Chapter 13: Chapter 12

I found myself in a dark secluded room and on top of an uncomfortable couch when I woke up. Where the hell was I?

“We’re in a professor’s office.”

I jumped abruptly and let out a shriek. Then I saw a shadow detach itself from the wall and stroll forward. Roane.

“You fainted.” His voice was curt.

“You caught me before? I thought it was the building.”

He leaned back on the desk and asked, “What’s going on with you? You were vomiting the other night and I know you weren’t drunk. Now you fainted. You look like you’ve been sick since last night. Cold sweats?”

“Why do you care? It’s none of your business. How did you know about the cold sweats?” I didn’t think I wanted to hear the answer.

“I can smell the perspiration on your skin.”

I’d been right.

“It’s got a sweet aged smell to it. Not many vampires can place it.”

“Too much information.”

“You asked.”

“Well, I wish I hadn’t now.” My voice sounded like I’d just sang the lead in an opera—as a novice.

“Your throat hurts?” Was there sympathy in that voice?

“Yeah.” It felt like I’d swallowed bark and then vomited it back up, still fully formed.

Roane crossed and sat in the chair beside my head. He leaned forward on his knees and regarded me intently. Why did the chair have to be positioned so close to the couch? Why did Roane’s hands brush slightly against my shoulder and why didn’t I suppress the shiver this time? I swallowed tightly and grimaced from the pain. The shivers were becoming normal to me. Somehow, I was certain that wasn’t a good thing.

“You might be able to ignore that something’s going on with you, but I won’t.”

I slowly and achingly sat up. “Why do you care?”

“Because I might need you if Kates goes against the decree again. You’re still the only person she’ll listen to and contrary to what you think; I really don’t want to kill your friend.”

What every girl wants to hear. “Well… thanks for not wanting to kill my friend.” What every girl wants to say.

“Have you talked to anyone about your symptoms?”

“You sound like a counselor or a doctor. It’s annoying. And no, I haven’t said anything. You know that, it’s why you brought me in here from the convention—the convention! Adam! Did you—”

Roane stood and crossed to the window. He peeked through the drawn blinds. “Your boyfriend thinks you had an emergency and that’s why you were called away. Don’t worry; I had someone pass along the message.” Did I detect a slight smirk at the corner of his lips? I could only imagine what that might mean… “Can you stand?”

“Uh… yeah… I mean… can I have a minute here?” I swallowed underneath those impenetrable eyes of his.

“I can help, you know.”

I knew instantly what he meant and I felt myself pale. “No, no, no. I am not drinking your blood. I don’t care if it’ll heal whatever wrong’s with me.”

“I thought I’d offer.”

“Again. No.”

Roane stood up. The chair didn’t even creak. It looked old, uncomfortable, and pink. I felt the couch creak underneath my weight so I knew that if I’d been the one to stand up from the chair, it would’ve sounded like a falling tree. Not Roane with his supernatural grace. Not even Kates could move how he did. Something told me that Roane was not the vampire to be pitted against. I shivered at that thought and for once I was thankful the Hunters were on my side.

“You should go home and rest for the night.”

I could rest, yes, but not for the night. “I can’t. I have a date tonight.”

“With your boyfriend?” He said it so calmly and evenly. I frowned when I couldn’t discern what he might be thinking—and why the hell did I care about that?

“With Adam. He’s taking me to the Alexander Restaurant. It’s supposed to be divine eating.” I almost tripped on my own self-righteousness.

“I own it.” His voice was flat. Emotionless.

“Let me know how that makes sense. I didn’t know that vampires were such ‘divine’ chefs.”

“You should stop stereotyping us. You know that we’re not all the same, Davy.”

I heard the seductive promise and I hated how my body reacted. “Is it hot in here?”

“I’m not Adam either. You like him because you can control him. You don’t like me because you can’t manipulate me. You can’t control me.”

“You’re not very normal for a vampire either.” Had I just admitted to being manipulative?

“Truth hurts. Deal with it.” Roane turned back towards the window.

“What’s out there? You keep looking out there. Are you looking for something in particular?”

“More like ~someone~ in particular.”

“And that makes sense.” Sarcasm.

Whatever Roane was going to say was interrupted as his eye caught and held on something. I saw a slight grin appear and vanish just as quickly, but his eyes remained on whatever spot he watched. He withdrew abruptly from the window and crossed to the office door. It wasn’t even a second before he opened it and another giant vampire stepped through. It almost looked coordinated, but who coordinates that? ~‘Vampires would.’~ I snorted at that thought. Roane ignored me, but the other vampire lifted a pair of shrewd dark eyes my way. They were cold. No—scratch that. They were freezing. And they didn’t want me there.

“Who is this?” Even his voice sounded like the tundra.

“No one. Did you find something?”

He drew up to his fullest height, which was impressive. I guessed he might’ve been over six feet and five inches, but I’m terrible at guessing that stuff. With his broad shoulders and his rich golden curls, the vampire could’ve passed as a member of the royal Viking family. “Raitscliff and Lucan have both found a female that might be the next.”

“Their families are here?”

The Viking nodded and waited for Roane’s command.

Roane nodded once. His shoulders were made of stone. “Call the rest. I can’t fight both families alone.”

“You are not alone.” The Viking sounded sincere. He laid a gentle hand on Roane’s shoulder and I was more surprised when it wasn’t shrugged off. Roane seemed to get strength from the simple touch.

“I know I am not alone, Gregory, but I would fear for your life too heavily. Raitscliff has vowed your death since Hartsdale.”

“He can try.” Gregory puffed up as his hand formed a tight fist.

He had meaty hands. I could only imagine the damage one of those hands could inflict. Just… impressive…and horrifying.

“Find Wren and I’ll meet you back at the house.”

“And her?” He sneered at me.

I straightened and fixed him with one of my glares. I could do the frostbite thing back at him. I think my glare bounced off him how my hand had bounced off of Roane before.

“Go.” Roane ignored Gregory.

Gregory clamped his jaw tight and abruptly disappeared from the room. He didn’t literally vanish, but the effect was the same. He was there. He was gone. And the door clicked in his wake.

“Boyfriend?”

Roane ignored me as he moved back to the window and peered through the blinds. Then he heaved a deep unnecessary breath.

“Why do you do that?”

“What?”

“Breathe. Sigh. Why do you do that? You don’t actually breathe, you know. You don’t need air.”

Roane studied me for a moment. “It’s habit. It’s the body’s habit. I try to grant the wish of the body.”

“It’s not like you’re a demon that inhabits it. It was your body before you became a vampire.”

He measured his words, but I caught the slightest inflection of… remorse? “To me, I was taught to respect the soul and the vessel of the soul. My mind might be similar, but I am not human, Davy. I don’t have that soul anymore. The body misses the soul. It’s a unique relationship that can’t be described, but there are vestiges. There are little remains that tell me what the body used to do with the soul. Breathing is just one of them.”

Well—that was… very philosophical. I wasn’t sure I was glad that I had asked. “Oh.”

“You’re a human, Davy. And yet, you’re more than the others. You know of us. You know of our world. You look down on us, but I’m human enough to know that you fear us. You went through a terrible thing with one vampire. I understand that his scars are still in you, that you think and feel because of them. They have power over you and yet—I think you’re above those scars. I think you ~can~ be above them.”

I was blown away and infuriated by what he said. I was also pissed, though I wasn’t sure why. “You’re a Hunter. You’re a vampire. You own a restaurant. I’m guessing that you own a few of them. You go to college. Why do you even bother going to classes? Why pretend to be one of the lowly creatures we are?”

Roane took a step forward.

I leaned forward on the edge of the couch.

He studied me like he was absorbing my image into his brain.

I let him. I soaked up the attention—I’m not above admitting that. I wanted that attention. I wanted his attention. And I held my breath...

“Why pretend? That’s your question? You shouldn’t ask it that way. You shouldn’t put us above you. Because it’s not like that, Davy. The new decree is supposed to remind us what it’s like to be human. Humanity. That’s what everything is for us. Some forget. Some want to forget. It’s about us not forgetting what we used to be. We used to be human. We used to have that soul inside of us and we cling to anything that will help us keep that reminder.” Roane surged forward. “Education is the right for any soul. There is a potential that is only granted freedom through education. To not learn, that’s to forget a soul’s humaneness.”

And that was said by a vampire. “Good thing I’m in college then…”

“Don’t joke this off. Don’t cover up what you are.”

“I…” I opened my mouth, but what was there to say? I didn’t know… I couldn’t even formulate a thought. I just knew that my heart was pounding like a thundering racetrack.

Roane opened his mouth, but closed it abruptly. He glided forward.

I couldn’t think.

He was only an inch away.

I couldn’t… his hand swept upwards…

I closed my eyes… his hand cupped the side of my cheek… then I gasped as his lips touched mine.