Love is Darkness

Chapter 17 Prague, Czech Republic

Rachel was carried away and all the vampiresfiled out of the room, meeting adjourned. The room was empty butfor Val and Lucas.

His eyes were closed but he opened them whenshe approached, looking at her as though surprised she was still inthe room. His eyes were sky blue and he seemed tired. That was herguess, anyway.

"You didn't protect me,"she said.

"Didn't I?"

"Marion expected you tosave me and you didn't. If you had died in this fight, she wouldhave killed me too."

He gave her a condescending smile, "If I hadperished you would not have lived. She would have tasted you andknown what you were. She'd have used you, bled you over and overagain, whoring you out for power and favors until you were dry andbroken."

"How flattering. The onlyreason I'm in danger is because of you."

"Now that is an unusualpicture. Jack and your father are just as guilty as I for involvingyou in our world. Do you not blame them as well?"

Valerie was angry. It was now or never andshe was going to be free of him if it killed her. "The differenceis that I love them. I would die for Jack and he would die for me.I won't do this anymore. You don't really need me anyway. This issome elaborate scheme to get into my... blood. It's nothing to dowith me as a person, but as a toy for you, the novelty empath."

He raised a finger as though he was going tourge her to be quiet, or make a point and wanted her attention."Don't pretend to know my motivations. For you or the Others. Iwant them back. And I want you."

"Whatever. Just let me go.Let me leave and live my life. If you did actually care for me thenyou wouldn't want me involved in this."

"You want me to beunselfish? A vampire is selfishness. We kill so that we cansurvive, that is the ultimate selfishness."

She changed the subject, looking for morearguments to try to convince him to leave her alone. "I won't be avampire. I'd rather die. If you changed me I would kill myself atthe first opportunity."

Lucas chuckled humorlessly, "It is easy tobe righteous when you speak of the unknown. You do not need topersuade me. You may go."

"What's thecatch?"

He smiled. A genuine smile that crinkled hiseyes and made her think of him as the man he used to be instead ofthe blood spattered monster sitting on a throne before her.

"I don't need one. Go toJack. Convince him of your love and the future you will have. Whenhe decides to kill me, come back and beg me for his life. We needdiscuss nothing until then."

"If he doesn't come afteryou, will you leave us alone? Let us be together?"

"You are so certain youbelong with him? You have been drawn to me from the moment we met.You behave with me as though I am your lover, but that's done withnow?"

He was cool and collected, talking to hermatter of factly. This was a big deal, a breakup in fact. If hewanted her he should be pleading, shouting, trying to kiss her,geez, something to convince her beyond this calm conversation.

She swallowed heavily, not wanting to talkabout her relationship with him. "I think you've done a good jobputting yourself in my way, don't you? My mom dies from a vampireattack and while you deny it... I think you must have known. Youshowed up during...formative years. A golden monster who saved mylife. Of course I'm drawn to you. But that's not enough. Plus, youwouldn't want anything to do with me if I was a normal girl."

He raised an eyebrow in disagreement butsaid nothing in his defense. I need to get out of here.

"Take me home."