Page 45 of Resurrection
“So young.” The soft smile on Eshe’s face shocks me into silence. “So naïve.” Moving closer to April, she stops within arm’s reach. “I came to warn you. The Council is having a ball to celebrate your death in three days. My mistress made me give a blood oath to not defend her on the day she lost her life. She made me promise to join the Council and be patient. She swore that we would reunite again when the time was right.”
April and I watch silent as tears trickle down Eshe’s face, her hand lifting towards April’s face with shaking fingers.
“I couldn’t stay silent and watch history repeat itself. I would meet the sun if I sat and let them hurt you again. You kept your vow, you came back.” Cupping April’s cheek, she leans in and presses a kiss on her forehead. “I never stopped serving you. Stay safe, watch your back among your own, and I will await you in the Council Towers three days from now. Your murderers will pay, and I will bathe in their blood.”
One second, she was gazing adoringly at April, the next only a breeze is left in Eshe’s wake. April and I look at each other, the shock evident on both of our faces. Apprehension like ghostly fingers chills my skin and I snatch April, pulling her to my chest.
“What the fuck was that?” She doesn’t push me away, which tells me she is as shaken as I am.
Marcus and Andrei watch us from the open front door. For the first time, I don’t know how long they’ve been standing there but judging by the solemn look on their faces and their clenched fists, I’ll venture and say long enough.
“Call everyone in. No one goes in or out of the building for the next three days. We have a mole in our midst.”
Turning to see who I’m speaking to over her shoulder, April tightens her fingers on my waist. “When you find them, bring them to me.”
Chapter Forty-Three
APRIL
“I don’t trust her.” Moving away from Sebastian, I go to close the door.
What I don’t say out loud is that I don’t trust any of them, really. Lying and treachery is a trait of them all. Apparently living forever is not enough, so they go at each other’s throats like snakes.
“Hmm...” Humming under his breath, Sebastian walks up to the bar in the corner, pouring that stupid drink he keeps sipping even when he says he can’t taste it.
Silly me, I actually try it to see if he is telling the truth. It burns going down, leaving me sputtering and hacking my lungs out while tears trickle down my face. That’ll teach me to listen to him and his sad stories.
“I think they sent her just to mess with my head.” I’m not going to drop the subject, not even if he hums until next Sunday.
“I don’t see what she has to gain by coming here to lie to us.”
Watching me over the rim of the glass, he moves to place his free hand in the pocket of his pants. He looks like a shipwreck victim with his shirt hanging in strips over his broad shoulders and chest, and one leg of his pants ripped at the side. Fire burnsin my face from the embarrassment of how depraved I acted before Eshe put a stop to my insanity. A knowing glint appears in Sebastian’s gaze.
“I don’t know what any of you have to gain with your manipulations and lies, yet here we are, Sire.” Sneering that last word, I want to pat myself on the back when a muscle jumps in his jaw.
He doesn’t take the bait.
“She had a point about your powers being blocked.” I blink at him stupidly, and it takes me a moment to get on track with the switch of the subject.
“The only thing being blocked is my mind after sunset.” Clenching my hands, I glare at him. “And I have every intention of figuring out how to fix that.”
“My blood should’ve been enough for a full transformation without a problem.” He is looking at me without seeing me, his gaze going unfocused while the gears turn in that head of his. “I must’ve missed something in my research, some lost scroll or text…”
“Hello!” Waving a hand to get his attention, I do my best not to walk up to him and slap his handsome face. “Mole. Here to kill me, remember?”
“I can barely keep up with you, April.” Dismissing my worry, he actually rolls his eyes at me. “I should feel sorry for whoever the fool is that will try to harm you in any way.”
“I feel so safe when you put it like that, asshole.” Matching his narrowed look, I let that simmering anger come to the surface. “So, what you’re saying is, if what Eshe said was true, I should just let whoever it is attack me and hope for the best? Why did you send Marcus and Andrei to look then? You keeping them busy in case they are bored, or what?”
“We were very closed off on who we allowed in our inner circle before you were found. Everyone was tested and provenloyal of ours. The humans are bound by blood and can’t go against our wishes even if they try.” Acting put out for having to explain himself, he scowls down his nose at me. “After your transformation, they started flocking here when the word spread of what you did in the Council Towers. Again, only immortals and humans joined our forces, while the Council fled like cowards. I’m not worried about any of them being able to hurt you.”
I stay quiet, my mind working on trying to read through what he didn’t say in his little speech. If I learned one thing about Sebastian, that is that he twists the words, speaking a lot but saying nothing that he doesn’t want you to know. Riddles. It’s all games and wordplay with him, keeping me on my toes.
“Okay, so vampires and humans can’t hurt me.” As ridiculous as it is, I feel giddy knowing that little fact. “So, what? You think they’ll use animals?” The idea of monster animals chasing me through the hotel with fangs as long as a mammoth’s and the speed and strength of a dinosaur makes me want to puke. “Oh, my God! You think they got to mutt? Where is he? I need to see him now!”
“Calm down…”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Screeching at him, I want to kill something. “Where is my dog?”
