Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sage has been shut in the library for hours, pouring over books, journals, and scribbling notes. Lola is sleeping soundly beside me, the steady rise and fall of her chest soothing me. Anytime I”ve tried to touch the vial, the earth shakes and things begin to break, like it”s protecting itself from me. We need answers, and Sage is our best bet at getting them.
”This doesn”t make any sense,” Marina says, pacing the floor. ”Why would the blood react like that?”
”There must be something we”re missing,” Simon comments.
I lean back in my chair, rubbing my temples in frustration. ”I”ve been trying to figure that out for the last few hours. But I”ve come up with nothing.”
”Maybe we”re thinking about this the wrong way,” Marlon suggests. ”After what Theron did to Genevieve, she must”ve hated vampires. Maybe the blood is trying to keep it out of our hands. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.”
Sage clears her throat, stepping out of the library. I gently nudge Lola, waking her up, and she stretches before straightening herself. She looks exhausted, like she hasn”t slept in days.
”I may have some answers for you,” Sage says, sitting down across from us. ”But I”m afraid you”re not going to like them.”
”At this point, I”ll take anything,” I reply. ”What did you find?”
Sage takes a deep breath, placing her hands flat on the table. ”Genevieve did not hate all vampires. What Theron did to her was deplorable, but she didn”t discount your entire race because of it. But she was still cautious. She wanted to make sure the blood would get to the right person. That”s why she left the journal for Lola, and why she cast the protection spell over the vial. It”s not just Lola who was destined to find it, it”s Lola who must drink it.”
”What?” Lola asks, scrunching up her nose. ”I don”t understand.”
Sage nods. ”It”s true. The blood is meant for you. You”re the only one who has the ability to wield its power.”
”But I”m not a vampire,” Lola points out. ”I don”t drink blood. I”m a witch. I cast spells and shit, well, I”m still learning that part, but I don”t drink blood.”
”Which is why it won”t work,” Sage states.
”So, it”s useless?” Simon says with a snort.
”Not exactly,” Sage clarifies. ”The blood won”t work if you”re a witch. The vampire blood needs to be fully integrated into your system, and the only way to do that is to turn you. Once you”re both vampire and witch, you can drink the blood, and the power will be yours.”
I can”t believe what I”m hearing. We”ve been searching for the source of the power for so long. The plan has always been that I would drink it and become more powerful than any vampire has ever been. But now, the plan has changed. Now, everything hinges on Lola becoming a vampire, and that”s not something I could ever ask of her.
”You don”t have to do this,” I tell her, taking her hand in mine. ”There has to be another way.”
Marina nods along with me. ”Yeah, Lola, that”s a huge ask. You don”t have to sacrifice your life for our cause.”
”I”m going to be honest,” Lola starts, ”the idea of becoming a vampire isn”t what scares the shit out of me. In fact, I”d be lying if I said the thought hasn”t crossed my mind to ask Drake to turn me. But I don”t want power like that. I never have. I don”t care about being special or important. All I”ve ever wanted was to find a place where I belong. And I think I”ve finally found that.”
”You have,” Marlon assures her. ”This is your home, Lola.”
Lola swallows hard. ”If I do this, if I let Drake turn me and drink it, doesn”t that mean I”m in charge of all vampires?”
I nod. ”It”s true. As a vampire witch, you”ll be more powerful than any other vampire. Add in the magic that”s in this concoction, and you”ll be unstoppable.”
”And I don”t know how to handle that kind of power. I don”t even want it. What if I screw things up even more?”
I bite my lip, considering her words. It”s a lot to take in, and the implications are staggering. Lola becoming a vampire... it”s not something I ever imagined. But if it”s what Genevieve intended, then maybe it”s what needs to happen.
”You won”t,” Sage says, placing her hand over Lola”s. ”You are more capable than you realize, and you have an entire clan behind you, cheering you on and helping you every step of the way. Besides, you have Drake. He will never let anything happen to you. Isn”t that right?”
”Of course,” I reply, taking her other hand in mine. ”I”ll be by your side every moment, making sure you”re safe and cared for. You”ll never be alone. Not ever.”
”And you can count me in on that lovefest, too” Marina teases. ”You”re my sister now. There”s no way I”m letting anything happen to you.”
”You”re making me feel a little left out,” Marlon jokes.
”Me, too,” Simon adds.
Sage smiles warmly at the rest of the clan. ”We all have your back, Lola. And we always will.”
I can see the tears welling up in Lola”s eyes, and my heart swells with pride. She deserves to be loved and cherished. To know that she is part of a family and will never be alone again.
And the selfish part in me loves that she will be mine forever. My mate. My love. The one I will spend eternity with. I”ve walked alone for so long, and I am ready to share my life with someone. With her. Together, we can change the world for the better. We can create a better future for everyone. Vampires, humans, and witches.
”Have you ever turned someone before?” Lola asks, her voice trembling a bit.
I give a curt nod. ”I have. Though, it”s been quite some time. But don”t worry, I”ll make sure it”s as painless as possible.”
”Will it hurt?”
”Only for a moment,” I assure her. ”Once the blood enters your system, the transformation will begin. Your body will be changed, your senses heightened, and you”ll crave blood. It”ll be abrupt and jarring, but it will subside.”
”And I”ll still be able to practice magic?”
”Yes, the blood will enhance your abilities, not diminish them.”
She lets out a shaky breath, her hands trembling. ”Okay. I can do this. I”ve been through worse. Right?”
”You”ve got this, girl,” Marina says, giving her a reassuring smile.
”We believe in you,” Simon adds.
”You”re the strongest person I know,” Marlon says. ”Well, besides myself, of course.”
Lola laughs, wiping away the tears that have begun to fall down her cheeks. ”Thank you, guys. I don”t know what I”d do without you.”
Marina winks at her. ”I think we all know that would never happen. Now, let”s get you turned into a vampire.”
”She has to be rested,” Sage points out, dampening the mood a bit. ”It”s a very intense process, and she needs to be at her best. For now, let”s let her sleep.”
”You”re right,” I agree, wrapping my arm around Lola”s shoulder. ”We”ll reconvene in the morning and begin preparations. In the meantime, get some rest.”
Everyone nods in agreement and disperses throughout the house, leaving me and Lola alone. As soon as they”re gone, I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to the bedroom, gently laying her down on the bed.
”You don”t have to do this,” I tell her, brushing the hair off her face. ”Not if you don”t want to.”
”I want to,” she assures me. ”But I”m scared. What if I can”t handle it? What if I turn into some kind of monster, like Adrian?”
I shake my head, smiling down at her. ”You won”t. You”re too good, too pure. You could never be a monster.”
”I hope you”re right.” She reaches up and cups my cheek. ”Thank you for everything.”
I lean down and capture her lips in a passionate kiss, trying to convey all the emotions I”m feeling through our connection. When we finally pull apart, I rest my forehead against hers, my heart pounding in my chest. It takes everything in me to walk away from her, but I know we both need time to process what”s about to happen.
”Get some rest,” I say, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. ”Tomorrow is a big day.”
She nods, snuggling deeper into the blankets. ”I love you, Drake.”
My breath catches in my throat, and I have to fight the urge to cry. ”I love you too, Lola.”
I close the door behind me, and the moment I”m alone, I collapse to the ground, letting out a strangled sob. I”ve waited so long to hear those words from someone, anyone. To feel them in my very soul, and now that I have, it”s almost too much. Too much happiness, too much love. I feel like I might burst.
After a few minutes, I gather myself and stand up, making my way to the kitchen. I need something to keep my mind occupied, so I start cleaning. I wipe down the counters, sweep the floor, and organize the cabinets. Anything to keep me from thinking about what”s coming.
As I”m washing the last of the dishes, Marlon comes into the room. ”Hey, man, you okay?” he asks, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water.
”I”m fine,” I reply, wiping my hands on a towel. ”Just trying to keep busy.”
He takes a sip of water and leans against the counter, watching me. ”Are you sure you”re okay with this? With Lola becoming a vampire?”
I nod, not looking up from the sink. ”It”s a bit weird to think about, but I”m okay. As long as she”s happy, that”s all that matters to me.”
Marlon raises an eyebrow. ”It”s a bit weird seeing you like this, you know. Being all soft and shit.”
I finally look up at him, and I can”t help but laugh. ”Yeah, I guess it is.”
”But it”s a good look on you,” Marlon continues, grinning. ”You deserve to be happy, Drake. You”ve sacrificed so much for so long, it”s about time you got a break.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. ”I just never thought it would happen. Not like this.”
”I know,” he says, putting his hand on my shoulder. ”But it has, and you should embrace it. Embrace her.”
”I will,” I promise. ”I just need some time to process everything.”
Marlon nods in understanding. ”Well, if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me.”
”Thanks, man.”
I give him a grateful smile and finish drying the dishes. He gives my shoulder another pat before leaving the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. My mind is racing, and my heart is pounding. This is the beginning of a new era for vampires, and I have to be ready to lead us into it. But first, I have to make sure Lola is taken care of. That she knows how much I love her, and how much I want her to be a part of my life.
As soon as I”m done cleaning the kitchen, I head back to the bedroom. Lola is curled up on the bed, fast asleep. I sit down on the edge of the bed and watch her for a moment, taking in her beauty. Her long, blonde hair, her full lips, her soft skin. She”s absolutely perfect.
I carefully slide under the covers next to her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close. She lets out a soft sigh and nuzzles against me, and my lips pull themselves into a smile. She”s so peaceful, so content. I can”t believe I almost lost her. That I almost lost this.