27

he vampire opened a door and bid Evonne to enter. She respectfully nodded and stepped inside. The vampire then closed the door, leaving her alone in the darkened room. Her eyes adjusted to the low light.
There was no furniture or even a bed. The room was void of everything. Her eyes then landed on the form of a man sitting against the furthest wall. For a moment, Evonne wasn’t sure who she was looking at.
His head raised to see the human before him.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
Evonne’s body rushed cold. “David?”
He lowered his head. “I’m sorry I had to leave you.”
So much she wanted to say to him, so many things.
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered as she walked further into the room and stopped. She wanted to run to his side and throw her arms around him, but she kept her distance. It had been six days since she last saw him—six long days that felt like an eternity.
“Life is incredible, isn’t it?” he whispered. “It can never be navigated or planned hundred percent. To think I would be here like this. And yet I never wish to leave.”
Evonne’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
He paused before answering, “We were raised to fear these creatures. But now, I find them fascinating. And perhaps I always have… just like you. Maybe that was why she chose me.” He laughed once. “I wish your father was here… to see the look on his face would make my heart sing.”
Tears wanted to form in Evonne’s eyes. “Why are you talking like this?”
David raised his head to look at her once more. “I am no longer bound to the—how shall I call it—mortal coil. She gave new life to me, to see things from this side, to walk, to talk, to love and hate as they do. I now know the true meaning of my existence. I can’t quite explain it.” His expression changed. “Even now, I can feel your heart pounding in your chest and the blood racing through your body. I can even hear the slight rustling of your clothes as you dare to step closer to me. And yet you remain steadfast.
“All of the times we had at the estate, the trivial arguments, the laughter and even the pain, I felt so close to you, but I kept my distance.” He paused, recalling the words he wanted to say. “I have loved you, Evonne. I have loved you all this time, but I told myself otherwise. Will you forgive me for that?”
Her throat tightened as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “You don’t have to ask for forgiveness,” she forced herself to say. “I should be the one asking you. I wish things could go back to the way they were. We were happier then.”
“Happier? Looking back, I felt suffocated within those walls, and I know you felt the same. Many times I thought about escaping with you, to head far away from that place. But I knew we were safe there… Now I am free.” He stood up and approached to her. “I know you can’t stay here, but I want to know one thing before you leave… If I had asked you to run away with me, what would have been your answer?”
Her voice trembled as she replied, “Yes.” She lowered her head. “I would’ve went anywhere with you.”
Evonne felt his hand under her chin, guiding her eyes back to his. She fought through the tears that moved down her cheeks.
David leaned in and kissed her. She welcomed this and pulled him closer. The action wasn’t strange to Evonne, it felt normal. This was something she wanted to do for a long time but never found the courage.
Their kiss fell into a comforting hug.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Evonne felt all words abandoning her.
She held onto him.
Time crawled to a stop.
The moment ended as David pulled away. He looked at her, studying the possible thoughts swirling within her. But there was something he had to say—something she needed to know.
“When you return to Eden,” David began.
“I’m not going back,” she interrupted, her voice strong and certain.
“Then if you return to Eden… I need you do something for me. Watchtower; secure its complete archive for me.”
“What for? Why?”
He backed away and sat against the wall once more. “Do you think your father should remain a Big Brother to this world? He has all of this information; locations on havens, werewolf packs, and individuals. Some even died gathering this information for him.”
Evonne moved to the floor to sit before him. “But he’s always had Watchtower. Why do you need it now?”
“Marie… She was a spy working for another organization. Throughout all of your father’s strict security and screening, he failed to see it. So close to him. How blind he was—is. But Marie, she was there for one thing: Watchtower.”
“Who does she work for?”
“I’m not quite sure,” he lied, “but I need a copy of Watchtower to know all that she knows. She’s a very dangerous person as well as those she works for.”
Evonne shook her head. “I’m not going back there. Can’t you do this without me? I mean, break into Watchtower yourself.”
“Watchtower is on a secured network, linking all computers from every SEVEN headquarters, including Eden. Each computer is assigned a specific code that is recognized by the system. If an unregistered connection is made, a secondary program comes online and tracks the hacker. SEVEN is then notified and within minutes a team is en route to deal with the problem. Another safety guard is this; the hacking computer needs to be first installed with a Watchtower client. This little feature cannot be swiped from another computer or recreated. There are five original copies of the client. One is located at Eden in Alex’s personal study. It rests innocently behind the old portrait of Abigail. Check the portrait’s backing and you’ll find it. Secondly, once the Watchtower client is installed, you will be promoted to answer a few questions. The first question will be, ‘What is the heart of all great warriors?’ The answer is ‘Their mission.’ The second question will be, ’What is feared by most, but worshiped by others?’ The answer is ‘Darkness.’ The third and final question will be, ‘Time is constant, but with this, time is absent.’ The answer is ‘Love.’ After this, you will be asked to enter the code that will grant your computer connection to all of Watchtower‘s information. As I said before, there is a set amount of codes active within the system. I will give you the code used for a computer within Eden’s lower levels. This computer is rarely in use; however, you must only use it between the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. That is the time when the hunters are sleep and most of the levels are on lock down. Remember, if the original computer logs on to Watchtower, your computer will show up as an illegal connection. But as long as you remain within the hours between 10 and 5, you should have no problem. This will give you plenty of time to copy all of the information I need.”
“I don’t know why you’re telling me this,” Evonne reminded. “I’m not going back.”
“If you ever do,” he urged, “then remember what I’ve told you. The code will be promoted in a series of three boxes. The first is ‘Blue King,’ followed by ‘Red Queen,’ and finally ‘Green Knight.’ They must be enter without spaces or capitalization. The answers to the questions are not case sensitive, but the codes are. There is no second chance if you make a mistake. Do you understand?”
Evonne nodded.
David appeared to relax. “Good.”

Gabriel frequented this one haven for many years in the early 20th century. Only within the last seventy years did he prefer to live away from all havens. These places were too stuffy for him.
One by one, the other vampires walking with them stepped away to tend to their own matters.
Saros entered her room.
This was the first time Gabriel was permitted to enter her private room. Not many were granted entrance.
The room was round in design and nothing about it screamed spectacular. For a personal room belonging to one of the Originals, it was surprisingly simple. In the center, a large round bed sat underneath a canopy of sheer fabrics, all draped over one another and cascading to the floor. Three forms moved from the bed and stepped through the gossamer fabric. The three female vampires walked past them and exited the room upon Saros’ unspoken request.
Saros pulled back the canopy’s drapes and allowed Gabriel to place Keelan on the bed. With movements flawless beyond Gabriel’s own, she climbed onto the bed and sat by his side. Her hands lift Keelan to sit as she removed his shirt. Carefully, she returned him to the bed.
“We must wash away his poisoned blood as he drinks from me.” She looked at Gabriel. “Join us.”
Taking off his coat and dropping it to the floor, he moved onto the bed and sat across from Saros with Keelan’s body between them.
She held out her hand. “Prepare your body with my blood.”
Gabriel’s eyes broke from hers as he took her slender wrist into his hands. He pressed his mouth to her and bit down, his teeth opening her just enough. As her blood passed into him, he felt undeserving. He had tasted the blood of vampires before, and even though the taste was similar, was different in many ways. Her blood was pure as well as warm. All of the Original Vampires carried a strange warmth about them, almost human.
Gabriel withdrew. The mark on her wrist sealed instantly. His mouth returned as he licked away the remaining blood. He leaned back and felt the borrowed strength coursing within him, stirring thoughts he tried hard to suppress.
Saros lowered herself to Keelan and ran her fingers over his skin, from his forehead to his bare chest. She then spoke to him, whispering with both her voice and mind. Keelan’s eyes struggled to open. Saros helped him to sit and guided him to the right side of her neck. She didn’t flinch as his teeth found her skin.
Saros looked at Gabriel and calmly ordered, “Remove his blood.”
Pulling himself to his knees, he moved in behind Keelan. It was awkward to deliver a perfect bite from angle presented but he managed.
When Gabriel’s teeth pressing into him, Keelan bit down harder on Saros. She closed her eyes and placed a hand to back of Keelan’s head and the other to Gabriel. The scene may have appeared strange to most, but Saros saw this as a moment of pure intimacy.
Within the following minutes, the constant barriers around Saros’ mind softened as she became linked to them. Her mind moved passively, seeing every thought and tasting every feeling. The truth, concealed within one of them, begged not to be seen. But Saros caught sight of this tempting emotion. Oh how it needed to be unleashed, to give its owner the freedom to fully express it. She smiled as the timid thought once again settled back into the depths of its owner’s mind. But its presence had already been felt.
Saros’ hand moved to the side of Gabriel’s face and lightly pushed against him. He retreated. She then carefully urged Keelan away. He lay back down and began to sleep under her blood’s command.
Resting beside him, Saros returned her hand to his skin, her fingers caressing him.
“You say no words,” she began, “but I know you care about him. He is your only child. Many would have abandoned their children if this had happened to them. All of the young ones created in this modern age have forgotten their past and their lineage. But under the right guidance, a fledgling will be brought into our world with respect and honor. These are my wishes.” She kept her eyes on Keelan as she continued to speak. “The human, Evonne, has shown me courage as well as honor. Her respect lays within those she cares for. She will be an excellent child for you.”
Gabriel became shocked upon hearing this. “She doesn’t belong to me.”
“Neither did Keelan. Or do you forget so quickly? Keelan was the chosen of a wolf.”
Gabriel didn’t forget. But this was different. “If she is to be anyone’s child, then she will be Keelan’s.”
Saros felt his hostility, yet kept her words quiet as her eyes settled on him. “His is weak compared to you. She will benefit from your blood. You can be ruthless to those you kill, but to your children, the thought of loss strikes fear within your courageous heart.” Her eyes returned to Keelan. “You have my permission to become Evonne’s sire.”

Evonne sat with David, her head resting on his lap. Their conversation had since died away, ending on a note of closure.
She felt David’s hand stroking her hair calmly. She wanted to stay in this room until she was called to leave the haven.
The door opened.
Evonne looked up to see a vampire enter the room.
“Lady Evonne,” he said, “I have been asked to escort you to your room for the day’s rest.”
Confused, Evonne’s eyes went to David.
“Go with him,” he said.
Not wanting to leave, she reluctantly stood. “I hope to see you again.”
He smiled. “Saros won’t allow it. She wants to keep my relationships with humans on a nonexistent level, for now. That whole ‘seeing life from a different view’ again. But who knows… in time.”
Evonne nodded, and without another word, she left the room.
Quietly, she followed the vampire further into the haven. Her eyes wanted to look around, to take in everything, but she found herself focused on the back of the vampire’s heels.
After a few minutes of walking down the empty halls, they came to a door. He opened it for her.
“Rest well, my lady,” he said, giving a slight bow.
She moved into the room and heard the door close.
The room was the complete opposite of David’s. Everything within spoke of elegance. A four post bed with a dark canopy sat on one end of the room while a long table sat on the other. She then spotted the bowl of fruit. Her inspection of the room halted as she rushed to the table and began picking at the grapes. She was starving. With a hand and mouth full of grapes, she looked around the room once more. Her eyes found an old-style tub filled with water.
She investigated the bath and found it filled with hot water. Off to the side sat a bench with a dark robe, towel, and soap.
A bath seemed like a nice distraction.
Demetrius’ Haven was remarkably modern compared to this place. Most of the rooms there had personal bathrooms, giving the feel of a nice hotel. A shower now would’ve been more convenient, but it seemed like a luxury in this moment.
Evonne decided to eat an orange before taking a bath. The thought of getting citrus juice on her clean skin didn’t sit well with her. She looked through the bowl and found a strange looking fruit. A pomegranate? She grabbed a knife from beside the bowl and began to slice it in half, long ways.
Evonne stared at the halves, each piece sectioned in chambers and filled with dark red clusters of fruit. A heart, she though. Picking at the fruit, she wondered why this was even in the bowl. It didn’t carry much in the way to ease her hunger, and she didn’t like the idea of eating the seeds. But the taste was special.
Once her hunger subsided, Evonne turned her attention to the tub. The bath welcomed her with its relaxing water. She could have fallen to sleep right there, but she felt vulnerable with a door that had no lock. Then again, the respect for privacy in these places yielded no use for locks.
Evonne washed off, cleaning her hair as well. As she finished, she pulled herself from the tub and dried off, then wrapped the robe around her and threw the towel to the floor to wipe up the water.
The bowl of fruit beckoned her once more. She dug right in and retrieved a green apple.
A light knocking came to the door. Evonne nervously answered it. A lady stood before her. The visible mark on her neck told Evonne that she was human.
“Is there anything you need before the day sets in?” she asked.
Evonne smiled politely. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“I see you’ve taken a bath. I can take your clothes to be washed and have them back to you at dusk.”
“Uh, sure.” She went back into the room, holding the apple in her mouth, and grabbed her clothes, leaving her coat and holster on the table. She then handed them to the woman and said, “Thank you.”
The woman gave a smile in return. “Enjoy your rest,” she said before continuing down the hall.
Evonne closed the door.
Upon seeing the other humans living at the havens, she saw them as nothing more than servants to the vampires, giving them no reason to go out and hunt. And what was she? Did the other humans and vampires look upon her and see the same?
She finished the apple and returned to look through the bowl.
Another knock came to the door.
Evonne answered it, more confident than before.
Gabriel.
She drew the robe tighter and stepped to the side, allowing him to enter. She then closed the door.
“How is he doing?” she asked.
“He’s resting.” Gabriel remained in the center of the room, his eyes avoiding her. “We should be able to leave at sunset.” He paused. His next words were straight to the point. “Saros has requested me to become your sire.”
Breath became lost in Evonne’s lungs as all feeling left her. The food in her stomach wanted to do the same. Did she hear him correctly? No, there had a mistake. “What? What did you say?”
“I refused,” he admitted. “Her request then turned into an order. But this is something you’re not ready for and I see no reason to comply.”
Evonne’s body grew weightless. She never thought about this. Becoming a vampire? That wasn’t an option to her, and yet she found herself faced with the possibility of it happening. This wasn’t her choice, this would never be her choice. “I can’t and I won’t,” she forcefully said.
“I knew you would say that.” He placed his coat on the table next to hers. “Don’t worry. I’m not following her orders.”
“But you can’t outright disobey her. She might find some way to punish you because of it.”
“I’m well aware of that,” he said, continuing to keep his eyes from her.
Evonne debated on what to do, on how to fool Saros into believing he will eventually obey her. She moved her damp hair to one side and tilted her head. “Then let her know that you’re willing to follow her orders, but not right now.”
Gabriel looked at her, his grey eyes showing the seriousness of the situation. “That alone will not work.”
“Then what will?” As the words left her mouth, she thought of something personal, something to show Saros he would not ignore her orders for long. “Oh… I just… I can’t.”
“I wasn’t going to ask you,” he bluntly admitted.
Evonne tried to shake the thought from her mind, but it remained strong. This was as personal as it would get. To her, there was nothing beyond it. Yet Evonne found herself standing at a fork in her path, each one promising an uncertain ending. She had to make a decision.
Gabriel felt himself wanting leave the room. This was his fault. He should have remained steadfast and told Saros “No,” and receive his punishment then and there. However, when he saw Evonne waiting for him in the room, he knew Saros wouldn’t let him leave without any proof he would eventually obey. Gabriel’s nature was to be loyal to those with a higher rank than he, and Saros was exploiting that trait.
He looked at Evonne, knowing what it would take to prove his loyalty. But it was something he felt he had no right to. In his eyes, she belonged to Keelan. This would be seen as an act of betrayal.
“If… if I do this,” Evonne began, her words sounding odd to her own ears, “I don’t want to feel cheated or used. But that’s the whole reason, isn’t it? It’s all a part of her game to get to me through you.”
He paused before replying. “She would much rather to see me take you against your will.”
“But your giving me a choice?” she concluded hurtfully. “Either I say ‘yes’ and accept her orders as well, or I say ‘yes’ to the latter and give myself to you another way.”
“Or you can choose neither,” Gabriel added as he approached her. “Saros will not harm you for my disobedience.”
“But she’ll harm you,” Evonne correctly assumed.
Lowering his mouth to hers, he gave her a light kiss, keeping it on the border of innocent. He pulled away, mentally cursing Saros as he saw himself playing into her little game. Any of her punishments seemed to be a sweeter ultimatum.
Evonne watched him carefully. Her choice wasn’t based on the situation or the threat Saros placed over Gabriel, but on how she felt while in his presence at that very moment. Or was it his blood within her that drove her actions?
Before her nerves had a chance to take over, she surprised him by returning the kiss. She noticed the warmth in his lips and how the touch of him called out to something within her. This frightened Evonne. There was a moment when she wanted to push him away but her arms wouldn’t move. Instead, her hands found the sides of his face, keeping him from pulling away. Was she making a mistake?
Gabriel guided her hands away and ended the kiss. “No more,” he quietly said, more of a plea to himself. He could feel Saros’ blood still flowing through him, telling him to take what she offered. But he fought against it. He didn’t want Evonne to regret something she needn’t do.
Evonne, however, refused to let him stop as her mouth found his once more, her tongue meeting with his briefly. His mouth moved from her lips and down her neck as his hands fought to slide the robe from her shoulders. He could feel the heat from her neck, the prime spot where his teeth begged to rest. His lips moved away, going over her jaw, chin, and finally returning to her mouth. He was teasing himself.
Stepping back, Gabriel forced himself to stop. To become intoxicated by her was to abandon all hope in ceasing this before he completely let go. He kept his eyes on her, wanting her to back away and leave his sight. But she remained. He watched her shaky hands untie the belt and remove the robe, dropping it to the floor.
Evonne pressed her body against his, silently telling him to hold her. She felt his arms pulling her into an embrace, and her own hands trying to pull at his shirt.
Her choice was now evident and Gabriel became defeated in its shadow. He held her within his arms, her constant warmth rivaling that borrowed from Saros. Even at the motel, he wanted to test his limits with her, but kept his distance in fear of how she would react. His gentlemen side won out. Keelan would have seen it as a breach of trust. And what would he think after this? Gabriel didn’t allow himself to imagine the possible scenario. Keelan needed to be absent in his thoughts.
“Are you sure?” he heard himself whisper. It was his last ditch effort to change her mind.
Evonne looked at him and replied, “Yes.”
No more mental debates or second guessing. The choice was made. Evonne found no shame in her actions.
A fleeting sense of betrayal fluttered through her as she became worried at the thought of Keelan learning the truth. But she wasn’t his to govern. As she saw it, she belonged to no one and this was her decision.