Page 76 of The Curse of Eternity
“How come you never came clean to her about who you were?”
“There were many reasons.” His raven-dark eyes bore into mine. “As you are aware, there is a creed of secrecy handed down from the Domnitori. It would have been impossible to enter her life without explaining my absence, or else fabricating a story that would have led to my being reinstated as the family heir.”
“What if you just pretended to be someone else? Charmed her, or something? So she wouldn’t tell anyone.”
The sadness swirling in my heart was met by Drake’s genuine interest, but not a hint of judgment showed through his answer.
“If it were your family, would you want them only to know you by a lie?”
Scrunching my nose at my stupidity, I fidgeted on my feet and shook my head. Despite what Drake told me in the hovel outside the fortress, it had been hard to imagine how lonely a vampire’s existence would be. For the first time in my life, I sympathized with the undead I’ve hunted and destroyed. If I’d been cut off from the outside world, brainwashed since childhood and raised into a secret occult society, would I have had the strength to break away?
The alternative was to stay with the only people who’d understand, that I could be myself with. Even if it meant committing atrocities to avoid being lonely.
“Were you really alone? For all those years…” A ridiculous pang of jealousy struck my chest when Drake shook his head.
“Not always. You have met Winston. Aiden has also been a long-time friend of mine.”
“The faery solicitor.” I scoffed, and Drake openly laughed, the easy sound warming my ears.
“He is far more trustworthy than he seems, although his methods can be a tad…roundabout.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I muttered, but couldn’t hold back my smile. “At least his meddling put us together, even if you have had to save my ass every two seconds.”
“Excuse me? If not for you, then I would have been drained of blood and left to suffer within the fortress—permanently.”
“That was just luck.” I shook my head, blushing under his intense stare of disagreement. “If I wasn’t a descendant, then neither of us would have survived.”
“Is it worthwhile to consider what could have been? I have spent many years yearning for the chance at a human life. Yet, with you, I have felt more like a person than I have since I was one.”
“You are a person.” I took his hand, and leaned in until our lips met. The kiss was meant to be brief, but when I went to pull away, his free hand rose to cup the nape of my neck and held me in place. A quick inhale parted my lips, and he took advantage of the opening.
Unhurried, I wrapped one arm over his shoulder and around his neck. Space still existed between us, but barely an inch. There was comfort in the way he kissed me, like he meant to savor it. The trail his fingers made down my spine brought on a delicious shiver. His touch glided along my aches and pains, easing every one. The light pressure of his lips moving over mine slowed, and I sighed into the air between us when his mouth freed mine.
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” I laughed, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. “You’re free—we’refree. Finally.”
“Finally,” Drake echoed softly, and I relaxed into his embrace.
I inhaled deeply, breathing him in, but it was easy to ignore the underlying hint of death coursing through his veins. The ring on my finger caught the glow from the electric sconces alongthe wall. As I fiddled with the metal, I recalled the inscription against my skin.
So I was human and the man I loved wasn’t—not entirely, anyway—so what?We’d already escaped the deadliest place on Earth, andwon. Whatever came next, I wanted to believe we could handle it—together. Nothing was certain in this life, not with the legacy I carried, but the feeling nestling into my heart felt pretty damn close. Because there wasn’t anyone else I’d rather fight for my life alongside.
Even if it meant embracing this cursed existence for all eternity, or whatever time we had left of it.
− 24 −
More than Enough
It probably would’ve been quicker to catch a cab back from the Albuquerque Sunport—after the five-hour flight from New York—but I didn’t mind heading to Drake’s place first. Especially since the leather passenger seat of his white 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantagewasluxuriously comfortable. If anything, the detour gave me another excuse to put off the impending reunion which had my stomach in a tangle of nerves.
At least I finally learned where Drake lived—a little suburb in San Jose—right across from the Rail Runner tracks,go figure.The indicator blinked on, and I sucked in a breath when we got off of I-40 at the 157A exit. Home wasn’t far now, and I slowly closed my eyes to prepare myself.
Really, after everything I’d been through,thiswas what worried me?
Somehow, the careful manipulation of airline security—when Drake and I made our journey across international borders—was less stressful. As much as I hated that vampires could charm people, it happened to come in pretty handy. It was also sort of amusing watching Drake go to great lengths to cover every inch of his skin when we traveled during daylight.
Now, with his window tint dark enough to make me wonder about its legality, he was able to relax in the driver’s seat with nothing more than a fitted black T-shirt, jeans, and his usual sunglasses and black Yankees cap. Apparently, the baseball team had been Winston’s preference, which I’d learned during our two-day layover in Lagrangeville.
Shortly after I’d gotten to Winston’s beautiful, hot-as-hell house, I’d asked to use a phone. Johann had picked up after three rings, and my voice almost failed me at the melancholy saturating his tone. Our conversation had been brief, mainly spent reassuring him that I was alive and would be home soon. I couldn’t find the words to explain everything over the phone. Right after we’d hung up, I called Everly next. She was my soundboard while I rambled off what happened to me over the last week, since my sudden disappearance.
