Abandoned to the Night (The Brotherhood Series, Book 3) (22 page)

Alexander put his hands on his knees and bowed his head while he exhaled deeply.

“Why would you do that when you could live a normal life together?” Grace asked as her eyes grew wide in disbelief. “You could both be free of the affliction.”

Leo shrugged. “How could we be happy? Love binds us all together.” He glanced at Ivana. “This is the most logical solution to our problem.”

“What Leo is trying to say is that we have each other. Whatever we do, we can do together. The same is not so for either of you. While one walks in the day, the other walks at night. While one eats food for sustenance, the other drinks blood.” She did not wish to stress the differences in terms of mortality. “This way, the natural balance will be restored. This way, the wrongs of the past will be put right.”

“You should take some time to consider it,” Elliot managed to say. “You should not be so hasty in your decision.”

Ivana smiled. “We have taken all the time we need. Besides, Christoph needs a father who can take him riding across the meadows, who—” Ivana stopped abruptly. Her emotions always ran high when she spoke of the children. “We have made our decision.”

Alexander straightened. “Then I thank you both for being so selfless, for giving me a second chance at life.”

Elliot echoed his friend’s sentiment, and Ivana was somewhat shocked when both gentlemen embraced her.

“I am not afraid to admit the thought terrifies me,” Alexander said with a frown. “What if it doesn’t work? What if something should go wrong?”

“Don’t say that.” Evelyn implored, patting him on the arm. “After everything we’ve been through I cannot lose you now.”

“Are we supposed to drink the liquid in the bottle?” Elliot asked.

“I have a vague memory of Nikolai drinking the cure, yes.” Ivana scoured the recesses of her mind. Some memories were still hazy. “But I do not remember it being in little bottles.”

Leo walked over to his brothers, hooked an arm around each of their necks. “Come. We cannot leave this room for at least an hour. Let us go and study Talliano’s notes in the hope the answer lies there.”

It suddenly occurred to Ivana that Elliot must make another decision before he took the cure.

“I promised Herr Bruhn we would go and see the children.” Ivana knew how much the old man looked forward to her visits and hated breaking her promises to him. “With Nikolai’s surprise arrival, I will have missed a whole day if I do not go this evening.” She turned her attention to Elliot. “You must decide if you wish to see Christoph before you take the cure.”

Elliot pursed his lips whilst lost in thoughtful contemplation. He looked at Grace, who nodded but said nothing. “If something should go wrong I would not want to hurt the boy any more than I have already. At present, he is blissfully ignorant of my existence and so the loss will only be mine to bear.”

Grace smiled weakly. “I agree. We should wait to make sure the cure works. In the meantime, there is nothing preventing me from leaving the castle. Evelyn could come with me to visit the children, play with them for an hour and convey your apologies to Herr Bruhn for your absence.”

Ivana clasped her hands to her chest. “You would not mind?” After the heavy storm, the old man would be worried. He had too much to fret over without Ivana adding to his woes.

“Not at all. It will give us something to do, something to occupy our minds.” Grace turned to her husband. “You will not do anything until I return? Promise me you will wait until I am by your side before you attempt to drink the cure.”

Elliot nodded and offered a reassuring smile. “I promise. We will simply look through the notes while we wait for you to return.”

“Speak to Sylvester. He will escort you.” It would also give her servant something to do. He had been quiet since the incident in the courtyard and Ivana hadn’t had a chance to talk to him privately. Killing a man, even one as cold and heartless as Nikolai, still roused feelings of guilt and shame.

The ladies bid their husbands farewell, climbed the stairs and disappeared from view.

Ivana followed the gentlemen into the secret chamber. After spending an hour watching them decipher Talliano’s notes, they seemed to be clearer on what needed to be done.

Alexander ran his finger across the scrawled words, stopping periodically before starting back at the beginning. “It says the potion must be drunk after ingesting infected blood. Talliano found that waiting five minutes proved to cause the least pain.”

“Pain?” Elliot shivered visibly. “I suppose it will be a similar feeling to the night we were turned, though, other than a fiery heat flowing through my veins I cannot remember much about it.”

His words roused the memory of the night Nikolai first bit her and made her drink his blood. The body’s natural instinct was to fight against the foreign liquid in a bid to cleanse it of its impurities. Small, sharp stabbing pains came first, like driving pins into the skin. It was quickly followed by an intense heat like hot coals burning in the belly.

“Then it will not be pleasant,” she said solemnly. “But I suspect it will last no longer than a few hours. Leo and I can assist by compelling you to sleep. It works when the mind is weaker but might not be as effective now you can resist thought manipulation.”

Elliot narrowed his gaze, a frown marring his brow. “In your honest opinion, do you believe it is it safe for us to drink?”

Ivana shrugged. “I assume so. Nikolai would not risk his life on a whim. That much I do know. He came here prepared to take it again. But you must heed Talliano’s words, be certain you have interpreted them correctly.”

While some Latin phrases seemed familiar at first glance, Ivana had no skill with the language and could not help them.

“As I said, we must drink infected blood,” Alexander reiterated.

“Leo can drain some of his blood into a vessel.” Ivana did not think they would wish to drink her blood again.

Alexander picked up the leather-bound notebook, scanned the page and shook his head. “No. It says the blood must be the hosts. We are to drink our own blood. The healing properties of the stone, and whatever else is in the bottle, will draw out the toxins. Once the process begins, it will continue working until all the blood in the body has been thoroughly cleansed.”

Leo gave a heavy sigh. “It’s hard to believe it could work. Then again, had someone told me one bite would cause an aversion to the sun and force me to consume nothing but blood, I would have believed them to be a sure candidate for Bedlam.”

They all chuckled, but anxiety and apprehension still hung in the air.

“I shall read through the notes once more.” Alexander took the book and sat down behind the desk. “When our wives return, I suggest we follow Talliano’s instructions and begin the process.”

Elliot brushed his hand through his hair and sighed. “In a matter of hours, we may be free to walk in the sun.”

Ivana noted the glimmer of sadness in Leo’s eyes. Despite it being his decision for his brothers to take the cure, her heart still ached for him. In a matter of hours, he would be different from his friends. He truly would be alone and abandoned to the night.

Chapter 19

“I pray everything will work out well,” Grace said, touching Evelyn’s arm as they hovered at the top of the stairs leading down to the crypt.

Despite spending a pleasant couple of hours with Herr Bruhn and the children, Evelyn’s shoulders sagged from the weight of the heavy burden. “I cannot imagine a life without Alexander, and so I must have faith that we were all sent here for a reason. Whatever happens in this castle was always destined to be.”

Grace covered her heart with her hand and sighed wearily. “I wish I could share your optimism.”

“I may look calm and composed, yet inside my heart is breaking. In truth, I do not want Alexander to take the cure. But then I do not want him to watch me grow old and frail, either. I couldn’t bear to see pity in his eyes when I am used to his heated gaze and looks of desperate longing.” Evelyn shook her head to eradicate all sorrowful thoughts. Being subdued and downcast would only cause Alexander to worry. “But we must be brave for our husbands. We must let them believe we are confident in their success.”

Grace grasped her hand and held it tight. “We will help each other through the next few difficult hours. If you see me looking all sad and forlorn, I give you permission to pinch me.”

Evelyn smiled. Although they had been friends before the long journey to Bavaria, the three weeks spent confined to the carriage had brought them closer. “It is comforting to know we have each other.”

Graced nodded but then her faint smile faded. “I do worry about Ivana. She looked terribly distraught earlier. By rights, the cure belongs to her. It was more than generous of her to offer it to our husbands.”

The gesture had helped to ease their husbands’ bitterness towards the woman who had changed their lives. Ivana’s love for Leo shone like a bright beacon, which had eased their fears for their friend, too.

“Then we will offer her the hand of friendship. We will let her know that we forgive her for everything that has happened before this day.” Evelyn knew it was the right thing to do. “Leo loves her, that much is obvious, yet I am still a little confused by it all. We will embrace them as a couple, as our kin.”

“You have a kind heart, Evelyn.”

Evelyn forced a smile. “Let us hope God sees fit to reward us both for our generous spirits.”

They descended the steps to the crypt with a renewed sense of confidence and determination.

“There you are.” Elliot came towards them. He took Grace’s hand. “We have decided to remain down here when we take the cure. We have no notion how long the recovery period will last and cannot risk being in a room where the sun’s harmful rays can penetrate.”

Evelyn forced a smile. She stared at Grace, who soon followed her lead. “That sounds like a logical idea.” Evelyn glanced at the tiled floor. “But I cannot imagine it will be comfortable.”

“That is why we were waiting for your return. We need you to help Sylvester move items from one of the chambers, as we are all bound to the shadows until nightfall.”

Evelyn felt the hairs on her nape tingle and knew Alexander approached.

“You’re back.” He stood behind her, kissed the top of her head affectionately.

Be brave. Don’t let him see your fears.

She turned to face him, sucked in a breath at the magnificent sight of his handsome countenance. In her mind, she imagined hugging him, standing on the tips of her toes to feel his soft lips on hers. But she smiled and said, “Did you miss me?”

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Always.”

Evelyn stared longingly into the steely-blue eyes that had held her captive from the first moment she’d met him. “I love you,” she mouthed silently.

The corners of his mouth curved up into a sinful grin.

“We will need pillows and blankets.” Elliot’s words invaded the tender moment. “Perhaps water and a cloth to wipe the brow.”

“We’ll go and find Sylvester,” Grace said.

Evelyn could hear apprehension in her friend’s voice and so glared at her when she swung back around. “Is there anything else we can get you, my lord,” she asked in a mocking tone. “Some foot rub perhaps, or a newspaper.”

Elliot raised a quizzical brow. “I’m pleased you’re still able to tease me despite the gravity of our situation.”

Evelyn raised her chin. “I am tired of all these morbid thoughts. All will be well. I am certain of it.” She gave a contented sigh in the hope he could not see through her facade. “Now we shall go in search of your provisions.”

Sylvester led them to a chamber on the first floor. They collected pillows and as many blankets as they could carry. Ivana had asked them to bring a mattress. Evelyn examined the bedding piled on top of the wooden frame. She doubted Ivana would want them to use the down one and so she folded it back and removed the cheaper flock from underneath. They would need at least five to make lying on the cold floor of the crypt seem appealing.

It was only as the blankets were folded and laid flat on top of the mattress in the crypt that Evelyn realised there was only one bed. The thought of trudging back upstairs made her groan, albeit inwardly.

“That should be suitable,” Ivana said placing her palms on top of the soft padding. “At least it is better than the cold tiles.”

Alexander gave a hapless shrug. “Comfort is the least of my concerns.”

“Give us a moment and we will go and search for more bedding.” Evelyn put her hands on her hips to catch her breath. “Shall we bring the same quantities again?”

“It won’t be necessary.” Alexander cleared his throat as he struggled to look her in the eye, a sure sign she would not like whatever he had to say. “While you’ve been busy upstairs we have decided it would be wise if only one of us took the cure. There is no point both of us suffering unnecessarily. Should there be no problems, then the other will take it.”

Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat, and she knew then that Alexander would be taking the cure first. “And you did not think to consult your wives when you made this decision?” Anger, mingled with a sudden sense of panic, infused her tone.