Both sets of eyes fell to me as if I knew more than they did. I shifted in my chair, my gaze falling to Karson. God, he was so pale. As if death lurked, waiting to pounce.
“Except it was vampires who attacked, not witches,” Josh said, pacing back and forth.
My gaze twitched to Monique. “Vampires attacked him, not witches?”
“The dead vampires were Sarah’s lowborns,” Monique admitted reluctantly. “But witches made the blade.”
I raised my brows. “Or Sarah knew where one was stored.”
Josh stopped pacing. “But if Sarah knew it wouldn’t kill him, why use it?”
Monique’s jaw clenched. “Maybe she thought the seven she sent were enough to kill him with it in his system. Maybe shewas going to finish the job and couldn’t get to him in time.” She threw out her hand. “Who knows with Sarah.”
My phone had stopped vibrating.
“Maybe she wanted the distraction,” I murmured, then my voice gathered strength as it seemed to make sense. “Think about it, maybe she did want him dead, but even if he didn’t die, the top tier of vampires in this area, you, Michael, and Karson are all out of the picture for a while.”
Monique’s eyes widened.
Josh cocked his head to the side. “What would she want them distracted for?”
No one answered for a long moment. Monique strode back to the glass doors and stared out. “Time will tell,” she murmured.
That’s what it had felt like my entire life, as if I hovered on the edge of an hourglass, trying my best to balance, and at any moment everything could come crashing down.
My phone started vibrating again. Monique tossed it to me.
I didn’t need to look at the screen to know it was Dahlia. I wanted to ask her if she knew anything about the dagger and poison. She might be able to help heal Karson. Monique stared at me as if challenging me to answer. As if daring me to choose a side. Witch or vampire.
I let out a shuddering breath and declined the call.
Chapter 6
There’s A Witch At The Door
Atap at the door drew our eyes up. “Sorry to interrupt.” Pixie’s voice sounded squeaky as she opened the door and peered in nervously. “There’s a black-haired witch at the door who would like to see Amy.”
Dahlia. How close by was she to get here so fast?
“Tell her she’s not interested,” Monique snapped.
Pixie grimaced, shifting from one foot to the other. “She’s … um … insisting.”
“I don’t care what the witch wants, tell her Amy isn’t interested in speaking to her.”
Pixie blurted, “She has Rolly with a sword to his throat and said she will decapitate him unless she sees Amy’s alive and well.”
Monique’s mouth dropped open, then shut again. “If Rolly is stupid enough to get captured by a witch, he deserves to lose his head.” There was no sympathy on her face for the soon-to-be-dead vampire.
I didn’t want to leave Karson’s side. I wanted to lie down beside him and hold him in my arms. I wanted to run my fingers over his skin and soothe his pain. I wanted to protect him whenhe was so weak, so vulnerable. I wanted to be there when he woke up, be the first face he saw, the first voice he heard.
But if Dahlia made good on her promise, a vampire was about to lose his head. The vampires would kill her—there would be a blood bath.
Fuck.
I glanced at Karson. He was out of it; death was still very much alive as it writhed under his skin. It would be a while before he woke up.
“It’s alright, I’ll speak to her.” I rose to my feet, ignoring Monique’s sharp look. “Stay by his side. I don’t want him left without protection.”
