died.
Royce continued, not waiting for us to recover from that gut blow. “Arnold’s connection to you also puts him in some measure of danger, so it may be for the best if he were to go into hiding as well.”
Sara said nothing. I cleared my throat and asked her unspoken question. “Could he stay here with us?”
“I won’t abide keeping a mage in my home, and I sincerely doubt he would wish to stay here even if I extended the offer. I’m sure The Circle must provide safe houses for their own when needed. Unless he is willing to relocate until the Sunstrikers have been taken in hand, I can’t condone telling him that you will be staying here.”
We thanked him and rose, making the trek across the Statue Room in solemn, somber quiet. He stayed in his office, the sound of keys rapidly being tapped on the keyboard trailing after us. It wasn’t until we were on the stairs and headed back to our apartment—what a strange concept, “our” apartment—that Sara said anything.
“You should call your parents.”
“I know.”
She nudged me with her elbow, and I looked at her, pausing on the stairs. Her concern was clear, and I had a hard time meeting her gaze. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I caved. “I’ll call them; I just don’t want to. Mom’s going to have a cow, and Dad will probably chew me a new asshole. Thing is, they’ll be right. I’ve hidden a lot from them, and I’m not looking forward to explaining why I never told them Chaz was Were. Mikey called and left me a message, too, so I think he may have found out. I’m not too excited about talking to him either.”
“You want me there when you do it?”
“No.” I sighed. “How about you call Arnold, Janine, and the cops, then head upstairs for that movie? I’ll call Mom and Dad after you go. I have the feeling I’m going to need some alone time afterward.”
She gave my shoulder a squeeze. That simple touch was enough to remind me why I needed to stick to my plan. Sara didn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess. It was up to me to make this right.
Chapter 32
Sara made her calls, and I waited in the living room until she was done. The call to Detectives Smith and Yarmouth didn’t take very long. She let them know we were safe and had a place to stay. That she’d heard about Jim, and no, we didn’t have any information on what had happened other than what was in the news. Yes, she’d check in with them in a few days.
The call to Arnold was similarly brief. He’d already packed some things, having planned on going into hiding since my phone call to him. He knew where Royce’s home was and would be careful to keep any visits to a minimum. We broke the rule about not giving out the phone number so he could get in touch with me if he found a cure.
Next, she called Janine. That took longer, since Sara’s chronically neurotic sister didn’t quite grasp immediately that being in hiding meant not telling anyone where we were or how to reach us. Sara kept her voice calm and soothing, letting Janine know that it would be a while before she’d see us again, but that she promised to stay in touch.
I swear, Sara has the patience of a saint. I would’ve hung up on Janine by the third repetition.
I listened in on Sara’s end of the conversations with half an ear. Most of my attention was focused on figuring out exactly what to say to my parents and my brother. Needing a little comfort, I whistled to Buster and Roxie who were lying down on the rug a few feet from the couch. Though I called them, the dogs wouldn’t come to me, shying away from my touch. It was most likely from the heavier scent of vampire on my skin. Realizing that did nothing to improve my mood.
As soon as Sara was done, I got my rolodex and settled down in front of the phone, staring at it as though it might make the phone calls for me. She paused on her way out the door, peering at me over the counter of the breakfast bar.
“You sure you don’t want me to stick around?”
I gave her a grim, cheerless smile. “Yeah. This is something I have to do on my own. Thanks,