I took the horse that was most used to me. The animals in my world were still not so fond of me. We took off through the blue dark as the manor slept. A hazy fog roiled about the air, wrapping around the barren trees as we tore down the forest road. The address was located along the countryside, and my black cloak and horse disappeared into the night.
For a moment I worried about the newborns but then realization dropped through me. Did they attack their own kind?
I paused before a looming, iron gate. My horse’s sharp breaths broke through the chilled air like smoke plumes. She shook her head, stepping in place, clearly upset by something. The source of her discomfort stood before the gate.
I brought her over to the tree line across the road from the sprawling manor, or more accurately, the stately house of horrors. I wrapped her reins around a tree, keeping her a healthy distance from them. I could walk the rest of the way.
The two newborns opened the gate for me without a word. Down a long, well-manicured road lined with cypress trees sat a grim manor comprised of heavy, gray stone. The arched windows glowed with faint candlelight, some housed only darkness.
There were two more newborns at the towering entrance. I wondered how old these newborns and the ones at the gate were. They seemed to have far more control than the newborns I had come across before. The others were feral compared to them. These newborns were like soldiers, and the perception hung heavy over my head.
The door opened to a stern-faced, older woman. Her golden wheat hair was slicked back into a low bun. She wore a black gown with white cuffs and a high neck. There was a softness about her and a sweetness that left my throat dry. She was human.
Before I interacted with any vampires, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish them between humans. They blended in so well. They existed right under our noses, close beside us, with us all along. But now I knew. There was a coldness to their eyes, you had to know where to find it. Perhaps it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, just something of another world.
She didn’t speak a word as she led me down an arched, stone hall. Iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling flickering with hundreds of candles. We entered a grand dining room. The expansive table was filled with an elaborate display of food that two people could never possibly finish.
Before I approached the table, the woman gripped my shoulders, grabbing at my cloak in a rather rough fashion. I shrugged out of it to reveal my gown. The sleeves draped off of my shoulders, and it wastight through the bust with delicate, sheer layers that flowed to the floor with a short train. I didn’t know what my plan was, or if I even had one, but I had a feeling Alaric liked red.
He didn’t look up once from his position at the head of the table. I sat to his left. I would have preferred several chairs between us, but it was the only chair available. He continued to stare through his plate as one of his staff, another human, filled my crystal goblet with red wine. His stone-like face was cut with hard edges. His lips were tight, and his brow was pinched. Though his face was rather blank as usual, he couldn’t hide what simmered beneath.
As he looked up, his eyes clashed with mine evoking a violent shiver uprooted from the depths of my soul. Pure malice roiled within hazel and gold set on fire. He was not just angry. He was wrath incarnate.
“I suppose congratulations are in order.” His calm voice and demeanor were even more unsettling than if he’d let his anger bleed through. “Welcome to the house of demons, darling.”
My mouth went dry. I forced a swallow through ash and gravel.
“How about a toast.” He held up his goblet, nodding towards mine. With reluctance, I lifted it. He leaned forward, reaching out his long arm. The clink of glass hurt my ears, and it wasn’t even loud. “To your new life.” Each word was laced with disdain.
He was scorned. What he wanted was taken from him, and I couldn’t help but smile. His eyes darkened at the sight, but his lips tilted into the most unsettling smile that would forever haunt my dreams.
He held my eyes as he brought the crystal to his lips. I did the same. The wine had a sweet scent, but a slight bitterness cut through my tongue as I drank. My eyes widened as I set the glass down. I had already drunk half. He smiled, clearly pleased.
He was oddly quiet as I poked around my plate. My appetite wasn’t the strongest, though my throat burned. I was still gettingused to my cravings. I reached for my wine again. He leaned back in his chair, elbows resting on the armrests, and his hands draped over the sides lazily, his eyes not once leaving me. I shifted under his gaze.
He was quite handsome, the same sort of dangerous, ethereal beauty as Sebastian. Too bad he was deranged.
At the thought of Sebastian, my chest ached. It physically hurt to be apart. The bond strengthened our connection to a painful degree. Everything good came at a price, I supposed. Guilt bloomed from our distance, at the lie I told that kept us apart.
The wine began to take hold as it roamed throughout my system, and I figured it was as good a time as any to get to know the man who had been haunting me for the last year.
“You knew the exorcisms were killing me,” I said flatly.
He nodded once. “Yes.”
“Is that what you want? You want me to die?”
“Of course not.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Obedience.”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “You’re a very attractive man. I’m sure you can find someone else who actually wants you.” I didn’t mean for the words to come out so harshly, and something flickered within his eyes, but it was quickly wiped away as an arrogant smirk twisted his features.
“Veryattractive?”
When I didn’t respond, he sighed and gave a slight shrug. “I like you.”
