Page 20 of Broken Illusions (Ashryn Barker 2)

"Ashryn, it's not what you think..." Dimitri stands, and walks towards me. I try not to flinch, but there's not a lot I can do right now. I can't process the information properly. Is he an enemy? Or is he a friend?

He's definitely a vampire, so what are his motivations?

Now my mind has started going a mile a minute, there's really no stopping it. I just hope he's going to give us some answers.

"Leave us," Dimitri demands of the other two.

"But..." Eric starts.

I can feel Bram just staring in shock. He's as taken aback as I am. But he's not the one with Dimitri so close. The power that emanates from the vampire leader is kind of enthralling.

"Now," Dimitri half-shouts.

This time, the two of them listen, and while they say nothing, I do catch lingering looks from them both. They're worried about leaving me, which is sweet. But there's nothing they can do.

What I find more worrying, is that the Commander could come back at any moment. I don't think he'll be particularly happy to find me in his office. I dread to think what will actually happen when he returns. Best not to think about that.

Once the door shut behind them, Dimitri backs away slightly.

"It's not quite what you think."

"How long have you known about what I can do?" I ask, my voice shaking more than I'd' like it to.

"Since the beginning," he replies. "The guild knows, so I know."

"How do they-"

"I don't know, Ashryn. Maybe they knew before they took you. Or maybe you let something slip while you were still a child."

"Took me?" That's the only thing I can focus on after that sentence. I've never found out how the guild got me, and this was the first time anyone had ever come close to telling me. Odd that it's coming from a vampire, and not from the guild itself.

Even odder still that I trust the story more coming from a vampire and not from the guild itself.

"You didn't think the guild was voluntary did you?"

"No," I reply instantly. No need to tell me about how involuntary this place is. I remember what I did as a child. What they make children do each and every day.

I may not have spent very long away from the hunters yet, but with each passing hour, I feel more and more convinced that this place needs to fall. It's not healthy. It's certainly not good for the children that come through here.

Someone needs to change that. Shut this place down and try and...I'm not sure. I feel there should be something else after the and.

There's no doubting that there's bad vampires in the world. But I've pretty much come to realise that that's because there's bad people in the world too. It's nothing to do with their body chemistry, and everything to do with the person they are inside.

It's an interesting revelation for me. If completely off topic to the fact Dimitri founded the guild.

"I need a proper explanation," I prompt.

Dimitri sighs, and flops back down into one of the chairs. He looks a lot less imposing now than he did while the others were in the room. Maybe he feels less threatened by me? Or maybe he just wants a chance to be himself and not the big scary vampire he has to be in public.

I like seeing a different side to him. Just like I like seeing a different side to Bram. There may even be other sides he can show me that I can appreciate even more.

Oh no. No. No. No. I am not going through this with every male vampire I meet. Otherwise I'll end up leading a coven of my own.

And never getting any sleep.

"I'm waiting, Dimitri." And nervous about the Commander coming back. Or the other two vampires. This doesn't strike me as the kind of conversation Dimitri wants to have with witnesses.

Hell, he probably doesn't even want to have the conversation with me. But I'm pretty much leaving him with no choice.