“You say you don’t know him, yet you wanted him to come back here, to stay with us,” Malik says.
“Do you blame me? If you thought you were the only vampire in existence and then you encountered another, would you not react the same way?” I ask. Doesn’t he see how judgmental he’s being?
“She wants answers, Malik,” Jasik says.
“I understand that, but your duty is to this nest, Ava. You are a hunter. You must protect them.”
I nod. “I know, and I wouldn’t have asked him to come here if I thought he was dangerous.”
“How can you be so sure he’s not?” Malik says. “You just admitted you don’t even know him.”
I shake my head, exhaling sharply. How can I explain this to him? How can I explain this feeling? “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Try,” he says. “I need to understand, Ava.”
I sigh. “I just…I feel something when I’m around him. It’s like…we’re connected or something. I mean, it’s not the same as my connection with Jasik. That feels like a true, real connection that actually exists because he sired me. But there is something between Will and me. Maybe it’s because we’re both…different, special. A camaraderie. It’s unspoken, but it’s there. I truly believe he doesn’t want to hurt me.”
“Perhaps, but what are his feelings toward these vampires? Does he harbor the same respect for them as you believe he does for you?”
“I—I don’t know,” I say.
“I think you do,” Malik says.
“Enough of this. Ava, do you want to leave with him?” Jasik asks, his voice soft.
“I—” I shake my head. “Why would you ask that?”
“He didn’t want to come here, and he doesn’t belong in Darkhaven,” Jasik says. “Why else would he come here? He wants you to join him, doesn’t he?”
I nod and whisper, “He does.”
“And do you want to leave with him? Or do you want to stay with us?”
I swallow hard, words escaping me. Suddenly, I’m no longer strong or standing in this kitchen. I’m a child in the arms of my mother. We’re in the forest, retreating without Papá. He fights the vampire who ambushed us, and I hear his screams in the distance. Never have I felt so…weak, so alone.
“Don’t lie to me, Ava,” Jasik says. “I can see the effect he has on you. You hesitated then, when we were in the forest. And you’re hesitating now.”
“Do you want to leave with him?” Malik says, emphasizing each word.
“I— No. I don’t want to leave, but I don’t want him to leave either. He has answers, Jasik. He can help me understand better than anyone else. He knows more than you or Amicia or Holland, and I can’t lose him. I can’t lose that connection to what I am.”
“I know you’re scared, but we can help you,” Jasik says. “Your training sessions were working. You were growing stronger and handling your magic better. Don’t give up yet, Ava.”
I shake my head and whisper, “Please, don’t make me choose.”
“Because you would choose him?” Jasik asks, not bothering to hide his pain.
“This isn’t about you or him. This is about understanding what I am. So if you force me to choose, I will choose me.”
Chapter Eleven
The moment Amicia enters the room, the air shifts. The tension tightens like a noose, and I choke. She has a staggering aura regardless of where I am or what I’m doing. It’s unsettling, overpowering, and downright disturbing. Sometimes I wonder if she’s the oldest vampire alive. Who else could harness such power or inflict such a visceral reaction?
The only thing stronger than my initial fearful reaction to her presence is my anger with what she made me do. It boils in the pit of my gut and is bubbling over. I know it will spill from my lips, and I won’t be able to control my fury.
From Jasik’s earlier reaction, Amicia’s request to form a blood oath with me was unacceptable. She knew what she was doing, what she was asking from me, a vampire sired to another. I was a novice, a newborn hell-bent on pleasing the woman offering me shelter. I trusted her in my weakest moment, and she betrayed that trust. Now I want answers. I want her to apologize for what she did and explain why she would ask that of me.
“What is the meaning of this?” Amicia asks.
Her hair is pulled back into a tight bun. She’s wearing black silk pajamas. The pants are too long for her short stature, so they bunch at her heels and slide across the floor as she walks. With arms crossed, she taps her pointer finger against her arm, impatiently awaiting a response. Her gaze is narrowed, and it darts between the three of us.
Jasik steps forward, his anger evident, but before he can ask about Amicia’s intentions, his brother steps forward.
“There was a situation while Ava was on patrol,” Malik says, breaking the silence and probably saving his brother from being ousted.
Jasik is just as upset as I am, and I want answers just as badly as he does. But we must be smart about this. If cornered, Amicia can outsmart and outmatch us both. Malik is no idiot. He intervened intentionally.
“What happened?” Amicia asks. “Rogues again?”
“Ava met another hybrid,” Malik says.
My heart nearly stops at his words. Hearing them aloud when spoken to our leader, the sire of everyone in this nest save for one, is an entirely different experience. Even telling Jasik, my own sire, didn’t send such a rush of fear to my heart. I wait for her reaction. Shockingly, Amicia maintains her composure. The only evidence of her surprise is her widened eyes. Her gaze lands on me before she regains her composure.
“You met another?” Amicia asks me. Her voice squeaks as she speaks. Clearly, she too expected me to be the only one in existence. So what does this mean? How does this affect my place in this nest?
I nod, watching her carefully, wondering what she’ll ask next. Will she be as upset as the others? Or will she want to meet Will? Will she invite him to stay too?
“Who? Where? Tell me everything,” Amicia says.
“His name is Will, and I’ve only just met him.” I don’t bother explaining our initial encounter on the astral plane. Spirit is an unusual power that vampires don’t understand, and honestly, I don’t care to speak with Amicia any longer than I have to. I’m still upset with her, and I’m already itching to leave. Not only am I annoyed by the blood oath, but I also hate the way she makes me feel inferior to her without even trying. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of Mamá.
“How did he find you?” Amicia asks. That seems to be the question on everyone’s mind today. It’s a valid concern, but honestly, I don’t even care how he found me. I just want to know more about our powers.
“I’m not sure,” I say. “Magic, I guess.”
Even as I speak, I know my answer will not please her. She will want more information, but I don’t have time to discuss this now. I need to speak with Jasik about Will’s offer. If he can help me find Liv, then I don’t need the vampires’ help. If I leave soon, I can return before sunrise. I glance at the clock. Time is running out.