Lost in darkness, p.1
Lost in Darkness, page 1
part #2 of Blackwood Vampires Series
Lost in Darkness
By: E.J. King
Lost in Darkness
A fierce enemy. A forbidden romance. An unstoppable love.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Grace Hardwick was a Vampire Hunter. She was supposed to be killing monsters, not living with them in a weird Vampire community. And she certainly wasn’t supposed to be falling in love with their leader.
But when the Darkness faces a fierce attack, Grace becomes determined to protect her new home. Along the way, she discovers her true power and her real feelings for William Blackwood. They say that love can conquer all, but will the enemy conquer Grace first?
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
EPILOGUE
Copyright©2017 by E.J. King
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PROLOGUE
Grace
My life wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to be hunting Vampires, not living with them. I was supposed to be going to prom and graduating from high school. Instead I was going to fancy Vampire parties and risking my life to protect the Darkness.
Then there was William.
He was everything I had sworn to hate – centuries old and stronger than most Souls. If he decided to kill me, there was little I would be able to do to stop him. He was a monster by every definition of the word, except one – he loved me.
And I loved him.
The enemies that wish to destroy the Darkness are coming. They will stop at nothing to eliminate these creatures they believe to be nothing more than killers. But I have come to know them and I know their hearts. There is good in the Darkness, and I will stop at nothing to protect it.
CHAPTER ONE
William
A Vampire in love with a human. A tale as old as time. For centuries, I had heard stories of it happening. It had always seemed so foolish. The relationship was doomed before it could even start. I had never understood the point.
But that was before I met Grace. It was before I had watched her sleeping peacefully in bed next to me, her hair spreading like a golden halo over the pillow and tickling my cheek. It was before her warm body curled around mine, the softest blanket imaginable.
Now I was one of those fools.
I knew that I could never act on those feelings. As the Premier of the Darkness, I had responsibilities to our community. My number one focus had to be on keeping us safe. Grace had to remain a distant second.
While she was still asleep, I slipped away. It was better for her to wake up alone than to find me staring at her, completely captivated. She mustn’t suspect my feelings for her. No one could know. If I denied them long enough, they would fade. I had made it through five centuries without falling in love. I could make it a few more weeks.
Normally, I started my days with a long swim. I liked the peacefulness of the water in addition to working my muscles. Even Vampires benefited from staying in shape. But today I had more pressing matters to attend. I had called an emergency meeting of the Council.
My brother, Drake, had commitment a grievous crime. Attempting to harm a human while in the Darkness was a punishable offense by itself, but doing so after I had explicitly forbidden it was something that could not be ignored. He had to face consequences.
If Grace hadn’t stopped me, I probably would have killed him right at the moment I caught him on top of her. I had never felt that much hatred in my veins. It would have been more than justified. But Grace had stopped me. She had pleaded with my better nature which I still wasn’t sure existed. Now, I was left to deal with the aftermath.
While a lot of Souls turned away from their human urges and instincts once they were turned, I had always held fast to them. I didn’t need to eat human food or drink anything other than blood, but some vices I had kept. First thing in the morning, I slowly drank a cup of coffee or two as I prepared for the day. It was more ritual than anything else as the caffeine had little effect on me.
Today, I paced the house as I drank my coffee. I could hear Grace’s soft breathing even though she was still behind my closed bedroom door. If I allowed myself, I would also be able to hear the blood pumping in her veins. It had been many years since I had permitted myself to dwell on that sound. It was too dangerous.
I finished my coffee in a hurry and left the house. With all of the Souls converging on the Capitol, Grace would be safe as long as she didn’t wander off. If all went well, the meeting would adjourn before she even had a chance to notice I was missing. With any luck, I wouldn’t even have to tell her about the meeting.
The other Souls on the path to the Capitol greeted me with head nods and respectful hellos. Being the Premier of the Darkness meant that I was never quite one of them. Until Grace arrived, I hadn’t realized just how lonely I had been. Aside from my siblings, she was the only one that even called me by name. She was the only one that made me laugh.
“Liam!” My sister, Kathryn, waved to me from the clearing. “What have you done now?”
She was a force of nature. Where the rest of the Blackwoods were reserved, Kathryn was loud and direct. She didn’t believe in formalities or embarrassment.
“Kittie, we should not discuss this here.” I wanted to stay serious as I scolded her but like always, I found myself smiling. The youngest of our clan, she was also my favorite sibling. “The meeting is about to start.”
“Did Drake really try to kill Grace?” she demanded, ignoring everything I just said.
Several of the passing Souls glanced in our direction, intrigued by the conversation.
“You know Drake,” I replied, not directly answering her question.
“But Grace is yours!” she gasped. “You never take a companion and Drake is always cycling through a new girl. How could he do that to you?”
“I doubt he was thinking with his brain at the time,” I replied, attempting to steer her into the Council chambers.
“She really is quite lovely,” Kathryn said. “I’m surprised you let him live.”
I muttered, “Me too.”
Inside the chambers, the Councilmembers were already seated. Every seat in the chambers was occupied. Only one Soul was on his feet – Drake.
Just seeing him standing there sent a burning sensation through every part of my body. My mind instantly flashed back to seeing him on top of Grace, about to sink his fangs into her neck. It took all of my self-control to march slowly forward with the eyes of the Darkness following my every step. They all stood as I walked the length of the room. Kathryn left my side to take a seat in the front row and I kept my eyes away from Drake as I joined the other Councilmembers.
“This gathering of the Darkness is now called to order,” Octavia announced. “Please be seated.”
As one, the entire community sat. Every anxious face was directed at me.
“Thank you all for attending on short notice,” I started, keeping my voice as even as possible. “We are here to discuss a violation of the Darkness Charter, Article One. No Soul shall harm a human while in the Darkness. In addition, a breach of Article Six occurred – attempting to drink from another Soul’s companion. Drake Blackwood, would you care to make a statement?”
The crowd had begun whispering to each other, stunned by the accusations. If Drake was found guilty, either of those offenses would be punishable by Postremo Mortem, the final death. This was the first time a member of the founding families was facing such an accusation.
“Thank you, Premier Blackwood,” Drake said, standing before the Council. “I would like to start by apologizing for this misunderstanding. I believe that while the Premier had good reason to be alarmed by what he saw last night, he is operating today under false information.”
I had expected this from Drake. He would spin the events to make his crimes seem less serious. This was typical of my brother.
“The Premier’s companion had entered my chambers without permission. She was ready to engage in a fight. As I’m sure everyone is aware, Grace Hardwick is a Hunter. I suspected that she may have broken her compulsion, but the only way to find out for sure was if I attempted to compel her. That is what I was doing when the Premier came into the room.”
Drake made sustained eye contact with each member of the Council except me. He was so convincing in his story that it sounded as though he actually believed it.
“Your claim is that you were only attempting to compel the victim to test her?” I summarized. “If that is the case, can you explain why her clothing had been ripped open?”
“It happened during the struggle,” Drake explained easily.
“Can you also explain why your fangs were exposed and placed upon her neck?” I continued, feeling anger building in my chest. How dare he deny what he had done to Grace?
“That did not happen,” Drake said. I’m afraid the Premier is misremembering what he saw. It’s understandable considering the state of shock he was in.”
Edward, Councilman for the Wellington clan, interrupted, “Are there any other witnesses that may be called to support either side of the claims?”
“There are not,” I said firmly. The reality was that Grace could be considered a witness, but I wasn’t about to subject her to an interrogation in front of the entire community. “The victim was under compulsion as Drake explained and therefore does not remember the events clear enough to provide testimony.”
Other Councilmembers asked questions that only served to make the facts more confusing. By the time Octavia called for the vote, it was clear that insufficient evidence had been provided.
“The Council is divided,” Octavia announced after she had tallied the votes. “Six members in favor of the Premier and six in favor of Drake. As the tie-breaking member, how do you vote, Premier?”
Again, the crowd stirred. It was the first time that I had been given the deciding vote that could result in a final death. This was not a decision I could make lightly, or in the heat of the moment. It was clear that I was too biased to use my position in that moment.
“Based on the severity of the claims and my obvious bias in this case, I abstain from voting,” I said. The crowd nearly exploded with surprise. “Quiet! Since the Council is divided on the charges, Drake Blackwood cannot be charged for his crimes. This case is dismissed.”
The noise level in the chambers continued to rise. I had to slam my hand on the table and yell. “Quiet!”
“We have another matter to discuss,” Octavia said as the crowd began to quiet. “Drake Blackwood has raised a valid and alarming concern about the Premier’s companion. If she is, in fact, able to resist compulsion, she represents a very severe threat to our way of existence.”
“Grace is not a threat to us,” I barked. “She is completely loyal to me, and to the Darkness. She is here to help protect our community.”
“How can we know that for sure? She could be hiding her true motives from you.” Octavia traded a quick look with Drake, but it was just long enough for me to see an unspoken exchange. They had planned all of this.
I was about to order them both to back down from their attack on Grace when Daniel stood. “If it pleases the Council, I would like to speak on behalf of Grace.”
“Go ahead,” I said, surprised but grateful.
“Your honors, I have had the privilege of spending time alone with Grace and I can tell you that her heart is good. For as long as she can believe in the Darkness and our mission, we can believe in her. She is utterly devoted to William and will eagerly help him keep the Darkness safe. I would also remind all of you that we need her, for she is the Mulier Fortis. Her arrival has been prophesized for decades. Our future depends on her.” Daniel nodded faintly at me and then returned to his seat between Kathryn and Alexander.
There was more heated discussion on whether or not Grace could be trusted. It was clear that both the Council and the community was split. I had to sit quietly while listening to wild speculation. When I couldn’t take it any longer, I called the meeting to a close. Without further proof that Grace was working against them, she was to remain in the Darkness under my protection.
I waited for the others to leave the chamber first. The last thing I wanted to do was exchange pleasantries with people that had just attacked Grace. Daniel and Alexander waited to walk out with me.
“It could have been worse,” Alexander said.
“How?” I wondered.
“If you were forced to go home with Octavia instead of going home to Grace.” He grinned and slapped me on the back.
The thought of Grace waiting for me at home made me smile for the first time that day. I was still smiling when I felt a charge run through my body. Only one thing in the world had ever made me feel that way. My eyes found her immediately and I moved quickly in her direction.
“Grace.” Her name moved smoothly through my lips. Knowing that we would be under extra scrutiny now, I had to choose my words carefully. It couldn’t seem like Grace had come on her own. The others needed to believe that she was following my orders. “I’m glad you found us okay.”
“Brother, are you sure it was a good idea to have your human wandering about unescorted?” Alexander asked, staring hard at Grace. There was a thirst in his eyes that made me watch him carefully. It was obvious that he was attracted to her.
“I trust Grace,” I said, reaching out for her hand.
Daniel smiled. “Good to see you. Hopefully you have recovered from the unseemly events of last night.”
“I’m doing fine, thank you.” Grace’s body leaned into mine.
“We should go,” I said, glancing around nervously. The last thing I wanted was a showdown with Drake.
Grace had already found him in the crowd. She returned his hostile stare with one of her own.
“Ignore him,” Alexander advised when he realized what was happening. “We all do.”
I wasn’t able to dismiss it so easily. My free hand clenched into a tight fist.
“William.” Grace tentatively put a hand on my chest. “Let’s go.”
I looked down at her hand and then straight into her eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been touched so intimately, and certainly not by a human. Despite the unusualness of the act, it felt completely right to me. Without looking at my brothers, I said, “I will see you later at the house.”
“Have fun with her, brother,” Alexander said, slapping me on the back again. The wink he gave Grace removed any subtlety from his insinuation.
I ignored it all, pulling her away from the crowd. I was anxious to put distance between us and the other Souls. Grace was more than willing to let me lead the way. I knew exactly where I wanted to take her. “I want to show you something,” I said, surprising her. “Do you trust me?”
Her answer was everything to me.
“Of course.”
CHAPTER TWO
Grace
I woke up in William’s bedroom, but it took me several seconds to realize that. Slowly, I started to remember what had happened the previous night. William’s brother, Drake, had assaulted me. If William hadn’t arrived so quickly, Drake would have drained my blood.
Still feeling the effects of the assault and his forced compulsion, I had been too afraid to sleep in my own room. That was how I had ended up in William’s bed.
I rolled over expecting to find his amazing body lying next to mine, but he was gone. That was probably for the best. It would have been embarrassing to face him just after waking up. My hair was a mess and I had been drooling in my sleep.
“Nice, Hardwick,” I muttered to myself, rubbing a hand over my chin.
This wasn’t me. I wasn’t a girl that was scared to sleep alone. I didn’t sleep in beds with random men, a Vampire no less, just to feel safe. The Darkness was having a concerning effect on me.
I decided to hurry out of the room before William returned to check on me. My first stop was a long, steamy shower. Afterward, I dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. I wasn’t sure where the day would take me, but I hoped to spend it outside. As beautiful as the Blackwood estate was, I felt claustrophobic inside the glass box.
I found a full coffeepot in the kitchen which meant that William was around the chambers somewhere. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to find him or not. At least, that’s what I told myself. In reality, I was dying to run into him. Just being in the same room as him made me feel electric, alive in a way I had never felt before.
William still hadn’t appeared when I finished my coffee and I wasn’t about to wait around for him all day. There was plenty I still needed to learn about the Darkness and the best way to do that was to prowl the grounds. So far, I had only seen the places that William wanted me to see. It was all of the other places that intrigued me.
Leaving William’s chambers was harder than I thought it would be. I could see the hallway leading to Drake’s wing and my heart started to race. As quietly as possible I raced toward the beach, holding my breath the entire time. Once my feet hit the sand, I sucked in a hungry gulp of fresh air.
