Lilith pressed her lips together, amusement dancing in her blue eyes. “I’m happy to answer them all. It’s been a long time since I’ve met anyone new.” Again she glanced at Spencer, and his throat felt like he’d swallowed a massive cotton ball.
“Sunlight does not affect me the way it does other vampires, and yes, it’s part of my curse. I lose my power when exposed to the sun; I get fatigued, but that is the extent of the effect.”
“Then why do the others fry?” Rebecca asked.
“The effect the sun has on my children entirely depends on the degree of separation. The further down the line they were created, the less of my magic they received. Vampires that I sire myself can be in the sun for short periods. Likewise, their glamour is nearly as strong as mine.”
“Fascinating. How many have you sired?” Rebecca looked like a kid who’d just met Santa Claus.
“This is interesting,” Alan said, “but let’s talk about your idea for the show.”
“Right. I can answer your questions another time.” She winked at Rebecca before turning her heart-melting smile on Spencer. “I believe I can help you find evidence that won’t expose our kind but will be intriguing enough to get your network’s attention.”
Spencer angled his body toward her. “We’re listening.”
“I have a dear friend in Romania, a vampire I sired ages ago, who has access to a gravesite where supposed vampires are buried. He has agreed to let us unearth a grave and film the way they disposed of those suspected of vampirism in the seventeen hundreds.”
“You want us to dig up a corpse.” Spencer pressed his lips into a thin line. It wasn’t the worst idea he’d ever heard. People accused their friends and relatives of being vampires for all kinds of reasons back then. He’d done plenty of research on the subject when they’d tried to get permission to film there before. In fact…
“They used to say a person born with red hair and blue eyes would turn into a vampire. Is that because of you?”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, revealing a fang, and blood rushed to Spencer’s groin. Never in his life had a vampire’s fangs turned him on, but every time he glimpsed Lilith’s, he couldn’t help but imagine her biting him.
“Guilty.” She let out a small laugh. “I didn’t mean for the superstition to spread through the villages. I was angry back then, and…” She shook her head. “Andrei lives in a small castle on the outskirts of town. The gravesite is on his property, so we don’t have to worry about getting permission from the government. He has even offered us rooms during our stay. What do you think?”
Alan rubbed his thumb and forefinger on his chin, feigning deep thought. “You want us to stay in a Romanian vampire’s castle, dig up a grave of someone accused of vampirism, and get it all on film?”
“That’s the gist of it,” Lilith said.
Alan grinned. “When do we leave?”
“As soon as you’re ready.” Lilith looked at Spencer, taking in his guarded expression. “What do you think?” She shifted in her seat to face him, her knee resting against his. “I would never force my will on you, so if we do this, we do it together. If you don’t want to, just say the word.”
He glanced down at where her leg touched his. The small bodily contact lit a fire in his core and raised a red flag so high it flapped in his face. His logical mind told him the fortress he’d built around his heart was beginning to crumble, and he needed to run as far from her as he could. His owl, on the other hand, screamed at him to accept the offer, to tear down the walls and let Lilith in.
Spencer looked at his friends, who both made eyes at him that said they’d murder him if he said no. He could reinforce his defenses. He owed it to his team to do this. “I’m in.”
“Yes!” Rebecca shook her fist in victory.
“Let’s go work on the logistics.” Alan slid out of the booth, and Rebecca followed. “We can probably get a flight out the day after tomorrow. Four tickets?”
Lilith brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “I will meet you there. I’ll go a day ahead to help Andrei prepare for your arrival.”
“Sounds good,” Alan said. “You coming, Spence?”
Spencer didn’t budge from his spot next to Lilith. He should have gotten up and hauled ass out the door, but he couldn’t force himself to move. This was bad. Very, very bad. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Rebecca grinned. “Thank you for this, Lilith. We owe you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” She waved as Alan and Rebecca walked away.
“Why are you doing this?” He clenched his teeth. He knew the reason, but he wanted to hear it from her. Wait…no, he didn’t. “Never mind. You’re doing it for the adventure, to save your familiar.”
She tilted her head, the amusement returning to her eyes. “If I simply wanted an adventure, to see an old friend and dig up a grave, don’t you think I could do that on my own?”
Good point. “I suppose you could.”
Lilith sighed and rested her hand on the table. “I should be honest with you. The reason I’m helping is that we’re…”
