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Gran was clearly unwell and there was honest fear in her eyes. She looked so lost and alone.
Where was Jo? Had the vampire hunters taken her, too? Was she even still alive? Was Gran alive? The idea that I might be watching her ghost or something like that made me want to be sick.
I knew deep down that Gran’s loneliness was ultimately my fault. I should have been there for her, but I was so wrapped up in my own damn life with Rook that I had let her down, failed to keep her safe after all she’s done for me. How could I have allowed her illness to advance to this point? If I hadn't been so focused on the financial side of things, I could have been there to support her mental well-being.
I turned away from the heartbreaking scene, and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Somehow I looked different, and it wasn’t wholly good, or bad. My skin was paler than normal as if I was anemic, yet my hair was luscious, voluminous and shiny. I gasped as my eyes focused on a faint purple haze surrounding my body.
When I looked closer at the reflection of my face, my breath caught in my throat. I saw the red eyes of a vampire staring back at me. I stepped back, looked away, then turned to look again.
Vampire eyes.
Hungry ones.
I wanted to ignore it, pretend like my mind wasn't forcing me to see myself as a vampire when I knew that was extremely unlikely. From what I understood, becoming a vampire involved several strict requirements, none of which I had met. The longer I stared at my reflection, the more I realized that it wasn't just my imagination. I was actually seeing myself as a vampire. How was this possible? I didn’t know if this was premonition or fear, but the eyes were undeniable.
My mixed emotions to the vision were surprising, but in some sense, I could handle the thought of being a vampire. The allure of the power was intoxicating. After all, I was obsessed with Rook and he certainly wasn't human. He was deliciously vampire. I was drawn to him in ways I didn’t understand. Nor did I mind. And I had consumed his blood, and, quite frankly, enjoyed it.
If I was being honest with myself, the purple haze bothered me much more than the freaky, glowing eyes. Was the haze supposed to represent something? It almost looked like flames or smoke, flickering around me and making me seem like I was on fire, which was a terrifying thought. I don’t have a lot of fears, but burning to death was one of them.
One thing was for sure, this dream was definitely not garden-variety-processing-the-day kind of normal. Certainly wasn’t something I would be able to use an app to interpret—not that I had anything to download the app onto.
I had a feeling that it was trying to tell me something. Whether I liked it or not, I needed to figure out what it meant. I just hoped I could do it before it was too late.
9
Cordelia
I didn't even get the chance to begin to analyze the strange dream as the sound of a door opening pulled me from sleep suddenly, leaving me blinking groggily at the ceiling while I tried to remember where and when I had woken up. It didn't help that the frustration I'd felt all though talking to Milo and trying to reach Rook was back. I had wanted to stay in the dream, collect details, understand more, but it ended so abruptly that the details were fading faster than I could try and commit them to memory.
It took a moment for the sleep to clear from my vision, but when it did I was startled to see that it wasn’t Milo coming to sit on the cot with me as I’d first assumed. It was a man I didn’t recognize, and he had a serious expression on his face.
His hair was a dirty blond on top with gray at the temples, which almost matched the way his short beard was two tones as well. Gray hairs sprouted around his lower lip and chin, but the hair on his upper lip and cheeks was darker. Dark gray eyes evaluated me as he turned toward me more fully.
"Cordelia, I’m sorry to wake you." The man shifted his weight, no doubt realizing that the cot was extremely uncomfortable. Probably has a spring poking his ass. And I was glad for it. "My name is Jonathon. I'm the leader of this branch of the hunters."
I sat up, trying to control my breathing. If this guy was truly in charge, I needed to measure my every word, calculate his responses. "What do you want?"
He was quiet for a moment as though he wanted to let me wake up some more. The cream polo neck sweater and dark trousers made him look like some kind of tech bro wannabe. I could almost imagine him wearing some wire frame glasses and standing on a stage talking about a new cell phone or something.
"I wanted to speak with you about your decision to come with us instead of choosing Rook." He paused and stroked his chin, then gave me what I was sure was meant to be a charming smile before he continued, "I have to say, I'm impressed. It’s commendable. It takes a lot of courage to choose your family over a vampire lover." Jonathon's gaze was a constant on my face and I couldn’t look away—not because he’d compelled me, but because I was curious. "You'd be surprised at the number of people who choose these animals over a member of their own family," he scoffed. “I guess they truly believe that someday they'll become a vampire themselves. I think it’s the lure of immortality over the actions of the beast they would have to let inside them.” Jonathon rolled his eyes, and scowled as though disgusted at the thought.
I didn't know how to respond, especially after the dream I'd just had, so I kept my mouth shut.
When he realized I had nothing to add to the conversation he sighed and kept talking. "Here’s what’s going to happen. I'm going to give you access to your phone, and you're going to call Rook on speaker." He smiled condescendingly at me, probably because this was his game and he was proud of all he thought he was accomplishing.
I frowned, pretending to misunderstand what he was getting at. I needed to buy time. “Excuse me?” I asked.
He was one of those save the world activist fanatics. There was a level of crazy in everyone, but this guy was a whole other dimension.
"You're going to act like everything is normal and then, once he's agreed to meet you at a location of our choice, we'll get set up and take you there." His eyes bore into mine and I could see the threat that was coming and the delight he took in speaking it in them. "If you say anything that's suspicious or try to alert him in any way, your Gran will pay the price for your sins."
My heart constricted at his words, and I knew he wasn't bluffing. But if I agreed immediately, would that send the signal that I'm weak? These assholes didn't know who they were dealing with. I'd already faced death at the hands of Mikhail and Antonio, and these were hunters who were limited due to their human restraints.
When I didn't respond immediately, something shifted in Jonathon's expression.
"Have you changed your mind?" he asked. “Decided your lover is more important than your family?”
"Oh, no. Of course not. Please, just leave Gran alone." She was my weakness and they were using her to max capacity. But my desperation rose from a place deep within me, and before I could filter my words, they spilled out into the tiny room. "Just because she spoke to a vampire on one occasion doesn't mean that she is guilty of consorting with them."
