FULL NOVELXO Chapter Crossing t’s, Dotting i's
Darius
Quickly and quietly tracking my Viola across town proves effortless—even in this altered form, my speed, agility, and stealth remain undiminished.
I’m uncertain what this new body signifies or what capabilities it holds. I don’t feel any weaker, though perhaps it’s Viola’s blood still coursing through me. Aside from the fact that all my organs function, I don’t sense any significant changes, and I retain my strength, wings, and magic.
Throughout Viola’s time with William, I never let her out of my sight—I couldn’t risk anything happening to her, even with me behind the wheel of William’s mind and soul—seeing her through his eyes wasn’t sufficient. Viola is now my everything, and I will watch and protect her for all eternity.
As I watch Viola exit Mr. Collins’s office, I make William open the car door for her. After she enters, I swiftly close the door and position William on the other side of the car, ensuring he’s as far away as possible. It bothers me that she has to be in such close proximity to him.
Passing by a pub, the scent of roast pork and apple pie briefly tempts me. Food is appealing, but I can’t recall the last time I used a lavatory. There were certain conveniences to being a walking corpse, though shedding tears of blood after burying a family member was a dreaded occurrence.
Perched on the roof of William’s manor, I observe the approaching car. I concentrate on diverting William’s gaze away from Viola, but it’s challenging due to my intense desire to see and hold her constantly—a new test of self-discipline.
Through William’s eyes, I glance at Viola as she gazes out the window in the opposite direction. My eyes follow down her neck to the spot where William had stabbed her, and I resist the urge to plant a kiss there—these are not my lips.
The thought of Viola sprawled naked in bed flashes through my mind, and my body responds accordingly. Recalling how she moaned when we first kissed stirs a carnal desire in me. Vampyres do not derive physical pleasure from the act of sex—it was never an itch that needed scratching during my years as a Vampyre. Meaningless sex never interested me, though I did find some comfort in the arms of a couple of companions on a few of my lonelier and darker moments.
It was different when Viola touched me—before her life-giving kiss, I could feel her touch on my skin like no other. Perhaps her magic affected mine, granting me the sensation of feeling everything she did to me.
Never having found a wife before my turning, I’m yet to experience the sensation with a living body. Viola will be my first and last. With this new body, I might even be capable of siring children, but only if Viola consents to be their mother. No other woman would suffice.
As Viola steps out of the car, her eyes instantly lock onto mine, as though she knew where I was the entire time, making me wonder what she thinks of her new body and superior body.
Once Edmund drives off, I send William on his way to his naughty corner, making sure to inform any house staff William passes that he wishes to remain undisturbed for the remainder of the day.
Viola glances around as if looking around for onlookers, then surprises me by leaping up to the roof in a single bound. Her landing is somewhat clumsy, but she laughs joyously as she lands backward onto her behind.
“Wow, this is going to take some getting used to,” she exclaims joyfully.
Viola takes my hand, and I pull her up to her feet. Before she can utter another word, I take her lips with mine and unleash a day’s worth of pining over her in seconds.
Our first kiss as Dhampirs is desperate on both sides. I feel her desire for me as her hands pull me closer by my shirt collar.
“I want you,” she whispers as I kiss a trail down her neck.
When I look at her, the proud creature within me stirs. It’s what she said to me in the library the first time I got close to her in William’s body. Here and now, those same words add fuel to the already raging inferno within, but there’s no way I’m letting our first time happen in broad daylight or anywhere near this house of tragedy.
“Not here, darling,” my words clearly disappoint her, but she doesn’t protest. “The best memory I want you to have of this house is watching it burn to ashes as we depart.”
Viola smirks. “That’s very dramatic of you.”
We both hear it—Elliott falls somewhere in the garden and starts crying.
“Elliott,” Viola whispers under her breath before leaping from the roof.
I follow her closely and hear Sophie comforting him.
Even though I know every person in this house by name, gait, and voice, I am a stranger to them all. I keep an ear out to ensure I remain unseen—with what happened to Emily, I would hate for rumors to start spreading about her alleged murderer, Darius Kane, all over again. That being said, I have no intention of ever returning to this place once we leave.
Viola’s speed is impressive, but I let her get to Elliott first and check all the windows before preaching.
“It’s a little scrape, dear, nothing to worry about,” Sophie kneels by him and looks up when she hears us coming.
Elliott sees Viola, and his arms immediately rise towards her, expecting her to pick him up. The small but meaningful gesture warms my newly beating heart.
Viola doesn’t pick him up. Instead, she offers him her hand. “Come, darling. You have two wonderful, strong legs. Let’s use them.”
Elliott stands up on his own but immediately wraps his arms around Viola’s neck, and she picks him up as she stands.
When Viola turns to face me, her face is frozen with terror.
“Darius, take him, please,” she pleads shakily.
And I suddenly see why—Viola’s fangs have elongated at the scent of human blood, and she practically has to pry Elliott from her to hand him over to me, a complete and utter stranger.
Naturally, he starts crying harder as Viola runs away toward the house with her hand over her mouth. I go after her with Elliott still crying in my arms and take her hand to stop her from running away. “Viola, wait.”
Viola stops but doesn’t look at me.
“No, no, I can’t, Darius. I don’t want to hurt him,” she says between sobs, trying her best not to look at Elliott.
I run my thumb over her hand. “Viola, do you trust me?”
Viola clearly thinks my question is absurd and glares at me, dagger practically flying out of her eyes.
I can’t help but chuckle. “Then trust me, and more importantly, yourself. If you couldn’t bring yourself to stab William after everything he did to you, then what makes you think you could ever hurt Elliott, even now? It’s not in your nature to harm anyone, Viola.”
“But I’m a monster,” she sniffs.
“No, darling, technically, I think you’re only half monster.”
Viola chortles a little and covers her mouth out of embarrassment. Adorable—how lucky I am that I finally got to see her blushing in the sunlight. I might be making light of the situation, but I think Viola greatly underestimates herself.
I gently tug at her hand, and she comes a little closer, allowing Elliott to transfer himself straight into her arms like a little monkey. He’s known her only for a few days but knows better than anyone here that she will never hurt him. It’s not ignorance—it’s instinct.
“Here,” I motion to the nearby bench, and the three of us sit down.
I nod as Sophie watches us from a distance, and she gives us some privacy.
“Do you remember what I did with your eye?” I ask Viola.
Viola scrunches her nose. “How could I forget?”
I point to Elliott’s scraped knee. “Try it.”
Viola looks at me as if I’ve just asked her to strip naked and run around the garden. After a very short moment of consideration, she doesn’t hesitate to prick her finger on her fang and dab her blood on Elliott’s scrape. It heals instantly.
I give her a reassuring smile. “There, all better.”
Elliott cuddles up to her even closer and says nothing as he watches me with suspicious and scornful eyes.
I can’t help but feel a little jealous of my little nephew. “I see I’m going to have a little competition for your affection.”
Viola laughs. I put my arm around her, and we sit in a comfortable silence, enjoying the simplicity of this moment.
“I’m hungry, Darius,” Viola looks at me, still visibly concerned about the idea of feeding.
“You did skip breakfast this morning. Perhaps have Mrs. Abrams prepare you a heftier meal for tea,” I suggest.
“I can still eat food?” She asks, confused.
I shake my head. “I’ve never encountered a Dhampir before, I don’t have any answers for you. However, I do know that a newly turned Vampyre will go on a killing spree to fill their belly with copious amounts of blood; they require a large dose of life-force to cement their immortality permanently. The beast will drive them to feed. If the beast remains unfed, they will die.”
Viola’s eyes widen in fear. “I’m going to die?”
“No, Viola, I’m trying to say that you don’t have a mindless beast. You are still alive. We are alive. Whatever we are now, the rules that apply to a Vampyre don’t seem to apply anymore. A day out in the sun like this would normally have weakened me.”
“But you fed on my blood—”
“The magic that was in your blood has all but worn off. I’m not tired because I am no longer Vampyre. The sun does not affect you now?”
Viola nods. “No, it feels…nice.”
“It does,” I say, putting my arm around her.
Viola leans into me and rests her head on my chest.
“Very nice,” I add.
Just yesterday, the idea of a simple moment like this one seemed impossible.
Elliott falls asleep in Viola’s arms, and for a brief moment, with the two most important people in my world within arm’s reach and our whole future ahead of us.
As much as I want to bask in this moment, I’m not delusional enough to know we’re out just yet. Until this place is far behind us, anything can still go wrong. Fear remains a knot in my gut—a constant reminder never to take what I have for granted because, at any moment, my new world could come crashing down.