William (The Valentines) - By Sam Crescent Page 0,17

were the youngest vampire in this room and had never even met a necromancer.”

Jason bowed his head, embarrassed. Adam wasn’t going to feel guilty. Jason deserved the harshness. He needed to be brought down to earth.

Robert finally spoke up. “He’s right, Jason. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Until we know what the hell is going on, she stays.” Adam pointed to the door outside which Poppy was waiting.

Adam knew she was important in some way. What shocked him, though, was his lack of fear. He knew the rumours about necromancers controlling the dead and, with him being a vampire and all, he didn’t want her controlling him.

Poppy was obviously a warrior, from the scars dotting her hands and face. He’d bet she had scars all over her body and, in this house, she would be treated with the respect a warrior deserved. She’d been through enough.

He hated how he’d responded to her earlier. He wasn’t sickened by her scars—he admired her.

A woman of worth.

“I’ve got some information about the compound where they’re holding Katie,” Robert said to the group. “I want to know who’s in and who’s out.”

“How reliable is this info?” Adam questioned.

“A source I can trust,” he answered evasively. Since their father’s death and the start of the war, Robert had been more like a commander than a brother. Adam didn’t know how to relate to him anymore.

“You’ll need to phone William.”

“He doesn’t need to know,” Robert argued.

Running his hand through his hair, Adam tried to hold on to what precious sanity he had left.

“If you don’t involve William in a mission to rescue Katie, you will lose him. He is close to losing it already. We need to find her.” It was the best advice Adam could give.

“I’ll come as well.”

All heads in the room turned to the door.

Don was standing there in a leather jacket and blue jeans, his arms folded, everything about him the commanding soldier he’d once been.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Don Hargreaves.” Robert went over and embraced the older vampire.

“Sorry about your loss. Your father was a great man.”

“You here to kick my butt?” Adam asked.

Don chuckled, shaking his head.

“I felt this coming—war with the wolves, right?”

“Killed my father, took our witch and pretty much declared war,” Robert confirmed.

“Figured as much. You can feel the tension everywhere. I’m here to help,” Don said.

“And me.” Poppy was standing inside the door.

“What can you do?” Robert queried.

“I may be a woman, but anyone dead—young or old—I can find them and get the answers you need. You’ll need me at this compound where you think the witch is being held.”

Adam’s heart raced. He rubbed his chest. He didn’t like the thought of her going on a mission like this.

She stared at all of them. A bad-ass girl.

“I’ll call William. We do this tonight at sundown,” Robert said to the group.

Adam took Poppy by the arm and guided her out of the room, refusing to let go until he had them both safely locked away in his room.

* * * *

William glared at the light flashing on his mobile. Running a hand over his face, he mourned his return to the real world.

But he couldn’t ignore his brother for long, even if he wanted to.

Flipping open the mobile phone, he pressed it to his ear.

“Yeah?” His voice croaked and his hands were shaking. He got up from the floor and moved to the bathroom. The mirror showed him how rough and unkempt he looked.

“Will, it’s Robert.”

“I figured that one out when it flashed on the screen. Call screening, Robert,” William said to his brother with all the sarcasm he could muster.

“Whatever Will.”

“Stop calling me that.” Will was from another time—a nicer time.

“Fine, how have you been?”

“We’re going to make small talk?” William knew he was being a bastard, but he couldn’t help it.

“This is how it’s going to be between us?” Robert asked him.

“While my big brother is trying to stop me looking for my witch, yeah, expect this.” He splashed some water on his face, making sure he didn’t splash the mobile, running the water through his hair, wiping the dried blood from his face.

“I’m phoning because I’ve got some info about Katie.”

William stood up straight, waiting. “I’m listening.”

“It’s a possible location where she might be. Alive or buried—”

“She’s alive,” William interrupted him.

“How do you know?” Robert asked.

“She visited me in the other world,” he replied honestly.

He heard Robert’s hesitation.

“I know what you’re thinking,” William said.

“You saw Emma even after she died,” Robert reminded him.

“This is different.