“Not just vampires but other supernatural beings. Witches, werewolves, wilis?—”
“Wilis?”
“Vengeful women’s spirits, also known as the wretched brides. They kill men who betray women. They loathe men in general. You’re going to love them. They’re adorable.” He wolfed down another biscuit. “They’re part of the Dark Court.”
He pointed at the large mansion with turrets and lancet windows at the base of the hill. Dark and imposing, it looked like a disease sprouting from the ground. Mist clung to it like an old blanket, and the yellow glow pouring from the windows reminded me of the eyes of a beast.
“There are other courts,” he continued. “The Fair Court is ruled by the fairies. They’re very fickle. Werewolves hold the Moon Court. There was another court, the Wraith Court, but it was destroyed during a war. The wraiths planned to subjugate all humans to their will, and the other courts allied together to defeat the wraiths.”
“Why didn’t you go to one of the courts when your parents died?”
He didn’t answer for a long moment. “My parents were murdered by the hunters.”
“I’m sorry. Who are the hunters?” I asked after a pause.
“People who think all supernatural beings are evil. They haven’t been active as of late. Thank goodness. I don’t know what happened to them and I don’t care.” He remained silent again. “The fairies at first agreed to take me in, but then gave me a long list of rules about things I could and couldn’t do with my magic. Magic is who I am. I need to develop it, not suppress it. The werewolves growled at me. The Duke of the Dark Court didn’t care for a weak orphan mage, but now a strong vampire is with me.” He winked. “You’ll convince him.”
He shifted and brushed my arm. I shot away from him, fangs fully descended as a phantom pain burnt my skin. My skin and bones had broken and healed to adjust to the transformation. On top of that, the beating and the overcrowded hospital had made for a terrifying combination. The memory of the pain and of those feverish bodies pressing against me while I’d transformed tormented me.
“What is wrong with you?” He stopped eating. “I thought your skin was less sensitive now.”
A choking sensation gripped my throat, and the world tilted.
“Don’t come close to me.” My new deep voice irritated me.
“Fine. I won’t.”
Touching or being touched didn’t bother me when I needed to feed, as long as it was limited and I used only my mouth. My thirst took over every other emotion. But when I was calm, touch disgusted me.
“How did I become this monster?”
“What I know about vampires comes from myths and old wives’ tales. A vampire bit you more than once, but that’s the beginning.” He stretched out his legs. “The vampire drank from you and gave you his blood. Riley made your transformation more painful by beating you within an inch of your life.”
I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t remember any blood exchange.”
“Do you listen to me? Or is your thirst too strong to let you think? Old vampires can meddle with people’s minds. They live for centuries, are difficult to kill, and become unstoppable if not properly trained. You need to be trained.”
“I’m not a dog!” I bared my teeth.
He huffed. “I wish you were. At least you would listen to me. Whoever the vampire was, he meant to transform you.”
A gift. The two words whispered in an unfamiliar accent echoed in my mind.
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I hope to find answers in the Dark Court.”
I touched a tree root arching high over the ground before plunging again into the darkness. One brief moment of light before it vanished.
Vampires lived for centuries.
Only trees should live that long.
14
OF BIRDS AND AURAS
1897
