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)
Jerking his head up, Lucas drops the body and looks out the open front door. While we were busy with the demon, we didn’t realize someone had pulled down the driveway. Oh shit. I look up just as someone comes up the front porch steps. The door is open and Lucas is covered in blood, standing over a dead body.
“Hey, Abby,” I say with a wave as my sister comes to a dead stop on the porch. Penny is in her arms, and she covers her eyes, looking in horror at the body on the floor by my feet.
“I knew I should have called before coming over.”
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
“He was a demon,” I rush out and step back off the rug, wiping my feet before I step onto the hardwood floor.
“I…I did call,” Abby stammers and it’s then I realize her eyes are red and swollen from crying. I’d usher her in and give her a hug, but I’m covered in blood. “Your phone is…is…what the fuck is going on?” Abby shakes her head. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “Um, go around to the side door. I’ll have Pandora let you in.”
Abby doesn’t move for several seconds and then shakes herself. Lucas begins rolling the body up in the rug, going about things like it’s business as usual. For us, it is.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been covered in blood,” he chides, and I give him a look.
“Too soon, Lucas, too fucking soon.”
“I love you,” he says as he effortlessly picks up the body.
“I love you, too.”
Lucas takes the body outside, moving with vampire speed. Obviously, he’s only buried bodies at night. Vampires can see in the dark, giving them yet another advantage over humans. The dark was a good cover, hiding what he was doing from sight unless you were up close, and if you get close enough to see a vampire burying a body, well, you’re probably going to end up in the same grave.
“Cal?” Abby calls. She’s in the hall by the library and I hurry through the house to find her.
“Hey, I’m sorry. We had a little demon issue, but he’s dead now.”
“Yeah. I…I could see that.” She struggles to keep Penny in her arms. The kid is getting big and wants down, but Abby doesn’t want to risk her stepping in blood. Not that I can blame her. “Should we go?”
“No, it’s fine. You look upset.”
“Yeah.” Abby shakes her head and laughs. “Seems silly now that I walk in on you and Lucas—wait. The door was open. Lucas was in the sunlight.” Her eyes widen and she gasps. “Did you figure out a way to let him go into the sun?”
“I didn’t figure it out, but for now, it appears he’s able to day walk. That’s what it’s called when vampires can be out in the sun.” I wipe a bead of blood off my face. “Eliza is upstairs with Juliet. I think in the nursery. I’m going to shower and then we’ll talk?”
“Yeah.” Abby stares at me for another moment and then nods. We both go up the back staircase and I walk Abby to the nursery, finding Eliza seated on the floor. Juliet is laying on her play mat, staring at the mobile hanging above her.
“It’s all good,” I tell Eliza, knowing she’s wondering what the hell is going on—again. “Just a slight demon issue.” Our eyes meet, and I try to convey that I’m downplaying this for Abby’s sake. “I’m going to shower. Lucas is handling the body.”
“Great,” Eliza says sarcastically. “Now I get to babysit three people.”
“You don’t have to babysit my sister,” I quip and look at Abby. “Penny can play with any of the toys she wants. Lucas and I got excited and set up that little kitchen set.” I motion to a wooden kitchen set in the corner of the nursery. We ordered it not long after Juliet was born, and put it together the day before everything changed.
Abby just nods and goes into the room, entire body relaxing a bit when she smiles down at Juliet.
“Bay-bee. Bay-bee.” Penny reaches out for her cousin.
“That’s Juliet.” Abby sits on the floor and I leave the room, closing the door behind me since Penny is two and a bit of a terror. Taking my bloody clothes off as I walk, I ball them up and shove them in my laundry basket. I get in the shower before the water is fully warm, wanting the blood off me as soon as possible. I wash my hair twice and scrub my face. It’s gross enough to be covered in someone else’s blood, but this time the smell of sulfur is strong and makes me gag.
I hadn’t noticed it before and only knew that possessed blood smelled and tasted different because Lucas told me. This is the first time I’ve been covered in demon blood since my father unlocked all my powers.