Page 51 of Dark Gambit: The Play

Was affinity even a thing between immortals and Kra-ell?

Or perhaps it was something else.

Up until not too long ago, Eleanor was an outsider who'd been brought in for the simple reason that they couldn't let an unscrupulous newly turned immortal roam free, so they’d been forced to keep her locked up in the village. Until she'd proven her loyalty and her worth to the clan, she had gone through her share of well-deserved mistrust and outward hostility. Was she empathizing with Sofia because she was now in a similar situation?

"This is not about you, Eleanor. When you were captured, you were just a single operator, and you were not a serious threat to us."

All levity left Eleanor's expression as she trained her dark eyes on him. "You're right. It's not about me, and my history is very different from Sofia's. What I did was of my own volition, not because I was coerced or threatened, and yet look at me today. I'm a proud member of the community, and Kian trusts me. If he can change his mind, so can you. Stop being so stubborn and look at the facts."

Her words struck a chord, and he didn't have a proper retort. Kian was the most suspicious and paranoid person he knew, and yet he'd welcomed Eleanor into the fold and trusted her with one of the clan's most important endeavors.

Running the paranormal program put her in charge of finding new Dormants.

"I'm confused." Sofia looked at Eleanor. "What did you do?"

Eleanor shook her head. "My case is different from yours, but it gives me perspective. I can put myself in both your shoes because I've been on both sides." She looked at Marcel. "I had a bad history that made me bitter, mistrustful, and selfish. I thought that the whole world was against me and that the best way to deal with it was to be a solo operator and look out for myself." She turned to Sofia. "I plotted to capture paranormals and sell them to the highest bidder. When I was captured, I became part of this organization not because they wanted me, but because they were stuck with me. I was a compeller with no morals, and it was dangerous to let me go. Most regarded me as the enemy, and rightfully so, and at the beginning, I resolved to learn all I could about them so I could find a way to escape or even profit from the situation. But then I had an epiphany, which was prompted by the kindness and selflessness of a person who had the least reason to be nice to me. I also realized that for the first time in my life, I was surrounded by other people who were like me, and even though most were hostile to me, I could see myself finally belonging somewhere. I set out to prove myself and become an asset to the community, and that's what I did. Some still look at me with hostility in their eyes, but most have accepted me."

Sofia shook her head. "I didn't set out to do anything bad or good to any of you. I was forced into the role."

"I know." Eleanor reached over the table and took her hand. "Which should make your assimilation much easier than mine. The advice I can give you is to not give up. You escaped a bad situation, and if you play your cards right, you can join us and start a new life. I didn't leave anyone behind, so that wasn't an issue like it is for you, but you basically don't have a choice. You're not going back, so I suggest that you embrace what fate has given you."

Sofia cast a quick sidelong glance at Marcel. "It's not all up to me."

"That's why I delivered my little speech to both of you." Eleanor pushed to her feet. "I'll leave you alone to talk it out." She lifted her hand and pointed a finger at Marcel. "My advice to you is the same. Rise above the past, embrace what fate has shoved in your face, and say thank you."

With that, Eleanor walked around the table and started up the stairs.

They both remained silent until the door at the top of the stairs opened and closed.

"She's a very opinionated lady," Sofia said. "What's her story?"

"She told you the gist of it. I can't say more without revealing details that I shouldn't."

"Who am I going to tell? She can compel me to silence."

"True." He got to his feet and walked over to the wine cabinet. "It's difficult for me to trust, and even more difficult to give my heart. I've been made a fool before." He pulled a bottle of Chardonnay and two glasses out of the cabinet.

"You told me about your ex."

"I didn't tell you even a fraction of the story."

"Is that also a secret that you are not free to share?"

He huffed out a breath. "Revealing this secret will only affect me. It has no bearing on the organization." He uncorked the wine and poured it into their glasses.

He needed a moment to think, or an hour, or a day, but Sofia was looking at him with a pair of pleading eyes, and he felt compelled to give her something. Instead, he lifted his glass. "Cheers."

"Cheers." She clinked her glass to his. "I promise that whatever you tell me will never leave my lips." She cringed. "Unless someone compels it out of me. I really dislike compellers, or rather what they can do. I like Eleanor a lot. She's such a straight shooter, and that's so refreshing."

Eleanor wasn't easily likable, and it had taken him a while to warm up to her. The shameful truth was that if she were a male, he would have accepted her abrasive personality a long time ago and focused on her impressive achievement record instead. But because she was a female, he'd expected her to be softer, kinder, and more careful about the way she expressed herself.

Talk about a double standard.

It dawned on him that he was applying the same double standard to Sofia. If she were a guy, he would have been much more forgiving and understanding, but because she was a female, and he had a bad history with women, she was a suspect despite the mitigating circumstances.

Nevertheless, being aware of his prejudice didn't help dissolve it. He didn't trust himself to think objectively where a female he was attracted to was concerned.

He put the glass down. "I want to believe you. I yearn to, but I've been burned so badly in the past that it's very difficult for me to trust. I haven’t told this story to anyone, and I probably never will."

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