From her location, Darcie watched as Gregory and Lucas heaved a struggling form back towards the basement door. Around them, Jennifer, Lola, Paige, and the other witches and warlocks watched without speaking.
The unknown form thrashed. Based on the shape of the figure, Darcie guessed it was a man, but the sack over his head kept her from being completely sure.
Once Lucas and Gregory successfully removed the man from the room and down the basement stairs, Alexander said, “Well, that did not go as planned.”
The rest mumbled their agreement.
“What happened?” Darcie stepped forward, revealing herself. She looked at all of the people around her. “Who was that?”
No one answered her. “What are you doing awake?” Alexander asked.
She crossed her arms. “Your grand entrance woke me up. It was really loud.”
“So, you decided to come out of your room to investigate a loud noise? Did it ever occur to you it could be dangerous?”
Darcie frowned at the vampire. “I thought I was safe in the house. Isn’t that why I wasn’t allowed to go tonight?” She spared her mother a pointed look before looking back at Alexander.
“You’re insufferable,” Alex replied. Despite his irritated tone, he let a smirk accompany the words.
She shrugged away the comment. “So, what happened? Who was that?”
“One of Adir’s lackeys.” Surprisingly, the answer came from her mother. Jennifer leaned against the wall, looking like she hadn’t slept in days. Darcie forced herself to not feel sorry for her. “He made us.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means my dear father might know I am not on his side,” Alexander said with little emotion.
Darcie’s eyes widened. “What?... How?”
Alexander gestured to the basement door. “One of his minions was sent to recruit more vampires to Adir’s rebellion. He was instructed to offer free-reign for all vampires who joined the cause.”
“Free-reign?”
Alexander did not blink. “To humans. Free-reign to humans.”
Darcie covered her mouth with her hand. She felt like she was going to be sick. She forced herself to get it together. “Why did you have to bring him here?” She didn’t want to be anywhere near a creature who was willing to harm innocent people, much less offer the choice to someone else.
“Because Adir was very explicit with the creature below us regarding what he should do if he saw me.” Alexander shifted his right shoulder ever so slightly, but it was enough for Darcie to notice. Her eyes zeroed in on the ripped black fabric at the top of his arm.
She gasped, realizing the dark fabric was soaked with blood. She stepped forward and reached out to touch the arm but stopped just short of doing so. She didn’t want to accidentally hurt him. “What happened?”
“He was stupid enough to get too close to a rapid beast,” Jennifer said.
Darcie looked at her, confused.
Her mother sighed and turned toward to Alexander. Her features were tight. “The idiot downstairs had a stake. He got too close.”
It took a second for the information to sink in. When it finally did, fear nearly froze Darcie where she stood. “A stake?” Her heart thudded. “Can that kill you?”
“Only if it hits my heart. Unfortunately for Neil, he missed. Now, I plan to pay him back the trouble until he tells us everything he knows about Adir’s plans.”
Despite his confident demeanor, Darcie was still shaken. She never considered the meeting could be dangerous for her friends. Knowing Alex could have been killed was too much. She struggled to control her shaking hands, not wanting anyone to see her weakness.
Unfortunately for her, a vampire’s eyes missed nothing.
The pale, blue irises softened. “I am alright,” Alex told her. “If anything, this is a good thing. Now, we have a source of information. This could help us find Adir sooner.”
She forced herself to nod, but her limbs continued to quake.
“I think that may be enough for tonight,” her mother said in a tired voice. “We should all go to bed and discuss what to do in the morning.”
“Agreed,” Mistress Lola and another witch replied.
Alexander nodded and said, “I will wait until I know Gregory and Lucas have secured the prisoner.”
“Very well,” Jennifer said. Then, she looked at her daughter. “If I promise to share all pertinent information with you tomorrow, will you agree to return to bed tonight?”
The question came out of the blue, but it was the unsolicited compromise which took Darcie by surprise. Was her mother offering to no longer keep her in the dark? Or was it some sort of trick?
She observed her mother briefly and concluded the woman looked tired, but not deceitful. Slowly, she jerked her head in agreement. “Yeah. Sure. I can wait.”
With a long exhale and nod, Jennifer turned and walked away. Lola and the other witches followed without hesitation.
Paige managed a tired wave before she, too, disappeared down the hallway and up to the second story.
Just as she was about to leave, Darcie saw Henry step towards her from the corner of her eye. She blinked, surprised to see him among the group. She had been so distracted by the flailing prisoner that she must have missed seeing him.
“My room is near yours,” he said by way of an explanation. He gestured towards the hall, signaling for her to lead the way.
Darcie glanced at Alexander, but his attention was on the closed door leading to the basement. He was lost in his thoughts. No doubt, nearly dying would have that effect.
With a last look at Alexander, she turned and left the area. Henry stepped until he walked slightly behind her.
They moved in silence until Darcie cleared her throat. “Was anyone else almost hurt?” She worried over that she hadn’t taken the time to examine Gregory for any injuries. As Alexander’s number one, surely he was in as much danger as the vampire king. She contemplated turning back to see for herself that her friend was alright.
“No,” Henry answered. “Alexander and Gregory were the only ones who entered the building. Once Alexander was attacked, we pulled back.”
“Good.” The tightness around her chest loosened.
The two continued in silence until they approached her bedroom door. Darcie glanced around, wondering what room was Henry’s. Last she checked, only Paige and Gregory shared her hallway in the large home.
Sensing her thoughts, Henry said, “My room is on the other side of the stairwell. I just wanted to be here in case you needed anything.”
“Thanks,” she tried to give him an appreciative smile, but she was sure it looked awkward.
“Of course,” he said. However, instead of turning to walk away, he took a step closer.
“You know,” he began quietly. “If you ever need anything, you can come to me. I’ll help you.”
Darcie hesitated. She didn’t know how to respond. “Thanks,” she repeated cautiously. “I appreciate it.”
He took another step forward, lowing his voice even further. “I mean it. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything. Not everyone here has your best interests in mind.”
It was obvious he was being sincere, but the words caused an eerie chill to crawl down her spine. Darcie knew she shouldn’t have been weirded out by his actions, but she couldn’t help it. Something felt off. She wondered what he was really trying to say.
She opened her mouth to ask, but the sound of approaching footsteps halted the impending question. Surprisingly, it was Gregory who rounded the corner. She suspected that he intentionally made his approach audible. No doubt, he heard their conversation as he climbed the stairs and did not want to alarm them.
“You’re okay,” Darcie exhaled after scanning his body for any injuries.
Gregory blinked. “Of course.” He almost seemed insulted by her worry.
Without thinking, she stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight, quick hug. Almost immediately, she steppe
d back and smiled at the vampire. “I’m glad.”
His dark eyes softened and a corner of his mouth quirked up. “You should get to sleep,” he told her. Then, he moved his pointed look to the warlock over her shoulder.
She turned and watched Henry give Gregory a nod. “I agree. We should all get some rest. Goodnight, Darcie.” Henry sidestepped to move around them and made his way down the hall to the other side of the house.
Gregory watched the departure with a creased brow. “What were you two talking about?” His jaw ticked.
Darcie shrugged. “Nothing important. But why are you asking? Couldn’t you hear us anyway?”
“Actually, no,” Gregory turned his speculative gaze on her. “It was dead quiet up here. Almost too quiet. I suspected someone was masking sound, but I did not anticipate you.”
“Me?!” she asked in disbelief. “No way. I don’t even know how to do that.”
“Obviously,” Gregory rolled his eyes. “I mean I did not anticipate you would be a part of the concealment. I thought it was Jennifer or Lola.”
“Oh.” Darcie contemplated his words and asked, “Henry was masking our conversation?”
“I believe so.” He looked back at the path of the warlock’s departure. “What were you talking about?” he asked again.
For a moment, she thought about lying. She wasn’t sure what Henry’s intentions were behind the offer to help her, or what he meant when he said not everyone in the house had her best interests in mind. But that didn’t apply to Gregory. Darcie knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she could trust him. So, she told him everything.
At the end of her brief explanations, Gregory’s suspicion had intensified. “Did he say who?” The vampire’s anger was barely contained. “Was he specific about who might be acting against you?”
“He never said someone was working against me,” she countered, trying to calm her friend down before he did something drastic like go attack one of the people in the house. “He just said he’d be there for me if I ever needed anything. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.”
“We will see,” he gritted out firmly. “I’ll talk with him in the morning. Until then, I need you to go into your room and go to sleep. I’ll keep watch outside of your door.”
“Is that really necess–”
“Yes,” he cut her off. “Now, go inside. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
If she hadn’t been woken up in the middle of the night, Darcie might have considered fighting him on his overprotectiveness. But, being that she was both physically and mentally exhausted, she just nodded and followed his orders.
Walking back into her room, she flung herself on the bed and pulled a thin blanket over herself. She was just about to close her eyes when she saw her cellphone light up on the nightstand. Wondering who could be texting her at such a late hour, she reached over to open the screen.
It was a message from Des. Merely reading his name caused a slight flutter in her chest. It had been a couple of days since they last communicated, but Darcie was trying not to read too much into it. After all, they both had a lot going on with him trying to find Adir, and her working to gain complete control over her abilities. Regardless, though, the teenage girl wished they had more time to talk.
Eager to see what he sent, she tapped the message.
I heard what happened during the raid. I know you didn’t want to be there, but I am thankful you were secured in the safe house.
Darcie read what he said and also what he didn’t say. He had been worried for her. She touched the screen to open the keyboard.
I am totally okay. I hope you didn’t worry too much.
His response came quickly.
Of course, I worried.
He sent a second message.
As you already know, I do not know what I would do if something happened to you.
Something in Darcie melted. She reread the message, savoring how she could practically feel his emotion from the words. It was still strange to be open with Des regarding their feelings, but it was definitely the good kind of strange.
Emboldened, Darcie typed the words that pressed the front of her mind.
I miss you.
There was so much truth in those three words. Given her struggles with conquering her abilities, as well as her mother’s overprotective behavior, Darcie missed Des’ steadiness. Sure, he could seem stoic and distance, but she was beginning to understand that was just how he was. When he was quiet, he was simply lost in thought. More often than not, he would be trying to figure out the best way to react to whatever situation he found himself in. The only time Darcie had really seen him lose control was when he was around her. And that was enough for her to know she truly mattered to the powerful immortal.
Darcie held her breath. After a few seconds of waiting, she was afraid her admission might have been too much. Maybe Des would see the text as stressful, and not endearing like she intended.
Darcie picked up the phone to try and salvage the situation when Des’ response came through.
I believe I may miss you more. This house is not the same knowing you are not in it.
If she died at that moment, she would’ve died deliriously happy. She tried to think of something equally sweet to say back when her phone lit up again.
It’s late, Des texted. You should go to sleep. We can text in the morning.
She knew he was right, and tried to force her disappointment away. She told herself there would be plenty of time for them to talk later.
Sounds good. Goodnight, Des. XOXO
She bit her lip and watched as the three dots popped on the screen, letting her know he was in the middle of replying.
She suspected her smile could have been seen from miles away when she read his reply.
XOXO
Placing her phone down, Darcie laid back on her pillow. Despite her racing heart, she fell asleep in minutes; thoughts of Des starring in her dreams.
26
The Virginian home had a second story porch in the backyard. It’s view of D.C. was framed by tall pine trees. Darcie sat in one of the lounge chairs, staring out into the distance. The rest of the house was preoccupied with one task or another, but the one that stole her focus was on the prisoner currently in the middle of an interrogation. Even though she didn’t hear any signs of torture, Alexander had not been coy when he said he would not hesitate in resorting to such methods if it meant getting pertinent information.
So, Darcie had spent most of the morning outside, trying to tell herself that it didn’t matter what happened to one of Adir’s followers. What mattered was Bella, and the captured stranger was the best shot they had of finding her friend.
Or so she kept telling herself.
As she continued to internally argue the ethical dilemma, the patio doors opened. Shifting slightly, Darcie looked over her shoulder and withheld the groan threatening to escape her throat. Her mother closed the door and walked over towards the second lounge chair on the patio.
“May I sit?”
Knowing she couldn’t do anything else, Darcie simply waved a hand in agreement. Her mother lowered herself gracefully into the chair.
Darcie continued to stare towards the trees, refusing to acknowledge the woman’s presence more than she already had. She still hadn’t forgiven her for forcing her to stay behind during the mission. It didn’t matter that it turned out to be the right decision. There was no telling what might have happened if one of Adir’s followers had recognized her. Nevertheless, she begrudged the fact her mother had not only insisted she stay behind, but she had actually placed a physical restraint on her powers.
A restraint, she added, that continues to remain in place.
The older woman cleared her throat. “I realized we haven’t exactly had the chance to talk much since I came back.”
Since you came back after being gone for years, you mean.
Darcie withheld the snappy reply. She kept looking towards the distant capital. She could just ma
ke out the tops of the tallest stone buildings.
Her mother sighed. “I’m trying, Darcie,” she began. “I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“I don’t want you to say anything.” Finally, she rotated her neck and met her mother’s gaze. Darcie made sure her eyes looked dull and uninterested. “Consider your conscious clear… or whatever it is you are trying to gain from this conversation. We’re good. Don’t worry about it.” With that, she returned her attention to the trees, doing her best to control the slight tremor in her hand.
For a second, she believed her mother might actually buy her speech and leave her alone to sulk on the porch.
Unfortunately, she was wrong.
Jennifer Abernathy shifted. Glancing over, Darcie noticed she had settled deeper into the lounge chair. She, too, stared out at the scenery.
Silence descended. Neither of them spoke a word. But instead of feeling awkward, the quiet was almost comforting. Without realizing it, Darcie found herself reclined in the chair, content to sit in silence and allow herself to be lost in her thoughts.
She was in the middle of another daydream about a future reunion with Des, wondering if the immortal would allow his guard to lower once he saw her again, when her mom’s voice interrupted the stillness.
“I hope you have been communicating with your father. I wouldn’t want him to worry.”
Darcie tightened her grip on the armrests. The short reprieve had ended. “We text almost every day. He knows I’m fine.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw her mother’s shoulders dip in relief. “Good.”
Jennifer didn’t say anything else. She seemed content to resume the peaceful silence, but Darcie was not. The mention of her father opened a floodgate of resentment.
“I’m surprised you care,” Darcie didn’t try to stop the mean-spirited comments. “It’s not like you two are close anymore.”
It was subtle, and she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure she heard it, but she believed her mother inhaled a tiny, pained gasp.
After a moment, the woman replied, “Of course, I care about your father.”
Envisioned (Immortal Chronicles Book 3) Page 20