Bound (The Grandor Descendant Series Book 3) (48 page)

When Ari finally had it in focus, she realised that like Lisa, she had no idea what she was looking at. She was just about to tell her brother this, when all of a sudden the entire room filled with silence. Looking up from the microscope, Ari gaped.

“You froze the entire room?” she said, looking at Jamie, the only other person who had not frozen.

Jamie smiled at her, leaning down and whispering, “It’s a sample from the brain of a cow with tick fever. Look at the capillary beds. You can see the intracellular organisms inside the red blood cells.”

Ari was just about to ask how the hell Jamie knew this, when time suddenly restarted. 

In front of her, Lisa coughed loudly and said, “Ari really isn’t the best person to ask complicated questions to.”

“Well Ms Sol,” said Jamie, ignoring Lisa entirely as he looked down at her expectantly.

“Um,” said Ari, unable to block out the crude sound of Lisa’s laughter. “It looks like a brain sample, probably of a cow with Babesia. The capillary beds are full of red blood cells that have the tick fever agent inside them.”

Jamie beamed down at her, just as Lisa frowned.

“You might benefit from listening to your classmate,” Jamie said, staring down at Lisa. “Perhaps asking Ariana here if she would help you with tutoring? You will be a 5th year veterinary student in a few weeks; that is assuming you past your exams.”

As Jamie walked away, Lisa gaped after him, while Ari and Chris snickered under their breath.

“And,” Chris said, seeming to take advantage of Lisa’s silence, “Lea is my girlfriend.”

“What?” Lisa snapped, only just managing to screw her face into an even more unattractive snarl.

“Yea,” said Ari, “you guys make a really cute couple.”

“Oh Ari,” said Lisa, putting on a tone of mock sympathy, “are you upset? I know you wanted Chris for yourself but-”

Ari stood suddenly. She was just about ready to punch Lisa.

“Hey Lisa, you remember Mr Young don’t you?” he said, glaring at Lisa. “He’s that good looking tutor that you were drooling over; the one you kept begging to hover over you while you were looking through the microscope. He and Ari are engaged.”

Ari nodded in agreement, while Lisa turned to stare at the diamond ring on Ari’s finger, just as her mouth fell open in unflattering disbelief. Ari started laughing and moved away from the table quickly, dabbing hurriedly at her eyes as large tears of happiness shone from her face.

“Are you alright?” asked Jamie, taking her by the hand and pulling her into an empty storage cupboard that serviced the lab. “Is it Lisa? Do you want me to lull her into a nice person? Actually, I don’t think I can do that. I am still new to all of this vampire stuff and she is a bit of a bitch. I doubt any vamp would have a chance at making her nice. Sorry”

Ari continued to laugh but shook her head

“Well, what about if I just bite her then?” he asked.

Ari nodded, but then quickly shook her head, trying desperately to stop herself from laughing. When she looked up, Jamie smiled at her in confusion, seeing clearly that she was happy.

“Since when do you know about pathology?” she asked finally, having stopped laughing.

“I don’t really. I asked some of the other students what were on those slides before I went over to your table. No idea if they were even right. But since I came back, everyone, including the science faculty, well, they kind of accepted me as the Vice Chancellor still.”

“What?” Ari asked.

“Yea, well, I figured I have forever to learn about this stuff.”

Slowly Ari nodded.

“Well, will you be able to get out of your busy academic schedule to come to my wedding? It’s a fortnight on Saturday at Ragon’s estate in the main land,” she said.

“Of course I am going to come! Who else is going to give you away? I’m glad my little sister has someone like Ragon to look out for her.”

“You already knew?” she asked.

“Ragon asked my permission the other night when you two were playing pool.”

“Of course he did,” she said, moving away from Jamie as she re-joined her group. “What a suck up.”

Chapter 25- The Immortal Grandor

Two days before her wedding, Ari had finished all of her end of semester exams and was on her way to Ragon’s estate. Ragon, Lea, Chris and Jamie accompanied her, the group taking the barge back to England. It was mid-November and the weather had remained chilly, small slushes of ice forming at points along the sea as the barge glided through the icy waters. 

Bramond had been waiting for them to arrive on the shore, polishing the large white limousine that he drove, with an old ratty cloth which he clutched to with surprising force. The moment that he had spotted Ragon, he waved over to him enthusiastically.

“Now Bramond,” said Ragon, clasping the old man on the shoulder, “I hope you don’t mind the extra work that you will be expected to carry out?”

“Excuse me, Mr Young, sir?” said Bramond, his voice delicately reflecting his confusion. “Extra work? Miss Sandra had arranged all of da wedding,” he added in a somewhat gruff tone, as if he would have liked to have been trusted with that responsibility.

“After Ari and I get married, we plan on spending the next three months at the estate, so I am afraid that you will have to put up with us for the next little while,” said Ragon, watching as a wide smile formed on Bramond’s face.

Bramond beamed at Ari, then turned to face Ragon, shaking his hand so enthusiastically that it appeared that all his Christmas’s had come at once.

“Oh, Mr Young, sir,” said Bramond, “it would be me pleasure.”

“Mine too Bramond,” said Ragon.

“Congratulations to yer Miss,” said Bramond, holding the car door open for Ari. “Begging your pardon; I should say Mrs.”

“Not just yet,” said Jamie, winking at Ragon before taking a seat in the back of the car.  

The ride from the barge to Ragon’s estate seemed to take less time than normal. Ari thought that this might have something to do with the reckless way that Bramond was driving. The old man was clearly still in awe at the prospect of his master being there for the next three months, and so sped cheerily along the roads, humming ‘Oh when the saints’, tunelessly to himself.

When finally the ancient car pulled into the driveway, Clyde, Riley, Sandra and Thomas were all waiting for them on the old stone steps that led back up to Ragon’s estate.

“It’s so good to see you,” said Riley, kissing Ari on either cheek before embracing her warmly.

“You look wonderful,” said Ari, glancing across at Clyde, who was cradling Rya in his arms.

“Still no sign of what she will be,” said Clyde, interpreting Ari’s look.

“Of course there is,” said Ari, and both Clyde and Riley stared at her expectantly, as if thinking she might have had a vision, “a beautiful healthy baby girl.” 

At this they smiled, and Ari let Ragon reach for her hand, just as Sandra let out a long squeal. Ari had been surprised that it had taken Sandra this long to spy her left hand and see the diamond engagement ring on it.

“Oh-my-God! It’s magnificent,” she said dramatically, blurring over to Ari and ripping her hand out of Ragon’s, so that she displayed the ring for all to see.

It was overcast, the sunlight a mere shadow behind the thick rain clouds, but there was enough light to force the diamond to sparkle.  

“Congratulations,” said Thomas, shaking Ragon’s hand firmly. “If you need a minister, you know who to ask.”

“Well,” said Ragon, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

At these words Sandra rushed to Ari’s side, quickly dragging her up the stairs.

“There is so much that I need you to check. I have organised the flowers, the dress, the cake…” Sandra began to say, listing off all the essentials for the wedding, just as Ari smiled at her, nodding whenever Sandra paused, so that she could confirm her approval. “We only have today and tomorrow,” said Sandra excitedly, “and there is still so much left to do.”

That night Ari went to bed early. Though she still had tomorrow to help organise her wedding, Sandra couldn’t hide her disappointment when Ari had told her that she was too tired to do anything that day. In true gentlemanly fashion, Ragon had insisted that they sleep in separate bedrooms. Ari had said that this was stupid, especially seeing as the wedding wasn’t until Saturday, and it was only Thursday night.

“What would Bramond think if we slept in the same bed?” Ragon had said, outside her room when he had kissed her goodnight.

Ari had tried desperately to drag him in the room with her, even pulling the sheets back of her large four poster bed and laying seductively as she curled her index finger, tempting him to come inside. But Ragon would not budge, keeping his distance at the front of the room, while trying to pull his eyes from her exposed thighs.  

Finally Ari conceited defeat and after swinging the large wooden door shut, moved back over to her bed again. For a moment her eyes raked the little bed side table and she smiled when she saw a long stem rose next to a tall glass of water, with a note propped underneath it. Reaching excitedly for the red flower, she drew it to her. Ragon must have brought it up earlier that day. Though the rose was still beautiful, the petals drooped and the fragrance that you might have expected from such a once magnificent flower, was gone. For just a second, Ari was forcibly reminded of the dead bunch of flowers Matthew had given her, what felt like a lifetime ago, when she had been in Australia. Quickly she pushed that thought aside and reached for the note:

‘Good night my love, I am so happy you said yes. Love Ragon’

She smiled as she read the letter. Reaching for the large glass of water that sat atop it, Ari sipped at it, reading and re-reading the letter and thinking that in a few short days, she would be married to the man she loved. For a moment happiness swarmed in her, but then she felt panicked, one hand pulling at her sheets, the other reaching for her throat. She couldn’t breathe!

“I knew this would be the only way,” someone said from the darkness.

Ari’s eyes searched the room. Her head was foggy, oddly distanced from her body and she tried to pull herself from the stupor that was threatening to take over, but it felt as if her system had been paralysed.

“Who’s… there?” she asked, forcing herself to talk, despite the overwhelming numbing sensation that had gripped her.

“You don’t know my voice by now?” said the high cold voice. “I’m hurt.”

Then a person appeared from the darkness and the glass in Ari’s hand fell to the floor, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces, as cool liquid spilled across the carpet.

“Ki… Kiara?” Ari trembled, looking up at the dark haired beauty.

Ari tried to lift her hands, thinking of stoping time, but she was too weak. For some reason all of her energy was gone, replaced by a numbing sensation. 

“You haven’t forgotten me then?” said Kiara. “That’s good, because I certainly haven’t forgotten you. I knew this was the only way to get you alone, make sure that you couldn’t use your powers against me,” she added, now staring at the spilt glass of water that Ari had drunk from.

Instantly Ari’s eyes locked on the glass of water, realising with a pang of horror, that it was poison.

“Why?” croaked Ari, feeling the surge of the poison as it began to swarm through her system, slowly shutting everything down.

“You have everything that I wanted,” said Kiara, her eyes almost sad. “I was turned a long time ago. Virgil was my maker. The Ancients took me in, cared for me, and I become Virgil’s assassin. For centuries I obeyed their every command, never turning another, simply living for Virgil’s affection. But Virgil never loved me, not as I did him. Then I found Ragon. When I saw him, dying on the battlefield, there was something in his eyes… I couldn’t kill him. I had killed hundreds before, maybe even thousands. I didn’t understand why this human, this man, could evoke something so strange inside me. So I decided to turn him, to make him my fledgling, thinking that the love I had for Virgil might be felt by Ragon.”   

For a moment Ari felt sympathy swell inside her but then her breathing became difficult and she gasped, desperate for air. Her fingers clutched uselessly at the sheets, her knuckles white against them, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get enough oxygen… she was suffocating.

“You can’t imagine the pain of not being loved. It was the one thing I craved, and the only thing denied to me by immortality. Forever can be a long time to miss something you never knew. But with Ragon, the way he looked at me when I was with him as he died, it was the closest I have ever come to knowing love. For decades we were together. Every day I waited for him to look at me again that way, but he did not. If anything he became more distant, until finally he left.”

Ari thought of Matthew, the vampire Kiara had turned. Didn’t she realise that Matthew loved her? He worshiped her, obeyed her every command. Then Ari realised that Kiara would never be able to feel love, not from Ragon, nor any man. Ragon was right; she couldn’t love.  

“I wasn’t going to stay,” Kiara added, glancing at the open window, “but now that I am here, I can’t resist the temptation of watching the light go out in your eyes. It is after all, foolish to assume an adversary is defeated unless you see them die.”

“He, he doesn’t love you,” said Ari, her eyes bulging as she felt the last of her oxygen leave her system, “and even if he did, you wouldn’t be able to feel it. Ragon was right. You… can’t… love.”

“That’s not true,” screamed Kiara, temporarily angered before she glanced around nervously then blurred to Ari. “He would have loved me eventually. If it weren’t for you, we would be together now. Even as a baby Ragon wanted to save you. Why did he choose you over me? I made him. I gave him the gift of immortality. I cared for him, taught him how to hunt, even laid with him. When you are gone, he will come back to me. He has to! Soon he will see that what I am doing for him is a kindness. You don’t even want to risk death to be with him forever. You won’t even bargain your humanity for the chance of becoming a vampire to stay with him. You don’t deserve him.”

Ari tried to speak but couldn’t. The poison had done its job; darkness was trying to press down on her, threatening to snuff out her life. Kiara’s poison had spread, not just through her system, but through everyone Ari held dear. Kiara had killed the people she loved, all because she wanted Ragon for herself. Slowly the faces of all the people that Ari would be leaving behind swarmed in her hypoxic mind.

Ragon! He was the love of her life. It would destroy him when he found out that she had died. He had told her plainly what he would do if anything ever happened to her. She tried to force away this thought; she would have been able to die happy just knowing that Ragon would never love Kiara, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t hope that he might love another one day. She was not so selfish that she could not let him move on… she was not Kiara. 

Then she thought of Jamie; she’d had such a short time with her brother, and now he would live forever without her. There was so much she still didn’t know about him; what his favourite colour was, the type of girls he liked, what he remembered of their parents. How had she not spent every precious moment with him, trying to get to know him just a little better? She had thought they would have had a life time together, getting to be just like a family, but now they would be separated, again. And then she thought of Riley and Clyde; she would never see them again, or little Rya. She would never see Clyde’s cheeky winks or get to spend time with Sandra and Thomas.