Darkness Before Dawn (30 page)

“You should say a few words,” Sin tells me.

“You think so?”

“Absolutely,” Michael says, and he takes it upon himself to lead me to the stage.

The band stops and the singer ushers me over. She hands me the mic. “Love your ink,” she says.

I laugh a little. “Thanks. Love yours, too.”

I step forward. The last of the sunlight is streaming through the windows. I clear my throat. “Hello. I’m Dawn Montgomery. Denver’s delegate. Your delegate.”

I expect a few boos and hisses, but instead I get applause and cheers. When it gets quiet, I say, “I want to thank you for donating your blood. You’re helping to keep the citizens safe, and we want to keep you safe in return. We have a dozen Night Watchmen here tonight. And now that the sun is setting, we’re locking the doors.” Rachel had choreographed this moment. I signal to a Night Watchman, and he chains and padlocks the front door.

The sun sets and the lights on Day Street come on. Other Night Watchmen hang black drapes over the windows in order to give the place a more “party” atmosphere. The effect is perfect, bringing the tone down just a little, embracing the darkness, creating pockets of privacy where couples can escape for some time alone.

Everyone claps.

“Now let’s party until dawn!” I shout, then hand the mic back to the singer and step off the stage.

Michael is waiting for me, and his smile makes me feel guilty.

“That was great,” he says.

“Thanks.”

Sin nudges Michael’s shoulder. “Let’s go get drinks. Lemonade for everyone?”

Tegan grins up at him. “
Special
lemonade.”

There wasn’t supposed to be any alcohol served, but I can tell the bartender is taking the opportunity to cash in on some bribes, and the special lemonade is flowing from the taps. And if that’s not enough, kids have brought their own flasks, and are unabashedly emptying the contents into whatever drink they have in hand.

“You got it,” Sin says.

Michael gives me one last squeeze before heading to the bar with Sin.

“I am so glad things are working out with you and Michael,” Tegan yells in my ear.

I tell her the truth—albeit not the full version, not yet. “He’s a great guy.”

“Still, I wish Victor could be here,” Tegan says with a wink. “Guess he needs to be patrolling the streets.”

“Yeah.” Only he’s not. He’s at the manor.

“What the hell does that bitch think she’s doing?” Tegan suddenly asks, and I hear the anger in her voice.

I look in the direction she’s pointing and see Lila wedged between Michael and the bar, her hand pressed to his chest like it was that day I saw them in front of his locker.

“I mean, really, what is she doing here?” Tegan asks. “You know she didn’t donate blood.”

“Her daddy probably bribed someone for a ticket.”

“Get her ass out of here.”

“Can’t. Once the doors are locked, they’re supposed to stay that way until the sun comes up. We don’t want to provide an opportunity for a vampire to sneak in.”

“That is just so wrong.” She pushes me. “You’d better go set her straight about who Michael will be dancing with tonight.”

Only I think that maybe I should just leave them alone. If he likes her, maybe she can be there for him when I’m not. Hurting Michael is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t want to do it, but I know that it’s not fair to him if I don’t.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Tegan asks.

“Just a lot of Agency stuff on my mind.”

“Don’t even think about the Agency tonight.”

“A little hard to do when this whole party is because of the Agency.”

“What you need is to dance. Go get your man.”

“Okay. Yeah.” But as I’m working my way through the crowd, halfway to the bar someone knocks into me and spills lemonade on the front of my dress. So I detour to the restroom. The hallway is way in the back, far from any windows, and the lightbulbs haven’t been changed in a long time. Their dying glow barely provides enough visibility. The collection of noises—music, laughter, stomping feet—is muffled here, but the excitement still carries through. I wish Rachel could be here, could see how well everything turned out.

The bathroom is bright and clean. I’m the only one in it as I snatch up a towel and soak up the lemonade. The dress is ruined. Just as I know my relationship with Michael will be when I tell him everything. I wish we could still stay friends, but knowing his pride, I think it’s probably unlikely. It makes me sad, and tonight there should be no sadness.

Calming my nerves, I’m determined not to ruin the night for Michael. It’ll be my parting gift to him. I head back into the hallway.

As the door closes behind me, taking the little illumination with it, I realize that something has happened to the lights in the hallway. Where before they were dim, now they are nonexistent. The only light is coming from the end of the hall, where the party is in full swing. I start toward it when an arm shoots out and stops my progress.

“Dawn.”

The voice is low, almost ominous, but I recognize it and press a hand to my chest to calm my thudding heart. “God, Sin, I didn’t even see you there. You startled me.”

“Did I? I’m sorry.”

His voice has taken on a strange scratchy quality. I have the image of smoke coming out of his mouth as he speaks. Almost like he’s been dying since he was born. There’s a creepiness to him that has never been there before, too, as though the darkness is shifting him into something else.

With his palm against the wall in front of me, he leans in, and in the dim light I can see him smile.

“Dawn Montgomery,” he says, “the delegate who never wanted to be. Following in your parents’ sainted footsteps.”

I tried for Tegan’s and Michael’s sakes to warm up to Sin, but now he’s making me angry. Yes, I never wanted to be a delegate, but I have since embraced my duties, and I don’t like him mocking my parents. “Shut up, Sin. You don’t know anything about my family.”

I shove him, but he doesn’t budge.

“I know your poor brother died while you hid in a closet. What were his last words to you? ‘Don’t be afraid of the dark’?”

I can’t find my breath. It’s impossible for him to know that; I’ve never told anyone Brady’s final words. Not Rachel, not Michael, not Tegan. They’ve been burned into my mind alone.

“But his words were little comfort, I’m sure. Are you still afraid of the dark?” he asks.

My chest feels leaden. Why is he saying these things? Where did he learn them? I want to tell him to get the hell out of my way. But all I can manage is…

“How … how could you…”

“Know that? Poor Dawn. Still that little girl trapped in a closet.”

“What kind of game are you playing here?”

“I can hear your blood rushing through your veins. So fast. So strong. So … tempting.”

I try ducking past him, but he moves his arm down and swiftly brings his other one up to trap me with unnatural strength.

“Let me go,” I say, keeping my voice strong despite the sudden fear coursing through me.

“But I haven’t thanked you yet,” he says.

“For what?”

“For the death of Lord Valentine.”

How could he know that? It’s still a secret.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s a pity I didn’t get to kill him myself. How I
hated
him.”

I laugh. “You’ve never even met him. Do you have any idea who the Bloody Valentine is?”

Sin smiles. There’s something very, very off about it.

“Do
you
have any idea who
I
am?”

Tension crackles in the air.

“From the moment I was born, I’ve been known only as Sin. My father wasn’t very kind when he named me. You see, I was a bastard child. A mistake. A freak accident, he said. He beat it into me every day and every night. He said I was evil incarnate. I was a
monster
in his eyes. Ironic when you consider that he is—excuse me, was—the greatest monster of all.”

“Your father?”

“Murdoch Valentine.”

My heart slams against my ribs. “No, no, he can’t be—”

“But he is. Or was, I should say.”

He lowers his head to my neck and I hear him inhaling deeply, can imagine his nostrils flaring as he’s scenting me. When he straightens, a pair of awful fangs appear in his mouth.

“That’s not possible,” I say. “You… I’ve seen you walk in the sun.”

“So you have. I’m the first vampire in history to be born a Day Walker. The sun has no power over me. Imagine what I could do with an army of Day Walkers following me. Worshipping me. I can rule not only the humans but the vampires.”

“You’re the son Valentine sent for?” Valentine’s dangerous weapon. Locked up with a score of teenagers. And me.

“Yes. He thought I would do his bidding where Victor would not. His plan was to take over Denver from the inside. I’ve slowly been turning Night Watchmen to our cause, making them into the ultimate beings. You see, whoever receives my blood receives my gift as well. They are vampires, but are no longer cursed to walk only in the night and fear the sun.”

I struggle against his grip, but I might as well be caught in a bear trap.

“Tonight is perfect,” he continues nonchalantly, like we’re talking about the music. “This stupid little party couldn’t have been any better suited for me. An entire gathering of idiotic and impressionable teenagers. It’s just what I need to begin the next step. Victor took care of our father. And soon, my
special project
will take care of Victor.”

“Special project?” I manage to get out. “What are you talking about?”

“You call him Hoodie.”

A vampire who appeared when the sun was out. I assumed he was hiding in the shadows, under the dark clouds. But he didn’t need to. Like Sin, Hoodie isn’t afraid of the sun.

Oh, God. And Victor doesn’t know. He doesn’t know that Hoodie is after him. He doesn’t know that even during the day he won’t be safe from him. I have no way to warn him.

“If my Night Watchmen, who can walk in the sun, are my children, then Hoodie is … my favorite creation. He’s perfection.”

I’m about to scream, but as if he can sense it, his hand comes up and presses against my jaw and neck. It won’t keep me from crying out, but the message is clear: Scream and I’m dead. Still, I can fight with words.

“You need an Old Family witness to make a legitimate claim to the Valentine throne.”

He laughs. “Do you really think that’s my goal? Something as pathetic and paltry as that?”

“Why come here, then? Why help your father after he banished you?”

“Anything that caused strife in the family was in my best interest. I hear Father wounded Victor greatly in their battle. And Victor, being the noble idiot that he is, didn’t drink from you to restore himself.” Sin trails his finger along my unwounded neck. “So Victor is, at this very moment, weakened. And I want Victor dead.”

“He’s had plenty of time to recover. He’ll be a formidable foe.”

“I think he kept from you how badly wounded he truly was.”

“I won’t let you hurt him.”

“Such devotion. I can’t wait until it’s directed my way.”

“Never,” I ground out. “You’ll never be anything to me.”

“You’re so wrong, Dawn. I’ll be everything.”

“I’ll die first.”

Sin remains completely calm. “You aren’t seeing the whole picture yet, Dawn. You don’t understand how well you fit into it.”

He leans in again and smells my neck. I cringe in disgust.

“Victor’s death will serve me well, but not yours. You’re very, very special. In time, you’ll see just how special you are.”

“Why not kill Victor yourself then, huh? Why do you need to send a lackey to do it?”

“I’m needed elsewhere tonight. But rest assured, before the coming dawn, he’ll be dead.”

Sin lowers his hands and gingerly places them on my shoulders, like a friend helping a mourner standing over the grave of a loved one.

“Poor Dawn. You think everything’s been taken away. But you have so much more to lose.” With a quick movement, he presses me against the wall, and I expect to feel his fangs burying themselves into my neck despite his earlier words. But instead, he leans close to me and whispers, “By the way, your brother tasted delicious.”

“Wh … wh … wh…”

He lets me go and I fall to the floor. I feel like I might sink all the way through it, past the basement and sewers, farther and farther until I hit the earth itself and then go through that. I’ll fade away, disappear forever.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I’m aware of his striding away. And then the darkness of the hallway engulfs me again and it seems to last an eternity. My brother’s final words play over and over like a mantra that’ll protect me. But it’s tainted now, corrupted by the image of Sin feeding on him.

I was looking at the thing that killed Brady. And I’ve never felt more powerless.

“Dawn!”

I come back to the real world, and Michael is holding me. “Dawn, are you okay?” he asks.

I nod.

“Talk to me. Say something,” Michael urges.

“Don’t be afraid of the dark....”

“What?”

I shake my head violently, feeling the shock wear off. My surroundings become familiar. I clutch Michael’s shirt. “Sin. He’s a vampire.”

“Did you hit your head or something? He and I do half our workouts in the sun—”

“He’s a Day Walker.”

“A what?”

“He can walk in the sun!”

“Dawn, I know you haven’t always gotten along with Sin, but I think you’ve gone a little far this time.”

“No.” I struggle to my feet. “We have to stop him. We have to get help.” I pull out my cell phone. No signal.

“Can you get a signal?” I ask frantically.

He checks his phone. “No. That’s weird. It’s usually not a problem this close to the tower.”

Unless Sin had it disabled.

I grab Michael’s hand and start dragging him toward the party. The music suddenly stops. I hear a few cheers. Then Sin. “Thank you, thank you.”

“He’s taken the stage,” I say, quickening my step.

“Dawn, you’re overreacting.”

I stop and face him. “Michael, trust me, please.”

He shrugs and doesn’t argue as I push on. When we finally get into the main room, I look toward the stage. I was right. Sin stands tall above everyone else.