“Just take care of the Slayer and get rid of the council,” she says, sitting next to her raccoon, who I swear is raising an eyebrow at me as I leave the room.
“How was I supposed to know you were having a moment with your witch? Soundproof, remember?” Samantha hisses at me as we wait outside.
Sebastian seems on edge, like he wants this to be over with just as badly as I do. I don’t know if the Slayer or the council is the bigger threat, but I want them both gone. What if once all the threats are to the wayside I can have more moments with Ember like I did tonight?
I crave it. The way she smiled, that she confided in me. Whatever I have to do to get more moments like that with her, I’ll do it.
“Let’s end this tonight. I need to feed and this town is dripping with other paranormals I have no interest in running into. I have no idea how you stand it, Warin,” Sebastian complains.
“Did you not smell the witch through the walls this morning? I understand wholly. Are you sure you don’t share? I’m willing to pay whatever price,” Justin says.
I roll my eyes, acting indifferent, while deep down I want to pick up the largest rock in the forest and bash Justin’s head in ten times over. Instead, I give him a glittering smile.
“I’m sure you find it very difficult to get any woman to willingly let you feed off of them.”
He snarls at me, an unmanicured finger pointed in my face. “You little?—”
His words are cut off by Joyce. “Are we sure Warin is feeding on the witch? I scented his blood this evening. What’s to say it isn’t the other way around, that the witch is using his blood.”
I roll my eyes. “Just say you’re boring in bed, Joyce.”
She scoffs, looking like she wants to fight me as Magnus rolls his eyes.
“Enough, children. Let us find the Slayer and be done with this.”
Sebastian pushes his hands in his pockets. “Samantha and I will search the main town. Magnus and Warin will search the perimeter of the home. Everyone else will have other areas to check.”
I glance at Samantha, who doesn’t seem to be put out about working with Sebastian. I don’t like it one bit, but I bite my tongue as we dash through the woods, searching for the Slayer’s scent.
Yet again, he goes undetected.
Chapter 20
Iexpect to wake up with Warin wrapped around my body again. It’s embarrassing when I wake up disappointed that he’s not there.
Hecate, am I really upset that I didn’t wake up next to a vampire?
“Good, you’re awake. I have breakfast,” Warin says, and I startle, blinking to where he stands next to the bed.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?” I ask.
“And give up the chance to entertain you all day, doubtful,” he replies.
“You’re staying awake to spend time with me?” I ask, grabbing a piece of toast and nibbling on the corner.
“I couldn’t manage getting us out of the house today, but we should be set for tomorrow. So I figured I’d give you the next best thing. Quality time with your favorite vampire.”
He grins, but despite his cheery words, I can swear he looks tired.
“Really? We’re leaving the house tomorrow?”
“You said it would make you happy. In the meantime, I was thinking you could work on some spells, we could play morecard games, oh, and Samantha gave me this. I don’t know how it works,” he says, tossing a Nintendo Switch on the bed.
The smell of food must have woken up Gus, because his greedy little hands are grabbing everything he can. As he eats, he gets crumbs on the bed and Warin looks less than amused.
“So, you’re staying up so that we can play cards and I can show you magic spells?” I ask.
“Exactly. Let me go grab the grimoires.”
