Finer Points Of Vampire Affairs: The Annual Summit (Book One)

Underestimate

"Are you truly going to leave without speaking with her?" Caleb asked, causing Derrick's mind to wander to her amethyst eyes for the thousandth time since boarding this bloody train.

Derrick sighed. It was hopeless. He was hopeless, but he wasn't thoughtless or foolish. Sometimes, cruelty was kindness and setting her free unmarked was in her best interest. "It's for the best."

"I once thought I was doing the right thing letting Persephone go."

Caleb's smirk irritated him. It wasn't the same. Derrick's fate was doomed to failure, because his immortal life was resigned to destroying his old House. He wasn't egotistical to believe that there wasn't a high possibility that he wouldn't be murdered. They almost had already exceeded. He wouldn't allow Briar to be destroyed by him or by his old House. He refused to watch his mate suffer a fate he most likely would.

"True," Derrick agreed, but he lifted up his shirt sleeve to reveal his wrapped injured hand. "But you also are still a functioning member of society who would've still floated above the scandal. There's no redemption for me in the ton nor elsewhere. I'll be seen as a betrayer, traitor, a coward--"

Caleb rolled his eyes. "To only those that don't matter --"

"It might matter to her," Derrick cut in. It mattered to him. He didn't wish to drag her down the rabbit hole with him.

"It might not. You won't know," Caleb told him, shaking his head. "You never gave her a chance to decide. You left her behind. It's something I shall always regret."

Derrick kept silent, eyeing the vampire next to him. If he wasn't a hunted vampire who had revenge on his menu, this wouldn't be a problem. He knew how ruthless his old House was. He knew they'd use her to get even. The further she was away from him the better she would be.

Cognac eyes studied him as if he was daring him. Derrick finally sighed then shrugged. Caleb wouldn't understand. Most wouldn't. Most weren't in this position.

"What is done is done. It's for the best," Derrick determined.

Not desiring to see cognac eyes narrowing in upon him in disappointment, his eyes shifted, glancing out of the window of the train. He saw a familiar figure vanishing into the crowd. Ah, it was time then.

He groaned in pain, shaking his wrapped hand. The movement caused Caleb to refocus his attention on his injury instead of Briar. Concern immediately flared in his eyes especially when blood soaked the wrap.

"We should've stopped to get more," Caleb murmured. "I did see an apothecary right over there. The train doesn't leave in another thirty minutes. I can grab you some."

Derrick winced. "Only if you think it's necessary."

Derrick's hand began to shake. Caleb's eyes widened with eyebrows raising in disbelief. "You're bleeding through the bandage."

"Just a mere scratch."

"You're hopeless," Caleb chucked with a smirk forming. "I'll be back."

Derrick nodded, watching as Caleb checked his pocket for his train ticket before leaving him to get new bandages. The moment Caleb disappeared from view, Derrick glanced down at his bloodied hand and unwrapped the bandage until his hand was revealed.

Grateful to Pandora's healing skills, the mark now was an indented imprint of his old House. It was still charred black the imprint itself. Around the mark was noticeable scarred tissue that smoothed gradually into his regular unblemished skin. It no longer looked obscenely grotesque and it no longer bled.

He waited. His eyes scanned the train until Caleb returned without bandages and Derrick smirked at the observation. He watched as the uncanny lookalike took a seat by him.