Amir sat back in his seat. His amber eyes sparkled brightly. "How much longer will you be an Anderson? You are soon to be a Lifsten, I presume?"
A loud hiss of disapproval sounded in the room at Amir's words. I attempted to swallow and it sounded more like a strangled gulp. Looking up at Stefan for assistance, I was surprised to see that he only offered me an encouraging smile.
"I noticed the ring on your finger. Are we to offer you our congratulations?" Amir asked before his eyes drifted back to the paper.
Finally finding my voice, I spoke softly. "Yes, soon to be Lifsten. As far as your congratulations, that's up to you to offer them or not."
"She is a fiery one, Stefan. She must be special if you are willing to marry her in a human ceremony," Nigel acknowledged. His eyes flickered between us both. Nigel managed to treat us as if we hadn't had a series of clandestine meetings over the last few weeks. He seemed cold and aloof, as if we were strangers. "Have you bonded with her?"
"Yes. We want to tie ourselves in my world and hers," Stefan stated. I felt his hand slip into mine as we stood together.
"I know of only one other vampire that ever married a human. It was your father, Josephine. It did not end well for Kian. Armes walked out on him shortly after your birth," Lenora said in her clipped, English accent. She twirled a strand of her long blond hair around her finger as she studied me intently.
It was probably imperceptible to anyone else, but both Stefan and Nigel flinched at the mention of Armes name. I pushed as much calm into my bond with Stefan as I could muster. Reacting badly to facts provided to the Council by Kian wouldn't help anyone now. I simply wanted to do what was necessary and leave.
"I think things will turn out much better for us," Stefan assured her. He squeezed my hand gently, rubbing his finger over my ring.
"Why worry about marriage? There is very little human left in her. Her heart barely beats as it now. It is a waste of your time," Sofia piped in. Her jealousy was apparent as she spoke again.
"It is unlike our kind to settle for anything without a reason. You have to see why it is confusing for us."
I felt like my head was on a swivel. It was difficult to keep up with their rapid fire question and answer session. It was also difficult not to unleash my shield on Sofia. It was tempting to let it wrap itself around her, efficiently snapping her apart.
"Actually I do not understand your confusion on the matter of our lives, Sofia. It does not violate any Council rules and I am not exposing our lifestyle to any mainstream media outlet. It will appear that two humans in love decided to marry," Stefan replied. "Any other question I can clear up for you? Remember to choose them wisely."
Sofia eyes narrowed into slits, her simmering envy boiling over into anger. She slammed her hands on the table and blurred to her feet. "This is an outrage! He has no respect for me, this Council or our questions. Since he has involved himself with the affairs of humans, he has forgotten his place.”
Stefan had no visible reaction to her outburst. His hand continued to hold mine reassuringly, his face an expressionless mask. His lack of reaction seemed to infuriate her more. She let out a wild snarl, her fingers gripping the edge of the wooden desk. For a split second, I could almost see her flipping the table over in her fit of rage. He'd made her that angry with his pointed words and lack of reaction.
Nigel shook his head and inhaled deeply. His hazel eyes rolled towards the ceiling. "Sit down. Enough with your usual theatrics, Sofia. You have shown zero respect for him with your offensive line of questioning. Josephine is the daughter of a Board member and Stefan is centuries your senior. Know your place, Sofia."
Letting out a disgusted huff, she gracefully lowered herself into her chair. Her eyes met mine and she stared unblinkingly at me. It was unnerving, knowing this strange vampire hated me for no apparent reason. There had to be more to it, but Nigel's voice interrupted my thoughts as he continued.
"Let us get back on track. Josephine, we are going to ask you questions regarding the night Derek expired. Please answer them honestly," Nigel shuffled through his papers. "What happened that day?"
"I was meeting Anna at my villa in Bali. I was signing paperwork to sell my house. Derek had taken on the form of Lukas and when my back was turned, he hit me with something. When I woke up, I was bound to a chair in the kitchen," I said shakily, closing my eyes against the vivid memory.
"Did he say why he was there?" Nigel asked. He tented his fingertips under his chin and leaned forward.
Stefan's rush of encouragement through our bond gave me the strength to continue. "He told me he was sent to bring me back, but decided to kill me to settle a score with Stefan. He brought Anna out. It was clear he'd beaten her while I was unconscious. She had a bloody nose and her face was bruised."
"Did Derek mention who sent him to Bali?" Amir queried. His sudden question caused all of the Council members to look at him curiously.
"No. He just kept telling me I was going to die. I focused on trying to keep him talking and occupied. I was hoping Stefan would wonder where I was and would look for me since our flight back to the US was that evening. Derek was ready to kill me when Stefan burst in."
"How did you know he was going to kill you?" Sofia spat. "I can't see what he'd possibly gain."
Before I could answer, Lenora spoke up. "You're going to question her account? We all knew Derek was a loose cannon and he hated Stefan. He may have been talented, but he was a bloody wanker. Continue, Josephine."
Stefan's deep voice brushed against my mind. "You are almost there. Finish this so you can leave, vackra."
"Like I said, Stefan found me. Derek had already attacked Anna and left her to die. He was ready to bite me when Stefan...finished him." I could feel my shoulders sagging in relief as I concluded my story. I'd been able to recount the whole incident without wavering or breaking down.
Nigel brushed his hair away from his face. His eyes seemed much kinder than they had when we began. "Two more questions, Josephine. Do you think Derek would have killed you and do you think his accomplice will try again if we do not investigate?"
"Yes to them both. If not for Stefan and Lukas, I'd be dead. And whomever wants me dead will likely try again," I answered honestly. It would just be a matter of time until my father tried something. He was hell bent on power and control. In his eyes, if he couldn’t control me I needed to be eliminated.
During my entire questioning, I'd noticed that Amir, Nigel and Lenora had scribbled notes throughout my testimony. Adolfo and Sofia sat and listened with obvious disdain at my recollections of the events. Derek has been on the Council with them for many years and their loyalty was with him, not some half-human oddity like myself. Their body language made that crystal clear.
"Thank you, Josephine. Please make yourself comfortable in the sitting room next door. We need to speak to the others and attend to vampire issues." Nigel looked down to his portfolio and adjusted his papers, refusing to make further eye contact with me.
My frustration level had hit its peak. I basically had to follow their rules, but was excluded from the ‘real’ issues. “That’s it? I relive every horrible detail of the day Derek almost killed me and I don’t even get to stay while the others tell you what happened?”
Nigel didn’t look up as he continued to write. “No. What we are going to discuss is sensitive information. You are too new to this life to understand. Stefan will join you shortly.”
Dropping Stefan’s hand, I headed to the door. I was reaching for the doorknob when the bond between us opened wide and his thoughts spilled into mine. “I will be out soon. I will keep our connection open, Josephine. Stay close.”
He flooded me with his love and adoration. I could feel his emotion as strongly as I felt my own love for him. “I love you. Be careful, Stefan.”
With that final thought, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, closing it quietly behind me. Stopping to lean against the wall, I drew in a deep, calming breath. Thanks to my od
d tie with Stefan and our bond, I was aware of everything he was feeling in the back of my mind. I was thankful he’d purposely left his thoughts open to me. It was the only relief I had as I waited for him to finish and come back to me.
Digging through my purse, I found my phone and typed out a quick text to Nikolaus. I knew he was probably worried about what was going on.
My fingers flew across the screen. ‘My testimony is finished. Waiting for the others. Will send news soon.’
“It is such a shame we haven’t had time to chat, my dear.”
Chapter 8
The Ties that Bind Us Can Hurt Us the Most
Quickly tucking my phone into the pocket of my leather jacket, my head popped up at the sound of my birth father’s voice. I hadn’t seen him since the day in the art gallery weeks ago. Dressed smartly, his bright red hair was cut short and styled smoothly. His oily smile never reached his sparkling green eyes.
Nothing had changed. He was still the same evil bastard he’d always been.
“I’ve been busy trying to stay alive,” I retorted. Tossing my hair over my shoulder, I tilted my head to the side and returned his unfeeling smile. “But I’m sure you know all about that, don’t you Daddy?”
Kian didn’t react visibly to my biting sarcasm. His smile never changed, but his eyes lost a little of their gleam.
“Of course, Josephine. I listened in to your testimony before the Council. It must have been quite a harrowing ordeal for you to have endured. I wanted to come here to personally thank Stefan for his assistance in saving your life,” Kian stated. He adjusted his burgundy pocket square and slipped his hands into the pockets of his dress pants.
Stunned into silence, I could only stare at my Kian like he’d suddenly grown two heads. Did he honestly think I was so gullible that I’d buy his hollow display of concern for my welfare?
“Now you want to thank Stefan for saving me? Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” I questioned. Pushing away from the wall, I began to circle my father slowly. “Why would you want to thank him, Kian? After all, you never wanted us to be together. For once in your life, be honest. I know it’ll be a stretch, but try.”
His smile finally disappeared. His mouth set into a threadlike line as he watched me slowly circle him. “Why would you say such a thing? I only wish for you to be happy. It pained me to find out of your impending marriage through your Council testimony.”
Snorting sarcastically, my eyes never left his face. I was watching for any reaction, preparing myself to attempt to use my shield if necessary and hoping like hell it would work on him. Attempting to keep my voice neutral, my anger at his continued lies churned in my stomach. “Did you think I was going to call you up and invite you over to celebrate? Really, Kian. You’re smarter than this. And save the whole ‘you only wish for me to be happy’ crap for someone that might buy it. If you were so worried about my happiness, why did you send Stefan on a different wild goose chase whenever he came close to finding me? You sent him off to do the Board and Council’s dirty work and had him kill innocent vampires, Kian. Why?”
“I think you have been given the wrong information, Josephine. Those are heavy accusations you are accusing me of committing. You should be careful saying such things. The wrong person might think you have a vendetta or an agenda of sorts. Things such as this are looked upon as treason in our world,” Kian threatened, his smooth voice lowering slightly. He shot a quick glance down the hallway. He was either planning his escape or checking for possible witnesses. More than likely, he was doing both.
I stepped closer to him, so close our noses almost touched. My eyebrow raised in contempt as I lowered my voice. “Our world? I’m excluded from the Council meeting because I’m not vampire enough for them. And the last time I checked, I’m just as much human as I am a vampire. Until I totally make the change, I don’t have to abide by your rules, Kian. What I find interesting is that you brought up the subject of an agenda. I know you sent Derek to bring me back here to you. Derek took it upon himself to almost kill me, but he was there to do your dirty work, wasn’t he? You knew either way, Stefan would go berserk in his attempts to find me or avenge me, either trying to kill or killing you. And then you’d have him killed. Problem solved in a neat little package. It’s too bad Stefan and I had already bonded unknowingly. He could hear me calling for him from miles away. He ruined your plans.”
“Josephine…”
“No, I get to talk. You get to listen,” I muttered harshly. “But it didn’t work, did it? Your little plan backfired and you lost your little boy toy in the process. You had quite the history with Derek, didn’t you? He was your lover and had been for many years. Did you know that Stefan ripped him apart, piece by piece until he was nothing but bloody ash on my kitchen floor? I should offer you my condolences, but to be honest with you, I just don’t care about you or how you feel.”
His cool facade slipped as his mouth gaped open, the anger in his eyes apparent as he looked warily at me. He was waiting for me to continue.
“You see, I’ve been doing my research too. I know everything, Kian. I know what you’ve done to Stefan for the last 20 years. I know about your past with Derek, the mysterious retirement of the other two Board members. Hell, I even know what you did to all of my half-siblings, Kian. When they didn’t fit your purpose, you fucking tortured them like rats in a lab. Do you have any sort of conscience or soul left inside the shell of the man you pretend to be? Or is it all just a game to you?”
He leaned in and grabbed my shoulders. His face twisted into a grimace as he shook me slightly. In an instant, my mind flew back to the vision of my father with my mother in this same pose. His snarling voice brought me back to the present. “You. You think you know me, yet you know absolutely nothing. NOTHING!”
For a split second, fear gripped me. I’d tried so hard to keep my emotions under control. I didn’t want to let any panic escape for Stefan to feel while he testified. This little outburst from Kian had sent out an unintentional SOS to him. I could sense his rising panic, merging with mine. He was still giving his testimony and could do nothing but wait for the Council to finish with him.
“You’re wrong about that,” I taunted in a singsong voice. “I know it all. Every dirty secret you’ve tried to bury, every lie you’ve told. I’m not Armes, Kian. You won’t control me and I won’t try to amuse you to keep you entertained. You need to decide now if you’re going to accept that, or if you’re going to kill me. This is exactly the same situation you were in when you killed my mother, Kian. Isn’t it funny how history has a way of repeating itself? So now you choose: let me live or rip out my throat and watch me die like Armes. Tick, tock Daddy dearest. You need to decide what to do. The Council’s in the next room.”
His hands tightened on my shoulders, squeezing them so tightly I thought the bones would crack under the pressure of his hands. “How?”
“How? What kind of question is that?” I hissed. “After everything I just said to you, the only thing you ask me is ‘how’?”
“What you know. What you can do. How?” Kian sputtered. His fangs were fully exposed and finally, his smooth veneer had completely disappeared. The true monster he kept tightly under wraps was revealed. I knew instantly that this was what my mother had seen before she met her death.
“It’s not about what I can do. You’ve made enemies, Kian. Centuries of arrogance and disregard for others will eventually cause dissension in the ranks,” I pointed out. My eyes met his and his murderous stare was unwavering. “So choose, Kian. Kill me or let me go.”
“You know too much,” Kian muttered, more to himself than to me. “This cannot be happening. Not here. Not now.”
“You chose an unfortunate place to murder your daughter with all of the witnesses in the next room. How will you explain that a half-human vampire attacked you? You can’t,” I clicked my tongue against my teeth. “No one will believe that you own daughter came after you, and a half-human one at that. Seems to be unfor
tunate planning on your part. You’ve made your messy little bed, and now you have to sleep in it. The clock is ticking. Before you decide one way or the other, remember that I’m not the only one that knows what you’ve done. You can silence me, but it’s a drop in the bucket.”
His head moved in towards my neck and in that instant, my shield shot out of me, slamming into Kian with enough force to knock him into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. It pinned him in place, wrapping around him like an invisible snake. I let it squeeze around him, watching with undisguised glee as his body moved against its will. His body constricted and contorted, the pain apparent on his face.
Kian watched me with undisguised horror and amazement. His voice sounded weak when he finally spoke in a series of grunts. “What are you?”
Grinning widely, I stood in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders. Leaning in one final time, I placed a kiss on his cheek. “I can’t answer that now, but in the interim I’m going to be your worst fucking nightmare, Daddy. All of your sick little experiments finally paid off, didn’t they? You just didn’t expect your finest creations to turn on you. First Nikolaus and now me.”
A burst of strength flooded my body as Stefan rushed into the hallway. I turned my head slightly to see his eyes focused on me intently as he blurred to my side. Stefan’s face was murderous, his blue eyes blazing a bright blue in his fury. His mind was intent on killing Kian. I was amazed when I was able to wrap my shield around Stefan as well, effectively holding both of them in place.
The link between us bellowed out in anger at my ability to thwart his plans. Now I had two vampires to hold and they both struggled frantically to break free, but I found my mental hold was stronger than their physical strength.
Refocusing on Kian, I jutted my chin at Stefan. “This man standing here is my life. I’ll kill for him and I’ll die for him if given the choice to protect him. You mean nothing to me, Kian. Don’t ever underestimate me and what I’ll do if you continue to threaten me.”
The Vampire Destiny 3: Awakening Page 15
