“Who did that to you?” he said, his tone bitter.
I followed his line of sight. He was staring down at my lower back and up my spine where my skin was now exposed. I spun, immediately grabbing for the cardigan now discarded on the floor. He lunged forward and caught me midgrab, pulling me up and into him. Wrapping himself around me, he traced his fingers up and down the scar, which was protruding out of my skin, feeling it stretch from my lower back to the nape of my neck in anything but a straight line.
He was silent and when he pulled away from me, fury filled his expression. “I asked you who did that to you?” His voice roared, bouncing off the bare walls.
I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I was uncomfortable; the scar was hideous and I was embarrassed that he had seen it. I needed the cardigan. I wanted it hidden. I snatched for it again, but he raced over, seizing it from my clutch.
“Cessie,” he pushed on, deadly serious, and I had no choice but to answer.
“I told you I had known a Vampire once and the acquaintanceship hadn’t ended well.” It was the truth.
Jonah’s eyes flashed from his usual hazel color into deep red infernos. He looked ferocious. His whole body stiffened, appearing ready to erupt. “You’re still alive?” He hesitated, a quizzical look spreading across his face.
I guess it was unusual to get out of the grasp of a Vampire with your life intact.
“Yes, and he, Frederic,” I stammered, “is not.” My eyes started to well up. I didn’t want to think about this, about him. It was a painful memory and one I had no desire to revisit.
Jonah’s muscles started to loosen and his eyes seemed less hard.
I wiped angry tears with the back of my hand, which now felt like ice. I was shivering—a mixture of emotion and the freezing cold. Jonah seemed to calm down and walked toward me. He rested the cardigan back around my shoulders over the top of my hair. I slipped my arms through it silently and then backed away from him. I was beyond mad, my cheeks flushing scarlet.
“I’m sorry,” he offered guiltily.
I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I stumbled through the door, out into the woods. I stopped in my tracks as Gabriel stood directly in front of me.
What did he do? His thoughts filled me quickly.
I bowed my head, holding back the tears that threatened once more. Gabriel’s eyes ran up and down my body hurriedly; I could feel him examining every inch of me and quickly his eyes set upon my wrist, which was bruising a lovely shade of purple. He looked to me again but still I didn’t answer him.
Go back to the house and wait for me on the patio. I need to speak with Jonah alone.
I did as I was told and made my way back up the slate path slowly, to avoid falling on the slippery surface and to gain time to pull myself together. I didn’t want to cause tension between them, but I was upset with Jonah. However, I felt more emotional over the memory of that Vampire, of that evening.
Reaching the patio, I sat down and waited. I remained there for what felt like a long time, when finally Gabriel returned and took a seat beside me. “I’m sorry about Jonah,” he sighed. “He’s curious about you, but that doesn’t give him the right—”
I cut him off. “I’m fine, honestly. Let’s just forget it.”
Gabriel nodded dubiously before continuing. “I’ve spoken to everyone who resides here and they’re all comfortable to be around you. They have sworn to me that they’ll treat you as family. I trust them to look out for you, to help keep you from harm. I know it’s difficult for you to be here, but I need you next to me while I try and work out…” He trailed off.
“Work out what? What I am? I’m just a girl! Okay, maybe I’m a tad on the immortal side, but I am still human—I can die.”
“Yes, but you come back to life, and that’s not exactly ordinary. It concerns me that not one but two Purebloods have come to seek you out. We need to know why.”
I knew Gabriel was holding something back.
“They might have been tracking Jonah and I was likely a coincidence,” I lied. It was me they were chasing. I knew this for certain after observing them in the vision.
“Jonah drank your blood and he was able to end a large number of Second Generations with his bare hands, alone. You’re important to them and we must find out why. You won’t be safe until we do, and I need you to be safe, Lai.” His worried eyes shimmered and I became instantly agreeable. He cared about me, he wanted to protect me, and he wanted me here with him.
I answered with the most definite of nods.
“Come on, I need to introduce you to the family.” He stood and offered me his hand, which I gladly took; I followed him into the kitchen. I wanted to hide behind Gabriel as we entered to a reception of several Vampires. “Cessie, you’ve met Hanora.”
I flicked a quick glance in the girl’s direction. She still seemed fairly aloof.
“This is Ruadhan, Brooke, and Michael, who you met this morning.”
I greeted them with a nod of my head.
Ruadhan was the oldest in human years by far; he appeared to be in his late forties.
His Irish name and symmetrical features made me wonder if he were in some way linked to Hanora.
Brooke was curious. The nearest to my own age, she was small and incredibly skinny with shiny red hair cut into a long bob drifting at her shoulders. Plastered in makeup and with a Vogue magazine under her arm, she appeared every inch a Valley Girl. She was conventionally pretty, and I wondered how much of the venom that had turned them all had affected their appearances.
Michael was by far the plainest of the group. He was in his late twenties perhaps, and dressed in blue jeans with a shirt layered by a knitted sweater. All their clothes looked expensive, and their obvious wealth intimidated me. Michael’s face was pale and shiny like the others’, but his actual features were fairly indistinct. Simple brown eyes, a small bump in the arch of his nose. His build was average.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ruadhan offered first. “Gabriel has explained that you’ll be staying with us from now on.”
“Yes,” I answered carefully.
“Well then, welcome, love!” he chirped. “I’m sure you’ll like living here, it’s a beautiful property and we’re surrounded by glorious scenery. I would be delighted to show you around the village when you’re ready,” he offered kindly, and he seemed sincere. I liked him instantly.