Darkness Before Dawn (25 page)

“Oh my God! I can’t believe it,” Tegan says.

Earlier I texted her to let her know I wouldn’t be at school and gave her a short version of what happened.

She wraps her arms around me and it feels so good. She leans back and studies me. “Was it that guy in the hoodie?” she asks.

I nod and glance back at Michael, but there’s no satisfaction in my words. “I was right. He’s a vampire.”

“But you first saw him during the day. And it makes no sense,” Michael continues. “He didn’t drain her.”

I was so grateful that she was alive, I didn’t even think to question that. “We must have gotten home before he had a chance.”

“
We
?” Michael asks.

“Victor and I.”

His jaw clenches. “That Night Watchman?”

His attitude irritates and hurts me at the same time. “I don’t know why you’re mad. You’re hanging around with Lila.”

“I wasn’t. I just…” He rubs his hand quickly back and forth over his short hair and looks at Sin, then Tegan. “Could you guys leave us for a second?”

Sin studies me. “I’m sorry. About what happened.”

The way he says it is odd. Like he was responsible.

“If I’d caught the guy the other evening—” he begins.

“It’s not your fault,” I say quickly. I’m carrying enough guilt for everyone. I should have told Rachel and Jeff about Hoodie, about my suspicions that he might have been a vampire.

“We’ll go get you some coffee,” Tegan says, pushing Sin toward the door. “Then we’ll be back.”

The door closes behind them, and Michael releases a deep breath before moving nearer to me. “Maybe I was a little jealous of Sin and Tegan. She never questions him.”

“If that’s what you want from me, Michael, I can’t give it to you. I’ve lost too many people to sit idly by when I’m worried. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

He takes my hand. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. I promise… Lila … she means nothing to me.”

I can’t say the same about Victor, especially after everything that happened last night. But Michael is human. He’d never want my blood. He’d never be a monster.

I move into Michael’s embrace and welcome his arms folding around me.

The door opens.

“Oh, good, you’ve made up,” Tegan says.

I step away and smile self-consciously. Michael ducks his head, blushes. It’s kinda cute.

Tegan hands me the coffee. “So when do they think Rachel will wake up?”

“They have no idea.”

“You can stay with me.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine at the apartment. I have a whole pack of guards now.”

“You won’t be needing them for long,” Sin says. “Come on, Michael. Let’s see if we can find this creep.”

“You don’t need to do that. A lot of people are already searching for him,” I say.

“We’ll take care of him,” Michael says, and I know his pride is at stake, so I push down my fear.

“I know you will. Just be careful.”

He grins. “Always.” Then he leans in and gives me a quick kiss on the lips before he and Sin leave.

With a sigh, Tegan slumps against the wall. “So is everything really going to be okay with you and Michael?”

“I hope so.”

“Me, too, because Lila … ?” She sticks her finger in her mouth and makes a gagging sound. “Double-dating with her would be a drag.”

I grin. “I can imagine.”

The door opens and Clive strides in. Before I can even say hello, he’s getting down to business. “We just got a message from Valentine. He wants a meeting tonight.”

I tighten my jaw. “That’s good. Because I want one, too.”

That night I don’t bother with the stupid Victorian dress. I fasten the chain-mail choker beneath the turtleneck collar of my blue sweater. I slip the stake Victor gave me into my boot. Not that I’d get a chance to use it against Valentine, but it makes me feel safer.

Winston raises his eyebrows at me when I emerge from my apartment building, but all he says is, “Good evening, Miss Montgomery,” as he helps me climb into the carriage.

The ride gives me time to think, to put things in order. Victor and Michael, and Rachel. I try to stack them up, make sense of them. But when I arrive at the manor, all of that leaves me.

I march up the steps and bang the knocker. When the servant opens the door, his eyes widen. The way Valentine holds on to the past, it’s possible he’s never seen a girl in jeans before.

I step inside, but he seems frozen to the spot.

“I’m sure you don’t want to keep his lordship waiting,” I say.

“Of course not. Follow me, please.”

I follow him to the same room. He opens the double doors. “Miss Montgomery, m’lord.”

I stride into the room. Valentine slowly sets down his goblet, but unlike his servant, he’s not surprised. He’s angry.

I’m in no mood for pleasantries. “My mentor, Rachel, was attacked by a vampire. In our apartment. In the city. Are you going to tell me he was a rogue vampire, one you have no control over?”

“You are not properly dressed for a meeting.”

“Lord Valentine, now is not the time for games.”

“Really, Dawn? I believe they’ve only begun. Sit.”

I’d rather pace, but I drop down into my usual chair. “Rachel is in a coma.”

He picks up his goblet. “She is not my concern.”

“VampHu prohibits vampires from coming into walled cities.”

“One vampire—”

“It’s more than one, and you know it,” I snap.

“Watch your manners, child. It is only through my grace that you leave here.”

I rein in my temper. He’s impossible to deal with. I don’t know why I thought I could make him understand that he is responsible for what happened to Rachel. He’s responsible for every human who is harmed by a vampire in Denver. It’s time for a new approach. Maybe I can use what he wants to reach a bargain.

I can see through the windows that a storm is brewing in the distance, flashes of lightning in far-off clouds. The countryside is bathed in black and blue. Within this huge mansion are inner rooms that the sunlight can’t touch, where Valentine remains during the day, but he obviously likes being able to see the night. And why not? He is its king.

“You requested the meeting,” I remind him.

“Yes.” Valentine swirls his goblet of blood. He seems larger than before, as if he’s fed off the night and grown, preparing for his son’s rebellion. I remind myself that Victor doesn’t want violence, that he’ll ask his father to take the Thirst seriously or step down. But looking at this ancient vampire, I realize that seems ever more impossible. Valentine doesn’t listen to reason, and he will cede control only when he’s no longer breathing. God, how could Victor ever hope to defeat someone as powerful as the Bloody Valentine? An image flashes in my mind: Victor with a stake through his heart, having failed against his father.

Focus. Don’t give anything away
.

“You should have seen an increase in the amount of blood that was delivered last Friday,” I say. The Teen Initiative is making a difference. “And even more so when we deliver this week’s allotment. Not double, but we’re getting there.”

“That’s fine,” Valentine says, uninterested.

The roaring fire crackles, hitting a weak spot in the wood, and it spits out new light, revealing the lord’s face, so comfortable in shadow. Valentine’s looking straight into my eyes for the first time. He’s reading me. I see it for only a moment, but the feeling seems to last forever.

This revelation takes me by surprise, and I wait for something: for him to speak, for me to, for Victor to rush in and challenge his father. The silence is drawing out, and I don’t know what to do....

Then I get control of myself. I’ve been trained to negotiate. I’ve been trained to read subtle nuances in vampire body language. What the Agency didn’t teach me, my parents instilled in me. I know it’s risky, but I’m tired of being afraid. “Does your son enjoy the city?”

He releases a low chuckle. “Victor—”

“Not Victor,” I interrupt, knowing it’s poor etiquette, but not really caring. “Your other son. The one the Agency doesn’t know about.”

His gaze hardens. “And yet you seem to know about him.”

“It’s my job to know everything about you. And even if it wasn’t, I would want to know. Someone of your influence and power fascinates me.” Vampires use seduction to gain what they want. Maybe I can do the same. Stroke his ego. Lure him into revealing things he wouldn’t otherwise.

“That child is banished and forgotten,” Valentine says. “His name unspoken for over a hundred years. And it shall remain that way. Forever.”

“I see....”

Valentine grows momentarily angry, but then a wicked smile begins to form.

“I assume Victor told you about him.”

“I have various sources of information.”

“There’s no need to lie,” he says, nearly chuckling. “In fact, Victor is what I wish to speak about. He fascinates you, doesn’t he? I saw it the moment he stepped into this room not long ago. Your eyes refused to leave his, despite my presence.” Before I can answer, he continues. “I do worry about him, though. Victor gets these
ideas
in his head.” He’s speaking slowly and deliberately.

“Ideas, m’lord?” I ask, playing along, trying to stall until I find a way out of this.

“Victor’s still a boy in many ways. Always wanting what he can’t have. Always thinking he knows best.”

“I’m sure, in time, he’ll find his way.”

“Have you found your way, Dawn? You are the first to stand up to me so brazenly. Now I must decide if that makes you an asset or a threat.”

It seems as if the fire has stopped making noise, and the moon’s covered by clouds. I think the world’s gone silent and dark, and it’s just me and the Bloody Valentine and this dance of words.

“I’m a delegate. And I’m very happy serving the city of Denver.”

He considers this, swirling his drink before downing it all in one massive gulp.

“I’ve spent a thousand years reading humans and their lies. Every human lies the same way, and always for the same reason. They lie out of fear of what will happen if the truth is discovered.”

My truth will cost me everything, and he knows it. This isn’t some scare tactic to get more blood from the Agency; nor is it something to keep me in line. Valentine knows Victor is up to something; he might even know more than that. He might know
everything
. He’s an Old Family vampire; he has eyes and ears everywhere. He’s avoided the stake for a thousand years by being cautious, by looking behind every shadow and every curtain.

“How often do you see Victor?” Valentine asks.

I can’t lie to him. I’m not that good. But maybe … maybe I can bend the truth just enough.

“I’ve seen him only a handful of times.”

“And what does he say to you?”

“Nothing of interest.”

“Everything is of interest to me, Dawn.” This is spoken so quickly that I think this entire conversation has been mapped out, as if he got the script before I did. He knows every twist and turn I’ll try to make.

“We speak of the blood supply and other matters concerning the citizens of the city,” I say.

“What could he possibly care about the lives of humans?”

“He merely wants to ensure a steady supply of blood to the countryside.”

Valentine lets out a small chuckle. “You make him sound soft.”

“No, Lord, I didn’t mean—”

“Do you think that’s what I
wanted
to hear? Are you telling me the truth, Dawn? Or are you humoring me?”

“I have no reason to lie to you, Lord Valentine.”

“You have every reason to lie to me. Because I already know the truth, and I know why you’re so scared of it. I can hear your heart beating, Dawn. It’s faster than it was two minutes ago. I can hear the blood pumping through your veins, faster and faster, even as I speak these words.”

I release the breath I’ve been holding, and it’s staggered and choked. Valentine chuckles at that, too.

I fear I’ve seen my last sunrise when Valentine stands up. He’s enormous. I’ve never seen him out of his chair. What Victor yields in silent power, his father commands in awesome presence. One look at the Bloody Valentine and I hear the screams of millions.

He walks over to me, every step unnervingly quiet. I stay seated, facing forward, like a good schoolgirl, but all the while I’m debating when to make my move. I’m not going to go down easily, not without a fight, not without making him regret he ever set eyes on me. All I have to do is reach inside my boot and grab my stake. He stands behind my chair, and when he speaks his voice vibrates through my chest like a grand orchestra.

“I can make dreams come true, Dawn. I can make dreams come true, Dawn. I can give you every piece of gold, every suitor, and every star in the sky. You will never want for anything. Servants will tend to your every need. I can make your life an endless ecstasy.”

He reaches around me, and his large fingers slowly brush my jawline and run down to the metal collar around my neck.

“I can give you immortality. I can give you eternal beauty, eternal life. I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

He cups my chin like I am a tiny doll.

“I can also make your nightmares come true. You cannot begin to fathom the suffering I am capable of delivering. Not only to you, but to everyone you’ve ever touched. Rachel. Tegan. Jeff. Michael. I can give them immortality, just to torture them for eternity.”

He withdraws his hands, and the only thing I see is the coming storm through the window.

“But there is no need for unpleasantness between us. You just have to acknowledge that your loyalty lies with me, that you and the people of Denver stand to gain the greatest benefit by bowing before me. I know Victor can be very convincing when he gets caught up in his grand dreams. He’s had hundreds of years of practice in luring young girls into falling into his hands. But he hasn’t been the same since the war. It warped his mind. His dreams will lead only to nightmares.”

Another drawn-out silence, a calculated one in which Valentine lets me absorb everything he’s said. The dangers of staying quiet, the rewards of exposing Victor’s plan. I focus on steadying my pulse.