"I have to," he murmured, watching Arien as she walked closer to us.
"Why?" I asked, completely exasperated.
"Because the distance keeps us both safe."
I had no idea what he meant by that, but I couldn't ask him because Arien was now within earshot. She approached on my left and nodded to Harrison before turning to me.
"Is Merry still inside?"
I glanced at the kitchen window, where I'd noticed Merry and Ava watching us earlier, and saw that they were no longer there.
"She was in the kitchen with Ava earlier."
Arien nodded. "Thank you." She glanced at Harrison, her light blue eyes as cool as the air. But an alien intelligence looked out of them. I wondered how much of the animal remained with Arien after she shifted because nothing human was looking at us now.
She glided past Macgrath and Callum, who were locked together on the ground. Macgrath had Callum in an armlock and he wasn't letting up. Callum was refusing to tap out.
Arien flicked her fingers at them and two small streams of water hit them both in the face simultaneously.
I laughed as they both stopped fighting and blinked as they looked up at her.
"If you're done putting on a show for everyone, it's nearly lunch time." Arien swept up the back stairs and into the house without waiting for a response.
Even Harrison cracked a smile as the two vampires on the ground swore and broke apart before rolling to their feet. They grabbed their shirts from the back porch and pulled them over their heads.
We trooped into the house and found the women seated around the kitchen table. Arien ran a brush through her hair as she chatted with Merry.
Ava faced us. "Great. You're done with your..." she trailed off. "Planning session. I'm starving," she said to Macgrath. "We should head back into town and have lunch."
He grunted in what I assumed was assent and went to the sink to wash his hands.
Ava came over to me and patted my arm. "I'm going to get everyone out of here so you can talk Merry into resting. I'm certain her head still aches. Especially after our discussion earlier."
"Discussion?" I asked.
"About her plans now that she's no longer in danger. Where she plans to go next and what she plans to do."
Her words managed to do what the chilly air outside had not—they froze my blood.
"She's leaving?" I asked.
But Ava was already walking away. Within minutes, the house was empty. Callum decided to go with them for lunch, despite the fact that he was still sweaty from his bout with Macgrath.
Merry came back from the living room with a smile on her face. She'd walked them all out while I remained in the kitchen.
"Are you okay?" she asked, coming closer. When I didn't answer, she put a hand on my chest. "Marcus?"
"Are you leaving?" I asked.
Her mouth fell open but she didn't say anything. She only blinked a few times before she pulled back. "Uh, do you want me to leave?" she asked, answering my question with a question.
"No, I don't."
"Okay, then I suppose I'm staying."
"Merry, are you thinking about leaving? Making plans?"
She frowned at me. "No, but I'm wondering if I should be. What's going on?"
