Page 60 of Newly Undead in Dark River

Shaking my head, my high spirits sank to the floor as I entered the meeting room. I sat in the front, on the left, the guys filling out the row either side of me. The townspeople started to pour in as word got out that the verdict had been decided. I tried not to let the hurt show when so many of them avoided me altogether, choosing to sit on the other side of the room. There were five empty rows between me and the next set of people. Walker gave everyone the look. The look said ‘I’m not mad, I’m just really disappointed.’ I would have caved at that look. Angeline arrived, sitting in the front row. I noticed Cresta and Ella loitering at the back, and Cresta threw me an apologetic look. They weren’t picking sides, and I appreciated it.

Burt and Beatrice however, came right on in and sat behind us. Beatrice squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Lass. We all loved the Doc, but what she did was wrong. Rules are rules, and even if there weren’t rules, there is still humanity. What she did went against those things. People will come to that conclusion eventually, even Angeline. She’s just hurtin’.”

I nodded, but still, my eyes filled with tears. Walker clasped my hand tightly as the Council members filed in.

Lastly, Nico led in Alice and sat her in a chair before the raised dais of the Councillors. Her gag had been removed, and she looked awful. But I couldn’t find it in me to feel sorry for her.

“Alice De Leon. You are charged with breaking almost all of our most sacred rules. You fed from unwilling humans; indeed, you fed us all from unwilling humans. Your actions brought us to the attention of the Vampire Nation.” She glared at X. “You killed a human, and then turned her without accepting any responsibility for a fledgling vampire. When you joined this colony, you stood in much the same place as you are now, and swore to uphold our laws. Instead, you broke them in the most grievous way imaginable. Then, instead of admitting to your mistakes, you compounded them by first terrorizing your progeny, and then trying to kill her and the Sheriff of this town. A Sheriff that you considered your friend,” Caroline spat the word as if she was appalled. Which she probably was.

“You had no defense for your actions. If you had come to us in the beginning, we might have been able to figure out some way to help you. Your intentions were good, even if your methods were bad. The Council would have appreciated that. You still would have been expelled from Dark River, but the consequences wouldn’t have been so dire. Instead, you’ve hidden your mistakes and then proceeded to lose every trace of the empathy that had made you such a beloved citizen of our town. It is for that reason that the Council has decided to sentence you to immediate execution.”

The gasp that went through the room was a tangible thing. Fear and outrage had a certain feel, and it was pressing in on me from all sides. Angeline let out a wail, and Alice just hung her head. I hadn’t expected anything else. The Council ruled over the town with an iron fist. To show leniency here would be to invite mayhem among the predators who walked the fine line between civilized and frenzied every day.

Still, Angeline was my friend, and Alice was the great love of her life. For her, I stood. I wanted to make an impassioned plea for leniency, but then realized I was still mute.

Still, Grim looked at me, his parchment paper skin an oddly translucent shade in the unnatural light. Apparently, my intentions must have been clearly written on my face.

“Your protest is noted, but ultimately dismissed. We did not reach this verdict lightly. Alice has been with the town, in a highly respected position for almost a century. That is what has made this whole scenario even more of a betrayal. Our word is final.”

With that, they stood as one. “Angeline, you will have a moment to say your goodbyes,” Caroline said, not unkindly.

Angeline was in shock. She was pale and shaking as she stood, walking toward Alice on unsteady legs until she fell into the other woman’s arms. The whole room was silent so that only the sound of Angeline’s tears could be heard. She was murmuring something angrily, and Alice was shaking her head sadly, then I dropped my gaze to my toes. I couldn’t watch anymore. Couldn’t deal with just the tragic waste of the whole scenario.

Walker sat beside me, as stoic as ever, but I could see his jaw working, his eyes bright with tears he’d never shed in front of all these people. I reached over and laced my fingers with his. I needed his support just as much as he needed mine tonight.

Finally, Nico went over to the two women, gently prying Angeline away. Cresta and Ella rushed forward, catching their friend before she could crumple to the hardwood floors. Nico lifted Alice from her chair, and walked her out of the room, the rest of the Council members following them. Their departure was like a vacuum lifting from the room. A cacophony of disbelief echoed off every surface, as everyone spoke at once. Cresta and Ella whisked Angeline away, and I was glad that she had them. Well, them and the rest of the town apparently.

I tugged on Judge’s hand, looking at him imploringly and he nodded. “Raine wants to go home.”

X stood up from the row behind us. “I will go and offer my services. No one should have to kill a friend.” He said it with such sadness that I knew he was speaking from experience. The scar littered man was an intrigue. If he hadn’t shown up at the most awful part of my life, he might have been a puzzle that I might have tried to unravel. But I didn’t have the emotional fortitude to do anything at the moment.

Walker stood also. “I will come with you. I should be there,” he said softly. God, he just broke my heart. I nodded and squeezed his hand one last time before he and X walked toward the door that the Council had just left.

I grabbed Tex’s hand and led him from the building, letting his solid warmth ground me. I avoided the eyes of the townspeople, the accusing stares as if it were all my fault. I walked human-slow back to Walker’s house because as much as I wanted to shut myself up in his spare room and never come out, I wanted to appreciate this night in all its terribleness.

We were at the end of Walker’s street when magic tingled along my skin. “Oh,” I whispered croakily, my voice rough from disuse. The geas had been lifted. Which meant…

I shook my hand out of Tex’s and flashed the rest of the way to Walker’s house, straight into the ensuite bathroom and locked the door. Turning the hot water to scalding, I stood beneath it and cried. This time my sobs were audible to everyone in the house.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ihid in my room in Walker’s house for four days. Four days they all let me wallow, steadily rotating their job as a warm body, soothing my nightmares, kissing away my tears. They took turns bringing me food and blood, even though I now know that some of that blood came from unwilling tourists.

On the third day, Tex had acquired a guitar, and he sat in the corner, strumming it softly and singing to me in a low voice that was mesmerizing and healing in equal parts. He sang me all my favorite songs from when I was a teen, and then a few he had composed himself. His dark, sexy voice soothed my frayed nerves. Sometimes Judge would join us, his body wrapped around mine as we both listened to the music that seemed to pour from Tex’s very soul with the intention to soothe mine.

However, by the fourth day, they decided they’d had enough of my wallowing. All four of them stood in the guest room, concern on their faces but arms folded across their chests. They kind of looked like they were posing for an album cover.

“If you guys are about to belt out some synchronized dancing, then I’m going to rethink our relationship status. I’m not dating the Backstreet Boys.”

Tex was the only one who laughed. A hazard of dating men who were mostly born in the 19th century.

“You’ve moped around enough now, Raine,” Walker said, his tone gentle but firm. “Nothing that happened was your fault.”

Brody nodded. “Plus this room is starting to smell funky. You are starting to smell funky.”

I let out a hiss of outrage. “I do not.”

He pointed to his nose, his lips curved into a shit-eating grin. “Super sniffer. Trust me when I say both you and this room could use a quick rinse cycle.” He gave me his most winning smile. “Don’t stress it, Rainy. My wolf form likes to roll around in dead animals. I still think you’re hot.”

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