CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Pari slipped through my bedroom door, closing it softly with her behind.
She balanced two silver platters on her hands that were piled high with a variety of tea cakes, meats, cheeses, and fruit.
She took large steps, attempting to be quiet, as she hobbled over to the bed.
She set the food down and jumped into bed beside me.
It was late into the night, and Pari always spent the night with me after one of these missions.
She also always snuck into the kitchen to get comfort food.
“You only got sick once this time.” She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. She often tried to guide me towards silver linings.
“I’ve learned to not eat anything at least three hours before,” I said flatly.
The memory threatened to turn my stomach, but it also growled violently.
I picked up a blackberry cream cake and bit into it.
It melted in my mouth, and I savored its ripe sweetness.
They were my favorite. They made me long for summer and the wild entanglement of brambles along the countryside.
I craved the sweet scent that hung in the air as the blazing sun warmed the fruit.
“Sebastian is the most skilled I’ve ever seen.” She reached for a cube of cheese.
“Apart from you.” I grinned.
“Usually I’d agree.” She grinned back. “But now I’m not so sure. I can see why your father made him his secondhand. I’ve never seen someone move as fluidly as him. It was almost distracting. A vampire nearly got my throat.”
I held back the words that ached to spill free. Maybe he should dull his abilities, though a part of me knew he would probably never do that and likely be offended to hear it.
She continued, “That was the most vampires I had ever seen. Have more come through the portal?” She knew I spied on the Society meetings.
“From what I’ve heard, no. It’s always guarded.” Unless the vampires used illusions to get through and past the guards. I couldn’t say that, of course. And Sebastian had said their side was guarded too. They didn’t allow vampires to pass through to the human world.
Her face grew haunted. “So, they’re all ...”
“Newborns,” I said grimly. Meaning they were all humans once, whose lives had been taken.
By Alaric. Though that was another thing I could not say.
I had to be careful with my collection of growing secrets.
“I don’t believe the Society has ever been able to catch a true vampire.
” Now I knew why, with abilities like illusions.
“We have always been fighting against newborns. I’m not sure how many true vampires are in our world. ” At least two, I knew for sure.
“This is all far worse than I ever knew.” She looked at the cakes with a mournful expression.
“Yes, I’m learning that as well.” I met her gaze with equal sorrow set upon a lemon cake.
How far would Alaric go? He meant to conquer.
He would create an unbeatable army and overtake us all.
A dark thought entered my mind like a chilling breeze, a whisper through the night.
A call I could never answer to, yet it made itself clear all the same.
I had never heard of Father mentioning anything of Alaric.
As far as I knew, the Society did not know of his existence.
I was likely the only one who could ever get close to him, let alone see him.
He was taking so many lives, and he would only take more.
I had a clear opportunity. He wanted me as his bride after all.
But I’d never been able to reach for my dagger, even in the cold face of death.
And I doubted he would ever allow me to reach for it.
I didn’t know all that the tracking spell allowed him to glimpse of me.
Perhaps he could know my intentions. I wasn’t so sure of what the spell really meant.
And even if he couldn’t read my intentions, he was far stronger than me.
A noble thought, yet one I cowered from.
I shuddered at the thought of taking a life. Even his.
“Charlotte.” I looked up to see Pari staring at me. “You didn’t even try.” Her voice was so small. I knew what she meant. “And why did you wander off on your own? We never split up. He came so close ... you came so close to ...” Death.
“I ...” I hesitated. “I had thought I heard something, and you know how I am.”
“You’re protecting your life. You deserve to protect your life.
You have the right to protect your life, and you should protect your life, Charlotte.
” I looked down. I couldn’t take her heated gaze.
Giant, chocolate brown saucers filled with a ferocity I could only dream to muster. “If I lost you ...” she whispered.
I looked back to her eyes, now glistening with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, Pari. I don’t know ... I don’t know what it is.” I sighed. “We can double our trainings.” I smiled meekly.
“We may have to triple them.” She forced a teasing smile, though her eyes were still wary. It was silent for a moment until she asked what I hoped she wouldn’t. “What did you hear?” Her tone cautious, gently approaching a lost doe.
“I had thought I heard someone crying. Which was probably just the vampire pretending, luring me away from you. Clearly it worked.” I glanced down to the pistachio cream cake I picked up, draped in a vibrant spring green, hoping she wouldn’t pry further.
“I suppose it could have been.” She eyed me. “The hauntings, they haven’t—”
“Of course not,” I interrupted. “Being mistaken for hearing something is not so uncommon.” I cringed at being firm with her.
Though she was right, and it was the demon that haunted me, others always insinuated as such even if it wasn’t.
It was normal to have your eyes and ears play tricks on you on occasion.
I had read through the medical journals in our library.
But I supposed like everything, it was not normal for me.
I couldn’t indulge in the normalities of the world because when I did they became abnormal.
It always frustrated me when others searched beyond my simple words, as if they were trying to find fault within me.
“I just want to be here for you, Charlotte.” My heart broke with all that I held from her.
“Thank you, Pari. Really, I’m fine.” The lie only tore my heart into finer pieces.
“Well, at least we have the harvest ball tomorrow to save us from all that is grim.” She grinned.