by E. M. Moore
I took a deep breath and told them everything I could remember. “There was one guy at the house with her, but I’m sorry, I didn’t see his face. I only heard his voice so I couldn’t even tell if he was guard or vampire. He seemed to be helping her, maybe even calling the shots. Then, someone called her on the phone when we first got to the bridge. I just assumed it was the same guy. Kay got mad because they were supposed to be there with her so she wasn’t outnumbered. In fact, she started to drive away, but he must have told her they were coming. That’s when Zeke stepped out of the car. She just kept saying ‘we’ a lot, but she didn’t mention any names. I’m sorry.”
Isabelle nodded. Her forehead had deep creases that weren’t there earlier. “It’s okay,” she said, offering me a small smile. “I’m just glad you’re all safe now.”
“Yes, me too,” Gregor said.
Looking at him, though, he looked deep in thought, reminding me of Christian. I doubted he would let any of this go. His mind most likely already contemplating who Kay’s accomplices were. She’d been so sure there were others who wanted their revenge on the Ravanas as much as she did. It wasn’t surprising that someone with so much power such as Gregor Ravana had enemies. He probably knew who they were, too. He had to at least have an inkling of who it could be. Someone who he’d angered in the past probably.
The princes started to give their father a play-by-play of what happened that I was happy enough to tune out. I wanted to ask Gregor my own questions, but since we were done talking about their enemies now, I’d have to wait for another time. When they got to the part where Stephan broke Kay’s neck, I looked over at him on the armchair. He looked green as if he could barely keep it together. My heart went out to him. I didn’t know what it was like to take a life. But didn’t he realize she could’ve easily taken one of our own—almost did, in fact? I would think that would give him a little solace.
Isabelle rose from her seat, telling everyone she would bring in drinks. She squeezed Stephan’s shoulder on the way through and he looked up and gave her a small smile. That was comforting, at least. Nic followed her into the kitchen.
They weren’t gone very long when they came out with trays of water for everyone. When Nic sat down next to me, he said, “You’re staying here with us tonight.”
I looked over my shoulder at him, my eyebrows halfway up my forehead. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
He bumped his shoulder into mine. “You’re not going back to The Fort right now where you’ll have to be alone. Plus, Stephan needs to keep a look out for your injuries. Mom said it’s fine. She was going to invite you to stay anyway.”
“You’re sure?” I asked.
He nodded, then turned toward his father. “I know it’s late, but I’m starving.”
“It’s not late, it’s early, Nicolai,” his father said.
“I’ll take that as my cue to make breakfast,” Isabelle said. “Gregor, you can help me in the kitchen.”
He looked at her as if she was crazy, but she pulled on his shirt and he reluctantly followed her. It was a relief to have them gone and be alone with the princes.
“Stephan?”
He looked toward me. His usually bright green eyes were dull.
“Come here,” I said. “Please?”
I gave him a sweet look I knew would be hell for him to turn down. The other guys on the couch made room for him, Connor even slipping down to the floor to sit next to Christian.
When Stephan sat next to me, I leaned into his side. “Thank you for saving me, both times.”
“You did what you had to do,” Nicolai said.
Stephan nodded though he didn’t look at any of us.
“One of us would’ve done it if you didn’t,” Connor added.
He still kept nodding.
I took his hand in mine. It was colder than I would’ve liked. When I squeezed it though, he squeezed back. Hope filled my chest. Stephan would get past this. I knew he would. It would be a terrible memory, one he’d never be able to get rid of like my mom in the car accident and seeing Christian bleeding out on the road, but eventually, the pain would fade and it would just be a mute numbness that would accompany it.
“So, we’re having a sleepover?” I asked.
“Not my kind of sleepover,” Nic said.
The other guys chuckled.
“I just want to be close to you guys for a while.” Looking at all of them, a rush of emotion punched from my chest. We were all okay. Even Stephan looked back at me, a knowing look in his eyes. He felt the same way, too. We just needed to be with each other right now. That’s how we would heal and get past this. That’s how we would strengthen and get ready for whatever was going to come after us next.
Nic touched my cheek, Connor and Christian rubbed my legs, and Stephan squeezed my hand. I wished I could say this was probably the worst thing that would ever happen to us, but I wasn’t under any illusions. I’d chosen this life, or at least, it had chosen me. I was going to guard four vampire princes who already had enemies. Enemies we didn’t even know yet. The vampire world was in turmoil and the princes were front and center.
It didn’t matter though. As long as we were together, we’d get through anything.
Epilogue
Christian looked at me skeptically. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I smiled at his hesitation. He was something else.
The truth was, the wound Kay had given me on my arm hadn’t healed all that well. Stephan did the best he could with what he had at the time, but I was sporting a long, light-skin colored scar on my arm. It wasn’t even in one straight line. It was kind of jagged, and ugly. I didn’t want to have to look at it every day and remember what happened. I wanted to replace it with something happy, something that meant something to me.
Yes, I was getting a tattoo. And Christian didn’t approve, which kind of made it even better.
He really didn’t like when I suggested he do the same. But really, looking at him, he didn’t have anything to cover up. What with his perfect vampire blood and all, Stephan didn’t need to do half as much work on him and he’d been fine. It was only the human, who was less hurt than he was, that would have to live with the gross scar the rest of her life. Well, not anymore.
“I think it’s badass,” Nic said as he pulled the Jeep out of The Fort parking lot.
We’d squeezed all five of us in there. They’d really taken to heart what I said about wanting to be around them all the time. No one on the outside was really batting an eye after what happened to all of us either. Thankfully.
“But she won’t even tell us what she’s getting,” Connor said. “What if it’s like a turtle or something? How could that be badass?”
“A turtle? Seriously?”
Even Stephan laughed at that.
“Okay, I’ve got a cool game,” I said. “You guys tell me what tattoo you think I’m getting.”
All of them were silent for a little while as they thought this through. I waited with a smile on my face. I was pretty sure I was going to stump them all. I didn’t think they would guess it. Not in a million years.
While they thought, I stared out the windshield from the backseat. Since I was the smallest, I agreed to ride the hump. I was squished between Connor and Stephan. Nicolai drove while Christian called the front seat. After I got my tattoo, we were going to head over to our pizza place and act like it was old times.
“I got it,” Connor said. “I think you’re going to get an I heart Ravana tattoo. You know with an actual heart filled in with red and everything.”
I burst out laughing. “Nope. Sorry. Hate to break it to you, but that was literally the last thing on my mind.” Though, I didn’t mind the sentiment. That I actually did like.
“Lame,” Stephan said.
“Fine.” Connor nodded toward him next. “You’re turn. What do you think Ariana is getting tattooed on her arm?”
Stephan passed his thumb over his bottom lip while he thought. �
��A butterfly. Girls always get butterflies.”
I made a buzzer sound with my mouth. “Nope. Try again.” I squeezed his hand to let him know I’d been joking. We’d had several talks about what happened that night and I knew we’d need several more to process through it all. It didn’t matter. I’d talk as long and as much as he needed to get through this.
“Alright, I’m next,” Nic said. “I think she’s going to trace the scar with barbed wire. Then have it loop around her arm so all the other trainees know not to mess with her.”
“Not a terrible idea, but nope. Sorry.”
Stephan pushed Christian’s shoulder. “You’re our last hope, man. What do you got?”
He held up his hands. “I don’t want any part of this.”
We’d already done the requisite teasing, asking him if he was afraid of needles, which he adamantly denied.
“Why?” I asked. “Come on, it’s just for fun.”
He turned around in his seat. “I think you’re perfect the way you are. You don’t need a tattoo to cover it up. There. You happy?”
He smiled to let me know he was joking. My “aww”, was drowned out by the rest of the guys’ groans. “Sure, butter her up,” Nic said. “Everyone of us could’ve said the very same thing.”
“Yeah, but…you didn’t,” Christian teased.
“So, you going to tell us or what?” Connor asked.
I shook my head. “I want it to be a surprise.”
They all groaned again, even Christian. “Don’t get mad at us if we don’t like it then,” he said.
“Oh, I won’t be mad. I’ll be furious.”
Connor laughed next to me, the carefree sound bouncing around the interior of the Jeep.
“Honestly though. You guys will like it. I’m not worried.”
At that, Nic finally pulled into the tattoo shop parking lot. A guy named Jared was going to be inking me today. I’d already spoken to him over the phone and even sent a rough—very rough—sketch of what I wanted. I couldn’t wait to see what he’d turned it into.
“You’re scaring me,” Stephan said as he helped me out of the Jeep. “You’re acting like a kid on Christmas.”
“Do you guys even celebrate Christmas?”
“Well, yeah. Vampires like presents as well as the next guy.”
Stephan held the door open for me and I stepped into the shop. The guy behind the counter looked up. He had a short mohawk with the sides shaved and a single diamond stud nose earring. “You must be Ariana.”
“That’s me,” I said, grinning.
“Great. Nice to finally meet you in person. If you’ll all just come back here.”
I turned and stood in front of the guys. They’d all taken a step forward, but I stretched my hands out. “Nope. No way. You guys wait here. You can see when I’m done.”
Nicolai looked at Jared with a frown. I’ll be fine, I mouthed. After all, what was he going to do? Tattoo me to death. The rest of the guys took seats in the waiting area. I waited for Nic to sit down before I followed Jared back.
“So,” he said, clearly pleased with himself. “This is what I have for you.”
My breath caught as I stared down at the see-through paper. It was exactly what I’d wanted. Four distinct ropey vines twisting in, out, and around a single tulip. The flower represented me, of course, and the vines were the princes. It showed that we were all connected, five separate people that had all come together for one purpose. Linked, not just for a period of time, but for all time.
That’s why I wanted this tattoo to cover up the scar.
“What do you think?” I asked him, holding up the paper to my arm.
“It’s gonna look sick,” he said.
I smiled to myself and watched as he got to work. He sat me in the chair and I waited as he traced the design on my arm. I didn’t get really nervous until the buzz of the needle sounded.
“It’s going to pinch,” he said.
I shook my head and bit down on my lip. I didn’t want to cry out because four vampires would be running in the room after me if I did. No one wanted that. I’d end up with some weird tattoo line on my arm from Jared being scared half to death, and who knew what they would do to him.
Okay. Jared was wrong. It didn’t pinch. It literally felt like the needle was tearing through my skin, especially when he was coloring it in. Wow. I was really glad now that I hadn’t looked up any videos or searched online how much tattoos hurt. I never would’ve been brave enough to get it done if I had.
I sat in the chair for hours while the princes waited outside. Finally, Jared finished. He put the instrument of torture away, wiped my arm off and smiled down. “Like I said, sick.”
I peered down and smiled, my heart filling to capacity. I’d always have them with me now. “It looks awesome. Seriously, thank you so much.”
He brought around a mirror so I could look at it up close. It was utterly perfect. Exactly how I wanted it. All the vines had their own distinct shape and twists and turns, but all of them eventually wound around the flower and through it—through me.
“Can I call them in now? I don’t want to put the bandage on it before they’ve seen it.”
“Please,” I said, grinning from ear-to-ear. He helped me out of the chair and then went into the other room to get the guys. I turned with my opposite shoulder toward them so neither one could sneak a peek before the other. Finally, they were all in the room and looking at me with varying degrees of interest. “Ready?”
They all nodded.
I turned, holding my arm out for them to see.
“Wow,” Nic said, his eyes widening just a little.
They all came closer. Stephan’s eyebrows were practically in his hair. Connor’s grin matched my own. I searched out Christian. He was closer than the others, inspecting it. “That’s…cool. I admit it,” he finally said.
“Yeah?”
“It’s beautiful,” he said. He winked at me, leaving the last part unsaid. Just like you.
Nic started talking to Jared about his own tattoo ideas while the other three still stared down at mine. “Four vines?” Stephan asked.
“Four,” I said. “No more, no less.”
“I get why you wanted it now,” Christian said. “I might even scar my body for something like that.”
“It was already scarred,” I said, pushing him lightly in the shoulder.
Connor touched the outline. “It’s perfect,” he said.
“I agree.”
Nic came over and threw an arm around my shoulder, careful not to touch my sensitive skin. “Ready to head to the pizza place?”
We agreed and then waited as Jared patched me up like he said he would while he gave me strict instructions on how to take care of my tattoo.
When we left, Stephan shook his head. “Forget all that. I’ll just rub some of my salve on you. You’ll be fine. I bet it heals right away.”
I had no doubt about that. That stuff worked wonders.
Nicolai squeezed the back of my neck. “Don’t think I didn’t get the context behind the tattoo, Ri. I love it. Amazing choice.”
I smiled up at him. His eyes glittered.
We all piled into the Jeep and I took a moment to just sit back and take this for what it was, a perfect moment. We were all happy, laughing, joking. They knew how much they meant to me and I knew how much I meant to them.
Life was good.
The end
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you so much for reading the first part of Ariana’s story in Chosen By Darkness! I’ll continue with Into the Darkness, the next part of Ariana’s story soon! If you don’t want to miss it, “Follow” my author page on Amazon and you will be notified of all my new releases. You can also like my Facebook page for snippets and teasers.
Books by E. M. Moore
Chronicles of Cas Series
Reawakened
Hidden
Power
Severed
The Adams’ Witch
Bound In Blood
Cursed In Love
Adams’ Witch Spinoff Series, Order of the Akasha
Novella Starter — Stripped
Phoenix Series
Flight of the Phoenix available in the CREATURES box set!
Witchy Librarian Cozy Mystery Series
Wicked Witchcraft
One Wicked Sister
Wicked Cool