13. Amy
Chapter 13
Amy
N ovak dropped me off back in town, just outside of the guarded perimeter of the blood mate ceremony. He barely said, “See you later,” before taking off in the direction of his house.
I could only stare at his shrinking red taillight as he drove away, wondering what the abrupt change in demeanor was all about. One minute, I had his incredible blood in my mouth, my body filled with sensations as we drew closer together. He was leaning in, almost like he was going to kiss me. Or even bite me in return.
And then he pulled away, like getting any closer to me would have been a huge mistake.
Did I want him to bite me? I wasn’t entirely sure. The idea didn’t completely turn me off, especially if receiving a bite felt anywhere near as good as taking one. It was almost embarrassing how close I’d been to coming. Did he freak out because of that? Could he even tell?
I wandered past the perimeter into the square, where people continued to celebrate Tavia and Cyan’s mating. A barrel of wine had been tapped in one area, and people were gathering as if to toast the couple. Tavia and Cyan stood nearby, attached at the hip with beaming smiles and cups filled with wine.
“Go for a little joyride, did you?”
I turned in the direction of the voice and saw a cloud of red smoke before the speaker. Thorne pushed off from the brick wall he’d been leaning on, tossed the remains of his cigarette, and lit up another.
His slow approach made me bristle. “Were you waiting for me to come back?”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d come back, to be honest.” Darakt smoke billowed from his nostrils as he flicked ash away. “Thought I might have to cut the party short to investigate a kidnapping.”
Thorne’s tone was always dry. I could never tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic.
“And now that I’m here?” I asked. “Are you going to punish either of us for disobeying your order?”
“Did you want to go for a joyride with him?”
“Yes.”
“Did he harm you in any way?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then I have much better things to do, believe it or not. It’s a shame you didn’t listen, though. You’ll just have to find out the hard way.”
“Find out what?” I said, exasperated. “What horrible things his ancestors did to yours, so therefore he must be just as bad? Even though he’s his own person and has only ever been kind to me?”
Thorne’s expression held mild curiosity as he listened to me speak. “You’ll understand after you’ve lived a few centuries, little brusang. Blood is a powerful substance—that’s how it sustains us. And when the same blood flows through generations, you learn to expect the same behavior.”
“Humans aren’t like that,” I argued. “We give people chances. We don’t judge someone just because they came from a bad family. People can rise above their circumstances.”
“Sure, because humans live for like, two weeks compared to us,” he scoffed before taking a long drag. “But you’re not human anymore. Don’t forget that.”
“Tavia still is, isn’t she? Even though she’ll live as long as Cyan now.”
“Hmm, I don’t know.” Thorne cocked his head, eyes focusing on some distant plane as he pondered. “She’s biologically the same, unlike you. But she’s still touched by Temkra’s magic, bonded by blood and love to a non-human.” His red gaze slid over to me, a smirk tilting his lips. “Guess it begs the question of what it means to be human, doesn’t it? Will Tavia lose her humanity, whatever that is, as she lives for hundreds of years?”
“No.” I shook my head confidently. “I’m certain she won’t.”
“I suppose we’ll see.” His gaze turned appraising as he took me in from head to toe. Not in a way that creeped me out, but it definitely took me aback. “You look nice tonight, by the way. A whole world away from where you were two weeks ago. Holding up well?”
“Yes,” I sighed, not caring to discuss my mental state with him. “Believe it or not, I’m not actually made of tissue paper.”
“Oh, I believe it.” He turned to watch the party, a cigarette between his index and middle finger. “What I can’t believe is you flaunting a Rathka’s Order vampire at a Blood ‘til Dawn event. It’s not just bold, it’s… in poor taste.”
I stiffened, my jaw clenching. “I won’t apologize for inviting him. He’s my friend. He’s been there for me, and I didn’t want to be alone.”
“Friends, huh?” Thorne mocked. “Is that what I saw?”
A large figure approached us before I could argue any more. I thought it was Rhain at first, but this person had gray skin and prominent lower fangs to match the upper set. The sudden memory of huge fangs and yellow eyes hit me like a freight train, panic stealing all the breath in my lungs.
It was the same monster that attacked Sapien.
The same one that killed me.
The monster extended a hand to Thorne, and the two of them clasped forearms in greeting.
“Beautiful ceremony, Thorne. Looks like your guests can’t get enough of the marrow dishes.”
“They were delicious, Drace. Thank you for coming.”
“I’m just glad Cyan finally got his head out of his ass. She’s a lovely blood mate.”
“Yes, they make a fine couple.”
“I’m on my way out. This moonlight is getting too strong for me. Just wanted to pay my respects.”
“I’ll come to Marrowtown soon. We need to catch up.”
“I’ll hold you to that, topsoil.”
With a chuckle and another forearm clasp, the two of them separated. I’d been frozen in fear during their entire brief conversation, and only when the monster turned his red eyes to me, gave a small nod and said, “Good evening, miss,” did the urge to run kick in.
Before I could escape and warn Tavia, Thorne clamped a hand down on my shoulder.
“Easy,” he muttered. “You’re not in danger. Calm down, little brusang. Your heart’s beating so fast, it’s vibrating.”
“But he… that was… ”
“He’s a Marrower. Related to those who attacked your home, but he wasn’t among them. Drace looks like a scary brute, but he’s harmless. Calm. Down.”
“How?” I hyperventilated. “How do you know?”
“Because the Marrowers who attacked Sapien were drugged. You remember the yellow eyes? They had no control over what they did. Unlike warmongering Rathka’s Order, Marrowers by nature are the most peaceful of the vampires. You are safe, Amy.”
His mention of Rathka’s Order reminded me of Novak, which was the first step in edging me away from my panic. Eventually, my breaths calmed to the point where Thorne released my shoulder.
“Feel better?” he grunted.
“I… I didn’t know they were… ” I turned in the direction the Marrower had gone, but he was already out of sight.
“Marrowers keep to themselves. They stay underground for the most part. A couple have topside businesses, marrow eateries mostly. But the best stuff is in Marrowtown.” Thorne lit up another cigarette, eyeing me through the red smoke. “You sure you’re all right? Not gonna go all tissue paper on me?”
“I always thought of the attackers as monsters but now I feel kind of bad,” I admitted. Drace actually wasn’t unattractive, despite the initial shock of the big lower fangs. “I didn’t know they were just another type of vampire.”
“Ah, they know what they look like. The tusks do it for some people. Everybody’s got their thing.”
“You’re sure the attackers were drugged?” I asked. “What if it was some kind of illness, like with Novak’s clan?”
Thorne shook his head, smoke billowing around him. “Not the same thing at all. We know this drug, and we’re holding the attackers in our compound while they detox. Rathka’s Curse is… ” He took a long pause. “It’s something else entirely, something that consumes the brain. There’s nothing left of the person they once were. What they became is fucking nightmare fuel.” Inhaling deeply on his cigarette, his eyes narrowed in thought. “Although, to a human settlement that keeps themselves closed off from vampires, they might believe someone afflicted with Rathka’s Curse is the same thing as a drugged-out Marrower. Now that’s a theory.”
I watched him smoke, trying to connect the same dots he was. “You think someone is trying to pin the blame for the attack on Novak?”
“Not saying anything, except that a human from Sapien wouldn’t know ass from elbow if that were the case.”
“Fine,” I groused, turning toward the flurry of activity in the center square. “I don’t want to be involved in vampire politics anyway.”
Tavia and Cyan were posing for photos, embracing intimately with beatific smiles on their faces. They held mostly still, shifting poses slightly after several shutter clicks.
“We want a kiss!” someone yelled. “Smooch his face off!”
The couple laughed at the cheers and wolf whistles encouraging more daring photos. Then they faced each other, Cyan’s grinning lips murmuring something that looked like, “Let’s give them something good,” before meeting in a passionate, tongue-thrusting kiss.
Fists and wine glasses went up in the air, followed by jubilant cheers and more lewd suggestions.
“They look happy, don’t they?”
I had forgotten about Thorne until he spoke. For a moment, I was just as entranced by Tavia and Cyan’s display of love as everyone else.
“Yeah,” I answered, trying not to let my jealousy show. “They do.”
Thorne’s voice came directly next to my ear.
“If you want a chance of happiness like that, forget all about Novak of Rathka’s Order. He’ll only bring you misery.”