by Myers, J. L.
“Amelia, hello?” Marcus’s tone although light, somehow shook me. “Shall we begin?”
Feeling disorientated, I shook my head. In response, my brain ached with the repetitive pulse of pumping blood. Marcus was sitting right beside me, eying me as he rifled through a stack of books. “Um, sorry,” I said then winced. Each word made the pressure in my head throb harder. “My brain feels like it’s trying to crack straight through my skull. I think I need to lie down.” I looked up, eyes pleading. “Can we skip our lesson, just for today?”
Marcus smiled. “Do I look like a tyrant?” When I remained silent, for some reason hesitating in answering his obvious joke, he laughed. “I’ll take that as a no. And if you’re really in that much pain, I demand you skip our lesson and try to sleep it off.” He rose to his feet and helped me up. “Go, get some rest. If you’re up to it, I will see you tomorrow.”
~
Growing concern churned up my insides. After resting off the headache that threatened migraine debilitation, I had planned to confront Kendrick. There was no way I’d let his strange behavior during breakfast go without demanding an explanation. But on entering the bathroom, I’d found a note taped to his door.
‘Catching a few slopes. Don’t wait up. K.B.’
That had been yesterday. Now the following day was coming to a close, with the sun set to rise in less than an hour. Kendrick still hadn’t returned to his room. Apprehension grew within my chest. The amount of chocolate I’d eaten to diffuse my worry was now making me feel sick. Kendrick, where the hell are you?
I had gone about my day, getting in a bit of text tennis with Ty before he went to bed and before my own tutoring and meals. Every now and then I had checked back at our rooms. Now I was out of patience. It was time to seek him out.
Fleeing my room, I began searching the endless corridors of the Armaya and every unlocked room along the way. The castle appeared almost abandoned. The few vampires I did encounter—mainly uniformed staff—were rushing about in what I guessed was an effort to avoid the dawning sun. Now I was picking a path through the pews of the blacked-out foyer for the second time. Defeat-tinged exhaustion began to set in. My concern for Kendrick was quickly turning to panic. Great, now I’m going in circles.
I made for the corridor that would provide the most direct route back to my room. Please, let Kendrick be there. A crack of light shining through an almost-closed door stalled my footfalls. It was coming from my uncle’s office. The pendant warmed against my chest. At the same time two distinct voices traveled on an invisible wave around me: Caius’s and Kendrick’s.
Relief at finally locating my elusive best friend washed over me. I turned toward the door and was about to push it open when Kendrick’s defensive tone rose. My whole body froze.
“I don’t understand why this is necessary,” he was saying.
“Kendrick.” Caius’s sharp tone surprised me. “Our actions have not been without just cause. This is for her own good. Do you no longer agree?”
Her own good? With my breath held and lungs aching in protest, I dared to peak through the jam of the door. Uncle Caius sat behind a stack of folders at his desk, hands steepled in front of him.
Kendrick stood facing him. His back was turned to me and his head was shaking back and forth. “This isn’t right,” he said. “I can’t keep deceiving her.”
The dim glow from the single desk lamp cast shadows across my uncle’s face. He chuckled. It was a dry and almost mocking sound. “And here I thought you loved her, that you would do anything to protect her. Is your conscience so contrite that you would have me send her back now, only to reunite with that fleabag? Does her friendship truly hold that little value to you?”
Tightness constricted my chest. They were talking about me. I backed away from the door, feeling sick to my stomach. Kendrick’s voice elevated, sounding defensive. But I wasn’t listening. My legs were already forcing me away, up the corridor and stairs. My heart squeezed over and over in my chest. Our actions, Caius had said. What the hell had they done?
Kendrick’s voice rang in my ears as I flew through my bedroom door. I can’t keep deceiving her. Then Caius’s words, does her friendship truly hold that little value to you? Damning suspicion caused my heart to jump. Our friendship was a lie? I began to pace back and forth. With my Vans wearing shoeprints in the plush carpet, a memory swirled through my mind.
Those you trust most are not always what they seem. The fortune teller had spoken those words, shifting her beady eyes to Kendrick. And I wrote her off, labeled her as crazy, delusional. I was wrong all along. A new fear gripped my chest. What else had she been right about? My hand rose to the pendant around my neck. It will… I had cut off her words before she could finish. It will what? I wondered.
An ethereal voice whispered into my ear. “Warn you.” It was so soft I questioned if my mind was playing a twisted trick on me.
The sound of a door slamming caused my entire body to quake. Heavy falling steps sounded, growing louder and louder. My heart jumped into my throat. Then the bathroom door swung open and Kendrick entered my room.
“Amelia, you’re still up.” He smiled. “Sorry I haven’t been around. After boarding yesterday, Council stuff caught up with me. It’s so tedious and time consuming. If my mom weren’t in Russia, I would have heaps more time. Can you forgive me?”
Watching Kendrick stand there without a shred of guilt, I knew the truth. An act, it’s all an act.
Kendrick held his arms out to embrace me. I darted back, connecting with the edge of the iron-footed table behind the couch. “Dammit,” I swore.
Kendrick’s smile vanished. “Amelia, what’s wrong?”
My hands were shaking at my sides. I curled them into fists in an attempt to still the uncontrollable movement. It didn’t work. The tension gripping my arm only caused my entire body to quiver. “I heard you,” I choked out. “I know.”
All color leeched from Kendrick’s face and his expression contorted. He looked like I had just sucker-punched him in the gut. “I…”
“Was it all a lie?” Tears stung my eyes while my insides ignited. “Were we ever really friends?”
“Of course we were. Amelia, we are. Everything I feel for you is real. I never lied about that.” Kendrick stepped forward and reached out, but I swatted his hand away. His shoulders slumped. “I hate what I did. But I honestly thought we were doing what was best for you.”
Lies, all lies. How could I believe anything he said? Pain tore through me. Inside, my heart was breaking. “What did you do?” I hissed through gritted teeth, trying to steady my voice. “And stop stalling.”
Kendrick raked his fingers through his golden hair looking frustrated. “Amelia, I didn’t know before you got back together with Ty. You have to believe me. I thought he was just concerned that there’d be a repeat of your attack in Anchorage. That’s the only reason I agreed to it. I was just looking out for you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I demanded.
“Your uncle knew Ty and Marika were werewolves when he saw them at the auction.”
I frowned, remembering my uncle’s reaction to Ty entering the marquee and the separate measures that kept his and Marika’s scents hidden. “How could he tell?”
Kendrick shook his head. “Amelia, Caius has been around for over five hundred years. I may only know about werewolves from books and study, but he would have been there for the War of the Races. Scent or not, he could pick them out.”
Too much information was spinning through my head. Something just didn’t add up. “But if Caius knew at the auction, why didn’t he tell my mom then? Why wait to force me to move away?”
Kendrick took a deep breath and lowered onto the floral couch, propping his elbows against his knees. “Your uncle caught up with me at the auction when you went to look for Ty. He didn’t tell me what they were. He only said he was concerned that we’d have a repeat of what you did in Anchorage. He planned to talk your mom into moving yo
u to the Armaya before anything could happen. But I pleaded for him not to. I could see the change in you. The happiness that shone from you when you were around Ty.” Kendrick choked on his words, shaking his head. “It made me jealous as hell. But I wanted you to be happy. So I told Caius I’d keep an eye on you. Make sure you didn’t lose control.”
I dropped down beside Kendrick and took his hands in mine. Everything he’d done had come from a good place. “It’s okay…”
“There’s more,” Kendrick said, cutting me off. He squeezed his eyes shut with a slight shake of his head. “After I’d confessed my true feelings to you, and after what he did, I didn’t think anything could make you take him back. Then when I realized you had…” His voice lowered almost inaudibly. “I think death would have hurt less.” The levelness of his voice returned, but he didn’t look at me. “I was insanely jealous. It took all my willpower to keep what Ty was from your uncle. I wanted so badly to tell him, to have him intervene.” He lifted glassy eyes to mine. “But I didn’t. Instead, I tried to make you see that you weren’t meant to be with him.” A sigh blew through his lips. “It was foolish. Getting your fortune read was my final attempt to sway you. And it would have worked if that silly old bat had stuck to the story.” My eyes had grown wide with surprise, and Kendrick waved me off. “I know. I shouldn’t have done that, either. But…”
“You paid her off?” I cut in, suddenly doubting my growing belief in the old woman’s crazy words. My hand rose, fingers toying absentmindedly with the smooth amethyst stone.
“No. Well, yes,” Kendrick stumbled over his words. “I mean I did pay her. But she was just meant to say the part about Ty bringing danger to your life. The rest was made up bull that she must have come up with on the spot. Although none of it did me any good. Because even after her cryptic fortune, you still went to him. Even with the real threat that being with him put you in. Then you wanted him to change, to be present while it happened.”
The vein along Kendrick’s neck pulsed with the bunching of his muscles. Yes, he had lied and tried to manipulate my decisions regarding Ty. But who could blame him? Since his arrival I’d put him through so much. Over and over I’d tested his friendship with lies when I should’ve trusted him. Even though I didn’t deserve it, I knew he was still my best friend. My heart clenched. “Kendrick, I’m sorry. I never meant to…”
Kendrick’s hand rose, silencing my words. “Let me finish. I need you to know everything.” When I nodded, he continued. “I was hurt, but I only told your mom to keep you out of harm’s way.”
Struggling to keep the defensiveness from my tone I spoke slowly. “Kendrick, I was never in any danger. I know you saw the scars, but that was an accident. Ty would never intentionally hurt me.”
“He didn’t tell you?” Kendrick’s pale face flared red and his jaw clenched. With a growl, his body trembled so violently he seemed almost on the verge of exploding. He brought a loaded fist down onto the antique coffee table, splintering it in two. For a second he frowned, almost looking surprised by his sudden outburst. With a long, controlled breath, he stretched out his long fingers. Then he curled them back into knuckle-whitening fists. “A single bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire.”
It felt like a spiked whip had just come down across my back. My entire body shuddered. Ty knew all along. That’s why he was so rattled after his claws cut my flesh, why he’d argued against transforming before me in the forest. He knew the danger, and he kept it from me. A storybook of events turned through my mind, all the deceptions, all the lies. Ty had kept so many things from me, secrets he only repented for when I discovered the truth myself. And he had planned to kill me all those months ago outside Pulse in Anchorage. I shook my head. So many lies… What was he still keeping from me? And how could I fight to stay with someone who didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth?
I forced my lips to speak, even though my mouth felt bone dry. “I understand why you and Caius did what you did. I won’t excuse it, but I do understand.” I squeezed my best friend’s hand and bit my lip. “Kendrick, I forgive you, for everything. I just need some time, alone.”
Relief brought the ivory back to Kendrick’s face. He cupped my jaw with his hands, bringing his lips down to my cheek. His eyes squeezed shut. “Amelia, I promise I will do anything to make this up to you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“I got your request to see me,” I said to Uncle Caius as I entered his office.
The environment seemed less formal, with his leather-swathed desk clean and tidy for once. The folders and books that usually cluttered the space had been cleared for two goblets. One was empty and one was already filled. Yet somehow under the quiet observation of my uncle’s eyes, tension thickened the darkened, lamp-lit room.
The steady ticking of the grandfather clock was quickly overshadowed by my rising heartbeat. Nerves had my eyes dropping to my purple laces. The lethargy that seemed to build within me by the day grew.
Caius released his steepled fingers and motioned to the chair opposite him. His face appeared drawn with dark shadows. “Amelia, I have not requested your company for small talk.” His level tone was filled with the strong authority of a leader. “Please sit.”
I complied while Caius poured glass-bottled blood into the second goblet. “You look as tired as I feel.” He slid the blood-topped drink across the desk. “This should help.”
My mouth watered with expectation and the pendant warmed. I ignored its heat and raised the goblet to my lips, taking a slow sip. This time the feel of the ancient blood coating my mouth and absorbing through my flesh was almost enjoyable.
Caius placed his beverage down after a quick mouthful. Then his head tilted to look me square in the eye. “Have you and Kendrick made amends?”
A dizzy spell blurred my vision, catching me momentarily off guard. I shook off the exhaustion-fueled sensation and probed my brain. Why would Caius care about the state of my friendship with Kendrick?
After everything that had happened yesterday, we’d spent most of the day together. While watching a full season of Being Human and gorging on chocolate, Kendrick had regaled me with stories of the treacherous slopes he’d taken the other day. In no time at all the natural ease of our relationship had returned. I was so relieved. Being at odds with my best friend had hurt me, more than I had been willing to admit. And with my growing insecurities regarding Ty, I knew I needed Kendrick’s support.
Caius thinks I’ll stay here for Kendrick . Remembering our embarrassing encounter in the bathroom brought heat to my cheeks. God, I could still feel Kendrick’s eyes scouring my naked flesh. “Yes we have,” was all I managed to croak out.
My uncle smiled and leaned forward in his chair. “I am glad to hear of it. I do hope his company will make your stay here more tolerable.” He took another draw from his beverage, which I mimicked as he relaxed back into his chair. “And the boy back home. Have you realized what you must do?”
It felt as though the earth had just opened up beneath me, ready to swallow me whole. I coughed, choking on the ancient blood. Since discovering Ty’s latest reluctance to divulge life-altering information, I had felt conflicted. Many calls and texts had come through to my iPhone today. I had ignored every single one of them. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to Ty. Not yet. Not when my feelings were still so muddled. There were just so many conflicting voices in my mind. I needed to step back and for once think with my head rather than my heart.
“Amelia,” Caius’s stern voice pulled me back to reality. “I am protecting you from The Council. All they know is that you are here to learn our histories. They would never accept such an indiscretion.”
The Council… I remembered the image of the vampire sentenced to death and being burned alive. Just for loving a werewolf. “But I’m not a royal. It’s not their place to intervene.”
Caius regarded me with saddened eyes. “You may not be my niece by blood, but I am your creator. You are my family. I have already gone ag
ainst The Council in letting you and Dorian live all those years ago.”
My blood turned to ice. Letting us live? I looked to my uncle, wide-eyed. “You were going to kill us?”
“No.” Uncle Caius rose to stare vacantly out the tint-blackened window behind his desk. Beyond the glass, street lamps dimmed with the rising hue of dawn over the mountainous horizon. “You do not understand. When I saved you, Dorian, and your mother after the attack, I could not keep it from The Council. Though as you are well aware, my dear, turning children is forbidden. So once your existences were discovered, I was sent to take care of it. The order was to kill you and your brother.” He sighed turning back to me, his face a grimace as he shook his head. “Amelia, I could not do it. So I devised a plan to stave off the transformation. It was meant to stop the vampire blood within you and Dorian from taking over.”
I remembered Mom and Caius’s cryptic words before revealing the reason behind my sudden lust for blood. There had also been Kendrick’s reveal after bringing me home from Pulse. He’d said Caius had gone against The Council, that he’d defied their laws and his obligation as a royal. “Mom thought it would halt the process forever,” I whispered. Her words, you said this wouldn’t happen, and her desperation were so clear in my mind.
“Yes,” Caius said. He reached across the desk, covering my hand with his. “There were never any guarantees. Though you both resisted the change for long enough. You are no longer children, no longer an uncontrollable threat.” A smile thinned his lips. “You see, my dear, I risked my reputation and position to give you all life. Now everything you do reflects upon me. The Council considers you and Dorian my responsibility. My warnings are only meant to protect us all. Do you understand, Amelia?” His serious eyes held mine. “You will see, my dear. What you thought you had with that boy will soon enough become a distant memory.”
