Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
I look at Kristy and Nicole for help.
“He is a vampire,” Kristy tries.
“So because he’s a vampire, I should just leave him in Hell?” I ask, saying each word slowly.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying, but it’s not like he’s a human and needs to eat or drink to stay alive.”
I blink once. Twice. Three times. “Are you really saying that it’s okay to leave Lucas in Hell—because that’s where he is—just because he’s a vampire?”
“Not because he’s a vampire, but because the sense of urgency isn’t as big with him—”
“There is a huge sense of urgency! He’s my husband and I love him and I want him back. There is urgency. The demons will form a bond and once that happens, I can’t be sure Lucas will be the same.”
“How do you know he’s the same now?” Naomi counters.
“Because Osiris told me!”
“And you trust him?” She raises an eyebrow.
“He hasn’t given me a reason not to. Julian trusted him enough to make the deal.” My breath hitches and I stand there, gaping at my friends. Silence falls over the four of us, and I don’t know what to say. I’ve gotten into arguments and disagreements with my friends over the years, but this hurts.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Tabatha says, rounding a corner. She’s holding Juliet and hurries to us. “She’s fine,” Tabatha adds, seeing my worried face. “But I’m afraid several nons are not fine.”
“What happened?” I ask, taking my baby back.
“They were attacked by a vampire.”
Chapter
Twenty-Four
“Vampire?” I echo. “In Thorne Hill?”
“I’m afraid so,” Tabatha says.
Other than Lucas and Eliza, there are only two registered vampires in the town. They’re young and around last Halloween, I had Lucas meet with them, laying out the groundwork basically to say don’t fuck with any residents in Thorne Hill because most of us are witches and as new vamps, it can be hard to sense the magic.
The vampires seemed willing to abide by the unofficial rules and Lucas didn’t think they’d be a problem. And they haven’t been a problem. I’ve heard nothing about them, either good or bad, which means they’re blending in with the nons and have assimilated well.
“How bad?” Kristy asks, holding Olive close to her chest.
“Interestingly enough, there were no deaths,” Tabatha says, eyes narrowing slightly. “There were thirteen victims all admitted to the hospital for blood loss with no memory of what happened. Most were treated and released with everyone expected to recover.”
The new vamps in town are way too young to hold anyone spellbound. Lucas is the only vampire I know who is old— “Oh fuck. I think I know who did this.” I look at Kristy. “When was the last time you talked to Betty?”
“Um…this morning.” She texted me a photo of the display she was working on at the store.
“Thank god,” I say with a sigh. “If I’m right, we need to be really careful. This vampire is older than Lucas. Eamon. He came around the house looking for Lucas only a few days ago.”
I think. No, it had to be. The last week has gone by painfully slow but in the blink of an eye at the same time.
“Wait,” Kristy starts and her face pales even more. “He’s the vampire who wants to unite all supernaturals to rage a war against humans, isn’t he?”
“Yeah.” My blood goes cold. I was too focused on the bigger picture. I didn't see Eamon as a threat. Because he wasn’t—for me. “He knows Juliet is Lucas’s daughter.”
Everyone’s eyes go to me and I brace myself for another this is why we don’t mess with vampires speech.
“How old are we talking?” Tabatha asks after a moment of awkward silence.
“Lucas guessed him to be around two-thousand years. They, um, were tight back in the Middle Ages. Fuck, that’s weird even for me to say,” I blurt. “Well, not Eamon, but his brother, Siobhan. He was the friend Eliza’s father ordered to kill, and why Lucas turned Eliza.” Might as well get the whole story out there. Everyone already knows Lucas turned Eliza for revenge, planned to leave her to fend for herself with her vamp-hating family, and was caught off guard with how much of a bond he felt toward his progeny.
“A two-thousand-year-old vampire shows up and finds out there’s a way to biologically procreate and you don’t think to mention it?” Kristy asks, looking almost hurt.
“I’ve been kinda busy.” I stumble over my words, trying to stick with my original thought that he wasn’t a big enough threat at the time to deal with. “He came over wanting to talk to Lucas but obviously couldn't. He attacked Eliza, I hellfired him and he ran away like a little bitch.”
“Only you would call a two-thousand-year-old vampire a little bitch,” Tabatha says seriously and I let out a snort of laughter.
“Sorry. Totally inappropriate.” I move Juliet up against my shoulder. “I’ll deal with him. This was him trying to get our attention. He easily could have massacred half of Thorne Hill but didn’t. Thankfully.”