It just proves what type of man Raul is.
Just then a sound interrupts our conversation. One of the side walls in the entrance lobby starts to shift. A hidden door is revealed.
Raul takes a protective step in front of me. But I put a hand on his shoulder to let him know I’ll be okay.
I am a vampire, after all.
A grizzled vampire carrying a lethal-looking sword comes out first. His shoulders are wide. His cheeks are lined with salt-and-pepper scruff.
“Smithson,” Raul says flatly. He shifts to make sure I remain behind him.
The other vampire smiles and sheathes his sword. “Didn’t expect to run into you this soon,” he replies. “I—“
But he doesn’t get to finish the rest. At that moment, Phillip emerges from the darkness beyond him.
“Phillip!” I exclaim. I push by Raul and run to him. Smithson steps aside with a grunt.
Phillip is carrying someone in his arms. A girl. For some reason I don’t place her right away. Her face is cradled against Phillip’s chest. As I come closer, I see that it’s April.
I stop short. There are two vicious red marks on her neck. They’re crusted with blood.
Instantly, my hunger flares. I struggle to push it down. I have to; I can’t very well attack the girl who became my best friend.
But it’s insanely difficult. The beast inside me thrashes, fights to be let free. My vision wavers, flashing from normal to black and back again.
It takes all I have to push the need to feed on her down. The struggle is real, and it feels eternal. My hands ball into tight fists. I feel the gemstone on my finger and try to focus on that instead, knowing it will help me retain my humanity just as Raul promised…
“Easy. Easy now.”
I come to with a start, and realize Raul has his arms wrapped around me. We’ve moved far away from the entrance, closer to one of those horrible framed paintings. Smithson and Phillip are both staring at us with surprised expressions on their faces.
“Easy, easy. There you go.” Raul eases his grip. “You okay?”
I swallow and do a quick check of my body… and nod. “I blacked out, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but only for a moment. And—” pride fills his voice, “—you didn’t attack.”
I grumble something about that not being much of an accomplishment.
“No,” Raul shakes his head firmly. “You’re wrong. It’s a huge measure of your growing self-control.”
Despite myself, I flush a little at his praise.
Raul lets me go. But before I can take a step forward, he takes hold of my hand. His fingers intertwine with mine.
“We’ll approach them together,” he tells me.
“Okay.”
Smithson watches us come closer with a wary look in his eye. Raul tenses when we get close. The two have some sort of unspoken history, that much is obvious.
“I don’t need to be here for this reunion ,” the older vampire says. He doesn’t acknowledge my presence in any way. For some reason, that makes me feel like I’ve become even more of a target.
He gives a curt bow to Raul, and strides out of the castle.
Everyone waits until he’s gone. Once the doors close, it’s like a plug has been pulled to release the tension.
“You’ve returned!” Phillip says. “You brought Eleira! How is she, she’s—” He stops short. He takes a sharp intake of breath.
“She’s so strong,” he says as he meets my eyes.
“She hasn’t yet fed,” Raul explains. “We’ve come here to get her blood.”
“Mother has plenty in the upper rooms,” Phillip replies. “There’s something about him that’s different from before. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he seems to be more sure of himself. More in his own element, more confident.
It’s April I’m most worried about.
“What happened to her?” I ask. I see how weakly her chest rises and falls with each breath. “Is she—”
“Just a bit of blood loss,” Phillip says defensively. He cradles her in his arms. “I’m taking her to the infirmary. She can recover there.”
“She was bitten?” Raul asks. “By whom? Not—” He gasps. “No!”
Phillip nods. “Mother gave me no choice.”
“But you—you haven’t tasted blood for centuries!”
A bit of sadness creeps into Phillip’s eyes. Yet it’s almost immediately replaced by determination. “I did it to save Patricia. Mother accused her and Jacob of the murder of her guards.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Raul exclaims. “They don’t have the strength—”