From Shadow to Light - Book Ten

Ch. 10- Bait

"I blindly allowed transient lips and hands to destroy the eternity I hoped for."

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I have learned early that there is a line between good and evil. Heroes and villains. But what happens if you are both? That you exist to heal the world but also corrupt it? How do you choose a side when you barely know who you are to begin with? Everyone expects me to make responsible choices like my mother did years before, but they all should have figured out the day I was born that I am my father's daughter and there is a feral beast inside me that longs to make the bad ones. To take what I want without remorse. To kill those who hurt the people I loved. That is who I am and I will not apologize for it. Yes, I have made mistakes like using people I genuinely cared about to distract myself from the pain in my heart. I lied like it was my only weapon to justify my own fucked up ideas of how to keep everyone safe. Whatever. Let's get back to it, shall we?

My home was enormous to the point of insanity. The staff and maids came and went throughout the day so there was not a quiet moment in this fucking place. But I loved it. It was constant noise which made my sunlight brighten in the years I grew up here. My ass was planted on the wooden barstool while my legs were propped up on the table in front of me, silently eating a plate of nachos as I was glued to the television screen in the corner. A crime show that had me hooked since I walked into my family living room two hours ago. I took a bite of the tortilla chips filled with nacho cheese and did not blink as the detectives in the show found another dead body, both shivering at the sight of the gruesome way the murderer killed their victim. My lips pulled into a tight grin at the idea of actual police finding out how I did the same thing to the shadows. Gruesome, brutal deaths that held no mercy. Just how I liked it.

The double doors to the room were open and my ears picked up on a conversation from outside. I stopped chewing and focused on who was speaking. I heard the soft feminine voice of Bea Clemonte and the roughness of my Father? What? "How long can you go on with this, miss Bea?" my Father questioned. "I do not like keeping secrets from my own daughter. You need to tell her soon before it gets worse."

"Sor has a lot on her hands right now, Mr. Breevort," Bea replied darkly. "And it's not like you could do anything to help me. All of you have tried over and over again, but nothing can be done to change my fate."

I slammed the nachos on the counter and sped my way out of the living room as quickly as my feet could take me. It took a good two seconds to stand in between them with my eyebrow raised, wondering what the fuck I overheard. Bea's eyes widened at the sight of me while Dad breathed deeply, showing a little bit of sadness in his black irises. I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "Here's a lesson for next time: don't have a private conversation in a palace full of Vampires. What is going on?"

My Father glanced from me to Bea, then back at me again like he was considering spilling out whatever was on his mind. The soft expression he gave me made me realize he knew I was hanging out here and wanted me to find out. These secret conversations have been happening for a while now and my patience has been lowered. I desperately need to find out what they know. "It is not my information to share, sweetheart. It is Beatrice's."

I turned to her now, waiting. "Well?"

Her eyes were full of betrayal and frustration. But mostly sorrow. "I am surprised you haven't found out yet. We've been friends for five years and ever since I figured out who you really are, I have expected you to notice. It took your Father only a few minutes to ask me if it was true."

My expression turned into a confused frown. "What the fuck are you talking about?" I questioned, clasping my hands in hers as my best friend was close to tears. "Please, Bea, I love you and nothing will scare me off. What is it?" Her dark green eyes were darker as silent tears slipped out from their corners, noticing how exhausted she might be by the dark circle underneath them. She was pale in comparison to months before but I thought it was because it was no longer summer.