Whispers in the Dark

by Niranjan K

  “Fortunately, it doesn't last long.” Ray said.

  “Magnus is here.” Alistair said.

  Magnus wasn't pleased. “You were supposed to hand him over to the council,” he said.

  Ray shrugged. “His sanity was already in shreds; by the time you reached a decision, it would have been too late for him.”

  Magnus huffed but kept quiet as Todd's motions became more violent and he attempted to bite himself and his screams faded into whimpers, and he finally became still.

  “He's human again.” Ray said.

  “What do you plan on doing with him?” Magnus asked.

  “Take him home with us for now.” Ray said. “We'll figure everything else later, once he becomes conscious.”

  “What if he wants to become a vampire again?” Magnus asked.

  “That's his choice.” Ray shrugged. “I'll hand him over to you and this time, make sure he's sired by someone whose blood type isn't B positive.”

  “He's going to be an outcast, even if he becomes a vampire. Those who lost fledgelings aren't going to forgive him or accept him so easily.”

  “Including you?” Ray asked.

  “I have to accept him if he becomes a vampire.” Magnus said. “I am head of the council.”

  “And the council is supposed to protect all vampires.” Ray murmured.

  “He's waking,” Alistair said.

  Todd blinked a couple of times. “Where're my glasses?” he asked, his voice barely audible. “Where am I? Who are you?”

  Ray sighed. “Todd, what do you remember?”

  Todd frowned before blanching. “It... it wasn't real, was it? The vampire and... I was sick, wasn't I? It was only a fever dream, wasn't it? Tell me I was dreaming!”

  Magnus sighed, “Mr. Todd.”

  “Call me Todd,” he interrupted. “Everyone does. No one ever calls me Mr. Todd or Melton. I've only ever been Todd.”

  “Todd,” Magnus said and from his tone, Alistair could tell that he was trying to be kind. “I'm Magnus, the head of the vampire council. I'm afraid it was all real, but it is over now.”

  “But how can it be real? I'm a person! I'm a human!”

  “I turned you back.” Ray said quietly. “You were out of control, Todd. I had no choice.”

  “No, it's okay,” Todd whispered. “If... if it was all real... then...” He swallowed. “I killed people, didn't I?”

  “It wasn't you.” Ray said gently.

  “Am I going to jail? Am I to be put to death?” There was very real fear in Todd's face.

  “No,” Ray said. “You can go back to your old life, or start a new one,” He gave a fleeting glance to Magnus and smiled at Alistair. “If you still want to be a vampire, that can also be arranged, and this time it won't be the same.”

  “I can't... I can't say now...”

  “That's okay,” Ray said. “You can take your time. You can stay with us for the moment, till you decide, all right? There's no hurry.”

  Alistair hadn't believed it was possible to love Ray more than he already did, but Ray was proving him wrong.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Aiden and Genevieve left the next day, and Jon went with them, saying it was better than staying under a Haspel's roof, especially with Todd there. Ray was relieved, though he knew Alistair was disappointed.

  I'll make it up to him.

  But the poison of Jon's words kept festering inside him, and if Todd wasn't there, he would have asked Alistair about it, but Todd was there. Jon returned a week later. Aiden was back in Vrelsk. Genevieve had left for her home and Jon had come to be with his brother.

  “He's still here, I see,” he said, but he made no further comments about Todd, just watching him with a brooding glance.

  “How did you know?” he asked one night after Todd had gone to bed. “How did you know he could still be saved?”

  “Are you actually agreeing with me?” Ray asked, leaning against Alistair, his arms around his waist and he was feeling charitable even towards Jon.

  “Don't delude yourself,” Jon said. “I just want to know.”

  Ray thought of the eyes which held only pain and madness and shrugged. “I knew because he was stealing blood instead of attacking humans. He waited till we were home before attacking us. He could have attacked us in a crowded street, but he didn't. Some part of him was still there, and it was worth saving.”

  “Has he made any decision on the future?”

  “We told him to take his time,” Alistair said. “We have yet to fix a date, and Daphne wants to have the wedding in Vrelsk, and it's winter there right now, and I like the spring, so.”

  “Has Magnus said what he'll do if he wants to be a vampire again?”

  “He said it will be arranged. Notwithstanding all the killings, I think the vampire community owes Todd.” Ray said.

  “Burt was a douchebag,” Jon said. “He had no business siring Todd if he couldn't be around.”

  “It wasn't his fault either.” Ray said.

  Jon snorted and rose. “Watching the two of you is making me sick.”

  Alistair's soft laughter rumbled through Ray's frame, shaking it.

  “He talks as if we invited him.” He nibbled Ray's ear. “I think he's warming to Todd.”

  “I wouldn't hold out much hope.” Ray said, sceptical.

  “I'm taking Todd,” Jon said the next morning.

  “He says he will make me a vampire.” Todd said. “And that it will be different.”

  “Jon,” Ray said. Jon was very determinedly not looking at him or Alistair.

  Alistair started laughing, and Jon glared at him. “What's so funny?”

  “You are,” Alistair said, as he went towards him and hugged him.

  “I'll pass by the hugs, thank you,” Ray said. “But this had better not be some twisted revenge attempt, Jon.”

  Jon rolled his eyes. “As if I would cross you, Ray.”

  If Jon was calling him Ray, there had to be something wrong. “If something goes wrong,” he told Todd. “Anything, you head back here, okay?”

  “Nothing will happen,” Jon said. “I know how to take care of my fledgelings.”

  “So, you know that word,” Ray observed. “I was thinking you knew only the abbreviation.”

  Jon and Todd left in the afternoon, and Ray should have been happy and relieved, but he wasn't. He no longer had any excuses for not asking Alistair about Shane. Did he want to know? Was he ready for whatever the truth was?

  “It's good to have the house to ourselves again,” Alistair said, pulling him into his arms and kissing him.

  “Yes,” Ray dredged up a smile.

  “Are you going to tell me what has you so upset? It's been driving me crazy for weeks.”

  He should have known Alistair would notice. “It's something Jon said,” he said, leaning against Alistair and burying his face in his neck.

  “Ray?” Alistair said, pushing him slightly away so he could look at his face. “Talk to me, please.”

  “He said,” Ray coughed to dislodge the lump that seemed to have taken residence in his throat. “He said Shane... that you turned me because you couldn't Shane and he died, that... that it might well have been him in my place.”

  “Ray,” Alistair said softly. “Look at me, please.”

  Ray looked. Alistair's eyes were on his, earnest and sincere. “I'm not saying this to hurt you or to make you feel bad, but Ray, I would never have turned Shane even if I had the time.”

  “You would have let him die?”

  “I would have done everything I could to save him, but I wouldn't have turned him. My oath... it meant something to me. It meant a great deal to me, and I wouldn't have broken it.”

  “You broke it for me,” Ray said. “Why? Was it out of guilt? Or-”

  “You want the truth?” Alistair asked. “The truth is I don't know. If... If someone had asked me, I would have said I would let you die, but when it came to it, all I knew was that I couldn't. It wasn't ou
t of guilt, or any of the other reasons. I wasn't thinking of your parents, I wasn't thinking of Shane. All I knew was I couldn't let you die, that I had to keep you alive, even if it was as a vampire. And that is the truth.”

  Ray believed him. It was there in his eyes, the truth shining out. “I was such an idiot to have listened to Jon,”

  “Jon was... he was hurt, and his reaction would always be to hurt back... no matter who... don't worry about it.”

  “He knew how to,” Ray said. “You know, when Shane died... it was like a part of me died with him, and even after becoming a vampire and then turning back... nothing changed... it was like I was permanently damaged.” Alistair opened his mouth, but Ray shook his head. “Let me finish, okay? Let me just say this? I felt incomplete, it was... I don't know, a constant feeling of wrongness about me and the world around me... and then you... you looked at me and said you were in love with me, and suddenly, none of it seemed real, none of it seemed to matter... and then I lost Dad, but you were there, and it made everything better... you make it possible for me to live with my losses. You make me want to live in spite of them, and Jon... he could see that, and he said those things, about Shane and Dad and you, and I should have trusted you. I'm sorry I didn't.”

  Alistair shook his head slowly, almost in admonishment. “You could have just said you loved me.” he said. “I love you, Ray, and I'm not going to let you go for as long as you want me.”

  “Be prepared for the rest of my natural life then,” Ray said, kissing him.

  About the Author

  Niranjan is the pen name of Geetha Krishnan whose biggest ambition is to have a character named Garth in every book she writes. She also clamours for attention as a minor background character in her friends' books and has debuted as Geetha's Pass in a WIP by a friend, an achievement that makes her prouder than all the literary awards she hasn't won. While not auditioning for character roles, she enjoys putting friends and acquaintances and their books into her own books.

  * * *

  She's always open to more minor background character roles.

  * * *

  More about her may be found at https://authorniranjan.in/

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  Did you love Whispers in the Dark? Then you should read There's Always a Morning by Niranjan K!

  What do you do when memories from a past life threaten to upend your present?

  When Mark Albert meets Michael Ramsey at an exhibition, he is drawn to the man. What he doesn't expect is for Ramsey to be a centuries old vampire or for himself to be the reincarnation of Mathew Ferran, a vampire hunter. The last thing he wants is memories of a past life to disrupt his well ordered life.

  As memories of the reluctant alliance between Mathew and Ramsey surface, Mark finds himself meeting vampires from his past life, some who are glad to see him, and some who are not.

  With the lure of the past drawing Mark back to Ramsey over and over again, will he choose to rekindle the once buried past or leave it behind for a different future?

  Read more at Niranjan K’s site.

  Also by Niranjan K

  The Elite and the Rogues

  The Elitist Supremacy

  Rise of the Resistance (Coming Soon)

  Standalone

  Blue

  The Deathless Ones

  Spaces of Silence

  There's Always a Morning

  Whispers in the Dark (Coming Soon)

  Life Remains (Coming Soon)

  Bleeding Gold (Coming Soon)

  Watch for more at Niranjan K’s site.