Chapter Eighteen
The next morning, something tickled over her cheek, drawing her from sleep. Adalyn opened her eyes and saw Gareth smiling down at her. He had his head propped up with one hand while he grazed her skin lightly with his knuckles.
“Good morning,” he murmured.
“Morning.” She stretched. “When do your sessions start?”
“Soon. How do you feel?”
She thought about it and held up the hand that had been cut. “Great. I don’t have any pain.”
“Good.” He pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “I’ve been thinking. I need to tell the king about Elgene.”
Adalyn frowned. “It’s going to be a ‘she said, she said’ thing. I don’t want to cause a rift between anyone. It’s best to just ignore her.”
“She tried to hurt you. She could try again.”
“I’ll keep Gabi with me.”
“Obsidian North should be the one place you’d be safest.”
“I called her out,” she said. “Told her if she messes with me again, I’ll beat her up.”
He grinned. “I’m sure that went over well. Just be careful around her.”
“I will, but this is something that needs to be addressed in house. She only wants to stir up trouble.”
“But if she does anything else, I tell King Zadicus. Deal?”
“Deal.”
He sealed their agreement with a kiss. Emotions sluiced through her and love swelled in her heart. This world hadn’t been the one she’d been searching for, but now, she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Marilisa had been right. One door closed, and she’d found a new one to walk through.
****
Once Gareth left, Adalyn took a shower and dressed in lounge pants and a t-shirt. She had no plans to leave the spacious apartment, instead focusing on relaxing and preparing for the night’s dinner.
“Adalyn!” Gabi cried, bursting into the room
The fear in her voice had Adalyn jumping out of the chair to grab her arms. “What, Gabi? What’s wrong?”
Panting, she placed a hand over her heart. “I overheard her.”
“Overheard who?”
“That woman. The nasty one who pushed you.”
“Elgene?”
Gabi nodded.
“What did you overhear?”
“I was in the kitchen, fixing myself some lunch, and I heard your name. So, I stepped behind this large plant and listened. I was able to see her through the leaves, talking to some other thralls, and she said that if she couldn’t have Lord Huntley, no one could.”
A chill went down her spine as she remembered the encounter from the previous night, and the words she had taunted Elgene with.
“She’s going to hurt him,” she mumbled to herself.
“Him?” Gabi shook her head. “I thought she was talking about you.”
“No. Last night I taunted her. Told her he’s mine. That threat was against him, not me.” Her mind whirled trying to dissect Elgene’s words. “But when? And where?”
“She’s crazy, Adalyn,” Gabi said and the fear in her voice was palpable.
Would Elgene do something rash? It was hard to hurt a vampire, but it could be done.
Their bodies regenerated but if the damage was too severe, they could and would die.
Fear flooded through her. No. No way would she allow this to happen again.
She refused to let anything else happen to Gareth or her new family.
Suddenly, a loud bell began to ring. Adalyn jumped from the shock. “What’s that?”
Gabi paled. “Fire warning. We have to leave.”
Adalyn knew, deep in her gut, this was Elgene’s plan. Division and confusion.
“Where is Gareth now?”
“They were in session.”
“Okay. Get to safety.”
“What about you?”
“I have to find him. Where are the sessions held?”
“First floor.”
“All right. Stay here. If something happens to me, tell him where I’m at and what Elgene said. Okay?”
“Okay,” Gabi whispered, clearly upset. “Please. Be safe.”
Adalyn hugged her. “It’s going to be okay, Gabi.”
There wasn’t any smoke, so she felt safe enough to use the elevator.
The entire castle was so huge there were multiple levels to travel down.
As she waited for the car, she couldn’t help but tap her leg, her anxiety rising with each second.
Once she reached the bottom ground, she stepped into a hazy cloud of smoke.
“You have to exit this way, miss.”
She spun. A man wearing the palace’s crest on his upper right side told her he worked there.
“Could you please tell me where everyone convenes for the first session?”
“There is a fire detected. You must—”
“Tell me!” she yelled. “I must find Lord Huntley. He’s in trouble.”
His brow creased. “Um...”
“Please, otherwise I’m running blindly.”
He pointed. “Down this hallway, all the way to the end. Make a right. But they might have exited through the courtyard. You can’t miss it.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Adalyn took off following the directions, all the while telling herself she probably was making a mountain out of a molehill.
The little voice in her head, however, was sounding the alarm.
She picked up speed, feeling something horrible settle in the pit of her stomach.
She passed vampires but didn’t see Gareth.
“Miss Adalyn? What are you doing here? There’s a fire.”
She stopped and turned. This was Elgene’s vampire, and it sent a chill down her spine.
“Lord Latterly,” he supplied.
“Right,” she said. “Have you seen Gareth? I mean, Lord Huntley?”
“I thought he received a missive from you.”
Warning bells went off. She shook her head frantically. “Did he say where he was going? Or did you see where he went?”
He studied her. “What’s wrong?”
“I just need to know where he went. Please.”
He jutted his chin in one direction. “Gallery. Looking for you.”
“Where is that?”
“I’ll take you,” he said.
“Okay, but please, we need to hurry.”
Whether or not it was the urgent look on her face, he seemed to understand.
Back through the smoke, until she saw the entrance to the gallery.
And as soon as she stepped into the doorway her eyes widened.
There were statues galore, all depicting famous vampires through history.
Some from the parliament session were inside, talking to one another.
Forgetting Lord Latterly was with her, she rushed forward, going around displays and talking vampires, hoping this was the right place.
She saw Gareth so she hurried toward him, but as she got closer, she spotted Elgene slinking around a large statue of some naked vampire, ala Michelangelo’s David. Clutched in her hand was a knife.
“Adalyn?” he called out.
She took a step toward him and he smiled when he spotted her. It was obvious that he didn’t see Elgene. A well-placed knife wound could kill him, no matter how quickly he healed, and she wouldn’t—couldn’t—allow that.
“Elgene, stop!”
Adalyn ran as fast as she could, making a beeline to stop Elgene. The woman stepped behind Gareth and brought the knife up. Just as he turned, Elgene thrust the knife toward him, and Adalyn jumped between it and Gareth.
Pain engulfed her as the blade sank into her chest.
She stared into Elgene’s pissed off face. Everything went silent. The knife was retracted, and she vaguely saw Lord Latterly grab Elgene and yank her away. Gareth caught her and lowered her to the ground.
“Adalyn? There’s too much blood. Get a medic in here!” He cradled her. “What did you do, Adalyn?”
She smiled at him. “It’s okay, I don’t feel it. I don’t feel ... much.”
“Stay with me.”
Her thoughts spiraled and she silently doubted that the medic would arrive in time. She didn’t mind dying, as long as Gareth was safe. Time meant nothing. Hands moved her, and the smoke thinned until light forced her eyelids open.
“She’ll be okay with a transfusion of your blood.”
Gareth immediately stuck his arm out. “Do it! Now!”
“You know I need permission,” the medic said.
“Damn it, she’s dying.”
Still, the medic hesitated. “She doesn’t need a lot. Maybe only a pint, it won’t turn her, but it will make her a dhampir.”
“You have my permission,” came a new voice.
The conversation was hard to follow. Adalyn vaguely recognized that King Zadicus spoke. Then she must have blacked out because the next thing she knew, she was in her bedroom and Gareth sat in a chair next to her. Her eyes fluttered open, and he grabbed her hand.
“Adalyn?”
She turned her head, but it felt sluggish. “W-what happened?”
“You silly girl,” he said softly, brushing her hair off her forehead. “Why did you do that?”
“I can’t live without you,” she murmured sleepily. “I wasn’t going to allow her to take you away from me.”
“She probably wouldn’t have struck any of my vital organs.”
“But it might have.” She blinked, trying to stay awake. “I’m so tired. Why am I tired? Did I die?”
“Shush,” he gently admonished. “No, you’re not dead. I wouldn’t allow that to happen. Your body is adjusting to the large amount of blood I transfused for you.”
That intrigued her. “How large?”
“Enough to change you somewhat, but you got it in enough time for your wound to heal.”
“Changed how?”
“Have you ever heard of a dhampir?”
She tried to think but couldn’t concentrate. “I think so. From my lessons with Marm Scarlet. I’m not fully human anymore. Right?”
“Half human, half vampire,” he replied.
“I’m immortal?” she teased.
“Only in my heart,” he said, smiling. “The effects will last about sixty years, maybe longer, then it’ll taper off.”
“I’ll be with you longer? Win, win situation.”
He leaned forward and kissed her on her lips. “I love you, Adalyn.”
Her breath caught. “You love me?”
“I do. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you in that cage. I knew you were mine, and everything you’ve done has only made me love you more. You are kind. And gentle. And selfless. And you’d risk your life to save a vampire. How could I not love you?”
“I love you, too.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Don’t ever jump in front of a knife again. I don’t want to live without you either.”
She basked in his love. “What happened to Elgene?”
“There was no fire. She created the smoke to get me isolated. The king has sentenced her to death.”
“She pushed me the day I scraped my palms.”
“I don’t want her name to leave your lips ever again.”
“I want to talk to her.”
“What? Absolutely not. She tried to take you away from me.”
“She needs to know visually that she failed to kill me.”
“Adalyn—”
“Please. It’s important to me.”
His jaw tensed, but after a moment, nodded. “I’ll make arrangements.”
She held out her hand to him. Gareth rose and settled on the bed, wrapping her in his arms as she laid her head on his chest.
“Don’t ever scare me again,” he grumbled.
“I promise.”