Birthed Vow Read online

  Wow! This was hard work. Ignoring the temptation to apologise again, I focused back on the question she’d originally asked me. “I went to the local school in Dunmoney, Ireland - not private. I got average grades then went to do a course in social media marketing at Westaire Community College. I passed and went to London to start working.”

  “And is that where your awakening occurred?”

  “Uh huh.”

  A pained look crossed her face and her shoulders stiffened. Her fingers reached for the cane, and I braced myself, shrinking away from her. “Do not use ‘uh huh’ to answer a question. ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ will suffice for ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.” Her fingers relaxed, leaving the cane in its place. “Other permitted answers are those such as ‘that is correct’ or ‘certainly not’. Do you understand?”

  I blushed, “Yes.”

  She breathed in, apparently satisfied. “And then you recently inherited the Trinity powers.” Her hand returned absent-mindedly to the locket.

  “That is correct.”

  “At least you’re a fast learner.” She picked up her tea and took a delicate sip.

  My insides glowed at the compliment. There was something about her that made me yearn for her approval. An oddly maternal, matronly aspect that was intimidating yet appealing. Pathetically, I found myself wanting to be like her.

  “Tell me about your friends.”

  This wasn’t a conversation - it was an interrogation. She was a strange woman. Poised, perfect and in control. And yet I sensed an undercurrent of something deeper - something hinted at but fiercely guarded. A sadness to her expression that was as fleeting as it was intriguing. What memories was she returning to in those moments when her brow creased, when her mask slipped, revealing the pain beneath the facade? And what kind of upbringing had forced her to hide who she really was?

  Her every line had been carefully planned and rehearsed in her head before speaking. Her hair didn’t move save for an occasional, unconscious physical tic which saw her smoothing strands down with her hands - strands which hadn’t even escaped. It was the only chink in her armoury of perfection. It was the only clue that she was anything other than how she seemed. But I decided right then and there that I was going to find out the truth about her. She might be here to train me in the art of etiquette. And I understood how important it was for me to learn. But I couldn’t fully trust her until I knew who she truly was.

  As I looked back at her, she was rubbing her locket once more and I cocked my head to one side. That piece of jewellery meant something to her, I was sure of it. And I intended to find out what.

  6

  Later that day, walking along the street, by the side of Nik’s apartment block, the smell of apple blossom scented the air as white bloom and green buds adorned the trees lining his street. Weak sunlight warmed my face. Since the ether portals had been closed, coming to London took much longer. I normally took an airplane flight, preferring the expense and a quicker journey over conducting a flight spell. It was worth it to see Nik. Hopefully, this would be over soon, and the Realm would open the portals again. Getting here had been easier than convincing Brother Mateo to stay in the Realm. I’d had to fabricate a gynaecological appointment, the intimate details of which had him blushing from ear to ear. That had worked this time, but it wouldn’t work again. I’d worry about that next time, I had enough on my mind as it was already.

  A souped up car raced past, its noisy engine slicing through the quiet back street as a plume of blackened diesel fumes fouled the air. I coughed and spluttered, glaring at the inconsiderate human driver with his window half down. How could anyone drive such a disgusting vehicle? It tore my mood away from the pretty spring scene of the street and plunged me into brooding. How was I going to ask Nik to risk his life for me - again? Arguably, the Spirit Realm was the safest place on earth for a vampire to be. But he’d still be surrounded by enemies. The vampires in the Spirit Realm were all traditional, live human blood drinkers. I’d learnt their society was strictly hierarchical and peasant spirit witches had to give a regular blood ‘sacrifice’ to the vampires who lived in the realm. It didn’t surprise me at all to hear that it was the darker-complexioned spirit witches who were demarcated as peasants. How would Nik cope in a white supremacist environment?

  He’d have to change his appearance to look white and I cringed at the thought of the conversation. It was bound to be awkward. I never thought about Nik’s race - to me he was just Nik. But I knew that not everybody felt that way and I also knew that he regularly experienced discrimination of a sort I would never understand. Sure, as an Irish person in London, I sometimes felt like an outsider. But my blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes meant that I always fit in. Until I opened my mouth people accepted me. And I knew that was a privilege Nik didn’t share.

  Taking the stairs to his flat two at a time, I pressed the buzzer and waited. When he answered he looked unusually tired. But the slight circles under his eyes did little to dull his Hollywood handsome looks. He rubbed the light smattering of stubble which covered his chiselled cheek and curled up one side of his mouth into a delicious smile. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” I melted into his arms, taking his full lips in mine as I pressed against his hard body and inhaled his intoxicating, manly scent. Pulling back, I gazed into his eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

  He cocked one eyebrow. “Since last week?” He’d been working double shifts back-to-back which probably explained the tired eyes. Vampires needed little sleep but even he couldn’t go on forever.

  I nodded. “Too long.”

  “Come in and let’s see what we can do about that.” His comment was laden with promise and my insides tingled as a warm feeling spread through my belly.

  I followed him into the lounge.

  “Do you want something to drink?”

  “Juice would be great, if you have some.”

  “Of course.” He walked through to the kitchen to get my juice and then came back and handed it to me. “What did you want to talk to me about that was too hard to discuss over the phone?”

  “Thanks.” I took the juice and sipped it before putting it down on the coffee table. Then I sat next to him on the sofa. As I looked at his beautiful eyes, I struggled to think of where to begin. “Erm…. You know how you’re always saying the Ahimsa vampires want to form an alliance with the Arcane Witches to finally get rid of the Dracul vampires?”

  “Yes.” His tone was slow, cautious. This was something he’d wanted for a long time, and he didn’t want to get his hopes dashed.

  “Well, I might have an opportunity for you… if you want it?”

  He shifted forward, bracing his muscular forearms on his thighs. “I’m listening.”

  “The Arcane Realm wants to send me as a spy into the Spirit Realm to find a way to stop the war and avoid further deaths. I’m going to pose as an heiress.”

  He looked confused. “What’s that got to do with me?”

  “The lady I’m pretending to be travels with her vampire physician. The idea is that you step in and pretend to be him.”

  His eyes lit up. “That’s great. We can finally be together for a decent amount of time.” He leaned forward, about to take me in his arms.

  I held him back, avoiding his eyes. “There’s a catch.”

  His face dropped and he leant back. “There always is.”

  I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “The Spirit Realm is a theocratic, totalitarian state. They believe in strict social hierarchy which runs along class but also racial lines.”

  He nodded, realisation dawning on his face. “Of course. The Draculs are white supremacists. It makes sense that their allies in the Spirit Realm would be too.”

  “I’ll be posing as the Marquise Dubois-Lyon - a real life person with a family and social standing in the Spirit Realm. To fool everyone into believing I’m her, I’m taking etiquette and elocution lessons. But I also need to change my appearance to look like her.” I looked at him. “There’s a
dark arcane wizard with the specialised skill of altering a person’s appearance. He can make me look like the Marquise.” I paused, swallowing. “And he can make you look like the true Aryan ideal that would be expected of her physician.”

  The light left Nik’s eyes as a look of pain flashed across his features.

  It broke my heart to see that, and I inched closer to him, grabbing his hand and holding it to my heart. “I love your face Nik. I love the way you look. Please believe me, if there was any way to spend time with you without going through this nonsense, I would.”

  He put his hand on mine, his eyes drenched in sadness. “You say that but then there’s always something else. Always a new crisis. Always another reason for you to stay away.”

  I widened my eyes. “The Spirit Realm is the reason. They are the ones putting obstacles and challenges in my path. They are the ones shielding Hugh Beaufort. Bringing down the Spirit Realm will mean we can finally be together. Everyone I love will be safe and you can stop spending your lives running from the Draculs. Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Of course, that’s what I want but this feels… it feels like I’m betraying who I am to get something that’s a maybe.”

  “Betraying who you are?”

  He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Making myself lighter… it’s a big deal you know.” He sighed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  I pulled his hand closer to my chest, gazing into his eyes. “Then make me understand.”

  His eyes glazed over as he stared into the middle distance. “Growing up as a child in India, almost a century ago, everyone always said how lucky I was to be born so fair. And I understood what they meant. I got treated better than my darker-skinned friends wherever we went. I knew that my fair skin would make it easier for me to find a wife from a good family. And it would make it easier to get a good job someday.” He paused and his eyes grew misty as he gulped down the emotion. “There’s something I’ve never told you about my first great job opportunity - the one as a lab technician.”

  I nodded, remembering that was the part of his life when he’d met the vampire who had turned him.

  “When I went for the job interview, I didn’t have any high expectations. As I’ve mentioned, I wasn’t from a high caste. One of my best friends from school also wanted the job. He had better grades than me and was from a better family.” His smile became bitter. “But I had something he didn’t.” He tapped on his cheek. “This. You see, my friend was darker than me.” He looked down at his lap. “When I got offered the job, my friend congratulated me. He was that kind of guy. I thought he was alright about it.” His voice cracked. “But I was wrong. His parents found him hanging from a tree the next day.”

  I gasped and my hands flew to my face. “He killed himself?”

  Nik nodded, and sniffed, wiping away a tear. “The note he left didn’t reference the job directly. But he said he didn’t want to continue living a life where he’d always be judged on what he looked like - a life where he’d always be finishing last.”

  I took his hand in mine. “Oh Nik, you can’t blame yourself for that. Who knows how many other things led to him making that decision.”

  “I know that. And I accept that it’s not my fault. But on that day I vowed I’d never again knowingly benefit from being lighter skinned. Since then, if I’ve ever been in a position in which I feel like my complexion is giving me an advantage, I walk away.” He gave a bitter laugh. “Mind you, it hasn’t happened since arriving in London.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “This feels a lot like I’m going back on that promise.”

  I nodded, inhaling deeply. There was so much to unpack here, and I felt way out of my depth. “Have you considered talking to someone about this? A counsellor I mean.”

  His face crumpled. “How can I? There is so much of myself I’d have to keep hidden. Unless I found a counsellor who was also a vampire. But it’s not exactly the sort of thing they advertise on their websites.”

  “Hmm, you’re right.” I thought for a minute, resting my cheek on my index finger. Then it hit me. “What about Derek?” The handsome, black vampire who had initially been my sworn enemy after attacking me at my flat, had then made his way into my inner circle after helping me escape from Beaufort Heights. And he was now a solid member of the Ahimsas and a good friend to Nik.

  “Yeah, I guess he’d be a good person to talk to.” He looked at me from under his long, dark lashes. “You know it’s not that I don’t want to help you. In fact, I do. I just need to work through some stuff first.”

  I touched his face and smiled, softening my voice. “I get that.”

  “When do you need an answer by?”

  “Well, the mission kicks off in two weeks. During that time, I’ll be taking my elocution and etiquette lessons. Then we’ll visit the wizard to perform the alteration spell.” I tapped my lip, looking up at the ceiling. “I guess if you could tell me in a couple of days. Then I’d still have time to get another vampire to accompany me instead.”

  He frowned. This thought clearly hadn’t occurred to him yet. “Who would you ask?”

  “I dunno. Maybe Derek actually. It has to be someone I trust as much as you and he’s the next best fit. He wouldn’t be perfect as he doesn’t have medical training, but we can work around that.”

  He blinked at me, his chest rising and falling. Was that a flicker of jealousy in his eyes? Nik had always been so good at hiding his emotions, I couldn’t tell. “I understand,” he finally said. “I’d certainly rather you were with me…. Let me think about it.”

  Leaning forward, I picked up my juice and took a few more sips before putting it back on the table. “Why can’t we just have a nice, normal relationship? Going to walk around markets together. Waking up late and having breakfast…” my voice trailed off. “Actually, that would never happen anyway, would it?”

  He laughed. “No.” Then he reached forward and grabbed me around my middle. “But what I lack as a breakfast companion, I more than make up for in other areas.” His gaze darkened as he pulled me close.

  “Mmm, tell me more Doctor Chetty.”

  His breath was tantalisingly warm as he nuzzled against my neck. “I have a few more questions about this role of ‘physician’. Would we get to share sleeping quarters?”

  “Not officially but I’m sure I could sneak you in after hours.” I whispered. A shiver of delight coursed down my spine and my thighs clenched.

  “And I assume your bedroom will have a double bed.”

  “King size, most likely.”

  “I’m coming around to this idea by the second.” His gaze was molten as he pushed me against the sofa, pressing his lips against mine in a bruising kiss.

  My entire body melted into his, moving my hands against his chest and then down his back. The warmth of his body entangled with mine and I soon forgot all about the mission to the Spirit Realm.

  7

  Later that night, I exited Wapping tube station and walked along the cobbled streets towards Frank’s flat. Since my brother’s recovery, I’d promised myself I would visit him as often as possible.

  Although Frank was no longer sick, it would take him a while to regain his full strength. Agota had been staying with him a couple of nights a week. My good friend had been such a blessing, cooking him her native beef goulash and keeping his spirits high. I’d stopped off at a health shop on the way and bought his favourite brand of kombucha which I gripped in one hand.

  Reaching his apartment block, I pressed the buzzer. Agota’s cheery voice answered and let me in. I took the lift to the top floor and knocked on the front door.

  Light footsteps heralded Agota’s approach, and she smiled at me as she opened the door. “Hi, how are you?”

  “Well thanks. Is he awake?”

  “Yep, in the living room. Come in.”

  I walked through to the living room to find Frank propped up against pillows, his long body stretched out on the sofa. He still looked too thin but the
re was a bit more colour in his cheeks than there had been last time I’d seen him.

  “Alright? I bought you this.” I showed him the bottle. “Shall I pour you a glass?”

  “Yes please that’d be grand.” He looked at Agota. “Want one babe?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  I wandered into the open plan kitchen and poured out a glass for each of us. “How are you feeling today?” I asked Frank as I put two of the glasses on the coffee table.

  “Still weak.” His face was glum as he pushed himself up and reached for the glass. He took a sip. “I hate feeling like this. And having to turn down clients is destroying my finances.”

  I walked back to get my drink and returned to take a seat on the armchair next to him. “It’s not for much longer though. Doctor Jaczynski said you should be back to full strength in a week or two.”

  He frowned. “I just don’t understand why this happened to me. Of all people.”

  I avoided Agota’s eyes, instead picking up my drink and sipping it again. Frank didn’t know I was a witch and I intended to keep it that way. He was human. And while it wasn’t forbidden for a witch to tell a human what she was, it wasn’t a good idea. At best he might think I was crazy - we did after all have the genes for it. At worst he would tell others and then they’d tell others. Before long I could have a witch hunt on my hands. I’d have to perform risky memory wiping spells. Agota had been thrust into my witch world by living with me. Frank should be shielded from the truth at all costs. “You were just unlucky. But don’t think about the past. Focus on getting better. Be positive. You’re very strong. Soon this will just be an unpleasant memory.”

  He sighed. “I guess you’re right. Anyway, how’s things with you? How’s work?”

  I shifted in my seat. That was another thing I’d had to lie to him about. He thought I was in Germany working on a dream social media marketing job. But I always tried to keep my lies as close to the truth as possible. That felt more respectful somehow. “It’s going well. I’ve been put on an important assignment for a big client. I can’t tell you who but if I pull this off, it’ll be a big deal for my career.”