Chapter Seven
Idon”t know what I”m thinking of following a vampire into his bedroom in the middle of the night, but I”m past the point of rational decisions. Nothing about this is normal or safe, but that doesn”t stop me from letting Drake lead me into his room and shut the door behind me. I flinch when the click of the lock sounds, but Drake simply takes my hand and guides me to sit on his bed while he fetches a small safe from his closet.
”Here,” he says, sitting next to me with the safe in his lap. ”The pages are all out of order, but it should be easy enough to piece together.”
I pull the papers out of the safe one at a time, scanning them for clues and piecing them together. At first, it”s tricky to find the order of events, but soon, everything begins to come together.
”Genevieve”s tale begins with Theron,” Drake narrates, and I snap my attention to him. He doesn”t have the diary, but his eyes are closed like he”s reading from a book in his head. ”A vampire with a reputation for being cold and aloof. A vampire from my blood, linemy ancestor, who deceived her with false affections. She fell in love with him and sacrificed her life as a witch to be with him. And then, the betrayal.”
”How do you know all this?” I ask.
He shrugs. ”I”ve read the diary. I removed the pages to keep some parts hidden from those who didn”t need to know.”
”All right then.” I close the diary and bring my knees to my chest, giving him my full attention. ”Tell me the story.”
He doesn”t miss a beat, telling the tale with perfect clarity. ”Genevieve was a witch like no other. She had powers beyond what her kind were known for. Theron was in awe of her, but he saw witches as lesser-than, inferior creatures.” His tone turns bitter when he adds, ”He wasn”t alone in that prejudice.”
I swallow hard, trying not to let his words get to me. ”So, Theron was an asshole. Go on.”
Drake snickers under his breath. ”I”m sorry, Lola. You have to understand the times in which Genevieve and Theron lived. Back then, our kind didn”t mix. They”d been enemies since before history was written.”
”But it says here Genevieve fell in love with Theron.”
He nods and sighs. ”Yes, and that was by his design. Theron wasn”t known for his kindness or generosity, but he had a talent for using his charms to get what he wanted. And he wanted Genevieve to make him a concoction that would give him complete power over others, living or dead. He led Genevieve into a dance of love and manipulation. He convinced her that their union was destiny, that their love could bridge the gap between their worlds.”
”So, a vampire sought out a witch and seduced her for his own gain?” I open my mouth in mock surprise, not-so-subtly pointing out the parallels to our situation.
Drake frowns but doesn”t comment on it. ”Genevieve, ensnared by Theron”s false affections, poured her heart and magic into crafting a potion. It was a mixture of holy blood and her own blood, combined with many other things. A spell of dark magic.”
”And what did it do, exactly?”
”It”s meant to preserve and amplify supernatural properties in anyone who drinks it. Essentially, the vampire would have more power than any other being on the planet. With it, Theron could control the mind and actions of any creature he chose. He would have the ability to command humans and supernatural beings alike. He would be their master.”
”Why on Earth would she agree to make something like that?”
”Theron convinced her that they could use it to change things for the better. To make peace between vampires and witches. But in the end, Theron had a selfish motive. He wanted to control others.”
”Tell me she came to her senses,” Lola pleads. ”I mean, I know they say love makes you blind, but come on.”
”She did eventually catch on when someone in his clan came to her with the truth. But by the time she discovered his true intentions, he”d already tricked her into crafting the elixir. Before he could get his hands on it though, she locked it away in a box somewhere. Wherever she”s hidden it, it can only be accessed by a full-blooded witch of her lineage.”
”That”s where I come in. I guess.” I”m starting to wish I hadn”t read the diary. Knowing I”m descended from someone who fell in love with a vampire only to be tricked and humiliated isn”t exactly a fun piece of family history. And as I look at Drake and watch him stare into nothingness, I can”t help but wonder if he”s playing me too. I can”t deny that there”s something between us, some kind of chemical reaction that makes our bodies ache for each other. But maybe that”s part of his plan. He”s probably playing the same shit Theron played with my great-great-grandmother.
”Lola...” Drake”s voice pulls me back to reality, and I notice his hand hovering just above my leg like he wants to touch me but isn”t sure if he should. ”I understand this paints my kind and my family in a bad light, but you have to believe me when I say that I don”t want to control anyone. My goal is to keep this out of the hands of the people who would misuse it.”
I rub my hands over my thighs, trying to calm the nervous energy swirling in my gut. ”I don”t know, Drake. Forgive me for saying this, but it”s hard for me to trust you. The evidence I”ve seen so far is stacked against you guys. Your kind and witches have always been at each other”s throats. How can I know you aren”t using me like your ancestor used Genevieve?”
Drake squeezes his eyes shut and grimaces like my words have hurt him physically. ”I”m not going to lie and tell you I”ve never been selfish. I”m a vampire. It”s in my nature to take what I want. But you, Lola─” His gaze locks on mine, and his face softens as he exhales slowly. ”─I would never intentionally hurt you. That”s why I”m asking for your help to prevent something terrible from happening.”
I open my mouth to respond, but the intensity of his stare cuts off the words before they can leave my mouth. How can he be so convincing? I want to believe him, but it”s impossible for me to shake the doubt clouding my mind.
”Is there some clue as to where she hid this thing?” I ask, ignoring the burning uncertainty.
”As a matter of fact,” Drake says, standing up from the bed and disappearing into the closet again. ”Genevieve left a note on the last page of the diary. Read it for yourself.”
I grab the diary and skim the last page until my eyes settle on the second-to-last paragraph. A simple riddle, which tells me I”ve got my work cut out for me.
”The heart”s reflection in the moon”s embrace, where shadows whisper and secrets trace. Seek the roots of ancient kin, where blood and magic intertwine within.”
The lines read like a lyrical enigma, each word pregnant with meaning. I glance at Drake, who watches me intently, his blue eyes gleaming. ”Any thoughts?” he asks.
”The heart”s reflection in the moon”s embrace,” I murmur, repeating the first line. My mind races through possibilities. ”Maybe it”s a literal reflection, like a pool or a lake under the moonlight.”
Drake nods, his eyes fixed on mine as if searching for answers in the depths of my thoughts. ”Go on, Lola. Trust your instincts.”
”What”s a place where shadows whisper and secrets trace?” My voice trails off as I ponder the possibilities. ”Secrets... as in hidden passageways or caverns, or even gravesites. Do you happen to know where Genevieve is buried? Maybe it”s her tomb.”
He smirks at me. ”Why do you think I bought this old mansion in the middle of nowhere?”
”I just thought this was an old family estate,” I comment.
”No, I bought this a hundred years ago, when I found out this home belonged to your family once.”
”Class-A stalker, huh? You must be good to trace something like that back so far. All right, so what do you say we take a walk in the cemetery and look for Grannie”s grave?”
He stands and moves to the window, brushing the curtains aside to glance out the window, and there”s a hint of orange on the horizon. ”I”m not sure I could take another day in the sun. Yesterday was excruciating.”
”Maybe I could go out alone and see if I can figure anything out.”
”And let you go wandering around without knowing what”s out there?” he asks. ”Not a chance. We”ll go together at sundown.”
I”m not happy about waiting a whole day, but I”m tired too. I”ve been up all night reading and talking about all of this weird shit that”s still making me question my sanity. I need rest, and Drake probably does too.
”All right. I”ll go back to my room and let you sleep off your hangover. I”ll see you tonight.” I hop off the bed and move to leave, but Drake”s hand circles my wrist and stops me in my tracks.
”I”d feel much safer if you stayed in here with me. At least until the sun has fully risen and the rest of the clan is asleep.”
I purse my lips and eye him, considering the request. ”It”s that Adrian guy, isn”t it? You”re afraid he”s going to hurt me. Or worse. Why is he a part of your clan if you don”t trust him?”
Drake stands and drags his fingers along my jaw, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before resting his hand on my cheek. ”I couldn”t turn him away. His parents were dear friends, and they died trying to protect me many moons ago. I promised them I”d keep their son safe, and I always keep my word.” He emphasizes that last part with a hard stare, seeming to make sure I understood he would keep his word to protect me, too.
”All right,” I say finally, slipping out of his grasp and returning to his bed. ”I”ll stay. But only until the sun rises.”
He follows me and settles in on the other side of the bed, leaving a huge gap between us as if we haven”t already seen each other stark naked. I find that comforting, because even though my body wants him, my mind knows we need to keep our distance. If he touched me right now, I”d be powerless to resist him.