“Would the Calder do that? Take a job from someone else?”
“The Calder don’t do anything that doesn’t directly serve their purposes. They were on the move maybe a week or so before you and I met. Veronica and I had already been in contact with Ally about them. They’d happily take on a contract from someone else if they believed it would help them kill a few vampires in the process.”
“Shit,” Tessa sighed.
“It’s something we’ll have to find out.”
Tessa shrugged. “I’m not sure I want to know.”
#
The next few days were spent handling the massive repairs that were needed for the house. Kristian cleaned the blood spatter from the walls himself before allowing anyone to come out to complete the other work Every window on the bottom floor was gone. The vampires had done a good job of putting out several fires before they spread, but there were still spots of charred flooring or walls. One bedroom was missing its door, which had been reduced to ashes. Tessa noticed some strange stares and whispers between the workmen. She laughed. Did they think the house was occupied by a bunch of rowdy partiers? That was the tamest reasoning she could think up to explain the widespread damage.
Though all of the other guards left the morning after the four witches were killed, Morgan remained. He claimed he was sticking around for a bit to make sure there was no other threat. Morgan and Kristian were both in daily contact with Ally by phone. She informed them that the track had gone cold for her and the other trackers under her employ. It was like nothing she’d seen before. Usually, there were some rumblings in the underworld about the movement of the Calder, but so far, there was nothing. Charley had been working with her to turn over other demons, but so far, no luck.
One week after the attack, everything in the house had been repaired. New security systems were installed, and the house was protected with new warding spells. Tessa and Kristian sat together with Veronica and Morgan. The fire was roaring. The vampires drank their evening blood, while Tessa had a glass of red wine. She smiled to herself. It reminded her of being at the dinner table as a kid, drinking apple cider on New Year’s while the adults had champagne.
Memory, she thought. A childhood memory I didn’t have before.
“We can expect the Calder will want comeuppance for their four sisters who were killed. It might not be today or tomorrow. They are known for striking when one least expects it,” Morgan said. “This was an embarrassing defeat for them. I can’t remember the last time anyone killed four Calder during an attack. I’m sure they are off licking their wounds.”
“Great,” Tessa said. “We’ve managed to pissing them off.”
“In a way, it’s good thing,” Kristian said. “It will keep them away for a while. If we had been less successful in fending off an attack, they would have been back already.”
“My guess is if they were working with a seer before, they’re still under the Calder’s employ. Maybe they’ve received some advice.”
“Where does one find a seer?” Tessa asked. “I could use one.”
All eyes turned to her.
“Isn’t that ironic, given your profession?” Veronica said.
“My former profession. I don’t tell fortunes anymore,” she said haughtily. “I mean really, if they’re trying to get the jump on us I don’t see why we shouldn’t use their same tactics.”
“They’re not the easiest people to procure,” Kristian said. “But given enough time it could be done.”
“Ally won’t like that,” Morgan said.
“Baby, she doesn’t have to know everything,” Veronica said.
Morgan grinned despite himself. “Yeah. That’s true.”
Tessa and Kristian took this as their cue to give the newly reconciled couple some time alone. They went out to the back deck and watched the waves lap over the beach, the glow of moonlight on the ocean. They kissed. His mouth was salty sweet against hers.
Kristian’s arms went around her. “I don’t know exactly what comes next,” he whispered in her ear.
“It’s okay,” Tessa said, staring into his eyes. “We’ll handle it together.”
I hope you enjoyed book one a Kiss of a Vampire!
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