The Dark Blood of Poppies by Freda Warrington Read Free Book Online Page A

us, that one neurotic fledgling sends us screaming for
maman
? Grow up and leave Violette alone.”
    Charlotte ignored him. Why was it callous, sarcastic Pierre who came to her defence, not the ones she really cared about, Stefan and Karl?
    “Do whatever you like,” Rachel said, her voice faint. She leaned against the windows, ghostly pale against the night. “I want nothing more to do with Violette. I want…”
    “Where are you going?” John cried.
    “I don’t know. Away.”
    And she vanished into the Crystal Ring.
    “It appears the case for the prosecution is collapsing,” said Charlotte, looking pointedly at Stefan. “I think you’d all better leave.”
    Karl, expressionless, brought their coats and distributed them without ceremony.
    John left without a word, but the look he gave Charlotte was sourly threatening, almost deranged. He seemed entrenched in age-old dogma of God and Satan, as Kristian had been.
I don’t know you
, she thought.
I don’t care what you believe, just get out of our house and leave us alone!
    Ilona, unperturbed, presented herself to Karl. He kissed her forehead. Charlotte was learning to read his feelings, for all his skill at hiding them. She saw his ancient sorrow and the bittersweet love he felt for his daughter.
    Charlotte said, “Ilona, you don’t agree with them, do you?”
    Ilona turned to her with a cool smile. “Very little frightens me, dear, except Violette. For some reason she scares me to death. But I won’t give in to her.”
    The admission floored Charlotte. Before she could respond, Ilona melted into the Crystal Ring. Pierre gave a sardonic bow and followed.
    Stefan glanced at Charlotte, as if intending to leave without saying anything. She said, “Wait a moment.”
    He came to her, Niklas a silent mirror image at his side. His hair was a white-gold nimbus, his eyes angelic. His was a teasing cruelty: he loved to rouse affection before he stole blood.
    “Are you angry with me?” Stefan said. “H’m, silly question.”
    “How could you turn against Violette, when you know what she is to me? You helped to transform her!”
    “Charlotte.” He touched her arm lightly. “I haven’t turned against her. I only said what I believe.”
    “And so did I.” She looked sideways at Karl. He was watching her, one side of his face lit by fire, the other in shadow.
    “You know my feelings,” said Karl. “I don’t trust Violette, but there are very few whom I
do
trust.”
    “When I came into the Crystal Ring,” said Charlotte, “I signed no agreement that I must answer to other immortals.”
    “We answer to no one.”
    “Then why do I have to suffer crowds of them coming here and threatening my friend?”
    “I didn’t threaten her,” said Stefan. “I’m truly concerned about her, and have been since the moment of her transformation, as you know perfectly well. If anything, I was trying to protect her. I went to her in friendship; unfortunately, the others had different ideas and things got out of hand. It was meant to be a friendly warning, because if she doesn’t take herself out of the public eye and live a quiet life, she is going to make enemies far worse than John and Rachel.”
    * * *
    Karl was alone in the library, near dawn, when another unwelcome visitor came. Charlotte had gone to rest in the Crystal Ring; they each needed time to gather their thoughts. Karl sat looking through a large volume of mythology, searching for references to Lilith. Now and then he made notes on a writing pad.
    He thought about Benedict and Lancelyn, two human occultists who’d foolishly tried to claim power over vampires. Karl, in trying to limit the chaos they caused, had almost lost Charlotte to Violette.
    I understand Charlotte’s fascination with her
, he thought ruefully.
It might be easy to dismiss Violette’s belief that she is Lilith as a delusion… if it hadn’t been for the angels.
    Simon, Fyodor and Rasmila had appeared to be vampires like any other,