Because even though I told the girls I was quitting, Isis’s idea appeals to the vampire in me that hungers for revenge.
Gideon Blake deserves to suffer.
He cares about Sanctus so much he’ll do anything to save it.
I know exactly how to break a vampire like him.
It will mean doing disgusting things. Smiling at Gideon Blake. Flirting. Giving him just enough to believe he has a chance with me. Debasing myself by pretending to enjoy his company. But if I can get close enough to learn Gideon’s secrets, I can use them to take the one thing he cares about – Sanctus Estate.
I hold the suit up to the mirror.Perfect.
Cleo VII flicks her tongue in agreement.
If I must spend my precious time on this earth in the company of Gideon Blake, then I will make sure he spendsevery momentregretting his betrayal. And that begins by taking his precious development from him, the way he took everything from me.
Gideon Blake should never have crossed me. It may take one hundred and fifty years, but Arabella Lestrange always wins in the end.
SAVE THE ARGLETON GAZETTE AND AUDITION FOR THE ZEN AND TONIC VARIETY SHOW!
Maisie Collins
Argleton Gazette
Your beloved village newspaper is in trouble. Thanks to rising paper costs, dwindling advertising budgets, and a recent decision from the village council to pull our funding, theArgleton Gazetteis short of the budget needed to keep printing our beloved newspaper beyond our 1 November issue.
If theGazetteis forced to shut down, it will be a huge loss for the community. Where else can you get world-class reporting on the Great Cider Mill Explosion of 2024, the inside scoop on heated village beautification committee meetings, sightings of the famed Terror of Argleton, and the latest reviews of the new cake menu at Glazed and Confused, as well as our community notices and weekly horoscopes from our very own village psychic, Isis Meriwether?
This paper has been in circulation since WWI. We’re not going to let a little cost-of-living crisis, non-existent budget, or worldwide paper shortage get the better of us!
To raise funds to keep the presses pressing, we’re hosting the first ever village variety show at Zen and Tonic Pole Studio!
It will be a fun night out for the whole family, but fair warning, some of the acts may be a little risqué!
Sign-ups are on the door outside theGazetteoffices. We’ll be holding auditions early next week at the Zen and Tonic studio. Come along to sing, dance, perform magic, juggle, and save our paper!
6
Gideon
Alaric:Arabella has not called about the scrotum-filleting knife. I’m sorry that you’re distressed.
There was a hairline fracture on the latest sculpture. It was invisible to the human eye but to a vampire, disgustingly obvious. I have thrown it away and begun again.
Winnie says to tell you that yes, you HAVE been secretly pining for Arabella.
Callista:The Conclave is displeased about your little real estate project. They think you’re creating a stronghold of dissenters so that you can establish your own court. I informed them that your ambition stems from a desire to have blood cocktails at all hours of the day and night-time spa treatments, but I’m afraid they remain unconvinced.
You would be wise to respond publicly to their claims.
And find that killer!
ISTARE IN HORRORat the message flashing on the Sepulchrr app, dredging up my past and warning Upyr not to invest in Sanctus Estate.
It’s up to over 10,000 Digs.
My fingers tremble with rage as I navigate to the Sanctus profile to type a response, only to discover that my profile has been blocked from posting.
I guess we’re officially on the Conclave’s bad side.
