Eternal Darkness - Book One ✔

Chapter Eight

Shax was staring at me enthrallingly, like I was stripped naked or something. It was agitating. I shifted awkwardly on my feet, my eyes locked on his as if bewitched. Ironic right? I refused to succumb to his stare and look away; I had to stand my ground somehow.

His eyes were glowing a dangerous red, almost sated like, as if he'd just fed recently. It made me shiver and I forced myself to think about something else. I had no intention of being a part of a vampire's feeding style, let alone think about it.

I had an urge to look over at Nox, but for some reason my mind was telling me that I needed to keep my focus on the blond vampire sitting in front of me.

"So, Carthwright's daughter, I'm sure you have a lot of questions you want to ask me," Shax said in a smooth, enticing voice. I stared at him, my eyes narrowing which he noticed, and the corner of his lips quivered for a second.

"No," I simply replied, my tone considerably indifferent, or at least trying to be. I was giving this guy nothing. I could practically feel Nox rolling his eyes next to me, but I didn't care.

All I wanted was to be left alone, but I knew that wasn't going to happen, but I wasn't giving them any satisfaction of watching me unravel before their crimson eyes.

"Such a hardened exterior," Shax muttered, almost more to himself than to me. I clenched my jaw shut as my teeth pressed against each other. I'm not letting him get to me, I'm not.

"I sure would like to have a word with you dear old man," Shax continued impassively as he changed subjects, watching me closely for any reaction to his words, but I had none to give. Inside, it was all turmoil.

I still couldn't fathom that my father had known vampires, or the fact that he was possibly alive. I had come to terms with him dying that night my mother fled our house with me, but now it was all turning upside down.

As far as I was concerned, I was an orphan and had been for years now, living on my own until my path had crossed with Dennis and Johan.

"You're not much of a talker are you, witch?" Shax inquired, but all he got in return was a raised eyebrow and a big urge to flip him the middle finger.

Nox shook his head marginally at me, but I ignored him. Shax wasn't getting anything from me as far as I was concerned. I'd rather jump out from the roof of this building than talk to a vampire about my parents.

This earned me a breathed sigh from Nox and just as I whirled my head to look at him and what he obviously didn't like about my attitude, there was a flicker of movement and suddenly Shax was standing right in front of me, towering over me only inches from my head.

I jumped, but Nox's arm shot out to keep me steady. I hadn't even seen the man move. Damn, these superhuman skills that vampires possessed were hard to wrap ones head around the first time you heard of them, but seeing it firsthand in action was a whole other ordeal.

I had no idea why Nox was like this, almost like he was helping me. He was almost nice. Blah blah blah, vampires are incapable of being nice Emily; evil runs through their bloodless veins. I pushed the thought out of my head and bit my lip.

I craned my neck to stare up at Shax since staring straight would only have me looking into his muscled chest. Wow, focus Emily, I thought, but it was hard when my whole body trembled from the power that emanated from this being in front of me.

How anyone could think straight with this guy right in your face was beyond me. He lowered his head and his teeth glimmered when he barred his lips in a grin.

"Listen up Wicca," Shax snarled, making me wince, "let's get one thing straight here; In my house, everything goes how I want it, or else things will get very," he seemed to be thinking of an appropriate word and I hadn't realized my breath had gotten caught in my throat,"... messy," he finally finished.