“The party?” Violet asked, sitting up and holding her hand to her head. “The champagne . . . did I get drunk?” she asked.
I wanted to say yes. I wished I could spare her the pain of the upcoming hours. But she deserved more than that. I hadn’t lied to her when I’d found her and I wouldn’t lie to her now. I would make sure she knew the choice she faced. It was the least I could do. I thought back to the way her face had shone when she saw the Gaiety Theatre, and an idea formed in my mind.
“Let’s go to the theater,” I said.
“The theater?” Violet blinked, as though she didn’t understand my invitation. I didn’t blame her. Her situation was dire, even she knew that, and yet it sounded like I was asking her to a church social.
I nodded and helped Violet to her feet. Together, we hobbled along the deserted cobblestoned sidewalks. It was nearly morning.
The lights in front of the Gaiety were off, but the stage door with its rusted hinges didn’t take too much strength to force open. Once we were in the dark theater, I sighed. Finally, I felt we were safe from Damon.
“Is this another party? Because I don’t think I’m up for it.” My heart twisted at the innocent disappointment in Violet’s voice.
I motioned for Violet to sit next to me on one of the crushed red velvet chairs facing the stage.
“I brought you here because I knew how much you loved it. And what I have to tell you won’t be easy to process,” I explained, blinking in the darkness. It was easier to have this conversation when we weren’t facing each other.
“Damon . . .” Violet said, then shuddered. “He was so nice. He introduced me to all of his friends. And then . . .”
“He attacked you,” I said dully.
She grimaced, but didn’t refute what I’d said.
“I remember drinking champagne. And I was laughing, and then . . . I don’t know. It’s as if my mind just goes blank,” she said, helplessly shaking her head.
I rolled my lapis-lazuli ring around my finger. Back when I had transitioned, Katherine’s maid, Emily, had explained what was happening to me. She’d been the one to give me the ring. Katherine had asked her to give one to me and one to Damon. Emily’d been cool, and calm, and had kept her distance while I suffered. I couldn’t do that.
“Stefan? What’s happening to me?” Violet asked, her voice cracking.
I laced Violet’s ice-cold fingers through mine. “You’re in transition. You were killed by a vampire,” I said. “Damon.”
“Vampires?” Violet said, her voice tripping over the word. “That’s just from storybooks. What are you talking about?”
“No they’re real. I’m a vampire. And so is Damon. He’s my brother. My true brother,” I said, staring straight ahead. I hated what I was saying, but knew it would be far worse to keep the truth a secret. “We look human. Once, we were human. We grew up together, laughed together, and were a family. But not anymore. We survive only because we drink the blood of others. I choose animals. But my brother doesn’t.”
“Does that mean I’m a vampire now, too, then?” she asked, her voice shaking.
I shook my head. “No,” I said firmly. “Damon killed your human body, but gave you some of his blood first. To complete the transition and to fully become a vampire, you have to drink human blood. If you don’t, your body will die,” I said. The wallpapered room felt like it was closing in on me.
“But, Stefan, I don’t understand. If there’s a way to live then why . . .” She trailed off, her voice sounding so innocent and lost that I felt my stomach clench.
“Because it’s not that simple. Being a vampire is not like being alive. You’re consumed by your desire for blood, your desire to kill. You become a completely different person . . .” I trailed off as Violet pressed her hand to my chest, gently at first, and then more and more insistently. I resisted the urge to pull away. It was an intimate gesture, one you’d imagine between lovers.
“I don’t . . . I can’t . . .” she said, horror dawning on her face as she continued to graze my chest with her hands. “There’s no heartbeat,” she exclaimed, now understanding what I’d been trying to tell her.
“No,” I said patiently.
“What if I want to . . . turn?” she asked. “What if I want to become like you?”
“I would help you. That’s your choice to make. But it’s something to think about seriously before you do. It’s not a real life. It’s not a blessing to live forever. You witness so many people dying, and you’re always a creature of darkness. You have to live in the shadows, only emerging at night. And you shouldn’t have to live like that,” I said, squeezing her hand. “You belong in the light.”
Violet’s sobs overtook her, and I knew she grasped the reality she faced.
“I was just starting to live . . .” she said wistfully and rubbed her neck gently, as if she were remembering a long-ago caress from a lover. Her hand dropped back to her chest. Then she looked at me, tears in her eyes.
“When?” she asked.
“Soon,” I admitted. My eyes darted to the half-open stage door. I could see that the sky was getting lighter. We couldn’t stay here. Violet needed to be somewhere safe, and there was nowhere in London that was safe from Damon.