Page 42 of The Rising Dark
Lavinia repeated the ritual of key and password at her front door, the keypad turning green and buzzing briefly when she pressed a button.
“Come on in,” she said, and held open the door.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Michelle wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, especially after having seen Lavinia’s room at Thornblood.Perhaps that room, with its bare walls and lack of personal items, had just been some kind of temporary base, while her actual apartment would breathe “home”.Nothing was further from the truth: if anything, there was even less of Lavinia visible here.
It was a beautiful place, in that stark modern minimalist way.Everything consisted of clean lines and sharp angles, the walls white, the carpet an unobtrusive cream.A marble-topped island stood in the centre of the kitchen, which led into the open-plan living room.It had everything you would expect from a modern apartment: a comfortable-looking grey sofa, a large TV on the wall facing it.Floor-to-ceiling windows opened onto a concrete balcony that overlooked the city.It was stunning, in a way, and certainly a far cry from Michelle’s messy and cramped apartment.Yet at the same time, it seemed like a transitory place: impersonal, as if it was waiting for a touch of life.It was the kind of place you’d hire for a brief holiday stay.
Quintia clearly read some of her thoughts from her expression.“Vin doesn’t do decorating.”
Lavinia pulled the hair tie from her ponytail, running her hands through her long, blonde hair.“I just haven’t had the time.”
“How long have you had the apartment?”Quintia asked.There was a glint in her eye that made Michelle think she already knew the answer.
“Twenty-three years, I think.”
“Over two decades, can’t find an hour to put a fucking painting on the wall.”Quintia slapped her on the back.“You’re absolutely hopeless.Anyway, I’m going to hang out in the guest room to get away from the both of you.All of your pining glances disgust me.”With those parting words, she shouldered her bag and sauntered into one of the bedrooms at the side of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.
Michelle walked to the windows.They were five storeys up, and the view of the city was stunning.The cityscape unfolded before her, roofs stretching in all directions.The high-rises of the inner city stood proudly on the horizon, the last pink tones of the setting sun gleaming on their façades.“The view is amazing.”
“It’s one of the reasons I chose this one,” Lavinia said, moving to stand beside her.They stood in companionable silence for a moment.“Do you think I should decorate more?”
“Oh.”Michelle glanced at her.“Do you want an honest answer?”
“Please.”
“It’s up to you, of course, but it does seem a bit…sterile.Is there nothing you would like to put anywhere?No pictures, or keepsakes, anything?”She thought of the relentless shades of white.“Maybe a plant?”
Lavinia smiled, a little sadly.“I never really thought about it.My focus has always been on my duties, my Sisters, and my family.Perhaps I have been remiss in the other parts of my life.”
Michelle moved closer so their shoulders touched.“I think it’s amazing, the things you do.Risking your life for others.For me.”The last yellow of the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.The sky was darkening, but there was still enough light to see by.“You’re really brave.”
“Thank you,” Lavinia said, her voice so low it was almost a whisper.“Michelle, I want to…”
A small movement caught Michelle’s eye.She looked more closely, peering through the fading light.There—there it was again.A flicker, like a light reflected in glass.It seemed suspended in the air.The flicker grew, reformed, and shaped itself into a tear.“Lavinia,” she said, a primal fear rooting her feet to the spot.
Something was coming through.Smoke roiled on its surface.Within the blink of an eye, it had squeezed itself into reality, unfolding into the monster of her nightmares: the demon that had attacked her that night only a couple of weeks ago.Its flaming eyes glowed with malice, its monstrous arms outstretched towards her, lunging for her.She tripped backwards, trying to get away, her cheek burning with the memory of searing pain.
Steady hands caught her before she could tumble into the coffee table.“It can’t reach you.”Lavinia’s calm voice in her ear grounded her, cutting through the blind panic coursing through her veins.“I won’t let it hurt you.”Michelle forced herself to focus on Lavinia’s arms around her, on her steady body behind her.She took one shaking, shallow breath, then another.The demon was stopped in its forward progress, claws still outstretched.It couldn’t press on, stopped by the glass.
“Why can’t it come in?”Michelle asked, clutching at Lavinia.
“The windows and walls, even the foundations and the roof, have all been inlaid with salt.We are basically in one large protective circle that demons cannot cross.Unfortunately, there was no easy way to treat the balcony, so it falls outside of its protection.”Lavinia’s arms tightened around Michelle, feeling her shiver.“The whole building is secure.It’s not as sophisticated as Thornblood, but it’ll keep out any demons.”
“So it really can’t reach us?”
“It really can’t,” Lavinia said confidently.
The calm in her voice made Michelle relax the tiniest amount.She realised her fingernails had been digging into Lavinia’s upper arm.“I’m sorry,” she said, embarrassed.
“Don’t be.Don’t ever apologise for being afraid.Our fear protects us.”
Michelle tore her eyes away from the demon and its hateful gaze.“You never seem scared at all.”Only a couple of days ago, she had run headlong into danger, sword in hand.
Lavinia laughed, a small chuckle that reverberated through Michelle’s body.“I am afraid all the time.Afraid that we will be too late to save an innocent bystander.Afraid that one of my Sisters might get hurt or be killed.Afraid that the world might change in such a way that we can no longer live in the shadows and will be forced into the harsh light of the human public eye.There is so much to fear.”Her voice was low and soft.Lavinia’s face was so close that Michelle could see every eyelash encircling her half-closed eyes.“Do you fear me, Michelle?”
“No,” Michelle answered immediately.“No,” she repeated.It was the truth.She was afraid of many things, including the demon currently clawing at the glass of the balcony window, any contact throwing up bright sparks into the rising dark.Her heart beat in her throat, and fear coursed through her veins, butthis, being in Lavinia’s arms, felt right.This felt…safe.There was no doubt in her mind.“I’m not afraid of you.”
