Blood & Power [Book One of The City of Eternity Series] [✔]

1.10: Begin

There were so many delectable choices at the club; women and men running around with joyous expressions, ignorant to the woes of those around them, ignorant to the hunger pangs that were growing ever so restless behind the skin of grinning vampires. It was just a shame that I couldn't bring myself to take any of those choices behind a curtain and take them raw; rather more interested in the dishevelled state of my younger companion, and better yet, distracted by the information that Violet had bestowed upon me; frustration filling every crevice of my mind.

I'd played every interaction I'd had since last seeing Violet in my head, trying to find the witch I'd been around to no avail. I'd been around witches for a long time, and knew the signs of one. Which is why, only an hour after Violet had sauntered away from and began to play with those eyeing her up like prey, I found myself taking the long walk back to Seventeen. The streets were relatively empty, most of the vampires either high in the skyscrapers or digging low in the depths of Ruby.

Even Seventeen seemed devoid of people, the entire lobby cleared out, only a few uninterested souls loitering around and drinking together. What surprised me, was that despite that, Adrienne was the first person my eyes had fallen on. Her face was squeezed into a scorn, one arm crossed over her chest as the other helped her pour an entire glass of a golden liquid down her throat in one go.

That was certainly a bad sign.

I was apprehensive to approach her upon seeing that sight, but I realised, if it was for any reason, it was bound to either be diplomatic or something frivolous that I could possibly help solve. I could do that for her, she was my friend, and listening was the least I could do - especially after how dismissive I'd been earlier, perhaps unreasonably.

That's what I had thought I'd do. Until I was right in front of her, and the only question that I could find myself asking was, "How was she?" referring to Kara because she was the one in the back of my mind. She took my priority, unbeknownst to me.

Adrienne didn't seem to mind, shaking the empty glass in front of her in response. It seemed I was right to ask that question because luckily, the alcohol consumption was about Kara. She'd taken to the fiery liquid because of Kara, rather than anything else, and that in the very least I could take comfort in.

Then again it created a new problem, Kara had been a problem while I was gone. She still wasn't able to rest easily alone and away from me.

"Antsy," She had hummed, taking a quick glance towards the staircase, which upon my own glance, I realised was homing Kara, who was sitting on one of the middle steps and staring up at the ceiling in slight dismay, several books balanced on her knees as if she was trying to keep herself busy with the absence of anyone around her that she knew, "I don't think she's comfortable alone without you yet, Nika."

"She's done it before," I mentioned. That reply had earned me an eye roll; there was clearly something I was missing. Which became even more evident when she'd slammed the glass down onto the fireplace.