Amaranth - By Rachael Wade Page 0,35
I was able to speak calmly.
“Look, maybe you should rest again for a while,” she said. “We can check on you later— if you want us to, I mean.” She made eye contact with Gabe, signaled him to leave. He made an unhurried stroll to the front door, gave her one solemn nod before he shut the door behind him.
“I don’t want to rest. I want to know things.” I propped another pillow behind me, adjusted it, mumbling to myself, “This must’ve been what Vivienne was trying to tell me, the reason the spells haven’t worked.” As soon as I was settled back on the pillow, I locked eyes with Audrey. “But for starters, why haven’t you changed me? Or killed me? And I thought vampires were supposed to keep themselves secret.”
She relaxed, laughed while she pushed herself down to the floor to sit next to the couch, giving me some space to move around. “That’s exactly why they didn’t work.”
“How did you—?”
“I know Vivienne. She’s been trying to help you, but you’re so stubborn. I know you have thousands of questions, but answer mine first. How are you not at all surprised by this?” She gave that quirky raise of her eyebrows I knew so well.
“Gavin isn’t like anyone else I’ve ever met.” I shrugged. “His presence is strange. Like he’s not real when I’m around him, like he’s a ghost. I rush whenever I’m with him, almost like I have to hang onto every second before he disappears. And when we kiss …” I bit my lip and twisted my hair between my fingers. “I’m not afraid. If any of you were going to hurt me, you would have by now, I guess. And clearly, Andrew was the only one who meant me any harm.”
“Well, you’re definitely more conscious than Gabe gave you credit for.” Though she kept cautious eyes on me, she chuckled.
“I’m freaked out, don’t get me wrong,” I raised my hands in front of my chest. “And I do have a ton of questions, but …”
“But what?”
“Gavin needs to be the one to explain this to me.” I peered out the living room window, suddenly missing my other half. Never mind my other half was a vampire.
She watched the sadness invade my face, exhaled and scooted back on the couch to comfort me. I looked at her smooth porcelain skin, reached out to touch her. Other than that glowing soft skin and sharp fangs, she looked the same to me. Which seemed odd. I analyzed her face, curious. “Your eyes. They’re normal.”
“They turn black when we transform to hunt.”
My eyes examined her neck for a bite mark, but instead found a tiny crescent-shaped mark, the same bizarre scar Gavin had on his forehead. She didn’t protest when I reached out and ran my fingertip on the blemish. “What is it?”
“Our birthmark. It appears after we’ve been changed. Brands us. Gives the night official ownership of us. Everyone gets theirs somewhere different.”
I stared in awe, annoyed by my own inquisitiveness. I should have been running, but could only think of a million more questions I wanted to ask. “I don’t understand. You can live in the sunlight, though. How do you belong to the night?”
“The night is our prime time for feeding, specifically after midnight, until sunrise. The night changes us, heightens our senses and compels us to hunt.”
The black eyes and rabid fangs I’d witnessed when Andrew attacked suddenly made more sense now, along with Gavin’s strange behavior.
“Are you really…?”
“Undead? Yes.” She replied quietly, a somber look on her face. “There’s a lot to tell you. But first, you have to know that Gavin isn’t here because he didn’t want to make things worse. He knew you’d feel safer if I was the one to talk to you.”
“Didn’t want to make things worse? Ha.” Anger surfaced again. “It’s a bit late for that.” I grabbed the blanket from my lap and hugged it closer to me. “Call me crazy, but I think it’s wise to tell your girlfriend you’re a vampire at the onset of your relationship. You know, just to make sure you’re both on the same page and all.” I looked away, worried with my fingers, twisted them together.
“You’re right, and he knows that, but he’ll talk to you whenever you’re ready. But I had to be here for you first, Camille. Talk to me. About all of this, before you go and see him. Please.” She reached for me and I jumped,