Page 132 of Eternal Craving

A voice reached me in the chaos.

My feet left the window ledge, and I landed in the courtyard.

Sunaria’s expression reflected her usual calmness, pride even.

The Creda had tied her hands behind her back. The six shady looking vampires were huddled around her, all dressed in the garb of monks, their complexions ghostly white, their irises glistening in the moonlight. There was something vaguely familiar about one of them.

“Orpheus is what she calls you,” the man said, “but that’s not your real name.”

“And you are?” I asked.

“Elijah.”

“Do I know you?”

“No.” He looked young, around twenty – or at least he had been when he was turned.

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. He’d never pass for normal. In fact, none of them would. That would explain why they dressed as friars, wearing long, brown robes, their hoods pulled all the way forward to disguise their unnatural pallor.

“Go,” Sunaria said to me. “Get far away from here.”

“Laws have been broken,” Elijah said softly. A lock of stark, white hair peeked out from under his hood. It contradicted his youth. His eyes moved under heavy lids, and he didn’t blink – the mark of an ancient.

“Sunaria, his memory of you can be a good one,” he said. “Come quietly.”

She avoided my gaze.

“I’ll get you back,” I whispered.

She gave a subtle shake of her head. “I’ll find you.”

“Will someone please tell me why she’s being taken?” I demanded.

Sunaria looked up at Elijah. “They’re punishing me because I’ve turned too many humans into vampires.”

I thought of Marcus and his sister. “What’s the limit?”

Elijah gave me a wary look. “It’s not necessarily how many.”

“Thenwho?” I asked.

“They hid my daughter from me,” Sunaria blurted out quickly.

Elijah moved closer to her. “And why did we do that, Sunaria?”

My mind reeled. “You have a daughter?”

“I did,” she said.

“Why have you never told me?” I’d never seen her this distressed before. I stared at Elijah. “Why did you take her daughter?”

His gaze shifted slowly to me. “Sunaria murdered her master.”

I took a deep breath. “He tortured her.”

“She broke our rules.” Elijah gestured to the others that he was ready to go.

“And you’ve never broken them?” I asked.