word that we needed to get you out of here.”
“What do you think happened?”
“More than likely Barnabas and Dmitri had a
discussion, and Dmitri left once he realized he no
longer had his bargaining chip.”
“But won’t he try to get me back?”
“He will, of course. But not right now, I don’t
think. He will probably wait until he thinks he
has the element of surprise.”
“How long do you think we’ll be stuck down
here?”
“I could think of worse places to be.”
I looked up and smiled at him, understanding
what he meant.
“Me, too,” I confessed, and I felt his arm
around my shoulders squeezing me.
“Go get some more rest,” Alexi pleaded.
“Fine, I’ll go,” I grumbled.
This time, I got into my own bunk. I knew Kai
would be disappointed to find me missing when
he woke up, but I couldn’t bear to hurt Alexi
again so soon. I knew it must have been tearing
him apart to see all of the public displays of
affection between Kai and me and between Max
and me.
I still couldn’t quite understand why Alexi had
such strong feelings for me. I understood the
basic premise behind him hearing about me from
his father, but it just didn’t make sense to me.
How could he fall in love with someone before
he even met them? I guessed I might never
understand it. I watched him standing there,
strong and silent, and I slowly drifted off into
dreamland.
The next time I woke up, everyone except
Liam was awake. Alexi still stood guard, and
Max and Kai were sitting at opposite sides of the
room. Kai had pulled a chair over near me, he
was watching me sleep, and Max was sitting near
Alexi.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” Kai said to me,
smiling.
“Good morning,” I said, returning his smile.
“Are you hungry?” Kai asked.
“No, not really.”
“You should eat,” Max said from across the
room.
“I’m fine, really,” I insisted.
“Please eat,” Alexi pleaded.
I sighed, and relented.
“Fine, what is there?” I asked.
A triumphant grin spread across Alexi’s face,
but I couldn’t tell if it was because he’d simply
been successful or because he had been
victorious where Kai and Max were not. I shot
him a frustrated look, and his smile turned into a
twisted grin as he tried to suppress it.
“There’s some energy bars, some canned soup,
canned beans, chili, some ramen noodles…” Kai
said, naming off things he found on the shelves.
“Yuck,” I groaned. “It all sounds disgusting.”
“The energy bars aren’t too bad,” Alexi
suggested.
“Alright, I’ll try one,” I sighed.
Kai passed me a bar and a bottle of water, and
motioned for me to sit in the chair he had
occupied.
“It’s okay, I’m fine on the bed,” I told him.
I choked down the energy bar. Alexi was right,
it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Still, I
wanted real food. I also needed to recharge. I
hadn’t fed in so long that I felt very weak. I rested
my head in my hands and sighed. I was tired.
Alexi must have understood, because he said,
“Don’t worry. As soon as things are settled a
little, they’ll bring us a few volunteers.”
“Volunteers?” I asked.
“Liam never explained volunteers to you?”
Alexi asked quizzically.
“No.”
“How long has it been since you fed?” he
asked, sounding concerned.
“I don’t remember,” I answered honestly.
“You don’t...” he began, but then he stopped.
“Liam!”
Liam sat up so quickly he banged his head on
the bunk above him.
“What? What’s going on?” Liam said
groggily.
“When was the last time Alice fed?” Alexi
growled at him.
“Huh? Umm… I don’t…” Liam stammered.
“Liam…” Alexi snarled.
forgot. Alice, I’m sorry.”
“Father would not be happy to learn of this,”
Alexi said. “She should never be allowed to be so
weak she can’t defend herself!”
Liam’s face fell.
“I’m sorry. I never thought about that. This is
my fault. It’s all my fault. Alice, I’m really
sorry,” Liam said.
“Don’t blame yourself,” I said to Liam. “It’s
not your fault.”
“Then whose fault is it?” Alexi snapped.
“Well, it’s certainly not his!” I shouted, but I
immediately regretted yelling at him and I
lowered my voice. “We can’t blame anyone for
this, Alexi. It happened, it’s over, and there was
nothing anyone could do. Besides, I don’t think
my powers would have worked against those
things, anyway.”
“What things?” Alexi pressed.
“Those things that took me,” I said, and then I
paused in confusion. “Didn’t Kai and Max tell
you about them?”
I looked at Kai and Max and they both looked
confused.
“The gray ghost things,” I explained. “You
two saw them. They attacked you with those
glowing orb things.”
Kai and Max glanced at each other, and then
back at me.
“Oh, come on,” I pleaded. “Tell me you
remember!”
“Oh my god,” Alexi muttered under his
breath.
Liam looked alarmed.
“Wraiths?” he asked Alexi.
“It couldn’t be,” Alexi said, shaking his head.
“What’s a wraith?” I asked.
“You don’t think Dmitri is seriously using
wraiths, do you?” Liam asked Alexi, ignoring my
question.
“What’s a wraith?” I repeated.
“He could be, I suppose,” Alexi replied to
Liam. “Dmitri is known for his eccentricity.”
I was getting really irritated with being
completely ignored.
“Will somebody please tell me what a
freaking wraith is?” I shouted, standing up and
stomping my foot.
Liam and Alexi turned to me, and Liam
looked horrified at my outburst.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, sitting back down on my
bunk.
“No, I’m sorry, Alice,” Alexi said. “I just got
absorbed in the conversation. I didn’t mean to
ignore you.”
“What is a wraith?” I asked more calmly.
“They’re the souls of vampires that have been
trapped and forced to do the bidding of their
master,” Alexi explained. “They’re not inherently
evil, but anyone who uses them cannot be good.
Few people have the ability to trap and command
them, though. Wraiths are no
toriously difficult
to control.”
“If anyone could do it, I guess it would be
Dmitri,” Liam commented.
“Alice, did you say they used magic?” Alexi
asked.
“Yeah,” I answered. “They shot these white
orbs out at Kai and Max and knocked them out. I
was afraid they were…”
I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“That’s not good,” Liam said, looking at
Alexi.
“Why? What does that mean?” I asked.
“Wraiths are not supposed to be able to use
magic,” Liam explained. “I thought that was just
a myth.”
“It is,” Alexi said. “I mean, I thought it was.
Alice, are you sure about what you saw?”
“Yes, I’m absolutely certain,” I answered. “I
saw it very clearly, and it happened twice. And
they were speaking some kind of whispery
language.”
“Wait… what?” Alexi gasped. “You could
hear them?”
“Yes… why?”
“No one can hear a wraith other than its
master,” Alexi explained.
“Well, I did,” I said confidently. “I’m not
crazy or anything.”
“What did you hear, exactly?” Liam
demanded.
“It was just this whispery sound. I wasn’t even
sure they were talking at first, but I could hear
the pitch rise and fall, and it was a little choppy –
broken up like words. I just assumed they were
speaking,” I answered.
Liam’s mouth gaped open, and he shook his
head. Then he looked at Alexi.
“What are you thinking?” Alexi asked.
“Can we talk privately?” Liam asked, grabbing
his arm and escorting him down the tunnel.
I strained to hear what they were saying, but I
couldn’t hear a word.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you before,”
Kai told me, looking dejected.
“It’s not your fault,” I told him, putting my
hand on his arm.
“I didn’t even see anything, Alice,” he said. “I
saw the door open, and I tried to shield you,
expecting someone to come in. But no one ever
did. The next thing I knew, I was waking up to
Alexi and Liam shouting.”
“Same here,” Max said. “I came downstairs
and I just got really tired all of a sudden. Then I
woke up when Alexi and Liam got back and were
calling your name.”
“Couldn’t you use any powers again them?”
Kai asked me.
“I didn’t have a chance,” I said. “By the time I
realized what was happening, they used some
white gas on me and I passed out.”
Alexi was suddenly standing in the mouth of
the tunnel.
“What did you say?” he asked very seriously.
“Umm… I said they used a white gas on me
and it made me go to sleep,” I repeated.
“Oh, this is not good,” Alexi muttered. “Not
good.”
“I thought that was another myth,” Liam said
quietly.
“Me, too,” Alexi agreed. “Clearly, we were all
wrong. But how much will it cost us?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Alice, if these are wraiths that can use magic
and have the ability to gas, we’re in bigger
trouble than I thought,” Alexi said, clearly
anxious.
“We have to warn the others!” Liam gasped.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Father said we were not to leave the bunker
under any circumstances,” Alexi argued, ignoring
my question. “We can’t put Alice in danger,
either.”
“If those wraiths come here, there won’t be
anyone left to protect her,” Liam warned.
“You’re doing it again,” I grumbled.
“Sorry, Alice,” Alexi apologized. “This is just
really distressing.”
“Why? What’s going on? Liam, what did you
mean there won’t be anyone left?” I asked.
“If they can use gas, they can kill a whole
room full of people in seconds, and there’s
nothing anyone can do about it,” Liam said
gravely.
“What?” I gasped. “We have to warn them!”
“Alice, Alexi is right,” Liam argued. “We
can’t risk you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” I shouted. “We can’t
just leave them to die!”
“Every single person up there would gladly
give up their life to protect you,” Alexi insisted.
“They all know who you are and what you can
do, and they all understand how important you
are.”
“Everyone keeps saying that,” I said. “But no
one has given me a valid reason why I’m so
important that it’s worth risking so many lives to
protect me!”
“I can’t explain it just yet,” Alexi said. “I will
when I can, I promise. But please, just trust me.”
“Please, Alexi,” I pleaded with him, tears
filling my eyes. “We can’t just let them die.”
“I’ll go,” Kai offered. “I’ll warn them.”
“No!” I shouted.
“I’m the most expendable,” he explained
somberly. “I have no powers, and I’ve already
proven I can’t protect you.”
“No!” I said. “You’re not expendable!”
“She’s right,” Max said suddenly. “I am.”
“What? No!” I screamed at him. “You’re not
expendable, either!”
“Of course I am,” Max argued. “I don’t have
any powers, either. I didn’t finish my training, so
I can’t even view like my father. And I’m not as
physically strong as a vampire, so I can’t protect
you.”
“Max, you’re not expendable, and you’re not
going,” I demanded. “End of story.”
“Alice, be reasonable,” Liam begged. “Max is
right. He’s the logical choice.”
“This is not about logic!” I shouted at Liam.
“None of you is expendable as far as I’m
concerned. Do you understand that? None of
you!”
“Then our hands are tied, I’m afraid,” Alexi
said sadly. “We can’t risk you, Alice.”
“Alexi,” I reminded him gently. “Your father
is up there.”
“And my father is willing to give up his life to
protect you,” Alexi said. “As am I.”
“We all are,” Kai said.
“This is not open for discussion,” I said
firmly. “We have to warn them.”
“Alice…” Alexi started to object.
“Stop it!” I shouted. “I’m not open to hearing
any further arguments on the matter. We’ll go
together.”
“No,” Alexi said quickly. “We can’t…”
“Alexi, don’t you dare say you can’t risk me,”
I growled, glaring at him stormily. “If you won’t
come with me, I’ll go on my own.”
“You know we won’t let you,” Alexi said
softly.
“And you think you can sto
p me?” I spat.
“You wouldn’t,” Alexi argued.
“Watch me,” I challenged. “So help me, I’ll
put every last one of you to sleep and then lock
you in here.”
Alexi sighed.
“You’re stubborn,” he mused.
“Very,” I shot back.
He sighed again.
“Very well, we’ll go together,” Alexi finally
conceded. “Before we go, can I speak to you
alone?”
“Sure,” I said, starting down the tunnel.
Alexi grabbed my hand and said, “No, let’s go
to the bathroom.”
“Okay…” I said, a little confused.
We went into the bathroom and Alexi gently
closed the door.
“I don’t have to explain to you how dangerous
this is,” he said seriously.
“No, you don’t,” I admitted. “I understand the
danger, but I’m not willing to sit back and do
nothing.”
“I don’t know how this is going to turn out,”
he said. “So I… I need to do something first. I
don’t want… I don’t want either of us to die
having never…”
“What is it, Alexi?” I asked.
He gulped.
“I know you know this already, but I’ve never
really…”
“Spit it out,” I said impatiently.
He took a deep breath, then slowly lifted the
hood of his cloak and let it fall behind him. I
stared in awe. I’d seen him once before, but I’d
been so panicked trying to save his life that I
hadn’t really been able to absorb it. Now, it was
startling.
His skin was the palest, purest white skin I’d
ever seen. His hair was also snow white, and it
flowed down his shoulders is silky waves. His
violet eyes were striking, and they carried a level
of emotion I’d rarely seen. The scar that crossed
his face from above his eye to below his ear on
the other side marred the delicacy of his face, but
it was not frightening or disgusting.
“Oh, Alexi…”
I
breathed.
“You’re…
beautiful…”
I slowly reached out and touched his snowy
skin, and he grabbed my wrist.
“Alice…” he whispered, closing his eyes and
feeling my hand against his cheek. “I know I
promised that I wouldn’t do this. But I never
thought… I didn’t expect… that I might lose you
so soon.”
“What is it, Alexi?” I asked, searching his
violet eyes.
“I love you, Alice,” he said at once. “I’ve
loved you for so long, even before we met. And