Waking Bel (Lords of Discord 3)

“The night is wasting away,” Marcus said.

“Winter,” Rafe added, reminding them all that their youngest brother was waiting at Marcus’s home to be turned with the rest of them.

Aiden had managed to transform Marcus, Rafe, and Bel without too much trouble. At least until Bel had attacked Rafe. Then it became clear that the three new vampires needed to feed before Winter could be turned. The scent of blood in the air had been driving them past the point of control.

“Yes, we need to get back to Winter. He will not be left out,” Aiden said. He motioned toward Marcus’s carriage just down the block. If the driver had thought it at all strange that the three brothers and Aiden wanted to be brought to this disreputable part of town, he gave no indication. Of course, Bel suspected that if they’d used Rafe’s driver, the man wouldn’t have blinked an eye at the request.

As they neared the carriage, something…strange whispered through Bel’s brain. A thought. Almost like a voice. But it hadn’t spoken in words so much as a feeling. Bel stopped where he was on the sidewalk and looked around. There was no one close to them besides the driver. The streets were largely empty for the late hour. All the people were tucked away in their tiny homes.

The feeling of anxiety was growing stronger, but Bel couldn’t place it. Beside him, one of the horses attached to Marcus’s carriage whinnied and tossed its head. Without thinking, Bel reached over and patted the side of the horse’s neck, murmuring softly to it. The horse grew quiet, and the feeling of anxiety slowly dissipated.

Bel lifted his hand slowly and looked over at the horse. It couldn’t—

“Bel? Are you coming?”

He flinched at Rafe’s question as it jerked him from his strange thought. “Yes, of course. Right away.” He said the words to his twin, but his eyes were pulled back to the horse standing quietly beside him. It couldn’t have been. That didn’t make any sense.

Shaking the thought away, Bel climbed into the carriage and dropped onto the bench, beside Aiden. Rafe followed him in and sat on the opposite bench, next to Marcus. With a quick rap on the roof, they were off. His brother kept a very nice home just outside of town, offering much-needed privacy but also a closeness to town for the purposes of Marcus’s business investments.

The steady rocking of the well-sprung carriage and the reassuring warmth of Bel’s family close at hand helped to soothe away the initial tendrils of panic that had grabbed his mind. He relaxed against the cushions and sighed, closing his eyes. Marcus and Aiden were talking about something. He wasn’t quite sure what—their voices had become a low burble of noise.

Bel was content to simply replay the night through his head, trying to recall in perfect detail what Aiden had done to turn both Marcus and Rafe. He’d still been human at that time, but the memories were growing foggy now under the weight of emotions he tried to block out. Not the easiest of tasks when it came to watching his two beloved brothers die before his eyes.

Their absolute stillness. No breath. No beating heart.

Despite all Aiden’s reassurances, panic had stolen away his rational mind.

Even now, Bel found his eyes snapping open and locking on Rafe and Marcus. His eldest brother was saying something about finding more effective ways to block out the light in the house during the day, while Rafe sat with a slightly bemused expression on his face. But his expression changed. His eyes focused on Bel, and one eyebrow raised in question, as if he could feel the panic rising in his twin.

Bel managed a small shake of his head and a smile. He was being silly. It was all nonsense. His brothers were safe and alive.…Well, they were vampires. And soon, Winter would join them. They’d be together. Forever.

He started to close his eyes again when the voice whispered again through his brain. It felt the same as the first one he’d heard when he’d been standing on the sidewalk outside the carriage. The anxiety was back, but with it was fatigue. Desire for someplace warm and safe.

But it wasn’t the only voice. There was a second one. Slightly more distant, but it felt like it was coming from overhead. This one was hunger.

Bel’s eyes darted out the window to his left, but there was no one outside the carriage. They’d left London and were moving through the nearby countryside. Not far from Marcus’s home. Trees were crowding closer to the road, blocking out the moonlight. Beyond were hills for the rolling pasture lands and farms.

The second voice disappeared, but the first remained.

It didn’t matter. He was hearing voices.

Just like Julianna.

Just like his very mad mother.