by L. Danvers
I twisted off the top of a bottle of whiskey and gulped it down. Three more bottles later, and I wasn’t any less tense than before. My nerves were shot. All I could think about was the monster I would become if the Albright witches didn’t help me in time.
The tick, tick, tick of the clock on the wall grated my nerves. I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed the artificial blood.
I popped open the cooler and retrieved the same bottle I’d sipped from earlier. Letting out a sigh of satisfaction at the first taste, I proceeded to drink the whole thing.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Xander said, watching me.
“Nope.”
“You know what your problem is,” he started. It wasn’t a question. He was telling me. “You care too much. You’re wound way too tight. You need to learn to loosen up.”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “After a thousand years, I’m pretty sure our personalities are set in stone, Xander.”
He shrugged. “Just trying to help. You should try to be more like me. You know, don’t stress over things that are out of your control.”
I laughed. “Says the guy who didn’t bother to tell me right away that the reason he returned home was because one of his best friends tried to have him killed.”
“Hey—not cool, man,” he said, putting up his hands in mock surrender. “And anyway, we still don’t know for sure that the mutt’s even telling the truth.”
“Julian talked to Emric himself.”
“Talked,” Xander scoffed. We both knew Julian had tortured the information out of him. Werewolves didn’t have the power of compulsion.
But the truth was that while Julian infuriated me to no end at times, I believed him. He might enjoy provoking us blood heirs, but he would never stand for someone else taking shots at us. At the end of the day, we were family. And we siblings looked out for one another when it mattered most. I wished Xander could see that. But he held so much resentment toward Julian—not that I blamed him.
I got in bed and rested with my head against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. A short while later, Xander slipped out, heading outside of the boundary to feed.
Meanwhile, all I could think about was Danielle. We hadn’t even been apart for an entire day, yet I longed for her. Heat rushed to my eyes, and I could feel the tears forming. If I was having this hard of a time now, I could only imagine how hard it would be once she learned the truth.
Danielle
After stuffing ourselves with pizza, Grace and I went back to our room. Grace was eager to continue her studies.
She practiced some simple spells like making things levitate and moving them across the room. She was a natural. It was almost scary how quickly she was picking up on it considering she had no one teaching her and she hadn’t even known she was a witch until recently. Yet, at the same time, I knew Grace well enough to know she would only use her powers as a force for good.
She was in the middle of making a book soar across the room when a knock at the door startled her, sending the book crashing to the floor. We exchanged worried glances. She scooped it up in her arms, hid the grimoire on the bed underneath a pillow and tried her best to look casual. Once she was ready, I pulled the door open.
Julian was standing there. My throat tightened at the sight of him.
“Aiden texted me. He and Xander stopped at a hotel for the night. They should reach the Albright coven sometime tomorrow.”
Chewing my lip, I nodded. “Thanks for the update.”
“I’m retiring for the night. Is there anything the two of you need?”
I glanced back over my shoulder at Grace, who promptly shook her head. I turned back to Julian. “No, we’re good. Thanks, though.”
He gave a slight bow of the head. “Goodnight then,” he whispered, eyes twinkling. I watched him walk down the hall, disappearing into the darkness. There was the latch of a door and the click of a lock, and then he was gone.
Brows furrowed, I rested my head against the door frame, hating myself for being so curious about him. It was like every little piece of me craved to know more about him. Yes, the stories about his past were, well, horrifying. But there was another side to him. With me, he almost seemed... gentle.
“I’m glad Aiden and Xander are okay,” Grace said, ripping me from my thoughts.
“What? Oh. Yes.”
Aiden. The person I should be thinking about right now.
Vampirism aside, he was perfect. He was handsome and gentlemanly and courteous and kind. And he fought off the monstrous side of him with everything he had. Even now, he was searching for a way to make sure he didn’t give into his darkest desires. And all the while, he was trying to keep me safe. Safe from Princess Bianca and, I suspected, safe from himself.
I cupped the back of my neck. “I’m going to go get some water,” I told Grace. “Do you want me to bring you a glass?”
“No, I’m good.”
I nodded and slipped out the doorway, being sure to close it behind me so that Grace could continue her studies in private.
The yellow glow of the lights on the first floor lit my way as I headed downstairs. Ben was in the kitchen wiping down the countertops. Grace and I had offered to help him clean up after dinner, but he’d told us he enjoyed cleaning and didn’t mind handling it himself.
“Danielle,” he said, setting his towel down.
“I wanted to get some water,” I told him.
He jerked his head toward the tall upper cabinet behind him. “Glasses are in there. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
I retrieved a cup and pressed it to the refrigerator door, filling it too high. I carefully sipped from the top to get it down to a more reasonable level so that I could carry it upstairs without spilling it everywhere.
“I heard Aiden and Xander made it to the hotel okay,” Ben said.
I smiled. “Yes, Julian told me.”
Ben turned around so that he was facing me, folding his arms across his belly. “You seem like a nice girl, Danielle. How did you get tangled up in this mess?”
I told him the truth—everything from my kidnapping to The Choosing Ceremony, and everything that came after.
The more I spoke, the more concern clouded his eyes.
“Do you want some advice?”
“Sure.”
“When this is all said and done, as soon as you’re safe, get as far away from this family as possible.”
Gulping, I nodded.
“I mean it. If your humanity means anything to you, if you want any chance at a normal life, get away from them.”
“I’m guessing you’re speaking from experience?” I said, eyebrow arched.
“You have no idea. Wherever the siblings go, trouble always follows. Sometimes it’s of their own making, but sometimes, like in situations like yours, it’s a result of one of the many enemies they’ve made over the centuries.” He started toward the living room, gesturing for me to follow. “Come, I’d like to show you something.”
I did as he said, taking my glass of water with me.
He flipped on the lights and thumbed through the bookshelf. Finally, he pulled out a photo album. I sat beside him on the couch. Inside were yellowed and worn pictures of Aiden, Alexander, Natalie, Charlotte and Julian along with people I didn’t recognize. They were dressed in strange outfits—formal suits and modest dresses.
Ben took one out for me to examine, and when I flipped it over, I saw that the date on the back read 1893. I let out a gasp. I mean, I knew they were immortal, but it hadn’t really clicked until I saw a glimpse of them from another time period.
Ben pointed to the girl standing at Aiden’s side. She was a voluptuous young woman—blonde, I surmised, since her hair was a light shade of gray in the black and white photograph. Her hair was tied into an elegant bun crowned with floral pins. Layers of pearls hung around her neck, and as my eyes drifted downward, I realized that she and Aiden were holding hands.
Suddenly, my st
omach knotted. I shouldn’t have felt envious. After all, this was centuries ago. Yet, the twinge of jealousy remained. “Who is she?” I asked.
“Victoria.” He frowned. He recounted the story to me—about how she and Aiden were to be wed, and about how she had suddenly fallen ill under what he claimed were suspicious circumstances. And he told me how Aiden had wanted to turn her, and about how she had refused.
I chewed the inside of my cheek while he spoke, and I could feel every muscle in my body tensing as he continued flipping through the pages of the album, telling tales of what had become of the people who had gotten too close to the siblings.
It was a strange thing to look through the album—everything around them changing, yet the siblings remaining the same. It was sad in a way. To die—well, it gave life meaning. There was a finite amount of time a human had to live, and in the end, it was about what they did with the time they were given. But for immortals, what was the point? If they went on living forever, then what did any of it matter?
“Why are you showing me this?” I asked Ben.
“Look,” he started, closing the album and gripping tightly. “I don’t know anything about you, but I know that as long as Aiden and Julian are in your life, you’re in danger. I know they claim to be looking out for you. Heck, I believe they mean it. But you will never be safe with them.”
My heart raced as he spoke, thrashing against my chest.
“You can’t imagine the stories that have been passed down through my line of the family. And I don’t want anyone else to have to carry the burdens my ancestors have carried.”
I took a sip of water. I wasn’t even thirsty anymore, but it bought me some time to gather my thoughts. What was I supposed to do with this information? Yes, everything about this family screamed danger, but some demented side of me was secretly thrilled by it.
Maybe being in Crescent Cape all of these years had screwed with my head. I realized there was nothing rational about the way I felt, and I couldn’t begin to explain it to Ben. Especially when he was trying so hard to convince me to escape at the first chance I got.
Aiden
We hadn’t even parked yet when I spotted two witches standing in the doorway, watching us. It seemed they had expected our arrival, which made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Generally speaking, I was not a fan of witchcraft. After all, if it weren’t for Claudia, I would have lived an ordinary human life—and I’d be long dead by now.
But the fact of the matter was that I needed them. I knew what would become of me if they didn’t help me, and that terrified me. Yes, technically I could survive by feeding from creatures in the forest. But while the blood of animals kept me from wasting away, they left me weak—and unsatiated enough to be tempted to give in to my darkest urges.
I remembered so vividly the thrill of the hunt. Memories flooded in. The way blood pumped through the veins in humans’ necks, thrashing against their delicate skin. The aching of my fangs emerging and the tantalizing sensation of sinking my teeth into their throats.
And the taste... Pure ecstasy.
Xander jabbed my side. “Dude. You coming with me or not?”
Shaking my head to snap myself out of it, I exited the car and made my way to the witches who were waiting for us. I cleared my throat, trying to figure out how to best break the news of Freya’s death to them. I wished I’d spent more time thinking about what I was going to say.
But it turned out I didn’t have to say anything at all.
“Freya’s dead,” the one with folded arms scowled as she leaned her shoulder against the door frame.
“You heard?” I asked gently.
“I saw.” The girl with hair like fire stood up straight, arms still crossed. “I have the gift of sight,” she explained. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
“The gift of sight, huh?” Xander said as they invited us inside. “So, you know who did this to her?”
Dark shadows crossed her face. “I’m afraid not. It doesn’t work like that.”
“Her visions are more like snapshots,” her blonde friend interjected. “She sees still images. She saw Freya’s body and the two of you driving yesterday. It wasn’t hard to put together.”
They led us into the living room, where six other witches were gathered. I didn’t know what to say to them. Freya had been inside the castle when she died. And as far as I knew, she hadn’t been outside of it for days before her death. Which meant that she’d been attacked while under my watch.
I’d failed her. And now she was dead, and I had the nerve to come to her coven to ask someone to take her place.
I could feel the weight of the witches’ stares as their eyes lay upon me and my brother. My lips pressed into a hard line as I searched for the right words.
All I could muster was an honest, “I’m sorry.”
A rather timid-looking girl brought me and Xander tea. I noticed her hands were trembling as she passed the cups to us. I glanced up at her, and I could have sworn she’d let out a little gasp.
I wondered if she knew I was out of artificial blood and feared I might be hungry enough to take hers.
But I wouldn’t. Even if I unleashed the monster within me, I still wouldn’t. I’d made the mistake of drinking from a witch one time, centuries ago. My body had rejected the magic that dwelled in the witch’s blood, rendering me horrifically ill for days on end.
Once had been quite enough to learn my lesson. I would never make that mistake again.
“Did you at least give her a proper burial?” one of the elders hissed.
“Not yet. My servants have prepared her body and are making arrangements for her to be—”
“She needs to be buried here,” the woman said, pressing her wrinkled hand against the top curve of her cane to help her stand. “She needs to be buried with her ancestors. Along with every Albright witch who came before her.”
I bowed my head in respect. “I should have known. I will see to it that she is brought here so that she may receive a proper burial. And, of course, we will be glad to help in any way.”
Satisfied with that answer, she sat back down in her floral cushioned chair.
Finishing his tea, Xander explained everything that had happened leading up to Freya’s untimely death—and everything Julian had learned from Emric about Princess Bianca’s involvement.
Whispers filled the room.
“I am assuming none of you had anything to do with it,” I said, trying to make it clear in my tone that I really meant it and wasn’t implying that they did.
“Of course not,” the same elder barked.
“Well, since it wasn’t you, who did attack Freya?” Xander pressed. “It had to be a witch. When we found her, she had black foam oozing from her mouth, and her eyes were like glass.”
I pushed away the horrifying imagery his description had summoned. Poor Freya. She’d deserved so much better.
The blonde that had met us at the door stood straighter, her forehead wrinkled with concern. “Did you say black foam?”
Xander nodded.
Her eyes flashed with recognition. Directing her attention to her fellow witches, she said, “That has to be the Carlisles. They’re the only ones who would dabble in such dark magic.”
The room buzzed in agreement.
Xander clasped his hands together. “Well, that’s one problem solved. Now, for the more pressing matter.” He jerked his head toward me, waiting for me to pick up where he’d left off.
“As you know, Freya supplied me with artificial blood to keep my impulses in check. I think you’re all old enough to remember what I was like before,” I said, my voice cracking. “I hate to ask this of you, but I fear it’s the only way to keep our kingdom and the humans that surround it safe.”
Horror overtook the witches’ faces, and suddenly they understood.
“You need someone to spell you up artificial blood?” the blonde asked.
“Yes.”
Muscles tensed, she firmed her r
esolve. “I’ll do it.”
And all at once, I relaxed, not realizing until then that I’d been grinding my teeth. “Thank you,” I said, meaning it with all my heart.
“Evanna, you can’t be serious,” the redhead scolded.
Evanna planted her hands on her hips. “Well, someone has to.”
“But if the Carlisles attacked Freya, think of what they might do to you.” Her eyes shone with tears.
Evanna hugged her arms around her, holding her close. “I’ll be okay. I have to do this. We all know what the prince is capable of without the artificial blood.”
I forced down the lump in my throat.
“We won’t let the Carlisles get away with this,” the redhead hissed. “I’ll take care of them myself.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” the elder ordered.
The redhead spun around on her heel. “Oh, yeah? Well, I’m not about to sit back and wait for them to murder my best friend.”
The elder used her cane to stand again, this time moving slowly toward the girl. The other witches watched it all unfold, murmuring amongst themselves, hardly believing the exchange unfolding before them. “Listen to me, Evangeline Albright. You will not go near the Carlisles. Do you understand me? Our covens despise each other enough without you causing trouble.”
“But they killed Freya!”
“A foolish girl who made a grave mistake by aligning with him,” she said, her eyes shifting to me, piercing me like daggers.
Her words cut me. Because they were true. Yet, I still needed help. “She’s right,” I said to the blonde. “With Princess Bianca’s vendetta against me, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
“I know,” Evanna said, sad but assured. “But without me, you cannot guarantee the safety of anyone.”
Danielle
Soft hands shook me awake. I propped myself up on my elbow, my forehead wrinkling in confusion.
Rays from the early morning sun splashed through the windows, and Grace was beside me. She was sitting on top of the bed, legs crossed, with the open grimoire in her lap.
