Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Marcus and Andrei glance at each other again, and I’m pissed off. All this “sending meaningful looks so the human doesn’t know what we are thinking” gets old real fast.
“How do you suggest you will help, April?”
Jumping off the sofa, I cut Marcus off. “It wasn’t me slamming my head off the wall asshole, so stop making fun of the poor human.” Mutt finally perks up. He has been sleeping at my feet ever since I was deposited on the sofa.
“I didn’t mean…” Marcus lifts both hands in surrender, but I’m not finished.
“I’m done!” With my hands on my hips, I look from him to Andrei and back.
“I’m done hiding, running from life, and letting other people die for me.
I’m done with it all. Sebastian might be the monster of all monsters, but he kept his promise.
Whatever he did to me”—Waving one hand indicating my body, I shake my head, disgusted with myself— “changed me. I can feel him inside me. I feel his hope that I will go to him.” Tears prick the corners of my eyes, but I blink them away.
“I know how that feels. To wait and hope. To watch unblinking, too afraid to fall asleep in case you miss them when they come back.” The last words end on a sob, but I clamp my mouth shut, refusing to cry.
“Who never came back, April?” Andrei lifts his hand as if he wants to touch me, but changes his mind, dropping it in his lap.
“No one.” When my speech turned from Sebastian to my parents, I have no idea, but I’m not going to open that black hole right now. “What I’m saying is, I will not let him wait for nothing. I’m going to the Council with or without your help.”
“I didn’t know you cared about him.” When my eyes narrow, Andrei backtracks really fast.” Or us that much.”
Thoughts of Sebastian cradling me to his chest like a precious thing float through my head.
His hand, that could’ve crushed my head, gently moving wisps of hair away from my face.
Marcus sitting battered with me in a dark, stinking alley until I woke up so that I was not alone.
Andrei kissing the top of my head while I was looking in the mirror, seeing myself as a woman instead of a wild creature for the first time I could remember.
In less than twenty-four hours, they’ve shown me more acceptance and caring than anyone else in my life.
It might be whatever is changed in me talking, but I don’t think so.
Sometime between walking inside this hotel for the first time and going back inside that sewer to find it empty, I started seeing them as people.
The monsters I thought them to be are nowhere to be found.
“I don’t know.” Honesty is the best way forward. “Does it matter?”
“No.” His face softening, Marcus prowls inside the living room, plopping into a chair next to Andrei. They are like day and night, sitting like this next to each other. One dark, the other one light. “I suppose not.”
“So? Why are you two still sitting down? Let’s go.” Now that I’ve made up my mind, I can’t wait to get going. I’m sure if I have time to think about it, I’ll change my mind so fast my head will be spinning for days. This whole thing is insane.
“You forget one crucial thing, little one.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Andrei looks at me sadly. “The Council agreed to the deal because we had to make a blood oath. Our hands are tied. We can’t go after him.”
“Oh.” I’m not sure what to say to that.
Marcus glares at his feet, Andrei is chewing on his lower lip with one long fang.
They look so human at this moment that if I ignore the fangs and how unnaturally beautiful they are, I have this crazy urge to go and hug them both.
Something is seriously wrong with me. Chewing on my own lip, I start pacing up and down in the living room.
I can’t sit still because every time I’m not moving, I can feel the hope that Sebastian is feeling.
With every movement, his scent drifts to my nose from the shirt I’m wearing, forcing me to remember how his lips felt on mine.
How his body felt while I was in his lap, his arms caging me to him.
Heat pools in my lower belly with the memory, and two identical groans snap my head in their direction.
Andrei and Marcus are watching me, nostrils flaring.
“Oh, hell no!” Moving fast, I place the sofa between them and me. “Stay where you are.”
“You should change your line of thinking, little one. Your scent is too tempting.” Noticing that the fangs in their mouths have grown longer, I gulp air.
“It’s not my fault.” I sound so defensive I almost slap myself. “Think of something disgusting.” When they both raise an eyebrow, I huff a breath. “Well, it works to get your mind off things. And button up your shirt.” Pointing an accusing finger at Andrei, I nod as if that might fix the problem.
“My open shirt made your scent change like that?” An arrogant smile lifts one side of his mouth. Marcus punches him in the shoulder, sending him flying a few feet out of the chair. “She said it.” Like a petulant child, Andrei pouts at me.
“This is so not happening.” Groaning, I walk up to the wall and start banging my forehead on it.
Mutt comes next to me and starts to whine softly.
“I know, boy. We are all insane.” No matter what, he will always be here.
He will follow me everywhere, doing his best to protect me against all the odds.
My heart stops at that thought, picking up speed the next second.
“Oh my God.” Whirling around, I start flipping my hand like it’s on fire. “We can do it!”
In my excitement, I forget to explain what we can do.
Ideas form in my head like I am watching a movie.
We can go get Sebastian, and the Council can’t do anything to stop us.
Jumping up and down, ignoring the fact that my braless boobs are bouncing like crazy, I clap my hands, getting the mutt excited too.
His tail is doing the helicopter thing, his ears erect while he watches me.
The two vampires in the room, however, are looking at me like I’ve grown another head.
“April, are you well?” Watching me cautiously, Marcus glances at Andrei. “There can’t be side effects like this from the blood.” Andrei opens his mouth, I’m sure to give more professional opinions on my mental health, but I cut him off.
“First, that’s a very assholish thing to say.” Stopping further comments with a raised hand, I shake my head. “Second, let me enjoy my victory for coming up with a way to screw the Council and their stupid blood oath before you put me in a padded room.”
“What are you talking about?” Andrei is frowning, but Marcus has that calculated look in his eyes.
“Let her speak,” he tells Andrei.
Walking up to the front of the sofa, I plop on it, bouncing a couple of times.
After I’m settled, I cross my legs like I remember my mother doing when I was young.
“They made you swear a blood oath so you won’t go to free Sebastian from them.
Correct?” When they both nod reluctantly, I offer one firm nod myself.
” Right, so…what if you’re not going to the Council to free Sebastian? ”
“April, he sacrificed himself with the knowledge that we will continue his work. Too much is at stake to act recklessly. It’s not just the three of us trying to play heroes.
Many lives could be lost, great, honorable people could perish if we provoke the Council more than we already have.
We rushed everything when it comes to you, and we paid dearly for it.
Let us not continue making mistakes. You are here, willing to embrace your destiny. That’s all Sebastian ever wanted.”
Glaring at Marcus for his speech, I make sure he knows exactly what I think about his opinions.
“How very nice of you.” When he frowns, I offer him a very unfriendly smile.
“It’s so wonderful to sit here when someone else is paying for everyone’s mistakes, isn’t it?
And before more bullshit comes out from either of you, let me be very clear.
I am going to the Council Towers tomorrow.
Whether you come with me or not, that’s totally up to you. ”
“We can’t physically free him, April,” Andrei spits through clenched teeth. “The oath forbids us to even try. Don’t you understand?”
“Who said that you will be freeing Sebastian?” When they both jerk back like I’ve slapped them, I finally smile.
“Didn’t you all say that you think I’m your lost queen reborn or some other bullshit?
” Without waiting for an answer, I keep going.
“It was the three of you telling me that you would do anything to protect her, and keep her safe. Her, me, whatever. So, you won’t be going to free your Sire from the Council.
You’ll be going to protect me. I, on the other hand, will be going to free Sebastian. ”
“Well, look at that.” Leaning back in the chair, Marcus laces his fingers behind his head, smiling proudly. “I wonder if she got some of Sebastian’s cunning when she took his blood.”