Deadly Alliances (Dark Shifter Academy #5)

Chapter 7 Arya

“Good evening, Arya. May I come in?”

Hadrian.

Though I’d been expecting to hear that voice for hours, it still quickened my pulse as it resonated from the other side of the door. The fact that a few inches of metal sat between us offered little solace.

I swallowed, attempting to recover, to build courage. “Would it stop you if I say no?”

“Of course. This door won’t open without your direct consent, and contrary to what I assume you believe, it’s framed with copper, and as such, is impenetrable to vampires. You can stay in that room by yourself for as long as you desire. However, you are only mortal, so you will eventually starve.” He paused. “I have no intention of leaving until I’ve spoken to you, and I can wait all night.”

I perched on the edge of my bed, rooted by indecision. I was pretty convinced by now that he wasn’t going to hurt me. He’d had ample opportunities to do so, and he gave me this gorgeous suite rather than a dungeon cell.

But even assuming he did just want to talk, I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He was the notorious vampire villain who was to blame for the attack on the Dome, the attacks that almost killed Letti and Tobias, and the attack that did kill my mom. Whatever words came out of his mouth were guaranteed to be lies—or laced with venom. Either way, I wasn’t interested.

But I was getting hungry. Would a school for vampires even have food? How long could I hole up in this lavishly-furnished prison? Especially since it became clear after Kendall’s visit that sleeping here was going to be just about impossible.

Finally, I decided to get it over with. I crossed the room and opened the door just enough to look out. He was alone, dressed in a fancy black suit and shoes that outshined his glossy, marble-like eyes. He smiled at me, the kind of smile that could disarm a high-security vault. My chest warmed, but I shook it off, reminding myself that charming people was what vampires did, and that I could never let my guard down around him, or any of them.

I opened the door all the way, planting my hands on my hips as he strode into the room. Closing the door, I kept him in sight the whole time, scowling as he made himself comfortable at the foot of my bed.

“What do you want with me?” I asked, folding my arms.

With his knees apart, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and lacing his fingers together between them. “I know this will be hard for you to believe, but all I want—all I’ve ever wanted—is to have the father-daughter relationship that was stolen from me.”

I snorted loudly and rolled my eyes.

“It’s the truth,” he said with a shrug. “Your mother, no doubt, spent your whole life turning you against me, but I’ve spent your whole life trying to get you back. Both of you.” His brows creased, making his expression heartwarmingly vulnerable. I could almost believe that he truly cared.

“Is that why you killed her?” I shot at him with every ounce of acid I could inject.

A red spark of anger flashed in his dark eyes. “ I did not kill her. The fool I sent to fetch you both did, and I can assure you he has been thoroughly dealt with.” The look on his face was the epitome of deadly, and for the first time since I’d handed myself over, fear of him flooded me.

I pulled my gaze from his face. I had to. Otherwise, I’d be paralyzed by that fear. I had to continue playing the rebellious teenager because, if I gave in to the fear I knew Hadrian had earned a thousand times over, I’d be useless.

“So you think you can force me to abandon everything and everyone I care about and we’ll just start fresh and be a happy family?” I kept my eyes down as I spoke, not yet ready to look at him again.

There was a rustle of fabric as he stood, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him come toward me. I forced myself not to flinch.

“And what was it that I forced you to leave behind?” he asked, now standing less than two feet from me. “Young Kendall tells me you weren’t quite welcome there, that the mer refused to accept you and made your life miserable.”

Hadrian’s insight into my life caught me off guard, and I couldn’t help but look at him with surprise. He seemed to enjoy that, satisfaction tugging at the corners of his lips underneath those deceptive eyes.

“The mer were less than welcoming, yes, but I still managed to make true friends outside my species.” I thought of Ashlyn and Niko, and even Tobias, and a sting pierced my heart. But I kept my expression unwavering. “Because you stole my mother from me, they were the only family I had left, and now you’ve taken that from me, too.”

His hands were on my shoulders in a flash, and I did jump this time. “I loved your mother.” The sincerity in his voice stunned me. “Zaia was my match. We had the same goal—to create a lasting peace between all species of supernaturals. It broke my heart the day she ran away, and her death wounded me as greatly as it did you.”

I swallowed. “If peace with the shifters is what you want, then why did you attack the Dome? Why have you been attacking shifters for decades?”

He released his grip on my shoulders and took a step back. “You think we’re the ones who struck the first blow?” He shook his head. “You’re so new to the shifter world. How could you know our history? No, it was they who started hunting us. There was a time, centuries ago, that vampires and shifters lived separately, autonomous of each other, yet harmonious in our domains. But the adoration of the mortals over whom we reigned gave us great power, and the shifters felt threatened. The Draculs led an army against us, wiping out thousands of vampires. We’ve been battling ever since. But I dream of a world where that’s no longer necessary.”

That wasn’t the way I remembered the story. But I only read the shifter version of history, and there were always two sides.

“And how do you plan to bring peace? Your vampires killed dozens of mer today, and if I hadn’t come out, they would’ve flooded the Dome and killed every shifter inside. Tell me how war ever brings peace.”

Hadrian looked down, nodding and pursing his lips. “Yes, that would’ve been an unfortunate turn of events. I didn’t want to kill them, but every war has necessary casualties. And I would’ve gladly paid that price if it meant getting you back. You see, Arya, you’re the key to the peace I dream of.”

His sapphire eyes bore into me, and for a moment I felt like the most important person in the world.

“M–me?” I asked, putting my hand to my chest and taking a step backward. Did he know about the prophecy? Was it his intention to kill me after all? Was all this just some twisted game?

“Yes. Within your blood lies the key to linking vampires and shifters once and for all.”

“M–my blood?”

And then I remembered what Kendall told me the night he attempted to drag me off to Hadrian. I was the result of a DNA experiment, the one successful chimera. Hadrian thought he could use my blood to create a hybrid: a vampire shifter. He was the reason I was such a freak.

“So that’s what you’re really after? The guinea pig of your experiments? If that’s the case, then why this charade?” I waved my hands at the room around us. “Why not just take my blood and be done be with me?”

After the words came out, I bit my tongue so hard I thought it might bleed. Why not just ask him to kill you, Arya?

“Because I meant what I said about wanting to be a family. If your mother hadn’t gotten cold feet, we would’ve been a very happy family all these years. But I’ve missed out on so much of your life. I want that time back. I want to earn your trust, be the father you never had.”

The question of who my father was had always plagued me. I loved my mom, but I always wondered what life would’ve been like with a dad. Would we have stayed in one place? Lived a normal life? Would I have siblings?

A dad was the longest-held secret desire of my heart. With my mom gone, the concept of a true family was incredibly tempting. And Hadrian was terribly convincing. I couldn’t see the seam in his facade. Could he really be telling the truth? Could the infamous vampire leader really be a bleeding heart deep down?

“And what about my blood?” I asked, my tone noticeably less hostile.

“I do need it for my plan to work,” Hadrian said bluntly. “But I won’t take it from you by force. I want you on my side. I only have one condition: that you never use your powers against me. So long as you abide by this one simple rule, I’ll wait until you offer me your blood willingly.”

The terms seemed fair enough. “And if I never offer it willingly?”

He held my gaze for a moment, and for the first time, I saw whispers of my reflection in his features. He had the same thick black eyebrows, the same sharpness to the bridge of his nose, the same hairline framing his face. There was no denying the family resemblance now that I recognized it.

“I have faith that you’ll come around. In the meantime, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

He brushed past me, opened the door and stuck his arm out, curling his finger in a come-hither motion. I leaned forward, apprehensive yet curious.

A boy no older than eight walked in. He looked like a miniature version of Hadrian—same head of shiny black hair, same dark blue eyes, even carrying himself with the same dignified posture, assuming a sense of nobility. The only difference was that he was cute as button and pink-skinned, and he exuded an innocence Hadrian could never fake.

The boy stood beside Hadrian, who draped his hand over the boy’s shoulder. “This is Alexander Denholm. He’s my son and heir...and your little brother.”

I gasped, staring at the beautiful boy. I... I have a brother?

“Hello, Arya,” Alexander said with a nod of his cute little head. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.” He smiled, and my heart warmed instantly to him. Just as with Hadrian, the family resemblance was obvious.

“Hello,” I felt compelled to say back.

Hadrian looked at his son. “Alexander, would you do Arya the honor of showing her around the castle? She’s not yet had a proper tour.”

“Of course, Father,” Alexander said with seemingly well-practiced obedience.

“When you’re finished, report to your chambers for dinner. You’ll both need a hearty meal after such an excursion.”

“Yes, Father.”

Hadrian patted Alexander’s head, careful not to ruffle his hair. “Well, I’ll leave you both to it.” Hadrian smiled diplomatically and turned for the open door. But then he stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Oh, and Arya, please don’t do anything foolish. The security here is quite extensive, and it would devastate me to see you injured.” Then he disappeared without so much as a change in the air, his silent threat hanging like a cloud over my head.

But the door was open, and young Alexander had taken my hand and was tugging me toward the stairwell beyond. I felt uneasy about leaving the presumed safety of these four walls, but the morbid curiosity of seeing the inside of Hadrian’s secret headquarters pressed me forward.

And despite Hadrian’s warning, an escape attempt was inevitable. I’d need to know every inch of this place if I had any hope of being successful.

We exited the room and proceeded down the stairwell. I was keenly aware of the fact that my two guards followed us. I wasn’t sure if I was comforted or unnerved by their presence.

“This is my room,” Alexander said, pointing to a door as we passed. “Our rooms are right on top of each other, so you can come visit me any time.” His tone was so restrained, which was odd for such a youthful voice. Like he was always holding back any strong emotions he may be feeling. “If you want,” he added with a shrug.

My previously creased brows smoothed. “I’d like that.” I offered him a small smile, and he smiled back briefly before continuing to guide me forward.

“We’re in the tallest tower of the castle,” he explained. “Only the Elite live up here.”

We came to the large room I remembered going through before, and Alexander led me to an elevator tucked between two pillars. He tugged me inside as the doors slid open, the guards following behind. The light inside was surprisingly dim, intensifying my claustrophobia. Alexander slid his keycard through a slot by the door, then pushed a button as the doors closed, and we descended.

When the elevator stopped, the four of us walked into a central foyer from which it seemed all other halls and rooms branched. It was filled with both vampires and humans bustling about. The sight of so much warm flesh in this place was alarming, like seeing cattle roaming obliviously through a pack of drooling wolves.

“This is the Great Hall,” Alexander said. “Through those doors are the training rooms and the conference room, and over there is the library. The kitchen is toward the back. And the human’s quarters are downstairs. I’m not allowed to go there.” He leaned close and whispered, “At dawn, all the vampires start setting up for classes, and I sneak into the kitchen sometimes for a snack.”

I wanted to smile at his confiding in me, but I couldn’t get over the disturbing mix of living and undead around me.

“Alexander, why are there so many humans here? Don’t they know...?” I stopped, unsure if Alexander was even capable of understanding the question, or if he was aware that his father was a vampire and he was human.

He nodded with an understanding beyond his years. “The humans are here because they want to become vampires. The change is the greatest honor anyone can ever get. They study below until they can prove they deserve the privilege.”

My heart thudded. He was completely brainwashed. Pity stabbed at my gut.

“What happens to the ones who don’t make the cut?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.

He shrugged. “They become donors.”

“Donors,” I repeated. What a clever yet calloused word for it. My stomach twisted.

Alexander showed me all the places of leisure in the castle: the library, the game room, the spa where humans were nervously eager to massage and please, the pool—which my skin and inner tail ached for. But for all the prettiness that I saw, I knew ugliness hid in the shadows of this place. Alexander said the human’s quarters were downstairs. I doubted they were as nice as my room.

After the tour, we went back up the elevator—using a separate entrance on the top level of the school—and rode it back to the large room with the pillars.

Alexander hadn’t let go of my hand through the entire walk, and holding his little hand gave me more comfort than I ever expected to find in this place. So warm and frail. I held onto him as tightly as he held onto me.

“Father says we’re to eat breakfast in my room,” he said, leading me there.

At his door, he slid his keycard through the scanner and went inside. His room was nothing like I expected. The décor was all red, like my room, but the space was much bigger. In one corner stood a long, rectangular dining table made of the same black wood as my bed, and a serving table sat against the wall. In the opposite corner was his bed—smaller than mine, the four-poster bed was covered in sheets depicting some popular kid’s show character—and at the foot of the bed was a round, plush carpet, where a toy chest sat wide open. In the middle of the room was a desk, behind which was a freshly wiped, free-standing dry erase board.

“Alexander, do you ever get to leave this room?”

“Of course,” was all he said.

“Do you...eat all your meals in here?”

“Yes. Father says it’s unbecoming of the Heir to eat with humans.”

“So you always eat alone?”

He shook his head, his black tufts of hair swaying as he did. “Agnes eats with me. And sometimes Father comes, too. And now, I have you.” He smiled so big it made my heart squeeze.

“What about school? Do you go to school?”

“He’s given the best education money can buy,” a dry female voice interrupted from the left corner of the room. I turned to see a middle-aged woman emerge from a hidden door in the wall. She approached me with a cold smile on her stern face. “You must be the Master’s daughter, Arya. I’ve waited a very long time to meet you. I’m Agnes, Alex’s governess.”

“Alex?” I asked, looking down at Alexander.

“Agnes calls me that,” he said, bouncing on his heels playfully. “You can, too, if you want. My name is kind of long.”

I smiled warmly at him. “Alright then, Alex it is.”

“Come, let’s eat,” Agnes said, gesturing toward the table where more human servants who had emerged from the secret door were arranging silverware and plates loaded with food.

Alex ran to the table and dug into a tower of pancakes. I helped myself to the second-tallest pancake mountain and began to eat as well. Agnes joined us and ate slowly, her eyes boring into me the whole time.

“How do you like it here so far, Arya?” Agnes asked after wiping her lips with a napkin.

I was pretty much kidnapped, sacrificing my freedom for everyone I love. What do you think? That’s what I wanted to say. But I didn’t want to upset Alex. Regardless of what he’d already been exposed to in this godforsaken place, I wanted to preserve whatever innocence he had left.

“Fine,” was what I finally decided to go with, then shoved another fork-load of fluffy pancake into my mouth.

“Well, I hope you grow to like it,” Agnes said. “This is your home now, and we’re very glad to have you. Aren’t we, Alex?”

“Mm-hmm!” Alex mumbled with stuffed cheeks and syrup- glossed lips.

“Alexander, what have I told you about speaking with your mouth full?” Agnes chided.

Alex swallowed loudly. “Technically, I didn’t speak, I hummed.”

Agnes scowled at him. “That’s not the point. You must always remember your manners. You’re to be the Master one day.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, his tone agreeable even as he privately rolled his eyes.

“Do you always have pancakes for dinner?” I asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Alex shook his head. “No. But pancakes are my favorite, so we have them for pretty much every special occasion.”

I nodded, picking at my food again. I had a thousand questions bouncing around in my mind. Questions about Alex’s childhood and upbringing, about Agnes and why on earth a human would choose to knowingly work for a vampire dictator, or why the countless humans below would want to become vampires themselves.

This place was news to me, and I wondered if the shifter authorities knew it even existed. That the vampires would have a school of their own like the Dome, but with such a dark and twisted purpose, was just mind-boggling.

But I didn’t want to ask any of those questions in front of Alex. I would wait. As everyone had made quite plain to me, I would be at the citadel for a very long time—plenty of time to find answers for myself. I would learn everything I could to get out, and if I couldn’t, then I would find a way to kill my father myself, even if I died in the process.