Finding Fire

Chapter 24

Anna couldn't continue this conversation without getting more pissed off. She turned and strode away. She didn't hear his footsteps but felt his eyes on her until she was out of the massive room that had so fascinated her just moments ago.

What kind of monster was Nicolas? Was he really so nonchalant about murdering innocents? Maybe she was the stupid one for thinking a vampire would care about humans being killed.

She needed to talk to Evie. She needed someone to try to understand what she was dealing with. She couldn't talk to Abigail, and she would never want to divulge all the secrets she'd learned to the Stakes.

Anna stopped at that. She really was all alone now. She now knew about this fascinating world, but she could never share it with anyone. The only person she could speak freely to was a queen now. She wouldn't exactly have time to pick up the phone whenever Anna really needed to talk.

Anna would have to go home soon. She only had a few more classes she could miss before her job would be in jeopardy, and she thought she might have passed that threshold a class or two ago.

Nicolas wouldn't be coming back with her. Aleksander might not even let him leave at all. Even if he made it out of this place alive, he wouldn't want to come back with her.

They had never talked about the future, but Anna wasn't naive. Nicolas had never said or done anything to lead her to believe what they had was more than sex. Even if she wanted more with him, she knew how he felt about humans. Besides that, Anna wasn't even sure she wanted him.

He was fascinating, beautiful, and in bed he was the definition of the word animal in the best way, but he was also horribly controlling. How could she submit herself to another controlling man? It would only be a matter of weeks before she would bolt from him.

No. When she left the palace, she would be more or less alone. Might as well get used to it now.

Anna walked to the wing of the palace Evie and Aleksander occupied. She probably passed about five vampires on the way. None of them spoke to her, but they were not too shy to stare.

It was uncomfortable for her to be the center of attention when she was so used to blending into crowds. She wanted to know what they were thinking as they looked at her. Were they thinking how funny it was that a human thought she belonged here? Maybe they were imagining how she would taste.

Her feet carried her a bit faster to reach Evie. When she reached her door, she wanted to pound on the wood until Evie answered but forced her hand to calmly rap on the door.

It must have been nearing dawn, because Evie was dressed in a beautiful silk nightgown. Even her sleep clothes put Anna's normal clothes to shame.

Still, Evie looked so beautiful and happy that Anna couldn't help but smile. "Hey," she said. "You want to take a little walk with me?"

"I would love to, but," she looked out her window at the dark sky, "I don't have much time."

Anna looked over Evie's shoulder at the same window. It still looked pitch black. She wondered whether it was just Evie's internal clock that told her the sun was about to rise or whether all vampires could sense when the sun was coming.

"It doesn't have to be long," said Anna.

Evie quickly grabbed a robe from inside her room and came out to Anna. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Anna looked ahead and tried to make sure she could actually remember how to find her way around if she ever got lost in the maze of rooms. "Nothing specific. I wanted to see you." Anna figured that sounded better than "I'm feeling really lonely and like an outcast here, but I don't want to go home because you won't be there and I will have to sort out feelings I may or may not have for a vampire who may or may not be evil."