Castle Vitale

Part 8: Yet

"This is mine?!" 

I smiled at Charlotte's reaction. "Yes, really."

"Oh, Darius..." she kept looking around the room. "It's so beautiful--"

"And not far from me, if you need me," I added. "Drake thought it fitting since you've made quite the profit for us all." And I asked...and paid for part of it, I said to myself.

"Thank you," she whispered. "and you sent money to Hatley?"

"As requested."

"Drake, huh?" 

"Yes," I told her, and took her into my arms. "He's not so bad. He's had it rough, so...he's rough." I saw her raise an eyebrow. "He is trying to make amends."

"Why does he still hunt psychics?"

"For your own good," I nodded. "We're not the only place like this, but others experiment on, drug and cage their blood slaves. Psychics are often dragged here kicking and screaming, and then are thanking their lucky stars they were brought here when they hear what's really going on."

"Really going on?" 

"The US sells psychics to vampires to keep them happy and silent," I told her. "They are like tributes to gods. We aren't like that here. There's profit shares, rooms, vacations, etc. They just have to not let the world know about us. We are growing so big that we have to have more than one site."

"What about Hatley?" she asked.

"Hatley is for the luckiest," I nodded. "They escaped the US completely and claim asylum and/or sanctuary there. They are not prisoners of the governments or vampires. They are not our business partnerships, they are--"

"Free."

"As long as they don't come back here, yes."

"I am glad Shanti and the kids are gone," she whispered. "I'm glad they are in Canada."

"Why?" I asked. 

"Because they don't have to give blood to survive there," she shook her head. "They can have normal lives."

"And you?"

"I'm okay where I am," she replied simply, giving me a warm smile. "and if my being here keeps them safe, all the better."

"You're okay where you are." I drew her into my arms.

"For now." she looked up at me. "It's just that if this is what you say, someone is coming for you eventually."

"I don't think so," I chuckled. "Drake is a high ranking vampire. He's British and American rank. No one--"

"For profit? For power?" She put her hands on my chest. "You don't seem that way, but he is."

"He's been really good to me, like a big brother, father I never had." I took out my medallion. "I'm supposed to wear this around my neck, saying I'm under his protection, like part of his coven, but he says I can just keep it in my pocket." She reached for it. "No, no, no!" I laughed as I put it back. "That would be literally too much information for you."

She gave a little smile. "I have yet to feel there is too much information, just useful and useless."

I smiled, but all I kept thinking about was that one of her charges could be here. How was she going to react?

"Darius?"

I laughed softly. "What?"

"Don't what me, what's going on?" she asked.