Rachel watches me take in the space, eyes narrowed. When I look at her, the twist of her lips means she’s about to say something truly venomous, but I just shrug and smile.
“It’s comfortable,” I say, and that expression drops and she blinks quickly and looks away.
Comfortable.I loved my family—love my family still—but I spent a lot of time with Rachel and Aunt Sharon growing up. Their house was always so comfortable, cluttered, but in a way that made it feel lived in, where my mum was obsessed with making sure the place was ready for visitors at any moment. Why she seemed to think visitors needed magazine-style tidiness is beyond me still, but she did, and it was fine. I just liked going to Aunt Sharon’s and being able to lounge around without consequence.
I blink the memory away. My next heartbeat hurts. I have missed my family, though I’ve trained myself not to think about them. I glance over at Vlad, who is speaking in low tones to Asher. Maybe it was different for the vampires turned so long ago. It’s not that they love their families less. Just that it was harder to keep in contact, maybe? I purse my lips, leaning down to study a photo of Rachel and Margot sitting over on the windowsill, and push the thought away for later.
“He won’t wake,” Asher says.
Quinn is sitting on the sofa, body angled so he can see the kitchen, and Margot has perched next to him, eyeing him warily. I guess getting used to werewolves is different than getting used to vampires.
“He has a lot of magic,” Vlad replies.
“And there’s the danger of us waking him here, too. We need some help.”
Vlad sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “No.”
“Vladimir,” Asher growls, and I bite back a smile. Not appropriate, and it’s really kind of heartbreaking that Vladdoesn’t think he has friends at all when he’s spent centuries with Asher and Jeremiah and even Maurice by his side.
“Fine. I will call him.”
He pulls out his phone and I already know who he’s calling. I wander over to look at the shelves of DVDs next to the TV instead. I eye a couple I have scattered around my room at the base and then a couple I’ve been looking forward to watching. It’s always tricky to buy things; I mostly shop in the winter, when the days are nice and short because—
A smile stretches over my face before I can stop it. I can go do that now! I don’t have to wait for the couple of months a year when it gets dark while the shops are still open but I still have to rush because they’ll be closing soon and it’s just after Christmas and no one appreciates that.
Quinn raises his eyebrows at the look on my face. “What is it?”
“When we get back, do you wanna go shopping or something?”
Understanding dawns quickly and he laughs. “Sure. I’ll bring Sam, though. I think you’ll both outlast me.”
“And then I can come see you shift?”
“You’ve seen it twice now.”
“Yeah, but not, like, up close or anything. It looks kind of painful. Is it painful? Does it—”
“Grant,” Vlad cuts me off, voice stern, and I jerk my head up, but Asher looks amused, so it can’t be that. “Come here. Maurice wishes to speak with you.”
Oh. I guess I wasn’t listening as they talked. Whatever, that’s fine. I bound over and take the phone. “What’s up?”
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“What Vlad told me just now. Y-you went into the sun.”
My gaze jumps to Vlad. Hetoldhim? Ah, that explains the confused-slash-horrified look Rachel is giving me, too. Great.
“Yeah. Twice, actually.”
“Fuck.” He’s silent for a solid twenty seconds after that, long enough that I take the phone from my ear to check the call hasn’t disconnected.
“Did you want me just for that?” I ask in the end.
“N-no, I—Fuck, sorry. This is just… It’s a lot. But no. The bodyguard or whoever you have tied up there. I need you to get a feel for the magic in him.”
“Didn’t they say—”
