Cassian Legacy: The Vampire Prince
Chapter 22

This was unbelievable. I should’verun away by now, but I forced myself into staying because of him. He wasgetting too close to what I was, what I really was that is, and I didn’t wanthim to replace out. It was dangerous, no Iwas dangerous.

It was bad enough that I had madeconnections in this city. If I were to leave now, there would be endlessquestions regarding my whereabouts and why I suddenly uprooted and fled from mysupposed home. I wouldn’t have to worry about the safety of my friends from thevampires that built a life here now that I knew it was a much safer place thanother villages. But all of my notions and fears, the way I reasoned with myselfso that I wouldn’t part from this place no longer controlled me. I couldn’tleave what had become my home, yet I couldn’t remain here either. Every secondI stayed I revealed more of my true nature and history, and it was that alonethat put him into danger. I couldn’tfight what I was in the end no matter how hard I tried. There weren’t any otheroptions available for me.

It was time to run.

I whipped out my duffel bag andstarted throwing clothes into it. I threw my toiletries in there as well, notbothering to segregate them for I didn’t have the time. Once it was somewhatpacked I glanced at the keys and card lying on the surface of the desk. Theywere items connecting me to my life here.

No. I couldn’t think like thatanymore if I was leaving. This wasn’t my home. Those things were not connectedto me at all - they were just items. Getting the money out of the bank would beeasy, however it was talking with Sylvia that left me utterly speechless. Shewould know that something was wrong, unless I used my compulsion on her.

I snatched the keys up, leaving mystuff where it was for now. Hopefully she’d understand why it was time that Ileft and not ask questions. If the worst happened, I would use my ability,though I didn’t want to.

I headed straight for the office.But when I approached the building, I noticed she wasn’t alone in the tinyroom. The windows were open, and she was having a discussion with a boy. Ididn’t recognize who it was until he spoke. My heart jumped wildly at the soundof his voice, but I hardened myself so I wouldn’t react to it.

I paused, undecided about what itwas I was doing until he said something about me. Intrigued I crept forward andlistened, momentarily forgetting about my escape.

“I don’t know what to do, Sylvia,”Finn sighed. “I can’t discuss this with my family so that’s why I came here.She’s different than the rest of us. I feel that she has ancient powers, onesthat are impossible yet legendary. I’m having trouble hiding what she is to theothers. I don’t think she even knows this herself. Every time I turn aroundthere’s something new added to an endless list that I have to explain in someway. It’s like she doesn’t know that she’s revealing secrets that have beenburied.”

“But why hide her at all?” Sylviaperked up at the end of his short monologue. As soon as she said that shedropped her chipper smile and shook her head at him. “I don’t see how I canhelp in this.”

Finn paced her floor. I overheardhis footsteps, however light they were. “Earlier when she was at the house, sheplayed the lullaby - though when myfather asked her about it, she had no clue about the meaning behind the song.But that wasn’t the only odd thing that happened. Once we formed the bondbetween us, she licked her finger which had been completely saturated with my blood. I saw the look on her face.She actually enjoyed the taste and wasn’t as averted to it as she told me. I’mbeginning to think my scent affects her in a way that her scent affects me. Iwouldn’t dare taste her blood, but I’m beginning to wonder if I should. It goesagainst everything I was taught and raised with. The more she reveals thesesubtle qualities the more I’ve come to realize that she wasn’t quite createdlike the rest of the others. I don’t know what to do.”

So that was it. He had noticedabout the blood on my finger, how I liked the taste of his blood. He wasfiguring this out way too quickly, and that thought frightened me, furthercementing my thoughts that it was time I left.

Sylvia sighed, bringing my focusback to the present. “So you came to me.”

Finn’s eyes pleaded with her. “Youknow I cannot discuss this among my family. If they even knew there wassomething weird about her she’d be on the kill order.”

Sylvia didn’t respond right away.She was deep in thought, struggling with some issue. I figured she decided toconfide in him what she was thinking in earnest about her hidden thoughtsbecause she finally spoke, though it was barely above a whisper. “You know theburglar that she saved the girl from?”

Finn nodded, probably wondering whyshe brought up that particular subject at all.

Sylvia didn’t waste time incontinuing. “It wasn’t a burglar. I didn’t tell you at the time because Ididn’t want you to worry. I saw the body, hidden well in the trash compactorshe stuffed it into. You should know that I’ve known what she is from the firstday I let her rent the house.”

Finn’s eyes went wide.

Before he could object, she wasspeaking again. “The point is, it doesn’t bother me. She protects the occupantsof this complex. She’s been protecting you, for some odd reason. You have tokeep her identity a secret and pass off these subtle surprises as ignorance.It’s the only way for her to survive here.”

I had heard enough. They both knewand they were making me look like a fool by keeping me in the dark about theirworld. I shook my head and turned back around. My decision was made. I wouldjust have to leave tonight. The more I stayed here, the more dangerous it gotfor them.

I fled quietly back to the cottageand ran up the stairs. I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and ranback down only to come face to face with Finn.

He glanced at the bag and at myhair, which had come undone in the chaos. “Where are you going?”

I shook my head and pushed pasthim. “I should’ve done this a long time ago.” I pulled down a box of crackersfor the road. If there was one thing I learned here, it was to keep food on myperson so I retained the illusion of a human.

He grabbed my wrist and a jolt ofelectricity sizzled up my arm and down my spine. I nearly jumped from the minorshock, but it wasn’t his touch that made me whirl around, it was the way heheld it - gently as though he didn’t want me to go. It was not a forceful griphe had on me.

His eyes found mine. “You cannotflee tonight. What would my family think? What about your friends?”

I shook my head and tried wrenchingmy arm from his grasp. I didn’t want to hurt him, but he let me go before itbecame a struggle. “You cannot keep me here,” I whispered. “I need to leave.”

“Abelia,” he pleaded with me. “Iknow you heard us talking. But you need to understand that I know nothing aboutyou. Sylvia hasn’t told me anything that I haven’t already figured out on myown. She’s kept me in the dark and so have you, though I don’t know why. I wantto know more about you, but you won’t let me in so that I can protect you frommy family.”

I whirled on him, not clearlythinking straight since I overheard the conversation. I only knew one thing,that he didn’t see me as a threat. “No Finn, you don’t get it. You’re not the danger here, you never were.”

He threw his hands in the air. “Idon’t know what more I have to do to make you see. If you go out there, so soonafter telling them you’d be one of my protector’s they’ll see this as treason.You could have a death sentence on your head and be hunted by those of our kindthat hunt.”

“And you think that I’m afraid ofthem?” I dropped my bag, and pushed up my sleeves. “Do you wish to see mefight? See me in action? I could destroy you in a matter of minutes and you’dnever know what happened.”

He approached me. “But you won’t.It’s like with Ms. Ingram. When she attacked you, you didn’t hurt her. You’vesurrounded yourself with humans, and you won’t hurt them. I know you won’t hurtme, even though I’m a vampire.”

I crossed my arms. “I may not hurtyou, but that doesn’t mean that others won’t be as restrained as I am.”

“Abelia.” He reached out and touched myshoulders.

I wanted to push him away, but Ididn’t. A part of me wanted him to pull me close and wrap his arms around mybody.

But what was I thinking? I was hisenemy.

Instead, Finn’s eyes bored intomine. “Why won’t you let me in? Why do you keep covering up your past? I knowthat not all of what you’ve said is the complete truth, that you’re concealinga valuable piece of information from me. There are parts of your history thatdo not match that of a created vampire. There are things that you do that don’tmatch the habits of created vampires.”

I shivered involuntarily, but heldhis gaze.

“Are you afraid I’m going to runaway? That I’ll hate what you are?”

I swallowed. I wanted to tell himyes, I feared that, but he could never know. None of them could ever know… Iwouldn’t tell him. I couldn’t tell him.

I shook myself free and picked upthe bag again.

He blocked my way out.

“Are you going to move or am Igoing to have to force you?” I said through clenched teeth.

He shook his head. “You need tostay.”

“For how long? Until you discoverhow dangerous I am? Or until it’s too late?” I cried.

“Just stay for another week. Oneweek,” he breathed. “It’s all I ask of you.”

This was an accident waiting tohappen. I closed my eyes, already defeated within my soul. This was not by hisplea, but by my own convictions. I really wanted to stay, but I was forcing thedecision to walk out of here for his own good. But he was right. I couldn’tleave suddenly, now. I needed a way out - a better plan, one that was moresensible.

I nodded, accepting his plea andfeeling totally defeated. “One week. But I’m going to warn you. If your familydiscovers…” I trailed off. There was no way to tell him anything more about mewithout him learning the truth. I changed tactics. “If I become the threat, I will run.”

His mouth formed that perfect smileof his. And then he said it, in one of his cockiest voices ever spoken to me.“I don’t think you’ll ever be a threat to me.”

Whatever feelings I had for him atthat moment, fizzled. I turned and headed back up the stairs. I left my bag onthe bed and flipped on the shower. I hadn’t even shed my clothes when I felthis arms go around me. I stood there in the steam, completely in shock.

Something I had wanted and wishedfor several years and also in the past few days, had finally come to pass, andthis simple action thrilled yet frightened me. This was why I needed to getaway. My feelings for him were getting stronger, and if we ever developed arelationship it would only end badly.

“Thank you,” he whispered in myear.

And just as soon as his arms were there,they were gone again. The warmth was gone. All throughout my shower I didn’tfeel the heat of the water, though only the hot was turned on. But that didn’tmatter much. The promise I had made to myself was broken. I told myself I’dnever get involved, that I could run at any moment, and that no one would everknow the harsh truth. Even if the third hadn’t come true, it was only a matterof time at this rate.

I curled up in the corner of thetiled shower stall and cried.

How would they ever forgive me?