Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 178

I nodded carefully, surprised to find my body wasn't as stiff as before.

"You were very brave, Ava. I was so proud. I'm sorry I let myself be taken. I mean, I opened the door to a bunch of vampires without even realising it."

"Doesn't matter. I was screwed either way. They would have gotten to me somehow. Better to go to them than wait in fear for the rest of my life."

I cleared my throat. It felt better. I sat up, careful not to move too fast. I was in my own bedroom, but everything looked different. I couldn't put my finger on why.

"So what happened when you left Maximus's place?"

She looked away and frowned. "The vampires drove me to Peter's house, but they wouldn't let me call you. Peter was frantic. Eddie was already there. They were all trying to figure out what had happened. Eddie decided we could only beat Maximus's coven by using someone bigger and better." She pulled her arms around herself, as if guarding herself from her memories.

"So, it was Eddie's idea?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "He organised a meeting with Daimhin, but she warned him not to go near the coven during the day or she'd be forced to act against him. He persuaded her it would be better to use you than let Maximus keep you. She thought about it and said she had a few jobs for you, if you were willing. We had to wait until night again. It was awful."

"Looks like everything's all figured out for me."

"Oh, don't worry, Ava. Peter said as soon as we got you back, we'd figure out how to get you away from Daimhin safely. We've all been discussing it while you were unconscious. I'm glad you have so many people ready to take care of you."

I avoided her eyes. I remembered it differently. My grandmother didn't seem to notice.

"Daimhin actually seemed reasonable," she continued. "For a vampire. The other one though, he's crazy. I thought he would kill me for breathing too loud."

"Yeah, he seemed pretty unstable to me too. Listen, I'm tired, so go get some sleep, okay?"

She nodded then kissed my forehead. When she left, I tried to think. The cold breeze was gentle now, as delicate as a kiss on my cheek.

"Thanks," I said out loud, then felt stupid.

I was still worried about Daimhin. What if she wanted me to murder babies or something sick like that? Although, she was more in control of herself than Maximus. He was ridiculously unbalanced. Being away from him was looking like the better option. But if I was around him, there was more chance of me getting my own back.

Peter and Carl visited me soon after, Carl carrying a bunch of flowers. I eyed his still bandaged wrist in concern. Peter asked me how I was, but I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Did you set me up?" I asked him.

"What? No!"

"So it's a coincidence that the infamous day a.s.sistant that everyone's been talking about just so happens to be your girlfriend? A fact I discovered after you told Daimhin I'd work for her?" My voice shook with anger. The idea he might have betrayed me consumed my thoughts.

"It's not like that," Peter insisted, shaking his head.

"What's it like then?" I said.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." His eyes turned hard, and he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"He wouldn't do something like that," Carl said.

"Don't even talk to me. Look at what you did," I said, pointing at his wrist.

He fidgeted, looking bashful. "You needed help, and I could give it, so I did."

"You could have been killed. Cutting yourself in a room full of vampires. What were you thinking?" I couldn't believe how reckless he was.

"I'm not like Peter. I helped you the only way I could. I'll leave. I'm sorry." Carl hurried to the door, but I called him back. He hesitated, ready to run.

"Wait, Carl. I... thank you. For helping me." I felt guilty for not allowing him to have his hero moment. He gave me a meek smile then hurried off, leaving me alone to sleep again.

I was woken a while later by someone gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Daimhin, accompanied by her a.s.sistant, Peter's girlfriend. I glowered at that one, feeling just as betrayed again.

"I wanted to pay a visit to my newest employee," Daimhin said, her cold face as unreadable as stone. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive. Sort of."

"Did you tell him how you were created?" She got straight to the point, but after Maximus's theatrics, I appreciated her bluntness.

I shook my head slightly. "No, of course not."

"Even while you were tortured?" She was persistent, but for once, I was sure of myself.

"He would have stopped torturing me if I talked," I reminded her.

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"Whatever. I didn't tell him anything. I don't tell people that stuff," I said.

"Good. I still have an advantage over him then. I have you."

"I thought you wanted me dead." But she was in my home. That shouldn't have been possible if she wished me harm.

"I do, in theory," she said. "But if I think a daywalker will be useful, I keep them. Like a pet."

"I'm not a pet." I was furious by the nonchalance in her words.

She inclined her head. "Probably not. I've been looking for you for quite some time, and now you're working for me. Strange how things work out." She laughed. "There are occasionally things I'd like done by people like you. I think you'll enjoy the first job, actually."

She smiled so suddenly, I wanted to flinch. I did my best to keep still. Daimhin was not someone I wanted to show weakness in front of.

"What's it like?" she asked.

"What?" The quick change in subject confused my already dull thinking.

"The sun. It's been a long time. What's it like for a vampire to walk in the sun?"

"I'm not a vampire either," I said, my teeth clenched.

"No, I suppose you're not. Not really. Ms. Delaney, it's crucial that no vampire learn how you came about. The world is better off without this knowledge."

"As are you. I mean, you stay in control, right?"

"True," she said, nodding her head. "But it just so happens that the greater good and my goals coincide for once. Let's keep it that way. You stay loyal to me. And I'll stay loyal to you. I don't want you around me so often, you know. I'd like to keep you away from vampires, full stop. But if I need you, you have to come running. That's the deal."

Her icy blue eyes pierced through me. I had the sudden fear that she could read my mind. The way the corner of her mouth curved upward into a smirk didn't help.

"If my family and the people around me stay safe from your kind then we have a deal."

Daimhin inclined her head slightly. "I hear you have the dagger."

The air tightened. "What dagger?" I bluffed.

"Now, now, I can't take it from you. I'm surprised you can touch it. It burns the poison from our bodies, purges us of the very thing which animates us. I suppose it works differently for you."

The cold presence was back, carefully breathing on my arm as if to keep me calm. After everything, I was happy to have it around.

She sniffed the air. "Is there something here?"

The cool air grew icy on my arm. "What?" I said, knowing full well what she meant this time.

She glanced around the room, more curious than concerned. "No matter," she said, at last. "As for your family and friends, they'll be safe from me, but are they safe from you? And if you don't feed, how can you protect them?"

"I don't have to feed," I hissed.

"You're not feeding yourself with the blood," she said. "It's the poison in your blood stream that craves it. The poison can't strengthen you if you don't feed it."

"But I don't kill people. I don't eat them either!" I had to make sure she knew I wasn't like her.

She surprised me by laughing girlishly. She leaned forward conspiratorially.

"Tell me. Do vampires count as people?"

I stared back at her, unsure of what my answer was to that.

She relaxed back into her chair, suddenly looking more like a school teacher than a ruler of vampires.

"Let me tell you about your first job."

Epilogue.

The sun beamed down on my face. It seemed poignant that the sun was out in all its glory on the day I was sent to complete my first job. Humming to myself, I tried to gather my confidence together, the only thing I lacked. Maximus's torture had taken more out of me than blood and pain. It had taken three weeks, but physically, I was fully healed apart from the scar on my chest. It itched sometimes, but I would take that over torture and death any day. Mentally was another story, one I wasn't particularly ready to deal with.

I took short, quick strides, counting fourteen at a time as I wondered at how much one short month had changed my world. I was more aware of the vampire side of me, I was in the employment of the head vampire in Ireland, I was back in touch with my grandmother, and I wasn't so scared of humans anymore. Seclusion didn't seem like the best idea any longer, but there was still fear. I had opened myself up to so many people-I was afraid of being hurt by them.

Life wasn't perfect. My grandmother and I weren't exactly close, but at least I could call her and know she wouldn't howl at the moon about it or call me Lilith for my trouble. I wasn't sure if we could ever be close, but we were working on rebuilding our relations.h.i.+p. Admittedly, she was the one making the effort, but as far as I was concerned, she was the one who had screwed things up in the first place.

Carl was having problems adjusting to his normal life, so I was keeping out of his way-and away from the memory of his blood. He didn't talk about it much, but I sensed he was having a hard time dealing with it. I still felt the occasional ache after our bond was ripped apart. I didn't want to ask how it was going for him.

Peter had gone off my radar for the most part. I didn't know if I could trust him. Between him bringing me to Eddie in the first place, agreeing on my behalf to work for Daimhin, and possibly being the boyfriend of Daimhin's day a.s.sistant, I wasn't sure what to think.

The loose ends made me panic. Besides knowing I had a lifetime of "favours" to do for Daimhin, I owed one to Eddie, too. He could collect at any time, and I still wasn't sure who he really was, or if he was keeping an eye on me. Even Arthur had warned me to trust no one, but his warning was too vague to be of any real use.

Thinking about everything unsettled me. I swallowed down an anxiety attack and concentrated on making it through the day. I held my cross and counted to fourteen as I waited for a set of traffic lights to change. Even though the magic had worn off, I still felt something in the silver. It comforted me, and I was sure it had to have some remnants of power remaining because the thirst was nowhere near as uncontrollable as it had been despite the fact it had been fed while I was badly injured.

The cold presence was still hanging around. I didn't have a clue what it was, but I was sure it had tried to warn me of danger, and for that, I was grateful.

I slipped my hand in my pocket and felt the warmth of the dagger. Eddie hadn't asked for it back, and I wasn't going to hand it over voluntarily. I still felt a huge sense of owners.h.i.+p. It was overflowing with power; I would be nothing without it.

I reached my destination all too soon. Wrapped up in my own thoughts, I hadn't realised how fast I had been walking. Taking a deep breath, I walked through the gate and straight up to the bodyguards at the front door. Adrenalin buzzed through my veins, but I hoped I wouldn't have to hurt the humans.

Two tall, bulky men stepped in my way. I gripped the dagger tightly, remembering my instructions to leave an obvious message.

One of the men laughed scornfully. "Are we supposed to be scared of that little b.u.t.ter knife?"

"No, you're supposed to be scared of these," I hissed, letting my fangs show freely.

The man paled and ran, not loyal enough to risk being bitten. The other hesitated even when I got in his face. I groaned inwardly then kneed him in the groin. Hard. He jerked backward without a sound. I watched with some fascination as his face turned white, then red and finally purple. Wheezing, he toppled over, clutching at himself, no longer a threat to anyone.

I kicked the front door open with ease. I'd been fed a lot of blood while I was healing, courtesy of Daimhin's kitchen. I didn't ask questions. It was better that way. I was off the blood, but I still felt the after-effects. I was faster, stronger, less likely to count heartbeats to keep calm.

I looked around quickly, expecting more bodyguards, but either Maximus was extremely lax or extremely c.o.c.ky. I knew which one I was going for.

I followed Daimhin's very specific directions and found Maximus's underground bedroom. It was a windowless bas.e.m.e.nt dressed up to look like it had been furnished for royalty. Pretentious to the last.

Maximus lay on satin sheets in a bed that could probably fit six people. As soon as I saw his sleeping face, rage bubbled up and threatened to explode out of me. He had taken my grandmother, scared me, hurt me, made me think I was going to die, almost killed me, and only let me go because a more powerful vampire wanted me instead. He was spoilt, petulant, needy, and unfair. He had no loyalty to his own kind, and he was completely unstable.

I hesitated. The world was better off without him-but a final death was too good for him.

I could take him.

Hurt him. Make him suffer. Make him plead for mercy. Daimhin would never know, probably wouldn't care either. I stood over him, contemplating, dagger in hand. Then, as a cold breath chilled my neck, I realised I couldn't do it. I could never be like him, even if I wanted to.

I'd been having nightmares since I left his house. I woke up screaming most nights. Alone and scared. He had marked me in his own way. Daimhin's first job for me was the final death of Maximus, but I would have done it anyway. Or I'd never have a good night's sleep again.

Trembling, I raised the dagger then stabbed him in the heart, knowing a feeling of satisfaction that couldn't be topped. His eyes shot open and looked straight at me. He tried to rise up against me, but it was too late. His blood went on fire inside his body, b.l.o.o.d.y vein by b.l.o.o.d.y vein. He gasped with pain, unable to make a sound beyond a choking noise as his throat burned with the rest of him.

He stretched out his arm before collapsing backward, his body slowly turning to ash. A permanent death. A true death. It was over, all over. And I was the last sight he saw. It was over so quickly, it barely seemed real.

I couldn't stop shaking as I left the building. I wanted to set the whole place on fire, burn the lot of them, but Daimhin had warned me not to harm another vampire. I was Maximus's punishment for trying to mutiny against Daimhin. The others would heed his death as a warning.

By the time I got to the end of the road, I was sweating profusely and had to sit down. I kept expecting him to be there when I turned around; it was like my mind was taking its d.a.m.n time realising he was really gone.

I jumped with fright as my mobile rang. It was my grandmother.