I stare at Sam for a few seconds, stunned, but refusing to let her get under my skin. Girls hating on girls—especially when it comes to the subject of love and romance—pisses me off in an instant. We’re judged enough by the rest of the world. We shouldn’t put extra judgement on each other.
“Let me get this straight,” I start, fingers wrapping around my coffee cup. “You think the only reason Ethan hasn’t fucked me and moved onto someone else is because I cast a love spell on him.”
Sam looks me right in the eyes. “Yes. I don’t see why else he’d want you hanging around. No offense or anything. You’re super pretty and all, but you’re not his type.”
“And what is his type?”
“The type who leaves in the morning.” She flashes a smile and turns around, grabbing cookies off a plate on the counter. The stairs creak and Ethan comes back into the kitchen. Sam jumps, getting an oh shit look on her face.
“Hey,” Ethan says brightly, making me think he didn’t overhear anything Sam just said. His eyes go from Sam to me, and he smiles. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.” I take another drink of coffee and get up, setting my mug in the sink. Ethan pulls me in for a tight hug and gives me a kiss. Sam makes a gagging noise that Ethan ignores.
“Let’s go then.” He gives my waist a squeeze and steps back.
“Ethan,” Sam rushes out, catching his arm as we go to leave. “I saw in the paper a girl was found in a ditch not far from here. And most of her blood was drained, which sounds a lot like a vampire, doesn’t it?”
“If it is, the Vampire Council will handle it. You know that.”
Sam rolls her eyes. “They’re too light on their punishments.”
“You’re the one always harping about following rules,” Ethan replies dryly.
“Do the VC and the Order not get along?” I ask, somewhat apprehensively, knowing I’m risking opening a can of worms with my question. I have enough going on as it is without getting into the politics between the Vampire Council and a demon-hunter organization.
“The Order doesn’t get along with anyone,” Ethan grumbles and Sam shoots him a look. He laces his fingers through mine. “Let’s go look for a body.” Knowing he’d rather look for a decomposed body in the woods than talk about the Order just furthers my can of worms feeling.
“After I teach a riding lesson, you mean.”
“Right. After.” He looks me up and down. “I’m really digging this whole teacher vibe.”
I let out a snort of laughter. “In breeches, right?”
“It’s like you can read my damn mind.” He pulls me to him, and suddenly, I want to teach a whole new type of riding.
“I’ll give you a private lesson later,” I tell Ethan, forgetting that Sam is still within earshot. Ethan has the way of doing that to me.
“Well, then, by all means, let’s go.”
This time, we do go outside, and he opens the passenger door of his Jeep for me.
“You brought your dagger, right?” Ethan asks after we’ve already left his neighborhood.
“Right.” I pat my purse, which has been on my shoulder this whole time. “And I wore a belt just so I can attach the sheath to it.”
“Good. Because making demons—what did you call it—go poof could come in handy. Chopping up and burning demon bodies is such a pain in the fucking ass.”
I turn, gaping at him for a moment. “I guess you have to get rid of them somehow.”
“I’ve heard rumors,” he goes on, “about witches having daggers that are enchanted and can incinerate demons with a single stab.”
“Sounds like it will come in handy.”
“Oh, for fucking sure, though I did bring some silver bullets just in case.”
“Silver bullets?” I question.
“Silver bullets are effective in killing a lot of demons.”
“Good to know. I thought it was just for werewolves.”
Ethan chuckles. “They do work on werewolves, in case you ever find yourself up against one.”
The fact that werewolves exist shocks me enough not to realize the weight of what Ethan just said right away. “Wait…you’ve seen werewolves?”
“I have.”
“And you shot them?”
“Yes.” He slows at a stop sign, body relaxed and tone normal. There’s no bragging or excitement. It’s just part of the job.
“I don’t know anything about werewolves, but aren’t they people half the time?”
He flicks his eyes to me and his jaw tenses ever so slightly. “Their humanity slips away.”