Once we reached the basement door, he grabbed my forearm from behind.
My entire body sparked at his touch, and I half-hissed, half-groaned at the sensation. If he touched me again, my protective dam was going to burst.
“Are you all right?” Gabriel asked.
I stared at the door, unsure of his question. Was he asking about my mindset or about my reaction to his touch? Or how I felt about joining Violet Memory?
“Inola told me it will not be painful. I’m not scared of the joining, if that’s what you’re asking,” I answered.
His hesitation was tangible. “I know you’re very angry with me right now, but I need you to know that I am here. I am here with you, and I will never place you in danger again.”
I picked through his words. “You mean I’m once again a prisoner here. You’re not going to let me leave, and you have chosen to bind yourself to my chains out of guilt.”
“I’ve bound myself to you because I love you.”
Now I turned to him. “There is a difference between love and fear, Gabriel. You didn’t want to lose me, so you turned me into something I may not be able to live with. Was it love or fear that drove your actions?”
His eyes smoldered. “Both.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think you understand the difference.”
A flash of anger cut across his features. “Perspective, Kara. You can hate me, and be angry all you want, but I do not regret turning you. I’d do it again without hesitation.”
Not trusting myself, I turned away from him. I opened the door and walked down the stairs. Immediately, I was hit with the scent of blood. Why did the entire place have to always smell of blood?
My plan upon seeing the dozens of vampires was to hold my head high, but I wasn’t sure if I managed to do it when I saw all of their luminous eyes trained on me.
Only two looked welcoming; most of them looked bored. Some looked me up and down, as if my outfit said everything about the core of my being. Some appeared amused, and others seemed wary.
I tensed when I saw that many looked at Gabriel with hostile eyes. He’d killed Emma and Felicity, and although he’d had cause to do so, I could see there were hard feelings. Also, Elias had killed June when a few members of the coven had encountered him.
But what did they think of me?
The vampires parted to two sides of the room, and I walked through them with Gabriel, Inola, and Thomas behind me.
What did they truly think of the girl who’d been kidnapped by her Eternal on her way home? The one who’d caused most of them to search endlessly for someone who’d once been a part of their family? The one who’d loved her Eternal and who now hated her sire?
My gaze met a vampire with unusual eyes, like a strange shade of red.
Christopher. The one who had liked Felicity.
I stopped, wondering what to say and eyeing him critically. I was worried he might hurt Gabriel.
As much as I hated Gabriel, I couldn’t stand the thought of him harmed. I knew if any of them tried to attack Gabriel, I would protect him with my life.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Christopher’s face was unreadable. To my surprise, he shrugged. “I warned Felicity that getting tangled up with whatever Elias was planning was a foolish thing to do. She did not heed my warning. She did not even seem to care.”
“You’re not angry?” I asked.
He looked around unhappily, obviously not wanting to talk about this in front of everyone, but I didn’t care. I needed to know Gabriel was safe from him.
Christopher sighed before speaking. “There was nothing between us, although I wished it otherwise many times. We were not together. My anger at you and Gabriel was minimal and has faded. My anger with Felicity remains.”
I nodded and walked away, not wanting to touch on the subject anymore. Judging by the look in his eyes, Christopher was angry about Felicity’s rejection, not her death.
And if Elias was anything to go on, a vampire’s wrath never truly went away.
Which meant I would hate Gabriel forever. Even if I came to forgive him, there would always be a part of me that despised him. Maybe it was the numbness talking, but the thought made me feel cold.
We approached the bed. The vampire that had dropped the piece of paper warning me about Emma in the library gently touched Jasmina’s shoulder.
Jasmina’s eyes opened. No longer in the coma sleep, she did not require blood to rise, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t thirsty.
I held my breath when a red-rimmed goblet was handed to her. It was harder to ignore my desires for it in such close proximity.
Jasmina drank the blood eagerly, emptying the cup. After drinking two more, she merely sipped from the fourth cup. She eyed me as she did so, like she knew I wasn’t breathing.
“Welcome, my family,” she said. I could see her eyes held unshed tears, as if they always glistened from the pain of losing her Jaren.
Everybody except for me bowed. Inola nudged me. I rolled my eyes and dipped my head.
Jasmina looked amused. “Thirsty, Kara?”
My mouth turned up at one corner. I still hadn’t taken a breath, and my lungs were burning in protest. Had I been human, I would have passed out by now.
Jasmina flipped her brilliant-colored hair over her shoulder. “Quite a mess you have caused us these past months, little one.”
I allowed air to go into my lungs. It was like breathing in acid.
“Well, you know how it is. Being the fixation of two insane vampires can get a little messy,” I said.
Jasmina’s stare turned cold, my sarcastic response clearly not amusing to her. She leaned forward. “And now here you are, forever changed.”
Gabriel stiffened next to me. I
