Dark Promise (Darkhaven Saga #3) - Danielle Rose Page 0,31

Will asks, breaking our silence.

“Hmm?” I say, pretending I have no idea which request he’s referring to. It’s a lie. I know exactly what he’s talking about, and I’m not ready for the truth of my words.

No, I won’t leave the vampires, Jasik… I can’t. Not because I’m sired to him or because I’m beginning to feel things for him I’ve never felt for another being before. I feel safe with them. It’s something I’ve never felt before—not even with the witches. Being with the vampires feels…natural. I always felt out of place with the witches. The hierarchy and expectations were too much to handle. I didn’t want to lead my coven, but I am my father’s daughter. What I wanted didn’t matter. When Abuela stepped down, I was set to take her place. I found comfort in my patrols because the only expectation was to stay alive—and that’s one promise I made to myself long ago. I would survive even when others didn’t.

With the vampires, I feel connected, loved. We protect each other. They don’t rely on me to do everything, and they don’t expect me to become something I’m not. And as long as Amicia keeps her weird dark promise ways to herself, I think I can live a long, happy life with them.

“Leave with me,” Will says. He stops, and I nearly trip over my feet at the sudden halt.

I turn to face him, crossing my arms over my chest as if I can shield his query with body language alone. I know I can’t.

“Will…” I shake my head. Please don’t make me say the words aloud.

“You don’t belong here, Ava. You don’t belong with them.”

“What do you have against vampires?” I ask, arching a brow. Why is Will so adamant that I leave Darkhaven? Doesn’t he understand that my entire life is here, in this village? I can’t just pick up and leave.

“It’s nothing personal,” he says. “I just don’t know them.”

“And I don’t know you,” I say pointedly. “You’re asking a lot of someone you just met.”

“But we’re the same. I can help you with things they will never understand.”

“Like you said, you don’t know them. Give them a chance, Will.”

He shakes his head, his decision clear. His eyes are hard, his mouth a sharp line, his brows furrowed. He’s disappointed, and I hate that it bothers me.

For what is probably the first time in my life, I’m speechless. I don’t know how to answer. I won’t leave with Will, but I’m terrified of saying the wrong thing. Because even though I won’t leave Darkhaven, I also don’t want him to leave either. He’s right. He can teach me how to be a hybrid. I need him to stay, and he knows he’s holding all the cards.

“Please…just—”

“I won’t stay here, Ava. I don’t belong here.”

“I’m not asking you to stay forever. Just stay for now,” I say, frowning.

“Is this about the girl? The witch who’s missing? Is that why you won’t leave?”

Liv. I’m overwhelmed by the fact that I’ve given her little thought since her disappearance. The guilt smothers me. If the roles were reversed, I doubt she’d care that a newborn hybrid is missing, even if said half-breed is me, her former best friend. But I can’t just shut off my emotions the way she apparently can.

I’ve been so busy with my own drama, I’m barely giving my coven’s duress a second thought. I imagine they’re frantically trying to find her. Right about now, they would resort to invasive magic, attempting to track her whereabouts by any means necessary. But I can’t think about that now.

I shake my head and sigh. “No, this isn’t about Liv.”

“Because if it is, I can help you find her.”

My breath catches. “You can?” I don’t hide my disbelief.

Will nods. “I’ll help you track her. I doubt she’s far.”

“But…how?” I ask, scratching at my head. My scalp is burning, a tingling sensation washing over me. My senses are warning me of the upcoming sunrise. This would be the time I would start heading back to the manor, especially if I was still a good hike away.

The sun may be rising soon, but there is still plenty of time for answers. I have a couple of hours to work with Will.

“Vampires are hunters, Ava. We’re naturally good trackers. Combine that with our magic, and we can be unstoppable if we set our sights on something.”

“And you would help me? No questions asked? You would help find a witch?” I ask.

“I