The Kingdom of the Nine; The Vampire Legacy IV by Dawn Gray Read Free Book Online

all interested in staring at me the way Quinn was
doing just then.
    The television was on, but no one seemed to
be watching it, and the volume was down so low I couldn't hear it,
but I was sure the boys could. And, as I continued to look around
the room, taking in what I could remember, Julian walked in and
smiled at me. I stared at him, making him my focus point this time,
and he stared back, with a witty smile on his face, like he had a
joke to tell, but couldn't get it out.
    “Are you two just going to stare at each
other all night?” Quinn asked which made his brother look over at
him, as Quinn shifted in his chair. “Because if you are, then I'm
going to bed.”
    “It would be just like old times.” David
laughed, which made me look over at him. “The only thing they ever
did was stare at each other all day.”
    “Either that or you couldn't get them apart.”
Michael smiled, and I watched as the three of them talked as if we
weren't in the room. “Their faces were surgically attached.”
    “Funny, guys!” Julian mumbled under his
breath, only glancing at them, before focusing back on me. I looked
away and turned towards the window, which caught their
attention.
    “I don't know what I remember.” I whispered
and set the cup down to cross my hands over my chest. “It's like a
strange haze goes over my eyes when I try to look back. When I saw
Julian on the stairs, I could see my past so clearly, but now it's
just a blur, with bits and pieces flowing towards me.” I turned
back to them and blinked. “Right now the only thing I can think of,
the only memory that stands out clearly, was when we met.” I smiled
and looked at the three others in the room, then looked at Julian
again. “The first time I came here alone.”
    “Yep, that was an experience.” Quinn replied,
sarcastically.
    “It was a night, just like this, my sisters
were fighting, my parents were threatening to send us all back if
it didn't stop and all I could think about was getting here, to
feel safe. The rain was coming down in thick heavy sheets and the
front door was locked so I had to come in the back. It had started
to thunder and lightning outside, other than that, the house was
dark, but I knew that Julian was here, I could feel him.” I turned
and looked at the fireplace, keeping the faces of my listeners in
view. “When I finally made it in the door, I was drenched and
standing in the middle of the hallway, a puddle was forming on the
floor below my feet. The only thing I could see was the lightening
reflecting off from those chandeliers.
    “I walked down the hallway, I think it was
towards the stairway and I started to shake, from the cold and the
fact that Julian hadn't answered my calls, mentally. I thought
about who was in the house because he had mentioned the three of
you to me, but I don't think I really believed that you would be
here and that's when I saw the red lights coming towards me.” I
looked quickly towards Julian, trying to catch my heart as it began
to beat faster, because I was feeling, as if for the first time
what I felt that night. “The red lights turned out to be eyes in
the darkness.”
    “Quinn's eyes.” Michael whispered. I
nodded.
    “Yes, Quinn's night eyes, though I didn't
know what he was at the time. I could feel him getting closer, but
I couldn't move anything to get away, the only thing I could do was
shake. I think it was then that the hypothermia set in because I
could feel my legs giving out, as if they were separate from my
body, and that's when I felt arms around me, holding me up, then
there was one under my shoulders and the other was under my knees
and I was being lifted. I felt safe, though, as if I knew that
whoever it was that was holding me wasn't going to hurt me, so I
let my body relax and I drifted into darkness.” I whispered,
looking down into the hot tea in front of me. I stopped talking for
a moment, and glanced up at Julian, who was sitting with his eyes
closed as if he