Divine Descent

Chapter Eight

The love note rests in ashes on the table, evidence I desire to get rid of as soon as possible. Elijah's like a statue by the wall, his brilliant mind clearly spinning in overdrive. Everyone's noticed. Last they saw of him, of us, we'd just made the decision to disappear together, and not a single soul could have torn the smiles off of our faces at the time.

Deep in thought, they no doubt see the vampire we're all very familiar with: the one anticipating a foe.

"You both have caused quite the stir. Walk into any vampire lair and you'll hear the most absurd theories about you two. It grew rather tiresome to have to sway them all."

I smile, squeezing Paris' hand. "So, that's why you're here?"

"No, turns out we're rather bored without you two creating messes for us to clean up."

Damien chuckles nervously when Elijah doesn't crack up at Paris' humor. "He's just kidding, of course."

I glare at Elijah while shaking my head. "Don't worry about him. He's just overreacting."

"Overreacting, really? Am I?"

I knew that would get a rise out of him. Erika, who has been uncharacteristically quiet since arriving, smirks at the outburst. He is the only person on edge in this room, so he sets out to enlighten them all.

"Has she told you of her visions? The new frequent ones?"

My mouth drops unsurely, caught off guard. "Elijah, you don't know that it's..."

"Who else would get in here without forcing entry? Who else would dare test me this way? No vampire would."

Paris frowns. "The space visions, you mean? The shadow she sees? Is that who you speak of?"

"Yes."

"What did he do?"

I roll my eyes. "We don't even know—"

"Whoever it is claims to love Cassandra, claims she's his thoughts in the night hours."

Erika touches the roses, gently, blinking as I did to find them soft as the surface of water. "These are real?"

"Another oddity," Elijah grumbles.

"There must be some wires crossed. Perhaps the roses were brought here on accident, a simple mistake."

"The room was locked."

"Anyone can make a key nowadays."

I nod. "I agree."

Elijah glowers at me. "Of course you do. You just want me to ignore this."

"I want you to ignore this because it doesn't matter! You cannot be replaced, Elijah!"

I've never heard him so unsure of himself, of us. Clearly, neither have his closest friends and companions. They have become mute, their features alarmed to find us in such disarray.

If only they'd found us last night, they would truly be alarmed.

Elijah's arms remain crossed. His eyes won't sway from my own.

"This man is in your mind," he whispers, his teeth clamped, his face tight.

"And you are in my heart. Which do you think has more power over me?"

On top of Erika and Damien's inner monologues of curiosity that I can hear over my own turbulent thoughts, Paris is the only one thinking as rationally as I am.

"I think we should go wait in the hall, darling," Paris insists to Damien, who is already moving to his feet, reaching out for Erika, who actually hesitates leaving, enthralled by the commotion they've conveniently walked in on, commotion that leaves Elijah, a confident powerful vampire, feeling unbalanced, unsure of his power... which is greater than he even knows.