he was pondering something deeply. “So until we do, we need to be careful about anyone finding out about you. Besides the more people who know about you, the easier it’ll be for my father and the Death Walkers to find you.”
I raised my eyebrows at him, questioning his words. “You don’t know what the stars power is for?”
He sat there with his arms folded, staring at me so powerfully that my skin felt like it was on fire. “No. I don’t. I already told you I didn’t.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but decided to stick a tack in it for now and move on to my next problem. “We went to see Vladislav for a really good reason.”
“Oh, I’m sure you did.” Alex let out a laugh. “What, did Laylen tell you that Vladislav would have all the answers to your problems?”
“No, it wasn’t even Laylen’s idea,” I said defensively. “I asked him if he knew whether we could find out if my mom was still alive, and he suggested that Vladislav might know something. And you know what, he did.”
“And where in that brilliant plan did Vladislav biting you come into play?” Alex asked snidely. “Or was that just an added bonus.”
I shook my head. “Why would you even say that?”
There was this awkward silence that built between us as I realized where Alex was going with that. Vampires’ bites stimulate people’s desires. Although, I wasn’t sure that was what it had done to me. All I had seen were a bunch of images. And, yes, okay, some of those images—some of the ones that included Alex—did kind of make my body buzz a little, but there was also the vision that came after the images, and that was anything but stimulating.
“So anyway,” I said, attempting to change the subject away from my desires. “Vladislav told me my mother was still alive in The Underworld.”
Alex shook his head. “Gemma, that’s not possible.”
“Even you said that there might be a small chance that she could still be alive,” I pointed out.
He looked confused. “When did I say that?”
“Back at Adessa, after I’d been pulled into my first vision, and we didn’t know it was my mother I’d seen forced into the lake.”
“I don’t remember ever saying anything like that,” he muttered, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared down at the floor. “And if I did, I’m sure I just said it to try and get you to calm down.”
“So why would Vladislav tell us she was alive, if she wasn’t,” I said. “There’s no reason for him to lie.”
“Of course there is.” He looked at me like I was a total nut job. “That’s what vampires do—they lie.”
“How do you know that for sure?” I asked hotly. “I mean, how do you know that all vampires lie. Laylen doesn’t lie.” You do.
“I just do,” he said, but his voice had lost some of its confidence.
“Vladislav didn’t lie, Alex.” I rested back in the chair, keeping my eyes on him. “Laylen said that vampires can pick up on when other vampires are lying, and he said Vladislav wasn’t lying.”
Alex ran his fingers through his messy brown hair, and then he turned and faced me, a serious expression on his face. “Look, Gemma. You’re too trusting with Laylen. You need to be careful.”
I gave him an are-you-serious look. “You think I should be careful when it comes to trusting Laylen.” Was he joking?
“Vampires are not good,” Alex said sternly. “They’re evil.”
“Laylen’s not,” I snapped. “And besides, Vladislav knew that my mother was a Keeper before we ever told him. That has to mean he’s heard of her.”
“So what if he has heard of her,” he said. “That doesn’t mean he was telling the truth about her being alive. He might have just been messing with your head.”
“Alex,” without even thinking, I grabbed a hold of his arm, electricity tickling my fingertips. “It could mean that there might be a chance that my mom, who I haven’t seen since I was four, and who just might have some answers to what Stephan is planning to do with the star’s energy, could still be alive. And not just alive, but she could be trapped down in The Underworld, and has been trapped down there for fourteen years now, working as the Queen’s slave.”
Something I said made his expression change. “Why do you think she’s the Queen’s slave?”
“That’s the reason why Vladislav said she was still alive,” I told him, my fingers