I feel my face blanch. “Me?”
His eyes narrow. “Don’t play dumb with me, Logan,” he says accusingly. “I followed you the other night. I watched you…bite that guy. Drink his blood. And then just after you went back into the casino, some woman grabbed me and bit me! What…” he struggles to find the words. “What the hell is happening all of a sudden? The world is getting taken over by vampires?”
Vampires. Without a word of explanation, he jumps to the right conclusion.
How couldn’t he? He knows what he just drank, what he’s still craving now. He’s seen what he’s seen.
“It could be taken over, but we’ve been keeping them under control for a long time,” I say, looking away from him. “This, what we are now, it’s been going on in the shadows for thousands of years. We just didn’t know about it before.”
I look back up at my brother. His face is contorting with anger. Confusion. Rage. “This has everything to do with Collin, doesn’t it?” he says, his voice accusing. “I knew something wasn’t right with him. He was just too…too… He did this to you, didn’t he?”
My mouth opens, but I’m not sure how to answer that. “No,” I say. “Yes. It’s…Eshan, this is huge. There’s so much to it and I’m still figuring it all out myself. And what about you? What the hell were you thinking? Following me? Do you have any idea how mad Mom and Dad are?”
Sheepishly, he looks at me. “I was worried about you. I knew something wasn’t right.”
I let out a slow breath, shaking my head.
Dumb, sweet little brother.
“Well, don’t turn your phone back on for a while,” I say. “We can’t have them tracking us until we figure some things out.”
Slowly, Eshan relaxes. He looks toward the window. He takes in a deep breath, smelling the air. “What about Eli? I know it’s crazy, but I can smell him. He doesn’t smell like you, or me, but he doesn’t smell like all those people in the casino, either. Is he like us?”
I shake my head and shrug. “I’m not really sure what he is,” I say honestly.
His eyes slide back over to mine. “Well, can you please explain what you do know?”
Chapter 9
“You’ve never even slept with anyone, but technically you’re already married,” Eshan says from the back seat.
He’s been talking nonstop since we got back in the car.
I explained everything I knew throughout the day yesterday. He drank bag after bag of blood to sate his thirst, even though he said it tasted like it had dirt mixed into it compared to the fresh stuff.
And then once we got into the car to continue driving, Eshan peppered Rath with question after question about his real identity.
He sips on a bag of blood in the back seat. I can feel his eyes on the back of my head.
Rath got more blood from somewhere. I wasn’t going to ask where. But Eshan isn’t trying to kill Rath so long as he keeps sucking down the donor blood.
“Technically, I don’t know how to answer that question,” I say, tightening my grip on the steering wheel. “Sevan and Cyrus got married a really, really, really long time ago. I never walked down the aisle with this face. Hell, I’ve never even kissed the man with these lips.”
“That is more than enough detail,” he says, barely reigning in a gag. “You might be this…Sevan, and Antoinette, and Edith, and La’ei, but you’re also still my sister. My sister who pooped her pants once in the fifth grade and tried to say she sat in chocolate.”
“I was sick, you little asshole!” I yell, glaring at him in the rearview mirror. “I didn’t mean for…that, to happen! Why’d you have to go and bring that up!”
Rath chuckles in the passenger seat, but turns his face and looks out the window.
“Because all of a sudden I find out my sister is the Queen of all vampires!” Eshan continues, relishing in this. “I had to take you down a few pegs! It’s my duty as a little brother to keep you humble!”
“Jerk,” I say. But a smile is pulling at my lips as I shake my head.
We drive through the night. Texas is huge. So huge. It takes forever and ever to cross, and we only make it to Dallas before the sun starts showing signs of rising, and Eshan starts freaking out about how his eyes are burning already.
We pull off the freeway and head to the first hotel we can find. I check in, getting two rooms once more.
“I think the two of you could use a little bonding time,” I say as I haul my bag to one of the rooms. I open it, stepping half inside. “And I need a little break from the forced humility.”
With a tight little-lipped smile at my brother, and a quick glance at Eli, I hope that if Eshan loses control, Rath will be quick enough to knock him out with one of the darts.
Some quiet at last, I sigh as I close the door behind me.
I drop my bag on the bed and head straight for the shower. Turning it on burning hot, I step in and start scrubbing myself clean.
It’s incredible, such a simple thing. Running water inside a building. Water that is instantly heated. Water that cascades from above and then runs out a drain in the ground.
I think back, once more trying to piece together a timeframe. I can’t recall ever having running water in any of my past lives. As Logan, I try to think back through history class, to remember how long running water has been a thing in homes.
Maybe the 1800’s?
So it’s been since before then that I last died.
Cyrus said it’s been 286 years.
Once more that hint of a forgotten life, the seventh life I’ve lived, the eight death, floats in the recesses of my mind.
But I just can’t quite grasp it.
When I finish washing my hair, I step out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my body. I brush my hair and then braid it. Digging through my bag, I pull on some underwear and a tank top.
I can sense it out there, the sun. I stand behind the blackout curtains, imagining the sunrise outside. Imagining how it could warm my skin.
My relationship with it will never be the same. Yes, I’ve seen Cyrus go out in the middle of the day with the aid of sunshades. Yes, I’ve used them. But from now on—for the rest of my life, I’ll have to think about it before I just go outside.
But in the same breath, this is just natural. I’ve lived hundreds of years in the dark. Night is natural. Day is the enemy.
So, with that reminder, I turn and climb into the bed. My eyes feel heavy. My brain a little sluggish. It’s been five days since I Resurrected, and I haven’t slept at all since then.
I slip under the covers, close my eyes, and finally sleep.
* * *
I stood in the hall leading to the grand ballroom. I wore one of the most elegant gowns I’d ever seen. The fabric was a deep, royal purple. Golden stitching made intricate patterns all over the surface. The back of it laced up, cinching me in tight. And atop my head sat my crown. Simple and gold. The one I’d worn for so long.
I could hear them all inside the ballroom. The orchestra playing a complicated melody. The hundreds of bodies dancing. Voices speaking of politics and families and love.
I stood out in the hall by myself. Just staring at the great wooden doors.
It was a party. The House in France recently passed leadership to a daughter. She was loved. Respected. Those from the area were exceedingly glad to be rid of her father and have her take his place.
Cyrus had invited them here, to Roter Himmel as his guests. He wanted to get to know this woman. He wanted to understand her so he would know how to control her if the need arose.
In truth, it really was just another party.
But I stood there, staring at the great wooden doors.
I was dressed for the part. I was ready to step into that ballroom, have all those eyes fall on me. Hundreds would bow to me in respect.
But I just…
I couldn’t. Not today.
I turned, ready to go back to my rooms. But the doors swung open, just enough to allow one person to slide through.