More silence, then finally, her voice, muffled through the wood: “Go away.”
“Not happening,” Blade calls back.“You can open this door, or I can break it down.Your choice.”
“You can’t just—this is myhouse—”
“Open.The.Door.”
There’s a long pause, then the sound of locks turning.The door cracks open, and Tessa glares out at us, her face pale, dark circles under her eyes.She’s wearing an oversized sweatshirt, and I can see the edge of a bandage peeking out from under the collar.
She looks exhausted.Terrified.And so damn beautiful it makes my dead heart ache.
“What do you want?”she asks, her voice sharp.
“To see the mark,” I say before Blade can answer.
Her eyes snap to mine, and for a moment, we just stare at each other.I can hear her heartbeat, fast and frightened.Can smell the adrenaline in her blood.Can see the way her pupils dilate when she looks at me.
“No,” she says.
“Tessa—” Blade starts.
“No.”She starts to close the door, but I move faster than she can track, my hand on the wood, holding it open.
“Something marked you,” I say, keeping my voice gentle even though every instinct is screaming at me to check her for injuries, to make sure she’s safe.“Something dangerous.We need to see it.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“I handled it fine on my own.”
“Did you?”I lean closer, lowering my voice.“Because from where I’m standing, you look like you haven’t slept in two days.You look scared.And whatever attacked you left a mark that’s black on your skin.That’s not ‘handling it fine.’”
Her jaw tightens.“How do you know what it looks like?”
“Because I’ve seen it before,” I lie smoothly.I haven’t seen it, but I know what it should look like based on the stories.“A long time ago.And everyone who bore that mark died.”
The color drains from her face.
“Let us help you,” I say, gentler now.“Please.”
For a moment, I think she’ll refuse again.But then her shoulders sag, and she steps back, opening the door wider.
“Fine,” she says.“But you have five minutes, then you leave.”
The others file into her small living room, but I’m a vampire and I need an invitation.
Tessa frowns, head tilting as she notices I’m not following.“What now?”
“You need to invite me in.”
Her eyes widen.“That’s...a real thing?”
“Yes.”
“But you don’t glitter in the sun?”
A rough laugh escapes before I can stop it.“No.Absolutely not.”
