Chapter 120

Almara’s Pov

Bess, Roman, Robert, and me prepare to embark on our journey to the Council of Bloody Hollow. According to Robert the meeting house is not only in the center of the vampire world, but beneath it. Bess, Roman, and I may not even be able to get past the entry gates.

The plan is to deliver Robert to the council and plead he has very important insight into the Hurricane Pack that would serve the council well, this will at least get him entry into the council. Meanwhile we search for the soul plant a few miles away from the council.

“I’m supposed to be protecting you.” Arthur says, sounding more defeated than just tired. I pause packing my backpack so I can give Arthur my full attention.

“You are.” I tell him sincerely. “Besides we have the rest of our lives where Grace and I will be following at your lead. I need you to trust me on this one.”

Arthur presses his palms to my waist, holding me firm. “I do trust you. It’s Robert I’m not sure about.” I study Arthur’s eyes and all I see are depths of love. “Why are you smiling?” Arthur asks.

I shake my head with a light laugh. “I guess I like that you still get jealous.” I tell him and give him a peck on the lips. “I don’t fully trust Robert either, but I do trust Bess and Roman.” I mention their names to remind him that I’m not alone and that it’s because of him I have a family to protect me.“I just don’t get why you have to go now. Why not let Robert embark to this council and report back?”

I thought about this too, but I know I would go crazy if I had to wait another minute and rely on someone else’s speed. I need to be kept busy and know I’m doing everything I can to help Arthur, but I can’t tell him this. Arthur wouldn’t like that I’m worrying so much.

“We’re going to get the quartz dust from the soul stone. Robert said there’s a field of flowers where this stuff grows, but it’s not on the way to the Council. It’ll save time this way.”

“We have to go if we want to get there before it gets too dark and all the vampires come out.” I hear Robert say from the doorway behind me.

“Just one minute.” Arthur says, leaving no room for argument in his voice. Before I know it, Arthur has his lips pressed against mine. The surprise quickly turns to pleasure and I kiss back. This is how Arthur protects me, he fills me with his love at every touch, every glance, his very being.

“I love you.” He manages to whisper while going in for a second kiss.

“I love you too.” I tell him. He presses his lips against my forehead. I have to peel myself back, otherwise I might change my mind about going. “There are some bottles prepared for Grace in the fridge. If all goes well, we should be back no later than tomorrow morning.”“I’ll call you if I hear anything from Cathy.” He tells me and I nod. It’s as though we’re ignoring the obvious problem in the room: Arthur may not have the time to wait until tomorrow morning. With that reality settling, I get moving.

Before long, Robert, Bess, Roman and me are stepping into an unmarked and discreet car. It’s nothing too fancy or too poor to draw attention. The windows are tinted enough that no one could see in just by driving by, though not too dark that might draw curiosity of what this car might be hiding.

Roman tells us the license plate is connected to a fake pure-blood vampire, should anyone search the plate. Luckily for us, the driver looks like the created vampire. This car should be able to drive us to the town at least.

We drive in silence for a few hours. Bess takes a nap while Roman keeps his gaze hard set on the window, his expression unchanging and impossible to read. I begin to wonder if he’s also sleeping, just with his eyes open.

“Are you thinking about what I said?” Robert leans in and whispers to me. Instinctively I draw back.

“About what?” I ask.

“About Grace?” Robert says as if I should know. I roll my eyes and let out an annoyed sigh.

“No Robert, your relationship with my daughter has not been of grave importance to me.” I start to find it uncomfortably off how desperate he is about this.

“I just want a fresh start.” He says, leaning back again.

“Let’s start with this then.” I say, hoping the conversation drops there and we can continue our drive in silence one again.

Not too much longer the driver says we arrived to gates. I gently nudge Bess awake. She startles as though disturbed from a bad dream, which unfortunately may not have ended simply by her waking.

“Why are we stopping?” I ask, trying to lean out the window and get a look at what’s going on. Though it’s hard to make out anything. At first I think it’s because of the tinted windows, but then I realize it’s because of a lingering haze in the air.

“There’s guards at the gate.” The driver says, pulling Roman’s attention from the window. I take the opportunity to lean over him and get a better look.

The landscape is a wasteland. There’s no grass, as far as I can tell. Even thee trees are bent and twisted and barren, only covered with spindly sticks that do a poor job at providing coverage for the crows that flock from them.

Even though the smog that hovers like a still smoke in the air is heavy and unmoving, the gate that the driver is talking about clearly stands out. It’s a massive black gate made of steel with spear-like pointed tips that are bedazzled with glowing red gems.

It’s almost mesmerizing, eventually I have to pull myself away out of a sudden feeling that the jewels have eyes and can not only see me, but see my soul.

“They want to search the car.” The driver says in a hurried panic.

“Let them” Robert says as if expecting this would happen. There isn’t much time to react because the passenger doors are pulled open and something like a monster is standing on the other side of the door, staring at us with eyes as red as the gems on the gate.

Once the door opens, stale air passes past the contorted figure and fills the car. My nostrils are assaulted with an odd sulfur smell.

“Name yourselves.” The vampire guard says sounding as though his tongue is too thick for his mouth. He hunches himself lower leaning into the car to get a better look at each of us. He’s utterly repulsive with his ghastly skin and bony features.

“This is the Hurricane Pack. I’ve come to deliver them to the Council of Bloody Hollow.” Robert says proudly.