traffic eventually lulls me to a light slumber, only to be startled by the annoying vibrating of my phone in my bag. I spring out of the bed and manage to end up on my hands and knees on the floor. I crawl to my bag and yank my phone out, aggravated by the noise.
“Meet me on the rooftop.”
I stare at the message, blinking to make sense of it.
Balancing on the roof tiles with the city sprawled out around me, silent at this late hour, I hear his even breathing behind me and wait for him to speak. His arms circle around my shoulders and we stand like this, not speaking, staring into the night.
“You want to know something,” he eventually whispers against my hair.
“I want to know,” I reply, closing my eyes.
“I need you in my life.” His voice is pained.
“I want to be in your life, but I don’t see how it will work,” I sigh.
“I don’t care. I want you.” He turns me around to face him.
“What about your dad and Vincent and the rest of the hunters?” I stare at his dark eyes.
“No one needs to know.” His eyes search mine, pleading for me to agree.
“How I wish it was that simple.”
“It can be. No one knows we are here, now.” He leans in, his face is inches from mine. “How did this happen?”
I look at our feet knowing I shouldn’t reveal this but not wanting to keep anything else from him. “It’s passed down in my family. An ancestor was cursed by a witch hundreds of years ago and every couple of generations we are burdened by the curse again.”
He gently tilts my head up to look at him, his eyes marred with confusion. “I’m sorry,” he breathes.
“It’s okay.” I offer a weak smile. I sense he is churning something over in his head. “What is it?” I ask.
“I didn’t think it was real.” He shakes his head.
“What?”
“There are legends about your family. No one truly believes they are real. To be standing here with one of Cassia’s descendants…” he says in utter surprise.
“You know about my family?”
“Yes, the stories are told from generation to generation, but no one has any clue that they are true.” His features turn to concern. “Katalina…” He cups my cheek. “You cannot repeat this to anyone, ever. Please understand the importance of this. Your life could be in immense danger. Please promise me you won’t tell another soul about your family history,”
he pleads.
“I wasn’t supposed to tell you.” I gaze into his eyes, finding truth there.
“I won’t tell your secret. You can trust me.”
“I know.” My voice is quiet.
“Is your aunt the same as you?” he asks.
“Yes.” I look at the rooftop of the building next door when I answer him.
“Was that your cousin with you earlier tonight?”
I nod in response.
“I’m glad you have family helping you through this.” His smile is genuine.
“Is it hard being here with me? I know it goes against everything you believe in.”
“No, nothing has changed between us. I will keep us a secret. I want to keep seeing you,” he breathes.
“I don’t want to make things hard for you with your family.”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” He chuckles lightening the mood.
I smile up at him. “You always know how to make me smile.”
“Glad to hear it.” He wraps his strong arms around my waist and pulls me into him. “This here is how I want it to be, always. Just you and me and nothing else,” he whispers into my hair.
I close my eyes and savor the moment, snuggling into his muscled chest. “I could stay right here forever.”
Night soon becomes day. The stars slowly fade and the sun’s rays cast a glow over the buildings. The neighborhood cat is let out and I watch it stretch and sniff the morning air, which is full of new smells and endless possibilities. I smile to myself at how perfect the last few hours have been sitting on the rooftop with the throw draped over us, gazing at the stars.
“I think I have to go,” he sighs.
“Me too,” I reply as I slowly uncurl myself from his arms and carefully stand, stretching my stiff limbs. I hold my hand out to him to help him up.
“Can we do this every night?” He smiles.
“I think I might need to get some sleep every now and then, so every night may not work. How about every second?” I grin.
He stands just inches from me, searching my eyes for permission. I tiptoe to get closer to him, my heart pounding in my chest. The proximity of his full lips stirs the hunger deep within and I lean into him, testing myself if I can restrain from biting him, tasting him. I gently kiss his warm lips. He doesn’t move and I can hear his steady heartbeat. I press my lips against his again, this time lingering a little longer, and hear a deep groan escape his mouth. Cradling my face, he pauses before whispering against my lips, “every second night then.”
Sucking the last remnants of blood from the bag, I squeeze it with my hands. My thirst satiated but not entirely gone, I blow out a long breath as I get my hunger under control. I head to the kitchen for coffee and tense when I see Maria at the bench.
“Morning,” I chirp a little too enthusiastically.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Maria’s curious eyes scrutinize me.
“I’m good, just had breakfast. I think we may need more bags.” I clear my throat.
“Already ordered.” Maria smiles. “So, do you want to tell me what you were doing on the roof with that hunter?”
I freeze and stare at her. “I err…”
“Is he the boy you met when you first arrived?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” She looks at me with sympathy. “You cannot continue seeing him. It is an unwritten law that a vampire and a hunter must not form any sort of relationship.”
“I know.” My voice is weak as I look at the coffee machine.
“What does his family think of this situation?”
“They have forbidden him from seeing me.”
“With every right and understandably. If they find out more than they need to—well, let’s just say that would not be an ideal outcome.” She takes a sip of her coffee.
“He already knows about our family.” I don’t take my eyes off the machine.
“Not good,” she mutters under her breath. She looks straight at me as she speaks. “I guess there are a few things I need to explain. Make your coffee and come sit next to me.”
I go through the motions of making my coffee; I am finished within seconds and stare at the steaming mug in my hand. I take a seat in the vacant chair beside Maria. I clear my throat and angle my body toward her. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Please, Katalina, don’t continue to see this boy.” She places her hand gently over mine. “I know young love, lust, or whatever you want to call it is earth-shattering and life changing—and it would be if circumstances were different. But they’re not, and this is potentially putting your life at risk. I’m not merely asking you not to see him because it is forbidden. I’m pleading with you because it is dangerous, and it is my responsibility to keep you from harm’s way.”
“He said the same thing.” My voice is barely audible.
Surprise washes over Maria’s features. “He did?”
“Dominic said that I shouldn’t tell anyone who my family is as it is putting my life at risk. He won’t tell anyone. I trust him.” I look at the mug in my hands. “What is the reason for this secrecy?”
“The blood that was given to Cassia all those centuries ago came from royal blood.”
“What does that even mean?”
“The royal family that ruled at the time was not spared from the life in perpetual darkness; one of their family members was turned. It was all kept hidden from the public, but certain circles knew of the immense power one could have with the blood of a royal vampire. It was this blood that cursed Cassia and now runs core deep within us all.” Maria looks at me with sadness.
“But there are many of our family members who have chosen this.” I gesture between us. “Wouldn’t they all be in danger too?”
“Yes, but none of them have been the spitting image of Cassia,” Maria whispers.
I stop breathing as I process what she has just revealed. “What?” I exhale.
“You are the same, my sweetheart. It hit me with a force when I first laid eyes on you in the flesh at the airport. Your mother had sent me photos of you as she was concerned it would all lead to you turning. When I received the photos I couldn’t comprehend the similarities.”
“What does this mean?”
“Nothing if no one realizes. Everything if someone does,” she sighs.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” The confusion in my voice saturates the air between us.
“If an elder vampire recognizes you as being Cassia or the reincarnation of Cassia, the consequences will be dire. Royal blood on its own is powerful enough, but if they think you are Cassia with the original royal blood in your system, I do not want to think about the outcome. I am surprised that your friend has heard of our family, knows the history, and is willing to keep it a secret.”
“I’m so sorry for telling him. I didn’t know the enormity of it all.”
“It’s not your fault, sweetheart. I should have explained everything from the beginning and made it clear that not a soul outside of our family is to know. Not everyone in our family knows about the royal blood. I try to keep it from spreading like wild fire. The less that know about it, the safer we all are.”
“What does the royal blood mean?” I ask.
“If the information ends up in the wrong hands, we could be captured and our blood harvested to use for blood magic and pure evil. Royal blood has properties that normal vampire blood does not. It allows vampires to have certain abilities that others do not have. One ability that is highly sought after is the ability to live for eternity. Vampires have an expiration date, usually one thousand years after being created. We, on the other hand, being descendants of Cassia and having the blood in our system, will live forever unless killed by force.” Maria closes her eyes as she reveals this.
“Forever.” I swallow the lump in my throat.
“Until the world ceases to exist. Forever.”
“I won’t even attempt to get my head around that one,” I breathe.
“It is the very reason that we need to be careful who learns the truth about our family.”
Are there others with this blood in their veins? Is the royal family still around?” I ask.
“Only rumors of others. Not one set in stone. Access to the royal vampire would have been impossible if not for someone on the inside. It is believed that the royal vampire gave his blood willingly to a witch who in turn aided in his escape. It is all hearsay though. As for the royal family, they migrated north to Venice. There are still descendants that live there to this day, but the story of the royal vampire is just a tale that is shared to frighten the young and young at heart,” Maria explains.
“What about their blood now? Why don’t vampires or witches drain them now?” I ask curiously.
“Their blood is not as pure. It is, shall we say, diluted. Besides it’s the royal vampire’s blood that is needed.”
“So, if it gets out that our family has the potent royal blood running in our veins, then all hell could break loose?” I say more to myself than anything.
“Yes,” Maria answers.
“What about the royal vampire? Where is he now?”
“No one knows.” She shrugs.
Sofia saunters in at this point and gives me a strained smile.
“Morning,” I greet her.
“How was your night?” she asks as she glances at Maria.
“Don’t worry, Maria already knows,” I sigh.
“What are you going to do?” Sofia’s concern washes over me.
“I don’t know.” I look down at my coffee. “What can I do?”
“You need to forget about him. Stop all contact at once; it will get easier as time goes on. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but it’s the safest choice.” Maria takes my hand in hers and squeezes it.
I glance up at her without speaking. I know what she is saying is what I need to do, but my heart thinks otherwise. I cannot bear the thought of never seeing him again. “This isn’t fair,” I whisper to myself as I slump in my chair.
“It will get easier,” Maria comforts me.
“Changing the subject…Kat has a date with Donato tonight.” Sofia nudges me.
Bequeathed Page 21
