Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle) - By Melissa F. Hart Page 0,11

a protector to face danger.”

“Yes, but most of us don't consciously and deliberately put ourselves in the path of danger,” she pointed out.

She was more intelligent than I'd given her credit for. I filed this knowledge away somewhere in my mind for future reference. I got the feeling she played up the bimbo part and it would be so easy to underestimate her. I made a mental note not to make that mistake.

We spent the morning talking about different topics and I found her a witty and intelligent conversationalist. She was so different from the surly teenager I'd encountered the first time we met and as we conversed, I began to see why she'd reacted the way she had. Even though she was reserved and normally quiet spoken, she was fiercely independent and I recognized that determination not to rely on anyone in her. It wasn't anything she said per se, it was just that for the first time in my life, I felt like I'd met a kindred spirit.

The thought was disconcerting. I didn't want to get attached to her because I knew that once the mission was over, we would go our separate ways. I'd lost too many people in my life; I wasn't willing to add another to the list.

When there was a slight lull in our conversation, I said an abrupt goodbye and beat a hasty retreat. I could feel her looking at me in confusion and slight hurt, but I needed to get away.

***

Later as I climbed up to her room, I wondered what explanation I was going to give her for the way I hurried off. She had the entire attic floor to herself and when I got there, her door was already open.

“Come inside, Dylan. Hurry!”

I heard the excitement in her voice and it echoed the excitement I felt at the way she called my name. It didn't sound any different from how most people called it, but it had felt different. And I knew I was being paranoid.

I entered the room and discovered she'd dressed in skin tight skinny black leather pants and a black tank top. She had on a biker jacket and was in the process of zipping it up when I came in. she looked up from her task and flashed me a quick smile before focusing on what she was doing.

I used that time to study her and felt my throat close up at the sight of her. She looked every inch the vampire, from the top of her tightly pulled-back ponytail to the tip of her leather-soled boots. This was like vampire uniform and I was similarly attired myself. But even as she stood there, it looked to me like there was something a bit off about her. It was nothing I could put my finger on, but it niggled at the back of my mind. Trying to ignore it, I pointed to the sky roof above her bed, which was wide open.

“Are you ready?”

She nodded expectantly and her eyes sparkled. “Thus far, I can say it's the only thing that's great about being a vampire.”

That struck me as odd and I turned to look at her. “You don't like being a vampire?”

“Who does?” She shrugged carelessly. “It's not like I had much of a choice on whether I wanted to be immortal or not.”

“You want to be mortal?” I sounded incredulous. I couldn't imagine it.

She looked away and worried at her lips before asking quietly, “Don't you think it would be nice to be normal for once?”

I actually thought about it. Normal? What was that? It definitely wasn't a state I'd ever experienced. Even born to a completely vampire family as I'd been, I had felt like a freak, an aberration of nature. I didn't think normal existed and I told her as much. She just shrugged and gestured up to the sky roof.

“Have you removed the shield?”

“Not really, but I've made it so that you can pass through.”

She rolled her eyes, “Why, thank you, kind sir.”

I couldn't help smiling at her slight British accent. It was almost unnoticeable but became stronger when she was upset, and now when she'd been using sarcasm.

She walked to the foot of her bed and like a bullet, shot out of the roof. I shot out after her and saw that she'd already gained some distance. I made sure she was within sight but gave her the space I knew she was craving. Don't ask me how I knew, I