He stands, helping me to my feet. “Let’s get you to bed, then. You heard my uncle. We’ll have a busy night tomorrow.”
I let Lucca steer me toward the staircase, but something about what he said makes my chest feel tight, and I don’t know why.
Sixty
VIVIENNE
I’m restless, and so is the baby if all the kicking in my belly is any indication. Lucca is sleeping soundly for the first time in the last eight months. Now that Manu, Karl, Ronan, and Cheryl have returned and his uncle is cured, a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He has hope again, but after I heard all the details of what my mother did to Manu, Karl, Adrian, and Selor, her most loyal servant, I’m more worried than ever. Her cruelty has no bounds, and now that she’s cornered, she’ll be even more dangerous.
Nighttime won’t come for a few more hours, but I can’t stay in bed. I’m curious about Adrian and the Magna Vis, so I decide to pay the man a visit. But first, I need sustenance. I’m always hungry now.
In the kitchen, I walk into a scene I never thought possible. Manu, Cheryl, Karl, and Ronan in the same room and not wanting to kill one another. Manu is doting on the baby, and Cheryl is braiding Ollie’s hair while Ronan and Karl watch them with soft eyes and a smile tugging at their lips. They’re distracted, and no one notices my presence.
“Hey, what are you all doing up so early?” I ask.
Karl sits straighter. “Hey, Vivi.”
I open the fridge to get the milk out and see that Gerard also restocked the bags of blood. Now that we have a small vampire child in the house, the demand for blood on-the-go tripled. Vampire children don’t drink from their parents, unless they’re babies like Rio, and even so, they can only have blood from a female. I’m not sure why, but that’s what I learned.
“I think our body clock is still on Ellnesari time,” Ronan replies. “How about you?”
“Baby Gael was active.” I rub my giant belly.
“I can’t believe you’re pregnant,” Cheryl says. “We’ve missed so much.”
“I know it doesn’t compare to the ordeal you suffered, but it wasn’t a bed of roses here either.” I veer for the cupboard to grab my chocolate cereal.
“Do you need any help?” Karl asks.
“I got it. Thanks.”
“Are you going somewhere?” Ronan asks, ever observant.
“As a matter of fact, I am. I want to speak with Adrian.”
Manu’s forehead crinkles. “Is this about the Magna Vis?”
I nod. “Yes. I do believe him, but I also have a nagging feeling that perhaps he knows more about the relic than he thinks.”
Karl rubs his chin. “You suspect he had knowledge of the Magna Vis but forgot?”
“Yeah. The Valley of Lost Souls is considered the worst place in Ellnesari for a reason. The magic there is ancient and powerful. Truthfully, he should be a mumbling mess considering how long he was trapped there. The fact that he’s still functional is a miracle.”
“Shouldn’t you wait until nighttime so Lucca can come with you?” Ronan suggests.
That would have been the logical option. I’m sure Lucca would love to talk to Adrian some more, as well as his uncle. But I feel compelled to seek out Adrian now, and I don’t know why. Ikeep that to myself, though, and say instead, “I’m too anxious to wait.”
“Can you still walk the wind?” Manu asks.
“I can, but I’m avoiding it as much as possible now.”
“I can drive you,” Karl offers.
“But… you just got back. Surely you want to rest.”
“Your father healed me, and I’m not tired.”
“I’d feel better if you let Karl drive you,” Ronan adds.
