Davenport Manor:
Revolutions
Book 3
Melissa Zaroski
Copyright © 2015 Melissa Zaroski
Cover illustration by Amanda Busi
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author/publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.
DEDICATION
For Tom – I have had some of the most amazing experiences because of you. I have learned so many new skills, traveled new roads that I never dreamed of taking, and met some fantastic new people in the process. Thank you!
And if it wasn’t for him, I would have never met my Dominion girls who I adore. Not only have I made new friends, but you all have given me more support than I could ever repay. My gratitude is endless—thank you from the bottom of my heart. You know who you all are…I dare not list individuals because I know I’ll forget someone by accident! I send all of you my love and most humble “thank you”.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My best friend, Miklyn—my go-to person when I need advice on not only my plots, but life in general. This girl knows every story line before it is ever written onto paper. And has no problem telling me, “Don’t do that!” when she doesn’t like it. For that, I am grateful! She is one of my top cheerleaders and I feel incredibly lucky to have her as my best friend!
CHAPTER 1
Emma blankly stared across the lobby; her mind was completely filled with worrisome thoughts. She heard the noises around her—a crying child, a woman coughing, an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair and occasionally grunting—but none could snap her away from the scenarios playing in her head. The entire building reeked of illness and blood; one scent she couldn’t stand and the other she craved. She felt Zachariah take her by the hand, but neither uttered a word. His mind had its own disturbing train of thoughts chugging through it. He had on a baseball cap pulled down low so he wouldn’t be immediately recognized.
Emma couldn’t cry; it’s not that she didn’t want to, but she had to restrain herself. Bloody tears running down her face would certainly cause alarm to the triage nurse that was working within her line of sight. How would she explain having no pulse, no blood pressure, and a low body temperature if they insisted on checking her?
Her eyes came into focus when Todd emerged from the hallway holding two waters and two bags of chips. He was still wearing his flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt underneath his coat, as well as a baseball cap pulled down low like Zachariah. He wasn’t as famous as him, but with the new movie out, he didn’t want to chance drawing attention to himself. He sat down next to Emma, and handed snacks to Kelly, who was on his other side. She quietly thanked him as she opened the water bottle. He shimmied his arms out of his coat, folded it around his arm, and placed it under the chair.
Without a second thought, he began to gently rub Emma’s back in comfort. Tiny strands of her hair that strayed away from the neat, braided bun would occasionally get caught in his fingers. She was still wearing her battle outfit from just hours ago. She and Zachariah looked disheveled, but they actually blended in with the late-night crowd in the emergency room lobby. For a moment, his vanity was thankful that he had taken a shower earlier.
All four of them felt as though they had been sitting there for hours; blankly watching the lobby television that had bad reception. They watched people leave and others just coming in with a various assortment of emergencies. They would occasionally glance up at the clock and realize only minutes had passed since the last time they checked.
When Kelly and Todd were done with their snacks, she announced that she was going to go outside for a cigarette. She had hoped Todd would follow her, but he didn’t budge. He just told her it was okay and that he would come get her if they heard any news.
“I kind of wish I smoked right about now,” Zachariah stated. “I wonder what would happen if I tried.”
Emma snorted in amusement, which was a welcome feeling that intruded on her worries. “Well, if you want to go out there with her…”
“Nah, I’m dead enough already. Why add to it?”
They conversed a bit about mundane things, each trying to escape the reality that was happening at that very moment. Vampires were not insensitive creatures; they had feelings and felt joy, anger, pain, and sorrow just as much as a human. Sometimes even more. However, a majority of the time they were fearless since they were on the top of the food chain. This time, the two vampires had never been more frightened in their lives. It was the price they were paying for loving a human too much.
“All this is because of me,” Todd spoke barely above a whisper, breaking his silence. “All because of what I am… Mackenzie’s dead, Declan’s dead, and Daniel’s…”
“It’s not your fault for what you are,” Emma turned to him. “Don’t blame yourself. Declan was hungry for power and he had all the time in the world to try and get it. If it didn’t happen while involving you, he would’ve found another way eventually.
“That’s true,” Todd agreed. “I still can’t shake the guilt.”
Kelly returned to the lobby and sat down, reeking of cigarettes, which was incredibly potent to Emma and Zachariah. It didn’t bother them, but it was a strong scent to their sensitive noses.
A doctor holding a clipboard emerged from the secured doors of the emergency room. He peered around the room and said loud enough for everyone to hear, “Davenport?”
All of their heads snapped to attention—both Kelly and Todd’s stomachs dropped. Emma and Zachariah didn’t have that ability, but their nerves surged with so much anticipation they could feel it in their bones.
“Right here,” Emma was barely able to get out the words. This was it, the moment of fate.
“Could you follow me, please?” The doctor solemnly asked. His face was plastered with a kind, sympathetic, tight-lipped smile.
Kelly, Todd, and Zachariah slowly rose, but Emma was having a hard time convincing herself to stand up. She knew once she did, she would learn if Daniel was going to live or die, or if he had already passed away. By staying seated, she was able to prolong her pessimistic reality. Zachariah and Todd each gently pulled her up by both arms as she stared at the doctor who was waiting for them. The only expression on her face was pure fear, which was not one she wore very often. Even when she was fairly certain that she was going to die in the battle, she wasn’t afraid; she accepted it. But, the thought of losing Daniel so soon, and in this manner, terrified her.
“Come on,” Todd encouraged her. “We’re with you.”
The doctor understood her fear; he had seen this kind of reaction from family members waiting to learn of their loved one’s fate more times than he could count. He held out his arm, welcoming her to walk toward the secured doors that led into the emergency room hallway. They followed him, but he didn’t turn toward where the patients were being seen, which confused them. Instead, he continued down the hall just a bit until he reached a door that read “Private: Family Room” on it. He opened it to reveal minimal furnishings; a couple of couches, a side table that was stocked with two boxes of tissue, and hideous paintings of flowers on the wall.
This isn’t good, Emma thought to herself. She knew what this room meant.
They filed in and sat down as the doct
or shut the door behind him. He took a seat in the singular chair across from them and placed his clipboard in front of him.
“Ms. Davenport?” He asked, looking toward Emma.
She nodded, afraid to speak.
“Are the rest of you family?” He asked, motioning toward the others.
“Yes,” Zachariah looked up and replied without missing a beat.
The doctor did a double take as he suddenly recognized Zachariah’s face, but he had enough tact not to say anything about that. He then continued on, “Just to ease your fears, Daniel is alive.”
Emma felt every ounce of tension be released from her body as she sighed from relief. Todd sat back into the couch and tipped his head back, letting out a deep breath that he didn’t realize he was holding.
“However, Daniel has suffered what we call a cerebral hemorrhage due to an aneurysm that burst in his brain. Unfortunately, this is very serious and he is currently in intensive care on life support. He’s in a coma. If he comes through this, he will likely have severe disabilities due to brain damage.”
Emma began to wail so loudly it sounded like a scream. Before Zachariah lost it, he got in front of the doctor’s face and locked eyes with him while holding onto his shoulders. Being choked by impending sobs, he stuttered the words to charm the doctor to forget everything he was about to see. With the doctor in a trance, Zachariah fell to his knees and began to uncontrollably cry. The two vampires were able to weep freely without the doctor becoming concerned about the blood streaming down their faces.
Todd buried his face in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. His body shook from his silent cries as Kelly put her arm around him and buried her face into his shoulder. He awkwardly reached around and grabbed her upper arm in an attempt to pull her nearer. Kelly hadn’t known Daniel for very long, but he was genuinely a good person and a pleasure to be around. She felt immense sorrow in the pit of her gut from the heart-wrenching news. There were no words that she could say to comfort Emma and felt horrible about the whole situation.
Zachariah moved over to Emma and pulled her to his chest, holding on to her tightly. She cried so hard that she could barely take a breath in between sobs. His shirt was absorbing her tears, causing a red stain to progressively grow. Todd moved over by them and huddled in an embrace. Each of them mourning the inevitable loss of their brother and friend; whether through death or disability. It was confirmed that either way, Daniel would never be the same again.
As the initial shock began to wear off and the four of them calmed down the best that they could, the doctor continued to speak. Luckily, he didn’t bat an eyelash at the fact that there was blood all over Zachariah’s and Emma’s faces. Kelly passed a box of tissue over to them to share after taking some for herself and Todd. Emma thanked her and then turned toward the doctor to listen to what else he had to say.
“I need to know if Daniel has a living will,” the doctor started. “He is currently on life support and if he has a living will it will have the instructions on what he wishes for us to do.”
Emma thought back and remembered that Daniel did have one drawn up when he was eighteen. He had told her where to find it in his bedroom. “He does have a living will, but he has never let me see it, so I don’t know what his wishes are right off the bat. I can run home and bring it here.” She was impressed with how steadily she was speaking, given the circumstances. It was as if the living will would magically make everything better.
The doctor nodded as he pulled one of his business cards out of his front pocket, handing it to Zachariah, who was sitting closest to him. He looked down at his clipboard and told them what room Daniel was in for when they returned. Emma wanted to go up and see her brother, but the doctor said that they would have to wait as they were still working on getting him set up. He explained that now would be the right time to go home and grab the documents that they needed. He then said that they would discuss more when they returned.
The four of them slowly got up off the couch, holding onto each other, keeping one another close. They shuffled out of the room and down the hallway to the secured doors. They pressed the button to open them and walked through the emergency room lobby to the sliding glass doors on the other side. Zachariah and Todd had tilted their hats down low again so they wouldn’t get recognized. However, the minute they stepped outside they were met with a few paparazzi taking their pictures and video, asking questions about Daniel. Obviously, one of the hospital staff must have tipped someone off, which made Emma extremely angry. Her brain was too exhausted to do anything about it though.
They quickly walked past them to get back to the truck as fast as they could, but of course the paparazzi followed them. Still asking questions and being completely insensitive to their situation. The four of them climbed into the truck with Zachariah behind the wheel. The paparazzi surrounded the car to the point where he couldn’t back out.
“I swear to God I will run you over! I really don’t care,” Zachariah yelled out the window as he revved the engine. He threw it into reverse and began backing up, not caring if any one of them was in the way or not.
The paparazzi, however, were a semi-smart bunch and moved out of his way, knowing he was distraught and would probably run them over. They quickly scooted out of his way as he continued to back up the car, throwing it into drive, and sped away.
“Should we have told them what has happened to Daniel?” Zachariah asked as they pulled onto the road.
“Someone obviously tipped them off, so I’m thinking they might find out anyway,” Emma replied while blankly looking out the window.
Their drive home was quiet as everyone was consumed in their own sorrow. Every now and then one would begin to cry causing a domino effect to each person. They pulled up to the guard shack and stopped as the guard waved them down.
“How is Daniel?” He asked with panic in his voice.
Zachariah pressed his lips together tightly, his chin slightly quivered, and he just shook his head. Emma rested her elbow on the base of the window and had her fist balled up tightly in front of her mouth, as she began to lose it again. The guard, who was always fond of Daniel, patted Zachariah on the shoulder in sympathy, not knowing what to say. He stepped back into the shack and opened the gates for them to proceed through.
They parked the car in the circle drive instead of by the garages because they just wanted to get inside. Todd and Kelly were tired; their brains and bodies were completely exhausted from the day, but both knew they wouldn’t get a wink of sleep. They all climbed out of the car and began shuffling toward the door, the gravel crackling under their feet. Emma looked down at the bloodstained step below the front door; her memories from earlier that day came rushing back. She sat down on the step and pressed her hand to the dried puddle as if she were wishing Daniel back. The horror of watching him get his throat slashed by Declan played vividly in her mind as she looked down.
Todd lightly tugged at her arm to stand up and tilted his head toward the door, silently suggesting for her to go inside. The world’s vampire Kings and Queen were still there and conversing in the parlor. Their conversation went silent as they saw the four walk in, knowing instantly that the news wasn’t good about Emma’s nephew.
Emma knew she would have to tell them eventually, but was finding it very hard to actually say the words out loud. She opened her mouth to speak to inform them of what was going on, but she found herself tripping over her words. She did not have the emotional strength to even say Daniel’s name. They looked to Zachariah, who was just as distraught as she was, unable to spill the details.
Todd was the one to speak up, much to the relief of both Emma and Zachariah. “Daniel’s not good,” he started with a quivering voice. “Right now he is in a coma on life support. If he makes it through this he will more than likely suffer from brain damage. That’s if he makes it…” Todd rubbed his hand on his face, as if trying to wipe away the sadness that was creeping up again.
The Kings, Quee
n, and their second-in-commands gasped at the news, feeling sorry for Emma and Zachariah. They all knew how fond they were of Daniel, even though he was merely a human.
“I’m so sorry guys,” Aidan spoke first. He was genuinely sympathetic since he had just lost his own second-in-command, Mackenzie that evening. He got up from the couch and walked over to Emma, pulling her into a hug so hard that he almost lifted her from the ground. “What are you guys doing back here then? Don’t you want to be with him?”
“I need to find his living will,” Emma finally responded. “I know he has one, but I’ve never seen it. He had told me where to find it in his bedroom. Once I find it, Zachariah and I are going to head back to the hospital and probably stay there.”
“Okay, the rest of us are going to stay here if you don’t mind. There are still matters that we need to discuss as a group. Once you’re able to, of course.”
Emma nodded as she let go of him and turned around toward Todd and Kelly, who had moved into the foyer. They were both completely wiped out from exhaustion, but neither were sure if they would get a wink of sleep that night. Zachariah then joined them and the foursome began to go up the stairs to the bedroom hallway. They reached Daniel’s room first where Zachariah and Emma bid Todd and Kelly good night and promised to keep them posted on what was going on.
When they reached Kelly’s bedroom door, she turned to Todd and said, “If you find that you can’t sleep, just come knock on my door because I don’t know if I’m going to be sleeping either. I’m going to try though, I am completely wiped out.”
“I will,” he responded. “Try to get some rest, we’re going to need it.”
He told her good night and turned away, walking toward his bedroom door which was right next door to hers. She stood for a moment, slightly disappointed, that she didn’t get a hug, a kiss even, or anything from him. Kelly then felt guilty for being so selfish during such an awful time. There were worse things that were happening all around her, yet she was upset because she didn’t get the slightest bit of affection from Todd at that moment. Kicking herself for having a moment of selfishness she turned on her heel and went inside her bedroom.
Revolutions (Davenport Manor Book 3) Page 1
