The Immortal Compromise (The Mortal One Series Book 3) (22 page)

Chapter 28

I WALKED AROUND an empty house after sleeping in late from the flight in from Berlin. It was the middle of the day and everyone I knew these days were vampires. It made sense, but it was still lonely. 

My phone rang and I answered it, noticing it was Antonio.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself,” he said. “I heard what you’re planning and I cannot believe you didn’t think to include me.”

“What?” I said, trying to figure out what he was talking about. I didn’t want to share too much without confirming what he knew since he was technically obligated to tell Costin as his pet.

“You have finally decided to lose your mortality?”

“Umm, yeah. I think so anyways.” That was still up for debate because I didn’t know how I was going to pull it off. I wanted more than what Nico had to offer for power because I saw what Olivier and even Jen was capable of. Nico was powerful, but that was because of how long he had been a vampire for more than anything else.

“Do I get an invitation to watch it happen?” He asked.

I laughed. “You make it sound like I’m going to lose my virginity or graduate or something. Why don’t you get turned at the same time and we can make a real party of it.”

“Nah,” he said. “I want to wait a little longer. How are things with you? I feel like I haven’t talked to you in a while.”

“I know what you mean. There’s always drama with these vampires,” I said. He laughed, knowing exactly what I was talking about. “But I’m good. Nico and I are settling into the house nicely.”

“And Jen?” He asked. He had known all about what was going on with her because Costin had to get involved, all thanks to Violante.

“Well,” I said. “Honestly, I feel like I have lost my best friend.”

“How do you mean?”

“I don’t recognize her. She cannot get her fangs under control. She thirsts for blood constantly, and they don’t trust her around me because I’m still mortal,” I said, letting my voice get shaky because I could come undone around Antonio without being judged.

“What are you going to do?” He asked. The concern in his voice was thick and I was glad he called. I needed someone to talk to about these things.

I sat down on the couch. “I have to wait until her blood thirst is under control. She has moved in with Olivier and I haven’t seen her for a few days. They tell me that it will take a little while for her to get everything under control.”

“Something we both get to look forward to?” he asked with humor in his voice.

“I guess. The good thing when we turn is that we will already be surrounded by vampires. We won’t have to worry about draining our friends.” I laughed, but it wasn’t that funny because it was too close for comfort.

“This is true,” he said and paused for a moment. “So it’s actually harder for her because you haven’t turned.”

I paused. The way he said it made sense. It wasn’t just harder for me. It was harder for her, too. I was being selfish about not turning. Nico was a vampire. So was Olivier and now Jen. What was I waiting for? It only seemed to make sense for me to lose my mortality. Everyone around me, aside from Antonio, was a vampire. It was time, even though I had doubts as to whether I was ready.

***

“Dylan?” Jen asked as I answered the phone.

I was a little shocked she called. She hadn’t been herself lately. She’d been experimenting with her vampire powers and her strength and learning all she could from Olivier. Her ties to the mortal world had been severed. As far as anyone knew, she had been hit by a car in Berlin. There was even a newspaper report about it, though the body had actually belonged to someone else. They used her name though, so it would be a simple way to explain to anyone. All of her belongings would be given to friends or family members or sold.

“Can we get together later?” Jen asked.

“Ummm,” I hesitated, not knowing whether her blood thirst was under control.

“It’s okay, I promise,” Jen said, answering my unspoken concerns.

“Okay,” I said, missing my friend. “Did you want to come over?”

“Please.”

Nico walked into the room and I signaled that I would be done in just a moment.

“I would cook something, but you don’t eat anymore,” I laughed.

She laughed, too. “Olivier and I will head your way in a few.

“Okay, see you soon,” I said.

“That was Jen?” Nico asked.

I nodded. “She and Olivier are headed over in a few. Apparently her blood thirst is under control.”

“That is excellent to hear.”

“Yes,” I said, letting out a deep breath. Perhaps I could have my best friend back now. “I’m going to cook something quick.”

I walked into the kitchen and Nico followed

“I was thinking,” Nico said. He sat at the kitchen counter and I started working at the stove.

“Should I be worried?” I asked, turning around.

He shook his head. “Don’t be a smart ass right now, Dylan. I am trying to be serious.”

That was enough for me to pause. I took the pan off the heat and gave him my full attention. “What’s on your mind?”

“I see the blossoming romance between Jen and Olivier and how easy it is for them to be in love because they are the same,” Nico said.

I nodded. “Uh huh.”

“I think that we should get married. Officially. With a ceremony and everything.”

“Oh,” I said, not knowing what else to say. I had never figured we would have a ceremony simply because there was always so much going on.

“You have to say more than ‘oh’ when I am talking about a ceremony,” Nico frowned.

“No, I mean, it’s great. I would love to stand up in front of everyone and marry you officially,” I said, though I had no idea who everyone would entail. That was actually the part that concerned me the most.

He seemed to be deep in thought, staring at the wall behind me.

“What else are you thinking about?” I asked.

“Well,” he said. “It seems that I may have done you a huge injustice by not having the ceremony sooner. The vampires throughout Europe need to understand that you are not just my pet, but also my wife. That will keep you safer until you decide to be turned.”

I nodded. “So this is a political move, too?” I didn’t want to believe it, but based on everything, I had to to be sure.

He stood up and walked into the kitchen, standing behind me. His strong arms wrapped around my midsection and he spoke softly into my ear. “
Mia mortale
, my goal has always been to keep you safe. Safe from the world, including other sovereigns. If that is political in your eyes, then absolutely. Sovereigns will not think twice about kidnapping another’s wife, though they may a pet. You are and always have been more than a pet to me and I want everyone else to see that as well.”

“Okay,” I said, turning around to face him while wrapped in his arms. “I am your wife already, but let’s make sure everyone else knows, too.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Nico said, kissing me.

Turn the page to read a teaser to
Mortality Lost
,

Book 4 (and the final book) in The Mortal One series.

Look for it in December 2015!

Chapter 1

Mortality Lost

I COULDN’T BELIEVE I had made the decision to lose my mortality. It seemed like such a big decision, and yet I had made it so many months ago, in a dark alley in Florence. The moment I met Nico, I knew my life was going to change forever. I just hadn’t realized how much it was going to change.

“You should do it, too,” I said to Antonio. He had just arrived to Paris, finally deciding to come for a visit.

“Become a vampire? No, not yet,” he said, shaking his head.

We were sitting at a little bistro, drinking red wine. He hadn’t stopped complaining about the red wines, calling them too sweet and too French.

I called a waiter over and ordered a flight of white wines for both of us.

“White wine?” Antonio complained. “Why don’t you just shoot this Italian man now?”

I laughed at his dramatics. “French white wine is better than French red wine, I promise.”

“You’re just trying to get drunk on wine every day now until you turn.”

He was probably right. Subconsciously, I didn’t know if I was ready to turn. It was the little things that I would miss. Like drinking wine, eating food, and watching the sunset.

Olivier was proof that some of it was possible, but we didn’t know if it was because of the second bloodline or because of his past of being a necromancer. Jen didn’t rise before sunset nor did she have any food cravings, but she had only been a vampire for under two months. Her blood thirst had gotten under control, but no other cravings have appeared.

Costin, Nico, and Olivier seemed to be waiting anxiously to see what was going to happen when I turned.

I wanted the Celtic bloodline in me, though. Well, I wanted the Western European bloodline as well, but like Olivier, I was a truth-seeker and wanted to know more about vampires.

The wine arrived at the table and Antonio glared at it.

“I have to say, I really do like red wine better,” he said.

“Just drink. Look, there’s a champagne,” I said, reading the flight card that came with the wine, “as well as a
Pouilly-Fume
and a White Burgundy.”

“White burgundy? Why don’t they just call it what it is and call it a Chardonnay?”

I laughed. “Just shhh and drink your wine.”

The sun was out, but it was still a chilly day. The Parisians called this springtime, but it was still technically a week away. I was getting used to the colder weather, but in Florida, it would have been considered a cold winter’s day.

I said nothing to Antonio about the plan for Nico and I to go to Scotland. We were going to work with the vampires there to get the second bloodline for Nico before I was turned. While I wanted to share the information with him, it wasn’t possible. He was the pet of Costin and therefore any information that was important would have to be shared. Nico didn’t want Costin to know about him seeking the second bloodline until it was actually obtained. The fewer people who knew what we were about to try and do, the better.

“How do you feel about your friend becoming a vampire?” Antonio asked, holding one of the glasses up into the sunlight.

“Jen is happy.”

He laughed. “That is not what I asked.”

I sighed, knowing it wasn’t. “I’m glad that she is one because it keeps her safe. But, it’s back to me being alone during the day. Which is why I’m so glad that you’re here.”

He nodded. “I know. Being alone at times can be tough. I am surrounded by the people at the university during the day, but when it is the weekend, I find myself trying to sleep through most of the sunlit hours because otherwise I am lonely.”

I sipped the wine and said nothing for a few moments. Truthfully, I enjoyed sitting across from someone and having a conversation. While everything was great during the evenings, the days were lonely. No one understood that like Antonio did. They were dead during the day and therefore had no idea what it was like to wait for everyone to wake up in order to have a life. Even Jen seemed to forget about what it was like to have to wait for them to rise, which was the frustrating part of it all. I had hoped for some comradery from her.

“This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Antonio said, holding the glass of
Pouilly-Fume
up to the light.

“See, I told you some French wine was good.”

“I didn’t say it was good, I said it wasn’t bad.”

I laughed. “Oh, okay.”

“I hear you have some other news to share as well,” he said casually.

I paused, not sure what he was referencing. I learned not to open my mouth until I was sure it was the same conversation.

“The wedding…,” he reminded me.

“Oh, right.”  Nico wanted to provide me with the wedding and reception that he had originally denied me. While I appreciated the thought, he was vehement about making sure it happened at this point.

“It should be interesting,” he smiled.

“How do you mean?”

He set his wine glass down and looked at me. “Well, besides seeing you in a white dress, all of the sovereigns from Europe will be there.”

I almost choked on my champagne with a vision of Wenzel. “Come again?”

“Well, it is only proper that a sovereign would invite the neighboring sovereigns to such a large affair. It would be political suicide not to,” Antonio said.

Fuck
. I had never thought of that.