Corban paused in front of the door.
"Run if you can," he said.
"It isn't right ...
not your problem." "Blackwood has made it my problem," I told him.
I walked in front of him and pushed open the door.
"Hey, honey, I'm home," I announced in my best fifties-movie-starlet voice.
Kyle, I felt, would have approved of the voice, but not the wardrobe.
My shirt was going on a day and a half, the jeans ...
I didn't remember how long I'd been wearing the jeans.
Not much longer than the shirt.
The entryway was empty.
But not for long.
"Mercedes Thompson, my dear," said the vampire.
"Welcome to my home at long last." He glanced at Corban.
"You have served.
Go rest, my dear guest." Corban hesitated.
"Chad?" The vampire had been looking at me like I was something that delighted him ...
maybe he needed some breakfast.
Corban's interruption caused a flash of irritation to sweep briefly across his face.
"Have you not completed the mission I gave you? What harm could the boy come to if that is true? Now go rest." I let all thoughts of Corban drift from me.
His fate, his son's fate ...
Amber's fate were beyond my control right now.
I could afford only to concentrate on the here and now.
It was a trick Bran had taught to us all on our first hunt.
Not to worry about what had been or what would be, just the now.
Not what a human might feel knowing she'd killed a rabbit that had never done her any harm.
That she'd killed it with teeth and claws, and eaten it raw with relish ...
including parts her human side would rather have not known were inside a soft and fuzzy bunny.
So I forgot about the bunny, about what the results of tonight might be, and focused on the here and now.
I forced back the panic that wanted to stop my breath and thought, Here and now.