Pretend With Me (Midnight Society #1)

by Jemma Grey

I took a deep breath, my mind racing. This was it, the moment of truth. She already knew so what was the point of pretending or denying the truth? I had made my decision, now it was time to admit it.

  I turned to Eric, not caring that I had just put my back to the most unearthly, possibly dangerous girl I'd ever met. Guilt and sadness flooded me as my mind searched for the right words to explain. There wasn't any though and in the end all I could say was, “Eric, I'm so sorry.”

  He was silent for a long while, fitting the puzzle pieces together. A deep frown pierced his face then as he stared back at me lost and confused. “What are – what are you saying...?” he spluttered even though he already knew what I was saying. I could see the realization in his eyes and it was like stabbing myself with a bread knife.

  I had never expected this part to hurt so much. I hadn't prepared myself to tell him this. I'd never deemed that Eric would come to mean something to me, or that I'd feel any guilt or pain over hurting him. This part wasn't supposed hurt.

  “Since I heard I was engaged to you, I stopped taking my meds,” I said aloud. He stared at me shocked into silence as a million different expressions crossed his face, each one hurtful and replaced before I could name it.

  “Your final decision, death?” Katalin asked and I turned back to face her. “If I were you, I'd think extremely hard and carefully of what comes next.”

  “I don't want this marriage,” I whispered.

  “Then so be it.” She rose from the chair casually and gracefully. Then before I could blink, she was standing inches from my face, smiling like a tainted angel. She reminded me of a child who hadn't lost her innocence, but was tricked into committing the most horrible, evil acts one could imagine.

  Her movements were so fast it didn't make sense to me. My mind couldn't keep up with her. Before I could finish that thought air whipped around me and in the same instant I felt my body smash into something hard and flat, a wall I realized.

  Pain shot through my body at once. My thoughts were in chaos, everything around me was spinning and moving too fast. I felt as if the world had sped up, leaving me behind totally lost and confused. I couldn't make sense of anything. How could Katalin move so fast? What was going to happen now? My thoughts flew to Eric and I ordered myself to push through the pain and open my eyes.

  Panic flooded me when I didn't see him at the door. Adrenaline surged through my veins powerfully as my heart kicked off, and the stronger it got the more pain I felt. Next I searched for Katalin, sure that wherever she was, he would be too. She was standing exactly where she had been moments ago, nothing had changed. She was exactly in the same position as she had been in.

  Seconds zipped by and then Eric literally materialized in front of me crouching. A loud animal-like snarl tore through his frame, sending a new spill of horror through me. “You,” he growled in an inhuman voice, “will not touch her.” The sound of his voice alone was frightening. It was still smooth and silky but under there was something primal and just as dangerous as Katalin’s. “You can't do anything, Katalin, you're not allowed to,” Eric growled. Katalin only smiled and began walking towards us. Eric didn't move. He was still crouching in front of me as if frozen by time. “By our law, you can’t touch me, and because of the blood that runs in her veins you wouldn’t dare harm her either.”

  “Oh but I can,” she said gently as if talking to a child. She held up three fingers at the side of her face. “For three very important reasons. One, I'm higher than you are. You may be of royal blood Eric, but I am heir to the throne.” She folded in her middle finger and took a step forward. “Two, your bloodline does not end with your death. You may be the older child, but Christy Wilson will simply carry the Wilson line forward.” She folded in her ring finger and took a few more steps.

  In front of me, a low threatening snarl was building in Eric's chest, warning Katalin. I couldn't move. I knew Katalin believed what she said and that I should try to get away, but fear had me frozen and statue-like. All I could do was watch and hope that they both forgot about my existence.

  “And lastly number three, you simply cannot stop me.” Her lips curled slightly and she dropped her hand to her side. “Now move aside, this is your only warning Eric.” She waited for a second and when Eric didn't budge she shrugged carelessly.

  A loud bang exploded in my ears, and Eric suddenly vanished from in front of me. In just a split second Katalin was standing in his place, smiling at me with her hand stretched out, palm facing the door.

  As soon as my mind caught up with what had happened, I followed her hand and found Eric kneeling on the floor, just outside the room. My heart picked up beating faster and harder as another dose of adrenaline shot through my veins. My body reacted and I found myself scrambling off the floor half crouching, half running to the door. As soon as I was up, the door slammed shut, sealing me in the room with Katalin.

  My hands clamped onto the doorknob, desperately turning and twisting it, silently pleading for it to let me out. But no matter how much I tried or how much force I pushed it with the door was sealed, trapping me. Realizing it was no good, I turned back to the room pressing my back against the door, praying I could somehow dissolve into the material behind me.

  Before I could react, Katalin's hand shot out to me and then in a split second her fingers wrapped around my neck and I was off the floor, my feet dangling inches in the air. “This is what is going to happen, Jenifer, so listen extremely well,” she said in a monotone. I raised my hand, clawing and digging at her fingers in a desperate attempt to loosen her hand. Instead, her fingers only tightened, just barely cutting off my air.

  “You have two choices. Either you marry Eric or you don't. If you should choose to marry him, you will have a comfortable life. Everything you desire shall be given to you without the slightest bit of hesitation. You shall never have to work a day in your life for as long as you live, unless you should choose to... Every whim, every want, every need, shall be met... though I cannot promise you will love Eric.

  “However should you choose to reject him, then you'd have become utterly useless to me. I gave you life, Jenifer. I can very well take it away and I will, if you are not of any value. Your parents and friends from the Caribbean will be considered as loose ends, and those ends will be tied up. Those who know of your illness will be silenced as they will be considered as threats to the secrecy of my world. That's a long list of deaths and blood spilt because of you.” Her hand vanished from my neck then, and I fell to the floor with a heavy thud, coughing as I sucked in air. Katalin turned away from me and began walking back to the desk as I slowly began picking myself up.

  My parents, my friends, everyone I knew and loved was being threatened. If I didn't marry Eric she was going to kill them all.

  “And what of Daren?” she wondered, turning back to face me. “Did his life mean so little to you, that you'd choose death after everything he did?” Her voice was blank. In her mind she was simply stating the facts, yet to me her words were like knives.

  Guilt washed through my body as I realized what I had been doing. I wanted to kill myself, and he died for me. He gave up everything so I could live and I was throwing it back in his face. I had been so selfish and stupid.

  A small smile pierced Katalin’s lips as she stared at me with a knowing look. It was almost warm. She then turned on her heels and gracefully glided toward the couch, sitting down. “Sit, Jenifer, now that you are no longer suicidal there are some things you need to know. Firstly though, you need to drink this,” she said holding out the glass vials she'd placed on the desk to me.

  The seconds dragged on as I did nothing but stare at her. My mind was reeling, and I felt as if at any moment my head was going to explode into a million pieces. My eyes never left her. She was calm and perfectly at ease. Taking a deep breath, I ordered my voice to work. “Let Eric back in,” I mumbled, my voice barely audible and my breath shaky.

  “Drink them first.”

  I hesitated for a moment,
and then at a turtle's pace I began inching forward, towards Katalin's open hand. I took the vials out of her hand, rolling them in my hands. I kept my eyes on her, waiting for any sign that told me she was about to attack. She gave none, though.

  “Relax, Jenifer,” she said dropping her hand, turning away from me. “I am not going to harm you...”

  “What is it?” I asked, forcing myself to act bravely, even if I really just wanted to tuck in my tail and run. A dark and strange raw power leaked from her, and it made her presence known and feared.

  “It’s a stronger, purer form of your medication,” she answered and my fingers rolling the vials around tightened. Any moment they would give in and break under the pressure. “Now drink it.”

  I raised my hands and opened my palm staring at the red liquid. Slowly, I opened the first one. Then even slower brought it to my mouth and inhaled. It smelled sweet, like the scent of some exotic, rare flower. I brought the vial to my lips, staring at Katalin and tipped it over. The liquid was delicious and thin, and as it flowed down my throat I immediately could tell the difference between now and minutes ago without it.

  Instantly I felt a change in me. Power and strength burst through my veins. Having this wonderful, strange, and addictive substance running through me was like liquid fire running through my veins. It pushed aside all the weakness in my body. Already I could feel my senses sharpening and it made me realize just how dull and dim the world around me had been for the time I refused to take my meds. Colours were as they should be, brighter and more alive. Sounds were clearer. The complete silence had vanished and I could hear the tiny fragments of the world speaking. In an instant the entire world had changed around me. It was alive and pulsing now, like a giant beating heart. Before I knew it, all five vials were on the floor empty at my feet and I wanted more.

  Katalin stood up then and walked up to me. Without saying anything she took my hand that was still in the cast, wrapping her slender fingers around it and began to squeeze. At first I did nothing but stare at her, then seconds later the hard cast began to crumble and give in, until it looked like a dusty piece of cloth wrapped loosely around my wrist.

  Instantly I pulled my hand back towards me, yanking and tugging with all the strength I had. It didn't do any good though. Instead, Katalin's hands only tightened. Tough, strong weight hugged my wrist and then, suddenly a loud crack echoed in my ears. Pain shot up my hand, through my body and in response a loud piercing scream tore from my lips as my knees gave away. I was abruptly on the floor groaning in pain again as hot tears ran down my face, yet Katalin never let me go. Instead, her hand only loosened a little.

  Gradually, the pain began to die. Slow, long seconds dragged on and then she dropped my hand at the exact moment that all the pain vanished, and walked away from me. I sat there on the floor panting, my thoughts once again in a messy blur.

  I flexed my hand, somehow not surprised when there was no pain. I stared at it for a few seconds, and then my brain went into overdrive. “What are you?” I demanded, angry and desperate to find out the truth. I stared up at her, my eyes meeting blank, expressionless yet dangerous ones.

  “I'm a vampire, the same as you.”

  “You're... crazy...” I whispered so low that I couldn't hear myself. My head was going around in circles. The world around me was spinning. Nothing made sense. My life was no longer sane. I was going crazy. A switch had finally flipped in my head, and the outcome was that I was now insane.

  Vampires? They weren't real. How could they be real? They couldn't possibly be real? Katalin was either lying or she was crazy as well. Maybe we were both crazy?

  Abruptly, the door flew open hitting the wall with a loud bang and slamming shut on the same swing. I jumped out of my skin, completely terrified. My breaths were coming fast and hard, and yet I couldn't breathe. No matter how many times I inhaled and exhaled, I wasn't getting enough air. I didn't switch my gaze to the door; I kept my eyes trained on Katalin.

  “Am I now?” Katalin smiled and then the next thing I knew, I was on my feet, once again being pressed to the wall by her tiny fingers wrapped around my neck. She wasn't choking me; she was only applying enough pressure to keep me pinned. “Eric, I suggest you stay where you are,” she commanded without taking her eyes off me.

  All casualness had drained away from her. Now she was all business, blank and hard like an emotionless commander of an army. She tilted her head slightly to look at Eric, now standing at the door. “There's a better way to do this, Katalin.”

  “There is,” she agreed, “and had you done it, I wouldn't be doing it this way. Now one more step and what follows next won't be pretty.” Her hands tightened around my neck, emphasizing her point. My eyes flashed to Eric who was now rooted in place at the door.

  “Now, Jenifer,” she turned back to face me. Slowly my eyes met hers and my breath caught as another, stronger dose of fear paralyzed me. In that moment I found myself wishing I was crazy. That people would take me away and lock me safely into a small white padded room.

  Katalin stared at me with her dark eyes literally glowing blue. “I may be diabolical and merciless, Jenifer,” she smiled, deliberately showing off two pairs of sharp, long pointed teeth. I stared at her not being able to pull my eyes away. “However I'm not crazy.” She leaned forward, stopping when her lips were inches from my ear and then whispered “It would do you well to remember that in your near future.” I remained completely frozen, too afraid to move a muscle.

  Seconds dragged on feeling like days and when she finally faced me again her fangs were gone, retracted back to wherever they'd come from. Her eyes glowed intense blue for a second longer and then a perfect ring of fire blazed at the edges of her eyes, burning away the blue as it danced its way to her pupils. Within seconds her eyes were back to looking human. “Welcome to Thirdworld, Jenifer, you've just been initiated,” she smiled shoving me hard against the wall and then released me.

  Initiated? Initiated into what?

  As soon as her hand left me, Eric was instantly at my side and in that same moment Katalin had vanished from my line of sight. Her movement blurred for a second and then my eyes focused on her sitting on the red, velvet couch occupying the centre of the room.

  “Sit,” she ordered nodding to the couch opposite her. I stood absolutely still. My mind was still reeling around the fact that in front of me was a vampire. I couldn’t cope with the truth that was staring at me, with a blank, god-like expression. Vampires were real. You could reach out and touch them...

  “I said sit,” she commanded, her voice growing harder yet not rising an octave.

  I felt someone take my hand gently, and instantly my head snapped to the person. Eric swallowed as I stared at him with an expression that was blank, yet confused and terrified at the same time. He squeezed my hand and began to walk to the sofa. My body followed as if I were a zombie.

  “Your carelessness almost cost us her life, explain,” Katalin began when we were sitting. I was as far away as I could get from both Eric and Katalin. It wasn't that I feared Eric, I honestly didn't. Katalin though, it was impossible not to.

  “I've seen her take the pills, I never thought...” he trailed off.

  “It's not your job to think, it's your job to know!” I couldn't understand how moments ago they had wanted to rip each other's throat out, and now they were casually talking. Neither of them looked to me or even talked to me and I was glad. I doubted I could get a word out even if I wanted to.

  “We haven't been watching her so she could kill herself now.” her eyes flickered to me for a small moment and then back to Eric. “I will make this very clear, shall she die under your watch I will have no choice but to make an example of you, royalty or not. With something this important, there can be no room for more errors.”

  “I know” was all he said.

  Finally I couldn't take it anymore. “Stop!” I blurred out before I could stop myself. I felt as though my head was about to explode. “What is going
on? How can you be real? I don't understand...” I trailed off, pleading for someone to explain.

  “We were always real, Jenifer,” Katalin answered, her voice strangely gentle. “We've just been in hiding is all. Any more questions?”

  “What am I?” I whispered so low that I didn't hear myself.

  Eric turned to face me but it was Katalin who answered. “Since your birth you have been consuming the blood of one of our most strongest and oldest vampire bloodline. By your eighteenth birthday you will awaken as not just any vampire, but one of pure blood.”

  “You mean... my medication..?” I frowned at her.

  “Yes.” Katalin nodded.

  “Why are you here, Katalin?” Eric asked and I was thankful for the distraction. I needed time. I wanted to scream or disappear where no one could ever find me. I was not like them, I was human. How could I be like them?

  “There have been rumors of her existence in Thirdworld, and the others all want her dead.”

  “What?” Eric almost shouted. “How do they know anything? How do you know? It's not possible...”

  “Oh but it is. Someone up here leaked information down there. After looking further into the matter the culprit was found and dealt with accordingly. And I know because Dean told me so.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “What I do best, Eric,” she smiled.

  “I mean while you're down there, who’s going to be up here?”

  “Dean and his pack will be watching.”

  “Dean is one of them. He can easily turn on us,” Eric frowned standing up. “Let’s not forget that it’s the shifters who want her dead.”

  “You do not have a choice. I am having this conversation only because I need to, now sit down.”

  “I don't like this, Katalin,” Eric said still frowning, but he sat down. “Dean may be your little pet, but I don’t trust him. He has every reason to want her dead, he is not like us.”

  “You do not have to like it Eric. You only have to accept it and do as you're told. As for her medication... To ensure something such as what she attempted never happens again, I want it injected directly into her blood, and eliminate its weakening stage.”