Heir of Night by Emily Goodwin
Chapter 14
“Have you ever considered figuring out a way to get the internet in here?” I tap reload on my Apple News app.
“Not having access to social media makes my job much easier,” Evander says, looking up from a stack of papers on his desk. “Can you imagine teenage witches Snapchatting their way through charms class?”
“Or taking selfies in the great hall?” Kristy adds. “If Instagram was a thing back then, we both know you would have documented your way through marrying a poltergeist.”
“Maybe,” I say, trading my phone for another biscuit. “But mostly so I could tag Scott in my posts.”
“I still haven’t heard the whole story.” Lucas eyes us from where he’s standing by the window. The sun isn’t quite down yet, and we’re in the staff lounge. I enchanted the windows in here so Lucas could join us while we ate dinner. There are a few other professors in here as well, and while they’re trying not to be visibly bothered by the fact a nearly two-thousand-year-old vampire is in the room with us, only two actually seem okay with it.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” I confess with a laugh. “Which was pretty much my motto during all my years here.” I dip my biscuit into my bowl of steaming lemon-rice soup and take a bite. “I can’t believe I got a two-day suspension for that when I saved like a dozen kidnapped women.”
“It’s because you left school grounds,” Tabatha says, coming into the room. “And because it took four council members hours to change memories so no one knew the truth.” She smiles, brown eyes glimmering. I’ve always thought Tabatha was pretty, and I swear she’s only gotten prettier as she’s aged. “But you did save those women.”
“Overachiever,” Ruby retorts, looking at me with fake discontent, and we all laugh.
“Has your position been filled yet?” I ask. The school year is coming to a close, and she’ll be taking over Evander’s classes since he’ll be the new headmaster.
“Are you thinking of applying?” one of the other professors blurts, looking at me with concern.
“Hell no,” I rush out. “Teaching is not for me. Or holding a job with regular hours,” I add and then look at Lucas. “I’ve got an undead sugar daddy now, so I don’t have to work as long as the getting is good.”
The professor who was worried about me applying stares at me, not finding my odd sense of humor to her liking.
“And it is good.” Lucas smirks, eyeing me in such a way that lets me know he’s thinking about stripping me naked and having his way with me again.
“Really, though. I miss working at the bookstore.” I nudge Kristy’s foot under the table. “And bringing you coffee in the morning and telling you about the latest lower-level kill from the night before.”
“You’ve always hunted demons?” Marybeth, a witch on the council who also teaches a mental health awareness class, questions. She was in the gathering hall when Ruth attacked us and heard me foolishly brag about being the daughter of Michael, the Archangel.
“I have since I was like twelve and I accidentally came across one in the woods when Evander and I were exploring one summer.”
“That’s terrifying yet incredible. I have an eleven-year-old, and I can’t imagine,” she says to Tabatha.
“I couldn’t, either, though it became quite apparent Callie wasn’t an ordinary witch.”
“Mother, please,” Evander starts. “Just admit she was the favorite.”
“Like I’ve said before, I always wanted a daughter.” Tabatha winks, and we laugh again. It feels good to sit and talk like this. Before my life got flipped upside down, I came to the Covenstead only a few times a year for gatherings or other celebrations. It wasn’t until I was excommunicated that I appreciated it more, and that appreciation is still strong, even though I’m allowed back in.
Kristy and I talk about books and the store the rest of the time, and she, Evander, Ruby, and Tabatha stay in the lounge after the others leave.
“We never got to have that talk,” Evander begins. “You wanted me to join you for a reason, and that reason isn’t because you’re sharing exciting news.”
Lucas takes a seat next to me, hand landing on my thigh. Having him here gives me a confidence boost and reminds me that we can get through anything together.
Even though I’m having a hard time believing it right now.
“When the gates opened, demons got out.” I pick up my glass of water but don’t take a drink. “Lucifer didn’t think a ton did, but he did notice four specific ones weren’t in the cages he locked them in.” I close my eyes in a long blink and inhale. “They’re the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and were in Hell before Lucifer was sent there.”
Collective silence falls over the room.
“There…there were demons in Hell before Lucifer got there?” Kristy’s voice is thin. “I thought he created them all.”
“I did too.” I take a drink and set my water down. “Hell already existed. Lucifer isn’t a demon, he’s an archangel who made some really poor choices that led him to be kicked out of his house and sent to the worst place—that was already there.”
“That makes sense.” She cuts little slices off her piece of pie, nervously pushing them around her plate. “I always thought Lucifer and Hell went hand in hand, but it had to already be there for him to go there.”
“Who put the Horsemen in Hell the first time?” Ruby asks.
“I’m not sure,” I tell her. “Julian is finding out everything he can, though I suppose it doesn’t matter since I’m going to put them back in.”
“You and your baby bump are just going to capture the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?” Evander raises his brows and stares at me. “On like, what, a weekend?”
“Ideally, as long as it’s not a holiday weekend,” I retort, unable to help myself when it comes to snide comebacks. “And I’d like it done before my due date. By Memorial Day at the latest and that’s still cutting it a little close.” I rest my elbows on the table and put my head in my hands. “I’m sorry to drop this bomb on you guys, but I couldn’t not tell you. I wanted to tell you right away, but things didn’t work out that way.”
“If they were sent to Hell before, they can be sent again,” Tabatha says, being the voice of reason. “In the meanwhile, we will up our defensive circles and conduct our own research.” She’s rattled and having a hard time not showing it, which is very unlike her. In turn, it makes me rattled, which I should be. “Did Lucifer tell you anything else about them?”
“A little,” I tell her with a nod. “He said they’re not going to ride horses through the streets killing people or waving magic wands to make a new plague break out. It’s more subtle than that. Tempers will flare, droughts will cause crops to die, and the cost of food will shoot up…that sort of thing. And he said the more carnage they bring, the more powerful they become, until they’ll pretty much take over the world and rule whatever dystopian landscape is left.”
Lucas gives my thigh a squeeze, and I lean back in my chair, letting a hand drop onto his.
“He also told me he locked them away in case he needed to use them in some revenge scheme, but Julian thinks it was because he’s unable to kill them. So the odds are stacked against me, but I’ll figure something out. I’m not giving birth in a post-apocalyptic setting.”
“You won’t figure it out alone,” Kristy tells me, face set.
“No, you won’t,” Tabatha quickly agrees.
“Guys,” I start and get a little choked up. Fuck, I’ll be happy when my hormones go back to normal and I can be emotionally unbalanced like I was before. “You know you don’t have get—”
“Don’t even try to tell us not to get involved,” Ruby interrupts. “I have no desire to live in a dystopian society, either. I’ll hit the books tonight. There has to be something in the library about them.” She shifts her gaze to Lucas. “I might need you to translate a few things again. It’s faster than going word by word on Google Translate.”
“I’ll help in any way I can,” he tells her. “I would also like it to be a thing of the past by the time our daughter is born.” He runs his hand down my thigh and then puts it on my stomach. “The first few weeks are very important for bonding. I don’t want anything to get in our way.”
My heart swells like it always does when I hear Lucas talk about our family, but this time it scares me. The closer we get to Elena being here, the more I’m worried something terrible will happen that will keep us from getting everything we ever wanted.
And this time…it did.
“Come on, guys,”I call to my familiars. The sun is down now, and Lucas and I can finally go home. I want nothing more than to crash into bed and sleep for the next ten hours with Lucas by my side. We’re leaving the library, having helped Ruby pull some books from the shelves for Lucas to bring back to the house and read through. He’s holding a stack of seven leatherbound books like they weigh nothing. Three are in Latin, one is in French, one in Italian, and two are handwritten journals in a variety of different languages.
Most of the students are in their dorms by now, and word that Lucas and I are here has spread amongst the students. It’s silly to me how they’re so invested in us, but it’s a welcome distraction since we don’t want anyone knowing there are four werewolves in the infirmary and a demon bound inside a vampire in the basement.
“Oh, I should probably check on Noah before we leave and see how the others are doing. It’s a lot to take in.”
“I wouldn’t get too attached.”
“I’m not getting attached, but I want to check on them before they leave. They came all this way seeking my help. The least I can do is pop in for a minute before they leave.”
“You think it’s wise to let them leave?”
I tip my head, looking at Lucas. “Well, they can’t stay here.”
“I’m aware. They know you’re more than a normal witch, Callie. And the demon was in Noah’s head. He might not be able to remember the demon’s agenda now, but he could. We can’t let him leave.”
“You mean leave alive,” I say, coming to a stop. “What happened to no murder? They’re innocent people, Lucas.”
“They’re werewolves,” he counters. “A few aren’t an issue, but an entire pack is. They’re going back to a pack, and we don’t know what the pack will do.”
“They’ll be thankful I saved the kid.”
“The demon was in his head,” Lucas reiterates. “And it figured out how to get past your wardings.”
The fear I hadn’t let myself feel crashes down on me. I’ve cast elaborate circles around my house to keep anyone who wishes me harm from crossing. The demon meant to harm me but lay dormant inside the werewolf just to get past the first circle.
Which means it knew about my warding before.
“There’s too much we don’t know. If other demons find out, they’ll be the first to strike a deal with the wolves in exchange for information.”
“That doesn’t mean you kill him!”
“Do you have a better idea?” Lucas’s fangs flash in the flickering light from the lanterns on the wall. I stare him down, wishing he could just hold Noah spellbound and we could be done with this all. Unlike witches, werewolves can be held spellbound by a vampire. But once they shift into wolf form at the next full moon, the memories start to come back. It might take a few months to remember everything, but something as memorable as being possessed by a demon, showing up at a house expecting one witch and getting half a dozen, and then being transported to a magical school hidden in a pocket dimension isn’t something you’d easily forget.
“Yes. Memory spells. They shouldn’t be here. Tabatha has something in the works already, I’m sure, since we can’t have them remembering how to get into the Covenstead. It’s enough of a stretch that we let you in.”
“What if demons seek them out and break the spell?”
“What if they don’t?”
“You’re willing to leave that up to chance?” Lucas growls.
I throw up my hands, not realizing the flames on the wall sconces are growing bigger and taking on a reddish hue. “Then what was the point of saving Noah? Why not kill him right then and there?”
“We had to trap the demon before it jumped into another body.”
“Right, so it wouldn’t tell me about your Bulgarian girlfriend.”
“Callie,” Lucas says, anger crossing his handsome face. It was a low blow and I know it, but I’m not allowing anyone else to die because of me.
“That wasn’t fair, I’m sorry,” I spit, crossing my arms over my chest.
“She was Romanian anyway.” Lucas sighs. “I don’t want to fight.”
“Then promise me you won’t kill the wolves.”
Lucas’s jaw tenses, and he doesn’t respond. He won’t make a promise he can’t keep. “I will do whatever I have to in order to protect you. To protect Elena. My family. I’m not afraid to be the bad guy, and I’ll gladly do it so you don’t have to.”
“You don’t have to, either! You know what I am, Lucas. You know I shouldn’t even be here. Demons are going to come for me, and you can’t kill everyone they use on their way. The world doesn’t revolve around me.”
“My world revolves around you,” he counters, and I almost waver. I stare him down, so fucking pissed but still so damn in love with him. We are everything to each other, and when you’re as powerful as we are, it’s dangerous. “And the world will suffer if the demons get you. I want you safe for my own selfish reasons, Callie, but it is bigger than that, and you have to accept it.”
“That still doesn’t mean we kill innocent people. They’re not going to send demons after me.”
Lucas puts the books down and grabs both my hands. Pushing his hips against me, he backs me up against the wall. “I don’t want to cause you any more upset, my love.” He rests his forehead against mine, letting go of my hands and grabbing my waist instead. “But know I will do whatever I have to if it means keeping you safe.”
“I do know,” I say softly, hooking my hands around his shoulders. I’ve known since he told me he loved me, and it’s something Tabatha has been concerned about for some time as well: that Lucas will cross a line he can’t uncross, and while it won’t matter to him, it will to me. “Please don’t kill anyone tonight.”
“Fine,” he relents. “Not tonight.”
“Give Tabatha a chance to figure something out. She’s not going to let the wolves just walk out of here remembering everything, demon or no demon.”
“I’ll give her six hours.”
“Twelve?”
“Fine,” he grunts again. “I’m taking you home now.”
I’m tired, and having a quiet house to ourselves sounds so fucking nice. “Okay, but on the way, I’m gonna need you to tell me all about that old girlfriend the demon was talking about.”
“You want to know about my past lovers?” He lifts his head from mine and looks at me with raised eyebrows.
“Unlike someone, I don’t get jealous and possessive.”
“I don’t get jealous or possessive,” he retorts.
“You still hate Easton.”
“I’m in the mood for murder. Brave of you to mention his name.”
“Exactly my point. Like I’ve said before, I’m well aware you weren’t saving yourself until marriage. And I’m quite thankful for that, since you’re very skilled in the bedroom.”
“I am,” he agrees, and some of the anger leaves his face.
“Is what the demon said true?”
“Some of it. Bogdana was a villager who kept my attention over the winter. I didn’t have the ability to hold anyone spellbound at that time, and winters in Romania were much colder than they are now. I needed a warm place to wait out the sun and used force to get what I wanted. When it came time for me to leave, Bogdana wanted me to take her with me. I refused, and when I awoke the next night, I found her dead on the floor. I knew she was transitioning and left, thinking whoever sired her would come back, and honestly, I didn’t care.”
“The demon said she made a deal to become a vampire, so he sent one?”
“I believe so. Vampires were quite prevalent in that area at the time.”
“Don’t tell me you’re responsible for starting the whole Dracula rumors.” I smile, feeling some of the tension leave myself as well.
“This was well before Dracula’s time,” he answers seriously. “Not everything the demon said was true. Bogdana isn’t alive and looking for me. That was said just to get under your skin.”
“How do you know?”
“She tracked me down a few years after she was turned, and I killed her.”
“Oh. Lovely.”
“You asked,” Lucas says with a shrug and picks up the books.
“I did. Why…why did you kill her?”
“She annoyed me,” he admits with no hesitation.
I nod, not really sure what to say. You shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want to hear the answer to. Freya and Binx shadow down the hall, and we meet Pandora by the door. I yawn most of the way home.
The house is dark and quiet with Eliza already long gone. She left a note on the counter saying someone delivered the porch swing and hooked it up for us. Lucas puts the books in the library, and I go upstairs to change into pajamas. Grabbing a fuzzy blanket from the back of the living room couch, I go onto the porch to check out the swing. It’s nothing exciting, I know, but I’m dying to try it out. Funny how different things excite you as you make your way through life.
Lucas joins me, and we sit in silence for a few minutes, looking out at the dark yard. He drapes his arm around me, and I rest my head against his chest.
“This is nice.” I snuggle closer to Lucas, eyes falling shut as the sounds of the night surround us. “It feels so peaceful. I could fall asleep out here.”
Lucas pushes off the ground with one foot, gently moving the swing back and forth. “Go to sleep. I’ll carry you in later.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that offer. You know you’re the only person in the world who makes me feel this safe.”
“I’m not a person.”
Does this have something to do with the conversation we had when we were leaving the Covenstead? He knows I don’t judge him for his past. “Yes, you are. You’re my person.”
“I’m a vampire.”
“And I’m half-witch, half-human, but I’m still a person. If you want to get technical, you can say you’re an undead person,” I offer sleepily. “You don’t consider yourself a person at all?”
“After I died and awoke as a vampire, I considered all my humanity to be gone.”
Looking up, I put a hand on Lucas’s chest, right over his heart. “You still have humanity left.”
“Do I?”
I can see the question in his dark blue eyes, afraid he won’t believe what I’m going to tell him. “Of course you do. You love me, Lucas, and our love is one of the few things in the world I don’t question. You wouldn’t be capable of love if you had no humanity.”
“There is so much good inside of you, Callie. You’re willing to look for even a shred of it in anyone else. You know the things I’ve done.”
“I do, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. Besides, it’s been like, what, a full century since you slaughtered an entire village?” I smile and rest my head against his broad shoulders.
“Close enough. The last few years have been tame.”
“You said that before.”
“I did?”
“Maybe it was Eliza,” I say. “It was the night I accidentally raised a bunch of zombies from the dead. I overheard you guys talking. She told you I was dangerous because I could summon white light like Marie Lancaster, which is funny in hindsight, since I’m probably related to her. But she also said you hadn’t seemed like yourself in years.”
“I remember that,” he says, somewhat distantly. “After being undead for over a thousand years, it felt like I’d done everything. Nothing was new. Nothing surprised me. I’d never sought out a purpose in life. I’d always lived for me and me alone. But the boredom…the monotony of every day after another…” He shakes his head. “And then I met you, and it was more than worth the thousand-year wait.”
My heart swells in my chest, and if my eyes weren’t closed, they’d be welling with tears.
“You’ve given me so much, Callie. A love I never thought I was capable of. You surprised me—and continue to do so. You’ve given me the sun and now you’re giving me a daughter.” He tightens his embrace. “If it weren't for the constant danger, I’d wonder if this is all a dream.”
My lips curve into a smile. “Almost being kidnapped or killed is a good reality check.”
“Unfortunately.” Lucas chuckles. “It’s late. Get some sleep, my love. Enjoy the peaceful night.”
Nodding, I relax and slowly run my fingers up and down Lucas’s muscular arm until I fall asleep.