Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

I t was an interminable journey back to Hemlock Manor.

"How is he?" Maxwell asked distractedly, leaning forward to watch the road. Emmett remained still, and by all appearances, dead, in the seat beside him, where he was slumped against the carriage wall. I hadn't noticed any improvement in the gaping eye socket that repeatedly drew my attention, but I knew that it was healing, albeit slowly. "By God, can't we move any bloody faster?" The urgency and frustration in his voice echoed my own.

I felt for Ambrose's pulse in the dark carriage interior, my finger sliding over his clammy skin to settle on the artery at his neck. It throbbed beneath my fingertips softly, reminding me of the delicate wings of a bird. I'd seen men lose ten times the blood Ambrose had lost and survive, at least for a time, and I had to believe the precautions of bandages had slowed down any further egregious loss. We just had to hope that the hit to his head hadn't caused other significant injuries.

Ambrose's head rested on my lap, and I resisted the urge to bounce my leg as I silently urged the driver to go faster. But a broken wheel would be even worse for the situation, and the coach was bouncing erratically as it was. "He's doing okay," I said, unsure.

Maxwell glanced back at me hesitantly, as if he wanted to ask more, but remained silent. "That wasn't the Emmett I knew. He wouldn't … he was never a violent man, not like father."

I smiled tightly. "I believe that." The thematic shift of Emmett's art to the macabre was making more sense now, as was the blood on his mattress, likely the result of several late night visits from Raven. "He will be different as a vampire. I … don't know what that means. Perhaps if I'd had the chance to be myself after I'd changed, I would have been different. Your brother …" I hesitated. "Perhaps there will be a chance for him to be the man you knew once he adjusts. He will still need to drink blood, but perhaps he will be better in the long run."

"If my family allows him to live," Maxwell said, blinking away tears for a moment before he lifted his head, as if in defiance to fate. "I don't know how we do this. I don't see Father standing for it. But I can't just let him … we have to figure something out."

I reached forward and clasped his hand. "We will, Maxwell. I promise you, we will figure this out."

Maxwell nodded, eyes shifting to Emmett's once more before dropping to the floor. After several minutes, he spoke again. "We're almost there now."

I didn't try to glimpse the road, but I could tell from the smooth ride that we were pulling up to the circular drive. I gently shifted my arms beneath Ambrose to cradle him, not wanting to waste a moment to adjust my grip once the carriage rolled to a stop. Maxwell seemed of the same mind, for he leapt to open the door before it had completely stilled.

I carried Ambrose up to the door, but no one opened it for us, Maxwell pulling the handle with a grim look at his brother, who seemed much paler. He hesitated on the threshold as the warmth of the house chased away the cool night air. That was good. Keeping Ambrose warm would be good.

"Look after him," Maxwell said, touching his brother's arm with regret. "I'm going to instruct the driver to leave Emmett in the carriage and lock it away. He'll do as I say. Then I'll grab a horse and fetch the doctor straightaway."

"Be quick about it," I told him.

He nodded, then ran back out into the night.

I hesitated as I stepped inside. Percival wasn't around, so I paused in the front hall, laying Ambrose on a sofa and eyeing the bandages, completely red now. They weren't soaked through, however. I took that as a good sign until I recalled that once the heart stopped, blood no longer flowed through one's arteries. I checked his pulse again. It was weak, but it was there.

"You have to make it," I told Ambrose, holding his hand. "You are an exceedingly frustrating man, but you don't deserve this fate." I pulled a chair up to the sofa and watched him for several minutes, eyes finding the throbbing pulse at his neck, as I was accustomed to do. I watched for Percival, but he was conspicuously absent. He would choose this vital moment to neglect his duties. "Damn them all," I cursed, frustrated as I grabbed fistfuls of my hair. "Where is everyone?" My eyes turned back to the door. How long would it take for the doctor to arrive, I wondered? Would he be in time? What could he do for Ambrose if he was?

I swallowed hard, finding Ambrose's face again, his eyes shifting beneath his closed lids. "Despite my reservations, I believe you will make a good duke." I hesitated. "You were right about me, after all. I'm no good. But you wouldn't have been able to live with yourself if you'd killed Emmett. Even though you're pig-headed at times, I think you'll come to see him as your brother. You'll realize the right thing to do. Your father … taught you cruelty. But you aren't cruel. You're a self-absorbed brat, but you're not the monster he is." I hung my head, sighing. "Me, on the other hand … I deserved that raiding party. I needed to be stopped."

I pushed a loose hair back from Ambrose's forehead. I couldn't keep waiting. I had to fetch some servants to tend to him if they weren't going to come to me. Perhaps someone would have a better idea of how to care for him until the doctor arrived. My specialty was quite the opposite of keeping someone alive.

I ducked my head into the adjoining hallway, then ventured out. "Hello?" I called tentatively. "Is anyone around?"

I heard the sound of faint piano music. Of course, the ball was underway. Most, if not all, of the servants would be there.

"I'll be back," I called back to Ambrose, as if he would hear me.

I stalked determinedly to the ballroom as the piano music grew nearer. Outside the doors, I still saw no servants to tend to Ambrose. I recalled the illness that had swept through the house and scowled. They were probably working with a skeleton crew tonight.

At the entrance to the ballroom, I took a moment to run a hand back through my disheveled hair. I must have looked a fright, having rolled around in a crypt, but I couldn't worry about that now. Gazing into the room, I was struck by how I'd met Maxwell and Ambrose in this very room just a few weeks ago. So much had changed since that fateful day. I'd only cared about myself then, no regard for the people around me, no idea that my life would be irrevocably altered by the duke's sons. My throat thickened as I thought of Ambrose on the sofa alone, fighting for his life. I didn't have time to linger. I needed momentum to carry me through this night.

When I stepped into the ballroom, I was greeted by Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major. Flora stood rigid beside Zachariah, surveying the elegant dancers flitting about the middle of the room. I took a hesitant step forward. Flora was the best person to inform of the situation. After all, it was her son who was gravely injured.

Resolved, I circled the dance floor until I reached the hostess. Neither she nor Zachariah spoke as I approached, and I had to clear my throat before Flora swiveled her head in my direction.

"Ah, Lucian," she said, a vague smile crossing her lips. "You're here."

I leaned in for discretion. "I'm sorry to do this, my lady, but there's been … an accident. Ambrose needs you. Can you summon some servants to the front hall?"

Flora swayed slightly, staring at me. "Oh, but we can't interrupt the ball. It's hardly started. But now that you're here …" She let her voice trail off, her gaze returning to the dancers.

I hesitated. "I don't think you understand. Maxwell has gone to fetch the doctor. Ambrose is hurt." I glanced at Zachariah, but he didn't seem to be listening. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you that it's serious."

"Care to dance, my lord?" a brunette woman in her mid-thirties asked. She was a fresh face from the usual crowd.

I frowned at the woman, annoyed by the interruption. "Apologies. The duchess is needed. It's an emergency."

"You will dance with me," the woman said, voice commanding and sure.

I stared at her. Something about her was familiar, but my mind suddenly felt cottony and I couldn't summon the capacity to place her. "I will dance with you." I surprised even myself with this response, but my body was going through the motions, leading her out onto the dance floor and seamlessly integrating us into the sea of dancing bodies.

"Oh, really, Lucian, you're much more of a wooden dancer than I imagined," the woman sighed. "Loosen up or you'll attract unwanted attention." She glanced around nervously. "And anyway, nothing is more pertinent than this. Your other emergency will have to wait."

I blinked slowly down at her. So familiar. Why was it so hard to think? Was I ill? And why was she speaking as if I knew her?

She scowled at my expression. "Snap out of it, Lucian. I'd think you, of all people, would be immune to the effects. I need that sharp mind of yours for what's coming. Now, do you notice anything as you observe the room?"

I focused on her words, eyes narrowing as my mind began to clear, like a smoky room opened up to let in fresh air. I turned my gaze on the room around us. Cecelia swept by with her partner. She met my eyes with a strange, haunted look. I frowned as I followed her stiff momentum, before catching sight of Melbourne, sweating nervously while dancing with a red-haired woman. He wasn't smiling. He was … not like himself at all. And then I noticed that most of the dancers wore similar nervous expressions, as if they were in a serious competition. What exactly had I walked into? Another leg of the marriage games?

My eyes found Cecelia again. Her partner was … Percival. Percival, pale and dancing with the energy of a man half his age. In fact, he looked ten or fifteen years younger. Melbourne danced with … my eyes widened. Nancy. Helena's maid, pale as death. As I whirled with this familiar stranger in my arms, I caught sight of the windows, the darkness practically invisible due to the light of the room. In the reflection of glass, I saw dancers with their arms in the air, twirling without partners.

Myself included.

A shiver ran up my spine.

"Now you see it," the woman said with a sigh. "I assume the hypnosis is wearing off?"

I pursed my lips, attention returning to the woman. I squinted down at her before my eyes widened, the scent of her gardenia perfume registering. "It can't be."

She grinned. "Took you long enough," Helena chuckled at my stunned expression. "I know. It's been a while since I looked this young. I was amazed my body transitioned so quickly, but then again, I began the process before anyone else here."

I blinked. Helena … a vampire. Her skin was smooth and flawless, save for small laugh lines and crow's feet. Her hair had darkened. Her eyes were a rich amber that met mine with fondness for the first time in years. No longer blind, no longer weak with age. Just the other day, she had been bedridden with sickness. Not sickness, I now realized, but rather death. On the verge of being interned into the ground, to be born anew.

"So," I said, my mouth dry. "You finally got your wish."

Helena cocked her head. "Does it bother you? That I'm the vampire while you're the mortal man?" She frowned as I faltered in my dancing. "Keep up appearances, Lucian. We don't have much time."

I obeyed, but I was torn as I watched my old friend. I was happy to see her so young and full of vitality, but my heart ached, knowing what this meant for her: a life of blood, a life of night, a life of loneliness. Why did that bother me so much? That had been my life.

"I can tell what you're thinking," she interrupted my thoughts. "And you need not worry. Raven has abated our thirst. Sheep's blood, but it does wonders to clear the mind." She smiled. "You never would have offered a newling sheep's blood. You were never one to bother with restraint."

"Restraint is for the weak," I said flatly, recalling a mantra I used to recite to her.

She snorted. "I have a feeling you've changed your mind on that matter these past few weeks. Humanity is a powerful thing. It gives you perspective."

I tried to take in the room with a casual glance. There were nearly twenty-five people in the room, including servants, the competition for Ambrose's hand having shrunk considerably. Fifteen were vampires. Those weren't the best odds, but I also didn't plan on going down without a fight, should it come to that. I didn't relish the thought. It would be an absolute bloodbath, and I doubted the humans would come out on top.

I frowned, then narrowed my eyes as I returned them to Helena. "Raven did all of this. She planned it."

Helena smiled tightly. "Of course she did."

"That conniving little bitch," I muttered, shaking my head. "I thought ruining me and changing Emmett would have been enough for her. But her ruthlessness knows no bounds."

"First thing she did was cut out my tongue," Helena said softly. "So I couldn't warn you. She was worried you'd stop her, and despite everything, she still doesn't trust me. To be fair, I was going to tell you. Her thirst for revenge rivals her other agendas. She fed me a lot of her blood before she drained me of my mine. Probably why I look so much younger than some of these poor souls."

"Don't worry," I said bitterly. "The more blood you drink, the younger you will look, until you're in your prime."

"Lucian. Focus, or many may not be leaving here alive tonight."

Cecelia whirled by in a swish of her skirts. My friends were here. Helena was right. I couldn't let them down. And I couldn't afford to neglect Ambrose much longer. He needed me. I didn't have time for any of this.

I met her eyes. "I don't understand why you're helping me. I've only ever caused you pain." I looked away. "I know I can apologize a thousand times and it wouldn't be enough."

She smiled tightly in response. "This is no longer about just you and me, Lucian."

"Ah, Lucian!" a voice cried at my elbow, pleased. "I do hope you saved a place on your dance card for me."

I flinched as Helena came to an abrupt stop, stepping away as I turned to regard Raven in a fuchsia dress with black lace. She smiled coyly. "Oh, come now. When have you ever shied away from a good time? You don't want all of your friends to die now, do you?"

I grit my teeth and held a hand out to her. She beamed as she accepted, placing her cold, dead hand in mine, and allowing me to sweep her across the floor. I searched for Helena in the crowd and found her watching from beside Flora, speaking softly into the duchess's ear.

"It's just like old times," Raven said, voice full of nostalgia as I held her stiffly. "I mean, you're usually the one threatening me, but it's always this sort of battle of wills, isn't it? It makes the years fly by. After missing my chance to kill you on Old Mill Road, I reflected that if you'd died, my greatest enemy would be gone, and then what would I do to entertain myself?" She sent me a sharp look. "But you aren't just my greatest enemy, Lucian. No, you're also my greatest friend, as dreadful as that sounds."

I smiled thinly. "And you were my confidante, my student, my … sister."

She frowned. "You abhorred the idea of family. You never allowed it for me."

"I know." I hesitated. "Raven, I know that—"

"Here we are, in one of the greatest ballrooms in all of England," she interrupted. "I remember a time when you forced me to kill my friend and leave his body in a gutter. Funny that your friends are now at my mercy." She tilted her head. "Should I give you the same choice you gave me all those years ago?"

I swallowed hard. "You already told me you want to me to live on, to suffer."

"That's true. I could make you choose between your friends, I suppose. Or should we make it a grand game? I do love party games, and I haven't had the opportunity in ages. Whoever lasts longest on the dance floor shall live. How does that sound? We would have to find a fast-paced number though. Can't have this dragging on until dawn, you know."

I hated to admit I was impressed by what she'd been able to accomplish in so little time. I gathered from the grin spreading across Raven's face that she had read my response. "How many have you turned?"

Raven shrugged. "I couldn't change all of them. Some had to keep running the place." She sighed. "But I must say, I've grown quite fond of Hemlock Manor. It will make for the perfect home."

"Home?" I echoed.

She nodded. "Just picture it: coffins in that cute little vampire hunter room beneath the house. You, chained like a dog, eating scraps." She sniffed. "This is much more agreeable than that dreadful castle. If you ask me, they did us a favor by driving us out. Of course, I can't let the vampire hunters live. I think Vrykolakas will agree. The others, however, could be the family you've always denied me."

I raised an eyebrow. "You expect to live here? Undetected by humans?" I laughed. "Raven, I thought I'd taught you better than that."

She frowned and shrugged my hands from her. She clapped sharply, and abruptly, the room went still and silent, dancers freezing in place, the last note of the piano hanging in the air, as if suspended in time.

"You don't think I can pull this off?" Raven crossed her arms. "Look at all I've already accomplished, and right under your nose. Once we've eliminated the hunters and set some ground rules, we'll get along."

"Yes, but there are vampire hunters around the country. There are neighbors nearby. There's a reason we lived in an out-of-the-way castle in the mountains. You truly believed this half-baked scheme would impress me?"

She flinched, hanging on my every word, still seeking approval from the man I used to be. While she was paying attention to my barbs, I backed into a table, giving it a rough shove. The heavy candelabra fell over, a flame blooming immediately where it landed.

Nancy gasped from beside Melbourne, and the vampires all seemed to shrink from the flame, instinct whispering at its ability to end their immortal lives. Even Raven took a step back, gesturing to Percival to put the fire out.

I didn't let him get close enough to snuff out the flames, but rather grabbed the tablecloth, sending the burning article at the dancers, who scattered like rats. Amid the chaos, I kicked at the table leg hard, earning a crack as a long stem of wood broke free. It wasn't a perfect spear, its edge splintered and only vaguely sharp, but it was a deadly weapon in the right hands. And I'd had years of practice stabbing people with precision.

Percival had thrown water over the tablecloth and was now stalking toward me, but he stopped dead in his tracks when I held up the spear.

"That is definitely not coming out of the carpet," Nancy observed as she eyed the spilled glasses of sheep's blood, tutting beside a visibly enraged Raven.

"Raven," I said, gritting my teeth. "Just stop for a moment and listen to me. I understand what you're trying to do here. I get it. I denied you the family you've wanted since I turned you. But you can't just forcibly turn people to suit your needs."

"You mean, like you did? The choice you gave me was no choice at all. You forced it on me, and then you shaped me exactly how you wanted me to be," she said, voice low. "You taught me everything I know."

"I taught you to be cruel," I said, my heart dropping into my stomach. "I failed you, Raven. I've failed … everyone." I shook my head. "I should have listened to you then, but I was so lost in how I thought everything should be, what I was taught. But we have an opportunity to break that chain, Raven. With you. You saw what I didn't in the humans. You saw more than meals. You saw the potential for camaraderie, for family." I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Raven. I'm sorry for what I took from you, and what I didn't allow you to have. I thought I knew better, and I was wrong."

Raven watched me warily. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when Count Lucian Cross apologized for anything."

I tossed the wooden spear aside. "I won't fight you, Raven. I understand now what it means to have people around you whom you care about. I always thought such attachments unnecessary, but that only made for an empty existence. And that was all I was allowing you to have."

Raven considered me, eyes shrewd, indecisive.

My eyes slipped beyond Raven, where a figure blurred into position, with the wooden spear I'd discarded in hand. I stiffened, then stumbled forward, shoving Raven aside as the spear plunged downward. It nicked my shoulder, and I grunted as I pressed a hand to the stinging pain. I was lucky it hadn't gutted me.

Helena cursed, repositioning the spear in her hands.

Raven hissed at Helena, whirling on the vampire. "This whole thing was your idea. What sort of game are you playing?"

"You're a reckless fool, and you're going to get every vampire killed," Helena proclaimed.

"But you encouraged me to do this!"

"So Lucian would kill you! All I ever wanted from you was my eternal youth. After that, your usefulness came to an end. You're just going to attract attention now, and we'll all be doomed."

"You sly old bat," I sighed, shaking my head. "I always seem to be underestimating you, Helena. I love you, but you're wrong about Raven."

Helena blinked, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"

I pursed my lips. "Raven isn't going to get us all killed, if we do this right. I understand that you … orchestrated all of this to become a vampire, but your plans need to end here and now. Raven deserves to live just as much as you do."

Raven scowled, ignoring me. "I can't believe you would listen to anything Lucian has to say at all, given how he turned his back on you. Lucian is as hard-headed as he's ever been. I've worked hard to make this happen, and it's Lucian who will ruin it all if he's allowed to live." She gestured to the shadows.

Nancy suddenly appeared behind Helena, forcing the wooden spear from her hand and restraining her. The maid winced. "Sorry about this, your ladyship."

Helena frowned. "Nancy, we're in this together."

"Are we now? I didn't hear you asking if I wanted to be immortal. Raven was good enough to do just that."

Raven smiled. "Now, Lucian, you may have fooled even Helena, but I know you. I've spent decades at your side. You'll say anything to survive this, even flatter me and make pretty speeches about how right I was." She moved faster than I could follow and was suddenly only inches away. "But I'm no fool, Lucian. I've seen you covered in blood, head-to-toe, smiling, agonizing screams all around you. That is who you are, not this … neutered version."

I straightened, eyes never leaving hers. "You can do what you want to me, but don't force these humans into a life of blood and darkness. That's what you envision, right? Humans and vampires coexisting? Prove it and let them choose what they want."

A growl reverberated deep in Raven's throat. Her lips parted, revealing fangs sliding from their sheaths. She was ready to strike. She would rip out my throat, and that would be the end of the great Count Lucian Cross.

Very well. I was prepared to meet this end. I'd had a good many more years than most. But I had to convince Raven to allow the others to leave unmolested once she'd seen to her revenge. How could I procure that mercy from her when she remained unconvinced of my sincerity?

"Oh, don't be such a bore, Raven."

I started, tilting my head to regard the speaker.

Isabel materialized from the back of the room, melting from the door to the garden, grinning. Her skin was so milky pale that she looked like a ghost, blonde hair flowing behind her loosely.

"Isa … Isabel?" I stammered.

Isabel pushed a stray hair out of her eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. I look positively radiant. Immortality really does suit me, wouldn't you agree?"

Another figure appeared at her side. Emmett.

Isabel grinned back at Emmett. "My friend here was good enough to see to my eternal existence." She cupped his cheek, then slapped it playfully. "What a gift. I offered the same to Violetta. She'll be by my side in the morning, as it always should have been." She beamed. "You were right about that, Lucian. Ambrose wouldn't have been very good for me, I'm afraid. I'll trade the title of duchess for forever with Violetta. Not a bad trade, if you ask me."

Raven squinted at the duo. She tilted her head, then looked back at me. "You didn't kill him."

"No," Emmett agreed, cracking his neck. "But he gave me a splitting headache." He smiled when he noticed Flora. "Hello, Mother. You're looking well."

The duchess watched him with her lips pressed into a thin line, like she was trying not to cry. She reached out for him, and he embraced her, grinning down at her. His sharp incisors were showing and she reached up to touch them with the tip of her finger.

"Careful," he said, jerking back. "You'll cut yourself." He hesitated. "Are they … hideous?"

Flora's face softened. "Oh, darling boy, nothing could ever make you hideous." She paused. "But it will take some getting used to."

"Stop. Talking." Raven walked up to me slowly, eyes darting over me. She blew out a breath. "You didn't kill him."

"No, I didn't," I agreed.

"Why not?"

I glanced at Emmett before meeting Raven's gaze. She had always been good at hiding what she was thinking. I could tell nothing from her neutral expression. "Because he deserves a chance," I said softly.

"Lucian. You can't expect me to believe you've changed so much."

"He has though," Helena managed, and Nancy loosened her stranglehold on her. "He just stopped me from impaling you with a wooden spear."

Raven swallowed hard, then leaned in even closer to me so that our noses nearly touched. "I don't know if I can believe you. I know you as a heartless bastard. That's the only Lucian I have ever known."

"Let me change your mind," I said. "Please."

Raven watched me for a moment. "Do you truly think all of the pain and misery you've caused can be forgiven so easily?"

"No, I don't think that. You can do what you want to me. Just let my friends go."

Raven's lips curved into a smile. "I'd really hoped to extend your suffering for a good many years, but perhaps it's best to end this now, so I can focus on the future."

Emmett stepped before me and crossed his arms, facing down his maker. "Raven, I owe you so much, but I can't let you do this. He spared my life. I can do no less than see that his is spared as well."

Raven scowled. "Get out of my way, Emmett."

He lifted his chin. "This grudge is making you cruel. If you destroy him, you're no better than him. I expect more from you."

Raven hesitated. "He is only going to ruin things for us. He can't be allowed to live."

Isabel slipped up behind Emmett and leaned on him. "Raven, darling, if you truly profess to see vampires and humans coexisting one day, this is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your commitment." She gestured to the room around us. "Everyone is waiting to learn by your example. Do we kill humans when they are inconveniences, thinking as little of them as cattle? Or do we work with them, even though it's the harder route, and trust is difficult to come by?"

The air in the room was full of tension. With one word from Raven, what she'd worked for could either falter or be realized. The question was whether her thirst for vengeance outweighed her hope for an uncertain future.

"If you do this," Emmett said softly, "I won't remain to watch your downfall."

"Me neither," Isabel agreed, flashing Emmett a brilliant smile. "Where Emmett goes, Violetta and I go."

"Same goes for me," Nancy piped up, smiling sheepishly in my direction. "I'm rather fond of the count."

"Most in this room are," Helena added, steely gaze defiant.

Raven considered for a moment, eyes darting between Isabel, Emmett, and me, before straightening and loosing a sigh. She gestured to Nancy, and she released Helena, who slumped to the ground, rubbing her shoulder. "At least if you're human, I can end you quickly and easily if you do fall into old habits."

I pursed my lips, gazing around the room. "Raven, these vampires …"

"They were all given a choice."

I nodded, smiling wearily. "You really have become a good person, despite your teacher. I thought I was doing what was necessary for our survival when I taught you what Konstantin taught me." I hesitated. "I was also given a choice that wasn't a choice at all." I let out a deep sigh. "I'm truly sorry I didn't learn enough from my pain to save you yours."

Raven chewed on her lower lip. Was it my imagination or were her eyes shimmering? "Yes, well, you were in the wrong. Most of the time. But maybe you being in this world won't be the worst thing." She scoffed. "You do have a lot of experience to offer, I suppose."

"I wouldn't count on my advice."

Raven laughed. "Oh, believe me, I won't. I was just being nice." She shook her head as I chuckled. "Look, there's the possibility of a kinder future for us." Her eyes flicked to Isabel. "As this newling has aptly pointed out, so long as there are sheep and cows, there are plenty of ways to avoid killing humans needlessly. I do believe coexistence is possible. You were perhaps the greatest test I could have endured to see if that could be the case, Lucian. Luckily, I chose my family well and my children were here to make me see reason."

"Hope for a brighter future. Who would have thought?" I sighed. "I suppose I will have to give up terrorizing the countryside. I suppose that's acceptable."

With a snort, Raven clapped me on the back. "Very well. We'll talk. The vampire hunters will have to be dealt with, but perhaps we can come to some sort of compromise." She smiled. "It's strange how this turned out. Unexpected."

"That's one thing I've learned over my many years," I said. "Life is very unexpected."

Flora walked over to join Emmett. She tilted her head. "And where are my other boys? Are they with you?" She looked past me, then stilled when she noted the expression on my face. She put a hand on my arm. "Tell me."