Chapter 10

I ran my tongue along the length of my fangs, meeting Bast's glare with one of my own, refusing to look away until I saw her squirm in fear, which I had to admit, I admired how long she could hold my gaze, as not even Sam dared to do something so dense. "You promised that you would behave, Bastet."

"I did, yeah," Bast agreed with a nod, shooting me a coy grin as she shrugged and walked towards her bay window, pushing the curtain to the side so that she could look out into the night. "You know it's not as bad as you make it seem, right? Most things people consider drugs are natural plants, not some chemicals."

"What did you take?" I growled from behind gritted teeth, narrowing my eyes as I watched her rest her head against the window, staring off into nothingness rather than at me.

"It really doesn't matter, Damien. Just get it over with, will you?" She responded with a groan as if I was trying to destroy her life because I wouldn't allow her to stay under the influence of whatever drugs she'd taken.

"It's going to stay like this, won't it?" I mumbled under my breath, more for myself than as a question, but one I knew the answer to regardless, despite wishing I didn't. I knew Bast would continue to treat me this way, as was her right; I only wish she didn't feel as though she had to. It's not as if I ever wanted things to turn out this way. As a matter of fact, I would have loved the option to change the way our lives had turned out.

"I wish you could be my prince charming, but you're the villain," Bast whispered almost inaudibly as I carried her to the bed, her pupils like quarters as she stared up at the ceiling.

"I do not wish to be the villain, Bastet, but you do not leave me with much of a choice when you do things like this," I responded after a few moments of thought, searching her face as I sat on the bed next to her.

"Do you know how much easier it would be to hate you if you weren't so pretty?"

"Likely much easier, I assume."

"It probably would be, yeah. I want to hate you, I really do, but every time I look at you, all I want is to kiss you." Bast said, biting the inside of her lip as she ran her index finger along the right side of my face, narrowing her eyes in confusion as she watched me. "I should hate you, but the truth is, I don't. I know your secret."

"What secret is that?" I absentmindedly mumbled as I taped down the IV needle so that she couldn't accidentally rip it out of her arm, as I couldn't be sure how still she would be for the rest of the night. 'Rambling on like a madwoman, isn't she?' I thought with an internal chuckle, as it seemed her words were getting less and less intelligible the more she spoke.

"I guess it's true what they say. Vampires don't care about anything more than their bloodline. Screw anything else."

"How?" I gasped, whipping my head up to glare at her, unable to find the words to speak, as I could never have guessed that she could know this. I didn't think it was possible for a human to find out these things about a vampire, without a vampire telling them, that is.

"Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?" Bast asked, furrowing her brows in confusion as she inched back on her bed as if she had no idea why I'd reacted this way.

"How did you know about the bloodline?"

"Bloodline? What are you talking about?"

"Bastet, you just said that you knew why I needed you alive. I did not say the words, Bast. You did." I said, throwing my hands up in a show of defeat, as I didn't quite understand what she could hope to gain by acting as though she did not know what I was talking about.

"No, I didn't," Bast responded, her eyes wild with shock and confusion as she continued to glare at me, shaking her head in disbelief. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

It wasn't until then that I came to a shocking realization, one that shook me to my absolute core. 'She didn't say the words, Lucifer; you read them from her mind.' I thought, gasping out in disbelief as I jumped to my feet, then jumped out of her bedroom window without another word. I didn't waste a second in the running towards Sam's house, not bothering to call or text first, as I honestly didn't care if he was doing anything else.

"You're back early. That must mean that Bast went without a fight? Even as I say the words, they sound like heinous lies." Sam said with a chuckle as he greeted me at the front door, watching me curiously when he saw that I was not joining in with his merriment. "What's wrong, Lucifer?"

"I heard Bastet's thoughts, Alastair," I said, watching as horror, shock, then disbelief flashed through his light blue eyes in less than a second, finally landing on denial as he gaped at me, unable to speak.

"No. No! She's alive, Lucifer; you shouldn't be turning! There's got to be something that we missed!" Sam said after a long and painful silence, shaking his head as he began pacing back and forth in the entranceway, crossing his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes in thought.

"Clearly, there is something we've missed, Alastair. We've known this was coming, and perhaps it was only wishful hoping that we believed Bastet was the answer to it."

"Fine, then you must be with her. You must take her as your own. I know you have told me to arrange a college life for her, but considering most recent events, we will not need such things."

"I hope you are not suggesting what I think you are suggesting, Alastair. I will not ruin that poor human's life any more than I have already." I said, cocking my head to the side as I watched him continue to pace, refraining from rolling my eyes, as I knew he reacted in this way because he cared. Possibly more than I do, as sad as that is to say.

"What difference will it truly make? She already believes that you plan to take her as your own, yes? So, do as she believes. Make the human love you and maintain a human connection!"

"I will do no such thing. -"

"If you turn recreant, I will kill the human." Sam spat, cutting me off before I could speak my refusal.

"Perhaps you would like to say that again, Alastair? I believe I must have heard you incorrectly."

"It is not a threat, Lucifer. It is a promise. If you allow yourself to be turned recreant because you wish to make a human's life easier, I will kill her. I swear to you, now, upon what very well may be the hour of my death. If you allow me to live, you must do so knowing that if you allow yourself to be turned recreant, for that human girl, I will take her life." Sam said, speaking each word with the utmost importance and clarity, making sure that there was no sliver of doubt or misinterpretation between us.

I continued to watch Sam, looking deep into his eyes, and though I knew he was telling me the truth, I couldn't help but search for a single shred of uncertainty in his eyes, of which I found none, much to my chagrin. "You could not carry on the order of your king upon his demise?" I finally asked him as I took a few steps forward, watching him as he shrunk back, but refused to look away.

"I could carry the order of my king, yes. I fear you have misunderstood me, so allow me to say it again and perhaps to alleviate any further misconceptions. I could follow your orders, but I would choose not to. She is worth nothing if not to keep you from turning recreant. It is not as if you will genuinely care what happens to her once you turn. Hell, you could even be the one to kill her!"