never knew or showed such compassion, and now I’ll never know the truth.
Once again, I’m left in the dark, but this time, I’m forced into seclusion by my own savior.
By the time we return to the manor, the silence between us is deafening. Not only have I refused to speak with Jasik, but he also hasn’t even tried to look at me.
Lost in thought, I kick off my boots as I enter the foyer. Jasik slams the door behind us, jolting several nearby vampires. They retreat from the ensuing fury by taking the stairs in the sitting room to the second story.
It’s unnaturally hot in the manor, and the snow at my feet is beginning to melt. I try to soak up the pooled water with my sock, only succeeding in swishing around what my sock can’t absorb. Now a sopping mess, my socks cling to my feet and squish between my toes. I grimace. There are few things more uncomfortable than wearing wet socks.
“Everything okay?” Malik says. I look up from my feet to see him approaching. He’s wearing lounge jogger pants and is holding a book. He snaps it closed when he sees our faces and sets it on a nearby bookshelf. It looks just as out of place as I feel.
“Gather everyone. We need to talk,” Jasik says. He pushes past his brother, leaving me behind as he enters the parlor and plops onto a chair directly to the right of the fireplace.
While we were out, someone started a fire, and a pile of logs is stacked in the corner of the room. The earthy musk of freshly chopped wood is overwhelming, but not as much as the sounds, smell, and heat coming from the fireplace. The second I step into the room, I’m struck by a heat wave so fierce, it steals the breath from my chest.
It doesn’t take long for the other hunters to meet us in the parlor. Even Holland joins us. I smile at Jeremiah’s ex-boyfriend. In a room full of worried vampires, Holland is the only friendly face. I wonder if the fact that he’s a witch affects my judgment. After all, the vampires seem to think I’m blinded by those deemed magical.
“What happened?” Hikari asks the moment she enters the room, Jeremiah trailing behind her. She finds her way to an open seat and plops down, all the while staring at me. She’s waiting for me to break, but Jasik called this meeting. I’ll let him speak first.
“Is it the witches?” Jeremiah asks. I watch as Holland physically winces. His ex has such disdain for everything he is, and that breaks my heart.
“No,” Jasik says simply.
“Then what is it?” Amicia asks.
Our leader enters the room, eyes narrowed. I don’t have to be a mind reader to know she believes I told Jasik about the blood oath. My throat tightens as she approaches me. Of all the empty seats, she chooses to sit directly beside me. We share a couch far too small for two people, and our bodies touch. Once again, being this close to her sends a shudder through me. It makes me physically ache to be near her, and I don’t know if it’s because she’s threateningly powerful or because of what she made me do.
“We encountered a rogue,” Jasik explains.
Amicia straightens, her interest piqued. Now that she understands I didn’t break her trust, the tension in my shoulders loosens, and I sit back against the couch. I can breathe again.
“From the same nest?” Amicia asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I’ve never seen him before.”
“That doesn’t mean he wasn’t part of that nest,” Malik counters.
“Your former coven hasn’t met everyone from ours,” Hikari explains. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t more besides us.”
“But this was different,” I say. “He wasn’t holding a grudge like the others. I’m not sure he even knows there was a rogue nest in Darkhaven.”
“He was there for you, Ava,” Jasik says.
I’m not sure how to take this. Is he agreeing with the others? Is he siding with me? If Jasik believes the rogue was there for me, then he must also believe that there are more creatures like me out there somewhere, just like the rogue said. After all, that’s why he came—to see me, to find me. But in the woods, Jasik was sure he was lying. What changed?
When I finally break eye contact with my sire, I glance around the room. It’s eerily silent, all eyes on me. I choke