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“It’s not enough. What I mean is, we are not enough,” he whispered. “There are too many distractions and peering vampires here, besides my authority only goes so far. In Ankeiros, not only will we not have to worry about others, but my family will be there. They will help us. My father, especially. On top of that, we have the largest collection of books, painting, and scrolls, both known and unknown to mortals and vampires alike. We will have time and freedom to uncover the truth and see if anyone else has such a gift.”
Such a long-winded way for him to simply say, “You want me to go to your home in Europe.”
He lifted my bloody fingers and kissed them. “I want us to go home.”
Chapter 18
I’d always loved hot showers, but it seemed now that I was a vampire, they were more like a form of therapy. As the water rained on me, weighing down my hair, heating my skin, washing the blood from my body, the steam rose. I felt calm. My mind was almost empty, and I enjoyed that feeling. In that emptiness, I couldn’t reflect on the past few days or worry about the coming days. I was just in the moment, in the shower, and everything else could wait. I could have stayed inside for a few more hours, but when I heard the phone ring for the second time—and Theseus’s voice more annoyed and grumpier, snapping at the caller—I couldn’t hide anymore.
Turning off the water, I stepped out onto the tiled floors, where my bloodied gown sat in a pool by the door. I didn’t bother drying my hair. I just threw it into a high puff, before pulling on my brand-new bra and underwear set and a turtleneck, black sweater dress. My socks were silk so when I put my foot into the knee-high boots, it wiggled a little more freely. Other than that, everything fit fine. So, I took the damaged dress and put it in the bag I’d gotten my new clothes from before coming out.
“You didn’t need to rush,” he said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. He’d changed into dark jeans and a white button-down shirt, not a speck of dirt or blood on him.
“Where did you clean up?” I asked, confused.
“There is a sink.” He tilted his head toward the kitchen area, making me immediately feel bad.
“I’m so sorry.” The sun was now high in the sky over the city. I must have been in there for at least two hours, maybe three.
“For what?” he asked, standing up and rubbing his eyes a bit.
“The shower. I knew I was taking my time, but…”
“It’s fine. When I was a mortal, if you’d told me there would be a day in which people took baths daily and it was as simple as turning a lever, I would have thought you were insane.” He said, blinking a few times and forcing his eyes wide.
“You must be really tired. I heard the phone ring. Do we need to go down? I can go while you rest—”
“If you think I am letting you go to those fiends alone, you have a lot to learn about me.” He offered me his hand, and I noticed he’d also packed most of our things into black suitcases. He must have called to ask for them because I hadn’t seen them before now. It seemed he was ready to leave as soon as possible.
“I do have a lot to learn about you, regardless.” I took his hand and walked toward the elevator. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”
“They said the courtroom,”
“Courtroom?”
“President Swan has decided to hear the case of Jason Silber—right this moment.”
Right after I had subverted his previous “court” case. “This is about me, isn’t it?”
“It’s about us.” The look on his face was severe when he glanced down at me. “I’ve been called to testify on how I know he is consorting with witches. What was done with Lucy was more of gorilla justice or justice by the majority. This will be an actual court decided by however their system works.”
“That means you’ll have to tell him—”
“I will not. The less they are curious about you, the better. From the beginning, the Swan family has been overly involved with you, and I do not know why,” he said as the elevators arrived. He allowed me inside before following. With each passing second we stayed here, I could see him growing tenser, more aggravated, confused even. Everything I had expected when I first met him was now happening. Initially, he had been impossibly calm, carefree almost, with no plans and not much thought other than getting to know me. But ever since I l
eft my apartment that morning, everything had changed.
“I alone accused him, so I alone should be the one they must question.” Theseus squeezed my hand slightly, and I understood what he meant—I shouldn’t get involved.
Nodding, I looked up, watching as we sank lower down the tower. Just when it seemed like it would never reach the bottom, it did. The doors opened to reveal, Charline. Dressed in a tribal shirt and pants, Charline had her short brown hair pulled back, and in her large hands was a bowl of powder, the same red powder that seemed to be smeared over her eyes. Behind her were caves. If anyone had told me we were still in downtown Montréal, I would call them a liar. They were eerie-looking like something a human might write in fiction. Bats, there were hundreds of bats, hanging from the top, sleeping. And with the exception of the elevator, there was no light, no fires to guide anyone’s way, just darkness that went on and on. There was a way out. It was straight, but it was far. I could hear birds deep in that distance.
“Theseus, Druella,” she said, looking to both of us and speaking with a harshness that was a complete one-eighty from the woman who stood by watching Lucy and I shop. “You must remove your shoes. The path to the court is sacred ground,”
It was only then that I notice she was also barefoot, the bottoms of which were painted in the same red.
“I remember this,” Theseus said quietly, taking off his shoes and socks and tossing them behind us into the elevator. “It was a tradition of King Desagondensta’s tribe when I first visited him, and then he had us do the same.”
I wished I had known that before I put on the damn boots. I removed them and my socks, watching as Charline placed the bowl in front of his feet. He put his right foot in first, making sure they covered before putting in his left. When he was done, he lifted the bowl, only to set in front of my feet. Not saying anything, I lifted my right leg, but he shook his head.
