“Sure it is. You just proved it.”
Crossing my arms, I gave him a withering look.
“I’m sorry, but you did. You’re judging an entire supernatural race, or species, whatever, to be evil.”
I had to admit, that did sound bad. However, it was obvious. Vampires were evil. Always had been, always would be. Still, I would have also sworn all other supernatural species that couldn’t pass for human were extinct as well. “So, are you telling me that I’m wrong? That there are some good vampires? That you know some?”
He cringed. “Well… I’m not sure if good is the term I’d use. But I’ve met some that aren’t intrinsically evil.”
I couldn’t hold the skepticism out of my voice, racist or not. “Really?”
“Sure. I’ve met some that don’t eat kids, for instance.”
“But they eat everyone else? I guess that’s a little better, but I’m not sure that would pull them out of the realm of evil.” Actually, I’d not heard of a vampire that discerned between their victims for any reason, but I’d never spoken to one long enough to clarify. It seemed like Schwint had. “You’ve talked to some that don’t eat kids because they think it’s wrong?”
He shrugged. “We didn’t really get into the details of the why. We were kinda in the heat of the moment, you know. It might have been because he didn’t wanna kill kids. Maybe he just didn’t like their flavor as much. Kinda like drinking new wine or something.”
Unbidden, my hands rose to my temples and began to rub. “Oh my God. I don’t know what to focus on in that sentence. That to you it could be a redeeming quality that one of them didn’t kill kids because they don’t taste good enough or that you’ve fucked a vampire!”
“So have you.”
I stared at him, speechless.
“Well, you have.”
“No, I haven’t.”
He wrapped his arm over my shoulders and lowered his voice, softening it as if getting ready to tell me my dog had gotten hit by a car. “Yes, you have, Finn. I watched over you in the back rooms a couple times before that last time. One of those times, you were with a vampire.”
Disgust and guilt simultaneously flooded through me.
“Hey, babe. It’s okay. Really. You weren’t in the place to really know what you were doing.”
“That doesn’t make it better.” As filthy as I felt, I couldn’t help noticing that he called me “babe.” He hadn’t done that before.
“Well, my point originally was that just because the Square is sanctioned by the Vampire Cathedral doesn’t mean it’s worse than you thought it was before. Not that you thought it was that great to begin with.”
“Either way, let’s get outta here. It was already bad enough being here, but now…”
“Finn, this also doesn’t change the fact that this is the only place you can be right now where you’re not in constant pain.”
“Well, let’s get out of this shop at least. We can go back and talk to Marina or something. Maybe get a bite to eat.” Not that I had any sort of appetite at the moment.
“Leave, warlock? So soon? Are you that afraid of the truth?” Hazel swooped in silently beside Schwint. “Or is it me that you’re afraid of?”
I felt Schwint’s arm slide off my shoulders. He slid his hand over my back and then intertwined his fingers through mine. He gave what I assumed to be an encouraging squeeze.
His voice took on that sardonic tone with her once more, this time with a little more iron behind it. “Yes, Hazel. We’re both terrified of you. You’re the scariest thing in the Square.”
She sneered at him. “You have no idea, fairy.”
“Actually, Hazel. I do. And you know it.”
She turned from him and directed her full displeasure at me. “Feel free to leave, warlock. Enjoy the sensations as your brain beats at your skull. As the fire sears through your bones.”
I saw Schwint turn to me, but I kept my eyes averted. That was a new sensation in the past day and a half. It hadn’t been too horrible yet, but combined with the migraines, it had taken what was unbearable and made me want to kill myself. I’d felt it when the voice first started, even before Brett left, but it had dissipated quickly—until this latest stint. I hadn’t mentioned to anyone that my marrow felt like it was boiling. The headaches scared everyone enough, the way it was. They didn’t need anything else added to it. Besides, as long as I was here, both sensations went away, so why bother?
She must have read the truth in my expression. “That part is only beginning. It’s nothing compared to what it will feel like before it’s over. And just wait for what’s next!”
