The Darkest Crown (The Eternal Darkness Duet #2)

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

T he next two nights dragged by. Selene woke up, but needed more time to heal, so my training was postponed. At the same time, Eskel and his men trained harder than ever. We were all on edge, and for reasons unknown to me, Adam and Julian both seemed to be avoiding me.

Allie told me she thought Adam was hurt because I showed favor to Julian by letting him stay in the room when Diana kicked everyone out. I protested that I didn’t favor anyone, but we both knew I was lying. I loved Adam, but Julian… There was something between us I couldn’t put into words.

I was worried Julian was avoiding me because he now knew I was Phaedra, and still talked to Marius. And where was Marius? I hadn’t heard from him in days. I spoke to him several times, but he never responded.

On the third night I found myself back in the cellar. I stood beside Marius’ tomb, wondering if I’d ever hear his voice again.

“Sarah?”

My head jerked up, and I spun around. Julian was standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching me with concern. He was holding a violin case in his hand, and I stared at it as he started across the room towards me. I recognized that case.

He stopped several feet away and glanced at the tomb before looking at me. “I thought-”

“Is that my mom’s?” I asked, interrupting him.

He nodded. “I asked Maria to bring it.”

I looked at him with surprise. “Maria’s here?”

“She just arrived.”

I stared at him, not knowing what to say. My hands were itching to touch my mom’s violin, and as if realizing that, Julian stepped closer and held it out to me.

I took it from him and clutched it to my chest. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing,” he said.

I shook my head. “It’s everything . How did Maria even get it so fast? I can’t believe she flew all the way to America for it.”

Julian rubbed his jaw. “Actually, she didn’t. I brought it with us when we flew back to Madrid.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“When I took you and Allie from the house, I took the violin as well.”

“Why?”

“Because I know how much your music means to you. I’ll admit, I didn’t know it was your mother’s until I bumped into Allie upstairs just now.

I shook my head, trying to understand. “When you came to get me, you acted like you hated me.”

Julian huffed. “How was I supposed to act, after you tried to run away with Adam?”

I shook my head slightly. “I wasn’t running away with Adam. I didn’t even know he was going to be there. Obviously , since you led me to believe he was dead.”

Julian’s eyes narrowed. “So if I hadn’t come up to the room, you’d have sent him on his way?” He huffed. “No, I don’t think you would have.”

I blew out a frustrated breath. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done. An hour before Adam showed up, there was nothing in the world that could’ve made me leave you. But I was so mad at you right then…” I shook my head. “But if I did leave with Adam, it wouldn’t have been for Adam. It would have been for me . Do you understand the difference? I ran away because you betrayed my trust. Because you hurt me. And Adam was no different.”

By the time I was done speaking, Julian’s expression had turned to one of cold detachment. It was the same look he had when we first met.

I clutched my mom’s violin to my chest, hating that what had started as a beautiful gesture had ended in an argument.

“I don’t want to fight with you, Julian, especially not now. Not after this.” I squeezed my mom’s violin to my chest, and he glanced down at it.

“I’m sorry I upset you,” he said quietly. “I will leave you in peace.”

He turned and walked away, and I fought the urge to call him back. I watched him until he disappeared around the corner of the stairs, then I turned around and placed the violin on top of Marius’ tomb. I unzipped the case and looked down at my mom’s violin. Tears welled in my eyes as I gently ran my fingers over the smooth wood surface.

I took the violin from the case, and as I lifted it into position, I couldn’t help but think of the last time I played it, in the field behind my parent’s house, the night before I became a vampire. The night before my whole world changed.

I ran my fingertips softly across the strings before taking the bow in my hand. I drew the bow across the strings, filling the cavernous room with sound. I could feel it echo off the walls and come back to me, and I closed my eyes and began to play.

I played for hours, bouncing from one piece to the next without stopping. My fingers moved with inhuman speed, and I had to keep forcing myself to slow down. I went through all my favorites, and my mom’s favorites, and when I finally got to a piece I wrote, I stopped holding back and let my music rage like a storm. When the last note faded, I opened my eyes and slowly lowered the violin.

You are magnificent.

I inhaled sharply at the sound of Marius’ voice, my head jerking towards his tomb. “I thought you were gone,” I breathed. “It’s been days.”

When you use large amounts of power, it becomes difficult to reach you.

I frowned. “Did I hurt you?”

No. Nothing can hurt me now.

I put the violin and bow back in the case, and zipped it up. Then I placed my hands flat against the top of his tomb.

“Why are you still here?” I’d been dying to ask that question for weeks, but was too scared of what the answer would be.

I will be with you for as long as you need me.

I wanted to tell him I didn’t need him. I wanted to curse him for holding me against my will, and touching me, and making me love him. Instead I whispered, “Thank you.”

If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t know how I’d feel if Marius stopped talking to me. Would I be relieved to finally be rid of him, or would I begin to mourn him all over again? I hated him for what he did to me, but I loved him for the life we shared long ago. It was fucking confusing.

I grabbed the violin and walked away from the tomb. I started up the stairs, then stopped short when I rounded the corner and saw Julian. He was sitting on the stairs, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and his hands fisted beneath his chin. Our eyes met, and he lowered his hands and straightened, then slowly stood.

I watched him, knowing he must’ve heard my one-sided conversation. He knew I still spoke with Marius, but having him hear it left me feeling bare and exposed. I didn’t know what to say.

Julian didn’t say anything. He just held out a hand, offering it to me. I took it, and he threaded his fingers through mine, and we walked the rest of the way up hand in hand.