Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

DB Chapter 20 - An Answer

Chapter 20

"THE ANSWER TO your question is yes," Vivienne said as Julian drove her and Sallen away in his yellow convertible.

"What question?"

"Whether I would be your Orlin."

"Great, but first things first. What was that about back there?" Julian asked. He drove slowly in the snow. It was as though the weather itself was trying to keep her from escaping from that damned penthouse apartment.

"When did you care about other people's feelings?" Vivienne asked with a weak laugh. She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand again. Julian shrugged off his shirt and offered it to her as a tissue. Vivienne wasn't sure how it was possible, but somehow, he looked even more gorgeous wearing only a jacket over his naked torso.

"I'm not the monster you think I am," Julian stated. "Is it so unbelievable that I might care about you, Vivienne Minthe, or Weisse, or whatever your name is?"

"You sure had us fooled. Somewhere out there, my sister is cursing your name."

"I may not love your sister in a romantic way, but Janun can rest assured that I'll care for her little sister as though she were my own."

Vivienne laughed softly. She punched Julian in the shoulder, and he pretended to flinch. His body was as hard as stone, as any vampire's would be. Vivienne recalled slapping Blake in the face. Somehow, his skin felt warm, and she noticed he turned his head as her hand made contact with his cheek. If he was only pretending to be human, he was becoming awfully good at it.

"Maglania spoke to me through my dreams. She told me about Aethon and about the curse I must break."

"W-what?" Julian screeched and slammed his foot on the brakes. He turned to her and gave no regard to the cars honking around them. "She did what?"

"She has the necklace. She can speak to me through it as Blake used to."

"You need to tell your boyfriend about this," Julian hissed. "If he knew that I knew, and kept it from him, he would kill me."

"He can't kill you," Vivienne replied defiantly. She crossed and uncrossed her arms over her chest. "Not if I'm the one bound to you. I'll kill him first. I'm not afraid of him. Not anymore."

"Hold it, how did we end up plotting Blake's death?" Julian asked quizzically. "This isn't just about Aethon, is it?"

"He and Allison. They're together, aren't they?"

"Together? Together in a cab? In an elevator? What do you mean?"

"They're in love."

Julian's eyes widened, and then he threw back his head and laughed. "Your boyfriend and that red-headed pumpkin?"

"I overheard you speaking to Blake on the way back from Remin. You said Allison only had eyes for him."

"Yes, that is true, but he hasn't a clue about any of it. He's in love with you, only you."

Vivienne stared back in silence. Could she have misunderstood everything?

"I saw them in his office together," Sallen interjected. "They were whispering together, and they hid something as soon as I appeared."

"He's not into Allison Devon," Julian sighed and restarted the car before the other drivers started a riot. "I wouldn't tease him about it in front of you if it were true."

Vivienne crossed her arms so tightly over her chest that she could barely breathe. She had almost set Blake on fire. Could it have been a misunderstanding?

"Now, the real issue is what Maglania has been whispering to you in your sleep. You have to tell him. But before you do, you have to think carefully about every word."

"Why?" Vivienne rolled her eyes. "It's just a pit of demons, just like Satan's Hollow."

"The moment you tell him, he's going to realize he can't stall anymore. He's going to go straight to Sulia, and many, many people will die. Myself included," Julian added.

"Is it really that serious?"

"Did Maglania tell you what you have to do in Aethon?"

"I have to channel the six powers," Vivienne replied, angrily. "The cost for succeeding is my soul. If I fail, I will die."

"You agreed to go alone?" Julian asked as though that single detail was especially unbelievable.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I go alone?" Vivienne laughed. "I'm the only one who could survive down there. Who would I bring? Anyone who goes with me would be demon food."

"Your boyfriend."

"If I lose control again, I could kill him. No, I will go alone. I would rather go alone."

Julian whistled softly. "I know I've said many unkind things to you in the past about the way you dress, your social skills, and your math abilities. However, lack of courage isn't one of them. You're the most stupidly brave girl I've ever met."

"Thanks, I guess," Vivienne answered. "It's not that I have no fear, but I'll do it for him. I want him to have everything his heart desires. I stupidly want it, even now that I know he only wanted my power all along."

"Stupid and selfless. You two are more alike than I thought."

"Why wouldn't I do it?" Vivienne asked. "What's the worth of my soul? I'm no one. Isn't this why Blake made me his Orlin from the beginning? So, I could do this for him? Why else would he bring me back here, shower me with gifts, and send you to cater to my every whim? He wants something."

"Have you considered he might love you?" Julian asked. "That this isn't purely a business transaction?"

"Stop," Vivienne snapped. "Stop that right now if you still want me as your Orlin. I'm sick of having my heart broken. I'm going to go down to Aethon and do what he asks, but I won't be a fool again."

Julian scoffed as though he found her words very amusing. He looked ahead and kept shaking his head.

"Your tragically low self-esteem aside, I don't know what Maglania is thinking. Her plan to send you alone will never work."

"Why?"

"Because to channel Blake's powers, and he has five of the six that you need, you need his cooperation. You can't just channel from him if he's not willing. He'll sooner die than allow you to channel from him in Aethon, alone."

"I can't just knock him out?"

"No, his gift isn't strong enough for that. It might work on you because you're just overflowing with firepower, but if you want to channel from him, he needs to be fully cooperative. Even then, I don't know if it's enough. You saw in Remin how even using one of the five exhausted him. As you saw, the Segais is his strongest power and the one he reaches for the most easily. Yet he could barely use it without exhausting himself."

"Then what is Maglania's plan in asking me to go alone?"

"Because she believes it will force him to go alone. Or if you go alone, he'll rush to join you. Or, there is a third outcome, and I know this is the most likely outcome."

"And that is?"

"He'll try to kill her," Julian shrugged. "It would take very little to push him to that point."