Revolutions (Davenport Manor Book 3) Read online

  “So he came out?” She asked Zachariah as she walked up to him. She could slightly hear the two of them talking while she was in the shower, but their conversation was muffled from the noise of the water.

  Zachariah explained the state that Daniel was in, and told her that he was going to be taking him far from town to find a victim. As much as Emma didn’t like the idea, she knew it had to be done in order for Daniel to be able to control himself.

  “Just keep him away from kids...and people with kids…and young people…” Emma’s words began to trail, as she thought of the faceless, potential victims.

  Zachariah interrupted, “Everyone is someone’s kid. Someone’s parent, son, daughter, loved one. I don’t know what to do.”

  “I’m thinking maybe he won’t kill his victim; perhaps after drinking the bottled blood, the craving won’t be as strong. And with you there, you could pry him off. You are older and stronger than he is.”

  Emma took her post as guard of Kelly’s door while Zachariah rushed to take a shower. She took comfort in knowing that since he was a guy, his shower time would be far shorter than hers was. She stood quietly in front of the door. To the human ear, the hallway was silent. But for her, she heard sounds coming from every direction. She focused on just two of them; the sound of Daniel pacing around in his room, and the sound of the two hearts beating behind her. The latter was the one that dripped jealousy into her heart.

  She heard moving around in the bedroom behind her; groggy voices whispering to each other from their pillows. Kelly’s voice sounded like it had already been up for a while, but Todd’s sounded like he had just woken up. She remembered the sound of his voice first thing in the morning; his messy hair, blurry eyes, and the closed-lip smiles he would flash so he wouldn’t hit her with morning breath. She chuckled to herself, remembering those mornings fondly. She heard Kelly telling Todd about her conversation with Zachariah while he stood guard.

  “So, were trapped in here?” She heard him whisper to Kelly.

  “Seems so, at least for now. Zachariah seemed very tense when I talked to him; I have never seen him like that before.”

  They conversed back-and-forth about the surreal idea of Daniel now being a vampire. It was hard for them to comprehend the fact that he had technically died just hours earlier. They wondered if he would be the same person or if his personality would change, too. Emma heard Todd’s voice crack, and she knew that he was fighting back tears. Even though Daniel was still with them, Todd still mourned the death of his friend. Emma’s chin began to quiver while listening to him spill his confessions to Kelly. He was trying to keep himself together, most likely too embarrassed to allow his emotions to take over in front of her. He really didn’t know her that well, even though they had been through so much together already.

  Emma felt the same way he did, though. She was glad, even relieved, that Daniel still existed. He would always exist now. But, his body died. When she hugged him, he wouldn’t be warm to the touch anymore. She would never again hear his heart beat; the same little heartbeat that she remembered from when he was a child. She wasn’t there when she heard him take his first breath, but she was there when he took his last.

  Emma wiped her eye with the back of her hand and saw a little bit of blood. “Shit,” she grumbled as she looked at the crimson streaks on her pale skin. She heard Daniel’s doorknob turn and she snapped out of it, becoming alert. He slowly peeked his head out and saw that she was upset.

  “Emma?” He said with concern. He wasn’t sure if she was crying because of him or because of Todd being with Kelly.

  “I’m fine,” she forced a smile and nonchalantly waved.

  His eyes read into her; he knew her too well to know that she wasn’t fine. At that moment he was too concerned about his “sister” to allow the bloodlust take over him again. He slowly stepped out of his room and carefully walked toward her, stopping halfway through the hall. Her anguish diminished rapidly as she became guarded with his approach.

  He held his hands out in front of him and reassured, “I’m alright. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  Her face distorted in a deep frown as she looked into his eyes from across the way. It was at that moment he knew that she was crying because of him.

  “I never wanted this for you,” she squeaked in a whisper while shaking her head. “I still can’t believe it has happened.”

  Her sadness was contagious as the corners of his mouth turned downward as well. “I’m sorry I requested this of you, Emma. It was what I wanted. But…” his voice started to shake. “It is suddenly starting to sink in that I’m dead…I died…I passed away.” It was as if he had to repeat it over and over in order for it to become a realization. He stared blankly at the floor as he thought of his recent demise.

  She nodded her head sympathetically, “Your body did, but you’re still here. And for that, I can never express how relieved I am. I will never have to say goodbye to you.” That statement alone was enough to erase her sadness. She even smiled slightly at the thought of never having to let go of her little brother.

  He smiled back at her and repeated, “I’m still here. It’s going to take some getting used to, but I’m glad that you and Zachariah are here to help me adjust.”

  Todd had faintly heard a conversation going on in the hallway, and walked closer to the door to try and decipher who it was. Emma heard someone shuffling toward the other side of door and quickly shooed Daniel away with her hands. He disappeared into his bedroom faster than a human eye could see.

  “Zachariah?” Todd asked.

  “No, it’s me, Emma,” she replied from the other side.

  “Good morning, love…” He stopped himself abruptly, realizing his accidental term of endearment. “Eh, good morning, Emma. How are you holding up?”

  “It’s rough and still hasn’t quite sunk in, but I know eventually everything will be okay.”

  “It’ll be fine, I know it will,” his voice comforted. “So…do you think we can get some food up here?”

  Emma chuckled and explained to him that Zachariah and Daniel would be leaving shortly, and that he and Kelly would be free to roam around the house.

  “We can chat more while they’re gone,” Emma added as she heard Zachariah’s shower turn off.

  A moment later, Zachariah shot out of the bedroom and over to Daniel’s door. “Come on, man! Let’s go!”

  “Have you figured out where you’re going to take him?” Emma asked from across the hall.

  “Not a clue, but once we start driving I will figure something out,” Zachariah responded as Daniel opened the door.

  Emma relaxed from her guard post as the boys were getting ready to leave. She wished them both luck, hoping that Zachariah could help Daniel curb his cravings. They said their goodbyes and took off down the hallway; Emma could hear that they jumped over the banister instead of taking the stairs. She smiled to herself as she heard Daniel holler a laugh. She knew his excitement of being able to do all the things he had watched them do while growing up.

  She turned around and lightly knocked on Kelly’s door, “Okay, guys, you can come out now.” She turned to walk over to her room, subconsciously not wanting to see the two of them together. However, Todd had opened the door before she could disappear into her room. She silently cursed herself for not using vampire speed for once.

  “Emma?” Todd called as he quickly walked over to her, almost in a jog.

  She turned around with her hand still on her doorknob. But, before she could speak, he pulled her up into perhaps the tightest hug he had ever given her. It was the first time he had seen her since the night before. She mindlessly hugged him back; her face was emotionless.

  “How are you doing? Are you okay?” He knew he had already asked her how she was just minutes before, but now he could see her face. He could see the desolation in her eyes. Her expression was devoid of emotion, and he could see the dried streak of blood near her eye.

  Just as she w
as about to answer him, ready to pour her heart out to him, Kelly stepped out into the hallway.

  “Todd,” she called while waving her arm toward her. “Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat.” She stood there and waited for him to join her.

  He turned back around to face Emma, and she spoke before he could, “Go get something to eat; you need food. I’ll catch you later.” She stepped away from him, not allowing him to speak, and slipped into her bedroom before he could.

  He stared at her closed door for a moment, and then turned toward Kelly, who was still waiting and looking impatient. He began walking back toward Kelly, but not before looking over his shoulder at Emma’s door one more time. He was half expecting her to come back.

  CHAPTER 4

  Emma climbed onto her bed and reveled in the solitary bliss while she could. It was the first time she found herself completely alone and undisturbed in the longest time. She realized she truly didn’t have a moment to herself in days. After the events from the past few days, she relished in the silence. It was her time to collect her thoughts and really process everything that had happened. She found Todd after an exhausting search, she was betrayed by a dear friend—the same friend ended up meeting his final demise. She watched Todd quickly move on with someone else, watched Daniel’s throat gets sliced, and eventually had to turn him. The last thought was the hardest one for her to accept.

  However, she had no doubt that he would end up just fine. He had not one, but two fellow vampires who cared for him deeply to help him along. It made her think of when she was turned; Aidan was there to teach her the ways of the immortals, but at the time he didn’t care deeply for her. She was his project, his first experiment in creating vampire royalty throughout the world. He wanted a queen for North America and she was the one he eventually picked.

  She recalled the day that she had spent with Aidan as he explained how the vampire royalty would work. It was shortly after he turned her in 1815. It was the middle of the night and they had just returned from a hunt in the nearest neighboring town. Back then, they didn’t have bottled blood to drink; they had no choice but to drink from the vein. They could have easily drunk from people in the town of Davenport, but she didn’t want to do that to her townsfolk. Granted, they always charmed their victims to forget and they never killed them, but it just didn’t feel right to her. She knew the people that lived in town; knew their families, knew their stories. It was easier to prey on nameless victims.

  She had been a vampire for just over a month at that point, and was quickly catching on to their ways. Aidan explained the rules to her gradually, so as to not overload her all at once with information. However, he was proud that she was so eager to learn the ways of her immortal life. She took being turned in stride; without resentment or self-hatred. From his standpoint, he was sure that she was enjoying her new life.

  She lit her bedroom’s fireplace to add some light to the room—she no longer needed it for warmth. Even though they could see in the dark, she always enjoyed the soft glow of a fire in her bedroom. Aidan sat back on her red, velvet-upholstered sofa and undid his cravat to take it off. He unbuttoned his vest to make himself more comfortable. Emma took a seat at her vanity and unpinned the intricate cascade of curls from her head, allowing her raven hair to fall piece-by-piece down her back.

  She took a final look in the mirror at her porcelain complexion, which was illuminated by the glow of the flames. She stood up and walked over to her bed, where her nightgown was laid out for her. She grabbed it and walked past Aidan to disappear behind her chinoiserie screen. The screen was imported from China and had intricate, hand-painted designs of bamboo, peacocks, and trees in vibrant colors. Aidan’s eyes followed her as she walked past and continue to stare at the screen after she vanished behind it.

  “You realize I have been around a long time, my dear,” Aidan began. “I have seen my share of indecent ladies. You really have no need to hide behind the screen to change.”

  Emma peeked her head from behind the screen; her waterfall of black curls dangled to the side. “Yes, I do. I’m still a lady, if you haven’t noticed.”

  “Are you untouched?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Of course! What kind of lady do you think I am? I am from high society, I have morals, and quite frankly, high standards.”

  “High society, yes. Morals…” he began to chuckle.

  “Are you mocking me, Mr. O Shea?”

  “Yes, in fact I am,” he replied, still laughing at her. “I saw your morals in action tonight as you charmed a young lady to forget that you were going to feast on her neck.”

  “Survival does not rely on morals, dear sir.”

  Aidan smiled broadly at her before she pulled herself back behind the screen to finish changing. She emerged from her little hideaway wearing a long-sleeved, ankle-length, white nightgown embellished with lace. It was the first time she had put it on since she had been turned, as she no longer needed sleep. But, she wanted the feeling of the fabric against her skin and the comfort of wearing it. It was actually a brutal reminder of a life that she would never experience again. A chapter in her own life book that had been written and finished, moving on to the next chapter in her never-ending story.

  She primly sat down on the opposite side of the couch from Aidan. She had never changed her clothes with the man in the room before. Nor was she ever alone in her room with a man while in her nightgown. She crossed her ankles slightly to the side and folded her hands properly on her lap. She straightened her back and kept her posture as she prepared to continue her conversation with Aidan.

  Aidan, however, had no intentions of being “proper” behind closed doors. He maintained his distinguished and somewhat arrogant composure when out in society, but when he was relaxing, it was a different story. He leaned back on the couch with his one arm stretched out on the armrest, and legs spread in an ungentlemanly fashion. With his cravat off and vest unbuttoned, he looked far too casual for a decent conversation.

  “So, you’re as pure as the freshly-fallen snow?” Aidan asked with a sly smile as he tugged at the top button of his shirt.

  “In what aspect?” Emma replied, matching his smile. She knew exactly what he meant.

  Aidan chuckled once and turned his eyes back toward the fire, watching the flames dance to a silent tune. They both remained silent; Emma felt awkward and Aidan relished in it.

  “Yes,” she hesitantly began. “I am pure. I have never been intimate with a man.” She didn’t know why she felt the urge to confess, but she was sure it had something to do with the fact that he was her maker. He had a pull over her that she could not control. She had admitted to herself several times that she was indeed attracted to him. He made many women in town weak in the knees—he was tall, muscular, and manly, yet debonair. He had his long hair pulled back in a low ponytail with a black ribbon. He had yet to cut his hair since he was a Scottish warrior nearly two thousand years earlier.

  His cheeky smile became somewhat seductive as he slowly turned to face her again. “You’re a vampire now, what are you waiting for?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, a bit embarrassed about having such a personal conversation with him. She remained silent, not knowing how to answer.

  “Why do you seem uncomfortable?”

  Emma quietly responded, “I have discovered certain…cravings…in me that have nothing to do with blood.”

  “Do you not want to have relations with a man? Surely, that can’t be the reason; our desires as vampires are quite a bit stronger than that of humans. Don’t you agree?”

  “I do agree. I do desire…someone.”

  “Who would that someone be?” Aidan’s voice seduced.

  Emma finally took her eyes off her hands and met his gaze. “You,” she whispered. “I desire you.”

  Aidan’s eyes became dark and cocky as he answered, “I knew that; I just wanted to hear you say it out loud.”

  “You knew? How?”

  “B
ecause I’m your maker. The offspring always has a desire for their maker. Except in the cases when the maker is a family member or of the gender that one would not be attracted to. I…am neither. Well, perhaps I don’t know of the latter for sure, but I never took you for being interested in women instead of men.”

  Emma sheepishly laughed, “Yes, you are correct. My interest lies with men.”

  “Have you ever kissed a man before?”

  Emma shook her head with a closed-lip smile. Now she was starting to feel awkward because she had zero experience when it came to men. Sure, she flirted throughout her life, but she never was courted by anyone. Not that men never wanted her; that certainly wasn’t the case. She was one of the most beautiful young ladies in town, not to mention the wealthiest. She came from high society and was somewhat of a hot commodity. However, she was never interested in getting married in becoming someone’s wife. Her father tried to arrange her with men on several failed occasions, but they lost interest due to her aloof attitude.

  Aidan scooted himself across the couch so that he was next to her; so close that the sides of their thighs touched each other. If she was still human, she was certain she would have butterflies in her stomach. She had never been this close to a man in this way before. At twenty-five years old, she was far less experienced than most of the ladies her age, who were already married with children. Her choice to stay unmarried consequently left her completely innocent.

  Aidan mindlessly played with her hair, wrapping the curls around his finger. With his other hand, he reached up and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes and relished in the sensation, placing her hand on top of his. She may have been a vampire, the world’s fiercest predator, an immortal, but that didn’t stop her from being anxious about the experience.

  Aidan took his hand and ran it through her hair, trailing around her head. She felt him pull her toward him as he reached the back of her head, bringing her face closer to his.