slightly as he smooths a hand down the front of his pressed sweater. I can still see a visible chili stain near his collar, and I wonder if that bothers him. For as long as I’ve known him, he refuses to look anything less than immaculate. It must be hell for him to walks around school with that hideous red stain.
“There’s no need to be a Neanderthal.” Lucas steps forward and brushes at Cassian’s shoulder, removing a tiny piece of lint. “I simply wanted Peony to be more comfortable.”
“Comfortable my ass—”
“No, it’s fine,” I blurt before an argument can ensue. “You guys can all come with me back to my house.”
I slide into the backseat of the Jeep before anyone can protest, hugging my backpack to my chest. Karsyn moves to sit on one side of me and Cassian on the other, caging me between their warm bodies. Lucas gets the passenger seat, no surprise, while Elias drives.
“Your house,” Karsyn mumbles as he digs through his backpack, grabbing his history textbook. I’m pretty sure he mentioned that he has another test tomorrow in that class. “Where those shirtless guys walk around?”
All four of them stiffen, even Lucas, who is trying his damn hardest to pretend like he’s not eavesdropping.
“You mean my step-grandfathers?” I ask, internally wincing at the term. It’s still strange as fuck to think about them like that. I know they are way older than they look, but it’s hard for me to wrap my head around that when they look like models in their mid-twenties. Besides, I’m still pissed at them for keeping the truth about them being Bloods a secret. I haven’t talked to them since their explosive confession, where my entire world tilted on its axis before nose diving to its untimely end.
“You mean your grandma…and them?” Cassian seems to be struggling to wrap his head around it. “They actually have, you know, sex?”
“For the love of… Cassian! Can we not talk about my grandma’s sex life? Please?” I implore, throwing my hands up in the air.
“Is that normal for witches and warlocks?” Lucas asks from the front seat, effectively ending any suggestive comment Cassian might’ve made. “Having harems? Or as the case may be, having significantly younger harems?”
“No.” I shake my head slowly. “At least, not that I’ve heard. Most witches and warlocks are monogamous. And to be honest, the triplets actually aren’t younger than my grandma.”
“What do you mean?” Lucas demands as the other three volley their heads between us. It’s easy to forget that I haven’t yet shared all of the gory details being a witch entails. “You told me that the only immortal witches are vampires.”
“Vampires are real? As in, the sparkly, stalking kind?” Cassian asks, agape.
“You mean Bloods,” I correct Lucas. To Cassian, I add, “No. Not in the way that you’re thinking. Bloods are witches corrupted by dark magic, requiring them to drink blood in order to survive.”
“So you’re saying that your grandma’s boyfriends…husbands…whatever they are…” Karsyn begins slowly, as if struggling to comprehend a difficult math equation, “are these Bloods. These vampire-like creatures.”
I stare from face to face, honestly surprised by the anger I see reflecting back at me.
“Yes,” I admit at last, and a flurry of curses accompany my single-word declaration.
“You told me that they’re evil,” Lucas snaps. “So are you telling me that you have three blood-sucking monsters in your house at this very moment?”
“They wouldn’t hurt me,” I snap adamantly, shocking myself with the strength of my conviction. And just like that, another piece of my anger tapers off and transforms into dust that catches on the breeze. It’s shocking how much anger and hatred I held in my chest, but to finally lose another bit of it is freeing.
Because despite everything, I trust the triplets. I don’t believe they’d ever hurt me. From what I’m told, they never killed anyone anyways, just used them. How is that any different from what I’m doing…what I did…to the Devils?
“Enough about that,” Elias says calmly, winking at me in the rearview mirror. I smile at him gratefully. “I’m hungry. How about we stop for some fast-food?”
“No tacos,” Cassian blurts instantly. He makes a face and rubs at his stomach. “Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, no tacos.”
“Bad experience?” I question.
I swear his face actually turns a little green. “We don’t talk about that day.”