Testimony of Children (Alice Gray Book 2)

16

As I approached he turned and I met a pair of crimson eyes. Not just the iris, but the entire eye. A shudder rippled through my body, as I finally understood just how freaked out Stephen and Emily were when I went all out silver.

Sunglasses was not a name I could continue to use.

"You can call me James," he said.

Could he read my thoughts? I really should have done a little more research on vampires before heading out on my own.

"I can sense your heightened emotions. I can smell the adrenaline in your blood; feel your fight or flight instinct kicking in. Although there is no flight with you is there Alice? What would you do, challenge me?"

"That depends, you've yet to state your business. You invited me, remember?"

"Well yes, I suppose I did," he chuckled.

Still ignorant of the purpose of the meeting, I waited. It wasn't up to me to lead the conversation, and I wasn't in any particular hurry. James was not the only one who had hidden strength. The silver magic strained against my skin, begging for release, desperate to prove its dominance.

As if aware of my struggle to contain the energy, James dialled back his own potent display. It was the first sign that he wasn't here to destroy me. Yet I'd be a fool not to recognize his show of self-control. James had mastery over his power, and he knew that I did not. I didn't like that he saw through me so easily.

"I've had a lot of practice dealing with powerful creatures, Alice. But it is true that I mean you no harm."

Did he expect me to believe that he couldn't read my thoughts when his words answered the questions that ran through my head?

"Think of me as one of those human tricksters, the ones who call themselves clairvoyant. Fortunes can be made when one has finely tuned the ability to read the minutest reaction of one's prey. Of course, I have the advantage of having studied behaviour and psychology for many years; from the very inception of the academic fields of study in fact, and indeed, in a more casual manner before that."

All very informative. Not particularly reassuring. And he still hadn't told me what he wanted from me. I rolled my eyes, feigning indifference.

His narrow face lit up with delight, eyes transforming from crimson to an unusual shade of aquamarine. Now that I could focus on something other than his oppressively dense power and alarming eyes, I saw just how young he must have been when he was turned. He looked no more than a slight boy of fifteen. Compassion for his lost innocence washed through me, cooling the angry magic at my core.

"Alice, love, you have a lot to learn. We can resolve that together, if you like?"

James's eyes flashed red again as he sauntered towards the exit. Slipping a note into my hand as he walked past, he was gone before I'd had time to process what had just happened.

That vampire had disarmed my power with nothing more than the slightest appeal to my humanity. Just how easily he could have taken me down was a painful kick to my confidence.

To say I was sheepish when I returned to the reading room was an understatement. Stephen was engrossed in an ancient looking volume. Emily looked up questioningly.

"Um guys. I've got a confession to make."

Emily's look of curiosity turned to one of annoyance in a blink of an eye. Stephen, on the other hand, was so engrossed in the text in front of him that he hadn't even registered my presence.

"Ever heard of a youngish looking vampire chap called James? Some guy with an immense amount of self-control and a heavy level of power?"

Stephen pushed away from the table, his chair letting out a shrill squeak in protest. He stood, face frozen in alarm, as though James might enter the room and attack at any minute. The precious book he'd been studying got knocked off the table and landed with an undignified thump on the floor.

"Where is he?" Emily asked sharply, already at the door.

"Are you hurt?" Stephen asked simultaneously.

Unsure which to answer first, I decided to sit. They both needed to calm down and let me catch my breath.

"Come on Alice, he's getting away," Emily urged.

"Calm the pursuit, he's already gone. And he didn't hurt me." That seemed to cover both enquiries.

"What happened?" Emily snapped, losing patience when I refused to respond to the apparent gravity of the situation.

"We met. We looked at some literary treasures. We flexed our powers a little. And then he asked me out on a second date."

Stephen's face went an unattractive shade of pink, so I thought it wise to leave out the bit about James demonstrating just how easily he could take me down. Emily on the other hand was white as a ghost as she paused at the door.

"Emily?"

"You're a fool," she said, her voice just as empty as her eyes. I rose to follow her, but Stephen caught my arm as the door swung shut.

"Leave it," he said quietly. "She doesn't like to be reminded just how easy it is for them to take us. Do you have any idea how much danger you were in? Just who that man is?"

"It was an opportunity to get information. Isn't that why we're here? And, no, of course I don't know who he is. I only found out who I am a few weeks ago. You guys have to cut me some slack."

"Doing that could get you killed. Somehow the head vampire in London knew where you'd be at a particular time on a particular day. He even braved daylight to get to you. Doesn't that even bother you?"

"Head vampire? Holy shit. What does he want with me?"

"I don't know, and whatever it is, we don't need to know. Emily and I will protect you from him and his kind. He won't get near you again."

I still had the slip of paper that James had given me scrunched up in my fist. Yes, he had gained the upper hand today, but I had been at a disadvantage. Now I knew who he was, and some of the things he could do. I was sure I could find out a few more before I met him again.

More vampires! Yay! Hope you're enjoying the story. ⭐️ if you like it!