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Dimitri laughs sharply, but I don't feel his levity. Dread settles in my stomach as I realise what this really means. I'm about to be outed. I'm positive Dimitri already knows, but Bram doesn't. Neither does Eric, I don't think. More worryingly though, I never realised the Commander knew. How had he found out? Not that it matters, if he knows, he knows.
"Vampires are hardly the abominations you make us out to be, Lincoln. If I remember correctly, you even owe one your life." Dimitri picks up the glass the Commander had drunk from and studies it intently, as if looking for some trace of an unknown thing.
"I'm not talking about her recent vampirism. Though we need to talk about that. She was supposed to end up dead."
"Not my problem, Lincoln. You made the deal with the others, not with me."
I shiver, and Bram pulls me even tighter against him, offering me wordless comfort. I'm grateful to him, especially with all his griping up until now. It's a surprise he wants to comfort me, but even so, I'm grateful and lean back into him.
"That's not good enough," the Commander growls. "She shouldn't be able to do what she can do. For that, she needs to die."
"And what is it she can do?" Eric asks, not seeming at all surprised there's more to me. He's aware then. Good to know.
"She can see secrets."
"You can what?" Bram whispers in my ear, a note of panic in his voice.
"See secrets," I reply softly. But not quietly enough, if the sharp turn of Eric's head is anything to go by. Thankfully the other two appear engrossed in conversation. Eric winks in our direction. At least he's still on our side.
"How many?" Bram asks.
"Just one. The deepest, darkest secret someone has."
"Oh."
"Yours was that you wanted to let go of your anger over your wife," I say, not wanting to hide it from him anymore. "I was a little surprised it wasn't something more scandalous."
I feel Bram relax behind me, which isn't the reaction I expected.
"You have no idea how long I've waited to tell someone that," he whispers in my ear.
"Oh." I have no idea where my current eloquence is coming from. Must be a special skill of mine.
"We can talk about this later, but thank you, Ashryn." He rests his head on my shoulder, and I'm slightly shocked by how sincere he sounds. He really does feel relief in this.
"Okay," I whisper back, one eye on the men outside the room. I'm not too sue what's happened while Bram and I were having our mini talk, but things seem to have become heated.
Well, except for Eric, who is leaning against the far wall and still looking in my direction with an amused look on his face.
"She's one of mine now, Lincoln. You know the deal," Dimitri says.
"I want her dead," the Commander says calmly.
"The only way that's going to happen is if one of your hunters catches her off my premises. You know that." Dimitri is actually calm. I'm more than a little surprised by that, this doesn't seem to fit the tone of the conversation. But there must be a reason for that, hopefully he'll spin it.
Without thinking, I place one of my hands over Bram's. He still seems to be a little overwhelmed by the revelations he's just had, and I want to give him some sense of comfort. I just hope it'll be enough. That I'm enough. I've never been in this kind of position before.
I'll admit I kind of like it.
"My hunters have failed at that. You were supposed to send her out on a mission," the Commander says, and I suck in a deep breath. So this wasn't an accident then. This is where they all planned for me to be.
"That's not my fault, Lincoln." There's a smirk on Dimitri's lips that makes me think it is what he intended. I'm becoming more and more confused about if Dimitri is actually on my side or not.
"One of my hunters reported there was another vampire with her."
"Ahh, yes. I could hardly send her on a mission alone now, could I? She's fallen for that once, I very much doubt she will again."
A lump rises in my throat. Why has everyone got it out for me? All I want is to live in relative peace.
