AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Suicide.” I filled in the blank.
“He was dying, sweetheart,” she told me as if we hadn’t already had this conversation before. “These attacks started after then. You have to stop trying to find another reason when there isn’t one.”
I didn’t want to believe it, but all the evidence was there—the handwritten note to Astor’s mom, the voicemail he left telling me he loved me. Maybe I was a fool for thinking there was more to it, but when I’d listened to his message and heard the crack in his voice, it killed me that I couldn’t help him. Part of me just hoped it wasn’t real, that he wouldn’t leave me behind without saying goodbye, and somehow, in an alternate world, I could still have the chance to take this pain away before it was too late.
She didn’t say anything, only stared at the wisps of steam dancing up from my cocoa.
“He would have told me first… He wouldn’t have just killed himself. I know Astor,” I croaked, breaking the silence. “Knew.”
She shot me a pained smile, and I sighed. There was little point in arguing with her. “I’m sorry, Olivia, but facts are facts. There were no signs of foul play, and the note he left—”
“I know.” I looked at the ground, tight lipped.
Her lips parted. “I wish I could make it all go away.”
“I know, Mom. Be careful out there tonight,” I said to end that conversation.
“I will.” She smiled, but there was no crease in the corners of her tired eyes. “Try to get some rest while I’m gone. I’m surprised you’re still up.”
I clicked my tongue. “It’s the nightmares,” I explained. “They keep me up.”
She squeezed my knee. “Do you want melatonin?”
I laughed. “So I can have nightmares on steroids? No thanks.” I’d taken one before and had the most vivid of dreams. “Maybe tomorrow we can go to see Astor’s mom. I promised her I’d go soon.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Not right now.”
“You said the vampires won’t come into the city.”
“I can’t take any chances with these attacks. I can ask if she can come by the house.”
A change of scenery was what I wanted, but I relented. “Okay, that’s fine.”
Sometimes I wished I weren’t a sorceress, so I could live normally. The vampires who want us—the sangaree, who drink blood, and the aniccipere, a far more terrifying creature known to suck the souls from their victims—craved our magic. They desired to use our ability to influence others’ emotions and energies. Fortunately, we had remained hidden and the royals in Sanmorte didn’t know about us.
She checked her watch. “I need to go. Try to eat something.” She stood, glancing out the window. “Draven’s here.”
I climbed out of bed to find my hairbrush as the doorbell rang, then hurried downstairs.
Draven smiled when the door opened; his blue eyes softened when they landed on me from over my mom’s shoulder. He was a good foot taller than her five-foot-four height, but somehow, she always appeared as the most authoritative person in the room. “Take care of her.”
“With my life.”
She moved to get her beeper from her pocket, and he winked at me. “Okay, I have everything. I’ll be back at ten a.m.”
He nodded and stepped inside the house. Before leaving, my mom turned back, her raven-black ponytail swishing behind her. “Don’t stay up all night just because Draven has to.”
“I’ll make sure she gets some rest.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “If you need anything—”
“We’ll be fine.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “Stay safe.”
“Okay. Love you,” she called and hurried out the door.
“You too,” I shouted, but the door was already shut. I hurried over to Draven, and he wrapped his arms around me. My cheek rubbed against the tight elastic material of his black-and-gray top. I’d seldom seen him out of uniform. “You’ll make sure I get some sleep, will you?” I snarked.
He grinned. “I just said that for your mom’s benefit. I could never make you do a thing you didn’t want to do.”
