Moonglow: Blood Magic Book 2

by L.H. Cosway

  My attention lingered on them when a tingle skittered across the back of my neck. It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in months, not since I left Tribane, and I’d always thought of it as my very own sixth sense, a little of my mother’s magic warning me of something unexpected. Or possible danger.

  My eyes went to the door of the gallery as it opened, and a man walked in. A man I recognised instantly.

  Finn Roe.

  Panic seized me. What on earth was he doing here? And how the hell had he found me? I hadn’t been going by my real name. I was using the alias Alexa Caldwell to avoid detection. Had he come on a mission for the DOH? Was he supposed to capture and kill me to prevent any vampires from gaining the power in my blood?

  I hid behind a group of people standing by one of the paintings, planning my exit strategy as I watched Finn scan the room. I needed to get out of there and fast. He was still standing close to the entrance, so I decided to look for a rear exit. I walked swiftly through the door labelled ‘Staff Only’ and hurried down a long corridor. I swore under my breath when I couldn’t find a way out.

  “You avoiding me, Missy?” a familiar voice asked.

  My pulse pounded as I turned and found Finn standing there, his lips curved into a wry smirk.

  “What are you doing here?” I hissed, narrowing my gaze at him. My panic increased. I was a deer caught in the headlights with no route of escape.

  “So, no hug then?” he asked, amused. I wanted to slap the amusement right off his face.

  “I’m leaving, and if you try to follow me, I’ll call the police,” I threatened, doing my best to keep my voice even. Finn and I had been on the same side for a brief period before I left the city, but he’d never one hundred percent earned my trust. Not to mention, I hadn’t seen him in months. I had no idea what he’d been up to in the interim.

  His expression sobered. “You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”

  “I don’t care what you have to say. I care about how the hell you managed to find me.”

  “I have my ways,” he answered evasively.

  I crossed my arms in suspicion. “I think it goes without saying that when a person leaves their home city and doesn’t tell their friends or family where they’ve gone that they don’t want to be found.”

  Finn stepped closer, his eyes wandering over me. “Just because you don’t want to be found, doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who want to find you. You should be glad it was me who got to you first and not one of the vamps.”

  I stared him down. So, my wishful thinking hadn’t come to fruition. They hadn’t moved on to something else and forgotten about me. I studied Finn. Could I possibly convince him to go home and pretend he’d never found me? Judging from the determined look in his eyes, probably not.

  He wore a black jacket with a tight grey T-shirt and dark jeans. I tried not to focus on how the T-shirt clung to his muscular chest. His eyes wandered over me, too, before coming to rest on my mouth. A lone butterfly flitted through my stomach.

  What could I say? Despite everything, it had been six long, lonely months.

  “I like the new look,” he said, breaking the quiet.

  “Thanks. Your opinion really matters to me,” I deadpanned, pausing a moment before I went on. “Are you alone, or did someone come with you?”

  “I’m all alone.”

  “Good. That means you can go back to Tribane and forget you ever saw me here.”

  He took another step toward me, stopping when he was only inches away. His minty breath washed over me when he asked, “Now why would I want to do that?”

  I met his gaze. I had no other option but to beg. “You know what I am, Finn. If the vampires find me ...” My voice was desperate, and his expression softened.

  “Your secret’s safe with me. I’m not going to tell anyone where you are, but I need your help.”

  A member of staff entered the corridor and eyed us both. “You can’t be here. This area is for staff only.”

  Finn turned to him and smoothly slid his arm around my waist. I tried not to fixate on the warmth of his body or the press of his palm against my hip. “Our apologies. We lost our way searching for the bathroom.”

  “No problem. The bathrooms are to the left of the entrance.”

  “Thank you,” Finn replied politely before guiding me back out into the gallery. “There’s a café across the street where we can talk.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said, deftly extricating myself from his hold.

  “It’s a very public spot.”

  “Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it right here. But first, I actually do need to use the bathroom.”

  Finn eyed me suspiciously. “Fine. I’ll walk you there.”

  Not wanting to arouse his suspicions further, I didn’t argue. Finn stopped short of the ladies’ bathrooms. “I’ll wait here. Don’t be long.”

  “I’ll be as quick as I can,” I reassured him before hurrying inside. Praise the Lord, there was a window! One woman was washing her hands and shot me a weird look as I pushed it open and used my newfound upper body strength to pull myself up. Six months was a long time to spend completely alone, and I’d used the time to get strong. You’d be surprised by the amount of cardio and bodyweight exercises a girl could do within the confines of her apartment. My body was far less soft and far more toned now. Being what I was, strength was important. Plus, it was an added bonus that I could eat as much Turkish Delight as I wanted without putting on any weight.

  I jumped to the ground and headed out to the street. Luckily, I managed to flag down a taxi. I needed to pack as quickly as I could and get the hell away from Finn Roe. Whatever reason he had for being here, it couldn’t be good, and I didn’t plan on sticking around to find out what he wanted.

  When I arrived at my building, I rushed to my bedroom to grab the few things I needed. I’d sold my dad’s old Volkswagen when I got here and hadn’t replaced it yet, so it looked like my options were either the bus or the train. Neither was preferable, but they’d do until I got somewhere I could buy a cheap car.

  It was only as I emerged from my bedroom that I realised somebody was sitting at the kitchen table. Finn grinned like he’d gotten one over on me. “Fancy meeting you here?”

  I turned around and kicked the wall in frustration, which only succeeded in hurting my foot. Ouch! How could I have been so stupid to think Finn wouldn’t see right through my escape plan?

  A wave of déjà vu hit me because this was almost exactly like the night he’d broken into my apartment to thank me for saving his life.

  “You really have to learn that it’s not polite to break into people’s homes,” I snapped. Also, how had he known where I lived? He must’ve been watching me for a while. The fact I hadn’t noticed was cause for concern. I needed to up my vigilance game.

  “And you have to learn that it’s rude to ditch people by climbing out bathroom windows. My feelings are hurt.” Finn placed a hand over his chest like he was personally affronted.

  I rolled my eyes. “You’ll get over it.”

  Finn gestured to the seat across from him, his expression sobering. “Sit down. I need to talk to you.”

  Reluctantly, I sat. I mean, what other choice did I have? I might as well hear him out. Besides, it would provide me with enough time to formulate another escape plan. I grabbed a coaster and fiddled with it nervously.

  Finn surprised me when he placed his hand over mine. “Stop fidgeting.” His skin was warm and his palm slightly callused. I glanced up, and his eyes were intense. An odd moment passed between us before I pulled my hand away from his.

  “Go on then,” I urged. “Talk.”

  Finn’s gaze travelled over me, and a flash of exhaustion entered his expression. “You have no clue how bad things got after the night Theodore was killed.”

  “He wasn’t killed,” I corrected. “He was banished to a hell dimension. There’s a difference.”

  “Well, what
ever happened to him, he might as well be dead. That hole in the sky didn’t look like it was taking him for a nice holiday in the sun.”

  “What happened in Tribane after I left?” I asked, anxious to know, especially since there were people I still cared about there. Ethan was surprisingly the first one who sprung to mind.

  Finn blew out a breath and sat back like he didn’t know where to start. “Small fights at first, mostly between the magical families and the vampires. The vamps were pissed that those on the north of the Hawthorn had decided to align themselves with Theodore, so once he was gone, they wanted to teach us a lesson. What started as a few small scale attacks turned into a full-blown war. We weren’t prepared for it, and the vampires wiped the floor with us. There were lots of casualties, mostly slayers, since we’re human and the easiest to kill.”

  I stared at him, eyes wide. I couldn’t have imagined that what happened with Theodore would lead to such devastation. “Finn, my God, I’m so sorry.”

  His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and I could see he was still mourning the loss of his comrades. “About two days after we attacked Ridley Island, Antonia Herrington committed suicide.”

  At this, my stomach dropped. She … killed herself? So, Rita’s guilt curse had actually worked. Perhaps a little too well. Had Antonia been so overcome with guilt that she couldn’t stand to live anymore? An uncomfortable mixture of vindication and remorse swarmed inside me, but vindication won out. This was an eye for an eye. Matthew had taken his life, so it was only fair that she should take hers.

  “Antonia’s death on top of Howard’s added to the vampires’ rage. One of the oldest vamps in the city, you probably don’t know him, goes by the name of Jeremy Whitfield, was voted in as the new governor, and he was determined to kill as many of us as he could as a tribute to his predecessors.”

  “So, this Jeremy Whitfield declared war on North Tribane?” I asked.

  “Not in so many words. He first set out to get revenge, but the battles became bigger and bigger until we were fighting for our very survival. Half our people were dead within the space of a few weeks. Six months on and we’re still being attacked by the vampires. They aren’t going to be happy until they’ve wiped us out completely.”

  “What about your governor, Siegfried Pamphrock. Is he still alive?”

  Finn looked away for a moment, then drew his eyes back to mine. “That’s sort of the reason why I’m here.” He fell silent.

  “Because of Pamphrock?”

  Finn nodded. “Jeremy Whitfield has kidnapped Pamphrock’s ten-year-old daughter, Rebecca. He’s holding her captive until Pamphrock stands down and allows him to take control of the entire city, north and south.”

  “I don’t understand what that’s got to do with me.”

  “We need someone who can get to Whitfield,” Finn replied.

  “And that’s me? I’ve never even met him before.”

  Finn grew silent, seeming to weigh his words before he spoke again. “No, you’ve not met Whitfield, but you are very well acquainted with his second in command.”

  A clammy sweat slicked itself over the palms of my hands. “And that would be who exactly?” I asked.

  Finn almost looked apologetic. “Ethan Cristescu.”

  At this, I pushed up from the table. “This is ridiculous, Finn. I feel bad for your governor. Believe me, I do. I wouldn’t wish for anyone to have their child taken away from them. But I’m not the solution to this. I can’t go back there. Too many people know what I am.”

  Finn’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? Nobody knows what you are. Almost everyone who was on Ridley Island that night is dead with a few exceptions. There’s only Ethan, Delilah and Lucas left, along with that other vamp, Dru. She works for Ethan now, and Cristescu would never have allowed any of them to reveal your secret. He’s far too infatuated with you.”

  A shiver danced along my spine at that last bit. “What about Rita and Gabriel?”

  “Rita and Gabriel are fine. I know for a fact that neither of them has told a soul about what you are.”

  “What about you, Finn. Have you told anyone?”

  Now he frowned. “Of course not. Do you think I want vampires knowing there’s a woman out there whose blood can make them nearly indestructible?”

  “And you don’t want me dead because of that?”

  “Jesus Christ, no. Why would you think that?”

  “Because of what you just said. I can make your enemies stronger. Isn’t that the kind of threat you’d want to eliminate?”

  He gaped at me, shaking his head. “Is this why you ditched me back at the art gallery? You think I’m here to kill you?”

  “It makes sense.”

  “I have a code, Tegan, a very strict one. I would never kill an innocent human, no matter the circumstances,” he said, sounding offended that I’d think such a thing of him.

  Now I felt awkward. “Okay, well, that’s good. But I still can’t go back to Tribane. It’s not safe.”

  “I’d protect you,” he replied, his words sincere. “If you were to help us, keeping you safe would be my primary focus. I won’t lie, after he sided with Theodore, I have my issues with Pamphrock, but this is a little girl we’re talking about. She’s only ten and is being held prisoner by vampires. I have to get her out of there. It’s the right thing to do.”

  My chest squeezed. An innocent kid was being held captive and I could help. Something twisted inside me. I’d never met her, but if something bad happened to her I wasn’t sure I’d be able to live with myself. Especially since I was so tangled up in the reason why war broke out in Tribane to begin with. And Finn was right. Ethan and I shared a connection. If anyone could convince him to talk to his boss about letting the girl go, it was me. After all, I barely knew him when I managed to convince him to spare Finn’s life. Still, going back was a massive risk. I glanced at Finn.

  “Why doesn’t Pamphrock hire a witch or a warlock to cast some kind of spell to find his daughter? You guys are allies with the magical families, right?”

  Finn’s expression clouded. “I suggested that myself, but he doesn’t want to involve them in anything to do with Rebecca. He said he has his reasons.”

  I wondered what those reasons were. Perhaps Pamphrock simply didn’t trust the magical families when it came to finding his daughter. With the city in turmoil, perhaps they’d use her as leverage so that they could put a witch or warlock in the governor’s position, rather than Pamphrock, who was a dhampir.

  “So, are you going to help us?” Finn asked, eyes hopeful.

  I blew out a breath. “Fucking hell, I think I am.”

  His eyebrows shot up into his forehead. “Seriously?”

  “I’m probably going to regret it, but yes. You’re right. We have to save that little girl. I’ll help in whatever way that I can.”

  “Thank you,” he said, his voice rough as he ran a hand through his hair. Finn had clearly been through a lot the last few months, and in that moment, I saw how much my help meant to him. He was barely holding it together.

  “It’s late. We should probably stay put until the morning. Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?”

  “Not yet, but I’ll find a cheap hotel.”

  “You can sleep on the couch if you like,” I offered. I wasn’t sure why, but I’d started to feel for him. I didn’t agree with the DOH’s mission to slay all vampires, but I also couldn’t stand the fact that so many of his friends had been killed.

  Finn glanced at the couch. “Yeah, sure. It looks comfortable enough. My van is parked nearby. I’ll just go grab my things.”

  He left, and I stared at the seat he’d vacated as my heart raced at the prospect of returning to Tribane. It would be a flying visit, of course. I’d help Finn get Rebecca back and then I’d disappear again. I’d have to choose another city, starting from scratch all over again, but I already knew this was going to be my life. I had to stay on the move. So yeah, returning to my old city was a risk, bu
t it was one I was willing to take.

  I just had to stay strong, do what needed to be done, and make sure not to get sucked back in again.

  3.

  The noise of my television set woke me up, and I turned over irritably, wondering how it got switched on. I didn’t remember leaving it on before I went to sleep last night. Then I felt the weight of someone sitting beside me on the bed and the recognisable click of the remote as they changed the channel.

  I peeked over the duvet and found Finn sitting next to me in bed, wearing nothing but a T-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. I stared at him, still too tired to fully make sense of the situation.

  “Great, you’re awake,” he said, noticing my movement. “You should really keep your TV in the living room. It’s rude to leave guests sitting around with nothing to do.”

  I rubbed at my eyes. “What time is it?”

  “Almost eight. I took the liberty of making breakfast. It’s waiting for you out in the kitchen. I left it in the oven to keep it warm.”

  I perked up at the mention of food and even decided to let him off the hook for invading my bedroom. I sat up only to realise I just had on a T-shirt and knickers. I hastily dashed across the room to grab some pants, but not before Finn got an eyeful of my legs. He gave a cheeky whistle, and I gave him the finger. He chuckled low as I scowled and headed out to the kitchen.

  There was a pot of fresh coffee on the counter, along with a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs in the oven. I could almost forgive Finn for showing up and ruining the incognito life I’d made for myself when I tasted his cooking. So, so good. I nearly sighed when the salty bacon and perfectly seasoned eggs slid down my throat.

  Finn emerged from my bedroom, his hair messy from sleeping on my couch.

  “I take it you like the breakfast then,” he said, going to pour himself some coffee.

  “Cooking one breakfast won’t get you into my good books.”