I tap my fingernails against the countertop, hating the realization, not understanding what it means about me. I have everything that a witch could ask for, yet I don’t feel fulfilled.
With frustration, I wipe a rogue, unwanted tear from my face.
“Are you alright?” A voice startles me and I nearly jump out of the stool.
These sneaky fucking vampires need to learn to make sound when they pop out of nowhere. I was hopeful that it was Warin, but his voice isn’t anywhere near as rich.
When I turn, Conner is standing there. There are no windows in the kitchen, and even if they were, Conner already told me that they don’t let any UV light in. It’s nearly sunset, but I’m pretty sure if he were to go outside right now he would burst into flame or something else extremely graphic.
“I’m fine. It’s a bit early for you to be up, isn’t it?” I question him.
Cecile is back in the guest house and it’s just the two of us, which makes me slightly uncomfortable.
“Younger vampires need less rest. We aren’t on the verge of losing our minds like the ancient ones,” he says it like a joke, but there seems to be some malice in it.
“You think Warin has lost his mind?” I ask.
“Keeping a witch inside his home surrounded by vampires, I’d say so,” he says, coming to sit next to me. I scooch away from him, not wanting to be too close. It’s night and day to how I felt last night when Warin was in the same seat.
Conner’s words have me on edge, and I’m not sure why.
“Why would that make him crazy?”
Conner’s green eyes glance down to my throat and I swallow. Quickly holding up my left hand, I showcase the ring I never bothered to hide since I’ve been at the mansion.
“I have protection,” I say. It’s a stupid and arrogant thing to do.
“Magical blood is the most wanted on the market, you know?” he says, hand quickly grabbing my own. Too fast for me to even think as his cold fingers pull the ring off my own.
He holds it between two fingers, holding it up in the air.
“Looks like your cute little protection spell doesn’t help if a vampire physically takes it off.”
My hand is wrapped firmly around my wand, and I try to remember everything I’ve been studying in the new grimoire. I think about last night, how I infiltrated Warin’s memories and how I need to use similar magic to slip into this vampire’s mind and subdue him.
“I’m under Warin’s protection.”
Conner rolls his eyes. “He isn’t half the vampire Oz was. We’ve all gone soft since he took over the parishes. I was supposed to be moving up the ranks, not doing grunt work, driving witches back to their fucking cottages.”
I have no clue if Warin is home, awake, or how deeply vampires sleep. All I know is that I need his help to handle this situation right now.
“You’re making a mistake.”
“It’s alright, I’ll treat you nice. I mean, I will have you locked up and drain you as much as I can daily to keep you alive, but by that point, you’ll be so delirious you won’t feel a thing.”
Conner looks down at my neck. I’m sure my pulse is throbbing.
“Don’t worry, little witch, it won’t hurt…much.”
“Warin!” I shout his name and Conner tsks.
“He’s been starving himself. He won’t wake until the sun sets. He isn’t strong enough to fight me and neither are you,” he whispers, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
Alright, Ember, it’s do or fucking die.
I pull out my wand as quickly as I can and focus, pouring every ounce of energy I can into the spell. I slip into his mind, a jumbled mess of memories, as I finally find what I need, sending the high-pitched signal right into his mind.
He grabs his head, crashing to the floor, as I run as quickly as I can.
