How little I could do.
“Sir, sir.” In the corner of my eye, I witnessed a policeman approach me, sweat shining on his bald head. “You can’t be here. Please remove your car and yourself to a safe distance.”
I ignored him and skirted past the bright yellow barricade, unable to look away from the fiery sight.
The fire had consumed the top floors of the building, and the firefighters were concentrating on the buildings on other sides, as though they had given up on saving the Hart residence.
“Sir!”
A hand wrapped around my wrist.
It was nothing more than a mild annoyance, the equivalent of a fly landing on my face.
“Sir, you cannot—”
His words ended in a strangled gasp as I smashed an elbow into his prodigious gut.
Ribs broke.
But he would live.
The important thing was, he had let go and the other officers were keeping a wary distance from me.
Albeit with their guns in their hands.
And with the safeties off.
I didn’t have time for this crap.
Eloise was waiting for me.
I had to get to her!
Someone fired their gun.
Instinctively, I ducked my head to one side, and the bullet whistled by my ear.
I quickened my pace.
Two, three, four more shots rang out.
Two bullets found their way into my shoulder and thigh, but I hardly felt them.
I sprinted up the driveway, but the heat emanating from the shattered front doors kept me at bay.
The sound of crashing rafters echoed in my head as I skirted around the building, avoiding the powerful streams of water from the hydrants as the firefighters fought to keep the blaze contained.
The smell of my hair burning laid heavy in the back of my nose as I vaulted over the wrought-iron fence surrounding the Hart’s vast gardens.
There had to be another way in.
Damn it, where the hell were they?
Then I saw them, the pair of them standing at a safe distance from the blaze, underneath a wilting tree.
Evangeline was dressed in black, smiling widely, as she watched me approach.
In her arms was Eloise, in a no-longer white silky nightgown, Evangeline’s elbow wrapped around her neck.
Twin paths of moisture shone on her face, but she maintained a brave composure.
She didn’t cry out for me.
She simply waited.
As though she knew I would come all along.
“Took you long enough!” shouted Evangeline over the roar of the fire.
I stopped ten feet from them, my back to the searing fire that was probably going to light my clothes on fire.
But that didn’t matter.
As long as Evangeline died before me, I didn’t care what the hell happened to me.
I stared at Eloise, outwardly calm, but on the inside, my emotions were in a turmoil, barely able to see straight through an unspeakable rage.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I tried to get here as soon as I could.”
She nodded slowly, hands clenched into fists at her side. “I know.”
Evangeline’s arm tightened around her neck, cutting off her air.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t go ignoring me, you lovebirds,” she drawled, her eyes large and almost entirely black.
She was in a killing mood.
Which was good, because so was I.
Eloise let out a choking sound, her fingers scrabbling at Evangeline’s leather-covered arm.
“Let her go, Evangeline.” I took another step forward and opened my arms out wide. “You wanted me. You have me.”
The bitch tilted her head to one side. “Yeah, I don’t think I ever agreed to let her go if you came. But I do want to see the look on your face when I kill this dumb mortal.”
The bottom dropped out of my stomach and I took a deep breath of the hot air, fighting to stay collected.
I couldn’t afford to lose control.
Eloise’s life depended on it.
“Jardin withdrew his patronage,” I said carefully, slowly. “You are no longer under his protection, Evangeline.”
Her arm loosened, and Eloise drew in an explosive breath.
Meanwhile, Evangeline stared at me, her mouth hanging open, eyes wide.
Clearly, my news had shocked her.
“But… I thought… I thought he would…”
A minuscule part of me began to pity her.
What must it be like, in that dark, twisted mind of hers?
Craving love and acceptance, not sure of where to find it?
I chanced taking another step forward, holding my hands out to the two women.
As much as I wanted to hurt Evangeline for committing such horrible acts, if there was some way to extricate Eloise out of this situation through non-violent means, then I’d try it.
Eloise tried to wriggle out from under the vampire’s arm, but to no avail as Evangeline merely stared at me, a blank, empty look on her pallid face.
“Evangeline, please.” I licked my dry lips. “Let her go. You don’t owe Jardin allegiance anymore. Hurting Eloise won’t bring you back into his fold. He told me I could do anything I wanted to you, that I could kill you if I so chose. I would rather not.”
Her lower lip quivered. “But I served him faithfully for more than a century. How could he—” Her voice cracked. “Everything I have ever done, I did it for him, to advance his position in this human world. How could he just abandon me like this?”
I took another step forward.
Only five more steps.
I could smell the two now. Evangeline smelled like blood, while Eloise smelled like flowers and vanilla. An odd combination of scents, to say the least.
“I’m begging you,” I said. “Let Eloise go. Her death won’t improve anything.”
“Maybe not.”
Evangeline lifted her head.
A wide smile spread on her bright red lips.
My mouth went dry as I realized the last five minutes were nothing but an act, a way for her to catch me off-guard.
“But gosh, won’t it be fun to kill her while you watch?”
Damn it!
“Evangeline, no!”
Her fangs came out, sharp and white, as her head darted forward, intending to rip out Eloise’s neck.
What she didn’t intend was Eloise’s sharp snap of her head smashing into the side of the vampire’s face.
I heard the crack, could only imagine the pain Eloise was feeling.
But she had stopped Evangeline’s attack.
One chance.
She had given me one chance.
It was the only chance I required.
As Evangeline reared back, a hand up to her temple, probably more surprised than actually hurt, I moved.
Close enough to snatch Eloise from her grasp and push her behind me.
Evangeline needed a brief moment to regain her equilibrium, to go on the attack.
But in that brief moment, I buried my hand knuckle-deep underneath her rib cage.
Adrenaline ran like lightning through my veins, hot and throbbing.
Evangeline’s fingers clawed through my coat, sinking deep through the skin and into the muscles.
The pain was hardly noticeable.
I could feel her heart nudging against my fingertips.
Blood slipped from the corner of her lips.
“I’m—” she gurgled.
I forced my hand in deeper, felt a rib break in the wake of my intrusion.
She convulsed in my arms.
Her heart was in my hand now.
Her eyes were wide and round, rounder than the full moon overhead.
“May you find peace,” I whispered.
I squeezed.
And I didn’t stop squeezing until her body stopped moving, until she drew her final breath, until her eyes closed for the last time.
With a mac
abre crunch, I pulled my hand free from the tight cavity of her chest, her heart still clenched between my fingers.
I couldn’t risk her coming back to life.
Evil like Evangeline could not be allowed to roam this world.
As the vampire’s body fell heavily to the ground, I turned around and pitched the heart directly into the blaze.
It was the best I could do for her.
Eloise crashed into me, her arms wrapping around my back.
“Arden,” she whispered, face pressed into my back. “I was so scared. But I knew you’d come for me. I knew it.”
Slowly, we descended to the ground, neither of us able to look away from the fiery destruction.
Tears began to roll down her face.
Feeling powerless and utterly impotent, I held her close and swiped the tears away with my thumb.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m so sorry, my love.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “It’s a stupid thing, really. Books can be replaced. I should be so glad I’m alive, that you’re alive, but I just…”
And as she slowly but surely succumbed to her sorrow, it was all I could do was hold her and wait for the sun.
Twenty-One
Eloise
The sun felt so good on my fingers as I held them out of the car window, letting them ride the waves of the wind as we rode down the streets. Next to me, Arden slipped his own hand onto my leg and I glanced at him with a smile. He'd done a lot for me that past week. After everything with Evangeline burning down the only house I ever knew and nearly killing me in the process, it had taken many long, sleepless hours of comforting to bring a smile back to my face. But he'd done it. He stuck with me in the darkest moments, and I could tell it was going to pay off.
The car pulled up to my new home. It was larger than the other mansion, but was done in a more modern design. Mother wasn't going to leave the blood trading business, but she was going to take a new approach to it. Her client list was being vetted at that very moment, and she'd cut ties with many of them. She wasn't going to allow the sleazy of the vampire race to taint her business any longer. And making her product more exclusive was causing the value to rise. Some of Jardin's clientele had already arranged meetings with my mother.
My new home was three stories tall, the walls made of glass. In some places it was clear, showing off the lavish furnishings to the outside world. In other places, it was frosted to maintain privacy and keep out peering eyes. A fountain gurgled in the front yard, shaded by massive cherry blossom trees. I was excited to finally see inside as my mother had told me about the dual floor ballroom and the separate dining room that held a table for thirty. I grabbed Arden's hand and squeezed it in excitement as I saw my mother step out onto the front steps.
The moment the car stopped in the driveway, I jumped out and ran up to my mother, throwing my arms around her waist, her hands resting on my head. When we separated, she waved her hands dramatically at the house. "Welcome to the new Hart Mansion!"
I giggled at the over-the-top flare she had given the statement. And then I noticed my mother was looking past me with a bemused expression. I turned around to find what she was staring at and saw Arden was out of the car and completely overladen with the numerous bags from my shopping trip that afternoon. He had four bags on each arm, two more in each hand, and he was using his chin to try and hold one more to his chest. I snorted a laugh and quickly ran over to help him.
"I may have gotten carried away shopping," I sheepishly grinned.
When Evangeline burned the mansion down, everything I ever owned went down with it. Arden had agreed to accompany me on an afternoon downtown to try and restock my closet. There is nothing more dangerous than giving a girl a credit card and telling her to go wild. I think I had enough tops, skirts, dresses, and loungewear to go six months without repeating an outfit. Daringly and Jewel also came over to help relieve Arden of the bags and take them inside.
Before I could step in, my mother placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled kindly at me. "You go ahead and Jewel will show you to your new room. I would like to have a word with Arden before he joins you."
My mother and Arden were on far improved terms after he saved my life. But I still raised an eyebrow to Arden as if to ask if it were alright to leave the two of them alone. He nodded his head reassuringly and gave me a soft peck on the cheek. I left the two to themselves, but I decided against going to my room. I was too curious for my own good. So I hid behind the door of the house, within earshot of my mother and Arden, and put my finger to my lip to alert Jewel not to give away my position. I listened as my mother began to talk.
"What you have done for my family this past week is something I can never repay you for. We have had our differences, but I can't ignore the selflessness and bravery you have exhibited."
My heart beamed with pride in my mother. I knew it couldn't be easy for her to say those things, especially to a vampire. Her vulnerability in that moment was uncharacteristic of her, but even she could see the importance of it.
"I would do anything for Eloise, Madame Leona." His voice was soft and emotional instead of the usual confidant tone it carried.
"I know. And that's why I would like to repeat my offer to have you stay in my home with us. No, let me finish." Clearly, Arden had tried to interrupt her from making her offer, but she was having none of that. "Before, my offer was contingent on you working for me. This time, I offer with no strings attached."
"Why?" That was a good question. I was shocked my mother was making such a generous offer. The thought of never having to be apart from Arden brought excitement to me, and I couldn't help but smile.
"I try to always do what's best for Eloise. But, sometimes, I fail to see what is in fact truly best for her." There was regret in her voice, and I wanted to come around the corner and wrap her in another hug. "I believe you understand her and will be good for her in many ways. And perhaps you will help me see when I am wrong. And besides, it's far too large a house for just the two of us."
A laugh slipped out from my lips, and I grabbed them to try and quiet myself.
There was a moment of silence before Arden finally replied. "I think I would like to take you up on your generous offer."
Then he shook his head.
“But only for a little while. Just until I get my feet back under me.”
She nodded. “As it should be.”
My heart fluttered. What more surprises could the day possibly hold?
It was the only thought I had time to think before footsteps alerted me that my mother and Arden were coming inside. I quickly darted away. I couldn’t risk getting caught, could I?
Epilogue - Arden
"I can't stand how mysterious you're being, Arden."
I loved the way her honeyed voice curled around the syllables and goosebumps ran along my skin as she finished on a soft, breathy exhale that, were I a lesser man, would've forced me to pull over and take a moment to compose myself.
But there'd be time enough, more than enough time to treat her like a queen.
Just not at the moment.
This had to be done now, at least while I still had the nerve.
Even though I said there'd be no more lies, only truths and nothing but the truth, a small, irritatingly persistent part of me couldn't help but wonder if I was doing the right thing.
What if she recoiled?
Don't be an idiot.
Do you really know her so little?
You know there's no way in hell Eloise would look down on you once she knows the truth.
That's not who she is.
And yet...
"Arden?" she prompted, bringing my attention back to the present and the fact that I really should focus on the road, no matter how deserted it was.
"Sorry, love," I replied, my fingertips tapping on the leather-stitched steering wheel of a silver Audi R8, a gift from Jardin that I now sincerely hoped hadn’t come with strings attached. Otherwise, I was going t
o have to sell it, something I was loathed to do. I loved this silvery automobile that continuously amazed me with its hi-tech machinery and purring engine.
She tucked a lock of hair behind one coral-shaped ear, glancing at me from under artfully darkened long lashes.
"Is everything okay? I know you told me to wait, but I can't help but feel curious. What ever in the world are we doing in the backwoods of Louisiana? We left Alexandria almost three hours ago and we've been on a road so bumpy I'm surprised I still have any teeth."
Three hours away from Alexandria.
Meaning we were less than half an hour away from the tiny village of Walterville.
If it still existed, that is. The last time I'd checked on the village, less than a hundred people still called the place home, and almost all of them were over the age of seventy.
I cleared my throat and sent her a quick smile that felt more like a grimace. "No worries, my dear. Only half an hour more. And unfortunately, I think the road is going to get even worse. I'll try to avoid the largest potholes."
She gave a mock sigh (at least I hoped it was a mock sigh, even I thought the road was in terrible condition and I was from here) of petulance and I sent her a wink to soften the blow. "But just in case, I would tighten your seatbelt. I'd hate for my lovely lady to lose her teeth all over this expensive dashboard."
"If I did, it'd be completely on you," she replied with a soft grin.
About fifteen minutes later, I turned left onto a path that didn't even qualify as a road since it wasn't paved and hardly qualified as a footpath either.
Of course, that made sense.
After all, the last person to walk these roads was me almost twenty years ago.
Soon, the brush became too thick to drive the car into and I loved the Audi far too much to risk getting the sides scratched to hell.
I cut the ignition and stepped out of the car.
Eloise blinked at me from her seat, the seatbelt still strapped across her midsection. "Are we here?"
"Just a little farther. I can't take the car in, but the walk won't be too bad, I promise, my love."
Ever my patient darling, she nodded and followed me as I shielded her from the most offending branches that sought to tear through our clothes and hair.
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