Read Online The Cathedral of Cliffdale by Melissa Delport - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melissa Delport
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pulling her out of the doorway and onto the porch. Quinn forced herself to remain calm and not to struggle; she could not retaliate and risk Drake discovering who she really was. So she stood still, even though her throat was closing and she could not breathe. Drake’s fingernails pressed into her soft flesh so hard that they drew blood and his pupils dilated.
“You don’t need to do this,” she gasped, “I’m not going to expose you.” His fingers eased slightly, but his green eyes were still as cold as ice.
“Who are you?” he hissed.
“Nobody.”
“How do you know what I am?”
“I figured it out... I...” she could not say anymore, the lack of oxygen was making her head spin. Drake eased up again, slowly unfurling his fingers from her windpipe and allowing her to draw breath. Sucking in a huge lungful of air, Quinn coughed before continuing, “You’re never around during the day.”
“So what – you just logically jumped to vampire?” He didn’t believe her. Of course he didn’t – nobody in their right mind would believe that vampires exist.
“I met someone like you once,” Quinn bluffed, praying that he would accept her words as true. Vampires can sense when people are lying but Guardians are impervious to this ability. “He told me about your kind. He was my friend.”
“What was his name?”
“Jude,” she gasped, knowing it wouldn’t matter what name she gave. There were far too many vampires to keep track of everyone. Drake would not know if Jude existed or not, but he would take her word for it as he could not detect any untruth in her words.
He released her suddenly and unexpectedly and she reeled sideways, slamming into the doorframe.
“What do you know?”
“That sunlight will kill you. And that you’re stronger than humans.”
“What else?”
“You drink blood.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?” Again the disbelief in his voice.
“Of course it bothers me.”
“So why have you been talking to me – spending time with me?”
“My friend was a good person. He couldn’t help what he was. I figure it’s the same with you.” Quinn hoped against hope that Drake had been turned against his will, and wasn’t one of those vampires who had chosen this path. The fact that he lived out here, in the middle of nowhere, led her to believe he wasn’t party to the Quest. Many new vampires did not follow that path, they simply existed as they had centuries ago, harbouring no hatred for the Fae or their allies.
Drake looked long and at hard at her, his face a mask, not revealing anything.
“Stay away from me,” he muttered finally, before turning on his heel and leaving her. He didn’t go home. Instead, he made his way back to Phil’s, needing another drink. He would have to hunt soon. He and Genevieve never hunted in town – they didn’t want to draw any attention to themselves. If Genevieve was not back by tomorrow he would head for Colton – a larger town a few hundred miles away.
Genevieve had not said when she would return and Drake had not questioned her – neither about where she was going nor when she would be back. They had been together for almost half a century and often parted ways for extended periods of time. It was perfectly normal - when you lived forever, days didn’t matter. Genevieve, like her brother Sebastian, had fought alongside Aleksei in the Blood War – the siblings were over a thousand years old – but even they did not know Aleksei’s whereabouts. When Eldon had stopped fighting and created Summerfeld, Aleksei had simply disappeared and no-one had seen the Vampire King since. Drake was fond of Genevieve and had worked with her brother for a century, seeking the City of Summerfeld, before he had met Charlotte.
Drake had not been a part of the Blood War, and he did not carry the hatred in his heart as so many of his kind did. He had spent most of his vampiric life under the tutelage of a vampire named Lucian, a peaceful man,
“You don’t need to do this,” she gasped, “I’m not going to expose you.” His fingers eased slightly, but his green eyes were still as cold as ice.
“Who are you?” he hissed.
“Nobody.”
“How do you know what I am?”
“I figured it out... I...” she could not say anymore, the lack of oxygen was making her head spin. Drake eased up again, slowly unfurling his fingers from her windpipe and allowing her to draw breath. Sucking in a huge lungful of air, Quinn coughed before continuing, “You’re never around during the day.”
“So what – you just logically jumped to vampire?” He didn’t believe her. Of course he didn’t – nobody in their right mind would believe that vampires exist.
“I met someone like you once,” Quinn bluffed, praying that he would accept her words as true. Vampires can sense when people are lying but Guardians are impervious to this ability. “He told me about your kind. He was my friend.”
“What was his name?”
“Jude,” she gasped, knowing it wouldn’t matter what name she gave. There were far too many vampires to keep track of everyone. Drake would not know if Jude existed or not, but he would take her word for it as he could not detect any untruth in her words.
He released her suddenly and unexpectedly and she reeled sideways, slamming into the doorframe.
“What do you know?”
“That sunlight will kill you. And that you’re stronger than humans.”
“What else?”
“You drink blood.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?” Again the disbelief in his voice.
“Of course it bothers me.”
“So why have you been talking to me – spending time with me?”
“My friend was a good person. He couldn’t help what he was. I figure it’s the same with you.” Quinn hoped against hope that Drake had been turned against his will, and wasn’t one of those vampires who had chosen this path. The fact that he lived out here, in the middle of nowhere, led her to believe he wasn’t party to the Quest. Many new vampires did not follow that path, they simply existed as they had centuries ago, harbouring no hatred for the Fae or their allies.
Drake looked long and at hard at her, his face a mask, not revealing anything.
“Stay away from me,” he muttered finally, before turning on his heel and leaving her. He didn’t go home. Instead, he made his way back to Phil’s, needing another drink. He would have to hunt soon. He and Genevieve never hunted in town – they didn’t want to draw any attention to themselves. If Genevieve was not back by tomorrow he would head for Colton – a larger town a few hundred miles away.
Genevieve had not said when she would return and Drake had not questioned her – neither about where she was going nor when she would be back. They had been together for almost half a century and often parted ways for extended periods of time. It was perfectly normal - when you lived forever, days didn’t matter. Genevieve, like her brother Sebastian, had fought alongside Aleksei in the Blood War – the siblings were over a thousand years old – but even they did not know Aleksei’s whereabouts. When Eldon had stopped fighting and created Summerfeld, Aleksei had simply disappeared and no-one had seen the Vampire King since. Drake was fond of Genevieve and had worked with her brother for a century, seeking the City of Summerfeld, before he had met Charlotte.
Drake had not been a part of the Blood War, and he did not carry the hatred in his heart as so many of his kind did. He had spent most of his vampiric life under the tutelage of a vampire named Lucian, a peaceful man,
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