“I don’t like rye bread, if that’s what you’ve brought me,” I grumbled as the manacles fell free.
Elias stared at me, clearly dumbfounded. He shook his head and pulled me roughly to my feet.
“You have got to be the stupidest human I have ever met,” he said under his breath as he dragged me toward the door.
There was nothing but darkness beyond the door, and he shoved me into a nearby room before I had time to even think about escaping.
“Two minutes,” he said before a door closed in front of me.
I quickly groped around for a light switch. Turning it on, I looked around the small bathroom.
There was nothing inside the cabinets. There wasn’t even any soap. There was nothing but a roll of toilet paper sitting on the counter.
What had I been expecting? Him to leave me a stake inside the tub?
There was no water, not even inside the toilet. Not a single drop came out of the sink or bathtub faucets when I twisted the knobs in desperation.
I did my business and then examined myself in the mirror, instantly regretting the decision to look at my appearance.
I was alarmingly pale. My pupils were dilated, and my hair was tangled and stiff with blood. My shoulder wound was worse than I had imagined, and I knew I needed antibiotics to help prevent infection. My wrists were an angry, raw red. I raised my tank top and looked at my side; it was already turning a deep purple.
“Time’s up,” Elias said, opening the door.
Maybe it was the sight of myself so battered. Maybe Gabriel’s vampiric nature had rubbed off on me. Or maybe I had finally reached my breaking point and was starting to taste the waters of insanity.
I threw myself at Elias, punching him in the face. The bone in my right middle finger cracked on the impact, and if my punch had hurt Elias, I could not tell.
He threw me against the wall. I fell against the floor, stunned, the breath knocked from me.
He dragged me back to the wooden room. I couldn’t draw in enough air to scream.
He closed the manacles around my wrists and went to where he had left the water and food. He brought them to me, confusing me, until he dropped both the water bottle and the sandwich just inches from my reach.
He left, turning the light off and leaving me in darkness once more.
After my breathing became normal, I crawled toward the items essential for my survival. I stretched as much as I could, but to no avail. I crumpled on the floor, defeated.
***
I didn’t try to hurt Elias again. I was too weak and in too much pain.
Eventually, the bathroom trips were no longer needed. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I knew it had to have been at least two days since I’d first woken.
I needed water; I was beyond thirsty. My mouth was a desert, and my head was pounding like crazy. I was dizzy and could hardly stay awake. Muscle cramps made my arms and legs lock up in pain. My heart flip-flopped between skipping beats and racing at an unimaginable pace.
Longing to escape from the agony, I allowed myself to fall asleep whenever possible. My dreams were broken and strange, many times only whirls of color that couldn’t take shape.
Once when I awoke, I was not surprised to see the light on and Elias sitting on the far side of the room next to the door. He had the audacity to look bored, but I couldn’t seem to summon any anger.
I sat up and leaned back against the wall, my movements very slow. Worry trickled through me; sitting up should not have drained me of so much energy.
A few minutes went by before he spoke. “Feeling well?” he asked, his voice mocking.
My throat and mouth were ridiculously dry, but I managed to reply, “Just peachy. Thank you for your concern.”
He shook his head. “I do not understand you. Instead of begging me, you goad me. You worry not for yourself, but for Thomas and Inola. Is it pride, or are you simple-minded? Don’t you want to live?”
I figured honesty wouldn’t hurt me at this point. These were my final hours. Why not be truthful?
“I lost my parents when I was a senior in high school. It fell on me to take care of someone who could hardly remember my name. Then I was attacked and kidnapped by the one who would grow to love me more than anything, and the most screwed up part is I came to love him as well. That isn’t conflicting at all. Now enter you and your misplaced revenge. Does any of that sound like a girl who’s going to get a happily ever after? I’m involved with vampires. It doesn’t matter if Gabriel loves me. It doesn’t matter that we are Eternals. I know now that whenever a human crosses paths with a vampire, it ends in blood.”
Elias looked at me strangely. “You are . . . insightful for a human. More than I gave you credit for, anyway.”
I shrugged, agony piercing my skin. I winced, hissing. Talking was becoming difficult, and my voice was hoarse and cracked. “I’m not insightful. Insightful people don’t fall in love with vampires.”
He was quiet for a few minutes. I began to drift into blissful unconsciousness, but his voice jolted me awake, surprising me that he was still bothering to converse with me.
“Perhaps you say that only because you do not want to understand all of the reasons why you are in love with Gabriel.”
I sighed. “In all honesty, I suppose I don’t know all the reasons.”
“You do. You just do not want to admit the whole truth to yourself.”
I closed my eyes again, but that didn’t stop his next words, words that burned like fire.
“I know because I have seen the darkest sides of others. No one is as good as they think. All have darkness within them, including you. And knowing that Gabriel can kill you just as easily as he can kiss you . . . That is what draws you to him.”
My eyes snapped open.
“It’s not just because he is your Eternal. You are enthralled by his darkness, smug only you can bring out his light. You saw in his eyes that he once desired to end your life, but he didn’t, and it thrills you knowing that he is capable of it, even if he would never do it. It gives you a rush knowing he would kill any who would harm you. So there it is, the buried truth. You are in love with a killer, and you are loving every minute of it.”
I wanted to put my hands over my ears, but what use was that when the words had already been spoken? I was frozen in horror, or maybe it was shame.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” he pressed.
“Is this a new form of torture?”
“Possibly. No one wants to admit their darkest desires, especially the ‘good’ people like you.”
Silence filled the room, and I surprised myself by being the one to break it this time.
“Maybe I’m better off with you killing me.”
“Why is that?” His voice was akin to someone who was disinterested, but his face belied his indifference.
“I know Gabriel well enough to realize he would have broken his promise to me and turned me at the first sign of aging, disease, or probably even a small injury. You told me that once, remember? You told me that although you would be the one to kill me, Gabriel would be the one to betray me. Gabriel loves me an almost impossible amount. I have felt it, but I have also felt there is something he feels even above loving me, and that is the fear of losing me. He would have turned me eventually.”
I paused, my next words barely audible. “I don’t want to be a vampire. I’m scared of the dark, I don’t want to live forever and I don’t understand why anyone would, and I have felt Gabriel’s heightened emotions. I can’t control my emotions now, so I can’t imagine feeling like that all of the time.”
Elias said nothing. I looked at the dried blood staining me, the floor, and the wall. Elias didn’t seem tempted by my blood in the least.
“How did you know I would never want to become a vampire? That Gabriel would one day betray my trust?”
His face was now cold and unreadable. “Your fear of the dark was the only thing I took from you when I tasted your blood. I assumed it woul
d keep you away from joining the eternal night. Also, Gabriel is inherently selfish. I’m honestly surprised you are still human.”
“I’m just surprised I’m not dead yet,” I replied weakly.
His laughter was strangely without edge as I drifted once more.
***
I woke up. Where was I? Why was I chained? Why was I here?
I fell into darkness before the answers came to me.
***
Silver eyes gleamed at me in the dark. I thought I was supposed to be afraid of them, but they were so pretty. So, so pretty.
“Pretty eyes,” I croaked before curling back up into my ball. “Should be green, though. Should be green.”
The silver eyes spoke. “Are you still aware, Kara? Do you understand what is happening?”
Realization trickled back. “Yes . . . and no,” I replied tiredly, licking cracked and bleeding lips. My head felt like it was going to explode. My fingers were going numb.
“What part of it do you not understand?” He was angry.
“Understand what?” I mumbled.
The light flicked on, and he leaned down toward me. “Are you toying with me?” he hissed.
I shrugged, pain cracking along my bones. “I don’t know.”
And it was true. I could no longer discern reality from dreams. But one thing remained constant. I longed for him.
Gabriel.
***
I saw Miles and Lila. They sat in front of me, smiling.
At first, I just savored seeing them, but then I could bear it no longer, and I had to speak to them.
“I’m sorry,” I told them, my voice now completely unrecognizable. “It was . . . to keep you safe. I had to . . . stay away. But before that . . . I was so cold. . . . I had changed. . . .”
“It’s ok, Kara,” Lila said warmly.
“Yes,” Miles agreed. “You did the right thing.”
“Besides, things are going great for us,” Lila said happily. “School is fantastic, and there is so much to see in London. My roommate and I are already like best friends!”
“I have a girlfriend,” Miles said shyly. “Had you stuck around, I would have just kept waiting on you.”
Equal parts of sadness and happiness filled me at their words. Happy for their happiness, but sad I wasn’t there to share their happiness with them.
“My mother . . . warned me once . . . that even best friends drift apart. . . . I’m sorry it was because of me. But I still wonder . . . was it always destined to be my fault?”
They couldn’t answer. They were gone.
Not too much time passed before Grandma took their place. She sat in her rocking chair, her face serene and her eyes clear.
I looked up at her. “Grandma?”
“Sweet Kara,” she said, her smile soft. “I’m so glad to finally speak to you, remembering you and everything we have shared.”
Tears tried to fill my eyes, but couldn’t. “Me too, Grandma.”
“Remember your hooky days? Oh, I know there were times when you were actually sick, but you weren’t fooling your old Grandma. You were always a sucker for my soaps.”
I laughed. “Nothing like . . . sappy daytime television. Grandma . . . I . . .”
“Say no more, Kara. I know what you want to say. You did fine. Perfectly fine, you hear? You were so young and sad, and yet so strong and compassionate. I am truly blessed you were there to take care of me.”
“But I . . . didn’t do enough,” I argued. “In the beginning . . . I didn’t even want to. I didn’t know . . . how much I loved you . . . until . . .
My words never reached her. She was gone.
I leaned my head back against the wall. My chest was going to burst.
“Sweetheart, it’s ok.”
“Yes, it’s going to be all right.”
Those voices jolted my body. “Mom? Dad?”
They were there, farther away than the others had been. I started to crawl toward them, but collapsed before I could reach them completely.
“Don’t strain yourself, honey,” Dad scolded gently.
My eyes burned dryly. “You’re . . . here. You’re actually . . . here,” I sobbed.
“We’re here.”
“Why couldn’t it . . . have been me? Why did you have to die?”
“You’re stronger than us. You were able to survive our deaths. Had we been the ones to lose you, it would have killed us.”
“But I needed . . . you. Grandma . . . needed you. Mom . . . Dad . . . I was horrible to you . . . before you left. . . . And I didn’t do well enough. . . . I even love the one who . . .”
I shook my head, explosions stabbing at my brain with each movement. My next words were pure anguish. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t . . . the daughter you both . . . deserved. . . .”
“You are perfect. You are our Kara. We wouldn’t change you for anything,” Mom said.
“Besides, we’ll be together again soon. Just the blink of an eye, Kara,” Dad said.
“Don’t listen to him. You better not be giving up.”
The change shocked me. Dad was not there anymore. In his place was Thomas, and Inola stood where Mom had been.
“Thomas! Inola! You . . . are both alive!” My eyes burned even further, but still no tears came.
Thomas snorted. “I take offense to that statement.”
Inola’s smile was gentle and calming. “Of course we are still alive, child. Don’t worry for us.”
“I’m . . . so glad . . . to see you. I’m sorry that . . .”
Thomas waved a hand. “I don’t want to hear any of that; you’ve said enough apologies. You’ve got way too much guilt, Red.”
“Kara, you must concentrate on how to get out of here,” Inola said.
“Can’t you . . . just help me?” I asked.
As if that hadn’t even occurred to them, they looked at one another, bemused. My eyes closed for too long, and I whimpered when I opened them again. They were gone, too.
But then I saw him.
Even farther away than all the others had been, he stood there, his eyes glowing fiercely.
“Gabriel!” I breathed.
It took all of my energy, but seeing him lit a fire inside of me. I pulled myself to my feet and walked toward him. Soon I couldn’t walk anymore; something was holding me back.
I fell forward, but I knew he would catch me. He did, his arms wrapping around me.
“Oh, Gabriel!” I rasped. A single tear managed to form and fall.
He didn’t speak; he only stared down at me. I didn’t care—I was too happy to see him.
“Everything is . . . ok now,” I said.
And somehow it was. I vaguely knew he should have been helping me, that I was hurt and somewhere I shouldn’t be, that it was Elias who had taken me.
But everything faded in the light of seeing him again.
“I love you. . . . You know that, right? I know . . . I shouldn’t . . . but I do. . . . And yes . . . I am still angry . . . but it’s going away. . . . It’s almost gone. . . .”
He continued to hold me silently.
“I’m sorry . . . I hurt you,” I said.
Moments passed. He wasn’t fading like the others. I gazed up at him in wonder, greedily drinking in the sight of him. Briefly, his eyes changed from green to silver, reminding me once again about Elias.
“Gabriel . . . I know this . . . might sound strange . . . but don’t go after . . . Elias. I don’t want . . . you to get hurt. You can’t . . . kill him anyway. It’s not worth it because . . . you don’t hate Elias. Elias is . . . gone. He was gone . . . the moment Lucy died. Just like . . . a part of you went away. You only hate . . . the monster Elias became. And I think . . . one day he can still be saved . . . that there is still light in him.”
Finally, Gabriel spoke. “Why would you think that?”
My breathing was extremely labored, and my heart faltered and throbbed. I shuddered, my vision tilting.
He shook me slightly. �
�Kara, answer me.”
“There is . . . light in him . . . because if . . . his light was gone . . . he wouldn’t . . . care . . . that Lucy . . . is . . . dead.”
Gabriel stared down at me in almost horror. I reached up and touched his cold cheek, my eyes closing.
Through half-lids, I saw that it was no longer Gabriel who held me.
It was Elias.
Chapter 3 Alien Blood
Elias stared down at the girl in his arms, more torn than he had ever been in his entire life.
Gabriel’s love, the one Elias had been waiting for all these years, was finally here. She’d loved Gabriel back, and although it had taken only months for her to acknowledge her feelings for Gabriel, it had felt like centuries to Elias.
A long time ago, Elias had held high hopes for Emma, but it had been painfully obvious to all that Gabriel had not loved her in the least.
But now he held Gabriel’s love, and she was dying in his arms. Gabriel would finally know the pain he felt, the pain that never left.
Because Gabriel didn’t deserve the quick mercy of death. He deserved an eternity of pain.
Even if Gabriel committed suicide after this, which was very likely to happen, at least he would finally understand. He would feel this pain, at least for a moment.
Elias’s hands tightened on Kara. How many people had he killed? Endless numbers, a blur of blood and death.
So why was he hesitating?
Kara was only a human, just like all the others had been. She looked nothing like Lucy. She certainly acted nothing like Lucy.
Except for her compassion—that was a trait they both shared vehemently.
Elias didn’t want Kara’s pity. He didn’t want her compassion. It angered him that she’d even felt it for him.
What was the matter with her? How could she feel compassion for someone who had tortured her? She really was an idiot. But then again, Kara had fallen in love with Gabriel, so he shouldn’t be surprised that she’d felt compassion for him.
Elias wanted to view her as weak, but doing so would mean Lucy had also been weak, and he could not consider that.
Was it all just an act? He could drink her blood to see, or he could try to wake her up and Control her to tell him the truth, but the dimmest part of him was afraid that Kara truly thought he was evil.
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