Shades of Scarlet

Chapter Six

“Okay.”

“Tell me if you need anything.”

I smile politely. “Thank you.” I expected Linda to be as foul-mouthed as usual, but she actually managed to lighten my mood.

She exits and closes the bathroom’s door behind her, leaving me to myself. Darien actually ran out into the sun for me? I remember the grotesque sight of the rough vampire getting cooked in the light, the way blisters started to form next to the charcoal burnt skin.

He must have suffered too.

I brush my teeth, trying not to admit that my heart is already starting to forgive him. I think about the torture I was put through, just to remain mad at him.

Linda was right. The balcony truly is calming. It is nighttime and New York is the city that never sleeps. I didn’t realize that we were living so high up--climbing down the stairwell gave me an idea, but the pretty view wasn’t exactly my main focus at that time. The lights are blinking a beautiful range of colors, and the buildings stand majestic and tall. The cars are still bustling about, forming orange lines in between the buildings. It kind of reminds me of a busier version of my home, only I never got a view like this because we lived close to the ground.

The wind is strong tonight. I put two coats on before stepping out. It’s troublesome, but there isn’t much to do in the apartment except to watch TV, and Darien is sitting on the couch right next to the TV.

Correction, he was sitting on the couch. “Nice view,” he says.

He shuts the glass door and props his elbows on the railings. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“Linda told me that you’re mad at me.”

“Yep.” I keep my eyes plastered to the view, unwilling to face him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Good to know.”

“I can’t forgive myself either.”

“Good to know,” I say again. He is spoiling the view. Why can’t he just leave me alone and let me appreciate New York?

He lets out an exasperated breath and rubs a palm over his face. “Look, what can I do so that you’ll face me and talk to me properly?” I hear desperation in his voice. The sadistic part of me is happy that I can make him like this, but another part of me feels bad.

I pause and finally give him my attention, thinking through my options. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“And you will forgive me then?”

“Maybe.”

He nods, a ‘maybe’ seems to be good enough for him. “I guess you should know.”

I watch him intentively. Finally, I was going to get some answers.

He breathes in a sharp breath and then lets it out. “The rogue vampires are acting up lately, and we’re almost certain that it’s because of Lilith.”

“Lilith?”

“A fallen angel, or a demon, who preoccupies her time with trying to kill you. At first we thought that the rogues were appearing because of… something else, but that night when I took you, Carmen was captured by two of her subjects, demons too.”

“But why does she want to kill me? And why take Carmen?” Knowing that Carmen had been taken away by demons only makes me feel worse, but I’m keen on knowing the rest of the story. The vampires haven’t seen her die yet, maybe she’s still alive and we can save her.