with, but now wasn’t the time. I was still worn out from the last one and wasn’t particularly in the mood anyway.
His parents had survived the attack on the palace, but I’d heard rumors that they wished they hadn’t. He and his family were shamed after Luka’s attack on me and begged Nicolae to relinquish their roles and duties in the palace. I’d heard that they’d even asked to be banished, but Nicolae refused them. They kept to themselves, avoiding the accusatory glances and whispered curses, but I came across them one night when Arrick and I were walking through the gardens. I’d almost thought they’d seen a ghost by the way they looked at me. If I could ever keep them from running from me I planned to tell them I didn’t blame them for their son’s actions. In fact, now that I thought about it, I wasn’t sure Luka actually followed the ways of the dark vampires. Ana had him on a choke collar. It’s crazy to think how powerful love really was. Especially a vampire in love. What was it about love that was so much more potent to a vampire than a human? Maybe that was a question Robin could answer for me someday.
Arrick arrived back at my side as he tucked his thin cell phone into a pocket under his cloak. I wanted to deluge him with questions about my parents and the state of Naos, but I knew the word ‘parents’ could send Robin into a fit of tears so I bit my tongue. Arrick gave me a small smile and nod to ease my worries for the time being.
“Let’s head back to the palace, shall we?” Arrick offered me his hand and I took it.
I looked back to reach for Robin, and saw that Dmitry was offering her his. She grasped it without looking up at him and they followed us up the stairs and away from the tomb. I felt oddly at peace as we walked through the dark forest toward the palace. The tall trees shadowed us from the outside world; masking the pain and fear that waited there for us. If only I could hide away in the forest forever, but that wasn’t an option.
There was too much at stake.
Too much I wasn’t willing to lose.
Chapter 3
I’d naively thought by vowing to fight beside us against Baal that Nicolae also meant he’d tell the truth about what happened. To not only let the vampires of the region know the facts, but the humans as well.
I was wrong.
Without wasting any time, a meeting was called three nights later to make a public statement about the ‘incident’. That’s what they were calling it now. Not an attack on innocent humans and vampires, not a heinous act of violence by pure evil; but simply an incident.
My first reaction when I heard a statement would be made was relief. My anxiety abated, but when Arrick clarified it for me I slammed the balcony door shut so hard that the glass panels shattered into a million pieces. Of course then I was even more upset that I’d broken something and let my anger burst out of me. I still had trouble keeping my temper from exploding, but I was learning how to reel it in quickly. With Arrick’s guidance I tried to focus on the positive. As soon as I found some positives I was certain his plan would work.
Maybe.
I shooed the servants away and ordered them not to clean up my mess. They had too many other, more important things to do than clean up after my outburst. I knelt down on my hands and knees, and picked up the pieces of shattered glass, dropping them into a waste basket. I glanced regretfully at the balcony doors as I deposited the last bit of glass into the bin. The night breeze flew freely through the open panes and across my face, drawing me out onto the balcony like a beckoning lover. It was cool, and glorious, reminding me of nights I’d spent with Liz on her porch swing. A sigh escaped my lips. Life was so much simpler back then.
The harsh, white lights of news crew vans flashed across my face and tore me from my trip down memory lane. Positive; I had to focus on the positive. I understood Nicolae’s fear of causing mass hysteria by informing the humans of the region about the dark vampires. It would likely only do more harm