by Annika James
I sighed and took stock. Still a little shaky from the confrontation with Tre’s parents, I sighed. Though overall, I was fine. Of course, anxiety from the forthcoming bite remained, making my stomach knotty, and my heartbeat rapid.
“I’m fine. Do I know anybody here?” Changing the subject was a sure way to take my mind off everything. Though something niggled in the back of my mind. Like I’d forgotten something, yet I couldn’t for the life of me put my finger on it.
Conor looked out into the crowd. “Matt and Victoria are here. Tre, of course, and some other people you might recognize from school. Oh, and there’s Cora with Steven.”
I turned in excitement. Cora was here? Yes. She rushed toward us, dragging an amused Steven behind her. Her mahogany curls were piled on top of her head, her long neck and shoulders shone bare above a strapless red dress that hugged her body until it flared out at her knees in a feathery skirt. She pulled me into a hug.
“How are you? Matt said you were ready. I’m so excited for you. Are you excited? Nervous? Did you still want me to be there? Do you not just love this dress? And you look amazing!”
I laughed at her exuberance. “I’m good. I’m ready. Yes, I’m excited. A little nervous. You didn’t have to come. I’m glad you’re here. I love your dress. You look gorgeous and thank you.” I think I covered them all.
Laughing with me, she dragged me away from the boys and gestured across the room. “Did you see Matt with Victoria? It’s kind of weird.”
“Uh-uh. We just got here. He probably just had to have a suitable date for tonight. You know how the Council is.”
“True. Steven brought me. He had to convince his parents to let him. Just because mine aren’t Council,” she scoffed.
We grabbed some little meat things on toothpicks from a passing waitress and surveyed the crowd some more. “I forgot Steven’s parents were Council.” I stuffed the food in my mouth and chewed. It was surprisingly good.
She nodded, her mouth full, and pointed across the room to a couple, who talked to another woman. Everyone in the room seemed similar: beautiful, young, fancy dresses, hair pulled up to expose necks. There even seemed to be a color scheme of black and red. I wore the only green dress in the room. Actually, it was the only dress that was not black or red.
“Uh, Cora, was there a color scheme I was supposed to follow?”
“What?” She grabbed another meat-laden toothpick off a passing tray. “Oh no. The adult women are wearing black and the young vamps are wearing red. It’s a Council thing. I don’t know really why. You’re not a vamp. You can wear whatever color you want.”
Nodding, I glanced around again, and noticed the younger-looking girl vamps wore the red dresses, like she’d said. All the guys had tuxes, though. Guess they didn’t need to be distinguished.
I was contemplating all the red dresses when I spotted Victoria. How could you miss her? Her hair was dark and shiny and up, like everyone else’s, and there was just so much of it. Her dress was tight and short and sequined, showing a lot of olive skin. Impossibly long legs ended in ridiculously high and skinny red, sequined shoes. Her appearance wasn’t what caught my eye, though. No. She was holding onto the tuxedoed arm of a tall, broad guy whose sandy blond hair was gelled and styled. Matt.
“Victoria looks like a total ho.” Cora’s observation startled me. She pointed across the way with her toothpick. “Doesn’t she?”
I nodded my agreement, not able to take my eyes off Matt. Their heads touched as they shared a conversation not meant to be heard by any around them. She said something that made him laugh, his smile changing his face from serious to radiant. My stomach dropped a little as she responded and leaned in even closer to him.
“You’re staring,” Cora said softly, leaning in close to me. Startled, I tore my gaze off Matt and turned to her. She grinned at me knowingly. “Told you Matt was a hottie.”
“He’s not a hottie,” I protested weakly. “He’s Matt. Ever since you brought it up, though, I’m looking at him differently. It’s all your fault.” I softened my words with a smile and she laughed.
“Whatevs. Matty’s just all grown up and everyone can see he’s a hottie. Even you, miss I found my soul mate.” Okay, now she was mocking me.
Conor and Steven joined us, handing us each a champagne glass.
“They let us drink?” I asked in surprise.
Conor raised his glass. “Sparkling white grape juice for the underage,” he said with a wry smile. “Sorry.”
I shook my head and took a sip. “No. I was just shocked they’d be handing out champagne to a bunch of high school kids.”
I took another drink and snuck a glance in Matt’s direction. I met his gaze. Even from here, I could see the sea-blue color of his eyes with clarity, and the intensity in them. He was thinking hard. He raised his glass in my direction, and then shot me a wink and grin. My nerves eased. See? Same old Matt.
I turned back to Conor. “So how many are on the Council, anyway? I feel like there are a lot of people here.” They weren’t all going to watch as Conor made me his familiar, were they?
“The Council is made up of twelve elders and twelve juniors. But all their children are eligible to be here, and some have kids spanning many years,” Conor explained.
“Like my sister over there.” Steven pointed to an attractive blonde in a black dress. “She’s seventy years old. I make fun of her all the time.”
My mouth hung open. Over fifty years in between siblings? Almost a two-generation gap seemed so strange.
“This is blowing my mind right now.” I sipped on my white grape juice.
Conor’s warm hand closed over mine. “You’ll learn it all in time. It will make perfect sense.” His words sounded reassuring, but the concept of living for so many centuries was a tad overwhelming. “So, in all, there’s probably at least sixty people here tonight. Only the elders and a few of the juniors are aware of you, though. My mom was recently made an elder when her dad died. She took over his seat.”
“Your grandfather died? I’m sorry. Were you close to him?”
Conor shook his head, draining his glass. “Not really. He was very into Council business, into the old ways. Not much into family.”
“Wait,” I said, thinking out loud. “How did he die? I thought you guys were close to being immortal?”
“Close,” Conor repeated. “But not completely. He was killed.” He shrugged and looked toward Matt and Victoria, changing the subject before I could pursue it further. “Has Matt talked to you tonight?”
“Not since we got here. He was going to talk to me after you left, but he said he didn’t want to upset me, so he didn’t really tell me anything. He seemed… I don’t know, sad?”
“I know you don’t like hurting him, Ashlinn. I’m hoping my suppositions are wrong and all goes well tonight.”
Why did he sound all gloom and doom?
I squeezed his hand. “Why wouldn’t it go well?” I joked. “We got it all under control. Literally.” The smile Conor gave me didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“So,” I tried changing the subject. “I haven’t seen Tre yet. You don’t think he’d try anything tonight, do you?”
I scanned the room again and still couldn’t locate Tre. My stomach knotted at the thought of him being present. Was he off somewhere, scheming? Was he going to jump out from the dark and grab me? I was definitely not going anywhere in this house by myself. Cora would go to the bathroom with me if I had to go.
“Not with so many elders around. He would be punished severely for biting you without consent. Especially since I’ve laid claim.” His eyes scanned the room, probably looking for the elusive Tre.
Cora came up to stand next to me. “Just in case, though, you are not to go anywhere without a chaperone. Got it?” she ordered.
I gave her a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
She rolled her eyes at me as a chiming melodic bell sounded. The room grew quiet as an older gentleman with silver hair and
kind eyes entered the room. “Dinner is served.”
Seriously? I would never get used to all this formality.
Chapter Sixteen
We joined the exodus leading into a large dining room filled with round, white-linen covered tables. At one end of the room, a long table sat on a raised platform. It was set up like a wedding reception. Twelve people made their way to the platform and sat, all the women in black dresses. Those must be the elders.
Conor, Cora, Steven, and I weaved in and out, reading the name tags on the tables. It took us awhile to hunt down our spots. Each table sat six. Luckily, Cora and Steven found their seats with Conor and me. The other two places at the table were occupied already. By Matt and Victoria. Even better. I found my name, right in between Conor and Matt. There I was, at a Vampire Council dinner, sandwiched between my boyfriend, my best friend who had a major crush on me, and my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, who was my best friend’s date. Super.
Matt stood and greeted us with a smile as the four of us settled into our chairs. So formal. From the other side of Matt, Victoria gave me an appraising glance.
“So, you’re the one who’s causing so much trouble,” she observed.
I bristled. It hadn’t been a question, so I didn’t answer.
“You’re the one Matt prettied his hair for,” I observed back.
Across the table, Cora choked on her water, sputtering and coughing. Steven thumped her on the back. Matt sighed, but said nothing.
Victoria arched an eyebrow at me as she leaned forward to address Conor. “Your dad came without a date. What’s up with that?”
Conor gazed out across the room. “Really? I haven’t talked to him in a while. I wonder how he got away with it. Protocol calls for an even number. Unless Mom came stag, too.”
Victoria shrugged and looked up at the front table. They continued their speculations.
On my left, Matt finally turned to me. “You look amazing, Ash.” His voice was low, soft, meant only for my ears. Though with vamp hearing, the whole room probably heard him.
“Thanks,” I said, just as softly. “Conor said you still needed to talk to me.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Maybe after dinner?”
Conor’s hand covered mine, resting on the table, startling me. “I’m not sure there will be time, Matt. We’re meeting the elders right after dinner.” Okay, so he could hear everything.
“Hey, I see douchebag,” Cora interrupted. She jerked her chin off to her left.
We all turned. Sure enough, Tre sat at a table with five kids I recognized from school. So he was here. My pulse sped. He couldn’t hurt me now, not with so many people around. Besides, in a matter of hours, I would be Conor’s familiar, and no one would be able to touch me. Tre must’ve felt us staring at him, because his gaze locked on me. He gave me a calculating grin. His eyes were so empty, just like…just like his dad’s.
“Matt, have I met Tre’s dad before?”
He scrunched his nose up, thinking. “I don’t think so, why?”
I shook my head. Matt would know any vamp I’d met outside of school. Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity I got from Tre’s dad. “I just feel like I know him from somewhere. It’s eerie.”
“Maybe it’s just because he looks so much like Tre,” Victoria offered.
My lower lip caught between my teeth. I shrugged. “Maybe.” I wasn’t convinced.
Waitstaff filed into the room carrying large silver trays laden with plates and conversation halted as dinner started.
* * * *
The meal passed by in a blur. I wasn’t sure what we ate or what we talked about. All I remembered was the electricity of Conor on one side of me and the calming heat of Matt on the other side. The rest of the world melted away; there was just the three of us. I was no longer nervous, not even anxious. Everything was going to turn out fine as long as Conor was with me and Matt was behind us. I was sure of it. Nothing else mattered. Not Tre, or his dad, or Conor’s mom and her plans. Nothing and no one.
Waitstaff cleared the dessert plates. People began to mingle, some leaving the room to go back to the ballroom.
Cora came up to me as the three boys talked. “So, when is everything going down?”
“Conor said right after dinner, but it looks like people are still talking and hanging out.”
She surveyed the room as I spoke. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Even the elders are just greeting people and chatting. Maybe you have time to talk to Matt.”
So she’d heard everything at the dinner table, too. Despite my earlier calm, my pulse now raced at the idea Matt would soon tell me he could no longer be my friend, or some other silly rule.
“I don’t really want to talk to Matt now. He and I can chat after it’s all done.”
Cora said nothing, but her raised eyebrows told me she knew more about what he had to say than I did.
As though conjured by our conversation, Matt approached us and gave Cora a small smile. As if that were her cue, she left my side with a quick, reassuring hand squeeze and joined Steven, Conor, and Victoria in conversation.
“Hey. Apparently we have some time and Conor is demanding I explain everything to you now. Can we go somewhere?” A crease formed between his eyes, and he frowned.
I swallowed hard, willing myself to be calm. I concentrated on my breathing and nodded. “You lead. I don’t know where I’m going.”
He walked past me, expecting me to follow, to a doorway across the room. We entered a long hallway and turned left. The wall to our right was glass and looked out onto the darkness of the night. Because of the light in the hall, all I could see was Matt and I walking, a perfect reflection. Eerie. We came to an intersection of another hallway and Matt stopped.
“This isn’t going to be the whole ‘if you’re not my familiar, you can’t be my friend’ speech, is it?” I tried to joke. “If so, I really don’t need to hear that.”
My forced laughter echoed in the hall as Matt dug his phone out of his pocket. His blue eyes never left me, his mouth in a tight line. Finally, he looked down at his phone and frowned. With a muttered curse, he typed a quick reply and gave me an apologetic look.
“I will be right back, okay? Stay right here.”
He took off back down the hallway at a jog and disappeared into the dining room. I sighed and looked around. The gray walls were bare. This house felt more like a modern art museum than a home.
The hallway stretched to my left and right. Closed doors dotted the length of one side of the hall. The other side was more glass. Straight ahead, the hallway ended at closed metal double doors.
A noise sounded behind me. I whipped around, sucking a breath. A figure appeared at the end of the hall, making his way toward me.
Chapter Seventeen
“Matt?” My voice came out a whisper. If it was him, he’d have heard me.
The figure said nothing. Finally, he moved under one of the recessed lights in the ceiling and I recognized Tre. My breath caught and I immediately found my center. As he came closer, I squared my shoulders.
“Hey, Tre,” I tried for nonchalance. “What’s up? You have a really nice house.”
He didn’t respond, just kept his icy glare focused on me, mouth drawn tight, hands in fists at his sides. I refused to back down and raised my chin to look him in the eye as he stood before me.
“All alone?” he mocked, voice steely. “Anyone could come along and bite you. Where are your bodyguards?”
I swallowed hard. “Tre, you don’t want to do anything rash.”
He laughed, cold and maniacal, making my skin break out in goosebumps. When he stopped, he leveled his icy gaze back on me, opened his mouth to bare his fangs, and lunged at my neck.
I was ready for him. I pushed from deep inside and shoved at him with my power. He flew backward down the hall.
I didn’t pause to see if he recovered, nor did I rejoice in the triumph that my power had actually done something against Tre. I turned right and fled. Ahead
of me, a door opened and I ran into the room.
“Help me, please!” I demanded of the occupant. Shit. The door closed behind me and the lock clicked. In the middle of the room, I whirled around to see who’d locked me in here.
“Oh no. I think it is you who will help me.” The voice belonged to Tre’s dad. Were they working together? Had I just run right into a trap? Two taps sounded on the door and Mr. Davis returned them. Yeah, I had walked right into this one. Damn.
Mr. Davis stalked toward me and I shoved at him with my power. He didn’t move. He threw his head back and laughed. A deeper, more evil version of Tre’s laugh. Not good, so not good.
“You are not powerful enough to hurt me yet. You are still untrained, little witch. And now, I will finally finish what I started ten years ago.”
My vision narrowed to a pinpoint as all the breath left my body. Holy. Hell.
It was him. He’d been the one who’d attacked me. The night Matt found me and saved me. Matt must have interrupted him. And now he wanted to finish it, make me drink his blood, so I’d become his familiar. That’s why I thought I recognized him, why he looked so familiar. My mind had known all along who he was.
My eyes widened, even as black blurred the edges of my vision. A fine thread of panic wove its way through my body, leaving my skin cold and my heartbeat racing. I still hadn’t taken a breath. I sucked in air greedily, trying to maintain the hold on my control.
I glanced around wildly for anything to help me. Unfortunately, the room was empty, completely bare. There was nothing to use as a weapon. He’d planned this, set it all up. I bet Matt’s text had even been a set-up. I moved backward until I hit the wall. My best bet was just to try to get past him and out the door. Frantically, I tried calling Conor and Matt in my mind. Matt had said I projected thoughts to him. I wondered how far away it would work.
Stall him. I had to stall him. “You,” I whispered. “Why? I was so young.”
He laughed. “Your power leaked off you even then. I knew, in time, you would make a powerful familiar. I never got to finish the exchange. A mistake I plan to remedy now.” He stalked closer, fangs bared.
