by E. J. King
After breakfast, I took my coffee out to the beach and walked along the shoreline, hoping to cross paths with some humans. They seemed like the safer choice for camaraderie. While the humans in the Darkness were there to serve as companions to the vampires, they were often free during the day to spend time with the other humans. Most vampires were busy training with the army or serving on the council in the daytime and didn’t need a walking blood bag at their side.
Not too far from the Estate, I came across a small group of humans that were lounging by the water. They greeted me with hesitant waves, but they happily agreed when I asked if I could join them. I had seen them all around over the last few weeks, but I didn’t know much about them other than their names.
“We heard that William left yesterday,” a handsome guy named Kevin said. He was Daniel’s companion and that made me trust him more than the others. “You didn’t want to go with him?”
“Oh, he had some business to attend to. I would’ve just been in the way,” I said with a forced smile. I wanted these humans to believe that I was just like them. They didn’t need to know that I wasn’t a companion to William in the Darkness’s literal definition of the word. William had never fed from me and he couldn’t compel me. “How long have you lived in the Darkness?”
“Almost a year,” Kevin said. The other humans that had been sitting with him had all run into the water and were splashing each other as if they hadn’t a care in the world. I envied them.
“And you like it here? With Daniel?” I wasn’t sure if that was an appropriate question to ask a companion.
“Daniel is great,” he said with a genuine smile. “He spoils me rotten and I still find him just as cute today as I did the first day I met him. He’s not quite as perfect as William, but he’s perfect for me.”
My cheeks flushed. “You think William is perfect?”
“You don’t?” he teased. “We’ve all seen how you are together. There’s something between you that is more than just a companion/master arrangement. It’s enviable, really, what you have with him.”
“Why did you decide to move here?” I said, changing the subject. I was still coming to terms with the companion arrangement and it was important for me to know that the humans were being treated well and wanted to be there.
“I was leaving a terrible relationship. My ex-boyfriend was abusive and he had kicked me out. I met Daniel at the bar where I worked and he more or less swept me off my feet. When I told him about my situation, he said that he had an unconventional offer for me.” Kevin laughed. “I just assumed he was into kinky sex. The vampire thing was an interesting twist.”
“It didn’t scare you away?” If I hadn’t already been involved in the supernatural world, I couldn’t imagine any scenario that would’ve had me agreeing to come to the Darkness.
His laugh was light and carefree. “I could ask you the same question.”
It was true. I may not have come to the Darkness willingly, but I had chosen to stay. William would let me leave if I asked, but I was never going to ask. “My sister is here,” I said, as if that explained my desire to stay. “I wouldn’t leave her behind.”
“Your desire to stay has nothing to do with William?” Kevin asked skeptically. “I find that hard to believe.”
“He’s a nice perk,” I said with a sly smile.
“I imagine so.” His smile was so kind that I felt like I had known him much longer than five minutes. “You know, we were all quite frightened of William. Before you arrived, he was very…serious. He never smiled.”
His confession was surprising. While I knew that William put on a stiff demeanor when he was engaged in his Premier activities, I had become quite accustomed to his sparkling smile and gentle laugh. I really loved his smile. “What changed?” I wondered.
“You,” he said with a laugh. “It’s obvious to everyone that he’s in love.”
“Oh.” My cheeks burned.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” His cheeks also turned pink. Kevin was quite adorable. “My friends will tell you that I’m nosy, but really I’m just a sucker for a good romance.”
“Aren’t we all?” I said wryly. We both laughed. “Don’t you ever get bored here? There’s not a lot for humans to do.”
He tilted his head at me. “I’m never bored in the Darkness. When I’m not busy with Daniel, there are so many things to do with my friends. Have you been to Centralia?”
“Centralia?” I gaped at him. “I’ve never even heard that word.”
“Oh my.” He looked stunned. A slow smile spread across his gorgeous face. “I guess I know what I’ll be doing today in the Darkness. Don’t worry,” Kevin added when he saw apprehension in my eyes. “You’re going to love it.”
Kevin and his friends happily led me to a paved road that I had never seen. My trips in the Darkness had usually been over rough trails through the trees that led to the Capitol. But Kevin’s friend, Evan, gestured to one of the small cars that looked like a fancy golf cart.
“Centralia is too far to walk,” he explained. “We ride in style.”
“Is this really okay?” I said as I took a seat in the open car.
“Sure. Unless William has told you not to go?” Evan raised an eyebrow at me.
I shook my head furiously. “No, of course not. William would never tell me where I can and can’t go.”
“Good.” Evan smiled. “You’ll want to hold on, Grace.”
There was a metal bar in front of me and I grasped it tightly with both hands as Evan accelerated. Kevin and another human, Holly, were in the seat behind us and they squealed loudly as the car rocketed forward. The trees rushed past in a blur and wind whipped my hair wildly around my face.
“Do you always drive this fast?” I yelled.
“Only when there is no traffic,” Evan replied and we all laughed. There would be no other cars on this road. We drove for just over ten minutes until the road exited into a large opening that was surrounded by open villas. Evan parked the car and I tried to calm my messy hair.
“What is this place?” I said, trying to understand what I was seeing.
“This is the human part of the Darkness,” Kevin explained as he exited the car. “The vampires never come here and they allow us to do whatever we want in Centralia.”
That was when I noticed the other humans walking around. They were moving between the villas, laughing and carrying on like normal young adults. It was like being back in high school, a place where I’d never really fit in.
“Come on,” Holly said, looping her arm through mine. “I’ll show you around.”
As we strolled through the make-shift town, I was surprised to see a gym, arcade, coffee, shop, tennis courts, a rock wall for climbing, and a movie theater.
“Okay, this is impressive,” I said as Holly ordered us lattes from a fancy coffee machine. “I’ve been dying for a latte.”
“Enjoy.” She handed me the drink and we took a seat outside near a bubbling fountain. It almost felt like we were on an exotic vacation. “I’m surprised William never told you about Centralia. He was the one that insisted it be created and that vampires should not be allowed here. He wanted the companions to have a place of their own in the Darkness.”
That certainly sounded like William. But, like Holly, I had no idea why he had never told me about Centralia. Since arriving in the Darkness, I’d spent all my time with vampires. It was almost like William had been trying to keep me away from the humans.
“I’m sure he would have told me eventually. We’ve been busy with other things,” I said vaguely. I wasn’t sure how much the humans knew about the dangers we had been fighting.
“Other things? Like sexy things?’ Holly said with a grin and a wink. “Alexander and I were the same when I first arrived. You couldn’t pry us out of bed.”
I hadn’t realized until then that it was possible for my entire body to blush. “Oh… no… I….” I realized that her assumption might be the safe
st, so I finally just nodded and said, “The Blackwood brothers are very irresistible.”
Holly changed the subject then, filling me in on the details of every human that walked by our table. She seemed to know all of them and they all seemed to like her. Since none of the humans were in relationships with one another, there was little drama among the companions. That was a refreshing change from high school.
“Do you hear that?” Holly asked abruptly, glancing upward.
“I do.” The sound was so familiar. Looking up, I caught a flash of silver in the sky and knew that it was William’s aircraft. He was home after just one day. My heart jumped and I flew to my feet. “I need to get to the Capitol. Can you take me?”
“Sure, okay.” Holly hurried after me as I raced to the car. She drove safer than Evan, but I still clutched the metal bar so tight that my knuckles turned white. I wasn’t sure exactly why I was so nervous to see William. Was it because I was afraid that he didn’t find Drake? That couldn’t be the case, because he wouldn’t have given up so soon. The Council had granted him three days and it had been less than 24 hours.
The paved road ended a few yards from the Capitol building, so I had to walk the remaining distance. Holly wasn’t allowed to be there without being invited by Alexander, so I was left to close the remaining distance on my own. William’s aircraft was parked on the small section of concrete in front of the building and a small group had gathered. In the center of that group, I spotted a familiar face– Drake.
The closer I got, the faster my heart raced. The last time I had seen Drake was just before he had turned Norah into a vampire. Now he was standing in front of me, very much alive, looking as smug as he always did. It wasn’t until he looked over and saw me that anyone else realized I was there. The grin that spread over his face made everyone turn to see what had caused such a reaction.
I sucked in a sharp breath as every gold eye was directed at me. I had never been around this many vampires without William by my side. I worried that I had made a huge mistake coming directly to the Capitol, but then the crowd parted as someone stepped forward.
“William,” I breathed, exhaling in relief.
His eyes were brighter than I remembered and he smiled brilliantly at me. I thought about how Holly had said he never used to smile and that seemed so unfair. His smile was too beautiful not to be shared with the world.
“Take Drake into the chambers,” William said sharply. “We’ll convene the Council in ten minutes.”
His tone left no opening for discussion. Everyone immediately sprang into action and William closed the remaining distance to me. My fingers twitched with the desire to touch him. From the way he was holding his body so rigid, I knew he was fighting the same urge.
“You’re back so soon,” I said.
“Drake was easier to convince than I expected,” he said vaguely. “Will you come with me for a moment?”
I nodded and followed him around the side of the Capitol building, assuming there was something he wanted to tell me in private. The second we were out of the line of sight, William’s hands closed over my arms and he backed me up against the stone wall. I gasped in surprise, but he didn’t give me time to say anything before closing his lips over mine.
He had never kissed me like this, never this forcefully. I was overwhelmed by the urgency with which his hands moved under my shirt.
“William, you were only gone for a day,” I said with a small laugh as he buried his face in my neck. His mouth moved softly over my skin and one of his hands slipped into the waistband of my jeans. “William, we are still in public.”
I felt something sharp scrape against the skin over my collarbone and I gasped loudly. It was William’s fangs. He had never used them on me, never even flashed them in my presence, but now he was pressing them against my skin as his hand crept between my legs.
“William, stop.” I put both hands on his chest and pushed firmly.
He snapped away immediately, fangs retracting at the same time as his hands. I was breathing hard and felt like I might faint. I searched him for some sign that would explain what had just happened, but William wouldn’t look at me. He ran a hand through his hair and sucked in quick breaths.
“What the hell was that?” I said once I finally caught my breath.
“I’m sorry, Grace. I don’t know what came over me.” He gave his head a firm shake.
“What happened while you were gone?” I knew that something had happened that had changed William. I could tell from the new depth of color in his eyes and the way he couldn’t quite hold eye contact. I could tell from the way he was restraining himself from me even now, even with several feet between us.
“Nothing happened,” he said quickly. “I just missed you. I’m sorry. I won’t lose control like that again, I promise.”
I didn’t believe that nothing had happened while he was gone, but I’d already forgiven him. He had stopped the moment I asked him to and though he’d been much more intense than usual, he hadn’t lost control. I believed him when he said that it wouldn’t happen again.
“It’s alright. Let’s just move on.” I stepped forward and put my arms around him. After the slightest hesitation, he did the same. As he held me in his arms, his embrace was gentle and familiar. He was back to being my William, the William that I loved.
“I missed you, Grace,” he said, pressing his lips lightly to my forehead.
I tilted my head back to look him in the eyes. When he smiled at me, everything felt right again. Returning his smile, I said, “Welcome home, William.”
CHAPTER FOUR
WILLIAM
I couldn’t believe how easily I had lost control with Grace. From the very first time I had touched her, I had always been extra careful to keep my vampire urges buried deep. I had even made sure that she was the one that instigated physical contact our first night together, but this time everything was different. This time, I was overcome by my urges the second I saw her.
She recovered quickly and forgave me without reservation, but I wasn’t going to forgive myself so easily. No matter what, I had to make sure that Grace was never a victim of my vampirism. Just the thought of how my fangs had grazed her skin made me sick.
“William, they are waiting on us.” Grace was the first one to pull away from our embrace. She kissed my cheek before stepping away. “We can continue this at home later.”
I loved that she thought of my home as our home. I loved even more that she was already thinking about what we would do there later. “Alright, alright. I’ll go be Premier Blackwood now.”
“How did you convince Drake to come back?” she asked as we headed around the building. Her hand was warm inside mine.
“I can be very convincing,” I said, avoiding giving her an actual answer. I hoped that she would never find out about the deal I had made with Drake. Grace had accepted my vampire identity, but that might change if she knew that I was drinking from humans again.
“You seem different. Did something happen?” The look she gave me was one of forced nonchalance.
“Nothing other than Drake being Drake.” I couldn’t keep the anger from my voice. “At least now Kathryn’s name will be cleared.”
Grace nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. She knew instinctively that something had changed inside me. “What will happen to Drake?”
“That’s what the Council is going to decide.” I couldn’t begin to predict how they would rule once Drake presented his defense. There had been too much disorder in the Council ranks recently and I had no idea how many of the Councilmembers had turned against me. “His crimes are technically punishable by the final death, but I doubt that will happen.”
“He turned my sister into a vampire after holding her hostage. He tried to kill me. How can you let him get away with that?” Grace said, her voice catching.
“Grace, it’s out of my control now.” I had never ruled the Darkness as a dictatorship and didn’t intend to start now. “Drake’s
punishment will be decided by committee, regardless of how I personally want to punish him.”
This time, she nodded more enthusiastically. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I want to kill Drake for what he did to you.” We were standing at the Capitol doors and I couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer. “If you would prefer not to be here for this, I will understand.”
“No, I want to be here.” She squeezed my hand as she took a deep breath.
She looked even more beautiful than I remembered and I wondered if it was possible for her beauty to have grown in just one day. I didn’t have time to dwell on that thought though, because I had a job to do.
Everyone inside the Capitol rose to their feet as I entered, making my way to the front of the room with my shoulders pulled back. Grace walked confidently next to me, the opposite of how she had first appeared in the Capitol. I left her at her usual seat and took my place at the center of the Council.
“We are here today to listen to additional evidence regarding the events on the beach that resulted in the death of a companion and the arrest of Kathryn Blackwood,” I said, scanning the room as impassively as possible. “Drake Blackwood has agreed to return to the Darkness to offer his testimony regarding the event. Drake, please address the Council.”
“I want to start by making it clear that my sister had nothing to do with the attack on the beach,” Drake said. He stood directly in front of me as his eyes scanned the row of councilmembers. He was barely suppressing a smirk. His eyes drifted to my left, landing on Octavia as his smirk grew. “The attack was perpetuated from the inside, however.”
It took until that moment for me to realize that Drake was never going to accept responsibility. He wasn’t capable of it. I glanced at Grace and she was focused on Drake, attempting to use her abilities to persuade him to tell the truth.
