“Eloise.” Damien runs his thumb along my cheekbone. His voice is strained. “There’s something?—”
A jolt rings through me like I’ve had one of those dreams where I’m falling. I wobble on my feet, and for some strange reason, I look up. The slightest wash of silver signals the coming dawn. It’s so bright it burns my eyes, and I shade them with my cupped hand.
“I feel like I’m going to throw up. I think there’s something wrong with me.” My head throbs, and I grab it with both hands. “Owww. Fuck. Maybe I have a concussion.”
I can’t hold myself up any longer. Thank fuck Damien catches me, holding me against his chest as he strides out from under the brightening sky. I’m barely aware of anything but my pounding head as he makes his way through the palace, but when we reach the marketplace, people are waiting for us there. And they’re cheering my name.
“Thank you, Eloise!” a woman cries.
I’m too weak to do anything but give a wave. There is definitely something wrong with me, and when Damien doesn’t make the turn toward Marabella’s I become worried. “I need the doctor. Damien, take me to Everline.”
His warm kiss lands on my head. “Close your eyes, little dragon. I’ll take care of you. I have everything you need at my apartment.”
His apartment. I’ve wanted to see where he lives since we met. I try to fight the exhaustion. If I have a concussion, I should definitely not sleep. But the second I close my eyes, I surrender to a darkness as thick as death.
44
Changes
ELOISE
When I open my eyes again, I’m surrounded by Damien’s scent. The bed I’m in is small but comfortable with a plush comforter in deep evergreen. I snuggle in closer to his warmth, my ear against his heartbeat, and take in the dark wood furniture. The room is almost austere in its tidy composure. Aside from some clothes folded on the dresser, there’s not a thing on any surface.
Not even a lamp.
I search the room for the source of light. Maybe a window or a bulb in the ceiling, but we’re underground. The room is completely dark. Why then can I see as clear as day?
I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The movement is quick, unnaturally so. I search for my bond with Phantom, wondering if it’s magic.
Damien’s oversized hand lands on my back, and then a cloud of black smoke coalesces beside me and he’s sitting next to me.
“It’s twilight.”
I turn to face him, utterly confused. “I can see in the dark.”
He nods, his eyes wide and somewhat sad. “You can.”
“What happened to me, Damien?”
His fingers slide into mine. “They weren’t protein shakes, my little dragon. Everline never gave you any herbs.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It was blood. Vampire blood. Yours contained George’s blood.”
I shake my head. “Why would Marabella feed me vampire blood? Why would George?”
He runs his tongue along his bottom lip. “It has a strengthening effect on humans. Makes them heal faster. All the things she said the herbs did, vampire blood can do.”
“So why didn’t she tell me it was vampire blood?”
“Because you might have stopped drinking it. You might reject it. And that was unacceptable to her. She was desperate for you to win. The blood was her insurance policy.”
I fight back tears as my mind offers up what he’s trying to tell me. I can’t accept it. I won’t. A fist-sized lump forms in my throat, and I swallow it down. “We should have breakfast. I’m starving.”
I start to stand, but he gently holds my arm.
“Vampires turn humans into vampires by first drinking their blood and then replacing the blood they’ve drained with their own. You had vampire venom in your system from donating and vampire blood in your system from the shakes and the infusions. The only thing that was missing to change you was the final step in the process.”
