Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Oh, God.
Van Helsing said she felt sick after he told her what happened to Lucy and Mina. Then she went to the washroom and when she came out…
“I found you Val, I said I would,” she had said, staring at me like I had been lost to her for a very long time. There was so much love and amazement in her eyes, I didn’t know what was happening. Then she started asking me what her hair color was, her eyes and…
“Your hair is red like Mina’s,” I whisper to her, my words ragged. “Your eyes are green like Lucy’s. You are my dove. My lover. My everything.”
I hold her tighter, but she’s none of those things anymore because there’s no life left in her body.
“She knew,” I say quietly. “Last night she knew. God, why didn’t she tell me?”
“Probably because she thought you’d kill her…” Solon says.
A fiery hit of rage stabs me and I roar at him, fangs bared, fuelled by so much anger and hatred for myself.
I did this.
I shake my head and collapse inward, like a dying star, the rage turning to the sharpest sorrow I have ever felt. I cover her with my body, like I did once before, as if I can protect her when I’ve only ever failed.
“I love you,” I cry, shaking with the horror of it all. “I love you, Dahlia.”
Because even though she was Lucy and Mina, she was also her own person and I loved her too. I should have told her. I wish I had known I wouldn’t have the chance.
I’ll never have that chance.
Unless…
I look up at Lenore, who is leaning against Solon and crying too.
“You can save her, can’t you? You did it before. You’re the only one who can turn someone into a vampire without turning them into a monster!”
Hope springs inside me.
She shakes her head. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“She’s dead! You did it to Wolf’s girlfriend, you turned her into a vampire and it worked! She didn’t go insane, I met her. I saw her face-to-face. You can save Dahlia.”
“I can’t!” she protests. “It doesn’t work that way, believe me. She has to be drained of blood, I have to get my blood in her heart.”
“Just do it!” I jump to my feet and grab her, pulling her down to the floor with me.
“Valtu!” Solon yells.
I bring Lenore’s wrist to my mouth and tear the veins open with my teeth.
She screams.
The blood spills everywhere, all over Dahlia’s face, gathering on her lips.
I try to push her wrist to Dahlia’s mouth and hold her there, but Solon is strong and he pulls Lenore off.
“Get a hold of yourself, Valtu. This isn’t the way and you know it.” He lowers his voice. “Is that even what Dahlia would want? You can’t turn someone without their consent. At least, you wouldn’t want to do that to your lover.”
He’s right. I collapse against the fridge and pull Dahlia to me once again, covered in blood.
She is so damn beautiful.
And I am forever broken.
“You’ll see her again, Valtu,” Lenore whispers, holding her wrist. “I’m sure.”
“What if I don’t?” I say. “What if it takes another hundred years again. Two hundred? Or never?”
How will I survive in this pain?
And what will happen to this world in that time?
What if I’m not even around?
“Maybe we should try and take down the guild,” Solon says quietly.
Lenore and I both look at him.
Thinking.
“It won’t bring her back, Valtu,” Solon goes on, and though his eyes are soft, there’s a glint of malice in them. “But it might feel good to find the people that made Dahlia this way.”
“I’m down,” Lenore says adamantly. “Revenge is my favourite hobby at this point.”
Revenge.
I stare down at Dahlia’s peaceful, bloodied face and kiss her for the last time. “I promise I’ll get revenge,” I whisper to her. “I’ll get revenge on those who wronged you.”
And that includes myself.
Epilogue
21 years later
“You must be getting nervous, huh?” Dylan asks me as he grabs a beer from the fridge. He’s about to close it, then thinks twice. “You want one? You’re almost legal after all.”
It’s rare my brother shows me any consideration so I should probably take him up on his offer. Besides, maybe a beer will help calm my nerves. No point denying how anxious I am about my birthday.
“Sure,” I say as he hands me a can. I snap open the lid, relishing the feel of doing so. I had to get my gel nails removed because of tomorrow. Apparently they can be used as a weapon, so my parents made sure mine are cut short. The last thing I want is to accidentally hurt them.
“You’re lucky,” I tell my brother as I sit down on the sofa. A spring juts into my ass and I have to adjust myself. I’ll be in this room for a few days and while my parents didn’t want any of their good furniture to get damaged, then didn’t want to lock me in a barren room either. Everything in here has been furnished from garage sales. In fact I think this sofa belonged to Brady Williams’ family who live down the street from me. I kissed Brady one drunken night, maybe on this couch, as it happens with the boys in the neighborhood.