Always Darkest by Milly Philips

Author:Milly Philips [Philips, Milly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Agate Press
Published: 2024-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

“So,” Doug said, “now we have the facts, the rumors, and the personal anecdotes that make up a sort of hazy picture of the problem.”

“If it even is a problem,” Elijah corrected. “It could be a series of coincidences and, sorry, Saber, delusions.”

“But you don’t think it is or you wouldn’t be here,” Lozen said pointedly to Elijah, who nodded.

“That’s true,” he said. “But I’m going to retain my skepticism until proof is offered.”

“Fair enough,” said Saber, “but how do we prove there are vampires and what do we do if they’re real?”

“We could go to the house,” Elijah said, and Mia made a tiny gasping sound.

Saber explained the trip she’d made with Doug, and they all sat in silence for a moment.

“What’s the point of this?” Elijah asked. “What if there are vampires? Then what?”

“Doug thinks we have to kill them,” Saber said, and Lozen looked at her, and so did Elijah, who made his quiet, snorting laugh.

“Kill them?” he scoffed. “Why would I want to be involved with killing anybody?”

Saber noticed Mia’s eyes, flicking back and forth, watching and listening.

“Because the authorities either won’t believe us or are actively suppressing this, whatever is happening, and when something is wrong, when something is killing people, someone has to do something,” Lozen said. Her cheeks were flushed, and Saber could tell she was excited.

“Have you told the cops,” Elijah asked, “about any part of this?”

Lozen seemed to get more agitated.

“Yes, we went to the fucking cops,” she said, her voice rising. “We didn’t say ‘vampires,’ just some of the other things we saw, like a bloody woman in front of that mansion, and they ignored us.”

Mia took a sip of her tea.

“So,” she said. “Doug, why do you think we have to kill them?”

“Because they’re killing people and it’s the right thing to do.”

“This is all too ridiculous for me,” Elijah said, pushing back his chair. “I’m out.”

Elijah started putting on his jacket and heading toward the door when Mia spoke, her usually dreamy voice dropping a register and resonating through the room, like she could project it.

“There was a time you cared about people, Elijah Donavan Harris.”

Elijah froze, and Saber felt a creeping feeling come over her, over her skin. She was starting to see a pattern with Mia.

She had two selves.

“There was a time, not even very long ago, when this would have been very exciting for you, when you believed in good and evil, and you wanted to do good.”

Elijah turned slowly, his eyes narrow and furious, and Mia stood up, facing him.

“The world betrayed you, didn’t support you,” she said, her voice level. “And it wasn’t fair. But you have the chance now to right your course if you open your heart.”

“How did you know my middle name? Did you look me up before this meeting?”

“No,” Mia said. “Names are often easy to see, right on the surface of a person’s mind.”

“You’re telling me you read minds?” He barked with his unusual laughter.

“No, I don’t read minds, I only glimpse things.

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