Kaia still couldn’t believe her sister talked to the actual goddess herself, but Macy had been pretty complimentary about her patron deity. Hecate, goddess of death, witchcraft, and necromancy, also looked after the crossroads connecting all the planes in existence. A threefold goddess who had three faces, she wore the mantles of maiden, mother, and crone. A most mysterious divinity, she was often associated with all manner of magic.
And Macy had shared drinks with her at an otherworldly bar.
Kaia still had a tough time understanding how much her sister had changed. Macy had always been a strong witch, though one unable to tap into her power. Now she supposedly energized using the bloode of her mate. Bloode with an “e” because a vampire’s bloode was made of more than mere blood, but magic as well as bodily fluid. Kaia didn’t have the nerve to ask if Macy drank her mate’s bloode or he drank hers, or maybe they just had vampire nooky to get strong.
Her cheeks heated. “Right. Hecate.”
“Remember, we—the Night Bloode—are a clan.” Macy sounded proud to claim them as her own. Not a typical reaction when dealing with creatures known as death-bringers and blood-drinkers, the scourge of the magir world. “We’re small. Most vampire clans are like the local upir clan in Seattle, maybe thirty to fifty strong. Several clans make up a tribe, which can be made of thousands of vampires. It’s all about units. Clans make up tribes which all add up to the Bloode Empire.”
“So what tribe are you? There are ten tribes, right?”
“Yes, but we’re made up of vampires from six different tribes. It’s unheard of. The only reason these guy haven’t gutted each other is because Hecate’s using a spell to make them think they’re kin.”
Kaia blew out a breath. “But doesn’t that scare you? That they could turn on one another at any time?” Just one vampire could decimate asmall town. Dozens of them could conceivably topple a city.
“Nah. Hecate’s powerful, and this clan’s patriarch, the leader, is very levelheaded. You know how rare that is for vampires. Normally, they just want to kill everything in sight. But Varu’s mated. I think his mate calms him. I know I’m a calming influence on Duncan.”
Rustling in the background and raised male voices told Kaia she was no longer private on her call. “Thanks, Macy. For explaining and the advice. We’ll have to do dinner soon.”
“Hold on. Before you escape, catch me up. You dating anyone at the moment?”
Kaia groaned. “Not you too.”
“Sorry. Did your mom give you the inquisition already?”
“You don’t sound sorry.”
“Well, she’s got a right to worry about her virgin daughter. Damn, girl, you’re nearly twenty-five.”
“Shh. Macy,” Kaia hissed. She heard more than one male in the background perk up as the voices grew louder all at once.
“Virgin? Yum!” “I can use her in a spell. Hook me up, Macy.” “Oh, I bet she tastes sweet. Is she cute? Is she witchy like you?”
“Damn it, Kraft, that’s my sister we’re talking about,” Macy growled.
The vampire said something in German, if Kaia wasn’t mistaken, before giving a laugh that sounded like the low growl of a wolf.
“I’m hanging up now,” Kaia said, mortified.Dang it, Macy. You big blabbermouth.
“Sorry.” The noise behind Macy grew quiet again. “I wouldn’t hound you about dating if I thought you wanted to be alone. But I know you, and I know how much you want to find that special someone. You’ve been dreamy about boys forever, and I don’t mean that in a negative away.”
Because everyone knew sea nymphs were easy. Except for Kaia, a freak among freaky sea people. “I do want a boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep my way through a pack of lycans or a school of mermen.” No matter what most people thought of sea nymphs, they weren’t allnymphos. And yes, Kaia heard herself saying that and wished she didn’t still find the terminology oddly funny.
“I’ve heard lycans like to share. Yum.”
Kaia cracked a laugh. “Stop it. I’ll tell Dad.”
“Please, don’t. He still thinks of you as his baby.”
Unlike her mother, who would love nothing better than to use Kaia’s loss of virginity in some enchantment to gain power. Her mother had mentioned that once, years ago, and the horror on Kaia’s face had been enough to get her to not mention it again. But Sabine never forgot anything she might use to increase her magic.
“No men, human, magir, or otherwise. Alive or dead,” she added before Macy could say something corny about vamps doing it better. Kaia couldn’t imagine anyone wanting a relationship with a vampire. Sure, they were preternaturally handsome. But that was to lure prey.
Kaia had enough issues with self-esteem that dating someone who wanted to devour her, blood and bones or both, didn’t bear thinking about.
“Well, whatever. If you change your mind, let me know. Cho and I know a few guys who might be perfect for you. And they’re non-vampire, I swear.”
“Ugh. I know what that means. No demons.” Cho was half demon.
