Ungifted (25 page)

Andrew tried to escort me in the opposite direction my father had just gone off, but realized he couldn’t pull me along by force when I had to maneuver crutches. “Never mind with these wretched things,” he said, taking them from me.

As he set them aside I stood there balancing on one foot, debating whether I should call for Ethan. I wanted to. I didn’t want to be alone with Andrew, but he wasn’t doing anything yet and if I called out, Ethan would do something drastic to try and get in the house. There was security all over the place and half of it was the De La Cote’s security. I couldn’t help wondering if that meant vampires. Ethan wasn’t my favorite person in the world, and I knew he could take care of himself, but I still didn’t like the idea of him fighting a bunch of vampires on their own turf just to try finding me.

Not unless Andrew attacks me,
I thought to myself.

For a second I thought that’s exactly what he was doing, but it turned out he was only picking me up in order to carry me to our destination.

“This is much better, don’t you think?” Andrew asked as he cradled me in his arms. My weight was nothing to him. When I cringed violently and refused to look at or speak to him he said, “You know, Grace, had you become like me you would be healed now.” He sighed. “Humans are so fragile.”

His face was so close to mine that I pinched my eyes shut.

“You are beautiful tonight, love.”

The voice came from so close that I felt his breath on my cheek. It wasn’t warm like breath should be, but cool. I felt his skin brush against mine and choked on a gasp. My eyes stung beneath their lids and I could feel water gathering in my lashes.

“Even your tears are beautiful,” Andrew whispered. “You will not always fear me. I’m sorry that you do now. It was not meant to be this way.”

Even though my eyes were closed, I knew when we’d reached the terrace. The air I’d found so stifling inside the house had turned to a crisp, cool breeze and I could feel the unnatural warmth of heat lamps.

I was placed so gently on a soft-cushioned seat that I might not have noticed I’d been set down if Andrew hadn’t propped my casted leg up. I braved opening my eyes and found myself on a velvet chaise. Andrew was placing a small throw pillow beneath my foot. He smiled when he noticed me looking at him.

“Stefan says elevation helps ease the discomfort.”

“Thank you.”

I’d whispered so quietly I barely heard myself, but Andrew had no problem understanding me. His face lit up. “I will always take the greatest care with you.”

I shuddered. He obviously didn’t consider tonight the one-time deal it was for me.

I looked away, and when I finally took in my surroundings my breath was stolen from me. The terrace was covered with white latticework draped almost entirely in rich violet wisteria, and had been set aglow with tiny white lights.

Beyond the patio was a beautifully manicured garden fully equipped with a large stone fountain fashioned after something you might see while touring Rome. It, like the terrace, was also illuminated to have almost a heavenly glow.

All around me, the patio had been dusted in a light layer of rose petals and scented candles. The most fancy silver and china had been placed on a small table beside me. The entire setting could have been more romantic than any movie had dinner not been set for only one. I looked at the singular place setting and shuddered again.

Andrew watched me gawk with a satisfied look on his face, and when my eyes finally came back to him he came to sit with me. I tried to scoot back, but the lounger was obviously made for one and I couldn’t go far. “Do not make yourself uncomfortable,” Andrew said, resting a hand on my leg.

“It’s impossible for me to be comfortable right now,” I muttered.

Andrew sighed and lifted the lid off of a plate of food. “Eat and you will feel better.”

Yeah right. As if I could put anything in my stomach when it was so tied up in knots? “I’m not hungry.”

“There’s no need to be difficult,” Andrew said with a frown.

He had a point. At the moment he was only asking me to eat. Eating was safe. Well, as long as
I
was the one doing the eating, anyway. There was no use in making him angry, so I picked up my fork.

Andrew was quiet for a few minutes and I thought I’d be glad for the silence, but there’s nothing more awkward than having someone watch you eat. When he finally spoke, I welcomed it. “How is it?” he asked curiously.

“It’s good,” I admitted once my mouth was clear.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Andrew actually looked relieved. To my astonishment, he began rubbing his hands together nervously. “I wanted everything to be perfect tonight.”

“Why?” I asked, startled. I didn’t dare imagine what he thought was going to happen tonight.

“Because I know how you must feel right now—how you must hate me—but Grace, that wasn’t supposed to happen. Please understand that my actions were meant with only the best of intentions.”

It looked as if he was waiting for me to respond. I had no idea what to say, so I shoved another forkful of food in my mouth. It worked. Andrew went on with his explanation.

“I was trying to give you a gift, you see. I was giving you immortality. I was trying to share my life with you. I meant to give you my heart along with everything else I have. Had things gone they way they were supposed to, you would have felt no fear. You would have wanted me as much as I want you. It would have made you happy.

“I am so grateful that what happened didn’t leave you broken. I have seen many humans unable to bear much less. When you accepted the truth, I knew it was a miracle. I knew I couldn’t waste the opportunity it presented. I brought you here tonight to beg your understanding. Please, Grace, please try to forgive me.”

He looked so earnest, so desperate, that I did my best to really be objective. “I…” It took me a minute to gather the right words. “I think I do understand.”

Andrew’s body sagged as he let out a breath of relief.

“But just because you only did what’s in your nature to do, doesn’t mean that it was okay.”

I swallowed hard when Andrew frowned at me. How could I help him understand how I felt without making him angry? “Even if your charms had worked on me, it would have been a lie. You would have stolen me from my life, and I would have had no choice.”

“But you would never have known the difference.”

“And my dad? I suppose he wouldn’t have cared when I disappeared?”

Andrew clenched his hand into a tight fist. “I saw how your father cares for you!” he hissed. His anger disappeared as immediately as it had come, and he brushed my cheek as if he could feel the pain of the slap I’d received.

I gasped when I realized he knew my dad had hit me. “How did you—?”

“A magic spell, love. From the moment I left you in the hospital I came straight home and watched you.”

“You spied on me?” I shivered. That had to be the creepiest thing I’d ever heard. “You used magic to—” I gasped again as a new thought occurred to me. “You can use magic? I didn’t think vampires could—”

“We can’t.” Andrew chuckled. “Not directly. However, vampires often work together with magic users. Our immortal blood can be a very powerful tool. It has magical properties that can enhance a spell. Though, it was not powerful enough in your case. Even with my blood my patroness could not place a watcher’s spell on you. We had to place one on your home and your school instead. It was maddening. There were too many gaps where I could not see you.”

“You’ve been watching my house and my school?” I asked, horrified.

“Yes, love. Of course.”

“Are those spells still there?”

“Yes,” Andrew admitted a little more hesitantly.

“Take them off now!” I screeched.

Andrew was taken aback by my outburst. I’d been so scared around him up until now. “I most certainly will not, Grace. You need my protection.”

I understood something then. “You know that someone’s trying to kill me!”

Andrew sighed, but there was something about that sigh that made me think he knew a lot more than I did. “Please!” I cried somewhat hysterically. “You’ve been watching me! What do you know? Russ says it’s a really powerful witch. Would your witch friend know who might want me dead? Can we ask her?”

“Grace, love, calm down.”

“I can’t!” I screamed. I’d been on such an emotional roller coaster this week that even this tiny shred of hope made me desperate. I grabbed his shirt with both hands and clung to him. “I’m so tired of being scared, Andrew. I’m trying so hard to accept your world, but it’s terrifying! Please! If you know something…” I hiccuped and my voice became small. “Please, help me.”

Andrew looked down at me as if he wanted to hold back but simply couldn’t resist giving me what I was begging for. “Calm yourself, Grace,” he whispered in a voice like velvet. “You are safe, love. No one is trying to kill you. I promise you that.”

“But they are!” I insisted. “Why do you think I was at the hospital the day I met you?”

“You were there because of me.” Andrew’s entire body sagged. He looked down at the cast on my leg with eyes full of so much guilt and grief that I froze. “
I
did this to you.”

“Y-you d-did this?” I stammered. “I don’t understand.”

Andrew sighed heavily. “I was the one who ordered your death. It was my patroness who tried to kill you.”

“What?”

“I’ll never forgive myself, Grace. I didn’t want to have to tell you this, but I can’t stand to see you so needlessly frightened. You are safe, love. I swear it. No one is trying to hurt you anymore. It is actually the opposite. You are safer than you have ever been because you are now under the protection of my coven.”

“But…
why
? Why did you want me dead? I didn’t even know about the supernatural then.”

Andrew sighed. “I have spies within the resistance, love. I know their plans. They have intentions where you’re concerned, and I was afraid of them succeeding.”

I still didn’t understand. I was so confused that I wasn’t even sure which questions to ask.

“It is the goal of the resistance to make the supernatural world known to the humans again. There are very few vampires who would agree with this goal, and I myself am not one of those few. Humans might one day be able to accept a magic user or an angel—or even a werewolf. But no matter how gentle and understanding my kind may be, we will always have a need for human blood.”

I shuddered. “You have to admit, it’s a legitimate concern,” I mumbled.

Andrew laughed at me. “There is no need for humans to fear us. We do not kill when we feed. It can be done, of course, but it takes great effort to drain a person completely. All we do is tire someone enough to put them to sleep for a while, and because of our vampiric charms they never even know what happened. It causes no harm at all, and is actually a very pleasurable experience for the human.”

“Oh,” I said. Because, what else was there to say?

“However, for all of that, and no matter what truce was made between supernaturals and humans, my kind would never be accepted. We would be hunted until extinction.”

“But what does that have to do with me?”

Andrew gave me a sad smile. “Your father is about to become one of the most powerful humans in the world. Your best friend’s father and your nephilim’s uncle are two of the highest leaders within the supernatural resistance. They know all about you. Even before you knew the truth of us they intended to use you to get to your father.

“You were different—more comfortable with supernatural children than your own kind. They believed you could be swayed. They believed they could use your relationships with the wolves and the angel to get their people in positions of power when your father made the transition into the White House.”

My fear had been replaced with astonishment at Andrew’s confession, but now it was starting to turn into anger. “So you thought that it was better to
murder
me on the off chance that I might someday help Cynthia’s dad get a job in the White House?”

Andrew’s face was grave. “It was not a decision I made lightly. I value human life—especially the innocent. When it became obvious that your father would indeed win this election, I sent my people to see if the reports about you were true. Your loyalty to the she-wolf and the devotion your nephilim shows you do much credit to your character, but it proved that perhaps the resistance was right about you. And they were! You have impossibly accepted our world. Your relationship with the wolves has only strengthened since you learned the truth, and your bond to your nephilim—or should I say
warrior
—is far more powerful than anyone could have imagined. You would be a very powerful tool in the hands of the resistance.”

“Then why didn’t you finish the job?” I asked bitterly. “That’s why you were at the hospital that night, isn’t it? That’s why you tried to get me to leave with you, so you could kill me yourself when your witch friend failed.”

“I came to you that night out of curiosity. Magic could not touch you. I’d never seen anything like it. My charms did not take hold of you, nor did your blood tempt me. Naïve little thing that you are, you had me mesmerized, and then we touched…” Andrew’s voice trailed off and he put his hand to my face again. He held it there a moment and then released a blissful sigh. “You are a very unique girl, Grace.”