I paused when I realized the information I had just shared. Tate gave me a small snicker while Gabriel smirked.
“Look at my sister go,” he joked. “A lover of every type. All that’s missing is a human.”
I let out a growl.
“Fine, fine. I’ll shut up,” he said, hands raised. “As far as using witches’ magic that way, I’m not sure I’ve heard of anything like it.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “You were with the coven for a long time, and we know they’re connected to this.”
“My involvement was limited to seeing the prophecy through. I didn't linger around when we weren't working together on it.”
“Oh! Maybe he’s drinking other vampires’ blood! Or killing them and eating their soul!”
I gave Tate a look.
“What are you reading nowadays that has you thinking that?”
“It’s calledDark Hunger, and it’s an epic comic where the main hero has been fed vampire blood all his life and slowly descends into?—”
“Okay, enough!” Gabriel cut him off with a sigh. “Sorry we can’t help you, and you came all this way?—”
“I need something else,” I said, turning serious. “He may be getting more powerful, but that doesn’t mean we are giving up. We are recruiting. We need the hunters’ help.”
Gabriel looked at me for one long moment before grabbing Tate’s arm and jerking him away. “Nope. We like our lives, thank you very much.”
I reached out and took his other arm.
“Keep Tate somewhere safe, but Ineedthe hunters. At least a good handful. There is no one better on this earth to kill a vampire like him.”
“It’s not our problem,” he spat and tried to pull Tate away again.
“Wait! You can’t just leave her like this!”
“You colluded with the witches to control my life and oversee the prophecy, but you can’t even offer aid when we are trying to get it done?”
At that, he turned around.
“I am not putting our lives on the line! I worked with the witches to make sure you were protected during the prophecy. That you could see this whole thing through. But what you’re talking about? This is madness!”
“I’m just asking for a few hunters,” I forced out. “Why is this such a big deal?—”
“Because you won’t win!” His words settled over us like an icy blanket. “You won’t win, Vesper. Not against someone like him.”
Suspicion rose in me.
“You do know more than you’re letting on.”
He looked down at the ground.
“When it was Aurelia, I had hope. But him? I don’t… I’d rather you abandon all thoughts of the prophecy and move on with your life. No matter the cost. If what you’re saying about all this magic-stealing stuff is true, I… I don’t have hope.”
I stared at him, unable to comprehend the sudden switch.
“That’s it, just like that?”
“Just like that,” he said and tugged Tate along. “For all of our sakes, let’s make this our last meeting until this is over.”
Tate looked back at me with a frown.
