does this mean? How does this affect my place in this nest?
I nod, watching her carefully, wondering what she’ll ask next. Will she be as upset as the others? Or will she want to meet Will? Will she invite him to stay too?
“Who? Where? Tell me everything,” Amicia says.
“His name is Will, and I’ve only just met him.” I don’t bother explaining our initial encounter on the astral plane. Spirit is an unusual power that vampires don’t understand, and honestly, I don’t care to speak with Amicia any longer than I have to. I’m still upset with her, and I’m already itching to leave. Not only am I annoyed by the blood oath, but I also hate the way she makes me feel inferior to her without even trying. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of Mamá.
“How did he find you?” Amicia asks. That seems to be the question on everyone’s mind today. It’s a valid concern, but honestly, I don’t even care how he found me. I just want to know more about our powers.
“I’m not sure,” I say. “Magic, I guess.”
Even as I speak, I know my answer will not please her. She will want more information, but I don’t have time to discuss this now. I need to speak with Jasik about Will’s offer. If he can help me find Liv, then I don’t need the vampires’ help. If I leave soon, I can return before sunrise. I glance at the clock. Time is running out.
Amicia frowns, catching my attention. For a moment, she’s lost in thought. I’m sure she’s asking herself the same questions I’ve been wondering too. I don’t know much about Will, but unlike the other vampires, I want to get to know him. I want to learn more about him and about what we are. What are the limits to our magic? I’ve already discovered I can touch the cross. What else can I do? Maybe I can drink holy water and eat real food too.
“Where is he now?” Amicia asks.
“I don’t know. I asked him to come back with us, but he refused.”
“I’m not surprised,” Amicia says. “He doesn’t know us, Ava. He doesn’t know you.”
“I think he knows he can trust me,” I say defensively. I don’t want to have this argument again. Not with Jasik or the others or Amicia. I’m done defending my decision to spend more time with Will, the only other hybrid I’ve met. Heck, he might be the only other one in existence, and that makes him important to me. Why is that so hard to understand?
“How can you be sure you can trust him?” Amicia asks.
She brings up the same points from earlier, and I groan internally. I can’t help my eye roll. This time, I don’t have to answer.
“He trusts her enough to ask her to leave with him,” Malik says, emotionless. It’s moments like this I want so desperately to read his mind.
This time, Amicia does not hide her shock. She gasps, her gaze darting between Jasik and me. Still seething, Jasik hasn’t spoken to her or met her eyes. He’s fuming, breaking at the seams, trying desperately to maintain his composure. Amicia either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care that he’s waging an internal war over what she’s done.
“He asked you to leave Darkhaven?” Amicia asks.
“He did,” I say firmly.
“And do you plan to go away with him?” Amicia asks. I appreciate her candor. I don’t have time for games.
I’m silent as I think about everything that’s happened in my life until this point. I owe the vampires so much. Without them, I would have died a long time ago. But even though they’ve shown me the true meaning of family and support, they’ve also done things I can’t condone.
They forced me to choose between my life with them and saving an innocent from my past. I vowed loyalty to the nest, yet Amicia didn’t believe that I would stand by my word. After essentially brainwashing me into doing her bidding, I’m not sure I can trust her anymore.
“I haven’t decided,” I say, narrowing my gaze. I’m not so sure Amicia will appreciate my honesty as much as I appreciated hers just a second ago.
“And why is that?” Amicia asks, frowning. She actually has the audacity to look hurt—offended, even.
“Because I want to live with vampires I trust,” I say pointedly.
“You don’t trust us?” Amicia asks. Either she’s an excellent actress or she is truly, thoroughly confused by my confession.
“I don’t