In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete Second Season: Episodes 6-10

by Rhiannon Frater

  "Over us you mean?" Tracy asked meaningfully.

  "No. I mean you." Armando tucked his hands into his coat pockets and regarded the four vampires with a coldness they were not used to. Zachery visibly shuddered while Angel took a step back. "Since I became aware of the threat against Roman I've been imbibing human blood. I’ve not been killing, but drinking from various...donors. I knew I had to be strong enough to defend Roman and his sisters."

  "But Lorelei killed Roman." Tracy gestured toward the study doors. "He's dead. How did drinking human blood help him?"

  Guilt reared its head, but Armando fought it into a retreat. He had to remain focused. "Sadly, I wasn't aware of the attack until it was too late. That will not be the case the next time."

  "The next time?" Zachary's freckled face paled even more. "You mean Lorelei is coming back?"

  A brief nod was Armando's answer.

  "So what are we going to do?" Angel asked.

  "I'd like for Roman's core group to stay here tonight. All the rest need to leave." Armando gestured toward the vampires clustered in the foyer at the end of the hall. "The core group is the one the old vampires will target first. Then, tomorrow night, we all leave Houston."

  "Bullshit," Ben exclaimed. "Bullshit!"

  Tracy was obviously in agreement. "You can't ask us to leave everything we built up here in Houston."

  Armando's golden gaze flicked from one face to the next. “Yes, I can. The purge is coming. The old vampires will kill all of us now."

  "How do you know they're not coming right now?" Angel folded his arms over his chest and glared at Armando.

  "Because this is how the purge works. They kill the leader first. That always sends the survivors into a panic. They quickly lose cohesion and scatter. It makes it far easier to kill off the vampires if they're not organized." Armando caught sight of Vanora's pale form moving around in the study and was briefly distracted. He wanted to usher her upstairs as soon as possible. It bothered him to see her covered in blood.

  "So...we're like a snake with its head cut off flopping around on the floor?" Tracy asked.

  "A chicken with its head cut off." Zachary frowned. "I like my head."

  "Roman was the head, Zachary," Ben said, sighing. "We're the flopping body."

  "Oh."

  "The older vampires are infused with human blood. They're more powerful than you are," Armando explained. "Far, far more powerful."

  "If we start drinking human blood, we can fight back, right?" The hardness in Tracy's eyes was fading. "Right?"

  "It would take you a few weeks to be at full power. The reason why you’ve been able to live the life Roman advocated is because you weakened yourself on animal blood. You lost most of the powers that would have been accessible if you'd been drinking human blood. The more human blood you drink, the more powerful you become, the more blood you must drink." Armando wearily ran his hand over his curls. "You were more human because the animal blood made you weaker. If you drink human blood, the temptation to lose your humanity grows much stronger."

  "Which is why we came to Roman," Angel said sorrowfully. "So we wouldn't be monsters."

  "So what do we do?" Tracy wrapped her arms around Ben's big forearm, leaning into him.

  "Stay here tonight. Tomorrow we leave." Armando lifted a shoulder. "It's all we can do."

  "I'll clear out the noobs." Zachary straightened his narrow shoulders and moved toward the crowd of vampires.

  "I'm going to take Vanora upstairs to get cleaned up. She's still covered in Roman's blood." Armando motioned to Ben and Tracy. "Do you mind helping Angel with security?"

  "We're on it." Ben gave Armando a curt nod.

  "What do we do for weapons?" Tracy asked.

  "Knives and stakes for now," Armando replied.

  Angel pulled a wicked-looking obsidian dagger from beneath his jacket. "I'm good."

  "Shouldn't we have been more prepared? Fully armed?" Tracy tilted her head and gave Armando a hard stare.

  "Yes, but Roman didn't believe in the threat." He didn't want to speak ill of the dead, but Roman's stubbornness still angered Armando. Of course, his inability to tell the whole truth due to Aeron's edict had contributed to Roman being doubtful. At least now that Lorelei's name was revealed and both Carlotta and Lorelei had spoken of their Master and the coming purge, Armando could at least discuss that much. He could still not speak of Aeron directly, but it was progress.

  "Roman was too good." Angel lowered his head in reverence. "He was the best of us."

  Ben and Tracy also inclined their heads.

  "I will come down and check on things once I know Vanora is all right." Armando slipped away before there were any more questions.

  Inside the study Alisha was sweeping up the last of Roman's remains with Alexander's help. The artist was meticulous in trying to save every last mote. The sprouted rose stake sat on Roman's desk, lethal and cruel in its beauty. Vanora lingered near the desk studying it.

  "Can we burn it?" she asked Armando when he drew near.

  "Yes."

  "Should we?" Vanora angled her head to gaze up at him. "Or should we make more stakes out of it to kill our enemies?"

  The vampire was briefly taken aback by the brief spark of anger he saw in her eyes, but that reaction was swiftly replaced with pride. The beautiful woman he loved was much stronger than she appeared to be. Then her lavender eyes filled with sorrow and the look upon her face became tormented as she watched Alisha.

  "I don't want him to be dead," she whispered. "I want to wake up and find him and Rhonda alive."

  Daring to slip an arm around her shoulders, Armando inclined his head. "I know, Vanora. Let's go upstairs so you can..." He reached toward the blood caking on her hands.

  "No, don't!" She jerked her hands away. "It's his blood. I don't want you taking it."

  Armando was aware that everyone in the room was observing their interaction. In his periphery he saw Zachary escorting the last of the vampires out of the room leaving Sheila, Alisha and Alexander.

  "I don't have any desire to do that, Vanora, but you can't leave his blood on your hands forever. Can you?"

  Vanora blinked, tears abruptly filling her eyes. "It’s all I have left of him."

  Armando motioned toward the ornate box that now held her brother's ashes. "Roman wouldn't want you clinging to his blood. He'd want you to cling to your love for him and his love for you. Am I right?"

  Vanora's lavender gaze shifted to her sister. The connection between the two sisters was a tangible thread in the air. Armando silently pleaded with Alisha for her help.

  Holding the box that contained her brother's ashes tenderly in her arms, Alisha gave Vanora a sad smile. "You know Armando is right, Vanora. Roman would order you upstairs to get washed up."

  Shoulders sagging, Vanora relented. "Fine."

  Careful not to touch any place where Roman's blood still lingered on her clothing or skin, Armando gently guided her toward the door.

  "Armando, stay with her," Alisha said in a tone that sounded very much like Roman's. "I don't want her alone with Lorelei on the prowl."

  Regarding Alisha thoughtfully, Armando noted that despite the anxiety and sadness in her eyes Alisha's stance was one of courage and dignity. Had Roman's blood imbued her with some of his traits, or was it a Socoli trait to be strong in the face of adversity?

  "I'll stay with her," Armando answered finally, then slightly inclined his head to Alisha.

  She gave him a tight, sorrowful smile that was reminiscent of Roman.

  It both reassured and frightened him.

  Without Roman's presence, the mansion felt like an extension of the mausoleum that haunted her dreams. The lights barely constrained the gloom that was thick with menace. The vampire beside her didn't appear to take note of the threat she perceived, so it was possible it was just her imagination getting the best of her.

  “She can get in, can’t she?” Vanora warily glanced toward a darkened doorway belonging to a gue
st room.

  There was a hesitant silence, then Armando said, “I'm not certain. Magic is complicated.”

  “Roman invited her in.”

  “It doesn’t matter if he did or not. Vampires can enter the haven of other vampires without invitation.”

  Stopping abruptly, Vanora whirled toward Armando. “So you could have come into our house that first night?”

  “Yes, but I waited for your brother’s invitation out of respect.”

  “But I live here. I'm human.” Or was she? Vanora thought about how she had repelled Lorelei. Could a human do that? The answer was obvious, but to accept that she was something other than human frightened her.

  “The house is technically the haven of your sister and brother. You don't inherit the house until Alisha is...”

  “Dead.” Vanora fought to keep the tears that brimmed at the terrible thought from slipping free.

  Armando regarded her solemnly. “Exactly.”

  “You said you're not certain though.”

  “You're now living here, so maybe the supernatural laws that are imposed on the vampires will acknowledge that fact. Maybe they won't be able to enter.”

  “Maybe?”

  “Maybe.” Armando sighed. “I'm not certain.”

  Vanora wearily continued to walk in the direction of her room. Shaking her head with annoyance, she said, “Is there a book somewhere that explains all of this?”

  “Yes, but the person who possesses it is not someone you'd ever wish to meet.”

  “Of course. Nothing is simple is it?”

  “No. It's not.”

  Vanora hesitated at the door to her bedroom, not wanting to use her blood smeared hands to open it. Recognizing this fact, Armando turned the knob and pressed open the door. Slipping inside, he flipped on the lights and searched through the room while she waited in the doorway. Vanora glanced toward the large window at the end of the hall. The night loomed beyond the glass panes and she shuddered. When she returned to observing Armando’s search, he was checking the closet.

  “Check under the bed. Vampires tend to hang out there.”

  Armando gave her a short, wry smile, but obeyed. “It’s fine in here. Come in and shut the door. I’ll check the bathroom.” After a swift search, Armando summoned her into the bathroom with the flick of his hand. “It’s clear.”

  Vanora stepped into the bathroom and stood waiting for him to leave. Without her instruction, he turned on the shower, then stood awkwardly in the center of the room. His golden eyes settled on her and he exhaled slowly while sweeping his hands through his hair. “You should shower now.”

  Vanora leaned her hip against the counter and ignored the mirror behind her. She didn't want to see herself covered in her brother's blood. She gestured toward the bedroom. Vanora wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She waved her hand, dismissing him. “I’d like a little privacy. If anything happens, I'll scream.”

  “I'm leaving the door open,” Armando answered briskly before brushing past her.

  “Fine. Whatever.”

  With a weary shake of his head, Armando stepped out.

  Swallowing the threat of tears, she refused to cry. To mourn Roman meant he was truly gone. Undressing, she flinched as the blood-soaked garments clung wetly to her skin. She had to peel off her tights, the material rasping as the drying blood flaked off to spot the floor. That sight finally loosed the torrent of her emotions.

  Sobbing, she was blinded by her tears. She started to wipe at her wet face with her hands, but realized she would only smear Roman's blood over her face. Flexing her fingers, she whimpered. When she’d been downstairs, she hadn't wanted to wash away the blood, but now she was desperate to do so. A swift kick sent her pile of clothes into one corner. She stepped into the hot stream and cried as the water around her feet became red.

  Roman's blood.

  Laying her hands on the warming tiles of the shower, Vanora wept. She mourned not only for her brother's second death, but the first. Since the night the vampire had killed Roman, their lives had never been the same no matter how hard Roman had strove to make it so. Death had come into their lives and had never left. Rhonda was gone. Roman was gone. And Vanora knew that soon Death would return again for those she loved. Lorelei would come again for Alisha and the others, and Vanora couldn't stand the thought of losing her sister.

  In the wake of Roman’s death, Vanora now fully understood that Alisha was trapped forever in a world of violence and blood from which there was no escape. Alisha had tried for years to not be entangled in the reality of her new nature for Vanora's sake, but it had finally overwhelmed her that Halloween night. Tonight, her sister had absorbed Roman's blood and power because she'd had no choice. The legacy of blood and death lived on in their family.

  No matter how hard Vanora tried to deny it, she, too, existed in this world of endless darkness and death. She was tainted with this knowledge. It had cast a shadow over her life in Austin, preventing her from finding true happiness. Though her mother in her visions had urged her to escape fate, Vanora wondered if it was even possible.

  The darkness was swallowing her whole.

  Vanora felt as though she were dying and yet being reborn all at the same time. The mortal girl who had tried so hard to live a normal life was slipping away. Maybe that version of herself had been just a guise to hide away her true self. Rhonda had been her anchor to the mortal world and now she was gone. With Roman dead, there was no one to stop her from falling into the darkness and being consumed. Even in her dreams, Armando wasn’t her savior, but her killer.

  The water streaming from her white-blond hair was pink. There was blood in her hair.

  The last vestiges of shock gave way beneath the onslaught of her grief. Vanora had felt removed from all the events of the evening, detached from the physical world. No longer was that the case. The terror of the nigh flooded in on her and overwhelmed her senses. She was acutely aware of the coppery smell of blood on her hands as she covered her face to shield it from the almost too-hot water.

  The ragged cry that bellowed out of her was filled with rage and despair.

  Collapsing against the wall, her fingers scrubbed at her white hair. Long threads of pink ran free of the wet tresses. Vanora reached for the shampoo, but her knees buckled and she dropped heavily to the bottom of the shower.

  A second later Armando was next her. The hot spray billowed around them as Armando kneeled at her side. The water instantly soaked his dark hair and clothing, but he didn't take notice.

  “Vanora?”

  “I can't get his blood out of my hair,” Vanora wailed, daring to look up at the vampire.

  In silence, Armando plucked the shampoo from the recessed shelf. He poured some onto his hands and gently started to wash her hair.

  Sniffling, Vanora drew her legs up to her chest to rest her cheek against her knees. “You're getting wet.”

  “It's fine.” Armando's elegant hands deftly massaged the shampoo into her hair.

  Now that the dam had broken and unleashed her tears, she felt as though she would never stop. She mourned not only her brother, but Rhonda. If only she could have saved them somehow.

  “It’s out now.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I'm sure.” Armando tenderly wrapped one arm around her and raised her to her feet. Holding her against him, he rinsed the last of the shampoo from her hair.

  Vanora dared to look at her body and was relieved to see that the water was now running clear and her white skin was no longer stained red.

  The vampire cut off the water and helped her step out of the steamy shower and into the cold air of the bathroom. Instantly, she began to shiver. Armando lifted her onto the counter and perched her there while he grabbed towels and wrapped them around her. Throughout, Vanora sobbed, unable to stop.

  “You're so cold,” he said worriedly.

  Vanora couldn't think of an answer, so she merely shrugged. Her fingers quivered against her collarbone as s
he sought out her cross. With a tenderness that Vanora should have expected from him, Armando towel dried her hair. She could see the concern in his golden eyes, but he remained silent. It was as if he knew she couldn't stand to talk about what had occurred. When he finished, he found her bathrobe on the hook behind the door and helped her into it. The soft terry cloth felt good against her cold skin.

  “I think you should lay down for a little bit,” he said at last. “You look far too pale.”

  “I am albino.” The hitches in her voice made it difficult to speak.

  “Your heart is racing,” he said, averting his eyes. “Your eyes are still a little glassy.”

  “Oh.”

  “Can you walk on your own?”

  Vanora nodded. Sliding off the counter, she was hit with a wave of nausea. She gripped his wet shirt to keep from falling. “Or maybe not.”

  Armando guided her into the bedroom and to her bed. His hair was dripping water onto the floor and his soaked clothes clung to his body. Vanora felt a pang of guilt that he had to come to her rescue, but she was also grateful. He helped her under the covers and pulled blankets on her. Crouching beside the bed, he gripped her hand in his. The gentle kisses he pressed to her fingers were sweet and soothing.

  His amber eyes holding her gaze, he said, “I'm sorry about Roman.”

  “He was going to leave. Tonight. He said so. Then she showed up.” The tightness of her throat made it hard to speak and her voice came out in small breathy increments.

  Closing his eyes, Armando pressed his forehead to her hand. “You always had a special way with him. I knew you would get him to listen to reason. I just didn't realize it was too late. He loved you so much.”

  It hurt to hear the words, but Vanora knew they were true. So much was lost now. She wished fervently she had never left home. Maybe it wouldn't have changed Roman's fate, but she would have had more precious moments with him.

  The sound of raised voices in the hallway drew their attention. Armando immediately rose to his feet just as Vanora recognized the noise was Sheila and Alisha arguing.