She stopped retreating, but she still looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her. “It can wait. Seriously. I didn’t mean to interrupt your...your...” She gestured vaguely at the bed.
“Our conversation?” I offered dryly.
“Sure. Yes. That.”
Jared had his shirt back on now. He dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “I’ll go take a cold shower.”
I rolled my eyes as he squeezed my hand. “Text me later?”
I nodded, and he slipped past Mindy, who was still muttering apologies. She watched him go, then turned back to me with an expression that was part embarrassment, part adoration. It was the second part that made me melt.
“Okay,” I said, patting the bed beside me. “Spill. What’s the big deal?”
She hesitated, then crossed the room and perched on the edge of the mattress. “It’s about Zane.”
“What about him?”
“I don’t think keeping him here is a good idea.” The words came out in a rush. “I know your mom decided to trust him, and I know he confessed and everything, but Allie. He’s Samarek’s son. And I looked up Samarek. Like, really dug into the archives.”
“And?”
“And he’s insane. Like, genuinely, horrifically insane. The things he did to people. To himself. He literally replaced his own body parts with demon bits. And there are accounts of him keeping people alive for years while he experimented on them to learn how to do that.” She shuddered. “Zane came from that monster. That’s his father. That’s his blood.”
I felt something cold settle in my chest. “So you’re scared of him because of something he had no choice in?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“He didn’t choose to be a demon’s kid, Mindy. He didn’t ask for any of this.”
“I know that. But still.”
“And he told my mom everything. He came forward on his own. He could have kept lying, but he didn’t. He chose to tell the truth.”
“Maybe.” She had her stubborn face on. “People say what they need to say to survive. How do we know this isn’t just another manipulation? Another move in whatever game Samarek’s been playing?”
“Because I looked at his face when he talked about Trevor. Because I saw him fall apart. Because?—”
“Because he seems like a nice guy, and that’s all you can see. But what if that’s a mask? He’s right here living under the same roof with us.”
Anger roared through me. “So we should just write people off because of where they came from? Because of what’s in their blood?” I was on my feet now, the blanket falling away, too angryto care. “You know who else has demon stuff in their blood? My dad. You know who’s an actual vampire? My boyfriend. The one you just walked in on and who didn’t suck you dry for doing it. I mean, let’s think. Oh, right, he was actually polite.”
Mindy’s face went pale. “That’s not the same.”
“How is it not the same? My dad carried a demon inside him for years. Jared is literally undead. And you’re sitting here telling me we should be scared of Zane because his father is a monster?”
“I’m not saying that.”
“Bullshit. You’re saying exactly that.” My hands were shaking. All the fear from the last few days, all the uncertainty about the portal and my blood and whether any of us were going to survive this—it was all pouring out now, aimed at the easiest target. “You’re saying that blood is destiny. That what your parents did determines who you are. That people can’t choose to be different.”
“Allie, I’m just scared, okay?” Mindy’s eyes were bright with tears. “I’m scared and I don’t know what to do and I thought maybe you’d understand.”
“Understand what? That my best friend thinks my dad and my boyfriend are ticking time bombs because of something they never chose?”
“That’s not fair!”
“Get out.”
Mindy stared at me. “Allie?—”
