Page 56 of Love Lives

"You were going to help us," I tried, deflecting. "Don't you remember that?"

"My actions were misguided."

"No they weren't. You've simply lost your memories."

"I haven't lost anything. I have gained clarity. It is regretful that we're on opposing sides now, but it is what it is. I cannot let that prophecy be fulfilled. All of vampire kind being erased... you can't want that either."

"I don't want that," I agreed. "But you don't have to kill every dhampir just to make sure that doesn't happen." My stomach clenched as I spoke, the bodies I'd seen in the news rising before my inner eye. There couldn't be more senseless deaths like that. "Meet with me," I said. "Bring Caspar, we can talk."

"You don't have much to say that interests me."

"I'm the only one you need to be interested in."

Silence from the other end of the line. I held my breath too, hoping that Aldrich wasn't about to burst into the room, demanding to know what I was talking about. The ten minutes he'd granted me weren't up yet.

"What are you saying?" Vlad asked finally.

"If you really want to know, you'll come to the rubble of our old safe house tomorrow night, and you'll bring Caspar. And nobody else." I stressed this last part, even though I couldn't count on anything but Vlad's honor.

"And how many people will you bring?"

"Does it matter? You could crush all of my family easily." A chill went down my spine even as I said that, because it was true.

But what choice did I have?

This needed to end. The needless killings, the fear that forced my family into hiding. All of it.

"Very well," Vlad said. "I will see you tomorrow night. 2am.”

"I’ll be there." I forced the words out of my throat, somehow. My phone clicked as Vlad disconnected the call. I let it sink onto the mattress next to me, exhaling.

Apparently, that was Aldrich's cue to storm into the room. Just as I'd predicted, he'd been waiting just outside the door. "You're not going to meet with him."

I barely looked up at the vampire. Didn't he know I was doing this for him too? "You're not my dad."

"I don't need to be your dad. That'stotallynot my kink." He came to stand in front of me, arms crossed. "Meeting with Vlad is suicide."

"Not if we go in with a plan."

"And what's your great plan?"

"We have the spell," I reminded him.

"One spell? Against a vampire as old as Vlad? Still suicide if you ask me."

"I'm not asking you, and the spell won't be our only weapon. We'll bring everything else we have. The stakes, the flash grenades, the spray bottles and lighters..."

"None of that is going to do you much good."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" I challenged Aldrich. "Find another place to hide and sit on our asses?"

"Why not? Why is Caspar your problem?"

"Because he's helped us! Because my sister would be heartbroken if anything happened to him!" I exhaled in exasperation. "Do you really not get that?"

"I'm not a mortal." Aldrich let his fangs show. "Don't mistake me for one."

I stared at his fangs. Did he think he could impress me with those things anymore? They didn't strike fear in me. They spiked a lot of other things in me—things that I didn’t want to think about now—but not fear. "I know you’re not a heartless monster,” I made myself say, focusing on the topic at hand rather than the glint of Aldrich’s teeth. I gave the vampire my best glare. "At least, I didn't think you were."