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“I’ve heard you and Law mention it, and then I found a journal in the library. I think it was your father’s.”
Julian begins to pace. “Where is the journal now?”
“It’s in my room, hidden.”
“We need to go get it right now. If it falls into the wrong hands—”
I cut him off. “It won’t, Julian. It doesn’t go into the specifics of the legend. I asked Law while you were gone.”
Julian swears under his breath. “He shouldn’t have talked to you about this. He doesn’t even know the specifics.”
I put my hand up to slow him down, as he’s getting worked up.
“He only gave me the highlights. I know very little about it. So, please, tell me more,” I suggest, hoping he’ll calm down and do what I ask.
He sighs heavily, looking weary and uncertain, but ultimately, he continues.
“According to the witches, familiars are entities that help supernatural beings come into their power. My father believed that for a vampire, it was something more. He believed we had one perfect mate, connected to our souls.”
“Why was your father keeping that a secret?”
“When I came across another of his journals and confronted him with it, he said he didn’t have all the answers, but I didn’t believe him. He wasn’t Born. If one of my brothers or I came into that kind of power—or worse, another family of Borns—his rule could’ve been easily overthrown.”
“He really was power-hungry.”
“You have no idea.”
“You’re nothing like him, Julian. You know that, right?”
“You don’t know that, Marina. I could end up like him one day.”
The only time I’ve ever seen Julian even angry was with Marcellus. He’s not a bad guy.
“I don’t believe that. Ican’tbelieve that. I wouldn’t feel the way I do about you if you were anything like him.”
The words are out of my mouth before I even realize it. My cheeks heat in embarrassment at my admission. I’ve bared my feelings to him without any indication that he’s feeling anything more than lust for me. My stomach sours at the thought that this is one-sided.
Grabbing my chin in his hand, he forces me to look at him. His touch is soft, caring.
“Marina, when you are in the room, nothing else matters to me. Every sound is sharpened, every color brighter. I have never experienced anything like it in all of my centuries.” He leans into me, nose in my ear, and I shudder at his nearness. “I feel the pull too.”
My knees shake, and my eyes roll back into my head at his words. I feel itall. Everything he’s described times ten. When he’s near, my body comes alive. I’ve never felt this. I didn’t know it was possible to feel like this. And he feels it too. Happiness fills me.
He pulls me into him, my entire body sighing at his touch. Our eyes are locked together, his begging permission, but he doesn’t need it. He knows what I want. What I need. It’s him. The missing piece of my soul has always been him.
Without another thought, his lips crush against mine, and for the first time in twenty-one years, I feel alive.
* * *
I’m sitting in the library, leafing through an early copy ofThe Secret Garden, when I
hear voices. My eyes narrow and I lean toward the door to figure out where they’re coming from. I stand, walking toward the sound.
“Help me,” a woman cries out, begging for someone to come to her aid, and I stand rooted in my spot.It can’t be. He wouldn’t. A barrage of thoughts run through my head, all painting a very grim picture of Julian.
Who could possibly be screaming for help on these premises without his knowledge?
Stop, I berate my traitorous mind. Julian wouldn’t hold prisoners. He doesn’t participate in the donor auction. I follow the sounds, twisting around corners and descending stairs, until I come to a door, clearly leading to places I’ve been forbidden to go.
