Vampire Bride

Chapter Eighteen - Part One

Charlie

We reach Grace's door and I'm just about to knock when Maxwell grabs my hand to stop me. "What?"

"Let's go downstairs to the party. We'll surprise Grace there." He can't hide his emotions from me. I see concern etched into his features, tense lips and narrowed brows.

"What are you not telling me?"

"She has company and I think it's best not to disrupt them."

"Who?" I know he knows who's in there.

"Benjamin," he reluctantly says.

"Is he being cruel to Grace?" After hearing that Benjamin takes advantage of Grace, I can't help but want to give him a piece of my mind. Not to mention the pissed off part of me that wants to call him out on sending Stella to our room.

"He's in the middle of scolding Grace and it wouldn't be best to make things worse." His eyes are cast down to the floor.

"What!" I bellow. Maxwell's hand clamps across my mouth to keep me silent.

"He's yelling at her because she let us leave. Even though she's not loyal to him, he still demands her to be. In the eyes of The High Council she's expected to be devoted to him and their rules. He apparently wants us here and Grace let us slide through her fingers."

I can't sit here and let him ream Grace out because of me. While Maxwell left earlier today to do whatever it was he had to do without me, I really got to know Grace. Her life was not pleasant and she found light in the dark world she was trapped in because of Benjamin. Her light was Maxwell and Alexander.

I yank myself free from Maxwell's grip and pound on the door. "Grace," I scream at the door. A quick sideways glace toward Maxwell to see his angered glare is all I have time for before the sound of footsteps gets louder. The look on his face is all I need to know that what I've done doesn't sit well with him. "Listen, I'm not going to stand back and let him win. Now, are you with me or not?"

"Only if you do what I tell you to for this to work as well as you want it to."

"Deal," I agree faster than I should have. I can only imagine what he is going to instruct me to do.

Within a few moments the door swings open to show us a hesitant Grace. Her eyes light up at the sight of us, but quickly dim down.

"Surprise," I cautiously say as she looks from Maxwell to me.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving," she asks in a hushed voice. She puts extra emphasis on the word 'leaving' as if she's secretly telling us to go.

Maxwell tips his head toward me. "She wants to go to the party, Grace." His words are strained. I know he blames Grace for bringing the party to my attention in the first place, because if she didn't we would be almost home by now.

"Grace, I'm in the middle of a discussion with you. Tell your meal to find you at the party," Benjamin shouts from somewhere inside the room.

Heat rises to my head, and gradually the feeling takes over my whole body. I push past Grace to storm into the room to confront this ungrateful man. With his back to me, I have the advantage. The feel of Maxwell's cold body lingers closely behind me. I glance back, silently telling him to back off.

"Good evening, Benjamin. I understand you're giving my dear friend Grace here a hard time about my unexpected departure."

He whips around at the sound of my voice. The look of shock mixed with disgust on his face as he stares down at me creates a sudden urge to punch him. "What a pleasure to see that you are still here." He beams at me.