After listening to him for ten minutes, I couldn’t stand to do nothing. His turning would have kept me up all night, anyway.
Padding over to his bed quietly, I reached for his shoulder. He sensed me before I touched him and flipped over, eyes glowing and fangs out, but not wholly conscious.
“Hey,” I whispered, ignoring the rapid beating of my heart. He was a powerful Shadow even half-asleep, which made him dangerous even to me considering he might not recognize me while semi-conscious. I let my hand float mid-air. “It’s me.” I almost snorted at the idea that my presence would comfort him—I probably caused him anxiety worrying about whether I could stay alive—but if I were in his position, I’d want to know that I wasn’t alone. Besides, I comforted him once before. Maybe his sleep-self remembered.
His unfocused eyes faded back to grey as his snarl quieted, though his fangs stayed half-retracted. After a moment, his eyes closed, and he pushed against my hand.
Moving him over, and against my better judgment, I crawled into his bed and sat upright next to him, avoiding sudden movements. His back faced me, but his body relaxed when my fingers brushed through his hair the same way as when we were in the back of Steve’s car. His breathing slowed as I pet him, whispering assurances I didn’t quite believe.
Several moments passed while my heart calmed with his breathing. Eventually, he rolled over to rest his head in my lap, and his breathing finally evened.
He groaned throughout the night, but each time, I ran my fingers through his hair and whispered things that made little sense until he fell back asleep.
I must have finally dozed off as well, because I woke up to the sun’s warmth on my face. Blinking the sleep away, I realized I was no longer sitting upright. At some point in the night, I’d laid down and his blanket found its way around me.
I was also alone.
The room was as we had left it the night before, but it was empty.
The door creaked open, and I froze, realizing I didn’t even have my multi-tool on me. Would it have made a difference, anyway?
“Kol?”
“Were you expecting someone else?” A grin plastered on his face, he brought in two paper cups of coffee on a tray with fruits and yogurts.
“Yeah, I was waiting for Steve the driver to come back for me. I thought we had a genuine connection.”
“Sorry to say, but I met him on my way out and ate him. Couldn’t handle the competition.” He put the tray down next to a lamp on the table in the corner of the room and opened the curtains further.
Squinting against the bright light pouring into our room, I stared him down to decide if he was joking. He cracked a half smile that led me to believe he was. Between his jokes and the colour that had returned to his cheeks, I was sure that the worst had passed. The golden glow of the morning sun warming his face and lighting up his hair also helped to convince me he was fine.
Suddenly tongue tied, I raised my eyebrows at him and wordlessly went to the bathroom. Splashing water on my face, I was determined to make sure the day wasn’t awkward. He might not have remembered what had transpired last night, but he was sure to have put the pieces together this morning.
Maybe the coffee and fruits were his way of saying thank you. He hadn’t brought me coffee before.
There was no need to fret over it; nothing happened. He was in distress, and I had no choice but to help. We weren’t even friends; we were companions by a cruel twist of fate. He just happened to be handsome and charming as well—for a vampire. I was not a stranger to romance; I’d had plenty of boyfriends in the past. But no one got my blood rushing like Kol did.
To be fair, no other male had literally thrown me out of a window, either. Maybe the blood rush was from all my recent near-death experiences.
I returned to catch Kol watching the world wake up through the window. Again, I was struck by the irony of nature. He looked like an angel with a white-blond halo, yet I knew he was anything but.
“Hm, no towel. Disappointing.” He didn’t even look my way.
“You missed the show last night,” I fired back. “Thanks for breakfast.”
“That’s awkward. This is actually all for me,” he smirked.
I rolled my eyes and speared a cantaloupe with the plastic fork. A burst of sweetness exploded in my mouth and I nearly moaned; after two days of fast food, fresh fruit was heaven on earth. He’d even brought a cup of yogurt drizzled with honey; it was all scrumptious, and I had to stop from inhaling everything.
“What now?” I asked between mouthfuls of fruit. A motel like this wouldn’t offer fresh fruit breakfast, but I wasn’t going to ask where this all came from. “All of our stuff is still... back there.”
“We’ll just get another car.”
“But our stuff?” My stuff. I’d forgotten he packed nothing.
He looked at me like the answer was the simplest thing in the world. “Didn’t I just get us new things?”
Exasperated, I put my fork down. “Not everything is replaceable.”
Kol’s eyebrows raised as though he didn’t understand the concept. “Everything is replaceable, love.”
“I don’t think you have the right stuff, then.” I speared the last of my fruit, but realized that my mouth had suddenly gone dry. I didn’t know how old Kol was, but if he really was the first ever vampire, he was likely older than I could imagine. To live such a long time and yet have nothing of value—eternity almost seemed like a curse.
“And you do?”
“Well, yes. Nana and I moved around a lot, so it was imperative that we brought only what was important. Nana used to say there’s two types of stuff that we must all carry close to us: the things that keep us alive, and the things that give us life.”
Kol squinted at me past his coffee cup. “Are you sure Anna was of sound mind? That sounds the same to me.”
Shaking my head, I scooped the last bit of yogurt from my cup. “Things that you need day-to-day are things that keep you alive. You know, clothes, food, the essentials. Things that give us life are those that give life meaning. Without them, people lose the will to live. Sentimental stuff that carries irreplaceable value.”
The vampire scoffed. “Darling, I’ve been around for a long time and there hasn’t been anything worth keeping around.”
I frowned. A life like that just didn’t seem worth living.
“You done with that, or were you going to eat the cup, too?”
Startled from my thoughts, I realized that I’d been aimlessly scraping the bottom of my yogurt cup, though it had been empty for a while.
“Are you ready to go?” He asked when I finally put my spoon down.
“Yes, but where?” I didn’t have a backpack anymore, but I had my wallet and my phone, so I could always pick one up later. For now, my only clothes lived in the paper bag.
“We’re headed to the closest airport, then flying to Villeroy. We’ll have to drive a few hours to get to her place after that, but we should be there before the day is over.”
“Where do we get a car? Who’s she? Where’s there?”
“You’re full of questions today. I see you slept well.”
“On the contrary,” I wiped my mouth with a napkin. “I slept quite poorly. I was woken up every few hours and slept sitting upright for most of the night due to a whining baby.”
“I am not a baby,” he protested, but at least looked sheepish. “I got a car this morning. We’re seeing someone from my past because I have some questions I need answered. She’ll probably have information about Anna, too.”
“What questions are you looking to have answered?”
“For one thing, who were those people at the coven meeting? They looked like Hunters, but there were too many of them, and it didn’t make sense because some of them were vampires.”
I shivered, suddenly remembering the confusion of the attack.
“I noticed they looked like vampires too. I was hoping I was wrong.” I'd hoped my mind was playing tricks on m
e from the chaos.
He nodded. “Hunters are humans who hunt us, thinking we’re the enemy and root of all their problems. They would never accept a Shadow into their ranks.”
“And this person we’re visiting will have the answers?”
“Yes, she tends to keep up with the things happening in the world.”
I knew it was silly, but I wondered who this she was, and what type of history they had. Why she was a part of his past, and not his present. Those thoughts didn’t belong in my head, though. We weren’t even friends. Acquaintances by fate, I reminded myself.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Oh,” warmth spread over my cheeks. “I’m just... I’m running out of steam, I think.” This wasn’t a lie; I really did feel worn down from the last two days. So much had happened, yet so little time had passed. It shocked me every time I remembered we only met two days ago.
“What do you mean?”
I sighed. “To say these past few days have been exhausting would be an understatement.”
Kol nodded slowly. “You did almost die twice in two days. It’s quite the feat.”
“I wonder what my near-death-experience-of-the-day will be,” I smiled wryly.
His lips pressed together. “Let’s not find out. I made it this far without brushing with death, and I will not die today.”
"I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever get anywhere.” The future seemed bleak.
“Do you know how long I’ve been alive?” He asked suddenly.
“I never really thought about it,” I lied.
“Yes, you have. You’re just too polite to ask,” he shook his head. “I’ve been alive for over a millennium, Elizabeth.”
My jaw dropped, forlorn thoughts forgotten. “A thousand years old?”
“Yep. A thousand years, give or take a few.”
“Do vampires usually live this long?”
“Eternity, love,” he winked. My heart did a strange flutter, but I ignored it. Probably heartburn or something from having eaten too quickly. “I’ve made quite the name for myself over the years.”
“I’m not surprised,” I muttered.
He looked sharply at me, but his lips tugged up slightly. “There are some Shadows who think I’m a legend, I suppose. My point is, I’ve been around for a little while.”
I snorted. “So you mean to tell me the Shadows—creatures we humans don’t believe exist—think of you as a legend? You are to other Shadows what Shadows are to us.”
He smirked. “I’d never really thought of it like that before, but I suppose you have a point. Go on, love. I know you’re dying to question me.”
“How were you... Made?” I wasn’t sure that I was using the right words, but I’d vaguely remembered he used the term before.
“I was Made by a reigning coven of witches who wanted to create both a guard and an assassin in one Shadow so they could rise above other covens and maintain the status quo. They didn’t think giving me both immortality and invulnerability would work against them,” his eyes darkened. “They didn’t think I would have cared about the things they had me do.”
But his eyes brightened again so quickly that I questioned whether they had darkened at all. “By the time they realized what they Made, it was too late. I burned the only talisman that could give invulnerability, so they could only create immortal, but very killable, vampires. I never Turned an unkillable vampire, though. Shame.”
I suppressed a shiver and frowned. “Does that make you the father of all vampires?”
The deep rumble of his laugh seemed to reverberate in my own chest. “How would that even be possible?”
I shrugged. “Two days ago, I thought your existence was impossible.”
“That’s fair. No, I’m not responsible for all the vampires. Other witches Made many vampires as well. To my knowledge, I am the original.”
“How did you get free from them?”
A bitter smile appeared. “That, my darling Elle, is a little too dark for you to hear today. But it was a lot of planning and a lot of failing. A lot of sucking up to the right people. Do you know why I’m telling you this?”
“To boast about the number of dinosaurs you kept as pets, because that’s how old you are?” I smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
“No, love,” he laughed. “It’s because when they Made me, they wiped away every memory I had of my past life. There’s no remembering the 27 years I lived before I became Nikolas Black. But I’ve since spent a thousand years becoming who I am now. Just because things seem futile now doesn’t mean they won’t improve. A lot has happened since I was Made. Change happens faster than you might expect.
His words rang true, and I didn’t know what to say. Not for the first time, his presence calmed me. And that troubled me more than I could fathom.
“If anyone has answers, Scarlette will.”
CHAPTER 8
I STOOD BY A COLD, blue bench waiting while Kol spoke with an employee of the airport. After four hours on a plane, sitting again didn’t feel like a great option.
Kol encanted us a pair of first-class seats, so it wasn’t exactly as though we’d suffered on the plane. Still, it seemed like we spent a lot of time sitting lately.
Kol swaggered back, dangling keys in his hand with a smirk. “Got a car.”
“Don’t tell me it’s another tiny, cramped sports car.”
“Is there any other way to travel?”
“Yes,” I didn’t care to elaborate as we approached a shiny, red two-seater sports car parked on the side of the curb. It was a good thing all of our stuff was gone. Opening the trunk to put my bag of clothes in, something strange caught my eye.
“What’s this?”
“Cooler,” he responded casually.
“What’s the cooler for?”
“Blood bags.”
Color drained from my face. “What do—are they for you?”
He released a deep laugh. “Unless you suddenly developed an affinity for O-negative, it’s all for me, love. You’re the one who requested I stop eating people.”
“Right.” That was what we’d agreed upon. In light of everything, I’d somehow forgotten this significant agreement. “How did you—you know what? Never mind.” I shook my head, closing the trunk.
“Are you still hell-bent on driving? On taking life by the steering wheel and seeing what happens?” He grinned, tossing the keys.
The cold plastic remote landed squarely in my palms. “Let’s see where I take us.”
We spent the next hours talking in the car, and it was surprisingly pleasant.
I’d learned that despite my impression of Kol as a homeless vampire living out of fancy cars and hotels he encanted, he actually owned a home on the west coast. I teased him about playing house, living a domestic life, and he just smiled and said he was full of surprises.
“Valencia is full of Shadows. It’s one of my favourite places because it’s packed with culture and change. Things are always different every time I return.”
“This is actually my first time on the west coast,” I admitted.
“Are you looking to move in with me already? A little quick, but I like it,” he grinned.
My eyes rolled so far that we may have risked a car accident. “I’m surprised you even have a home.”
“A house, love. A house. Home is merely a concept—where you feel most comfortable and most at peace.”
“So where’s your home then?”
He shrugged. “Home is wherever I feel like it is.”
The way he described the concept of homes made me wonder if he’d ever felt the serenity and safety of one. Wherever Nana and I moved, though I always yearned for a place to call my own, it was never as jarring as it could have been because Nana was always by my side and always made sure I felt safe and loved.
“What about Scarlette?”
He looked at me sharply. “What about her?”
“Is she like you? A vampire?”
His
deep rumbling laughter resonated in the small car. “No, she’s a witch. An ancient one.”
“Was she in the coven that Made you?”
He tensed, but only slightly. I’d only caught it in my peripheral, so I couldn’t even be sure that it had happened.
“We have our history, and it is a messy and tangled web of lies and half-truths.”
I waited for him to continue, but he stayed quiet, his mood untempered but unwilling to share further. A bubble of something ugly and unfamiliar wormed its way into my heart before I quieted it.
“We couldn’t have just called her?”
“I don’t have her number anymore,” he shrugged. “Besides, it’s always easier to convince someone in person, don’t you think?” He grinned.
“What a strange relationship—to know where someone lives but not have their phone number.”
“She sends a postcard every once in a while.”
“How do you know it was from a current address?”
“We’ll find out, won’t we?”
I chewed my lip before finally deciding to ask the question that had been burning at the tip of my tongue.
“Will she know how to break the bond?” I wasn’t sure what made me more nervous: having to travel the Shadow world without my vampire guide and bodyguard, or the little part of me that wondered whether he might turn on me without the protection of the life bond in place.
“She might,” he cocked his head, presumably to study my reaction. Biting my tongue, I kept a poker face.
“Are you going to ask her to?”
He grinned, like he’d won a battle I hadn’t known we were fighting.
“No. Getting information from her is one thing—I’d prefer not to owe her anything else if I can help it.”
Before I could ask what happened between them, the GPS shouted that we had arrived, and I almost jumped out of my skin.
“But this is just the edge of a forest.”
“Haven’t you learned anything by now?”
We’d been driving away from Villeroy for hours and finally stopped along a dirt path leading to a lush forest. I parked by the grass, wondering just where we were; the GPS showed our destination as the middle of nowhere.
Life Bound: The Shadow World Book 1 Page 9
