Benjamin climbs in, closes the door, and almost instantly, the carriage starts to move.
This is it.
This is the next part of the rest of my life, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.
It’s almost completely dark in here, but the vampires don’t seem to have any trouble seeing one another or communicating with each other.
“Two hours to Castle Rose,” Benjamin says. “Think they’ll make it?”
“They’ll have to,” Eli says. “They’ll be fine.”
“We should have killed them,” Matthew says, and I suddenly feel like this is a conversation I’m not supposed to be hearing. I shrink back, trying to make myself as invisible as possible in the corner of the carriage, but each of the men seems to notice instantly.
“I’m sorry, is this making you uncomfortable?” Benjamin asks sarcastically.
“A little,” I whisper.
“Why?” His voice is harsh and cruel, and out of the three men, I can tell he’s the one who likes me the least.
“Because you’re talking about killing my village,” I say. I feel like honesty is the best policy here. I want the vampires to bite me: not kill me. I want them to turn me: not destroy me. I don’t know if this is the best way to go about doing it, but I can definitely tell that these aren’t the kind of guys who like being lied to.
“Your village has been the bane of our existence for more than ten years,” Benjamin says.
“What?” I whisper. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about hunting us down like fucking rats,” he says. Venom drips from his voice. I don’t need to be able to see him in the darkness to know that he’s filled with hate for my people. I don’t need to be able to see him to know just how very much he despises all of us right now.
But that doesn’t change the fact that I have no idea what he’s talking abou
t. I’m honestly completely shocked.
Hunting them down?
Eagleton?
As far as I know, Eagleton is a peaceful community. Yes, we hide away from the vampires, but doesn’t everyone?
“Um...what do you mean?” I finally whisper. “I thought...I thought...”
Silence.
It’s so thick I could slice it with a knife.
The vampires don’t say anything for a very long time, but I can feel them. They’re watching me, staring at me, analyzing what I’ve just said.
“She didn’t know,” Matthew finally says. His voice is even and calm, but there’s a sort of tension there.
“How could she not fucking know?” Benjamin snaps. “That’s bullshit. Who is your father?” I know the question is directed at me, but I don’t have an answer.
“He’s dead,” I whisper. “He died when I was a kid.”
“What were their names?” He insists.
“Cal and Raya Smith,” I tell him.
“They aren’t part of Eagleton,” Benjamin says sharply. “They aren’t on our list.”
List?