Chapter 12
Marissa POV
The alley was creepily dark in a way that felt suffocating. I sat in my car, the engine off, the only light coming from the dim glow of the streetlamp at the far end of the alley. My fingers drummed against the steering wheel, my eyes darting around in a slightly anxious manner. I'd been waiting for five minutes, but it felt like an eternity.
Finally, a figure flashed in front of my car, moving so fast that it was almost a blur. Nevertheless, I wasn't shocked—I'd been expecting him. I reached over and opened the passenger door, and the figure slid into the seat beside me, his movements smooth and silent.
He pulled off his hood, revealing his face. Mark. He was a vampire, and a particularly handsome one at that. He had short silver hair that was neatly kempt, his jawline sharp, and his eyebrows so perfect sometimes I thought they had just been drawn. There was a light scar on his left cheek, a thin line that ran from his temple to just below his eye, but it didn't detract from his looks. If anything, it added to his mystique vampire charm.
I couldn't help but wonder why I wasn't attracted to him, neither physically nor romantically. Objectively, he was gorgeous, but for the whole time I knew him, nothing in him clicked with me. I started imagining that probably something was wrong with me, something serious that I found it hard to look at a man…or a woman romantically.
"Marissa," Mark said, his voice smooth and calm. "looking ravishing as always"
"Thank you," I said, though my tone was more flat than friendly. "Today you seem…different"
He nodded, his expression unreadable. "Well, a lot has happened since the last time we met."
"Barely" I sighed
"Barely?" he raised one of his perfectly drawn eyebrows "the last time I saw you, you were wishing Julian a quick death, now you have acknowledged Julian Corbin as the ruler of Northwind Reach. That's something"
I snorted, leaning back in my seat. "I did it for the cameras, I'd never actually bow down to Julian, not really. He's playing a game, and I want to beat him at it"
Mark raised an eyebrow. "And marrying Theo Black's nephew? Is that part of the game too?"
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "If it keeps me from being exiled, then yes. I don't have a choice, Mark."
He studied me for a moment, his silver eyes piercing. "You're willing to sacrifice a lot for this."
"I am," I said, my voice firm. "Our last meeting was cut short before you told me anything"
Mark leaned back in his seat, his expression turning serious. "Did you know that the vampires were responsible for the war between the witches and the shifters?"
I blinked, I'd always suspected something was off about the sudden conflict, but hearing it confirmed was still a shock. "How?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"The vampires killed the Saolas," Mark said, his tone grim. "They did it to gain more strength and to instigate a quarrel between the shifters and the witches. That way, Julian could call a mediation and position himself as the peacemaker. Miles Storm's demands—territory and the lives of two tiger shifters—were somehow what Julian wanted. Now, he occupies part of the shifter territory under the guise of maintaining peace, and most of the soldiers stationed there are vampires."
I stared at him, my mind racing. "And Luca Wilder agreed to it? Give up two of his kin?"
Mark's lips curled into a bitter smile.
I shook my head as hundreds of questions raced in my mind. "How do you know all this? How do you know Julian was behind the attack on the Saolas?"
Mark's expression darkened. "Because I was there, Marissa. I was with Julian and Isaac, along with other vampires from the royal lineage. I saw it happen."
"right" I sighed, Mark was from the royal lineage "The Saolas, that's why you are…"
"more powerful? Stronger? Yes. Their blood multiplied our strength "he said
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Luca Wilder is the most intelligent of the group, did he just give up to the demands?"
Mark leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. "Yes. Credits to the promise they were originally offered before the election. Something more valuable than money or territory."
"What were the leaders offered for their support?"
Mark took a deep sigh then looked right at me "Immortality"
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. "Immortality? But... that's impossible."
"Is it?" Mark asked, his tone challenging. "Vampires live for centuries, Marissa. Why wouldn't Julian offer the same to the leaders who helped him rise to power?"
My mind was reeling. It all made sense now—why the leaders had been so quick to support Julian, why they were willing to turn a blind eye to his tyranny. They'd been promised something no one could resist: eternal life.
"But how?" I asked, my voice trembling. "How is Julian planning to give them immortality?"
Mark shook his head. "I don't know yet."
We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of everything we'd discussed hanging in the air. Finally, Mark turned to me, his silver eyes meeting mine.
"What are you going to do?" he asked
"I'll let the truth be known" I replied
"Julian is not going to be happy with it." Mark said while adjusting his coat
"That's the whole point"
Mark was silent for a short while before he spoke again
"Be careful, Marissa," he said, his voice soft but firm. "There is a reason why he became the leader of the vampires, he is powerful"
"I know," I said, cutting him off.
Mark nodded, his expression grim. "Okay. I have to attend a ball in twenty minutes, I'll let you know if anything comes up."
And with that, he was gone, leaving me alone in the dark alley with nothing but my thoughts for company.