Baltazar smiles. “We’ve completed your background checks and are happy with what we found.”
I swallow. I don’t even want to know what would have happened if they hadn’t been happy. I’m just not going to go there, otherwise I might never sleep well again.
“All that’s left to do, is to ensure you understand the importance of not sharing your knowledge with any other human beings.”
I nod, and then I clear my throat. “Of course. I understand. I wouldn’t dream of it, it is for everyone’s safety.”
Humans discovering that the things that go bump in the night actually do exist, would be a disaster. I’ve watched enough movies where that theme is explored, to be convinced of that. Human nature is what it is. Some humans would want to use paranormal beings as weapons. They’d test and experiment. Other humans would get frightened and try to exterminate. Paranormals would be forced to defend themselves. The whole thing would be one giant, awful mess.
That’s if anyone believed me and didn’t lock me up in a psychiatric hospital. Either way, spilling what I know, would only ever lead to catastrophe.
Baltazar steeples his fingers and gives me a long, intense stare. A prickle of unease dances along my spine. Is he reading my mind? Examining my soul? Doing something even more freaky?
“Excellent,” he says eventually. “Well, that will be all. I’ll see myself out.”
I blink and open my mouth, but he has already gone. Wow! He can move fast. Distantly, I hear the front door opening and closing softly. The hairs on the back of my neck prickle. But after several minutes of staring at nothing more frightening than my empty office, mysubconscious calms down and I collapse back against my chair with a heavy sigh. Boy, am I glad that’s over.
Ned comes with a lot of baggage. Vampire. Relative. An unsettled relationship with the supernatural police.
Perhaps the kids and I are better off without him?
My chest tightens. I rub at it futilely. If Ned really is bad news, why does the thought of never seeing him again hurt so much?
Chapter twenty-three
Ned
Ican sense the sun setting. A strange stirring in my flesh. An ancient call to rise, to hunt and to feast.
I ignore it. There is no point in getting out of bed. There is no point in anything.
In my bedroom, behind the blackout blinds, there is no change to the light. Day turning into night means fuck all. It doesn’t make a difference. I’ve been in bed all day, now I’ll be in bed all night.
I reach for the cigarettes on my bedside cabinet and light one up. The familiar taste is soothing. It ignites a thousand memories. A sensory nostalgia from when I was still alive.
Today is the first day I have smoked in ages. Over a year probably. I didn’t want to breathe the fumes on the kids or have the smell embedded in my clothes. None of that matters now, because I doubt Morgan is ever going to let me see them again.
My phone pings.
I glare at it as it lies there, all smug, next to my packet of cigarettes. I will not fall sway to its allure. I’m not scrambling to check the notification. It is not going to be Morgan. He is too old school for that. If he had somethingto say to me, he’d come say it in person. Or call at the very least.
Swearing, I grab my phone.
It’s not Morgan. I was right. It’s Baltazar. Fuck my life.
‘How’s Jade?’ The text message smirks at me.
I scowl at the phone. ‘Fine.’ I type. Then I toss the blasted thing down onto my bed.
Jade is a traitorous, interfering, life-destroying, evil bastard. But Baltazar doesn’t need to know that. Jade has shown no signs of seeking world domination and opening portals for his kin. And that is all the information the annoying vampire is getting.
I puff bad temperedly at my cigarette. I’m just thinking about opening up my liquor cabinet when there is a soft knock on my door. Before I can open my mouth to say fuck off, Lello and Pink let themselves in.
I groan in dismay and collapse back against my pillows. Lello flicks the light switch on. I wince at the sudden, dazzling light.
“What the fuck do you want?” I snap.
“To check on you, of course!” says Lello brightly. “And to bring you cookies!”
