Untouchable Darkness (9 page)

“Does it ever go away?” I whispered, completely unnerved by our conversation. I had a sudden urge to itch my chest, to make the burn go away because even then my body was remembering it, like a thirst I couldn’t quench.

He let out a long sigh then backed away from me, away from whatever private moment we were sharing. “It can.”

“Did it for you?”

He froze, his hand midair as he was reaching for a light switch. “Once.”

“When?” The air stilled around us. “When did it stop?”

Cassius hung his head. “The minute our lips touched, those brief seconds you saved me, touched me, joined with me. For those measly seconds—seconds of living a lifetime of a million lonely seconds—I was complete.”

I covered my face with my hands.

“Let’s go,” he said gruffly. “There’s more to show you.”

He left the room.

But I was glued to the spot, unable to do anything except focus on breathing in and out. I wanted to ask so many more questions, was he angry at me because the only moment of peace he’d had was in my arms? Was that it? My heart clenched as rejection washed over me.

Of course.

That’s why he’d run off—hidden.

Maybe that was why he was being punished, because he did hide, he did run. And it was my fault.

I’d made him want.

And now… he was forced to spend the next twenty-eight days with me. I guess the only positive out of the situation was that he was human. I had no effect on him.

Because if I did, he’d have already fallen.

Humans were weak.

Slaves to their emotions.

Dark One or not, in an entirely human state, Cassius wouldn’t have stood a chance against me.

But he continued to do so.

Which made the rejection sting all that much more—as a Dark One, I couldn’t even entice him.

“Stephanie,” Cassius barked from somewhere deeper in the house. “We don’t have all night.”

Scowling, I stomped after him. I could last the next three and a half weeks with him. I just needed to keep my heart on lockdown—just like he was doing.

If a measly human could do it.

There was no reason I couldn’t.

Cassius

Pompeii
79AD

“Y
OU CAN’T DO THIS
!” Eva screamed at me as I moved farther up the mountain. “Cassius, STOP!”

The ice in my veins rose to the surface as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. “And what would you have me do? Save them all? Only to have them turn on us? Destroy us? They are an abomination, Eva! They. Must. Die.” White filled my vision as the screams of people in the city started to multiply.

“Earthquake.” I spoke the word in ancient Aramaic, the tongue of Angels.

The ground shook beneath my feet.

I kept walking.

Eva followed.

Finally, I turned on my heel. “Do not make me destroy you, Vampire!”

Her eyes closed, and then she held out her hands, palms facing toward me. “Cassius, most of them are innocent. Will you destroy them? The children? The mothers? The grandmothers?”

“If I let one go free, one who is infected…”

“Then choose, Cassius,” Eva said in a challenging voice. “Choose who goes free, save a few. All I ask is that you save some.”

“You misjudge our relationship, Vampire.” I hissed out the lie as the air took on a bitter taste from my own inability to admit the truth. “Only you would ask this of me. Notice how the rest of the council members have already fled the city, and yet here you stand.”

She lifted her head. “Here I stand.”

“Damn it, woman.” I closed my eyes for a few brief seconds, allowing a sliver of humanity to slip through. God, it burned, nearly slicing me in half as my Angel blood roared with anger at the weakness. Strength and weakness, could not co-exist, not for long. Eventually my angelic blood would destroy what humanity I had left.

I’d felt it since the beginning of time.

I knew.

One day.

It would no longer be possible.

This was not that day.

“Twelve.” I sighed. “I will save twelve.”

Eva bowed her dark head. “Thank you, Cassius.”

“Do not thank me.”

“I will always—” She took a step forward and held out her hand. “—thank you, when you show the weak mercy.”

I took Eva’s hand without thinking and was nearly brought to my knees as the emotional connection she offered burned through our palms. She had no idea what her touch did to me—what it made me crave.

“Earthquake,” I whispered again, this time the ground beneath us split down the middle. I pulled Eva into my arms and envisioned the docks. We landed with a thud against the wood.

People scrambled about mindlessly as the ground shook and then the volcano erupted into the sky.

It would be the ash and the gas that would destroy the people… the heat alone… I refused to think about it.

“You promised,” Eva reminded me as she stepped into the boat and waited.

I glanced at the pier.

“You.” I pointed to a young boy. “Where is your family?”

“I—” The boy’s face was spattered with dirt and blood. “They got trampled, sir.”

“Then come,” I instructed. He stepped into the boat. Eva embraced him and offered a warm smile.

“Eleven more to go, Cassius.” Eva said.

“Irritating Vampire,” I grumbled, as, with each life I saved, the darkness receded, restoring my humanity.

Within five minutes I had another eleven.

All children.

“Let’s go.” I waved my hand in the air as the water carried the ship to safety.

When I turned back to glance at the once Great City, it was to see Sariel hovering over the volcano, his eyes sad.

Clouds spread around his wings, and then a large being descended next to him.

“The Angel of Death,” Eva whispered linking her hand with mine. We watched as his black feathers descended slowly covering the city until all was blackness.

And then…

It rained red.

Cassius

T
HE SCREAMS OF PEOPLE
I
’D
killed seemed to lessen the farther I walked into my house. It had always been a safe zone.

Quiet.

Where I conveniently forgot all the blood that was on my hands.

My heart, stupid muscle that it was, refused to stop slamming against my chest as perspiration collected around my temples. My knees buckled, my vision blurred. It wasn’t a heart attack, I at least knew that much.

No, it was more like deep rooted fear.

Fear she would find out before I had my chance to convince her of… of what? That I wasn’t as cruel of a bastard as she’d originally thought? That I loved her beyond what logic told me? That my entire being felt like it had been waiting—for her? So close to blurting out the truth—telling her everything.

And then what? She’d laugh in my face. The words about burst from my lips, but I knew no matter what I said, if my actions didn’t match them, the outcome wouldn’t be in my favor.

I was doing a damned horrible job of even getting her to see me as a friend—and as a lover? Something told me I was going backward when I should have been going forward.

Agitated, I clenched and unclenched my fists as I made my way through the dark house. I hadn’t returned since that fateful night with Sariel, not sure why, maybe because this house, this haven reminded me of who I was, and I was trying desperately to be anyone but that person.

I flipped on the nearest switch. Light flooded into the large living room. A place I’d spent many years sitting in, reflecting, reading, shutting out the world because as much as everyone would love to believe that I adored passing judgment on immortal and human beings alike, it wore on me. Half Angel meant that although I was damn good at what I did, I still ached for something more.

“This is…” Stephanie did a circle of the room, her eyes most likely taking in the floor to ceiling book shelves filled with dusty reminders of just how old I really was—manuscripts flooded the large oak desk, ancient scrolls were tossed onto the floor beneath it. A coffee maker older than Genesis sat in the corner near two large purple-cushioned chairs. The bay windows overlooked the lake, and large black velvet curtains were pulled back with gold rope, revealing the beautiful view. “So not what I expected.” She picked up a book and frowned. “You have an original copy of Pride and Prejudice?”

I shrugged. “Never read it.”

She gasped and then closed her eyes, in horror? Disappointment? I wasn’t sure, I wasn’t near as good at reading anymore, but I felt embarrassment wash over me all the same. “You’ve never read one of the most classic love stories of all time?”

“Love story?” I parroted, feeling like an idiot. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Books! I could read books about love! I could give her books.

Stephanie’s smile widened as she opened the first page.

“It’s yours,” I blurted.

She glanced up, her lips curving up into a dazzling smile. “Why, thank you, Beast.”

“Hardly the time to call me names,” I grumbled.

“Um…” She placed the book back down on the table. “It was a joke. You know, Beauty and the Beast? He gives her a library.”

Well damn, and here I just gave her one book.

Another fail.

“I don’t have a library.”

Stephanie pointed around the room. “ Kinda seems like you do.”

“I like to read.”

“I can see that.” Though clearly not romance.

Why was conversation so stilted? And why the hell was I tapping my foot like I was an impatient bastard? I’d never felt so uncomfortable in my life, confidence used to ooze from every cell in my body, I never worked for it, never had to, I knew what I was, and what I was capable of.

Now?

Uncertainty laced my every breath.

“So.” I coughed into my hand and turned around so she wouldn’t see the panic on my face. “I just wanted you to see.”

I felt her come up behind me; the chill caused goose bumps to rise across my flesh. Ice crystals formed along the edges of the windows. “You wanted me to see, what exactly?”

I bit my lip in frustration. “Me.” I hung my head. “I wanted you to see me. It may seem ridiculous, but when I’m not doing my actual job for the immortals or serving my sentence as I’d always put it mildly. I’m here. Reading. Relaxing.” I spread my arms wide, rejuvenating, pushing out the negative swirl of emotions that grate on a person like me—for doing what I did on a daily basis.

“I like it.” Stephanie finally said, her voice husky. “As far as lairs go yours is way better than Ethan’s. Much more gothic.”

I coughed out a laugh. “Yes well, we both know Vampires prefer light to dark.”

Stephanie touched my arm.

I flinched.

“Do I hurt you?”

“No.” I pulled away slowly. “I think it’s instinctual. Every time you touch me I shy away, not because it hurts, maybe it’s a deep rooted fear that all humans have, and now that I’m fully human…” I shrugged.

“Can I control you?” Stephanie’s eyes narrowed. “Technically, a Dark One can’t come into contact with an unmated human without them going insane with desire, lust— I mean, why aren’t you…?” She blinked and then looked down. “I can’t believe I just asked you that.”

“Why am I not overcome with insanity in your presence?” I chuckled. It was nice to see her uncomfortable for a change.

“Yeah.” Her chest rose and fell with even breaths, and I concentrated on her breathing; it made me calm, counting every inhale, every exhale.

“I imagine Sariel wouldn’t think it fair.”