Farrah nods and inhales deeply before letting it out slowly.
Rorik closes his eyes. After a few seconds, he tilts his head and frowns.
“You have some serious shields in here. Your current thoughts are easily heard but your memories are well protected.”
Likely from what her hunter family taught her.
“Do you know how to drop them?”
Farrah chews on her bottom lip; her brows pinched. “It’s been a while since I’ve done that.”
“Take your time,” Rorik says.
The gentleness in his voice surprises me. He’s being careful with her. I’ve only known the vampire to be vulgar and lacking compassion.
He sighs, clearly hearing my thoughts.
My nerves are on high alert right now, and I’m not focusing on my own shields. I’m likely broadcasting my thoughts directly into his head.
You are. So, shut up and let me focus.
I mentally flip him off, which brings a smirk to the vampire’s face.
“Okay,” Farrah says. “Try now.”
The room is quiet while Rorik digs around inside Farrah’s head. The tension is thick. Xander watches with hisarms crossed and a concerned look on his face. Evangeline twists a piece of her hair, nervous for herbestie.
We all know there's nothing to worry about with Farrah, but I think it’s the anticipation of what he’ll find that has us all on edge.
“Oh,” Rorik says, that annoying smirk returning to his face. “You two have been busy.”
Farrah’s mouth opens to form an ‘o’ while her face darkens to a deep red. I fist my hands in my lap, digging my claws into my palms to stop me from shoving them inside Rorik’s chest.
The vampire hums, delighted by whatever he’s seeing.
“It’s like a movie. Crisp, clear, artsy. Oooo. Naughty. And… hot.”
“Okay,” I say, standing at the same time Rorik releases Farrah’s hands.
He uses his vampire speed to hide behind Xander, peering around the gargoyle king’s side with a mischievous smile.
“That’s enough, children,” Evangeline says to us. She turns her attention to Rorik. “You’re 3,000 years old—”
“3,032 to be exact.”
“Fine. Maybe act like it then?”
He pouts. “Maturityis so boring, though.”
“What did you see, Rorik?” Xander asks, stepping away from the vampire who was still hiding behind him.
“Oh, nothing crazy. I mean, I saw A LOT.” His smile quickly drops at Xander’s scowl. Rorik clears his throat. “They don’t tell her much, only informing her when there’s been a death. The man you captured after the explosion and shootout was her cousin, Beau. She wasn’t close to him. However, one of the hunters killed during the attack after Vara was kidnapped was her younger brother, Ethan. They told her that the warehouse in Queens where they took Vara was their new headquarters. Obviously, that’s not the case anymore since the gargoyles cleared it out. I didn’t see anything in her head about where they’ve relocated. Other than that, she knows nothing about her family’s operations. Though, they’ve repeatedly asked her to reconsider joining despite her refusing every time.”
Farrah has already told us most of this.
Yet something Rorik said has piqued Xander’s interest.
He hums, one arm over his chest while one hand strokes his smooth jaw.
