Lost in Shadows

Chapter Twelve

The sickening symphony of teeth ripping into flesh persisted as they gnawed their way down to the bone. Charlotte kept a blank expression at the sight. Then she spun around and ran over to the stairs, her frantic puking adding to the stench.

Raphael clucked his tongue. "I suppose her constitution isn't much better than you. How tedious."

I kept my gaze on the grotesque dinner. One eye was gone at this point and another seemed terribly vacant. It left me with a vague sense of discomfort, if not horror, but I shoved that feeling aside. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to suspect that I had sympathy for the traitorous vampire. "You forget how the mortal body works. The mind can't overcome its senses."

"You still associate too much with mortals." Raphael shook his head. "I don't even know why she wants you. Someone who shuns our kind unless they are children."

The child he meant was Elizabeth. Still edgy from Lilith's ominous threat, my shoulders tightened. If it were anyone else, I would think she wouldn't break our laws only to hurt me, but she only had her own agenda. "Elizabeth was Robert's," I said, forcing myself to remain calm. "I watch out for her."

"Robert was foolish and had too many human emotions," Raphael said with a sneer. "He also wasn't family. Despite your many failings, you are."

I lowered my head. "I never said I wasn't."

"You are an unfaithful child to our mother," Raphael said, disdain soaking every word. "It never should have been you who was welcomed into our family. You took the place of someone who should have been here."

It had been almost dawn when I left Miriam's apartment, after we spent the night doing things that my mother told me would send me straight to perdition. Still caught up in the fog of pleasure, I almost didn't see the man standing in the hallway. Dressed to the nines, he looked too distinguished for the area. My first thought had been that he spent the night with an actress. That was the most realistic explanation.

When I took a few steps and glanced back, he was now closer to me, even though I hadn't heard him move. My pace increased, but he was still there every time I checked. A terrible expression was on his face and his eyes had a red glow. Terror filled me and I almost tripping heading out the door. On a familiar street, in the early morning light, I attempted to convince myself that lack of sleep was confusing me.

I still dashed from there as if my life depended on it.

I hated that I still had some of my mortal fear of him. He probably regretted not ripping my head off when he saw me leaving Miriam's apartment.

With Charlotte's blood still in me, I had more of my vicious vampire nature. I summoned it and forced myself to look at him. "Does it bother you more that we're family or that Miriam never gave you any time?"

Raphael's icy exterior cracked, and he growled, showing the beast beneath the sophisticated mask. "She was ungrateful." He spat out a hateful word about her and if Charlotte's life hadn't depended on it, I might have tried to rip out his joke of a heart. "You're just as bad as the trash. The only reason I tolerate you is because you're part of the family. The pity is I have to tolerate whatever you bring into this family."

I used what remained of my self-control to smile at him. "It was good to see you. We should have a drink."

Not if I could help it. When this was over, I intended to convince Elizabeth to move. If I were fortunate, none of my family would find me. Better for me to be away from Charlotte.

She was already too tangled up with our world.

Raphael wrinkled his nose and hurried away from me as if I had a worse stench than the suffering vampire. I waited until an appropriate amount of time passed, then walked away from the revolting meal. By the time I reached Charlotte, she had righted herself and was wiping her mouth.