Sunlight: Blood Magic Book 4

by L.H. Cosway

  Finn’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Well, I’m glad to hear it. But do you think it’s wise for a girl with Rebecca’s blood to be raised by vampires?”

  “She will not be among vampires for long. I’ll make arrangements for her to be taken somewhere safe,” Ethan assured him.

  “Wait,” I argued. “You can’t just send her to live with strangers.”

  “Would you prefer to keep her here where she might be abducted yet again?” Ethan countered. I had no easy answer, falling silent as I worried my lip with my teeth. The likelihood of Rebecca’s mother being of healthy and sound mind enough to care for her was low. It was also unlikely that she’d have the resources to keep her as safe as Ethan could.

  “Right,” Finn said, breaking through the quiet as he rose from his seat. “I better be going. Things to do, people to see.”

  “Not too fast. I want you to bring Delilah to me. As you can see, I may be changed, but I am not a threat. My sister needs to come home now,” Ethan said.

  Finn eyed him. “Okay, I’ll pass on the message.”

  “See that you do.” There was a pause as Ethan eyed him with a serious look. “And thank you.”

  Finn seemingly didn’t know what to say to that, so he kept schtum. “I’ll walk you out,” I said, and we proceeded to the door.

  In the hallway, Finn turned to me with a serious look on his face. “You want to be here, right? He’s not forcing you? Because if he is—"

  “What? No, I’m fine. He’s not forcing me. Drinking my blood made Ethan stronger than any vampire I’ve seen before, but otherwise, he’s still the same. He hasn’t gone all savage and blood-hungry or anything. He’s still a good man.”

  Finn raised an eyebrow at that, but I didn’t argue with him, choosing instead to change the subject. “So, where have you all been staying?” I asked.

  Finn sighed. “At some dive hotel on the outskirts of the city. I’m gonna head back to my place in the morning seeing as Cristescu is keeping his vamps under control.”

  “I’ll come over tomorrow, then. I want to see everyone. And we need to discuss Rita.”

  “Not you, too. Alvie won’t shut up about her either.”

  “You shouldn’t underestimate her, Finn,” I said. “That girl can surprise all of us. She’s a little lost right now, but we can get her back.”

  His expression was sympathetic, like he felt sorry for me and how I was holding onto this thin thread of hope for my lost friend. I swallowed and looked away, blinking back tears. When I felt like I had them under control, I looked back at him.

  “I’m going to hug you again now,” I said before folding him into my arms. He seemed taken by surprise but hugged me back. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” I whispered.

  “I’m glad you’re okay, too,” he murmured, giving me a little squeeze before stepping back.

  I reached out, trailing my fingertips softly over the bruise on his face. “Tell Alvie to make you one of Rita’s healing recipes. It should get rid of this in no time.”

  He nodded and gave me a warm smile before turning to leave. When he was gone, I exhaled in relief. I was going to see my friends tomorrow. Even if Rita wasn’t going to be there, it would be good to see everyone else. It had only been a few days, but a lot had happened, and I missed them terribly.

  When I returned to the living room, Ethan and Lucas were deep in conversation, discussing strategies on how to take on Theodore. A wave of tiredness hit me, so I left them to it and climbed the stairs to Ethan’s bedroom, where I promptly fell asleep.

  Sometime later, I found myself in an endless white room. A part of my brain knew I was dreaming, but it all seemed so real. I peered about. There was nothing there, just endless whiteness. I had a momentary thought that this must be what limbo felt like when a man appeared.

  He was tall, with jet black hair, deeply tanned skin and piercing blue eyes. He stared at me, his eyes a reflection of my own.

  His body pulsated with power, and it strangely affected me. My pores tingled, making me feel so much more alive.

  “Who are you?” I asked, my voice unexpectedly filled with wonder.

  The man appeared to be middle-aged and was very handsome. He wore a pristine grey suit, a black shirt, and a silver tie. His tall form was broad, and I could tell he was sporting some serious muscle underneath his clothes.

  A smile creased his eyes, and I got the distinct feeling that although he appeared to be no more than fifty years old, he was much, much older.

  “You’ve been asking after me,” he said in a deep, attractive voice.

  “I have?” My tone went up a notch at the end. I didn’t feel like I was in danger; however, I did feel a little intimidated.

  “You have,” he stated. “I am Roman Patel.”

  Roman Patel? My grandfather, Roman? Shock and awe filled me.

  “Ah, right, uh, yes. Good. Thanks for, um, answering my call.”

  This was so strange. How on earth could he have known I was asking Emilia about him when he wasn’t even supposed to know that my mother was his daughter? Or that Emilia had been pregnant with his child at all, for that matter.

  “I can hear when people say my name,” he explained, answering my unvoiced question. “No one has uttered it in a long time, not until a couple of weeks ago when I heard an old lover say it to you.” He paused, and the silence dragged out as a thoughtful look crossed his features. “Why did she say it to you?”

  Right, so maybe he didn’t know all the details, only that I was looking for him. Guess I’d better tell him then. “Because you’re my grandfather.”

  The moment the words left my mouth he walked towards me until we were standing as close as possible. His chest pressed against mine, and his cool breath hit my cheeks.

  “Your grandfather?” he breathed. “How?”

  “Emilia Petrovsky is my grandmother. She had a baby girl who was yours, but she never told you about her. Her name was Darya. She passed away when I was little.”

  He absorbed the information with an emotionless face. “So, you are my kin.” Reaching up, he trailed a hand down my cheek before gripping my shoulder. His hand was solid and firm.

  “Yes,” I breathed.

  Another smile. “Wonderful.”

  And then I got the surprise of my life when his mouth descended on mine and he kissed me—with tongue! WTF?! I struggled to push him away, but his hands clamped down on me, holding me firmly in place. A tingle of what I could only describe as magic trickled through me, and I relaxed into the kiss, responding to it with an embarrassingly loud moan.

  Oh, hell no! He just magicked me into liking the kiss! My stomach turned with how wrong this was, and I summoned every ounce of my power. Sparks shot from the palms of my hands as I shoved him away and finally managed to break the kiss.

  “What the hell was that?” I accused, drawing away from him hastily.

  He touched his hand to his chest where some of my sparks still singed him, burning through his immaculate grey suit. He appeared amused, intrigued even.

  “Is your father a warlock or a human?” he asked.

  I frowned, then replied, “Human. Why?”

  “You have powers. More than I would expect from a Halfling.”

  “A Halfling?” I questioned.

  “Half-human, half-witch,” he explained.

  “Okay, well, you still haven’t told me why you kissed me. Is that how you greet all of your granddaughters?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never had a granddaughter before, and you are very pretty.” He stopped for a second and studied me. “Ah, I see why you’re so appalled. You were brought up in the human world. If you had been raised in the way of magic, you would know that what you have been taught to refer to as incest is not frowned upon in our realm. In fact, it is encouraged. It allows us to maintain our pure bloodlines.”

  I scrunched up my face, not knowing what to say. I was entirely grossed out. I shook my entire body, feeling like his kiss was a tangible thing tha
t was stuck to me and I wanted it off.

  I pointed a finger at him warningly. “I don’t care if you think it’s normal to French your granddaughter. Don’t do it again.”

  He laughed long and deep, and I felt it vibrate right down to the pit of my stomach.

  “You’re feisty,” he said, and with a sweep of his hand, the white room transformed into a beautiful library filled with old bookshelves and antique furniture. He gestured for me to sit on an armchair, and I obliged. I was still trying to get my head around the whole ‘incest equals good’, as opposed to ‘incest equals bad’ thing. I wanted to get to know my grandfather, but if he had romantic intentions, then I could definitely forego the family bonding.

  Roman sat at the head of a gorgeously carved wooden desk and continued to stare at me. “You sought me out for a reason. What is it?”

  “Don’t you even want to know my name first?” I asked.

  He closed his eyes, and a faint smile touched his lips. “Tegan Stolle. Now I know your name. Talk.”

  “Impressive,” I muttered, and a silence ensued.

  Finally, I exhaled and proceeded to detail the predicament in Tribane, including Theodore’s barrier shutting the rest of the world out and how the human population knew about supernatural creatures following Whitfield’s vampire attacks. I finished up by requesting he help me undo the barrier and somehow erase the humans’ knowledge of supernaturals. Oh, and I also snuck in that I would very much like to make Rita good again.

  Roman tapped a finger to his mouth. “Sounds like a tricky and complicated situation. I remember Theodore from my youth. He had already become a sorcerer at that point, but he wasn’t as powerful back then as he is now.” A look of nostalgia crossed his features.

  “When exactly were those days of youth?” I asked curiously.

  He appeared to be casting his mind back. “I turned fourteen in the year 1578 if I recall correctly.”

  I gaped at him, doing the mental calculation. “That means you’re, like, over four hundred years old.” It also meant that Theodore was even older. A shiver ran down my spine.

  “And I don’t look a day over forty,” he said with a confident smile.

  More like fifty, but I didn’t correct him.

  “I’ll be twenty-seven this year,” I said instead.

  His eyes grew intense as he appraised me. “And you wear your twenty-seven years exquisitely.”

  I rolled my eyes at his flirting, which seemed to amuse him. “I bet Emilia just loves you,” he commented with no small amount of sarcasm.

  I chuckled. “Yeah, she thinks I’m a real prize.”

  “I remember her well. She was never fond of women like you. She thought all girls should be taught to behave like ladies, never to talk back or give attitude.”

  “That’s a joke. She wasn’t acting like much of a lady when she was spreading her legs for you with her husband at home none the wiser.”

  “I hope you told her that.”

  “I did, actually.” Roman laughed, thoroughly entertained by the idea. I tried to direct the conversation back to the matter at hand. “So, can you help me?”

  He stood from his desk and walked to the chair I was sitting in, perching himself on the armrest. His long, cleanly manicured fingers trailed from the top of my head, down my hair, and along my spine slowly. I bristled at his touch but suffered through it, not wanting to offend him and his incestuous ways, even if they did creep me the eff out.

  “I’ll look into it,” he said in a silky voice.

  “And when will I hear from you again?”

  “I will come to you when the time is right. You have my word. Sleep well, Tegan.”

  And with that, I fell from the dream and into another one. When I woke up the next morning, Ethan’s hard body was wrapped around mine. I remembered the conversation I had with my grandfather vividly. All I could do was hope that he held true to his word.

  7.

  Finn

  It was three in the morning by the time I got back to the hotel, where I tended to my injuries, stripped down to my boxers, and climbed into bed beside a sleeping Alora. As soon as I closed my eyes, it was lights out. When I woke up, Alora’s side of the bed was empty, but I could hear her moving around inside the bathroom.

  I got up and walked to the door before knocking on it. “Hey, Goldy, you okay in there?” I called.

  “Um, yes,” she answered hesitantly. “I’m just getting dressed.”

  “Need any help?” I asked automatically, only to realise she might interpret that the wrong way.

  “Nope. I’ve got it under control, but thanks.”

  “Call if you need me. I’m going to make a start packing up our things.”

  I stuffed the rest of the clothes I bought her into a bag and gathered the remainder of my belongings. Somewhere along the way, the bathroom door opened, and the clean smell of the soap streamed out. I inhaled it deeply and continued what I was doing.

  “We’re going back to my house today. I’ll make up a room for you, and you can stay as long as you need,” I told her as I continued to pack.

  “You don’t have to do that if you don’t have space for me,” she said, and I turned to face her, my tone serious.

  “I’ve got the space,” I replied firmly, thinking of Tegan’s vacant room. Something hollow stirred in my gut. She was with Cristescu now. I saw it in the way they looked at each other, and especially the way he looked at her—all reverent and possessive like he wanted to make her his queen or something.

  Once I was done getting ready, I went to let the others know we’d be leaving soon. After I left Cristescu’s place last night, I hightailed it back to the DOH compound, where I’d left the van stocked up with weapons and ammo. I found it in the exact place I’d left it and drove straight back to the hotel. The vampire who’d been lying on the ground with half her head blown off was gone. The only evidence of her presence was a circle of dark blood on the ground and a smeared line where she presumably crawled away.

  Once everybody was loaded up into the van I drove out of the hotel and back onto the motorway. I certainly wouldn’t miss the place. In my head, I was figuring out where everyone was going to stay. Ira could have his room at my place. Delilah would likely return to Cristescu’s. Alvie and Gabe could either stay in the RV or go back to Gabe’s place, and Alora could stay in Tegan’s old room.

  “So, when are you heading to your bro’s place?” I asked Delilah on the drive.

  She shrugged. “I’m actually thinking of staying in the house across from yours. Ira can sleep there, too.”

  I bet he could. I shot him a look in my overhead mirror, but he didn’t argue with Delilah. Guess they’d gotten used to each other’s company at the hotel.

  “You sure Cristescu’s going to be okay with that?” I went on. “He seemed eager to have you back under his roof when I spoke to him.”

  Delilah let out a humph of annoyance. “He’s not getting me back in that house again. The whole time Whitfield was in power he hardly let me go anywhere by myself because there was too much hostility towards dhampirs. I’m keeping hold of my freedom this time around.”

  “If that’s what you want,” I said with a shrug.

  Twenty minutes later, I pulled up outside my house. In the end, it was only me and Alora staying at my place because Ira silently took Delilah up on her offer. I didn’t blame the fella. The redheaded dhampir was hot, and he’d been through a twenty-five-year dry spell. I wasn’t sure if it was a love match between those two, but it was certainly a sex match.

  I unpacked all the weapons and ammo from the van and hauled them inside the house. I’d just unloaded the last box and shoved it under the stairs when I noticed Alora hovering by the kitchen door.

  “Can I make you some tea?” she asked, fidgeting. She looked like she was feeling kind of out of place and wanted something to do. “I’ve been getting used to the layout of your kitchen, so I think I know where everything is now.”

  Man,
she was cute. There was a smile in my voice when I answered, “Sure, tea sounds perfect. I’m going to put my feet up in the living room for a while.”

  “I’ll bring it in to you, then,” she said and turned back into the kitchen, her hand sliding along the wall as she felt her way about.

  I turned on the television and flicked through the stations, listening to her potter with the kettle and cups. Half of me was waiting to hear something shatter as she dropped it, but that didn’t happen. A few minutes later, she entered the room holding a steaming mug in her hand and wearing a triumphant expression. Something in my chest stirred at seeing her so proud of making a simple cup of tea.

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  “Over here,” I said, and she followed the sound of my voice. When she was standing before me, I took the mug from her hand and sipped.

  “Ah, powerful cup of tea, Goldy. Thanks.”

  She tugged on the hem of her T-shirt and bit her full bottom lip. “Why do you call me that?”

  “Goldy?” I questioned, and she nodded. “It’s because of your eyes.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “They’re hazel.”

  “They’re gold,” I disagreed. “And they’re fucking gorgeous.”

  She blushed and hurried back out to the kitchen. I chuckled. A minute later, she came back in with her own cup and took a seat beside me on the couch. We drank in silence for a bit while a soap opera played on the television.

  “How old are you?” I asked her. Despite the fact I’d invited her to stay at my house, I still knew next to nothing about her.

  “Twenty-three,” she replied. “I was only twenty-one when Ridley abducted me.”

  Just a kid, I thought to myself. I was practically a decade older than her. Given the amount of time I’d spent ogling her chest and arse, I felt like a bit of a dirty old bastard right then.

  “Were you still at school?”

  She nodded. “I was in my final year of college, studying for a degree in Biology. I also worked part-time at a bakery to pay for classes.”

  “Biology, eh? Little brainiac.” I teased, nudging her with my elbow while she shook her head bashfully.