The walls were painted a light gray color and another door was just ahead of me next to a large window that allowed natural light to float in the room. I had looked through that window so many times but now, it all seemed so different.
I sighed and finally allowed the tears to fall.
Eden stood by the door, not moving. I knew she had questions, so many questions.
After giving me some time to cry, she made her way over to the bed. I felt the mattress slump as she sat down next to me.
“Audrey, I really need for you to talk to me,” she asked, her voice breaking.
Exhaling a deep breath, I sat up on my elbows and faced her. “Everything is destroyed,” I said, my voice breaking with emotion.
“What does that mean?” Eden asked curiously. She looked afraid and I was sure her expression mirrored my own.
“I have been blinded. Everything I believed to be true was nothing more than a lie. A ruse to hurt people,” I cried out.
I knew I wasn’t making much sense, but my head was such a jumbled mess, I didn’t know how to form a complete thought right now.
Standing, Eden stomped her foot on the floor. The ground shook under her wrath and I sat all the way up in shock. “Enough! Stop running around the question. Tell me what happened now,” she demanded.
No longer was the sweet voice I had grown to love. Now, she was menacing and heated.
“Eden, Donovan...” I couldn’t seem to form the words. So much had happened in such a short period of time. Even I wasn’t sure how to comprehend it all just yet.
“WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN you and my brother?” Eden questioned.
“Well. it is hard to explain?” I began.
“Don’t lie to me, Audrey. I saw the look between the two of you right before he went all crazy on Zane. Something is going on and I demand you to give me answers,” she almost shouted.
Eden was my best friend and I dearly loved her, but I was beyond exhausted and fed up. Everyone was holding back the truth from me, maybe in different aspects. But still, I felt like I was living in the dark here and I was ready to unleash my rage on everyone around me... Eden included.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes before I began to speak. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I mustered all of my courage. I had just gone through turmoil and now she wanted to yell at me!
“Eden, no one has the right to demand anything from me right now. I am living in a world of secrets and even you, my best friend, hasn’t told me everything about her,” I said, narrowing my eyes at a now shocked Eden.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, looking insulted. “None of this makes any sense and right now, I am starting to get scared. Why don’t you start with the first thing that is bothering you,” she said.
“For starters, I know nothing about your background. All I know is you, Donovan, and your dad are Vampires. How that came to be is a mystery. Plus, I told you about how I lost my mom, but I have never heard anything about yours,” I snapped.
As soon as the last words left my mouth, I instantly regretted it. I knew it was low to bring up her mom, but I was so angry, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I was stalling right now. I had no idea how I would confess everything I had learned to Eden, but for right now, this would work to get her off my back.
Sighing, Eden seemed to calm down. “I still want to know what is going on between you and Donovan, but you are right. I haven’t been as forthcoming with you, as you have been with me. I guess it’s time to give you some answers,” she said.
“I would really appreciate that. I just need to know that not everyone in my life is lying to me,” I stated.
Eden opened her mouth and I knew she wanted to question me on this. But, thankfully, she thought better of it. After a few minutes, she began. “In 1911, my family contracted the Bubonic Plague. At the time, it was spreading rapidly across the world and most people infected died soon after. My dad knew we were all dying and became desperate. He begged for anyone to help us, but even the local doctors refused to come to people’s homes anymore. My dad wouldn’t give up. One day, a man came to our home. He was the first visitor we had in I don’t know how long. I was barely able to open my eyes at the time and everything was fuzzy. Donovan was barely breathing and there was a moment, I thought he was already dead.
When the man arrived, he offered my dad a way to save his own family, but it came at a price. Refusing to take death as an option, my dad agreed to the man’s terms. However, my mom who wasn’t as sick as the rest of us, refused to comply with the man. My dad pleaded with her, but she held her ground. Dad always says I remind him of my mom; I am stubborn and never listen to anyone,” she lightly chuckled. Continuing, I could see tears forming in her eyes. “Anyway, the man was a Vampire and as he bit each of us, my mom screamed in horror at what we were becoming. A week after we were turned, my mom died of the disease.”
When she stopped talking, I had to brush away my own tears. I couldn’t imagine the pain her family felt and having to make such an important and life-altering decision. I held out my hand and took hers in mine. I needed Eden to know how much it meant to me that she shared this information with me.
“Eden, I am so sorry,” I said.
“I know. And, I am sorry it has taken me so long to share that with you. Only my brother, my dad, and myself know that. We have never shared our story with anyone else”
I was now shocked beyond belief. If anything, our friendship was solidified even more.
“I promise I won’t say a word,” I said, squeezing her hand for support.
Brushing away her own tears, Eden smiled at me. “Alright, now it’s your turn to spill. Tell me what is going on?”
I half laughed as she was so quickly able to transform the topic. I wanted to hold onto the information a little longer, but now, I just couldn’t. I had to tell Eden what I knew.
“Ok, I will tell you, but you have to swear not to say anything right now. I need you to remain calm and know that I am still dealing with this news myself,” I began.
“Ok, you are really freaking me out,” Eden said. She looked at me with concern and I knew she would hold onto my secret.
“Earlier tonight, I heard something,” I started, shuddering as the memories came back to me. “You know how you tried to warn me about Zane? How you told me the story between Donovan, Zane, and Macy?” I asked.
Eden eyed me carefully. “Yes,” she said, emphasizing the word.
“Well, apparently, you were right to do so. Zane isn’t who I thought he was. He is dangerous,” I said, my lips trembling.
Grabbing my hands, Eden was comforting me instantly. “Audrey, what did Zane do to you?” she asked. “I will kill him if he harmed you.”
I watched as her eyes traveled down my neck and then to my wrists. I knew what she was thinking. That he had fed from me. Possibly attacked me. She wasn’t far off from the truth, though. He had hurt me, but not in the way she imagined.
Shaking my head, I forced her eyes back up to mine. “Eden, he didn’t do anything to me physically, yet,” I stated, gulping down my fear. “Let me start from the beginning. We need to both be seated for this.” I patted the bed and motioned for her to come and sit down with me.
Eden followed my order and sat back down next to me on the bed. Taking a deep breath, I began telling her about the nightmare I had just experienced.
“Before the dance, Donovan came to me in our room. He was being so nice, telling me that I looked beautiful,” I said, smiling slightly as I remembered his kind words. “I thought he was just being nice, but then he kissed me,” I said.
Eden’s eyes twinkled and she let out a gasp before a wide smile spread over her face. “I knew it!” she exclaimed. “I have said it from the beginning, I knew Donovan liked you.”
Pulling her back down to reality, I squeezed her hand. “Eden, I really need you to focus on what I am saying right now,” I stated.
“Ok, I’m sorry. I am listening,” she said, pre
tending to zip her lips.
“Anyway, yes Donovan kissed me. And, it was nice. But then, guilt washed over me as I realized I was dating Zane and it wasn’t right for Donovan to kiss me. I got angry and ran off.” I left out the part about Donovan telling me he had needed a break from me. That, for some reason, caused too much pain. Continuing, I sighed. “I ran through the halls and then voices stopped me dead in my tracks. I heard Zane talking, but he was whispering. I hid in the shadows, knowing it was wrong to be eavesdropping on his conversation, but something inside of me told me to be careful. So, as I listened, I heard him talking to Professor Martin about a plan they had. They were talking about me! They are planning to sneak Humans into the school to feed from. They want to kidnap and hurt innocent people. And, Zane is using me to get to them. I guess they had messed with the enrolling system and Professor Martin knew I was a Human all along. Zane never cared about me and now, Humans are in danger,” I finished, tears now streaming down my face.
Eden looked mortified and I saw flashes of anger, sickness, and sadness rush over her face. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that. I know you liked Zane, but I always knew there was something wrong with him. But to think he is working with someone within this academy to hurt Humans is deplorable,” Eden fumed.
“What do we do?” I asked. “Eden, I’m scared. If they know that I overheard them, they might just kill me,” I stated.
“No, I would never let that happen to you,” Eden said, her voice filled with strength. She was a true fighter and a great best friend. But, could she save me from Zane?
“We need to tell your dad,” I said.
“No, not yet,” Eden said flatly.
“What?” I asked, clearly confused.
Standing, Eden began to pace our bedroom floor. Deep in thought, she ignored me for a few moments as she thought. Finally, she threw her hands up in the air and turned back to face me. “Audrey, we aren’t going to say anything yet. First, we have to get enough evidence to prove to my dad and the other professors, that Zane and Professor Martin are, in fact, trying to harm Humans. Without evidence, it’s just gossip. You are a Human, no offense, but they won’t believe you over their own kind, at least without proof,” she said.
Her words hurt like a knife slicing through my soul, but I knew she was right. They were friends and colleagues. Professor Martin was a trusted advisor of the Dean. We would have to get evidence to show everyone that Zane and Professor Martin were going against everything the House of Shadows stood for.
Standing, I wiped my tears away and braved a smile. “Alright, Eden. We need to play along with their game. I may be only a Human, but I am stubborn and never back down from what I want. I am about to unleash a different type of danger onto them,” I said.
Smiling, Eden cheered. “That’s my girl. We are about to take down those evil Vampires!”
I just hoped we could follow through with our plans without getting me killed in the process.
CHAPTER 3
“YOU KNOW NOTHING IS going to happen to you,” Eden whispers next to me.
Ever since telling her about Zane’s diabolical plans, Eden has been assuring me that my safety will not be compromised. I still have my guards watching me everywhere I go, but Eden has amped up my security.
As discussed, Eden and I made a pack to keep life as normal as possible for the time being. Which means, I have to pretend like myself and every other Human close by isn’t in danger.
But, that’s not the worst part.
Not even close.
The most disgusting and horrific part of this whole plan is that I have to pretend as though nothing is wrong between me and Zane.
“We don’t know that,” I whisper back, as I open the doors to the sports complex.
It’s time for gym class and for the first time, I am relieved to be going to this class. I need to release some stress and running and hitting things seems like the best option.
Behind me, my guards follow close by. I hope they aren’t spying on our conversation.
Turning to Eden, I give her a glance. “Eden, we have to be careful about what we say and when we say it,” I add, turning my head toward my guards.
Nodding, she seems to understand. “Well, let’s go to track and we can chat while the guards sit and watch,” Eden suggests.
I follow her lead and we move through the gym area where many students are working out. I spot Zane lifting weights and he smiles brightly at me.
Smiling, I wave as I walk by. Inside, my stomach is churning, and my heart is racing like a racehorse. I hate that I have to play this game with him, but it may be my only way to survive this mess.
When I get a chance, I am calling my dad and asking him to get me out of there fast.
Eden and I make it to the track and, thankfully, there aren’t any other students out here right now. We begin walking and I thank the heavens above as my guards sit down on the metal bleachers.
“So, did you talk with your dad about what happened between Zane and Donovan?” I ask.
I still hadn’t seen Donovan and I hated to think what he had told his dad.
Eden sighs and picks up her brisk walk. “Yes. Donovan told him he and Zane had an argument and he took it too far. My dad has grounded him by cleaning the grounds and staying away from Zane,” Eden says.
I can hear the heartache in her voice. Now knowing the truth of the situation, I can tell she hurts for her twin.
“I’m sorry that Donovan got into trouble. I had no idea he would go off on Zane like that,” I add.
I still didn’t understand why Donovan attacked Zane. I decided right then and there that when I found a chance, I would ask Donovan myself. He and I needed to have a serious conversation.
“I still don’t understand why he attacked Zane,” Eden adds. “I mean, I know they never really got along, but maybe after Donovan kissed you, he was just upset to see you and Zane together,” she considered.
Maybe she was right. None of this made any sense to me at all.
Deciding to change the subject, I moved the topic. “Ok, so what is our plan? We have to tell your dad soon. I know you want to wait until we have evidence, but how are we getting that evidence?” My questions came out in a rush, but I didn’t care.
My life was in jeopardy right now and I didn’t want to just sit around and wait for something to happen.
Eden reached out and grabbed my arm, shocking me a bit. Stopping us both, she forced me to turn and look at her. “Audrey, I know this is difficult for you, but we have to do everything the right way. If not, you could face serious trouble. Now, I have been thinking about how we can go about doing all of this. Here is the first thought I had,” she remarks, looking around before continuing. “You said you followed Marcus and Alex into town. We need to do that again, but we need to take pictures.”
“How am I going to follow Marcus and Alex again? Last time, Donovan almost caught me,” I stated. Shuddering, I was brought back to that night when I had followed the rogue Vampires into the woods. It was stupid, of course, but I had been desperate to know what they were doing.
“We will be one step ahead of them. This time, you will find out when they plan their trip. We will leave before them and be waiting in town, just outside the forest. That way, we can spot them and have pictures of them leaving campus without permission,” she mused.
It was clear Eden was proud of herself for devising the first step of our plan, only there were a few holes in her ideas.
“Hold on,” I began, holding my hands up and stopping her from being too cocky. “If we take pictures to your dad, won’t he ask how we obtained the pictures? We could get in trouble, too.”
Eden thought about this for a moment. You are right, we could get in trouble. However, I doubt our punishment would be too severe, especially, after we bring to light that Marcus and Alex are leaving school grounds and hurting Humans,” Eden said.
She did have a point.
“Ok, that first step might just work
. But, what about Zane and Professor Martin?” I asked.
Zane and Professor Martin were the masterminds behind all of this. Just catching Marcus and Alex may not be enough. Especially, when they have loyalties to Zane.
“My hope is that once caught, Marcus and Alex rat out Zane,” Eden states.
“And, if they don’t?” I ask. I know I sound pessimistic, but I have to be logical about all of this. They are Vampires and, in their eyes,, I am just a Human. We have to make sure when we tell the Dean what is going on, we have everything covered.
“Then we show my dad the next pieces of evidence,” Eden says carefully.
“Ok, I’m almost afraid to ask what that entails,” I sigh.
Laughing, Eden lets her head fall back and a wicked smile graced her lips. “Just wait and see.”
“You have to give me more than that,” I pleaded, rolling my eyes at how coy she was being.
“Alright. One word—Donovan.”
THAT EVENING, I FOUND myself walking down the halls from dinner alone.
Well, as alone as I can be with two guards shadowing me constantly.
My head was filled with every worry and insecurity imaginable and it wasn’t until I heard a gasp from behind me that I focused on my surroundings.
Stopping, I turned to see Jordan and Lain tense as they watched Donovan approaching.
My breath caught in my chest as my eyes locked with Donovan’s.
“Audrey, can I talk to you?” Donovan called out to me.
Jordan and Lain were blocking him from me.
“We have strict orders to keep everyone away from Audrey, including you,” Jordan stated firmly to Donovan.
“Are you serious? I’ll go talk to my dad right now and he will tell you that I can...” Donovan’s words were cut off by Lain.
“No, our orders didn’t come from the Dean,” he said.
Unleashed: Book 2 in the House of Shadows Series Page 2
