I feel like the walls are closing in on me. I’ve traded one hell for another and didn’t even know it. Sitting on my bed, I registered the sound of footsteps coming towards my room. One heavy and one softer set of footsteps. The door handle to my room creaked and then my father and Elizabeth walked in.
“Giselle, are you alright?” My father asked.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me you found me on the streets?” My father went silent. “Do you know who my parents are? Was I blind when you found me?”
Lies. So many lies I’ve been told that all I wanted from him right now was the truth.
“No and yes,” he sighed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to feel different than any of my other children.”
“But I am different!” I shouted. “Isn’t that why you’re ashamed to be seen with me in public?”
“I have never been ashamed of you. I’ve only tried to protect you.”
“By lying to me?”
“Giselle please. We have a gathering tonight and I want you to come along. I promise I will tell you all that you need to know when we get back, but tonight I would like for you to come with us,” he begged me.
My father was never one for begging so I knew he meant what he said. Still, that didn’t make his betrayal any easier to swallow.
“I’ll send the servants up to help you get ready. Please, just give me a chance to explain.”
I didn’t say yes or nod. I just went up to my room and closed the door behind me. Now that I wasn’t a Mason, I didn’t know who I was. I felt like an imposter pretending to be a Mason, undeserving of both the name and everything that came with it. It was yet another way my being blind had betrayed me. I was the perfect child to raise as their own. I couldn’t tell that I looked different.
I was both grateful and resentful towards Lucas for telling me the truth. He thought he was doing a good thing, but I would have much rather lived life oblivious to my fathers lies.
The servants entered my room and immediately began prodding and pulling at me. I was on autopilot. The reality of my origin slowly sank in and I had nothing but questions circling about inside my head. I wanted to know what my real parents were like. I wanted to know if I had any siblings and if my real family would accept me better than the family I’d come to know.
I listened as the servants spoke excitedly about me being dressed in expensive gowns and jewels. I wondered what differences in appearance the Mason’s and I actually had.
“Are you ready?” Lucas’ voice filtered in from the doorway.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry about the way I handled telling you where you came from,” he apologized.
“You mean the fact that I was trash our father picked up off the street? Thank you for telling me, but I wish you hadn’t,” Lucas grabbed my hands and placed them on his face so I could read his expression. His expression was sad, “I’m sorry, for being so short with you.”
“Don’t apologize for a perfectly normal reaction. I don’t know if I would have responded any different,” he hugged me.
Lucas left my room and headed downstairs to wait with the others. I grabbed my clutch from one of the servants who helped me down the stairs and into the limousine waiting outside. No one would speak but I knew they were all watching me. Well, everyone except Eliza who sat next to me telling me what she’d learned in school today.
We finally came to a stop, and Lucas took me by the hand leading me up to the front door. He described everything for me. There was a red carpet rolled out for us, and people who stared at us as if we were royalty. I kept my ears open to chatter going on around me as we walked inside. For the most part people spoke of how beautiful I looked and how they were surprised to see my parents had brought me out to the gathering. One person in particular grabbed my attention though. He spoke about me being engaged to an Ethan Cahill. He had to be mistaking me for someone else, right?
“Ah, there they are,” A man greeted us. I recognized his voice as someone my father worked with. I believe his name was Dustin Cahill. Cahill. He and this Ethan must be related. Had my father arranged for me to marry his partner’s son?
“Giselle, you remember my partner Dustin, his wife Judith, and his son Ethan, don’t you?” My father introduced me to them.
“Not quite,” I shook my head.
I reached up to touch each of their faces and once I familiarized myself with them, I nodded and said hello.
“Get acquainted darling,” my father patted me on the back, disappearing and leaving me alone with Ethan.
“I think we’ve been set up,” Ethan sighed nervously.
“Worse. I think my father wants you to take me as your wife.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“Yes. I don’t want to be married?”
“Oh but you’ve never been married to me.”
“No offense, but I don’t want to get married. To anyone.”
“None taken, but I’m not just anyone. And I’d like the opportunity to change your mind.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Ethan was a smooth, slippery character with a golden tongue. If I did agree to give him the time of day I would have to tread lightly.
“I’ll think about it,” I quickly erased the smile from my face and walked away.
I explored the building we were in and found my way over to the banquet table. I used my hands to find a plate but it found me instead. Someone handed it to me.
“Thank you…?”
“Its me,” Darius spoke. I damn near dropped my plate of food, “Lord Darius…I had no idea night-dwellers attended these gatherings.”
“Every member of high society attends.”
“And Jackson?”
“He’s around here somewhere.”
“Great, just what I need,” I sighed sarcastically.
“You could always stay close to me,” he chuckled, and then leaned so close his lips grazed my ear. He whispered, “I’ll protect you.”
Normally I would have declined but with all of the revelations I had today, I decided to be careless just this once. Darius took my hand into is and the room erupted into murmurs about us. A human and a night-dweller. Hand-in-hand. He took me onto the dance floor.
“Hm,” Darius quietly chuckled.
“What?”
“Inquiring minds is all.”
“What are they thinking?”
“They’re intrigued by the two of us dancing together. Some for and some against.”
“Well then let’s give them something to talk about,” my lips curled into a wicked grin.
Darius’ power alone made him the envy of every guy in the room, and the fantasy of every girl. Humans and night-dwellers alike were envious of the Draven’s, but Darius they both respected and feared. When he did show his power, it struck fear in the hearts of those around him. Even the most fearless amongst us trembled in his presence.
“Am I your fantasy?” Asked Darius.
“I don’t have a fantasy. Nor could I possibly fantasize about someone I haven’t seen.”
“Liar.” I could hear his lips curl into a smile.
Darius was reading my thoughts but at the moment I didn’t care. At least I could share this moment with him. He was the only person in this room who hadn’t lied to me or betrayed me somehow and he didn’t have a hidden agenda. Getting underneath my skin was his agenda.
“If you were to regain your vision, you could find your parents,” said Darius.
“Get out of my head. Why are you so eager to give me my sight anyway? Are you ashamed of me too?”
“Never. Sometimes it’s the things you see that damage the soul the most. Your soul is pure and uncorrupted. You haven’t seen the cruelty of the world and up until now you haven’t felt it either.”
“What do you know of my suffering Darius Draven?” I scoffed, “Do not presume to know my pain.”
“I presume to know nothing.”
“What’s your deal?” I asked, curious, “Why is everyone so afraid of you? I mean, who are you really?”
“You know my name, who my family is and what I do for a living. What other information do you seek?”
“I want to know what frightens you. I want to know what you desire most in life.”
“Nothing frightens me anymore, and to answer your last question, the only thing I desire at the moment is standing right in front of me.”
His delivery was smooth. It took me a moment to realize that he was talking about me. Darius was flirting with me. Speechless. I’m appalled and speechless.
I started to tell him I wasn’t interested but my lips wouldn’t form the words. I couldn’t say it. Like being struck by lightening, I realized why my mouth refused to reject his efforts. God help me. He’s growing on me. I’m intrigued.
“Was I too forward?” Asked Darius.
“Are you ever not forward? I should go.”
I had to walk away before I did something stupid. Darius was very tempting and my getting involved with a night-dweller would be a scandal.
Still, Darius is the kind of guy you don’t see coming until he wants you to. Now it’s too late. He’s way more skilled in the art of seduction than I gave him credit for. In that aspect, I’m in way over my head.
I followed Eliza’s laughter back over to my family. I could feel eyes on me and toyed with the idea of Darius giving me my sight so I could see their faces.
“You seem to be quite familiar with Lord Draven,” Ethan approached.
“So,” I snapped at him.
“I should’ve had the first dance.”
“A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. He beat you to it.”
“Night-dwellers are vile creatures Giselle. You ought to be careful with that one.”
“So I’ve heard,” I nodded, “Are you telling me this because you’re genuinely concerned, or is that a hint of jealousy I detect in your voice?”
“Have you gone mad?” His father interrupted.
“I concur,” Ethan scoffed, “He is not a man, he is an abomination. They all are.”
I was only trying to get a rise out of Ethan. I wanted to see how far I could push him before he would get upset. I considered it harmless flirting.
“Relax, I’m just pushing his buttons. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so sensitive.”
Ethan scoffed and congratulated me on a job well done. He asked me to dance and I accepted his invitation.
“You don’t want to get involved with someone like me,” I told him.
“I think I can manage.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“Tell me Giselle, do you flirt with every man you dance with?”
“Maybe.”
“Has Darius Draven laid claim to you?”
“No. I don’t think there is a woman alive who could quench that kind of thirst.”
Ethan dipped me at the end of the song, practically giving me a heart attack. We made our way to my family again when someone grabbed my arm.
“Long time no see,” Jackson grabbed hold of me, “Care to dance?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“You’ll change your mind,” he insisted.
“Hey, the lady said no,” Ethan yanked his grip away from me.
There was a long silence and then I heard my father ask Ethan to let me go. Moments later Ethan broke contact and Jackson pulled me onto the dance floor.
“What are you doing?” I really didn’t want to dance with him, but the last time I rebuffed his efforts his hands ended up around my throat.
“What is it about him that interests you?”
“Ethan?” I frowned.
“No, Darius.”
His question let me know that he was watching me earlier. I thought about lying to him but he would see through my lie anyway.
“I never said I was interested.”
He laughed, “You don’t have to. Everyone in the room saw the way the two of you interacted with each other.”
“Why do you care so much?”
“Because there is talk brewing about an arranged marriage between a human and a night-dweller to end the war between our species. A union between you and Darius.”
My heart sank into the pit of my stomach. It couldn’t be. I thought my father was working on a marriage between Ethan and I. Not good. This isn’t good.
I broke away from Jackson trying to leave, but he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me back into place. Frightened, I stopped dancing and stood there.
“Do not marry my brother?”
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on it.”
I pulled away and Jackson let me go this time. I spent the rest of the night by Ethan’s side, hoping to avoid unwanted attention, and to squash any thoughts of my even being open to a union with a night-dweller. I stayed by Ethan’s side until it was time to go home.
Exhausted after all the dancing I did, it didn’t take me long to fall asleep once my head hit the pillow that night. But I tossed and turned all night. The next morning I awoke and quickly sat up in my bed, trying to catch my breath. I’ve had many dreams about Darius, but the intensity of them seemed to be increasing.
The side affects of drinking Darius’ blood were becoming more than I could bear. I dreamt about him every time I closed my eyes. In some of my dreams I was able to see through Darius’ eyes or I would be inside his mind. They always ended the same way. He would turn around and look directly at me as if I were right there with him. Then we’d go at it, ripping each other’s clothes off. Afterwards, I would wake up gasping for air, drenched in sweat and throbbing between my legs.
For the sixth night in a row I awoke in yet another night sweat from a dream about him and rolled over to face my window. I closed my eyes then quickly shot up and gasped. Someone else was in the room and my window was wide open, blowing in cold air.
I slowly made my way over to the window and closed it. “Lucas? Jackson?” I called out. I had no idea who was in my room.
“You rang,” Darius scared me half to death. I gasped so loudly I’m pretty sure I woke up the whole house.
“I didn’t call you.”
“Your blood called to me and just now before you opened your eyes you whispered my name.”
“I was dreaming. Pavor Nocturnus. That’s what you called it right? Night terrors?”
Darius chuckled and sat down on the bed next to me, “Didn’t sound like a nightmare. And the last time I checked, nightmares didn’t lead to wet dreams. I could smell your release from the next town over.”
My cheeks heat up and I tried not to be embarrassed, but I can’t help it. I may as well be standing naked before him now. Exposed.
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?” I asked.
“Our kind has been at war with one another since your kind tried to exterminate us. There has been resistance on both sides and in an effort to calm the resistance our father’s are brokering a union between you and I. They’re hoping it will put an end to the pointless resistance.”
Then it’s true. Like my stepmother bartered me to Darius to pay off her debts, my father planned to barter me to Darius in order to make a political statement. I’m no more than a political tool in the game he and Viktor Draven were playing with their subjects. Darius and I both were.
“I don’t want to marry you. You must get your father to change his mind.”
“That’s easier said than done. Where do you think I get my stubbornness from?”
“Still, you must try.”
“Why? What are you afraid of?”
Nothing…everything…YOU…falling in love with you…
Ahem. I cleared my throat, “You just read my mind, didn’t you?” I scowled.
“It’s so entertaining the way you delude yourself. Do you ever get tired of denying your attraction to me?”
I laughed, “You’re a manwhore. I’d much rather marry Jackson. At least he’d be faithful to me,” I replied.
Amusement filled his voice as he said, “So you are open to being with a night-dweller then after all your protesting and carrying on, just not me.” How did I walk right into that? I’m definitely in way over my head with him, “It’s nice to know you can be worn down.”
“Just act like you hate me and make your father listen to reason. Being an ass shouldn’t be that hard for you.”
All he said in response was, “Touché…potty-mouth.”
Darius gently caressed the side of my face with his fingertips. He whispered something to me and in response my eyes became heavy. I felt dizzy. The next time I opened my eyes there were birds chirping outside my window. It was daylight.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
