21. Kali

Breaking News

Three more bodies were found. Like the others, the deaths were not covered up. They were found out in the open, in large cities. All were drained of blood, with marks on their necks. Police will not comment, as the investigation is still ongoing. Citizens across the country, and the world, are growing uneasy as the number of these mysterious deaths grows.

Groups of paranormal believers have been trying to gain media attention by standing in front of government buildings and chanting about vampires. They believe monsters walk among us, and it's being covered up. The number of these people is growing by the day as these curious deaths continue to climb. A year ago, talk like this would have been laughed at.

But the fear of the unknown is heightening with each passing day. The rumors of a serial killer have been circulating. But how is that possible when the murders span the world?

With a sigh, I set the article down. It was hard to imagine a world when humans didn't know vampires were real. I was born into this and couldn't picture the life of peace that existed decades ago.

I was sitting in Zan's bed, propped up by pillows, finally looking at the papers that Asami had given me. It had been over a week since her visit, and I'd only read maybe half of what she'd given me so far. Zan had glanced at them, but once he realized the majority were old newspaper articles, he lost interest quickly. And he'd barely given me any time to relax and read them.

After we came to the agreement that I wouldn't ignore him as long as he didn't do what his father wanted, he seemed intent on spending as much time with me as possible. Or making sure I didn't wallow in self-pity. If I wasn't going to the beach or at the park training with him, I was down at Impulse, working with Gia. Time was passing quickly, and even though Amaros and everything else were always present in the back of my mind, I wasn't obsessing over it. It would swallow me whole if I did.

"Gia's waiting for you."

I raised my eyes to see Zan in the doorway. "I told you that I'm staying in here tonight. I want to read these."

A slight frown settled over his lips as he looked at the stack of papers in my hand. "You can do that later."

"No, I'm doing it now."

"I have to go downstairs."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then go." Turning my attention back to the papers, I could still feel his stare on me. With a sigh, I glanced back up. "What?"

"I don't like it."

"Like what?"

He hesitated, as if knowing I wasn't going to like his answer. "You being up here when I'm not."

I rolled my eyes. "You think I'm going to try to run?"

"No," he said slowly. "I just don't like when I'm not with you."

"I've spent nearly this entire week with you, like you wanted. You can't be with me every second of every day, Zan."

"Try me." The challenge in his voice had my heart skipping a beat, and his eyes gleamed dangerously as he stepped into the room. "And don't try to act like you hate being in my presence, Kali."

I shot him an overly sweet smile. "I'm trying to embrace being here, like I promised. But tonight, I'm staying in here. You're welcome to stand there and watch me."

"I can't. I'll be in one of the back rooms downstairs."

I set the papers on my lap, curiosity getting the better of me. "Why?"

"I need to talk to my brothers without ears on us."

A chill swept through me. "Kane business?"

"Yes." He didn't elaborate, and I didn't expect him to. If it was about his father, he wouldn't tell me. "I'll be back later. If you're still up, we can go to the beach."

Fuck my stomach for fluttering. He knew I loved to watch the sunrise while sitting on the beach. He'd taken me almost every morning this week.

"Come downstairs if you need me," he said before backing out of the room and disappearing down the hall.

I stared at the empty doorway, listening to his fading footsteps. The way my emotions had been thrown around this week had kept me in a constant state of confusion. I'd been on edge ever since Amaros was here. Especially knowing what he wanted from me. I wasn't sure what to expect from Zan after learning all that. Would he do what his father wanted even after making his promise to me? Because of that, I was still trying to keep my distance from Zan.

Maybe not physically, since that was impossible. But emotionally? I refused to let myself pretend that whatever this was between us was normal. I wanted to take him at his word, but I couldn't do it. Not when I was aware of what this necklace was meant for. Even if I did have feelings for Zan, I would never carry his child. Nothing he said or did would change my mind.

But he hadn't brought it up all week. Or made a move to touch me. Some moments, I even caught myself waiting for him to do something. To kiss me. Or speak those dirty words that always had heat flowing through me. Each day, I found myself relaxing more and more around him. Sometimes, real life would seem so far away, especially when we were at the beach.

I blew out a breath and grabbed the papers again. I still wasn't sure why Asami risked venturing out of Project Hope to give me these. Some of them I'd read before, but there were a few I'd never seen. Most of the articles were about what had happened leading up to the all-out war between humans and vampires.

My eyes fell to the next headline, and I got comfortable against the pillows again as I started reading.

Vampires Exist.

Two years after the mysterious deaths came to light, the world is in a state of shock. Governments from everywhere have acknowledged that vampires are real. Curfews are now in place for most civilians in an attempt to stop the attacks. There is still so much unknown, but since the deaths happen after sundown, the belief is that vampires can't walk in the sun. Military members are being deployed to help local police where needed.

Here is a current list of the new rules:

All rules are in local time of where you reside.

Stores will close one hour before sunset. No places of business will reopen until one hour after sunrise.

All citizens must be in their residence by sundown.

If you come across a vampire or someone you suspect is a vampire, call your local emergency number. Do not engage. Vampires are ruthless and strong. Bullets and knives will not kill them.

Search garages, sheds, or any other shelter on your property before sundown.

We are not sure how humans are turned into vampires. If anyone you know is acting strangely or suddenly not going out during the day, contact local emergency services.

I finished reading the article, wondering how it must have been to live in a world where people could travel anywhere. Before humans were put in safe cities like Project Hope. Setting that paper aside, I reached for another one with a later date.

Worldwide Chaos.

The attempt to find all the vampires was unsuccessful. Citizens wanted to rid the world of this newfound evil, but the vampires refuse to be rounded up. Murders and kidnappings are rampant in every country. Terror flows through every town and city. People are raiding local stores to stock up on supplies as everything falls apart. Money is being withdrawn from banks at an alarming rate. Rolling blackouts are affecting many areas. Internet and phones are cut off for many neighborhoods.

There are rumors that vampires are beginning to organize. They've been found in large groups instead of solo like in the past. The name Amaros Kane is being whispered around the world as a vampire who is leading all of this. Though no one has ever seen him. Countries are drafting men and women to fight against a threat that no one could have predicted.

Without taking a break, I plucked another paper from the pile and kept reading.

Black Blood.

Testing is now in progress for every person. So far, it has only been adults who are bleeding black blood. No one knows what it means. Those who are affected are being taken to government facilities. They are somehow infected with a sickness that the vampires have created, and medical agencies around the world are doing everything to find a cure. If a member of your family has black blood, please take them to your local medical center.

Phones in most areas are not working, meaning you cannot call for help if needed. Internet is now nonexistent. Schools are closed. Businesses are closing by the day. People are now out for only themselves.

Society is Falling Apart.

We are trying our hardest to bring the news to everyone, but mail isn't being delivered anymore. These papers will be free at any emergency shelter or food bank. Please stay up to date as much as possible. The radio is how communication is still happening between the government and citizens. If you don't have a radio, please get one if possible.

Keep Faith in Humanity.

"You look deep in thought."

I nearly jumped at Zan's voice, and my head shot up. He was standing inside the room, leaning against the wall. His eyes were bright with curiosity as he met my gaze. I let the paper fall onto the blanket as he pushed off the wall and strode toward the bed.

"You weren't gone long," I mumbled.

He fell onto the mattress next to me, tilting his head to look at the article I'd just read. "Viggo didn't show up. He's out with Dee, so we have to wait until he comes back."

He didn't seem annoyed about that, and he stayed quiet as he read the paper about the black blood. I went still when he readjusted, leaning against the pillows just like I was. His arm was an inch from mine, and his closeness wasn't bothering me like it should. We both slept in here every night, but he'd been staying on his side of the bed. Right now, he didn't seem to care how close he was.

"Sickness," he muttered, pushing the rest of the papers to the side so he could stretch out his legs. "Your government knew even back then what black blood meant. They were also aware that vampires existed long before the public did."

"Why?" I blurted out. "Vampires have existed for who knows how long. Why did they decide to bring attention to themselves? Why didn't they just stay living in secret?"

Zan tensed slightly as his eyes raised from the paper to look at me. "Because my father had been planning it for years prior."

I wasn't sure why that surprised me. "Amaros wanted this to happen?"

"Shadows are half vampire, Kali," he murmured. "Do you think it was a coincidence that people with black blood began emerging right after vampires revealed themselves? No. Amaros planned for years before it actually happened. He wanted Shadows full grown when the war happened. He needed an army. He'd lived for centuries in secret, and he was tired of it. He wanted the world."

I turned my body, lying on my side to face him. "If that's the case, then why didn't vampires win?"

"Because he underestimated PARA. It was more of a challenge than he thought." Zan paused. "And the Shadows weren't the soldiers he thought they'd be."

"Why?"

"That's a conversation for later."

I frowned. "How come you never tell me anything about Shadows?"

He shifted, mimicking my position as he lay on his side, facing me. His small grin didn't reach his eyes as he answered. "I can't tell you all vampire secrets yet."

His words were teasing, but a tingle still ran down my spine. He was keeping something from me. When it came to learning about Shadows, he always avoided the subject. Why? Because he really didn't want me to know? Or was it because we still didn't know if I was a Shadow? Was there something awful about having black blood that he didn't want me to know about? That didn't make any sense. Zan and his brothers were all Shadows, and they seemed just like all the other vampires I'd come across.

But I had a feeling there was a sinister reason why he wasn't telling me about Shadows.