His hands lift to stop me. “Julian wants to be the one to explain that piece, but I want you to have some comfort in knowing that Stacey knew her fate and chose to die.”
I feel like he’s punched me in the gut. Stacey had her whole life ahead of her. She had a family that loved her. She wouldn’t choose death. I won’t believe that.
“Please, just trust me,” Law begs, hands pressed together as though he’s praying.
“I trust that you believe that, Law, but I know Stacey and nothing about that makes sense.”
He nods his head. “Julian has those answers for you.”
“Where is he?” I demand. After everything that happened, I need him beside me. Didn’t he want to be here to comfort me?
The pain of losing Stacey is so acute. After everything she endured, I thought she was finally safe. She thought she was safe. You didn’t protect her.
Marcellus took her from me. He just keeps taking. Killing Stacey and kidnapping Shannon . . . and for what? What had I ever done to him?
You’re human and he’s evil.
“Where is Julian?” I say once more, needing some news on his whereabouts before I lose my damn mind.
Every worst-case scenario is playing out in my mind, and my stomach rolls at each horrific possibility.
“He’s fine,” Law stresses, trying to reassure me. No doubt due to the panic he saw sweeping across my face moments ago. “He and Bash are in Seattle making plans. He’s fine,” he repeats, looking tired and forlorn.
I let out the breath I was holding. The last time I saw Julian, he was in the middle of the fray. Knowing he’s safe and that Bash is, too, is a huge relief. Yet Law doesn’t look okay.
“What’s wrong then? You don’t look all right.”
He takes a deep breath and sits down on a chair next to my bed. “There were some complications when you escaped. Many humans died, Marina. My human friends . . . they didn’t make it.”
I gasp. “They’re all dead?” The shock starts me shaking again.
“Yes,” he says, nodding solemnly, voice quivering. “And it’s my fault, Marina.” He lowers his head.
“No, Law,” I say, reaching out, but he brushes me away.
“It is.” His voice pitches as he moves from sadness to anger. “I invited them. They were my friends, Marina. Human or not, they trusted me to show them a good time, but to keep them safe. I failed them.”
I want to say something to ease his obvious pain, but I know nothing will help. Nothing will bring his friends back. What I witnessed at the party was a blood bath. Vampires slaying humans, just because they could.
Those people came willingly with the expectation of a good time. Something that Law had provided them many times. What happened isn’t his fault, but I understand the onus he’s placing on himself. I’d feel the same way. I do where Stacey is concerned. I failed her in the same way.
The moment when Marcellus walked into Law’s party flashes through my memory, and I suck in a harsh breath.
“Oh God.” My hands fly up to my mouth when I remember Shannon was there too. Marcellus had dragged her in, collared and obedient.
“Shannon? Is she dead?” My question is whispered, as though my mind doesn’t want to give life to the possibility.
“Shannon’s . . . alive. She’s with Julian.”
The tension in my body begins to disappear with that knowledge. Shannon lived. One of my friends is safe and with Julian.
I fling off the covers and swing my legs down off the bed, attempting to stand on wobbly legs. “I need to go to them.” My voice shakes and my knees quiver.
I fall back into the bed, ass hitting the mattress. I attempt to stand back up, but Law pushes me down again.
“Lie down,” he commands. “You fell and hit your head. You need to rest. Where do you think you’re going in that condition?” Law huffs, but I don’t answer.
Searching the room for my clothes, I start devising a plan to get her back. If I have to die trying, I will. Once the room stops spinning.
His strong hands grab me by the shoulders, holding me still. “Calm down, Marina. You can’t go storming the castle with a half-baked plan. In this shape, you’ll only get more innocent people killed.”
It’s an effective dose of reality. Having witnessed firsthand the strength that Marcellus wields, I know Law’s right. We need a plan, and we need more help. I won’t be responsible for any more deaths. I have too much blood on my hands as it is.
I take responsibility for Stacey’s death. Taking her to a party where vampires had access to a human was dumb. I put too much trust in vampires I didn’t know, and as a result, my friend is gone. And then there’s Maggie. If I’d have owned up to seeing creatures too, she might not have felt like she needed to end her life to escape it. We could’ve been in it together.
But I didn’t.
When you grow up believing yourself to be crazy, only to find that you were right all along and the rest of the world is just blind to the monsters living among them, you should rejoice in your sanity, right?
Wrong.
“Being clinically insane would be better than this reality.”
“How so?” Law’s brows scrunch together.
I sigh. “In that scenario the only person who’s in danger is me, Law. Instead, humanity is at the brink of war with vampires and they don’t even realize it.”
“Because they can’t know. Can you image the hysteria that would come from that?”
I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. My friends and family are still happily living in their clueless bubble thinking they’re safe.
“When humanity loses—and being in the dark, they will—they’ll be blood slaves, tortured, drained, and killed.”
“That’s not true. There are those of us who won’t allow that to happen, Marina.”
“You’re right, Law. The lucky ones will die quickly, never having to endure the horror that will ensue at the hands of the army being built. I know all about the new bite vampires, and humans don’t stand a fighting chance. Those that don’t die will suffer a fate far worse than death.”
“You have to have faith, Marina. The vampire race is just like humanity. There are good amongst us.”
I sigh, knowing there’s a lot of truth in that statement. Where there is bad, there is good, and the vampire world is no different to Law’s point. Julian and Law are good, and I have to hope, through their rule, very few will die at the hands of the evil vampires.
Unless Julian is overthrown.
“The world needs you and Julian. You are good and you can bring change and unify our worlds. I believe that, Law.”
He scoffs. “You may be the only one.”
“I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I’ll stand with you. No matter what, I have your back,” I pledge, hoping he sees the truth behind my words. Even if I’m just a human.
We share a small smile that gives me hope. In order for the good guys to win, they need to believe in themselves and prepare for the fight of their lives. Once Law gets past the grief of losing his friends, I trust that he’ll be ready to join Julian’s cause.
“If I had taken things more seriously earlier, this might not have happened.” Law’s head is bowed, and I wonder what he means. I don’t have to ask, because he continues. “Julian has been saying that war was on the horizon. It’s why he’s put so much effort into new bites,” he sighs. “I was too busy enjoying life’s perks to join him.”