Life's Blood (The Cordelia Chronicles) (19 page)

“With the way you drive, we could collect everything in one day,” I said, gasping for air between sobs. Addie noticed my state of upset and attempted to come to my side, but Eli stopped her midway. I was thankful, but I wished I could tell her the truth. I was hurting so bad, and I needed by best friend now more than ever.

“Be reasonable, Cordelia,” Chaseyn urged. “Let’s just keep to our plan, and everything will be alright. But I think Eli should drive from now on.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m a bit dizzy, and the last thing I want to do is put any of you at risk,” he explained.

“How long have you felt this way?” I asked.

“Just a few hours, but I suspect I’ll start feeling a little bit less like myself each day.”

The harsh truth that I was losing him made my eyes flow like a waterfall. I couldn’t control the sobs, and I started to hyperventilate.

“You have to calm down, love,” Chaseyn said as he rubbed his palm in a gentle circle on my back, but my knees gave out, and I collapsed against him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Addie make a beeline for us. She had a look of determination on her face, and I knew there was no way Eli would be able to stop her this time.

“I demand an explanation,” Addie shouted, stomping her feet like a three year old as she crossed the short distance to Chaseyn and I. Eli had tried grabbing her coat as she made her way over to us, but the thick fabric slipped through his fingers at the last minute. Now she was standing eye to eye with me, fuming like an angry bull staring down a toreador. “Something is going on here, and I think it’s about time somebody told me what it is.”

“Addie, it’s best if you don’t know,” I said.

“Listen to her,” Eli urged. “No good can come from you knowing.”

“You mean, you’re clued in, too? Is everybody in on the secret? Is it just me?”

“She’s right, love, I think it’s time your friend learn the truth, don’t you?” Chaseyn said, and I knew he was right.

There was no way we could pull off our little ruse any longer. Chaseyn was going to get sicker by the day, and his mortal age was already starting to show. Even as we stood here, I could see a few grey hairs glowing in the moonlight.

I straightened up and wiped my eyes. It was time to tell Addie the truth--like it or not. I knew it would take the better part of the evening to explain everything that had happened over the past year and what we were really doing here in Romania, so I took a deep breath and braced myself for a long night.

“Remember that place by the Covered Staircase? I think they had pizza on the menu,” I said. “Let’s go there and talk.”

I took Addie’s hand, and we walked in silence. She was much more calm now than she had been when she’d first confronted Chaseyn and I. We stopped briefly at the place where Eli had originally wanted to eat. We pounded on the door a few more times before continuing down the road to the stone building at the end of the path.

We walked up the wooden steps and waited for someone to seat us. Inside, the establishment was completely empty, which would suit our purposes perfectly. What we were about to tell Addie wasn’t intended for anyone else’s ears. There were two men standing just a few feet away from us. One was speaking loudly on the phone, and the other one was…well, I’m not entirely sure what the other one was doing. He wasn’t helping us. That much I knew for sure. And, he certainly didn’t intend to either.

The interior walls were made of the same stone that had comprised the exterior. And though it was dark inside, I could see there were a smattering of vintage knickknacks displayed on a shelf around the room, and the furniture was made from dark, heavy wood. When the man who had been speaking on the phone finally finished his call, he turned on the lights in the dining area and showed us to a table in the corner.

If I thought I’d felt ill before, I was sure I was going to vomit now. My stomach kept turning over, and my heart was beating so fast it would give a racehorse a run for its money. I quickly perused the menu in search of something I could tolerate to eat. I settled on a margherita flatbread and a Fanta.

Once we’d placed our orders, I knew I couldn’t stall any longer. Addie had been very patient to this point, but now she was looking at me in a way that said she wasn’t above causing a scene if that was the only way she could get me to talk. So, I started talking. And, I didn’t stop. Not until she knew it all. By then, our meals had come, and we’d eaten every morsel. Except for Chaseyn, who hadn’t eaten a thing. He just drank from his travel mug of blood, while Addie listened intently--her eyes wide in either fear or surprise. I couldn’t tell which. Maybe it was both.

Addie didn’t say a word, which was utterly unusual for her. Normally, she dominated the conversation, but tonight was different. She let me do all the talking. Chaseyn held my hand under the table. I was shaking with nerves--I was so scared Addie would be upset. That she would desert me, and I needed her at my side. It was hard enough to stomach the thought of anything happening, to Chaseyn. If I lost her too, I didn’t know what I would do. The only time she used her voice was to order dessert from the same man who had been our host, server, and busboy. I suspected he had cooked our food as well.

When I was done talking, more than two hours had passed and not a single other person had said a word. I took a long sip of water and waited for Addie to say something…anything. And, I waited. And waited. Finally, after at least five minutes had passed, Eli coaxed her to speak.

“Addie, are you okay?” he asked. “Honey, you’re scaring me.”

“Oh, you’re scared, are you?” she questioned. “Really, you’re going to play that card. How do you think I feel?”

Eli and I both inhaled a sharp breath. We were preparing to jump into the conversation and provide explanation, but Addie wouldn’t let us.

“No. You’ve said more than enough,” she said pointing at me. Then, she pushed away from the table, stood up, tossed her napkin on top of her empty dessert plate and looked straight at Eli. “And you. You’ve been lying to me all this time. My best friend, and you, too. I can’t stand to be around either one of you right now.”

With that, Addie stormed out of the building. I stood to go after her, but Chaseyn grabbed my hand and shook his head. Eli stood to leave as well, but Chaseyn stopped him too.

“I’ve got this,” he said. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, tossed a wad of cash that would cover a week’s worth of dinners at that restaurant onto the table, and ran out the door after Addie.

***

Eli and I took our time walking back to the hotel. We wanted to give Chaseyn and Addie time enough to talk--assuming she would talk to him. He was the only one of us she hadn’t singled out, after all, but maybe that was because she’d discounted him entirely.

By the time we’d settled the bill and bundled up in our winter coats, it was well past nightfall. We roamed the street behind the restaurant, observing the locals as they closed their shops and made their way home for the evening. Central heating was a rarity in most parts of Romania, and despite the fact Old Town Sighisoara is surrounded by many modern amenities, it lacked some of the more extravagant luxuries we take for granted in North America. People still burned wood in fireplaces and stoves to warm their homes, and the smoky smell clung to the frigid air. I breathed it in, the aroma reminding me of our cozy cabin back home in Colorado.

At the edge of town, we found what appeared to be a darkened cave. It was actually a stone staircase covered by a wooden tunnel. After some debate, we decided to step inside the opening. You never know what could be lurking in the darkness, after all, especially in Romania. I had barely taken a step when I heard a man’s voice calling to us from deep within the shadows. I jumped in surprise--and fear--my heart stopped and my breath caught.

“It’s about time,” the man said, stepping out of the shadows. “I thought you two were going to stand out there forever.”

My eyes strained against the darkness, trying to adjust, but it was no use. Still, I knew exactly who we had encountered, and my heart began to race. I knew Eli had figured it out to when I felt his hand reaching for mine.

“Calm down,
love
,” James said, his voice as smooth as water flowing over river rocks. “Your heart’s racing like a rabbit. It‘s making me hungry.”

I shivered and cringed at the warning in his words. I could have sworn I heard him lick his lips. Ew.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting,” he said.

“Leave us alone,” Eli warned, but his threat was futile. If James wanted to hurt us, we didn’t stand a chance. Not here. Alone. In the dark.

By now, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I could see James standing a few feet away from us. He was leaning against the handrail along the left side of the cave wall. Taking a look around, I saw a stairwell leading upward…to what? I had no idea, but I knew our only way out was to run back the way we’d come because there was no hope for us if we tried to make it up those stairs to the other side.

“What do you want from us?” I asked.

“What makes you think I want anything at all?” James answered my question with a question. I blinked, and he was standing before us. Eli squeezed my hand a bit tighter, and I knew he was thinking Chaseyn would have his head if he let anything happen to me.

“If you don’t want anything, then what are you doing lurking in the shadows, waiting for unsuspecting prey to fall into your clutches?” Eli asked.

“Well, since it’s clear the two of you know exactly who--no, what--I am, I can drop the pretenses,” James said.

He looked at me then through hooded eyes, watching the pulse throb in my neck. It was like I was a tantalizing morsel of meat. This must be how a zebra feels when it’s stalked by a lion on the African savanna, just waiting to be pounced on by its predator. James brushed the back of his right hand along my jaw, pushing my hair behind my shoulder. He leaned toward me, head bowed, and drew in a deep breath. I was sure this was it. The moment I would finally succumb at the hands of a vampire. After all I’d been through, all I’d survived…

James’ lips drew back, exposing his fangs. They glowed bright white in the darkness of the cave, and I braced for the bite. I’d been down this road before, with Frost, and I knew there were two ways this could go. Either he would drain me dry or try to turn me. Either way, I didn’t like the outcome.

Eli lunged forward, attempting to push James away from me, but it was no use. In one swift motion, James pinned Eli against the cave wall, his feet dangling inches above the ground. Eli writhed against the grip James held firm around his throat, and I feared his neck would snap. All the while, James never tore his gaze from his target--my jugular.

“No,” Eli’s primal scream echoed throughout the cave. “Stop.”

As soon as it began, it was all over. James loosened his grip on Eli, and he fell to the ground, rubbing the red ring that was fast forming a bruise along his collar line. James was once again leaning against the handrail, laughing uproariously.

“What the f--”

“Brilliant. Just brilliant,” James laughed, cutting Eli off.

“What’s so
brilliant
?” Eli spat.

“The look on your face, mate,” James said, slapping his thigh.

“I’m glad you find this funny,” I sad firmly. “But if there’s
nothing
you want, then we have some place we need to be.”

“Have a sense of humor, love.”

“Oh, I have a sense of humor,” I replied. “I just need to find something worthy of laughing at.”

“Oh, you’re a saucy one. I may have misjudged my brother’s taste in you,” James said, crossing back over to us. Eli had managed to make his way to a standing position, but he was still sputtering, trying to regain his breath. “I believe I do approve of your relationship after all.”

“Hallelujah, we have your blessing. Now, I can sleep at night knowing you deem me worthy of your brother’s love,” I hated referring to Chaseyn as James’ brother, but I wanted my words to pack a little punch.

“Well, well, it looks like you’ve found that sense of humor,” James chuckled. “Enjoy the rest of your night. Might I suggest the path at the top of the stairs? It’s a lovely walk.”

And in the blink of an eye, James was gone. I had no idea where he went, but he was no place to be seen.

As he had suggested, we ventured up the Covered Staircase--all 175 stairs. It was a long, steep climb, and, though I was trying to move as fast as possible, I had to stop several times to catch my breath. Not to mention, about halfway up I was having second thoughts. It might not have been the wisest idea to do as James had instructed--he could have planted a trap at the top. But after the ordeal we’d just been through, we weren’t thinking straight, and we took our chances.

“Who does that guy think he is?” Eli asked angrily. “Just because he’s a vampire doesn’t mean he can bully us.”

“Yes, actually, I believe that’s exactly what vampires do,” I said breathlessly. “But it’s much worse than that.”

“I can’t imagine that.”

“It’s true,” I assured. “James is Chaseyn’s brother.”

“No way,” Eli stammered.

“It’s true,” a voice called from the top of the stairwell.