Vampire Bride

Chapter Twenty Nine: Part Two

Maxwell

Charlie's stiff fingers curl around mine. I have to pry my hand out of hers in order for me to fetch a chair so I can sit beside her. Keeping my eyes on her lifeless body, my heart breaks as I cross the room to carry the bench to her bedside. I know she's not dead, but seeing her like this is worse than I thought it would be.

I sit on that bench or pace the room for hours in the dark. My anxiousness makes my extremities fidgety in anticipation. All I can think of is how angry she's going to be when she wakes up. Forcing myself to stay seated, I put my head in my hands in disappointment. The blame of this whole unfortunate situation rests on my shoulders. Waiting and patience are not my strong suits, which just makes this even more unbearable.

Vibrations from my phone run down the length of my leg. As quickly as possible I pull it out of my front pocket, allowing the screen to partially light up the room. My voice comes out quiet as if I would wake a sleeping Charlie. "Grace."

"How's Charlie?"

"Oh, you know, just dead for a while."

"Lovely. Well, I have some more not so great news." She stammers over her words as she tries to figure out how to say what she needs to inform me about. "It's about Daisy."

That name causes my hands to ball into fists as well as thoughts of if I ever see that woman again I'll kill her. "What about her, Grace?"

"She showed up today seeking sanctuary along with forgiveness for what her vampire made her do. She graveled at Benjamin's feet saying you would seek revenge for her being one of the conspirators in Charlie's death and that this was the only place where protection would be given to her."

"She did what?" I holler into the phone. My voice echoes throughout Charlie's room.

"She told them about Henry's long thought-out plans of killing Charlie, because of vengeance. She made it sound as if he used her like a pawn in his plan...there might have also been something mentioned that he threatened her life if she didn't kidnap Charlie. She went on to talk about how awful Henry was with numerous feedings and outrageous things he asked her to do. The High Council looks upon her as a victim in this."

"A victim...a victim. She wasn't forced into anything and Charlie almost died because of her." I'm appalled at how she's so effortlessly playing everyone, just like Henry did.

"I've requested a hearing for all to hear what she has to say and there's only one way to get the truth out there and you know what that is."

"Charlie."

"It'll work out perfectly since she thinks Charlie is dead. Eugene will help me get everything to come together."

"Benjamin is not informing her that Charlie is alive?"

"Benjamin owes me, so when I asked him to withhold that information he agreed. Only him, Eugene, and obviously myself know she's a vampire now." Grace sounds quite pleased with herself.

"Duke," I blurt out, almost forgetting the reason Henry found us in the first place. "Tell Eugene to keep an eye on Duke. One of our dear council members helped Henry track us down." I can't stop myself from staring at Charlie's lifeless body, thinking about how she looks quite dead right now all because of Duke.

"What a coincidence. Duke offered to watch over Daisy. He's supposedly helping her get accustomed to being a vampire. Don't worry. She'll get what she deserves, just like Henry got what he deserved."

I didn't hear the last part of what Grace said because loud impatient knocks bang on the door. "Grace, I got to go." I hear her question why in attempt to find out what's wrong, but I just hang the phone up and debate about leaving Charlie's side.