Light of Dawn

by Angela Colsin

  Charlotte didn't realize she'd gripped Ulric until he started stroking her back to ease her tension away. “If she's a true friend,” he started, “she'll understand, but I can call Liam and talk to her now if you'd like.”

  She considered it, but somehow, a phone call didn't seem fitting. “No, I'd rather she find out face to face. Still, maybe it'd be best if you talked to her before she sees me to ease the blow.”

  “Of course, sweetness,” he agreed without qualm. “I'll just call Liam and tell him to keep her in the foyer until then.”

  Finally, Charlotte exhaled, hugging him tight. “Thank you. I don't mean to be so paranoid, but Edith's always been there when I've needed someone to talk to, and I don't want to lose her friendship by scaring her away with this.”

  “Things will be fine, Charlotte,” Ulric promised, “and you don't need to thank me. I won't let you lose a good friend because of your transition.”

  A slow smile turned up her lips as she rested her head against his chest, extremely grateful to have him there—and she knew that wasn't just some instinct talking. The notice made her feel optimistic, as if the things between them only seemed more complicated than they actually were, and wouldn't take that long to sort out.

  Maybe if she was lucky, Edith's arrival would go smoothly as well.

  Her friend had never been very judgmental anyway, lending hope that the truth of Charlotte's transition wouldn't drive them apart. In fact, she wondered if this visit wasn't actually a blessing in disguise because having a good friend like Edith around would definitely be beneficial.

  Whatever the case, Charlotte supposed she'd have her answers by the end of the day.

  Chapter 31

  Centuries of mercenary work provided Ulric with a good bit of experience in reading people, but even he was having trouble discerning Charlotte's feelings from her confused statements.

  He only knew for certain that she wasn't ready to commit to their bond when she'd said knowing he was the one wasn't enough, leaving him anxious to ease her troubles. Though he'd anticipated friction brought on by the changes in her life, it didn't erase his worry, yet all he could do was agree to give her the day to think.

  Still, Draconians weren't renowned for their patience, and waiting was already driving him crazy. Why is nothing ever easy?

  But Ulric was grateful he at least knew how to distract Charlotte from her worry over Edith's impending visit, and started by taking her out to pick up breakfast. Though she no longer needed to eat, Charlotte could still enjoy the activity, and did so with a stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

  Following their meal, he acquired a phone for her use. She tried to argue, thinking he was spending too much money, and it wasn't surprising when she'd had a less than financially sound life before. But Ulric informed her that he didn't care about money where she was concerned—her happiness was the most important thing.

  If it took a simple caress of the cheek, a supportive word, or spending every dime he had to make her smile, he'd gladly do it.

  They were walking to the front door of the manor when he admitted this, and Charlotte frowned, stepping in front of him to pull in for a slow, meaningful kiss. The reaction gave him hope that whatever troubles she was having with their bond would be short lived.

  Once inside, Ulric led her to the den for their first session playing video games together, and he couldn't remember ever enjoying the hobby so well. Laughter filled the room as they played through levels—along with their swearing at the game—and Charlotte was invested, her worries temporarily forgotten, just like he'd wanted.

  In the meantime, Ulric only hoped Edith would be able to accept her situation instead of reacting negatively to the truth the way some mortals did, and continued their game until Liam showed up just after noon.

  He was the second oldest of their siblings, a tall, muscular man with medium length, wavy black hair and a few scars on his face that gave him a stern, weathered look. When Charlotte noticed him, she immediately put her controller down and stood up, asking, “Where's Edith?”

  “In the foyer waiting,” Liam returned.

  “Stay here, sweetness,” Ulric directed, placing his controller on the coffee table before he stood, kissing her gently. “It shouldn't take long.”

  Charlotte looked concerned, but nodded and sat back down on the couch to wait while Liam followed Ulric out to the foyer, going to stand near the front door just a few feet away from the woman he'd escorted to the estate.

  Edith was shorter than Charlotte by a few inches, with pale skin and a long mane of fire red hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was casually dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a pajama top, suggesting she'd left her home in a rush.

  Turning to face him as he approached, she asked hesitantly, “Are you … Ulric?”

  “I am. It's good to meet you, Edith.”

  He offered a hand in greeting, but she didn't take it, looking around uncertainly with a pair of slowly blinking eyes as she drew out, “Yeah, likewise. Where's Charlotte?”

  Ulric didn't answer. Edith's mannerisms were too suspicious for him to feel comfortable giving her information, and even Liam looked uncertain, suggesting this wasn't the same behavior he'd gotten before.

  Edith was swaying on her feet—as if under the control of another.

  Ulric knew the signs of daywalking well enough to tell by simply looking, but there were no bite marks on Edith's neck or any other visible part of her body. That didn't mean she wasn't hiding something however, and he wasn't going to let her see Charlotte until he had an answer.

  So he lied to see how she'd react. “Actually, Charlotte's not here.”

  Edith's expression didn't change, though she asked, “Why not? Liam said she'd be here.”

  “She's staying somewhere else to protect herself,” Ulric explained vaguely. “There's a lot going on that you don't know about.”

  Quietly, the woman stared at him, her lack of expression making it difficult to surmise if she was going to prod for more information, or simply dart away. So Ulric and Liam both prepared for either instance.

  A few moments passed, and Edith decided to move.

  The moment she took off—too quickly for a normal human—they intercepted her on both sides just fast enough to grasp her wrists, successfully preventing her escape. Liam wrapped his arms around her upper body to secure her as Ulric grasped her legs, dragging the struggling mortal down to the floor as gently as possible to make an inspection for bites easier.

  “Let me go!” Edith demanded, fighting to escape, but despite her increased strength, she wasn't a match for the draconians. Ulric secured her legs beneath his shins, freeing his hands to check the femoral artery running between her thighs first while she shouted at them to get off of her.

  Though Ulric hated invading her personal space in such a manner, there was no other choice, and he pushed up each leg of Edith's shorts to get a clear look at her inner thighs.

  Nothing.

  So he checked her stomach next, then rolled her over with Liam's help to inspect her back, but Edith didn't have a single mark anywhere.

  “She wasn't acting this way when you brought her here?” Ulric asked.

  “No, she was just nervous.”

  He growled in frustration. Despite the lack of a bite, it was plain to see Edith was under a vampire's influence, and he was about to tell Liam to hold her so he could warn Charlotte when the fae came in on her own, likely drawn by all the commotion.

  Things were about to become even more complicated.

  “What's going on?”

  Edith's yelling drew Charlotte's attention from the den, and when she found her friend being pinned to the floor of the foyer inexplicably, she exclaimed, “What are you doing?”

  Charlotte tried to move toward them, but Dalris, who'd just stepped in from the hall nearby, snagged her wrist. “Wait, Charlotte.”

  She would've teleported away from him, but soon changed her mind when Edith intoned amidst the confusion,
“There you are.”

  That greeting alone proved something was wrong. Charlotte looked to see that her friend was calmly smiling now instead of struggling, and more importantly, when she focused, she could sense Edith was … tainted, just as Ulric explained, “We can't find any bite marks, but she's behaving like a daywalker.”

  “That's because I am,” Edith announced triumphantly, “and now she knows.”

  Charlotte's jaw dropped in disbelief while Ulric growled the name, “Lillian. Somehow she's had Edith's blood and given hers in turn.”

  Dalris released Charlotte's wrist, and she walked over, kneeling next to Edith, who plainly elaborated, “She used a hypodermic needle to keep you from becoming suspicious until she could figure out where Charlotte was hiding for certain.”

  Charlotte's head spun over this development. Edith's a daywalker? The information was slow to settle, but soon enough, her shock turned into anger as she announced, “I'm not even mortal anymore, so your spell won't work!”

  Edith scoffed. “That doesn't matter. You're still mortal born. The ritual will commence as planned.”

  Mortal born? Charlotte's ire died with incredulity taking its place. She wasn't entirely sure how much stock could be put into the claim, but Lillian was invested in making this ritual work, so wouldn't she know for sure?

  “Why set this up?” Ulric demanded. “Doesn't Lillian still have Charlotte's blood?”

  Edith remained silent in response, and as if Lillian's hold was being released, her countenance grew much more fearful with her gaze darting at everyone before landing on Charlotte.

  Panicked, she begged, “Don't let me go. I don't know what she'll make me do.”

  Charlotte's blood raced in alarm as she quickly asked the draconians present, “Isn't there anyway to reverse this?”

  Already, Liam was handing a pocket knife to Dalris, who knelt on Edith's opposite side. Charlotte stared at the weapon with wide eyes. “You're not going to hurt her, are you?”

  “No, she needs draconian blood,” Dalris started, drawing the blade across his palm. To Edith, he added, “It can reverse the daywalker state if you get it soon enough. So you have to drink to sever the connection to Lillian.”

  “O-okay,” Edith agreed uncertainly, but the moment Dalris placed his palm to her mouth, she latched on as if starved—even moaned in satisfaction, proving she had a new lust for blood.

  But it wasn't long before she gagged with the attempt to spit it out. Dalris had to clasp her jaw in one hand to make her drink.

  “Why isn't she taking it?” Charlotte inquired.

  “The vampire blood in her system doesn't like the poisonous draconian blood it just got a dose of,” Dalris explained, finally removing his palm. “She may become ill, but that's normal.”

  Edith choked the blood down, groaning, “You could've said so before.”

  Charlotte attempted to comfort her by brushing her hair back while Ulric mentioned, “We'll need to confine her downstairs until the blood works.”

  Liam agreed, and they lifted Edith, carrying her into the hall behind the stairs. Dalris joined them, heading to a bare section of the wall that stood across from the study. In placing his hand upon it, a rectangular seal faded into view, revealing a hidden door that he slid open.

  Behind it was a set of wooden stairs leading down, and they took Edith inside. Charlotte watched in surprise, following them to discover that Dalris had a … dungeon. At least, that was the best word she could use to describe it.

  The walls and floor were made of stone, and there were various weapons decorating the left wall of the chamber. A hanging lamp provided light above a table against it where even more armaments were settled.

  Next to it was a locked cabinet housing who-knew-what, and on the opposite side of the chamber were three prisons, one of them possessing a small cot. Ulric and Liam took Edith to it as Dalris grabbed a set of leather straps from the table.

  All things considered, Charlotte wasn't too shocked to learn such a place existed in the manor. Draconians did various jobs for a living, and some of them probably involved capturing convicts to turn in alive, making a cell necessary.

  Still, she asked, “Why aren't you restraining Edith in a bedroom upstairs instead of here?”

  “Because she's stronger now and needs more solid confinement,” Dalris explained, handing the bonds to his brothers, who fastened Edith's wrists and ankles to the top and bottom of the cot.

  Charlotte frowned at the sight, but Edith never complained—she actually looked relieved to be incapacitated.

  “I need to make a few calls,” Dalris stated once she was properly confined, making Charlotte think he wanted to go check his sources. “Let me know how she does.”

  “We will,” she promised as he left, then stepped over to the cot where she asked Edith, “How are you feeling?”

  “Terrible,” the redhead muttered. “I didn't even know this happened until that … vampire took over when I was in the foyer.” Turning a disturbed gaze at Charlotte, she added, “I could feel her in my head. She knew my thoughts, and it was … violating.”

  Charlotte was already grappling for composure, but Edith's statement just set her anger off even more.

  “Lillian must've done this in your sleep,” Liam qualified, sounding fiercely unhappy the vampiress had slipped one past him.

  “Neither of you saw her?” Ulric inquired.

  Edith answered, “It was too dark to see. I just woke up and this woman was … hovering over me. She said she was a vampire, and there were things in play that might get me killed if I didn't watch my step, but I couldn't move until she disappeared. That's when I ran to my phone to call the cops, and Liam showed up.”

  With that explained, Liam gave his side of things. “I only saw the mist leaving her home, and thought it was strange that they'd left in such a hurry without hurting Edith. But when she told me what the vampire said, I decided to simply bring her here before more could happen.”

  “I'm glad you did,” Charlotte started, feeling better having Edith close, though she wasn't entirely certain how safe her friend actually was, asking Ulric, “How long will Dalris' blood take to work, anyway?”

  “Could be a day at most, or a few minutes if we're lucky. She'll just have to stay confined until then.”

  She could easily agree with that stipulation, especially when Edith looked so scared. But it raised another question, which she took Ulric aside to ask because the answer might frighten Edith even more.

  Once they stood outside the cell, she started quietly, “I can sense that her blood's tainted, so I'll know when it wears off, but … what if it doesn't work?”

  “She doesn't have much of a choice,” Ulric admitted. “Edith would have to live as a vampire, and Lillian is the only one who can complete the process, or … ”

  Charlotte knew there was no chance of that happening, and when Ulric trailed, she prompted, “Or?”

  Grimly, he answered, “She'll have to die. Daywalkers who remain human eventually transform into ghouls.”

  “Ghouls?”

  Ulric explained as gently as he could, “They're nocturnal monsters that feed on the living.”

  It took Charlotte a moment to understand what he was saying simply because it seemed too unreal to be possible. But there they were, with Edith's survival completely dependent upon Dalris' blood, and Charlotte was right back at square one as far as Lillian's ritual was concerned.

  Her transition hadn't changed a damned thing, and realizing it was like taking a knife to the gut. Frustration mounted, and before she knew why, Ulric was gathering her in his arms to try soothing the tears she'd unwittingly shed in anger.

  “Gods, don't cry, sweetness,” he whispered against her ear as if her tears caused him pain. “It hasn't been too long for the blood to work, so she'll be fine.”

  Forgetting their audience, Charlotte replied angrily, “I know, I'm just so mad and … why won't Lillian just fucking come after me? This has got to sto
p!”

  She trailed, holding Ulric tight as if he were an anchor in the middle of a storm. Smoothing his hands up and down her back, she looked up to see the resolve in his eyes when he promised, “One way or another, it will. I won't rest until her goddamned ashes are scattered at our feet, Charlotte. I swear it.”

  He sounded so coldly lethal, viscous even, and it was the most comforting thing she'd ever heard. She knew Ulric would do everything he could to stop this, and affection for him swelled in her heart beyond all of her worry and anger. I don't know what I'd do without him.

  The sensation was telling of her true feelings, but Charlotte was too focused on the situation to think much about it for now, asking, “Do you think Lillian used Edith because she's run out of my blood?”

  “Possibly, or she's conserving what she has left for some emergency. There's a chance Edith knows.”

  “How?”

  “The blood bond forms a telepathic link between them, and it can go both ways. We'll just have to wait until we know Lillian's not potentially listening before asking about it.”

  A part of Charlotte hoped Edith could provide them with something, but the bigger part of her just wanted this to be resolved. “I don't care if she does or not, as long as she gets better, and I'm not leaving until she is.”

  Ulric agreed, giving her a gentle kiss. “Okay, I'll go check with Dalris, see if we can learn anything useful in the meantime.”

  That sounded like the best idea, and Charlotte watched him go with Liam following behind. Hopefully, information would be more quickly gathered when all three of them were working together to find it.

  Exhaling a breath, she turned to go sit on the edge of the cot with Edith, and offered a small smile, attempting to lighten the mood by mentioning, “Well, I never thought our next visit would go this way.”

  Somehow, the redhead found enough wit to joke, “You mean you've never fantasized about tying me to a bed before? How insulting!”

  At that, Charlotte laughed, finding hope that she really would get better. But their mirth didn't last long when Edith's smile faded with a slow, shaky breath. “I'm actually really scared, Charlotte.”