“Why?”
He looked past me. “I was a good person when I was a human, thanks to a great family who taught me strong morals and a respect for life. When I was turned into a vampire over a hundred years ago, I hated myself. I didn’t know how to control the insatiable hunger, but I didn’t want to hurt humans, either. I became a raving lunatic, shouting things on the streets, behaving irrationally. My mind fought my body and it caused me to go mad. Luckily, Henry found me and helped me through it. I owe him my life.”
“And what about you?” I asked Alana.
“I’m here for him.” She motioned her head toward Michael.
“Your turn, Eve. How do you know about the Deific?” he asked.
“Like you, I was found. By Charlie, though. He helped me.”
“But why you?” Alana asked.
I touched my light hair, thinking how different I probably looked from my former self. They may not know me, but every supernatural I had ever encountered had at least had heard of my parents. “I am the daughter of Erik and Sable Segur.”
They looked at each other and appeared to be communicating silently.
Alana turned to me. “We heard she died.”
I smiled, arms outstretched. “Standing right here.”
“That explains a lot,” Michael said. “But you are the last person I thought would ever come here.”
“You hung around a rough crowd,” Alana said.
“A lot has changed. I’ve changed.”
“Then welcome to the Deific,” Michael said. “You will be a useful ally.”
“I hope you’re ready,” Alana said in a mocking tone.
“Ready for what?”
“Ready to fight the evil you once so lovingly embraced.”
Michael turned abruptly to Alana. “Have you so easily forgotten your own sinister past?”
Alana glared.
“It’s fine,” I said. “She’s right. I need to be ready, and I’m working hard to make sure my past stays where it belongs.”
“Just like the rest of us, right, Alana?” he asked.
Alana forced a smile. “Of course.”
***
I didn’t stick around to chat with Alana and Michael. Their motives seemed innocent enough, but I still couldn’t accept that vampires would choose a life inside the Deific trying to stop evil. Ignore it, sure, but actually try to stop it? Accepting Henry as both a vampire and the founder of the Deific was hard enough, but…
I shook my head and leaned against the elevator.
What was wrong with me? Lucien had stopped me from using my abilities against others not once, but twice. Clearly vampires could be good. My head ached at all these new thoughts. Along with my world, my whole mindset was changing. Lines were no longer clear but blurred. How would I know whom to trust?
I waited in my apartment until an hour had passed. When I returned, Charlie was in his office on a telephone call. He motioned me inside and indicated that I should sit down. I sat in my usual chair and placed the black briefcase on my lap.
Charlie said goodbye to whomever he was speaking with then hung up the phone. “So tell me about what you found.”
I withdrew the photocopy of Lucien from my pocket and unfolded it. “This is him,” I said, handing it over. “The vampire who saved me. The one I visit in my dreams.”
“You said visit?” Charlie asked and took the photo from me.
“A few times now. I go to sleep and wake where he is.”
He studied the photo and frowned. “How strange that it would be him out of all others.”
“Why?”
He looked up. “Out of all the supernatural beings in our world, he’s remained a mystery. We’ve sent in multiple people, even vampires, to try and find something about him, but he refuses to speak with anyone. We watched him for a long time to determine if he was a threat, but he did very little. It’s as if he’s stuck in a private bubble unaware of the rest of the world.”
“So he’s not dangerous?”
“Not in the sense you mean. We have no record of him deliberately harming others, but he has fought every single person we sent in, one he almost killed. It’s as if he will not allow himself to be freed from whatever inner torment he’s putting himself through.”
I considered this. “Do you think that’s why I’m drawn to him?”
Charlie shrugged. “Could be. Maybe you’ve had similar life experiences.”
“It’s more than that. I feel at peace when I’m with him. It’s almost as if—” I tried to find the words, tried to understand. He was like my Eden. His presence was as calming and soothing as the warm sandy beaches and the gentle rolling waves.
When I didn’t finish the sentence, Charlie asked, “Didn’t you say you felt a connection with Boaz, too?”
I flinched at the sound of his name. “Yes, but it was the complete opposite. That connection was a violent one obsessed only with power. With him, I was in a constant state of hate and anger. I craved the power as if it were a drug.”