Horror washed over me as I stared at Draven. The man I thought I loved had lied to me. He kept a secret from and all I could do was sit there in shock as Draven, a monster, threw Dr. Montgomery across the room once more.
Dr. Montgomery remained on the ground for a moment, struggling to rise, but in an instant, Draven was by his side again, his hands gripping the collar of the doctor’s disheveled shirt.
“Get out of my house. Now,” Draven ordered, his voice stern and commanding. Towering over Dr. Montgomery, Draven’s presence filled the room like a dark cloud.
Dr. Montgomery scrambled to his feet and bolted out the front door, not daring to glance back in my direction. As Draven slammed the door shut behind him, I could not hold back the sob that escaped my throat, and I saw Draven tense at the sound.
My Draven. My Husband. My Saviour … was a Blood Hunter.
With his back still facing me, he ran his hands through his hair, trying to tame it, and he turned around. I must have looked like a scared child to him, curled in a ball on the stairs.
“Rosalia?” Draven moved slowly toward me as if I were a feral animal.
“Stay away from me,” I told him, curling my legs closer to my body. I could not look at him. My heart felt like it was about to shatter into a million pieces.
“Rosalia, I do not want this,” he said, motioning to his body. “I have never wanted this.”
“You lied to me!” I spat at him.
“Do you think I want to be like this? I do not want to live in the shadows every day. I want to feel the warmth of the sun again and meeting you—you are the closest thing I have to feeling the sun. Please allow me to explain.”
“I … I think I made a terrible mistake.” I did not look back at him as I ran up the stairs into my room, locking it behind me. I took a chair and pushed it under the handle. I ran and threw myself onto the bed, crying into the sheets.
The sheets smelled like him. I stripped them from the bed and then lay back down on the bare mattress. Memories of the past few months swirled in my mind: how I had never seen Draven eat a full meal, how he avoided the sunlight. How could I have been so blind?
My heart was broken as I realized that I let myself fall in love with a monster. I married the creature that killed my family.
I cried myself to sleep.
October 16, 1891
I summoned the strength to rise from my bed when I heard Imalda’s gentle voice at the door.
“Rosalia?” she inquired softly, her concern evident in her tone. “Are you all right?”
Pushing the chair aside, I hesitated for a moment before slowly opening the door. Imalda stood before me, a tray of steaming soup and a pot of tea in her hands. Without a word, I gestured for her to come in, closing the door behind her.
Taking a seat on the edge of my bed, Imalda placed the tray of food on a nearby table. I turned to face her, “Did you know?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes, dear,” she replied quietly, meeting my gaze with understanding.
“Why did you not tell me?” I pressed, the weight of betrayal heavy in my words.
Imalda sighed softly, her expression compassionate. “I assumed you were aware,” she explained gently. “It is hard to believe you had not realized after all this time.”
“Then why are you here? Are you not afraid?” I questioned, searching for some semblance of clarity in the chaos of my thoughts.
“I used to be afraid, like the other maids, but I have come to trust Draven. He has never harmed any of us, and I know when to keep my distance.”
“Why do you not leave?” I asked.
“For the same reason the doctor came, and why most mortals befriend Blood Hunters. I thought you were here for the same reason.”
“You are a Blood Hunter?”
“No, not yet, but I would like to be. Thus, we serve our master in the hopes one day he shall grant us the gift of his transformation.”
Her words sent a shiver down my spine. “Why would anyone want that?” I tried not to recoil from her.
