6. Chapter 6

6

Chapter 6

Darick

I stand on the rooftop garden, brooding as I replay the confrontation with Rowan in my mind. Beyond the edge of the roof, the estate lawns sprawl below, but I barely notice the moonlit greenery. All I can see is the fury in Rowan's eyes, the way her magic sizzled around her, and the utter betrayal on her face.

"Fuck it," I mutter. I should have handled it differently. I should have—

"I thought I'd find you here," Marcus's voice cuts through my thoughts. "How did the meeting go?"

I turn to face him, my lips twisting into a bitter smile. "It was a shitshow."

Marcus raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to elaborate. I sigh and roll my shoulders. "Rowan thought she'd killed me. When I walked in, alive and well, she panicked and ran. I tried to explain, but…" I trail off, remembering the accusation in her voice, the way she recoiled from my touch.

"She didn't take it well, I gather," Marcus says, moving to stand beside me.

I let out a humorless chuckle. "That's an understatement. She accused me of manipulating her, of being involved in her sister's disappearance. And now…" I pause, the gravity of the situation weighing on me. "Now she'd rather kill me again than listen to anything I have to say."

Marcus remains silent for a moment, processing my words. "And what about you?" he finally asks. "How are you holding up?"

I tighten my jaw, feeling the hunger gnawing at me. "I need her blood, Marcus. After healing myself, I'm weaker than I've been in centuries."

"I'm guessing the arrangement you had with her is now off the table?"

"What do you think?" I aim a level stare at him.

Marcus eyes me for a moment, then says, "Yeah, I'd say that ship has sailed." He leans against the parapet, his expression turning serious. "Speaking of ships, Lucien's been making waves."

My interest piques. "What kind of waves?"

"It seems our dear friend has been busy making new alliances," Marcus says. "Word is he's been courting some of the more…disgruntled elements within the clans."

I frown, crossing my arms. "Disgruntled how?"

Marcus sighs. "The usual complaints. Younger vampires feeling overlooked, older ones who think we've gone soft. And, of course, there are those who agree with Lucien's stance on witches."

"Shit," I mutter. "How much traction is he getting?"

"More than I'd like," Marcus admits. "He's playing on their fears about the Bloodbane, promising solutions if they back him. And with the recent attacks on the witch community, tensions are high. It's creating a perfect storm for Lucien to exploit."

I start pacing, my mind racing. "We need to counter this. Fast. If Lucien gains too much support—"

"I know," Marcus cuts in. "That's why I'm worried. His influence is growing, and with it, the threat of a full-scale conflict with the witches."

I stop, turning to face him. "Have you heard anything specific? Any plans or meetings?"

Marcus shakes his head. "Nothing concrete yet. But there's a buzz in the air, Darick. Something's coming, and I don't think we're going to like it."

I mull over this for a moment, my mind churning with the implications. The hunger gnaws at me, a constant reminder of my weakened state. I try to focus on the task at hand.

"What about Selene and Elias?" I ask. "Any word from them?"

Marcus nods. "They're still on board. Selene's been discreetly reaching out to her contacts, trying to gauge the mood among the other clans."

"And Elias?" I prompt, my gaze drifting back to the moonlit gardens below.

"He's been diving into the archives, looking for any historical precedents that might help us. Says he's found some interesting leads; he'll fill us in when he knows more."

I nod absently, my thoughts straying back to Rowan. It feels like a lifetime ago that I had her wrapped around me, her flesh warm against mine. How could so much have changed in just two days?

"Darick?" Marcus's voice cuts through my reverie. "Are you alright?"

I blink, forcing myself to focus. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just…thinking." I turn back to him. "What about the younger vampires Lucien's courting? Any names we should be watching?"

As Marcus starts to answer, I feel my attention slipping again. The hunger is getting worse, making it hard to concentrate. I need to feed soon.

"Darick?" Marcus's voice sounds concerned now. "Maybe we should continue this later. You don't look well."

I wave off his concern. "No, I'm fine. We need to stay on top of this. What were you saying about the younger vampires?"

"No, you're not fine," Marcus insists. "Look at you, Darick. You can barely stand straight. This curse you're fighting…it's affecting your judgment."

I bristle at his words, but deep down, I know he's right. The hunger gnaws at me, a persistent ache that's becoming harder to ignore. "What do you suggest then?" I snap.

Marcus sighs, his expression softening. "You need a stable blood source, Darick. We can't afford to have you compromised, not with Lucien making his moves."

"And where do you propose I find this ‘stable blood source'?" I ask, my tone bitter. "In case you've forgotten, I can't exactly walk into a blood bank anymore."

"There are other witches," Marcus says carefully. "You could reach out to willing participants. It wouldn't be ideal, but it would keep you functioning until we figure out a long-term solution."

The mere thought of drinking another witch's blood makes my gut tighten. "No," I say firmly. "That's not an option."

Marcus frowns. "Darick, be reasonable. You can't go on like this. If Rowan won't help you—"

"It's not about Rowan helping me," I interrupt. "It's…different with her. Her blood, it's…" I trail off, unsure how to explain the pull I feel toward her, the way her blood sings to me like no other.

"Different in what way?" Marcus presses.

I huff out a breath, frustrated. "I don't know. It just is."

"I think you're being too hasty." Marcus looks at me. "You've only tried from one other source, no?"

I nod. "The stuff Lucien gave me at the Nocturne Lounge. It did nothing for me."

"But it didn't kill you, right?"

"No," I acknowledge. "I just didn't…like it."

"Who says you had to like it? It just has to keep you alive until you can figure things out."

"What's to figure out? I need her blood. But that's not going to happen." I think of wide green eyes and creamy skin, of titian curls tumbling over softly rounded shoulders, of—

"Darick!" Marcus's voice is sharp. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were moping."

I snap a look at him. "Can you blame me? You've said it yourself: I have the Bloodbane; she's my blood match. I need her to survive." Although part of me is wondering if that's all there is to it.

"Just like I said: You're moping."

"She fucking fried me, Marcus. Burned me to a crisp." I can still see the look in her eyes as she stared at me in horror. Seeing me as a monster.

That's because you are…

"Oh, boo-hoo." Marcus rolls his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day that the mighty Lord Drake would be felled by a girl."

"She's a woman, Marcus."

"Right. Woman. Who took you out at the knees. Crippled you."

"She didn't fucking cripple me, you dick!"

"Really? Then there's no harm in finding an alternative. Let's face it, it would be the strategic thing to do."

"Strategic?" I cock my head, turning away from the view.

"You've forgotten the Lucien problem?" He lifts an eyebrow. "If he finds out you're reliant on the witch, he can use her as leverage against you."

My jaw sets. "I have to protect her."

"More than that. You have to protect yourself."

I nod slowly, processing Marcus's words. "You're right. Lucien's not going to let this opportunity slip by. He's always been too damn crafty for his own good."

Marcus nods. "I think he's been playing this game for longer than we've been aware. Things are slotting into place, setting the stage for him to gain ground. And now, with this witch situation…"

"He's positioning himself as the solution," I finish, a sour taste in my mouth. "Fuck."

"Exactly. And if he finds out about your connection to Rowan…" Marcus trails off, but I can fill in the blanks.

I rub the back of my neck, suppressing my frustration. "He'd use her against me in a heartbeat. And she's not exactly making it easy to protect her."

Marcus raises an eyebrow. "How so?"

"She's reckless, Marcus. Impulsive. She took me out without blinking." I can't help the hint of admiration that creeps into my voice. "And now she's running around, stirring up shit with both the Conclave and the Blood Assembly."

"Making herself a target," Marcus concludes.

I nod, a knot forming in my stomach. "For Lucien, for any vampire looking to curry favor with him. Hell, even for her own kind who might see her as a threat."

Marcus's eyes narrow. "You think the witches might turn on her?"

"I don't know," I admit. "But power like hers…once it's made public…it's bound to make some people nervous. And nervous people do stupid things."

"You think she's that powerful?" Marcus asks, watching me carefully.

"I don't think she's even begun to scratch the surface of it." I pinch my lips together. I'm starting to think I've created a monster. But then again, who knows how any of this shit works? The Bloodbane is an enigma to me. I haven't heard of a power exchange between a witch and a vampire before, but not much is spoken of it.

"So what next?" Marcus is looking at me.

I take a deep breath, weighing our options. "We need to keep an eye on Lucien, first and foremost. Track his movements, see who he's talking to. And…" I hesitate, knowing what needs to be done but dreading it all the same. "And I need to warn Rowan. Whether she wants to hear it or not."

"Good luck with that," he chuckles.

I sigh. "I need to figure out how to get her to trust me again."

Marcus nods, his expression thoughtful. "What about approaching her family? Her grandmother seems pretty level-headed."

"It's worth a shot," I admit. "But I doubt they'll be too welcoming after what happened. I need something more…compelling."

"What about the information on her sister?" Marcus suggests cautiously.

I pause, considering. The photo of Mia on my phone flashes through my mind. "It's risky. I don't know much beyond the fact that Lucien seems to be involved somehow. If I reveal that without more facts, it could backfire spectacularly."

"True," Marcus agrees. "But it might be enough to get her to listen, at least."

I shake my head. "No, I need to learn more first. If I'm going to use that information, it has to be solid. Otherwise, I risk losing her trust completely." I lean back against the nearby wall, eyes fixed on the wide flagstones in front of me. "We need to gather more intel on Lucien's operations. There's a lot more going on here than we first suspected."

"This is about more than your witch." Marcus is watching me.

"Yes." I glance up at him. "I need to reach her on some level, of course. But we can't take our eyes off the bigger picture. Lucien wants Clan Sanguis, no doubt about it. He'll use me to get to it, or he'll take me out if it suits him. But the Sanguistas will give him the military arm he needs."

Marcus continues to look at me. "And he won't stop with Sanguis."

I shake my head. "I think he has his sights set on the Eterna clan. With Arabella out of the picture, he'll set the stage for taking over as Grand Elder."

"Now that would be a clusterfuck of note." Marcus exhales deeply. "We have our work cut out for us."

"Yes. But we're not alone in this. Selene and Elias are a start – a good start. We'll find more. We can take him on if we work together."

"Which means we'll need you in fighting form, Darick." Marcus looks serious. "You need to feed."

I'm silent for a moment, knowing that we've circled back to the original issue. And he's right. "Fine," I say. "I'll think about the right way to go about it."

"Good point. You can't just broadcast the fact that you need witch blood."

"Exactly." I nod at Marcus. "I'll figure something out," I assure him, though I'm not entirely sure how.

"Good," he replies. "I'll start digging deeper into Lucien's activities. There's got to be more we can uncover about his plans."

As Marcus turns to leave, I call out, "Be careful. Lucien's not one to leave loose ends."

He gives me a grim smile. "Don't worry about me. Just focus on getting your strength back."

With that, he's gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I turn back to the moonlit gardens, mulling over our conversation.

Drink from another witch…

I don't know why the thought bothers me so much.

Rowan's face flashes through my mind. I can't shake the feeling that I've royally fucked things up with her. But maybe, just maybe, there's still a chance to make things right.

Try talking to her one last time.

If she's had a bit of time to cool off after the revelation of seeing me alive, she might be calmer. I could approach her. Explain everything, lay all my cards on the table. It's a risk, but at this point, what do I have to lose?

Decision made, I push away from the railing. If I can just get her to listen, to understand the gravity of the situation we're both in, maybe she'll see reason. And if not…

You have other options.

I force myself to consider the alternative. If Rowan refuses to help, I'll have no choice but to seek out another witch. I don't like the idea, but I can't afford to be picky. Not with Lucien breathing down my neck and the fate of my clan hanging in the balance.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. One last attempt with Rowan. If that fails, I'll do what needs to be done to survive. It's not ideal, but it's the hand I've been dealt.

With renewed determination, I head back inside. Time to track down a certain stubborn witch and hope like hell she's willing to hear me out.