“Most likely because you were a child in the seventies,” Tom opined.
“Sounds as if the one doing the world a favor was Cillian, by getting rid of a murderer.” Not the brightest thing I could have said, but true.
“That fanged fucker meddled in affairs that weren’t his business,” hissed Tom.
“So why not give him grief to his face? Oh wait, you won’t because you’re scared of him,” I taunted because apparently, I had a death wish.
“Cillian’s long been a thorn in many cryptids’ side,” snarled the satyr. “But today his annoying habit of ruining our fun comes to an end.”
“I highly doubt that. Once Cillian finds out you took me, he will kill you,” I stated with certainty.
“Did Lou not tell you about the accident he had on his way to a false alarm?” Tom mocked. “The SUV he went for a ride in this morning blew up. Between the blast and the exposure to daylight, there’s no way he survived.”
My heart, that already beat slowly, seemed to stand still. “You’re lying. Cillian’s alive.”
A smug Lou said, “At twenty minutes past sunrise, my link to Cillian was severed.”
The news rocked me. Cillian dead? It seemed impossible. Surely I’d feel his loss, seeing as how he’d made me.
Hearing my thought, the mind-reading Tom suddenly frowned. “Is he, though? There were no reports of bodies.”
“Because they were blown to bits and then charred to a crisp by the fire,” Lou exclaimed. “No one could have survived.”
“But you never actually checked,” Tom huffed. “Sloppy work. No wonder he refused to change you. I’m thinking he was right. You’re not smart enough to be a vampire.”
“Fuck you. I’m plenty smart. Who’s the one who came up with the excuse that got him to leave the house in the first place? Who planted the bomb? Who got his whore here? Me. And now I’m going to get what I was promised.” Lou eyed me and snarled. “Give me your blood.”
“Hold on a second. Let me get this straight. You betrayed Cillian because he wouldn’t make you a vamp?” I asked to clarify.
“Only servants who’ve proven themselves in the line of duty, above and beyond, are so blessed—or so he’s said for the past five years since he took me on as his servant. Meanwhile, he comes across your dumb ass and just gives immortality to you. Fucking unfair.”
Hunh. “I’m going to have to agree with Cillian and Tom. You aren’t worthy.”
“Fucking whore. I’ll show you to run your mouth.” Lou dove into the car, hands outstretched.
I moved fast as my maker for once, unlatching the door at my back and flinging myself out of the car. I landed on my ass but quickly bounced to my feet. I held up my dukes and huffed, “You wanna fight, then let’s go, asshole.”
A grim-faced Lou exited the car with a gun in hand. “Let’s see how brave you are with a few holes in your body.”
“This is getting tiresome, and you’ve outlived your usefulness,” declared a newcomer whose voice appeared to come from overhead.
Before I’d finished craning to look, a dark angel—make that dark fairy—dropped from the ceiling, grabbed hold of Lou’s head and twisted.
Crack.
A wide-eyed, and very dead Lou hit the floor with only the slightest of thuds.
“About time that moron died,” Tom exclaimed. “As if we were ever going to let him become a vampire when he so easily betrayed everyone around him. I don’t know why Cillian ever took him into his service. He’s usually much more discerning.”
Belial nudged the body with his foot. “Because he’s weak. It is my understanding that the betrayer sought him out and claimed kinship.”
“A link that is many generations past,” snorted Tom. “I’m surprised this worm managed to make a connection.”
Lou was distantly related to Cillian? I didn’t see the resemblance.
“Who cares. Cillian is gone, along with his servants. And now, we celebrate our victory with his fledgling,” Belial stated with a leer in my direction.
“Me first,” Tom stated.
