Darkness Before Dawn (29 page)

I spin on my heel and return to the house, where a new Lord Valentine awaits me.

The study is large, but full of so many couches and chairs it feels cramped. The fireplace is oversize and crackles with fresh wood. The gas lamps are ornate with brass, and bookshelves line every wall, stretching up farther than I can reach, filled with volume upon volume. It makes our city library look pitiful.

Victor is alone, sitting on the largest sofa next to a low table. He appears powerful, and yet not at all in the same fearsome manner as his father. I walk over and hold out the ring.

“I believe this is yours.”

I see the weight of the symbolism settling over him.

“I couldn’t bring myself to take it from him,” he says.

“You didn’t. The sun did.”

“You’re right.” He takes it and places it on his right forefinger. He turns it one way and then the other, as though he’s not quite comfortable with it yet.

I sit beside him and wrap my hand around his. “What now?”

“Do you know how to drive a car?”

I give a small laugh at the unexpectedness of the question. “Actually, yes. Jeff taught me. He said I never knew when I might need the skill.”

“He’s wise. I’ll give you the keys to my car so you can return to the city. Your absence has no doubt been discovered by now, and people will be worrying. We don’t want the Agency sending Night Watchmen out here.”

“Right.” Reality is beginning to intrude on our fairy tale.

“The uncles have retired for the day,” Faith says as she and Richard stroll into the room. Despite Richard’s clear devotion to her, she seems utterly indifferent to him. Maybe she has too much of Valentine in her. “One of the bodyguards wanted me to give you this.”

She hands me my cell phone. I notice that she isn’t as disgusted by it as the others.

She and Richard take chairs across from us.

“What are your plans now, m’lord?” Richard asks.

“To start with, do away with all that ‘m’lord’ crap.”

Richard grins. “It
is
rather archaic. But I was referring to the more pressing issue. This brother of yours. Do you really think he’s as dangerous as your father indicated?”

“It’s impossible to know. Father was a master of exaggeration.”

“I’ve already had your loyalists and mine ferreting out information on him, but it’s like he’s a ghost. I can’t find anyone who knows anything.”

“We don’t even know what he looks like,” Faith says, and for the first time I think I catch a glimpse of someone who is not as uncaring as the aura she projects. I think Tegan would have a field day crawling around in Faith’s psyche.

“Have you given any more thought to my suggestion that he could be Hoodie?” I ask.

“What’s a hoodie?” Faith asks.

“Not what, who. Someone who’s been following Dawn,” Victor says, before turning his attention to me. “It’s possible. Father obviously figured out that you were my ally, so whatever mission he set my brother on could involve you as well. It would explain why the guy was searching your apartment, trying to get a better understanding of you.”

“Not sure that helps us much,” Richard says. “We still don’t know what he looks like.”

“He wears a distinctive hoodie with a snake on the back,” I offer.

“Which he can easily remove.”

“True.”

“But it’s a place to start,” Victor says.

“Or it could be a waste of our resources, a wild-goose chase,” Richard points out.

“Which is why you’re my second in command.” He nudges me. “He’s very good at strategic thinking.”

“Except when it comes to love, apparently,” Richard murmurs beneath his breath.

“Well, there’s little we can do until nightfall,” Victor says. “For the time being, I want to keep Father’s death quiet. This other son will remain leashed as long as he thinks Father is alive. He may even come here looking to meet with him. It’ll give us an advantage. Clive will need to know, of course. Dawn, you can fill him in. And I want Night Watchmen with you at all times.”

He looks at Richard and Faith. “I need a few minutes alone with Dawn.”

Richard stands. “Once again, it’s been a pleasure.”

Faith rolls her eyes at him before turning to me. “I understand that the increase in the blood supply is because of your Teen Initiative, and that there’s going to be a party. Based on the unflattering clothes you were wearing last night … well, I picked a couple of things out of my closet as a thank-you. They’re in a bag by the front door. Take them on your way out.”

Before I can respond, she’s swept out of the room, Richard chuckling at her heels.

“She likes you,” Victor says.

I stare at him, dumbfounded. “You’re kidding. That’s her liking someone?”

“You have to understand that it’s not easy for us to reveal our emotions. They’re seen as a vulnerability.” Twisting around, he faces me squarely and takes my hands. “Which brings me to what I need to say to you. While you were sleeping last night, I did a lot of thinking. My father clearly saw that you’re my weakness. I have other enemies who will as well. You’ll always be in danger if you’re with me.”

“I don’t care.”

“But I do.” He skims his hand over my cheek. “You belong with Michael, Dawn. Vampires and humans—we never work out long-term.”

“We could try.”

“That’s one of the things I love about you. When you believe in something you fight for it. But this is a battle that’s larger than the two of us. One where you must sacrifice for the greater good. You’re as dangerous to me as my enemies are, because whenever you’re close, my desires cloud everything else. We can’t be in each other’s lives. Too many people are depending on us. I’m sorry, but this has to be good-bye.”

I feel something hard biting into my palm and realize he’s placed the car keys there and wrapped my fingers around them.

“Drive safely,” he says.

He rises and walks from the room, leaving me alone. I think I can actually hear my heart breaking. Once again because of a vampire.

Chapter 29

W
hat the hell is going on?” Clive bellows as soon as I enter his office. “Last I heard you were seen leaving the city in one of Valentine’s carriages. I almost sent an entire squad of Night Watchmen out there after you!”

“You might want to sit down,” I say, afraid Clive will collapse when I tell him. Unfortunately, that only makes him more anxious.

“Dawn, I want to know everything, and I want to know it now!”

Everything. I can’t tell him everything. Not the personal stuff between me and Victor. Not how much I care for him or that we kissed or that I really wish there was a way for us to be together. But I can tell him the political ramifications of all that’s happened. “Okay, then. Valentine is dead. His son Victor has taken the throne.”

I hit all the highlights that involve Valentine, from the moment I met Victor on the trolley until I drove his car into the parking garage here.

“An ascension,” he whispers when I’m finished. “I can’t believe it. I was hoping to retire without ever seeing one. They’re messy, complicated affairs.”

“This one won’t be.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith in this Victor fellow.”

“Because he’s earned it.”

Clive opens a drawer, removes a bottle, and pours some clear liquid into a glass. I don’t think it’s water. He downs it in one long swallow.

“We can’t tell anyone yet, Clive. There’s still the matter of Valentine’s other son. Do you know anything at all about him? Have the Night Watchmen reported anything?”

“They’ve found a couple more vampires with their throats torn out, but other than that and the same smallscale abductions, it’s business as usual.” He studies me. “I’ll increase the number of guards protecting you. Maybe you shouldn’t go to this damn Teen Initiative party.”

“No, I have to. It was my idea. I have to see it through. Besides, I’m not going to cower in my apartment. That would give Valentine a victory from the grave.”

“You know, I thought he was nuts when he requested you as a delegate. Now I’m beginning to think he underestimated you. Maybe we all did.”

I can’t help but smile. “I think that may be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Go on. Get out of here, before you give me an ulcer.”

I turn toward the door.

“Dawn?”

Stopping, I glance back.

“I know you don’t want to hear it,” Clive says, “but your parents would be proud of you.”

I feel the tears sting my eyes, because for the first time I believe I have earned their pride in me. I’m doing what I can to bring about a world in which vampires and humans are truly equal. But more, for the first time I want them to be proud of me. I always resented that they gave so much to the city, felt that my mother loved me less because she gave up so much to be with my father. I’m understanding their devotion to their jobs and each other a little better.

Although I doubt they’d be as pleased about my feelings for a vampire. But I do finally understand why my mother served at my father’s side. Because I would give anything right now to be with Victor.

Chapter 30

“D
on’t you look beautiful!” Rachel comments, sitting on the couch in our living room and watching me twirl. They released her from the hospital just this afternoon.

Beautiful
is not a word I ever really associated with myself. But then, since her brush with death, Rachel is seeing everything as beautiful. So I don’t put a lot of faith in her words.

I spin around once more so she can see my new outfit. New to me, anyway. It could be a hundred years old for all I know—a red silk dress that flows around me and whispers against my calves when I move.

It’s been two days since Faith gave me this gift. Two days of thinking about this party. Two nights of thinking about Victor. So far his ascension has not made the news. Clive agreed to keep things quiet until Victor has secured his place among the vampires.

“I wish you felt up to going with me tonight,” I say.

“I’m not exactly a teen anymore.” She rubs her brow. “And I still have this headache. I don’t know why it won’t go away.”

“So what are you going to do while I’m out having a good time?”

“Jeff’s coming over and we’re going to talk.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure that’s what you’re going to do. Talk.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

“Seriously.”

I grin. “Whatever.”

A knock sounds on the door. I open it and smile up at Michael. It didn’t seem right to cancel on him so close to the event. But while I’m not looking forward to it, after tonight I’m going to tell him everything. Even if Victor was serious about not wanting to be together, it’s not fair to Michael for me to be with him when I have strong feelings for someone else. But for tonight, I’m determined to be a good date. “Hey, come on in.”

“You look great,” he says.

“Thanks.”

“What’s with all the guards?”

“Rachel’s home now, and with the party tonight, since I’ll be out after dark, the Agency just felt that we should have additional protection.”

“But you’ll be with me.”

“I know. I told them that.” I can see that his pride is at stake. But it bothers me a little that he needs so much reassurance. And that he believes so blindly that he’s a match for all the monsters in the night. He’s never seen an all-out vampire battle like the one I witnessed between Victor and his father. He has no idea of a vampire’s true capabilities. “But you know Clive. He just wants to take extra precautions.”

“Okay.” But I’m not sure he’s convinced.

He walks over to the couch. “Hey, Rachel. How are you feeling?”

“Not as bad as I did. But you guys had better go before the sun sets. Once it does, they’re locking the doors at the Daylight. We don’t want to be responsible for any kids wandering the streets after dusk.”

“Sure you’ll be okay?” I ask.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, then, see you later.”

Michael and I step into the hallway, and four hooded Night Watchmen immediately fall in around us.

“Four?” Michael whispers. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on that I need to know about?”

I decide to tell him a little. He needs to understand the dangers, to be on alert. “There’s been some speculation that Hoodie is one of Valentine’s sons.”

“Shit. An Old Family vampire in the city?”

“We’re not sure, so keep it to yourself. We don’t want to cause a panic. Especially tonight.”

“Right.”

But as we step into the elevator, I can see that he’d really like a shot at taking down an Old Family vampire.

Outside, the city is so quiet, like a weight is bearing down on it, smothering all the sounds. The early evening feels thick and unending. The wind picks up and stops, but carries only silence with it.

“There’s a strangeness on the air,” Michael says quietly.

“Yeah. I can sense it, too.”

We climb into the limo. Tonight we’re traveling in style, and as Michael runs his hands along the seats, I consider letting him drive the Mustang before I return it to Victor. He’d love that. Course, I’d have to explain where I got it, but then, I’ve decided to tell him everything. He deserves to know.

Michael slips his arm around me and we do our best to ignore the two guards facing us, trying to pretend everything is normal. Just for a few hours.

When we get to the Daylight Grill, we discover the place is completely packed, the busiest I’ve ever seen it. The bartender has a huge grin on his face as he serves lemonade after lemonade after lemonade. And as I see the kids, and how much they’re already enjoying themselves, I realize this could be the start of something major. Maybe the key to getting regular blood donations really does lie in the youth. We are the future, after all.

“Dawn, this is awesome!” Tegan shouts as she and Sin join us.

Michael draws me in against his side. “That’s a rocking band.”

It’s the same one that was at the other party, out near the wall what feels like eons ago. Only I don’t want to be the lead female singer anymore. I’m content with my position as delegate.