Read Online The Vampire Gift 2: Kingdom of Ash by E.M. Knight - Free Book Online
Authors: E.M. Knight
Tags: General Fiction
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back in on herself. “But I don’t want help. I want to do it on my own.”
“You’re not on your own,” I tell her firmly. I reach across and take her hand. “Don’t you forget that. You have me.” I touch the large gemstone on her finger. “You have this. It’ll help.”
“And who will help the villagers?” she asks, her voice a shadow of its former self.
I look into her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Their homes are destroyed,” she says. “ They’re the ones you should be concerned with, not me.”
I frown. “Eleira, you’re speaking madness. The villagers have always managed. They’ll rebuild and resume. Their lives will be back to normal in short order.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t get it, do you?” She draws her hand away. I feel the loss immediately. “They’re not people to you. They’re just… pawns. Just sources of blood for you and your kind.”
“What? That’s not true at all!” I feel a flash of anger go through me. “Why would you accuse me of something like that?”
“Because it’s the way I feel about them now,” she whispers. Even with my enhanced hearing, I can barely make out the words. “I’m fighting it, Raul. I’m fighting it with every bit of strength I possess. But it’s… impossible, in the face of the monster lurking within me.”
Her eyes take a desperately sad, faraway look. “I thought I would come back and help them. Instead, all I can think about is taking their blood.” She shivers. “It scares me.”
I step toward her and put an arm around her shoulders. She resists for a moment… and then melts into me.
I let her put her face into my chest as silent sobs start to rock her body.
“Hey,” I say softly. I tilt her chin up. “Hey. It’ll all be okay. We’ll get you to the castle. I’ll get you your fill of blood from the banks. Once that’s done, you’ll feel better.
She clings onto every word like a drowning woman to a life vest. “Do you promise?”
“I swear it.” I drop my lips and place a kiss on hers. “Now come on. The sooner we get you nourishment, the easier all of this will be.”
Chapter Eleven
ELEIRA
Raul’s assurance takes away some of the guilt I feel as we make our way up through the silent trees toward Morgan’s castle.
Now that I’m transformed, everything about The Haven feels so much different. My eyes are no longer blind to the beauty of the place.
The evergreens are wonderful. They infuse the night air with so much life and prosperity. It’s probably from my enhanced sense of smell, but I don’t think I’ve ever breathed in air this pure before.
When I was here as a human, all I could see was horror, destruction, and death. Now, as a vampire, the night holds new meaning. The very air holds new meaning. This isn’t a graveyard or some place to be reviled.
It’s a beautiful, verdant sanctuary.
The silence is so pervasive. But at the same time, it’s amazing. That a place could house so many people and yet be so quiet astounds me…
Of course it helps when the majority of those people are locked underground.
A pang of guilt takes me. They are there because of me. Their homes were ruined… because of me.
“Raul?” I ask softly. “In the fires you set—how many humans perished?”
He looks around. He takes a long time to reply.
“Those who died in the actual fires? Maybe a dozen.”
A dozen. My gut seizes up.
“And… those who didn’t?” I ask. A bad feeling of apprehension sweeps through me. “What happened to them?”
Raul clears his throat. “Some of the other vampires took advantage of the mayhem to feed,” he says. “I don’t know what Mother has done to them yet. I assume they’ll be persecuted for their crimes. But…”
He trails off.
“But what?” I ask. “Tell me!”
He shakes his head. “You saw how Mother is.” In a softer voice, he adds, “I’m not sure her head is where it was before.”
“So they’re just going to walk free?” I
“You’re not on your own,” I tell her firmly. I reach across and take her hand. “Don’t you forget that. You have me.” I touch the large gemstone on her finger. “You have this. It’ll help.”
“And who will help the villagers?” she asks, her voice a shadow of its former self.
I look into her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Their homes are destroyed,” she says. “ They’re the ones you should be concerned with, not me.”
I frown. “Eleira, you’re speaking madness. The villagers have always managed. They’ll rebuild and resume. Their lives will be back to normal in short order.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t get it, do you?” She draws her hand away. I feel the loss immediately. “They’re not people to you. They’re just… pawns. Just sources of blood for you and your kind.”
“What? That’s not true at all!” I feel a flash of anger go through me. “Why would you accuse me of something like that?”
“Because it’s the way I feel about them now,” she whispers. Even with my enhanced hearing, I can barely make out the words. “I’m fighting it, Raul. I’m fighting it with every bit of strength I possess. But it’s… impossible, in the face of the monster lurking within me.”
Her eyes take a desperately sad, faraway look. “I thought I would come back and help them. Instead, all I can think about is taking their blood.” She shivers. “It scares me.”
I step toward her and put an arm around her shoulders. She resists for a moment… and then melts into me.
I let her put her face into my chest as silent sobs start to rock her body.
“Hey,” I say softly. I tilt her chin up. “Hey. It’ll all be okay. We’ll get you to the castle. I’ll get you your fill of blood from the banks. Once that’s done, you’ll feel better.
She clings onto every word like a drowning woman to a life vest. “Do you promise?”
“I swear it.” I drop my lips and place a kiss on hers. “Now come on. The sooner we get you nourishment, the easier all of this will be.”
Chapter Eleven
ELEIRA
Raul’s assurance takes away some of the guilt I feel as we make our way up through the silent trees toward Morgan’s castle.
Now that I’m transformed, everything about The Haven feels so much different. My eyes are no longer blind to the beauty of the place.
The evergreens are wonderful. They infuse the night air with so much life and prosperity. It’s probably from my enhanced sense of smell, but I don’t think I’ve ever breathed in air this pure before.
When I was here as a human, all I could see was horror, destruction, and death. Now, as a vampire, the night holds new meaning. The very air holds new meaning. This isn’t a graveyard or some place to be reviled.
It’s a beautiful, verdant sanctuary.
The silence is so pervasive. But at the same time, it’s amazing. That a place could house so many people and yet be so quiet astounds me…
Of course it helps when the majority of those people are locked underground.
A pang of guilt takes me. They are there because of me. Their homes were ruined… because of me.
“Raul?” I ask softly. “In the fires you set—how many humans perished?”
He looks around. He takes a long time to reply.
“Those who died in the actual fires? Maybe a dozen.”
A dozen. My gut seizes up.
“And… those who didn’t?” I ask. A bad feeling of apprehension sweeps through me. “What happened to them?”
Raul clears his throat. “Some of the other vampires took advantage of the mayhem to feed,” he says. “I don’t know what Mother has done to them yet. I assume they’ll be persecuted for their crimes. But…”
He trails off.
“But what?” I ask. “Tell me!”
He shakes his head. “You saw how Mother is.” In a softer voice, he adds, “I’m not sure her head is where it was before.”
“So they’re just going to walk free?” I
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