There was barely any power left, but enough for at least one more burst. I chewed on my lip. I had learned as much as I could in training under controlled conditions, but in the moment, fear had blinded every other thought process, making me react instinctively without any common sense.
“I don’t know, I guess I forgot in the fear of the moment. It’s not like I have much real experience fighting vampires.” I rubbed my hands over my face, feeling frustrated by my inadequacy and thoroughly nauseated.
He began to pace again. “And you wonder why I do not let you go out alone.” He shook his head, tilting his head to the ceiling as if praying for divine help. Then he said quietly, “Go upstairs. I will clean up the mess and get someone to attend to your wounds.”
“The mess you refer to,” I said bitterly, “is the children’s mother. Where the fuck is your humanity?”
He snorted, and the look he gave me made my toes want to curl up and hide. “She was about to take your life. Would you prefer I had let her?”
“Wouldyouprefer she did?” I asked, which was a stupid comeback, but it was all I had. He had done nothing but try to protect me. “Think about it,” I added, digging myself in deeper. “No pesky human witch wanting to share a life with you or calling you out on your bullshit.”
He blinked. “Obviously, you’re tired and upset.” He suddenly looked exhausted. “We will discuss it later.”
My mind numbed, my body numbed. I didn’t even register the walk along the hall when I found myself outside the children’s door. I paused and steeled my face. I wasn’t the best actress, but they would want to know what had happened.
My breath jammed as I pushed open the door. Both kids looked up from beside Georgie. She had a book clasped in her hand.
“Mommy?” Lottie asked, her innocent eyes round and enquiring, almost breaking me.
I forced a smile, but it felt wrong on my face. “She’s fine. She has to go away to get better for a few weeks, but she’ll be back once she is.” The lie fell from my lips but sliced my heart like blades.
They’d never see their mother again. She wouldn’t celebrate their birthdays or be there when Lottie needed a woman; she wouldn’t be there when they graduated or got married.
Georgie took in the blood seeping through my jeans. “Are you alright, do you need me to help?” She placed the book down and went to get up.
I shuffled my leg back behind the other. I was going to cry. I felt it scorching my eyes, my throat. I blinked rapidly, trying to fight them back. “No, I’m fine, stay there,” I rushed out. “Maybeyou can stay with Billy and Lottie and see if you can all get some more sleep.”
She nodded slowly and drew in a deep breath. “Of course.” She forced a brightness. “And if we can’t sleep, we can finish the book or watch a movie on my phone.”
Lottie yawned and snuggled into Georgie’s body.
I clicked the door softly shut and went to my room. On autopilot, I walked to the shower and pulled off my clothes, my hands shaking as I turned on the water. Who told Leah the children were here? How did she get past the vampires on guard? And who let her in? The questions whirled through my throbbing head.
If she hadn’t come to the house, Karson might have been willing to talk her down …
What would happen to the children now? Would they be thrown into the welfare system, at the mercy of a stranger’s pen? A system with too many kids and not enough loving families to take them all in. There were plenty of good foster parents out there, salt-of-the-earth-type people. Like my parents were. They started as foster parents and adopted me shortly after. But I knew what happened when you were left at the mercy of a bad foster parent.
I slumped against the shower wall, slid to the floor, cupped my hands over my face, and cried for the second time in as many days.
Chapter 26
Gravestone
Ididn’t stay in the shower long, didn’t allow myself the luxury of falling apart. There were questions we needed answers to. I covered the injured leg in a series of cap-sized plasters and wrapped it tight. The other ankle I wrapped with a support bandage. I got changed into a thick navy knit jumper, jeans, socks, and sneakers and went downstairs. The foyer was spotless, as if nothing had occurred at all.
“I hear you took down a vampire, Amelia,” Michael said as I walked into the sitting room. “Quite the feat, you should be proud of yourself.”
“Not quite,” I answered as I glanced at Karson. “Karson took her down, I just enabled her to hold my leg while he did it.”
“How are your wounds?” Karson asked hesitantly. “Do we need a healer?”
For my ankle, I probably needed Dahlia. “No. They’re scratches.”
Monique ran her eyes over me. “You look like shit.”
I folded my arms over my chest and ignored her. “What did you do with her body?”
“She is at the morgue. It will be reported tomorrow that she was hit by a car, and her gravestone will be in the cemetery, sothe children will have somewhere to visit. I spoke to Lester. You will be pleased to know Billy’s father has been located. He was unaware of his existence apparently. He and his wife are keen to take both children. She is a schoolteacher and he is a police officer, and they do not have their own children. They will be here to collect them this morning.”
