"Who?!"
"Vampires, Davy! All the vampires." He sat now as if surrendering. "The secret's out. Everyone knows the Immortal exists and she's here. I tried to tell the Elders that you left, but they must not have bought it. They know you're here. They might not know who you are, but they know the Immortal is here."
Oh. This was not good. "What does this mean for me?"
He shrugged. "I have no idea, but it's not good for you. My guess is that they'll try to kill you first. When they realize that won't work, they'll capture you and they'll figure something else out. They aren't friendly, Davy. They're scared of you and vampires don't handle fear ver
y well. Everything else is supposed to be afraid of us, not the other way around."
"They can't kill me. Can they?"
"I don't know. Do you even know?"
"No." I looked away. Saren hadn't been helpful with any information. Riddles. Everything was riddles. "So I go and do the normal thing that you wanted me to do before?"
"I don't see any other way right now." Roane's hand rested on the desk and then he clenched it into a fist. "It'd be good if you
go. I'm sorry."
With a knot in my throat, I nodded. "When will I see you again?"He looked up and sorrow flashed for a moment before it was replaced with regret. Guilt came next. I knew he wasn't going to answer me so I said, "I know you still love Talia. I saw that inside of you."
He tried to smile, but failed. "I hate that I can't keep a secret from you."
"Trust me. I wished I didn't know half the stuff I do." Then I turned and started to leave. As I reached the door, Roane stopped me.
"Davy…"
I turned and my heart jumped.
He smiled, but it was haunted. "Gregory can drive you back. After that you need to stay away from me."
My heart fell back in place. "Okay."
The Viking vampire was silent as he took me to my dorm. Roane had sent me away. He didn't want to see me anymore. I knew the reason behind it, but it stung. A part of me, the little girl inside of me wanted to fall into his arms and live happily ever after. The rest of me knew better.
"We're here," Gregory said as he put the car into park.
As I was about to get out of the car, I reached over and grabbed his arm. Gregory didn't react. He made no movement, but I knew he was guarded against me. That's when I realized the sound of his little girl's laugh had been tickling my empathic abilities since I'd gotten in the car. I just hadn't noticed it till then.
The laugh came from his unconscious and my empathic sense had reached for it. I met his gaze. "I will turn your daughter back. She can be yours again."
Something shifted inside of him and he jerked his head in a nod. "Thank you."
I nodded back and climbed out.
"Davy," he called after me. I looked over my shoulder. "Please don't make a promise like that unless you are sure you can fulfill it."
I remembered the last time I'd been in a car with him and spoke with honesty. "I have no doubt that no matter what Roane promises, there's going to be another war. I'll be at the center of it and I've got a hunch I'll meet your daughter. I will try one hundred percent to turn her human."
He smiled, shaken.
Then reality clicked with me. "Don't tell Roane I said any of that."
He shook his head. "He'd advise me not to believe you. For some reason, I do."
I wasn't sure how old Gregory was, but he looked old for a vampire. And when he smiled, I wondered when he had last smiled. His face looked cracked until the smile disappeared. Then all the cracks fell back in place and it was smooth again.
"Okay." I waved goodbye before I headed back inside. When I got to my floor, I saw a girl standing outside my room with her nose pressed against the door.