“No, Sam did that when we were young. He pushed me through a window.”
“Ouch,” I said, placing a kiss on it.
“Yeah, it was an accident. We were just playing. That’s why I think I’m so upset; Sam is not a bad guy.”
I stayed quiet for a moment, my lips trailing along to another scar along his ribs. I licked it slowly, feeling the raised flesh under my tongue. “What about this?” I asked.
“Yes, a Vampire did that,” he said, and I licked it again.
I moved back to lay beside him, my head propped up on my arm. “Are you ever afraid of dying?”
He traced my nose with his fingers. “Not really,” he replied softly, his touch lingering. “I’m pretty lucky.” He leaned in to kiss my nose, adding, “I like your freckles. I didn’t notice them when we first met.”
“They come out in the sun,” I whispered, shyly moving my face into the crook of his arm. I haven’t seen my freckles in a long time.
“I think I might be getting more afraid of dying,” he said into my hair.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because then I wouldn’t be able to see you again.” His words were sincere, and I felt a pang in my chest as I realized the depth of his feelings for me. The vulnerability in his voice stirred something within me.
“Connor, I need to tell you something,” I murmured. The rhythm of his human heartbeat and our breathing were the only other sounds I heard. Our legs entwined in an embrace, his skin warm against mine. I felt comfortable. But in that moment, I decided that I needed to tell him.
“What?” he breathed, looking down at me. I hesitated, grappling with the words I longed to say. The green of hiseyes, so vivid and alive, stirred memories of the summer grass at my old house by the river. His lips drew near, tempting me with the promise of bliss.
“Connor …” I trailed off, my voice barely a whisper, uncertain as to how he would react. Then my cell phone rang in my pants across the room. For once, I was happy that the ring interrupted our moment. Because damn, he fucked me so good I almost told him that I was a Vampire.
“Answer it,” Connor whispered. “It’s probably Vail.”
I groaned, rolling off the bed and away from Connor's warm embrace. I reached for my jeans, retrieving my phone from the pocket. Vail's name flashed on the caller ID. “Are you on your way home?” I asked, but it wasn't Vail’s voice I heard on the other end.
Connor drove his van through the streets, the tires squealing on the icy roads as he navigated the corners. “So, what exactly did Sam say? Tell me again,” he said.
“He told me that he has Vail and he's going to kill her.” My voice trembled as panic surged within me. I pushed it down; I couldn’t think of all the horrible things that swirled in my mind. I thought about the Vampire in the basement and then Vail.
She’ll be fine, I convinced myself.She’s always fine.
But what if she wasn't? The thought gnawed at me, an unsettling feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.
“But why would he tell us that? Why didn’t he just kill her?”
“I don’t know.” I had to sit on my hands to keep myself from shaking. Not only from fear but from the rage I felt against Sam. I glanced behind me, toward the back of the van where the instrument cases were stored. Among them were the Vampire-slaying weapons, each capable of taking downnot only a Vampire, but also a human. Even if that human, like Sam, was a witch. “Can you drive faster?”
Vail was a strong and confident person, I told myself. Not only was she a Vampire, but also a witch. She could take care of herself. Then why was I so afraid that we were going to be too late?
FORTY-EIGHT
March 29, 1892
My feet sank into the mud as I walked out of the woods, pulling a freshly slain deer behind me. I could see Vail in the clearing making a fire, her expression sombre. I walked over to the mound and stood over Draven’s lifeless body, removing Vail’s cloak from his face to reveal the charred remains of his once handsome features. The sight tore at my heart as I held the deer over him, slicing its throat open. Warm blood dripped into Draven’s open mouth. Once the deer was drained, I tossed it aside, joining the skunk and squirrel I had caught earlier.
How much more blood would I need to revive him, to bring him back to me?
“Rosie.” Vail’s soft voice reached me, and I whirled around to look at her. Her eyes widened when she saw my face. I knew how I must have looked; my once cream coloured dress was now red and brown from the blood and dirt, my eyes hollow, my face bloody and broken from sorrow.
Unable to bear the sight of her, I lay down on the ground next to Draven, resting my head upon his chest, and waited for life to flow back into him. Closing my eyes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a mistake, that I remained unscathed. Perhaps if I stayed until sunrise, I, too, would perish.
I lost track of time, but I could hear Vail tending to the fire, the crackling flames mingling with the scent of burning flesh and hair as she moved the bodies of witches into the blaze. I lay next to Draven, trying not to breathe in the acrid smell. I felt Vail’s touch on my shoulder.
