Midnight Whispers (The Midnight Duology #1)

Chapter 25

25

I feel the softness of a bed underneath me, a weightlessness I welcome. A hand reaches behind my head and lifts me slightly. The sound of broken sobs echo in my ears, sounding both faint and close at the same time.

My head is throbbing and all I want to do is make it stop.

Why won’t it stop?

“Lil, you need to drink this.” I grumble as something gets pressed between my dry lips. The sensation of liquid is welcomed, but I can’t force myself to drink. My tongue is desperate in its search for hydration. Gently, my head is returned to the pillow.

I want to open my eyes, but they’re so heavy.

So heavy.

I let myself fade back into the darkness.

There’s a bright light that burns my eyelids as they flutter open. They’re still too heavy to open completely, but I’m able to peek through the sliver of opening. The people in the room are blurry, but I can make out two of the three people I know based on their hair alone. Flora sits at my side, sobbing into her hands. Finn is standing across the room, a man with icy blonde hair has his arm draped across his shoulders.

The man, I’m assuming it’s Asher, is saying something to him. My ears sound like they're underwater so I can’t make it out, but I hear broken words. Something needs to be done, but Finn doesn’t want to do it. Flora stands and I want to grab her, but my mind can’t make my arm move to touch her. I can’t keep my eyes cracked open anymore. I can hear when Flora and Asher leave the room, leaving Finn and I alone. I can hear the ache in his voice as he speaks to me, but my mind can’t register what he says.

What is he saying?

He gently glides his arm beneath my head, propping me up. Something warm and slick pools against my lips, the scent of it intoxicating. My tongue responds to its invitation and my taste buds burst when the sweet metallic taste fills my mouth. There’s a darkness that fills my mind, my body is weightless floating in a black abyss.

“She should have woken up by now. It’s been two days.” Flora’s familiar voice is full of panic.

“I understand that, but she sustained a lot of injuries. We don’t even know to what extent really. She will wake up soon, kitten.” A voice said softly, I assumed it was Asher .

My eyelids were heavy as they flutter open. Asher’s arm is wrapped around Flora’s waist, and they are leaving through the threshold. Finn is sitting at the foot of the bed, holding his face in his hands. The normally styled and gelled part of his hair is disheveled.

“Hey, you.” I croak, my throat scratching against the words. His shoulders fall as relief washes over him. He stands and kneels on the ground next to the bed, resting his forehead on mine.

“I’ve never been so scared before in all the lives I’ve lived. I’m sorry.” He chokes back a sob. “You’re in this position because of me.”

“Am… Am I a vampire?”

“No, my love. That’s never something I’d do without your permission.”

“But…” Disappointment fills my chest for a reason I don’t understand. Did I want to become a vampire?

“Let me get Flora and I’ll also grab you some water.” I smile in thanks. He leaves the room, and it takes seconds before I hear Flora running.

“Lillia.” Flora sobs, her body crumpling up on the bed next to me. My arm is heavy as I lift it to run my hand through her hair.

“Flo. I’m okay.”

“Don’t ever do that to me again, Lillia Jane.”

“Do what?”

“Disappear. Almost die. Keep something like your boyfriend being a fucking vampire from me. Do you want me to keep going?”

“I didn’t die though, and it wasn’t my secret to tell.”

Finn walks in with a glass of water and sets it on the stand next to the bed. He smiles at me and leaves the room again, leaving Flora and I alone. She sits up and helps me drink from the glass. My throat welcomes the liquid as it soothes the overwhelming dryness.

“I can’t lose you, Lil. You’re my person. ”

“You won’t. Speaking of not telling people things, kitten?”

“Remember the guy from the party? But he got so possessive? It was Asher.” She grimaces.

“Well, you have to give me more than that.”

“There’s not much to tell.”

“He calls you kitten, Flo.”

“I know,” she blushes, throwing her face down onto the bed. “Can we talk more about that later?”

“You bet we can because I’m not letting it go.”

“I’m going to go make you something to eat. I think Finn is going to just die if he doesn’t get to come back in the room anyways. He’s been beside himself.” I chew on my bottom lip.

Finn must have been standing just outside of the door because as soon as her sentence finishes, he turns and enters the room.

“Is she being dramatic?” I ask.

“Not in the slightest. If you would have…” His voice cracks and trails off.

“But I didn’t. Now can we please talk about literally anything else.”

“We do need to touch on something, the Counsel will call for me soon.”

“The Counsel?”

“Yes. It’s four vampires who are essentially equal to the government or royalty.”

“Why are they going to want you?”

“I’ll have to replace the life I took. I’ve had to do it once before.”

“So, you’ll have to create a vampire?”

“Yes. ”

“Of your choosing?”

“Not typically, no.”

“I see.”

“You’ll be safe. I won’t change you.”

“Why not?”

“Eventually, if it's something you really want, I will. I won’t take away your ability to choose this life willingly.”

“But…”

Asher comes into the room, interrupting my sentence.

“Hey. We got the summons. The pilot said he will have us in the air tomorrow morning, but they want our mortal companions to come.” He taps the door frame and gives a tight-lipped smile.

“The summons?”

“Yes.”

“And they want Flora and I to come?”

“It would appear so.”

“And you’re angry.”

“The Counsel, especially Octavia, doesn’t care much for the human species.”

“Oh. I see.”

“Flora’s coming in with your food. I will leave you be.”

She walks into the room with a bowl and a glass of iced tea on a tray, placing it on the table next to my bed. As if I’m incapable of doing anything by myself, Flora spoon feeds me soup.

“I didn’t make it myself. That’s why it’s so good.” We stare at each other for a second before we both break out in laughter.

Tears stream down my face as the laughing comes to an end. Logically, there’s no reason it was that hysterical. I look at Flora, really look at her, and I can’t imagine a life without her in it. My chest tightens when I realize the fear she may have been feeling that I was going to be out of hers .

“You should get some sleep, Lill.” She says, brushing my hair out of my face.

“I really need to shower.”

“Let me see if I can track you down some clothes or something.”

“They say we’re going to Ireland tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Ash is pissed that they want us to go.”

“ Ash ?” I raise an eyebrow and look at her with a give me deets look.

“Asher. Whatever.” She scoffs, rolling her eyes.

“You have to give me more than that.”

“Later.” She responds and points to her ear, mouthing he can hear us .

I nod in understanding and mouth back oh okay.

Just like that, the conversation was dropped. I know she’ll talk to me about him when she’s ready to be happy about it. Whenever that will be.

She leaves the room in search of clothes so I can shower and before I know it, my body feels heavy, and I drift away into the darkness of sleep.

I open my eyes to see nothing but black around me. It’s so dark that I can only see my own hand if I hold it out in front of me. A sinister laugh echoes throughout my ominous surroundings. Rising from the mattress, I realize I’m no longer in the room. The mattress beneath me is incredibly thin. There’s no way that I was taken again.

The sound of footsteps coming closer reverberates through the air around me. Through the darkness, a hooded figure is nearing me. I try to move backward, away from the man, but my back hits a wall. A snarl escapes their lips, exposing fangs. I scream in hopes that someone, anyone, could hear me.

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Lillia.” He moves his finger back and forth.

“Who are you?”

“It’s a shame you don’t recognize me, my love.” Finn.

“This can’t be real. You’d never hurt me.”

“Wouldn’t I? Isn't it in my nature to desire your blood?”

“Yes, but you wouldn’t do anything without my permission.”

“Then give it to me, sweet Lillia. Let me taste you again.” He comes closer, slowly removing the hood of his black sweater.

He bares his teeth, his face contorted with hatred.

“No. Not like this.”

He lunges at me, nothing but anger behind his movement. I cower, shielding my face in hopes to protect myself from whatever is coming. Though, I know there’s no way I could protect myself from a vampire.

“Lillia!” I’m being shaken. “Wake up!” Flora’s voice cuts through the heaviness in my head. I blink repeatedly, opening my eyes to the room in France.

“I must have fallen asleep.”

“You were having a nightmare.” Asher and Finnian stand at the end of the bed, both with wide eyes. My clothes cling to the cold sweat that now covers my skin. “I really need that shower now.” I try to chuckle.

“What were you dreaming of darling?” Asher asks.

“Oh, it was nothing. Just a dream.”

Refusing to make eye contact, I look at Finn. He knows I’m keeping something from them, but I can tell he doesn’t know what.

“I’m going to go to the store around the block to get you some clothing.” Finn says, rushing out of the room.