“She does know he’s dead, right. He can’t become a vampire—”
“Shut up,” Daiyu said to her brother slowly.
The broken body under me began to heal. His skin stitched back together, and the cuts all over his skin began to mend. When every wound had closed, the ghost knelt across from me.
“Thank you,” he said before laying into his body, and it jerked in response.
I smiled when I heard his heart beat once, then twice, before it remained steady. He began to wake, but because of the blindfold, he panicked.
“Relax.” I put my hand on his head.
“What happened?” he asked, moving his head right to left.
“Work hazard,” I said to him. “If your sister needs you, then you should find a safer job. Come on.”
Getting up, I helped him to his feet, too. He held my hands tightly, as he too was confused. I looked back at President Swan.
“Can someone take him, please? The poor human has had a very rough night.” I smiled at him.
Everyone just stared at me. The only person who seemed able to get over the shock was Theseus who waved over the guard.
“Nothing better happen to him, or I will find you.” I pointed to the guard who shook in fear at my voice, taking the man away.
“Thank you,” the human said again, but I just waved, though he couldn’t see it.
When he was gone, I ignored every last person and walked to Lucy, helping her off the ground and allowing her to rest on me. Her lids fluttered open a bit as she looked up. Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t let them fall. Vampires only cried when they were in extreme pain. She had told me it was rare and a disgrace. So, to see her like this in front of so many people—even though she was injured, embarrassed, and ashamed—I knew she wouldn’t allow herself to start crying now.
“Do you think you’ll be able to help me get blood out of this silk?” I asked, walking us both over to stairs. “I really like this dress and just got it. I don’t want to get rid of it.”
The only sound was my voice as everyone watched. Lucy glanced down at the stain on the silk.
“I think I can figure out something, but it will be an extra $12.99,” she whispered back.
“$12.99 extra?” I gasped in horror as we made it up the stairs. “That’s a little steep!”
“It’s Mussel Silk. Do you know how much effort it’s going to take?” she said as we reached the top and moved to Taelon’s elevator. “In fact, I’m giving you a very good discount.”
I scoffed, pushing the button. “Sure, you are.”
I stepped into it with her, glad I couldn’t see their faces as we got inside and that neither Theseus nor Taelon followed us. I looked at the screen, realizing that I didn’t know how to work it. However, Lucy just tapped on the glass twice, and a keypad came up. She pressed the button for the guest floor. Briefly, I wondered how that could be secure, but who was going to break in? When the elevator began to move, she fell to her knees, her body shaking, but she still didn’t let out her sob. She bit her lip as hard as she could and kept her eyes shut as tears slid down her snow-white face. I was grateful that even Lesser bloods didn’t cry blood tears. There had been enough blood for the night. It was only when we got to mine and Theseus’s room that she fully broke down, sobbing. And though I knew she’d complain about it later, I hugged her.
“I tried so hard,” she gasped.
“I know.”
“I wanted them to see I could be with him.”
“You can.”
“I can’t.” She hung her head. “I disgraced—”
“You lost control, drinking from a human! I bet all of them have. They are only picking on you because of their prejudice.”
“Still, I ruined my chance.” She hung her head and lifted her bloody robes. “What am I saying? I never really had a chance. I knew they would hate me, but I thought…I thought they would allow me just to be next to him and hate quietly. His father is going to forbid me from even being next to him.”
“And Taelon will ignore him.”
She looked up at me even more sorrowful. “I know. That’s what I am afraid of. If he does, he will be abandoned. You should know how deeply it hurts to be abandoned by your maker. And his father is President Swan, the rest of vampire society will reject him, not just here but everywhere because they don’t want to cause chaos and bad relations with America. I will be the reason why he is an outcast, why he suffers, and I don’t want that. He loves his family.”