and the priest seemed to know each other well. Finn explained to him what happened with Theodore and told him about the chaos that was currently infesting the city. Finn also told him that he’d organise for the DOH to come and remove the body of the man who was killed by the mist.
Surprisingly, the priest didn’t bat an eyelid. It turned out Father McGuire was well-versed in the world of the supernatural and was, in fact, the DOH’s appointed minister.
After we stocked Finn’s car with countless bottles of holy water, we headed home. I was so ready for my bed right then. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
It was dark by the time we parked outside the house, and in my world, darkness meant one major thing—vampires. I could make out the shapes of Ethan and Lucas through the living room blinds. Did they just let themselves into the place, or did Ira answer the door to them?
“You two go on ahead,” Finn said. “I’ll unpack the holy water and carry it in.”
Rita nodded and disappeared inside her RV. I didn’t think it was fair that Finn should have to carry in all the bottles after what he’d been through, so I went to help him.
“What are you doing?” he asked, as I started loading bottles into my arms. We stashed a lot of them in the rucksacks Finn brought, but we ended up buying more than we could fit in those, so the car was filled with loose ones.
“Helping you,” I answered quietly.
He raised a sceptical eyebrow and nodded to the living room window. “Are you sure you’re not just trying to avoid the Prince of Darkness in there?”
“Marcel’s potion still hasn’t worn off, so yes, I am avoiding Ethan.”
Finn stopped collecting bottles and stared at me a moment. Just as I started to get self-conscious, he said, “I went to see Marcel last night. Broke his nose for what he did.”
I gaped at him. “You did?”
“He needed to be told off,” Finn stated simply.
A grin tugged at my lips. “You’re not wrong there.” I paused as I nodded to the living room window. “Any idea what they want?”
Finn shook his head. “Nope. We should probably go in and find out.”
We finished unloading the bottles and headed inside. I buttoned my shirt up over my neck so Ethan wouldn’t see my bruises and start asking questions. I was far too tired to explain what had happened. Finn and I stacked the bottles in the empty cupboard under the sink, then went into the living room. Ethan was standing by the fireplace, while Delilah perched on the arm of a chair and Lucas sat comfortably on the sofa.
“Decided to let yourselves in, did you?” Finn asked in that way he did, sounding both friendly and hostile.
“You need better locks,” Lucas remarked.
Finn bristled at that, probably because breaking and entering was normally his forte. Ethan brought his attention from Finn to me.
“What happened to you?” he asked, taking in our bloodied clothing. So much for putting off the explanation.
“We had a close encounter with Theodore. Nothing big, just him making sure we know he’s got the biggest balls in the playground,” Finn answered.
Ethan’s eyes showed a flicker of concern as he studied me. “Were you hurt?” He took a step closer, sniffed the air, and seemed to relax. “The blood on you is not yours.” The lust potion woke up at Ethan’s proximity. It was much weaker than it was yesterday though, which was a relief.
“The blood is Finn’s,” I said and went to sit down. My muscles ached from my struggle earlier.
“She stabbed me,” Finn added with a big smile, showing his teeth and dropping down onto the couch next to me. “Rita managed to heal the wound, so I’m right as rain.” He leaned close to my ear, allowing his breath to linger on my skin. “Now I’ve got your mark on me,” he whispered. “So, when do I get to put my mark on you?”
I shot Finn a look that said Don’t because he was clearly trying to rile Ethan, whose face hardened as one eyebrow rose.
“Why did you stab him?” Delilah asked curiously.
“I was possessed by the mist,” Finn answered. “And Theodore forced me to attack Tegan. Stabbing me was her only option.”
“One I can’t help approving of,” Ethan muttered under his breath. Finn arched an eyebrow, showing he’d heard.
“Did you notice that anyone’s missing?” Lucas questioned, changing the topic.