Suffocate In Spirit - Shadows of the Night 4

Chapter 53

Hi!

Okay, so we all found out Alexander's even more resourceful than we and Anna thought. But, what next? How to get out of this?
I hope you'll enjoy the chapter. Let me know!

Lara

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Chapter 53

I openly stared. Not only that Alexander spoke their language, he was facing the congregation of magically armed witches in a disconcertingly calm and composed manner. Not a single trace of anger or any other emotion.

"No matter who was in her head, whether it was Ramondo or not, she had no way of obliterating him. The human servant followed her through the portal and came after her," he said. The words were soft, but packed a power punch that made the hair on my back point north. I was pretty sure the head vamp wasn't even trying very hard.

Vincenzo's eyes drifted from Alexander back to me again. "We entrusted you with secrets our community has kept for decades, and you come back with a vampire and an impending war?"

Alexander took a step forward. "Any actions she takes, are in essence mine. If you do have a problem with them, you will talk to me. I am Alexander, head vampire of New York-"

"Do you think I care what you call yourself?" Vincenzo said. "I don't need your name to know who and what you are." His eyes were blazing, moved to me with the slow-hand-shift of an ancient clock.

If I ever saw hatred, the kind of rejection you get on school grounds, the full-blast anger you see in bloody street riots, it was there. Pain. Hurt that left me chilled to the bone. The fact that he looked at me like he didn't even know who I was.

No, it was like I was someone that was more enemy than stranger. Like the blood and the magic in my veins meant nothing to him. Vincenzo didn't spell it out, but with one look alone he was saying things that went beyond words. I had no place. Not even among the Lumenis.

"You brought a vampire into our midst," he said. "You do not know what repercussions this will have. Do you think we will just let you go? Do you think we'll let the vampire live after what he learned?"

The chuckle was soft. I wasn't the only one to stiffen and freeze upon hearing it. It came from behind me. From Alexander. I turned my head. His arms were folded underneath this chest, casually. It was the stance of someone who'd just been invited over for tea.

"I am the least of your problems," he said. "Why not let her finish her account? Aren't you curious what happened to Ramondo's human servant?"

Vincenzo stilled.

Alexander smiled. "Ask her what she just did."

The blood in my veins turned to something solid, dirt and thick oil that stopped the grinding of a well-run machine. He couldn't be turning this around, he couldn't. He couldn't beat me in my own game. I thought, with the Lumenis present, I was going to be the one in charge. I thought I would explain what happened in my own words, make them understand. After he kissed me, I expected Alexander would-

Expected. Thought. Would. Mirthless laughter welled up, died and withered before it could escape my mouth. This was Alexander, dammit.

Eyes turned to me in quick beat succession. Among them all only few registered. Luca's. Vincenzo's. And Alexander's.

My gaze shifted, flickered from one person to the other, unable to settle on one of them. At last, they came to rest on the one pair of eyes I wanted to see the least.