Alex felt queasy. “So…he would, like, watch?”
“Only the first time. Just to see how it was done. He never did again because he trusted me and truthfully, I think he was a little underwhelmed.”
“I doubt that,” Alex scoffed, making a face. She pulled back from her mother and this time it was Margaret’s turn to look puzzled, and likewise it was Dante who answered.
“I never performed the Ritual with your mother, Alexandra. I drank only from her wrists. We were clothed the entire time.”
The truth from Dante’s lips soothed Alex’s confusion, but her anger lingered. While she understood this was never Dante and Michelle’s relationship, she couldn’t help but wonder why they had felt the need to keep all this from her.
“So, if Dad knew, why couldn’t you tell me? What was the big need for secrets? Why did you pretend not to know me for all these years?” Alex looked from her mother to Dante, waiting for answers.
Dante appeared to steady himself. “Maria Esmeralda Drakeman.”
“Who is that?”
“A couple of decades or so ago, I was a part of the Elements of Night, a strike force that worked to capture let’s say unruly members of the vampire community. Maria as it turned out, was one of these. Her lover had been killed by three men—human hunters. And she went on a relentless and sadistic rampage, violently killing those men, their families, even people in the vicinity; she just would not stop. Vincent, the King of Sydney ordered her capture, and my team was sent to a warehouse where she was known to be. She was successfully captured, but not before she’d killed most of my team, and as she was led away she vowed I would watch as one day those dearest to me would suffer. And that included your mother on a very short list.”
“But you put her away, right?” Alex asked, shivering at the thought. “She’s…she’s gone?”
“We did. And I believed she would have no way of making good on her threat. But I was wrong. She persuaded another vampire to get her revenge.”
“Revenge? How?” This wasn’t making a lot of sense.
Margaret put a gentle hand on Alex’s. “Sweetheart, your father did not die of cancer.”
Comprehension dawned for Alex. “Dad? Dad was killed?”
Margaret nodded, her lip beginning to tremble. “I came home and found him nailed to the front door. Christ-like. He had been placed there as a message to me. I was next. Dante had driven me home that night and just dropped me off, but when he heard me screaming for Ray, he came back for me. Though I knew you were inside, I didn’t dare enter the house. The utter fear that you would not be alive was overwhelming.”
“You were unhurt,” Dante said sadly, yet with a smile. “You were screaming your lungs out though.”
“Oh, Dad…” Alex wiped more tears away as Margaret continued.
“You couldn’t know how devastated I was when he died and why. But also the fact was you were in danger. The note didn’t say anything about you, but Dante and I knew if Maria or the vampire she’d sent were aware I had a husband, she’d know we had a daughter. It was decided we would send you to Aunt Maureen and I would come here. Dante informed the hospital staff I was to receive no gifts or visitors and he would supply all my food. All we told Maureen was that Ray was dead and I couldn’t handle it. I told her not to let you come to see me, but Maureen did not have the heart to keep you away.”
“Maureen was lovely. She knew how much I wanted to see you. She had fights with the staff because they would refuse us entry.”
“I know,” Margaret replied. “Little did she know how much danger it was placing you and I in. I had to let you believe I didn’t know who you were; it was the only way I could think of to keep you away from here. To keep you safe! Dante promised to protect you and he swore to me he would find the person who killed your father, but until then we had to be vigilant. We had no idea who was working for whom. It was like this dark cloud hanging over all of us.”
“Couldn’t they have just walked in here at any time?” Alex asked.
“He did,” Margaret replied.
“You saw him? What did you do?”
“Vile thing. He said he wouldn’t kill me until he could see my face when I found out my daughter was dead. Happened at four o’clock in the morning exactly four months after I was put in here. How he found out is anyone’s guess. But he could only stand just outside the room and look in. Dante had an old friend work a barrier around the room, as if this was my home. So after he left I
