To Kill a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,29

heels and closing the door softly behind me.

My mood soars now when it was drowning just moments ago. The feeling swirls through me, warming me intensely.

We’ll figure this out. Maybe it won’t happen overnight. Maybe it’ll take the rest of our lives. Maybe she’ll out live us all. But I won’t stop reminding her that she loves me.

Fourteen

Iron Fist

Fallon

Asher was right; they’re here. Hundreds of them sit at the dinner tables. In small herds, they seem to keep to themselves mostly, but a few are openly conversing. Some throw lingering stares, gaping at the sight of the alluring fae and the overall beauty of the mystics, but no one has thrown the first stone yet. No one seems to be lashing out at those offering a helping hand.

The mystics haven’t had a single celebration since the bombing. The recent vampire epidemic probably adds to their stress. Everyone appears to be more tense than normal, just waiting for one more thing to be added to the teetering house of cards that is our world.

From within the thick trees I spy on them, my eyes settling over the familiar faces and the people I once called my own. The warm air is more humid here so far away from the sea. Dusk has barely calmed, the sun casting a pale orange hue across the dark sky.

A trembling bark startles me from my shadowy hiding spot. Ripper paces back and forth in front of the tree line, scuffing up dirt as he aggressively yaps at the creature within the woods … at me.

The dog’s white and tawny fur rises at the back of his neck as he becomes angrier the longer we stare at one another. I swallow hard before finally turning away, letting them all enjoy their dinner in peace.

I only make it a few feet when someone appears by my side, weaving through the forest toward the Emerald Ocean. Their quiet company is nice.

“I could bring you something to eat, if you wanted,” Luca finally says, her arm bumping into mine, demanding my attention.

“That’s okay. I have …” I think about the large satchel of bones Declan dropped off for me. “I’m fine.” A half smile flits across my lips, a decent attempt at normalcy.

The two of us tromp through the terrain a slow and leisurely pace filling our steps. It feels nice. It isn’t forced, and I’ve almost grown used to the gnawing hunger within me.

Maybe I’m just beginning to give up.

“My father wants Kaino and me to lead these people together.”

It’s the first time she’s spoken of the three of them as a family, and it almost startles me.

“You should. You two would be a great team.” She nods, a small smile spreading across her lips. “Why does Lord Raske keep so much distance with you?” I shouldn’t pry, but it’s something that’s always been on my mind. The bond Kaino and his father shares isn’t the same as the strained relationship Luca and Lord Raske have.

A long sigh slips from her as she stares out into the night. Sometimes her eyes are as light as gold, and sometimes they’re so dark they’re almost black. Right now, with only the moon lighting our way, her eyes are as dark as coal.

“I look too much like my mother, I think. He loved her, but she didn’t love him.” Her brows lower; her voice becomes sharp as she continues on. “She didn’t love us.”

“Oh.” My heart falls hard thinking about how that must make her feel. She isn’t fragile, though. Not even close to breakable.

Luca shrugs, her lips twisting with unspoken words. She’s strong. Just like her father; like Kaino. She’s probably a pool of fuming emotions with a smooth, unbreakable exterior.

“I told Gabriel I loved him,” she blurts.

A thin branch slaps my face, stinging my cheek as I stop dead in my tracks and look at her. The mystic who glared at every male I encountered for over a year isn’t the one who stands before me now. The unnatural maroon tint is fading from her dark brown locks, and the once closely shaved side of her head is growing out. The short hair brushes against her ear and blends into the rest of her long, soft waves. The scowl that often lined her face is nothing more than smooth, carefree beauty.

It doesn’t surprise me in the least that she was the first to say it in their relationship. Luca wouldn’t dare allow a male to gain the upper hand