Light of Dawn

by Angela Colsin

  Charlotte could sense her distress, grasping her hand to hold tight, promising, “I'm going to get you through this, Edith. So just hang in there for me, okay?”

  “Okay,” she returned hopefully, taking a deep, calming breath. Then, after a silent moment, she hesitantly asked, “By the way, and maybe it's a bad time, but … why are your ears pointed?”

  Charlotte groaned, realizing they had a lot to talk about.

  Chapter 32

  Midnight came, and Edith's situation was the same.

  Charlotte faithfully stayed with her friend over the course of the day, using her new abilities to keep the mortal asleep when she'd complained of feeling under the weather. Ulric looked in on them from time to time, admiring Charlotte's dedication, but most of his evening was spent with Dalris and Liam, checking several trusted sources for news.

  Though much of what they came across wasn't worthwhile, Dalris eventually learned something pertinent enough to grab their attention. Rumor had it a group of Kalar magistrates arrived in Northern Georgia close to the border the previous evening, and they were congregating in an old cemetery. While it had nothing to do with Lillian, she was a former member of that faction, which made their appearance so close to home seem significant.

  After developing a few likely theories, and at Ulric's suggestion, Dalris contacted an old family friend named Robi, a gnome who was adept at stealth and tracking. She agreed to see what could be found without hesitation, and would likely get information quickly.

  With that taken care of, Ulric realized he'd actually missed working with Dalris. After avoiding him so often over the past several decades, he'd forgotten how well they managed to get things done together, and wasn't incredibly worried that his brother looked down on him.

  Ulric thought he'd never completely get over what happened, but those traumas didn't seem to matter the way they did before. Maybe finding Charlotte had put him at ease about his past when all he wanted now was to look forward and embrace a future with her.

  Yet vampires were still causing him problems.

  Knowing Charlotte's transition didn't change anything regarding Lillian's plans had Ulric feeling pressed for time, as if something dire could happen at any second and completely ruin their lives. To top it off, he and Charlotte still hadn't talked about their bond, keeping him on the edge.

  There was so much he'd yet to tell her, things he hadn't actually considered addressing before. I haven't even said I love you. But until Edith's condition changed—which he had no doubts it would—his hands were tied.

  So he visited with his own ailing friend in the meantime. Isaac was staying in one of the manor's many guestrooms, and while he didn't look as bad as he probably could considering Charlotte's healing, he definitely wasn't at his best.

  The demon's skin was pallid, his eyes lacked their usual glow, and he'd lost weight. But despite his physical decay, his perception remained sharp as he casually commented from his place on the bed when he saw Ulric, “Judging by the scowl on your face, you've either got girl problems, or Lillian found a new way to piss in everyone's oatmeal.”

  “Try both,” Ulric muttered, pulling up an armchair to sit across from Isaac while explaining what happened that day.

  After listening carefully, Isaac asked, “Do you think the Kalar are here to help Lillian, or stop her?”

  “I'm not sure,” Ulric admitted. “But whatever the reason, Robi will be in touch sometime tonight.”

  “What about Dragon's Brood?”

  “They're on standby. Garrick and Victoria are also on their way here now, so our bases are covered.”

  “Sounds like you guys are gonna have fun with this one,” Isaac mused. “Makes me wish I wasn't cursed.”

  “If you'd accept Chandra's help, you wouldn't be.”

  Stubbornly, Isaac retorted, “She's not the only mage who can break it.”

  Ulric knew convincing the demon wouldn't be easy, but he tried by pointing out, “Sure, if you want to pay an arm and a leg.”

  “So I'll pay.”

  Just like he thought, it was a loosing battle, and Ulric gave up. Letting Isaac's decaying body argue with him would be more effective than trying to sway him with words.

  “Still,” Ulric supplied, “you may have to wait before we can find someone. With everything going on, I haven't even had a chance to talk with Charlotte.”

  “You sound like you're on edge.”

  “I am,” he muttered. “She said she was uncomfortable, which isn't surprising when she's been through so much, but not knowing what she needs is driving me crazy, and she's still in danger. It makes me feel like I've yet to prove myself somehow.”

  Isaac's withered visage grew thoughtful. “Now that you mention it, that's actually kind of ironic.”

  “What is?”

  “Vampires enslaved you for two years,” he began, “and now your mate needs protection from them. Seems like some stuck up prick of a deity thought the best way to make you worthy of her was by subjecting you to torment so you'd fight even harder to keep her safe.”

  Ulric stared down into nothing as he considered it, having to admit it was strange. “What's even more ironic is that thoughts of finding my mate were one of the things that kept me going, and now, I'd volunteer to be their slave if it meant Charlotte's safety.”

  It was easy to see that Isaac knew from the declaration alone just how much Ulric loved her, inquiring seriously, “So what's the plan?”

  Ulric sat back in his arm chair, giving a simple answer. “Depending on what Robi learns, it seems like a good idea to find a safe place to take Charlotte now that Lillian knows where she is.”

  Without hesitation, Isaac shook his head. “That's a bullshit plan, Yules.”

  “How?”

  “She deserves revenge, and probably wants it, which means she'd argue with you and waste time.”

  “It's safer than letting her join a fight involving who knows how many magistrates and potentially getting killed,” Ulric countered, then added more angrily, “or repeatedly used and sold like I was.”

  The mere thought of Charlotte in such a situation triggered Ulric's Wrath, and considering his agitation, it was hard to get under control. But Isaac only scoffed, reminding him, “She could drop ten magistrates in a heartbeat if they were close enough, Yules, just like she did at Foxy's. She also has the most protection staying here with your siblings around.”

  Ulric couldn't dispute that, and he knew Charlotte wouldn't want to go back into hiding after everything Lillian had done. The situation simply had him so wound up that he wasn't thinking clearly.

  With a frustrated groan, he admitted, “I just need some time alone with her. I feel like any minute, something could happen, and there's still so much I haven't told her.”

  “So go to her.”

  “I can't, not until Edith's bond to Lillian has broken.”

  As he was speaking, Isaac reached up to scratch his head, pulling his hand back to find a number of black hairs twined around his fingers—along with a large chunk of skin.

  Grumbling, the demon commented, “Whatever you do, just make sure she gets a chance to come heal me first.”

  Ulric parted his lips to respond, but stopped when he detected Charlotte's scent coming from outside the room, suspiciously glancing at the door.

  “What?” Isaac asked. “Smell something?”

  “Just Charlotte,” Ulric answered, standing to go check.

  He found the hallway outside vacant, but her scent was strong, proving she'd been standing by the door for a while, probably listening in on their conversation—and likely knew about his enslavement now.

  Ulric tensed at the thought, but not because he didn't want her to know. He simply would've rather she'd not heard it out of context when she might assume something that wasn't true, and potentially become disgusted.

  With the strain he was already under, Ulric couldn't shake the paranoia that gripped him at the thought, overwhelmed by the urge to find her
and make sure she knew the facts.

  “Where is she?” Isaac asked.

  Masking his worry, Ulric returned, “Probably left when she heard me coming, so I'm going to check on her.”

  As if aware of what he intended to do once he found Charlotte, the demon enunciated, “Send her here first.”

  “We'll see,” Ulric remarked, then shut the door on his friend with no intention of following through. Though Isaac's condition was bad, if Charlotte healed him too often, he might never change his mind about getting Chandra's help.

  Besides, Ulric had a pretty good idea of what her demand would be, and didn't think it was too high a price for Isaac to pay considering the way he'd nagged the sorceress in the past.

  So he pushed the thoughts away, entering the hidden chamber where Edith had been confined earlier, only to discover it was empty. The cot was unoccupied, and their scent was faint, suggesting Edith's blood bond had broken some time ago. Charlotte was likely on her way to tell him the news when she'd overheard his conversation with Isaac.

  Now it was just a matter of figuring out where she'd gone.

  ~*~*~*~

  “Whoa, are you okay?”

  Edith was sitting on the side of a double bed in one of the guestrooms with Pepper in her lap when Charlotte walked in. The blood bond had severed just over an hour prior, and with Dalris' approval, Charlotte took her friend upstairs where they caught up on everything happening, from her transition to hunting Lillian, and her bond with Ulric.

  Though quiet, Edith seemed to be coping, and she couldn't recall anything about Lillian that might've helped in their bid to stop the vampiress. Still, Charlotte was just relieved to have her getting back to normal, and temporarily left after their discussion to check on Isaac, and also let Ulric know of her friend's progress.

  But at Isaac's door, their voices caught her attention, and she'd curiously stopped to listen in, only leaving when Ulric mentioned detecting her scent.

  “Charlotte? What's wrong?”

  Dazed, she asked, “Huh? Oh, nothing, I'm just ... surprised.”

  “About what?”

  Walking over, she sat next to Edith, stalling with her answer when it wasn't everyday a person realized they were falling so deeply in love.

  The things she'd overheard Ulric saying had spelled it all out. Though Charlotte had gathered enough clues to connect the dots, and knew he'd been hurt by vampires, she hadn't expected to hear that he'd been enslaved, then repeatedly used and sold for two years.

  Grief, shock, and most of all, fury at his tormentors consumed her, and she wanted to make them pay for his suffering—even if it cost her life.

  With the thought, her true feelings became evident. The emotional reaction was raw, and only amplified when Ulric admitted being willing to revisit his torment if it ensured her safety. Not that I'd ever let him.

  “Charlotte?”

  Edith's voice broke through her daze, and she excused, “Sorry, I just overheard something about Ulric, and it knocked me for a loop.”

  “That doesn't sound good,” Edith frowned. “Does it have to do with your transition and the bond you told me about?”

  “Not specifically, but the way I reacted to it is a good indication of how I feel about Ulric, and ... I'm falling, Edith. Hard.”

  All at once, Edith's countenance went from concerned to excited. “How did you react?”

  “I knew I'd give my life for him.”

  Suddenly, her friend smiled knowingly. Charlotte wasn't completely sure what to make of the expression, but it proved to be contagious. “What?”

  “I hate to break it to you, Charlotte, but I think you've gone right past the falling part and landed in the middle of I love you territory.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You know when you were outside my cell, and he made that promise about scattering Lillian's ashes at your feet?” At Charlotte's nod, she continued, “Well, I could see it in the way you looked at him—all smitten and affectionate like.”

  She made it sound so girlish that Charlotte countered, “I did not look at him that way!”

  “Oh, please. You were so gushy I thought you might start gettin' busy right there on the floor.”

  “Hooker!” Charlotte shot out, trying not to grin, but it was a loosing battle. After several snickers between them—the first Edith had made since the bond to Lillian broke—Charlotte finally conceded. “Okay, so I was drooling over him. Just don't criticize me for being slow to realize it.”

  “It's not like you don't have a good reason,” Edith returned, and in proving she was still recovering from her own traumas, added, “This supernatural shit is ... really hard to get used to, and you've gone through a lot.”

  Frowning, Charlotte asked softly, “Are you uncomfortable with me now?”

  “Oh, no,” she replied quickly. “I mean, yeah, it's weird, but you're still Charlotte, you're just ... a new version.” At that, she snorted, announcing, “You're Charlotte 2.0 with a fae upgrade.”

  Charlotte chuckled, thinking that was a fitting description. But her thoughts soon returned to Ulric, asking, “So you don't think it's, you know, too soon with him?”

  Edith scoffed. “No. Besides, too soon is up to you to decide. But if you really want my opinion, I think if you've found happiness,” she paused, then put it bluntly, “grab it by the balls and never let go.”

  Wasn't that exactly what Charlotte promised she'd do when she arrived at the Spire? This bond wasn't just about her signing on to be Ulric's mate for eternity. It was also about accepting him as hers, and keeping close the things she wanted.

  Her instincts were just a push in the right direction, not the sole reason for her interest. Sure, she still needed to adapt, but she had to start somewhere—and accepting a relationship with a man who would make her eternally happy seemed like a good first step.

  Besides, now that she thought of it, the notion of living forever alone was pretty damned scary.

  Charlotte was also comforted to know that though so much had changed, Edith still treated her the same, lending an ear and being an honest friend.

  “I hate what happened to you,” she started, “but I'm really glad you're here.”

  Edith smiled in return. “I'm glad to be here, too, especially since Dalris had a way to reverse that daywalker … thing.” Following the comment, she grumbled, “I just wish I could've given you something on Lillian, but it's all so fuzzy. Whenever she was in control, everything felt like a strange dream. I don't even know what I was thinking, let alone her.”

  Charlotte waved a hand as if to dismiss the thought. “Don't worry, it was probably a long shot anyway, and Ulric came by to tell me about some information they'd come across when you were asleep. So I'm pretty sure they're close to finding her.”

  “Good,” Edith grumbled, “because if something happens when you're just starting out this new life, I'm gonna be pissed.”

  Charlotte agreed. Lillian's threat could ruin everything, and she also didn't like Ulric's plan to relocate because of it. Isaac was right, this wasn't a fight she was going to hide from, and if Ulric insisted, she needed to figure out a way to convince him to stay at the estate.

  “So, you gonna go talk to Ulric now?” Edith asked through her thoughts.

  “Yeah, I need to. I'm just hoping we don't argue much because I wouldn't mind … well, you know,” she spoke suggestively, wanting more than just a long talk after the day they'd endured.

  With so much going on, having some time alone with Ulric by a lit hearth after changing into something nice would be perfect. Sadly, she didn't own any lingerie, though she did have some sleepwear that was a step away from qualifying.

  With a knowing grin, Edith lifted Pepper to put on the bed as she stood. “I get it, and I'm gonna go thank Dalris for his help. So if I find Ulric, should I send him your way?”

  “No, I need a little time to change and clean up first.”

  As she stood, Edith was eyeing her, asking dev
iously, “Does this mean I can't call you a prude anymore?”

  Charlotte snickered, but never answered when a knock sounded at the door along with the words, “Edith? It's Ulric.”

  “Damn,” she laughed. “His I'm-gettin'-lucky radar must be hypersensitive.”

  Grinning, Charlotte went to open the door. Outside, Ulric seemed to be troubled, but he disguised the expression when Edith stepped into the hallway with them, asking her, “How are you feeling now?”

  “Much better,” she started, “and I wanted to thank you for the help earlier.”

  “It's no trouble.” With that, he looked between the ladies curiously. “Was I interrupting?”

  “No,” Charlotte answered. “She just wants to go thank Dalris for what he did, and I was wondering if you could help her find him.”

  Ulric looked reluctant, and even Edith started to ask, “What are you—oh.” Clearing her throat, she finished, “Never mind.”

  Charlotte grinned over how fast she caught on, though Ulric still seemed confused. So she stepped in and crooked her finger for him to lean closer, detecting his earthy scent while whispering against his ear, “I know we need to talk about things, but I want to get ready for what comes after that.”

  Pressing a kiss to his temple, she added seductively, “I'm already aching for you just thinking about it, so it won't take long.”

  She could actually sense that her confession had aroused him, but all it really took was one look into his electric blue gaze. The lust there made her shiver, and again, she thought I could get very used to this.

  “Just give me fifteen minutes,” she requested on a normal tone, taking a step back.

  Ulric looked ready to throw her over his shoulder instead, but then nodded in agreement and told Edith, “I think Dalris is in the study.”

  “Works for me,” she smiled, heading down the hallway with him.

  Charlotte grinned as they left, and wasted no time going to get prepared, feeling more confident than she had in several months. Her answers no longer seemed out of reach, her solutions attainable, and instead of uncertainty, enthusiasm filled her.