Page 22 of Deceived By a Warrior

Chapter Twelve

Darius Fischer

Did Eva really think she was a freak of nature? Darius couldn’t comprehend why she would think about herself in such a negative way. Not only was she the most beautiful being he had ever laid eyes on, she had a certain way about her that made him stir inside.

…that made him stir insidetoomuch.

Darius had succumbed to a moment of weakness earlier when he pinned Eva against that alleyway wall. Even the simple thought of their almostsexual encounter sent him over the edge, forcing him to fix himself where he sat.

After experiencing an unusual moment of succumbing to his…needs… earlier, Darius had been trying everything in his power to keep as much distance between him and Eva as he possibly could, which was incredibly difficult to do while sitting in the backseat of a taxi with her.

Still, he tried.

Every time she spoke, he had a strong urge to respond to her, knowing that’s exactly what she wanted him to do. Though his instincts screamedcommunicatehis mind screamedignore!

He couldn’t build a relationship with her, neither a sexual one nor an emotional one. Unfortunately, happiness with her wasn’t in the cards for him.

He shouldn’t be surprised by this. Happiness had never beenin the cards for him and never would be. His life was hell. Somehow, she knew it was. When he told her he was made a vampire and not born one, she grew sympathetic toward him, and she didn’t hesitate to show it. She didn’t ask questions, but she showed that she cared. He believed he had a good grasp on her spirited personality by now, and being sympathetic was something he certainly didn’t expect from her.

When it was brought up that he was made, he tried with everything he had to block out memories of his past, but failed.

Chained against a damp wall in a dungeon where the temperature was steady at just below freezing, Darius struggled to keep his feet out of reach of the sunlight that seeped in through a crack between the stones. He wasn’t sure he could handle another night of agony, and his feet setting aflame would give him just that.

It must have been years since Artem turned him and his sister into these wretched monsters. Having been trapped in these dungeons by day, building castles for Artem by night, Darius lost all sense of time. The only thing he was certain of in this miserable life was that his sister was still alive.

He missed her deeply.

Artem was sure to keep her just out of reach, but close enough for Darius to not forget that she was also suffering.

Darius tried to conjure up spit, but it was no use. He had been starving for as long as he could remember. Unable to feed, unable to die. Life was hell.

He looked at the ray of light in front of him. Perhaps if he managed to maneuver enough of his body into that light he would be gifted with death, ending his miserable existence.

But just as temptation was about to win over, a gut-curdling scream echoed down the dark halls, diverting his attention.

The noblemen were feeding again, and they weren’t kind when they did.

Hearing those screams broke him free from his fantasy, bringing him back to reality. He couldn’t die, he couldn’t leave Karina. And the sound her screams was the haunting reminder he needed to remember he wasn’t enduring this torment alone.

The memory flashed through his mind quickly, but it was powerful enough to make him remember why he was here.

For Karina.

Then, when he noticed elves hiding behind palms beside the roadway, he was brought back to the present

Eva would never be able to see the elves with her poor eyesight. But a vampire looking into the distance at night? They were capable of seeing much further thananyunnatural being.

Darius reminded himself that if he didn’t bring Eva to Artem, Karina would be harmed. He’d never allow that to happen. Karina’s mind was too fragile. She wouldn’t make it. And she was the only thing that kept Darius going.

Reminded of that, Darius determined that no elf would touch Eva tonight.

He ran over everything he knew about elves in his head. He had encountered them countless times in his past. Artem loved ordering Darius to kills elves, no matter how innocent some of them may have been. Because of this, he knew one thing for certain - they preferred long distance fighting. A poisonous bow-and-arrow that was capable of debilitating an unnatural being was their weapon of choice. When it came to close contact battles with other beings, elves froze.

Get onto that jet or get close to them,Darius went over the two options he had. On one hand, Gedeon was on the jet. He could help him fight off the elves.

Darius asked the driver, “Can you make it to our destination in less than five minutes?”

Eva, seeming to notice Darius’ worry, seconded him. “Yeah, what he said.”

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