Sophia
One of your migraines? I’m so sorry hun
I give her a thumbs up along with the thermometer in mouth emoji. I don’t want to lie to any of them, and yes, I know that’s rich coming from a lawyer, but they are my friends.
And it’s the reason I’ve been lying to them all for years. It keeps them safe, and having them as my friends keeps me sane.
Fortunately, even though they’re in monster filled Budapest, they’re safe under the protection of the Kobór werewolf clan, given my friend Grace is married to their leader, Ferenc now.
I doubt his protection is going to extend to me, not anymore. Not given where I am and why I’m here.
A key rattles in the door to the room I’m being held in. It’s morning, and therefore daylight, but vamps have plenty of thralls to do their bidding during the hours they sleep.
The door swings open, and for a moment I think it’s Dominik Király, the vampire king I was hoping to kill, but then they move into the light or what passes for it. The man is tall, not quite as tall as Dominik, and thin, marking him out as a donor and a thrall.
“Ms. Van Helsing,” he intones.
Thralls don’t scare me. Vampires don’t scare me either. I’ve been trained my entire life to remain calm in their presence…so I can kill them. Even once all the monsters came out into the light (metaphorically in the case of the vamps) a few years ago, it didn’t matter to my family.
Our job was to kill them. And the killing wouldn’t stop because they stepped out of the shadows. Vampires are evil, dangerous creatures and no amount of memes or cute keyrings would convince the Van Helsings otherwise.
“It’s Cushing, actually,” I respond. “Lucy Cushing, and I will be missed.”
He snorts. “If you really believed that, you wouldn’t have come. Nothing hot-blooded leaves Ház Király alive.”
“Ooooh.” I give a mock shiver. “You almost made me scared.” I fix him with the stare I usually reserve for a difficult client or my opponent in court. “You’re going to have to try harder.”
“How about you’re going to be the personal meal for the king? And he likes to eatslowly.” He grins.
I roll my eyes.
“Heard it all before.” I study my nails on the non-handcuffed hand.
I’ve seen plenty in my thirty-three years on Earth. Not just the rising of the monsters from the shadows and into the light, but plenty no human woman should ever have seen.
He’s quiet for a beat, no doubt wondering what might frighten a Van Helsing. I might not bear the name, but the vampire hunting blood courses through my lineage. Passed down from mother to daughter. Just as I will pass it to my child.
The child currently growing inside me. The unborn baby which meant I should have said no to the family insisting I take out the Budapest vampire king while I visited my friend. The one and only thing I should be protecting.
But instead I bowed to the familial pressure and here I am.
Trapped and facing death by a thousand bites.
Or at least that’s what the vamps think.
I have other ideas.
Dominik
The vampire hunterin my nest is the least of my concerns as I stand over the vampire strapped to the ornate wrought iron chair.
Or that’s what I’m telling myself. Ever since Lucy came into my undead life, or possibly before, I haven’t been able to concentrate on what I should be dealing with. The traitor in my midst.
My brother.
And this young vamp, recently turned by Damek, could be the key to finally unravelling where he is and whether he really plans to unlock the vault.
“So”—I circle him slowly—“Damek is your sire?”
