Vampire Debt - Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #2) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,10

were being buried alongside their brethren, their comrades. Wherever they ended up, they’d have good company.

I wished my grandmother had someone with her in the ground instead of being alone in that white box with silver handles.

I closed my eyes, heart thumping as I clenched my fists.

“Are you remembering your grandmother, Miss Tetley?” Kelsea said.

Opening my eyes, I scanned her blood-streaked face. “Just wondering why good people die when so many douchebuckets are alive.”

She wiped her face. “It’s shit, huh?”

Lalitta dug in her bag and pulled out a packet of tissues. She glanced at me, and when I nodded, she reached around me, handing the tissues to Kelsea.

“Have I thanked you for saving me yet?” I said to cover Kelsea’s wariness as she took the tissues.

Her breath caught on a small laugh. “Only a million times.”

I’d think of a way to pay that debt someday.

There weren’t more speeches. Everyone paid their respects at the mass grave, some taking far longer than others, and then—without ceremony—the Indebted blurred away through the trees.

Back to slavery.

So fucking wrong. They should be given time to mourn.

I started out of the forest beside Lalitta, my crew trailing behind.

“Would you spend the rest of the afternoon with me, Miss Tetley?” The princess blurted when we reached the parking lot.

Whoa. Way to blindside a gal.

“Uh, thanks for the offer. Why?”

Lalitta wrinkled her cute button nose. “My siblings are on at me to do it.”

Well, she was honest at least—couldn’t say the same for Gerome. Or Rory. Or Kyros. Probably not Francesca, Neelan, or Pantsuit either. Lionel if the mood suited him perhaps. Meanwhile, Deirdre was too honest.

“They want you to screw with me to fuck with Kyros.” I bit back on a groan.

Her brow cleared. “Oh, you know. Great.”

Wait. “I’m not cool with that. Me and Kyros aren’t in the mood for bullshit.”

Lalitta stopped in front of her vehicle. The paint-chipped pick-up truck momentarily derailed my train of thought.

Did not see that coming.

“You’re wrong about my eldest brother,” she said, smiling.

Seemed like I was always wrong these days. “Wrong in what way?”

“My brother feels as trapped as you do. He’s unsure how to reach you through his bindings.”

More like unsure if he wants to reach at all.

“I don’t want him reaching for me. That’s all anyone has to know, including him.”

She dipped her head. “As you say.”

My eyes narrowed. That sounded a whole heap like when I said I hear you—aka I’m listening but don’t accept what is being said.

“Regardless, my siblings are relentless in persuading me to steal you away. I don’t intend to be unkind to you like Rory and Gerome, but it would mean a lot if you could pretend I was horrible after. Just to get them off my back.”

I groaned, looking skyward. “You’re fucking me.”

“Is that a yes?”

Saying no to her was the equivalent of kicking a puppy. “Depends. What’s on the cards.”

“Movie?”

Okay, she had my attention. “Popcorn? I’m not watching anything sad or scary. Or romcoms. Hate that shit—apart from the Rebel Wilson one. But that’s kind of a romcom for people who hate romcoms, you know? Wait, I’ll watch anything with Jason Mamoa in it. That’s all I’m in the mood for. A Jason Mamoa film.”

Her brows crept up. “... We’ll figure something out. Remember, I need you to tell everyone you had a really frightful time.”

Really frightful time.

I snorted.

She could sing “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and I’d believe she was Mary Poppins. Her plan was doomed to fail even if I held up my end of the bargain. “Sure, Lalitta. Take me to see Jason.”

Jerking awake, I rolled in bed, fumbling for the screaming thing.

I cradled it in my hands, eyes shut.

“Miss Tetley?” a voice asked.

The shrill ringing that woke me had disappeared. Magic. “Invisibility cloak.”

Faint laughter erupted.

“I’ll give you a moment to wake up.”

I rubbed a hand over my eyes. “Daylight savings.”

More faint laughter.

People were listening. Wait. Oh my god. I was in bed and holding my phone—aptly named Beast.

How…?

Blinking, I stared at the phone clutched in my hands before pressing Beast to my ear.

Who was I speaking to? “Angelica?”

“Yes, Miss Tetley. I apologise for the early call.”

What was the time? I squinted at the offending blue light of my alarm clock.

“Shit, Angie. It’s 2:00 a.m.!”

“I apologised for that.”

I flopped on my back, bouncing with the mattress. “Your apology was good for a 7:00 a.m. call. 2:00 a.m., and I’m gonna need more than that.” Fucking vampires.

“Like what?”

“Get creative. You should be up to the task.” She was