A part of me wonders if he did that because of his love for the law, his detest for the fate of the Immortal Damned, or a newfound hatred for her, when he discovered her betrayal.

But the bigger part inside me wonders what he’d do if I broke the law. Would I suffer Pepper’s fate—being sentenced at his hand?

What scares me the most is that, for all I know about David, I can’t honestly answer that question.

Right now, I’m really looking forward to this Paris trip. It may give me a unique opportunity to find out once and for all who this David Knight really is.

If he won’t tell me, someone will.

The fleeting winter sunshine went on holiday, which was perfect because I wanted nothing of the blue skies. Darkness and solitude were on the menu, and I found them under my blanket, my body cradled by the indent in my mattress.

“What’s wrong, Ara?” David stood in the doorway.

I hugged my knees to my chest, pinning the hot water bottle closer to my tummy.

“Oh.” He nodded, dragging out the vowel. “Well, I guess you’re not stressed anymore.”

“Go away!” I ditched a pillow at him. “Emily! Get the vampire out of here.”

David maintained his chuckle, tossing the pillow onto the floor as he landed gently on the bed, without so much as creasing the covers. “I’m not going anywhere, my love. You’re in pain. I’m staying until it goes away.”

“But I don’t want you in here. It’s embarrassing.” I rolled over—away from him.

“Oh, come on, Ara,” he moaned, “I’m not the first guy to know when his girlfriend has her monthlies.”

I smiled to myself; he can’t even say the word. “But it’s blood…and you…y’know…”

“It’s a very different kind of blood, my love.” He laughed. “I don’t see it that way. Now grow up and stop being such a baby.”

“Baby? I’m not being a baby.”

“Yes, you are. I bet you’ve been around Mike a hundred times when you’ve had your period.”

Hmpf!

“I thought so. Now—” he appeared in front of me, squatting down, face to face, “—I’ll go make you some tea and run a bath for you. Sound good?”

I nodded. “That’d be nice.”

He kissed my nose and stood up. “I love you, Ara, okay? Especially when you’re being human.”

Emily popped her head in as David disappeared into my bathroom. “Everything okay?”

“Em.” I sat up and hugged my pillow. “Go get me some tampons. Now! I’m so not wearing those other things around a vampire.”

She laughed. “It won’t make any difference.”

“It will to me.”

“Hey girls, what’s all the commotion?” Mike popped his head in too; I shook mine at Emily.

“Ara has her period and doesn’t want us vampires to know.”

“Emily!” My cheeks flushed hot, mortification travelling through me in a rush of cold.

“Ara.” Mike raised a brow. “Grow up. David’s not gonna leave you because you’re woman. He doesn’t care. What’d you think we did when you were in a coma? You still had your period then—he didn’t freak out.”

I fell back on my pillow. Gross. That’s not something I want to think about.

“We’re guys, Ara, okay, but we get it,” Mike reasoned. “We just wanna help—make you feel better.”

“Then leave.” I covered my face with the blankets. Light intruded my solitude when a pair of hands slid under my shoulders and knees—scooping me from the warmth of my bed. “David! What are you doing?”

“Your bath is ready.”

“I didn’t even hear the taps.”

He smiled, carrying me past the end of my bed, the dresser, then, manoeuvring through the door, without hitting my head on the doorframe.

“Put me down. I can walk myself.”

“I know.”

“David!”

“Ara. Let me take care of you. I’ll just deliver you to the bathroom—I won’t stay. But, please, I love you, and I can sense how much pain you’re in. Just let me do what I can to help.”

“Fine!” I huffed, folding my arms.

“Thank you.”

He placed me on the ground in the candlelit surrounds of my bathroom, then stepped back, smiling down at the bath; I drew a breath when I saw the rose petals floating on milky water, the steam rising up in soft plumes, and a box of chocolates on the small table. “You are something else, aren’t you?”

He reached across and turned my face to look at him. “And you are everything to me, Ara—even when you’re not feeling well. Don’t ever forget that.”

I folded my arms, smirking. “Make sure you’re always around to remind me then.”

“That, my love—” he bowed slightly, “—I can now promise you.”

He closed the door, leaving me with my privacy, and I smiled; I could get used to having a vampire around for eternity.

Chapter 16

The clicking grind of the winding crank rotated seven times; I counted them as I walked toward the soft, blue glow at the centre of a pitch-black room. Smoke plumes guarded my steps, licking my ankles as I came to a stop, my toes an inch from a small, wooden box.

“Hello?” I called, but my voice fell flat into a dense hold—no echo, no answer, despite the airy, open space.

No one came to greet me or inquire of my business here. When I looked back at the polished wooden box, a small tag appeared, dangling from a green ribbon: OPEN ME.

Unsurprised by the request, I crouched down, then lifted the lid; a chime rang through the air; a spinning, intrinsic melody—sad, like the long walk of a lonely soldier, on his way back to a war-ravaged home. It was strangely familiar, the song, full of loss and sadness—the kind that had never had the chance to heal.

I sat cross-legged, with the box in my lap, watching the ballerina spin gracefully on her perch in front of the cracked mirror.

“Do you hear it too?” a small voice asked.

“Yes. We all hear it.” I looked up at the child who sat beside me; her dark eyes hollow, her dirty face framed with wispy blonde hair.

“Do I scare you?” she asked.

Smiling, I looked back down at the music box. “No.”