Revolutions (Davenport Manor Book 3) Page 11

  “I think so,” Vivienne hesitated. “I hope so. I want to come and see you and…pay my respects to Declan. You said that you buried him in your cemetery, right?”

  “We did,” Emma gently replied. “Even though he betrayed us, we lost a friend that night in more ways than one. And, out of respect for you, we wanted you to have a place to visit him.”

  “Thanks, Em,” Vivienne replied with gratitude. They didn’t have to be so caring about Declan after what he did to them. They covered their pride and anger with a blanket of humility and did the right thing by Vivienne.

  They ironed out their plans for Vivienne’s arrival the next day. Emma was just short of bouncing off the walls with excitement to see her best friend; any melancholy feelings she had because of Todd were quickly diminishing. She practically danced down the hallway to the kitchen to prepare her glass of breakfast blood. When she hopped through the doorway, she found Todd sitting at the kitchenette eating a bowl of cereal.

  “Good morning, Todd!” She sang.

  “Morning,” he answered with a mouth full of Apple Jacks and a look of confusion. “What’s got you so giddy?”

  “Vivienne is coming for a visit tomorrow! I can’t wait to see her,” she replied while placing her glass of blood in the microwave.

  Todd slowly set his spoon down, causing a little clink sound against the glass bowl. Emma turned to look at him and saw that he was staring at her with disbelief.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? After all the things that happened here…”

  “I think she’ll be okay. Plus, she needs the closure—one day Declan was there, the next day he didn’t exist any longer. There was never a funeral for a final goodbye. I think this will be good for her,” she matter-of-factly replied as she took the first sip of blood.

  “Besides closure…do you think she might retaliate? She knows I’m the one who killed Declan, so of course, this makes me a little nervous.”

  “She’s not going to retaliate on you,” Emma reassured him as she sat across from him at the table. “She knows you had to do it.”

  Todd didn’t say it out loud, but he didn’t trust Vivienne. He knew that in her eyes, she would look at him as the man who killed her maker. Her lover. Her partner. Her world revolved around Declan. He wouldn’t hesitate to use his blood to defend himself against her if it came down to it. He was no longer afraid of vampires, especially after his intense battle training with Aidan. With Vivienne under the same roof, he knew his defenses would be on high alert and he’d always be watching his back.

  Emma snapped to attention as she heard and smelled who was coming down the hallway to the kitchen. Kelly. For a split moment she was going to take off running so she didn’t see her talking to Todd. However, she stayed put. The Manor was her home, she was sitting her kitchen, talking to her friend. She shouldn’t have to run just to spare Kelly’s insecurities. Whatever. She leaned back and got comfortable in her chair, waiting for Kelly to enter the room. She didn’t bother telling Todd, either.

  Kelly walked through the doorway and was taken aback for a second before continuing over to the refrigerator. Emma could hear her heart starting to beat faster from the awkward atmosphere.

  “Morning,” Kelly muttered as she reached for the milk.

  Todd matched her lack of enthusiasm, and Emma plastered a fake smile on her face, greeting her cheerfully.

  She poured herself a bowl of cereal without speaking, or even looking at Emma and Todd sitting at the table together. She wasn’t happy about this finding. She wondered how long they had been there for. If they had been talking about her and her jealousy over Emma. She was well aware that vampires had sonic hearing and that Emma probably heard her accusations the night before. However, there was always a chance that she didn’t…at least that’s what she told herself. She was slightly embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

  “So, what’s new with you?” Emma exaggerated to Kelly, almost taunting her.

  “Not much, just getting ready for work,” she responded, not knowing how to take Emma.

  “How do you like your new job?”

  “I like it,” Kelly said as she picked up her bowl, not knowing where to sit. She wanted to sit next to Todd, but didn’t know if it would be welcome. Sitting next to Emma would almost be obvious. So, she set her bowl back down on the counter and started eating standing up.

  Satisfied with the amount of tension in the room, Emma stood up from the table and collected her glass, motioning to Kelly to take her chair. As she exited, Todd’s eyes involuntarily watched her saunter out of the kitchen, which was noticed by Kelly. He snapped out of it and looked to Kelly, who was now glaring at him.

  “What? I can’t talk to her now either?” He snapped.

  She held her index finger up to her mouth, telling him to be quiet since Emma could hear him.

  He huffed through his nose and shook his head incredulously.

  “I never said that,” Kelly sharply replied.

  “Listen,” he said as he shoved his chair back and stood up. “I don’t deal with jealousy very well. I don’t like drama and I’m certainly not going to tolerate an attitude from you if I talk to my friend.”

  “I’m not saying you can’t talk to her!” Kelly exploded. “It would just be nice if you weren’t subconsciously lusting after her every time she was in the room!” At that point, Kelly didn’t care who heard their argument; it was what she felt. The way Todd would gaze at Emma never went unnoticed by Kelly.

  Todd couldn’t respond. He knew she was right and he was never one to get caught up in denial and lies. Not knowing what to say, he pushed his chair in and stood behind it, holding his stare down at her. He was uncertain of what the future held for them. He loved her and he wanted it to work out, but there was no way he could envision himself writing Emma out of his life just to make Kelly happy. He wouldn’t do it. He gripped the back of his chair, causing his knuckles to turn white.

  Before he could speak, Kelly said, “I don’t want to fight. I’m sorry, I will try to let it go.”

  “Please,” he somewhat pled. “I will never stop speaking to Emma. She is my friend and has saved my life not once, but twice. I have a history with her and I will always adore her. But, I’m with you now, so please accept that and let it go.”

  Kelly wanted to respond to his last sentence with, The only reason you’re with me now is because she’s not human. But she knew better than to stir the pot anymore; the stew was cooked and ready to be served.

  After a few moments of silence and allowing themselves to cool down, Todd finally spoke first by telling Kelly about Vivienne’s upcoming visit. He was glad to know that it unnerved her as well. He liked Vivienne, she was always nice to him, but she was a vampire. He killed her maker and her lover, which would easily warrant revenge from her. Todd expressed his concern to Kelly, which was nice since she understood.

  Todd and Kelly sat quietly in his bedroom and listened to the commotion downstairs. Of course, they couldn’t hear actual conversations, but they knew what was causing it. Vivienne had arrived, which meant that Todd was going to go out of his way to steer clear of her. Even if she had forgiven him and held no grudges, there was a part of him that felt a little guilty. There was also a part of him that feared that she would make him pay for killing Declan.

  There was a knock at the door, which made both of them jump as they thought everyone was downstairs.

  “It’s me,” they heard Daniel’s muffled voice from the other side.

  Todd told him to come in and Daniel softly shut the door behind him. He sat on the chair that no one ever used, across from Kelly and Todd.

  “You okay?” He asked them.

  “A little on edge, but good,” Todd replied. He lowered his voice into the softest whisper, “I don’t trust her.”

  Daniel chuckled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Todd didn’t have sonic hearing like he did, so he’d have to get close to continue to speak quietly. “I don’t either
.”

  Todd’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise; he always thought that vampires would have each other’s backs. Especially since he had known Vivienne his entire life.

  Daniel continued, “I won’t let her attack you if she tries.”

  Todd was touched by the gesture, but didn’t have the heart to tell him that he could easily handle her himself if she tried. After all, he was able to take down Declan who was ancient; a “young” vampire like Vivienne should be no problem. However, it was nice to know that he would have back-up if the occasion arose.

  “I just hope Emma isn’t being naïve,” Todd replied. “She’s intelligent and strong, but also tries to find the good in people.”

  Daniel shook his head, “Don’t underestimate her. Emma may seem sweet and kind, but she’s slick. I’d be willing to bet that she doesn’t entirely trust Vivienne either, but she puts on an act as if she does. When people think that you entirely trust them, they tend to let their guard down. I’ve seen Emma in action…she smiles sweetly, bats her eyelashes, acts like she trusts the person wholeheartedly. She waits for them to let their guard down. She’s not as clueless as you may think, I can promise you that. She can be vicious, you’ve seen it with your own eyes. She will tear anyone to shreds to protect someone she loves…which means that she wouldn’t hesitate to take down her best friend in order to protect you.”

  Todd wasn’t entirely convinced that Emma would choose him over Vivienne, whom she had known for decades. His left eyebrow rose skeptically.

  “Don’t doubt her,” Daniel continued, carefully choosing his words since Kelly was present. “If it came down to you or Vivienne…” Emma often confided in Daniel of her feelings toward Todd. He knew that she adored him and hadn’t gotten over him yet.

  Kelly picked up the turn of conversation and it made her uncomfortable. Not only was she aware that Todd still had feelings for his ex, but now she was fairly certain that Emma felt the same way. The only thing keeping them apart was the fact that Emma lacked a pulse.

  Daniel heard her heart rate speed up, no doubt from jealousy, and quickly changed the topic back to the matter at hand. “If you’re around Vivienne at all, which at some point you will be, don’t let your guard down. Vampires are vengeful creatures by nature, it’s like we can feel it tingling through our veins. She could snap and attack you if the blink of an eye. I can assure you, though that I’ll be watching her…and I know Emma will be, too.”

  They sat in silence for a moment while they pondered all of the information that Daniel had given them. Granted, he hadn’t been a vampire for very long, but he could already feel the natural instincts that came with the territory.

  Suddenly, Todd said, “I’m going to apologize to Vivienne.” It was as if he made a snap decision in the moment.

  Daniel’s eyes widened with surprise as Kelly immediately began to protest the idea.

  “Hear me out,” Todd continued. “What Declan did was wrong, but it isn’t Vivienne’s fault. I killed her maker. I killed her companion. Granted, it’s not like he didn’t have it coming, but I should at least offer up my condolences. At any rate, it may show her that I feel bad for her loss. Which actually isn’t a lie. I do feel bad, but it had to be done. It was either me or him…so, I chose me.”

  “Well, it’s not like you can hide in the bedroom the entire time she is here,” Kelly understood his reason. “You’ll have to face her eventually.”

  Daniel gritted his teeth, “Just be careful, man.”

  Downstairs, Emma, Zachariah, and even Brianna were welcoming Vivienne back to the Manor. Zachariah picked up her suitcase and looked around for any more items that she would have brought.

  “Is this all of your luggage?” He asked with a chuckle. He was used to the girls packing as if they were preparing for the apocalypse.

  Vivienne awkwardly laughed, “That’s it. I packed light for once!”

  He took her solitary bag and flew up the stairs to place it in her bedroom, and rejoined them in a flash.

  Before Emma could even offer her a glass of blood, Vivienne proclaimed, “I want to see his grave.”

  Emma solemnly nodded and took her hand, leading her out the front door. Zachariah joined them and they strolled along the path into the forest, leading to the cemetery where they had buried Declan. They didn’t run; they kept it somber as they prepared to show Vivienne the final resting place of her maker.

  They approached his grave that was on the far outskirts of the cemetery, secluded and nowhere near her family. Even though she made sure he had a proper burial, she didn’t want him to be included with the Davenport ancestors. Emma had a headstone made for him, even after what he had done. However, it was not elaborate; it only bore his name and the year he died. They did not put his birth year just in case someone outside of their inner circle ever saw it.

  They stood before it, all three gazing at the headstone in silence. For Vivienne, seeing the words, “Declan Fitzgerald” engraved in the stone made it all too real for her. She fell to her knees and pressed her forehead on the grass where Declan’s body lay underneath. She was incoherently speaking between her wails; neither Emma nor Zachariah knew what she was saying. It was the first time she was experiencing closure since his death, and the grief she felt was almost too much to bear.

  Emma and Zachariah stood back with their arms around one another, wiping small crimson tears from their eyes. Watching Vivienne in hysterics painfully reminded them of that fateful night.

  “Can you guys leave me alone for a few minutes?” Vivienne choked. “I’ll meet you back at the Manor. I just want a little bit of time to myself with him.”

  Zachariah and knelt down and gave her a kiss on her cheek before he and Emma walked away to give her privacy. They were gone in a blink of the eye, and Vivienne found herself alone with Declan for the first time since the previous autumn. She laid her hand flat on the grass, as if trying to feel him beneath the earth. So many things had happened because of him; Daniel was now a vampire, Zachariah lost his best friend, it altered her friendship with Emma, and worst of all, he died. Something that is nearly impossible for a vampire to do. But, ancient Declan managed to do it, leaving Vivienne on her own. She hadn’t been without him since he turned her in the 1920s.

  “Why?” She whispered. “You son of a bitch, how could you have done this? You’ve ruined everything in your quest for power. I cannot fathom what possessed you to do this.”

  She had so many emotions running through her that she didn’t know which one to focus on. She was devastated because he was gone and angry at his stupidity. She also felt betrayed because he had done all of this behind her back.

  “I have been absolutely lost without you. I don’t know how to move on, how to function without you by my side. My darling, I don’t know how to continue without you.”

  She missed his handsome face, his thick, Irish brogue, and the lovely conversations they once had. She spent the past ninety years with him and didn’t want to think about forever without him. She spent the better part of thirty minutes having a one-sided conversation with a headstone; asking questions, recalling fond memories, and even laughing a few times. She wondered if he could hear her, wherever he was; she had no idea where vampires went after they met their final death. She could only imagine that there was another side for them.

  She kissed the top of his headstone and took one last glance at it, smiling as she remembered her partner. She slowly walked away and weaved through the Davenport ancestors, making her way back toward the Manor. As she arrived in the foyer, Emma and Zachariah were already there waiting for her.

  Todd, Kelly, and Daniel had spent the entire time in his room and watching out the window, waiting for Vivienne to come back. Todd mustered up the courage to go downstairs and talk to Vivienne since she had returned. As he stood up, Kelly and Daniel immediately joined him, as if preparing to be his backup. They walked down the hall with Todd leading them; Kelly and Daniel were flanked behind him on either side. As they de
scended the stairs, they saw Emma, Zachariah, and Vivienne standing in the foyer and hugging each other.

  Vivienne caught a whiff of Todd’s scent and snapped her head in his direction. Her face was emotionless as she watched him come down the stairs and walk toward her. Everyone fell silent, as they did not expect to see Todd approach her.

  “Hi, Vivienne,” Todd opened, with a hint of sympathy in his tone. “Would you mind stepping into the parlor so I can speak with you for a moment?”

  Vivienne was not expecting this; in fact she had hoped that she would not have to face him at all during her stay at the Manor. But, she respected his bravery and was curious as to what he had to say to her. She followed him into the parlor as the others nervously waited in the foyer. Kelly glanced over at Emma and began to realize what Daniel had said was true. Emma was rigid and on high alert, almost as if she was ready to storm in and defend Todd.

  Todd motioned for Vivienne to sit down on the couch, and he took a seat beside her. She stared at him, waiting for him to say what he wanted to say.

  He took a few deep breaths, searching for the right words to say as he had not practiced the speech to give her. “Vivienne, I know I’m not your favorite person and that you will probably never be able to forgive me. I did what I had to do to save my friends and myself. However…that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel guilty. That I don’t feel remorse. I just wanted to take a moment to apologize, to offer my condolences, and to let you know that it also hurt me to have to kill my own friend. Or, who I thought was a friend.”

  Vivienne was silent as she tried to hide her pain. Her brows furrowed and the sides of her mouth turned downward as she let Todd’s words sink in. Speaking to him face-to-face made it all excruciatingly real. She turned her head away from him and mindlessly fidgeted with the velvet upholstery on the sofa. She had no idea what to say.

  “I truly am sorry,” Todd pled.

  He heard a low grumble building in her chest. Before he could react, Vivienne lunged at him, ready to end her suffering, but ready to create a new problem for him. She wanted him to pay for what he did to Declan; she couldn’t forgive him for killing her maker and companion. She didn’t want him to die, that would be too easy. Instead, she wanted his suffering to last much longer. As she sunk her fangs into his neck and before she swallowed any of his blood, she released venom from the tips of her fangs. She had every intention of turning Todd into an immortal knowing that would be the ultimate punishment for him.