Hello Darkness

Chapter Forty-Six

My stomach curls just thinking Alma might be home, even though Victor sent out a shadow to confirm she'll be out for the day—looking for me. I suck in a deep breath.

But what if Alma comes home while I'm there? I could kill her, or I might not be able to leave. It's safe to assume that's why Victor sent Gabby with me. I continue to gaze out the window of Gabby's truck as we slip through the heavy iron gates of the estate.

I haven't noticed the moments slip by until Gabby says, "Why are you so quiet?"

"I'm worried my sister will be there."

"Well, if she is we can haze her memory if you want."

"No..." I don't like the thought of deceiving Alma like that. If she was home, then I would let her see me and face the truth. I'm alive, and I'm a vampire. "How did you deal with your family, you know, after you were turned?"

Gabby's quiet for a moment. Maybe I'd asked too much. She clears her throat. "I hazed my family." She rolls her hands over the steering wheel.

I look down, playing with the seam of my sweater. "That must have been a difficult decision." One that I don't want to make.

"It was the only decision. An Imperial Princess can't be a vampire."

I blink. Four times. "A princess..." I thought Julian had been all talk. I look her over, nothing about her says princess, but I get the feeling that's how she likes it.

"No. I don't deserve that title." She shakes her head. "I was a traitor and a disgrace to the Imperial family."

"What did you tell them?"

"It's so much more than what I told them—it's what I did. I could have destroyed Japan. Because I was a foolish, naive, little girl." She sighs and runs a hand through her hair.

"You don't have to tell me." But I hope she'll continue, I need to hear someone else's story.

"What's the point? I've already started. My father created the Konoe Shidan, an elite group of soldiers, tasked with guarding the royal family. Long story short, I fell in love with one of the guards. An asshole—he turned out to be. To this day, I don't know if I truly loved him or if he hazed me to believe I did. Either way he only wanted to use me to get to my father. I let him turn me. I didn't fit in with the royal family, he gave me hope of a life far away from there. Then, when I was turned, he tried to force me to take the throne. Use my new powers to steal it, then make him emperor.

"For the first time, I saw the monster he was. I killed him, so he couldn't hurt my family." She looks away as if it still hurt, or maybe it was guilt. "I hazed my parents to believe I left with him. Turning down any ties to the throne to become a commoner. I left Japan that day and I never saw them again."

I sit in silence for a moment, taking in what she said. "How long ago was that?"

"One hundred and fifty-three years ago. And believe it or not I'm still a baby compared to most."

"Really?"
"Yeah, Victor is 278. And Lazarus is easily double that, maybe even triple."

I try to wrap my brain around the numbers and how it was possible. Gabby taps her fingers on the wheel, her left thumb nail is wearing a grove in the leather. "You did what was right," I say, feeling the uncomfortable silence rippling off her.

She smiles slightly. "Where am I turning?"

I navigate Gabby around West Haven and hold my breath as we round the corner. It hasn't been that long, maybe a little over a week, but my house seems so foreign. I release a shaky breath, when our empty driveway comes into view. "She's not home." I look down at my hands, while I'm relieved, my heart tugs with a yearning to talk to Alma.