The temporary housingLuka had put the House of Thorns in was way nicer than I expected. The floor of the barn was concrete, not dirt, and it was fully insulated, with running water and electricity. Rows and rows of triple, high bunk beds lined the space, with a little meeting area to the front of the room that had various chairs, beanbags, and couches. It was actually quite comfortable for their group of over sixty people.
I’d walked in with Liv and she’d told me that she’d warned everyone that I’d been changed into a vampire to save my life due to a freak accident, but still they stared. Fingers twitched as if looking for a weapon, and their eyes slitted in accusation.
I would fear me too. Liv and I of all people knew what it was like to leave that life and find out it was all a lie.
“Aspen!” a familiar voice said.
I spun, mouth hanging open as Vasquez ran toward me.
I looked at Liv in shock. “You didn’t tell me!”
She smiled. “He got here an hour ago with news of Ruby. Surprise.”
I burst forward and we crashed together, old childhood friends. The air whooshed out of Vaz’s lungs. “Ouch,” he huffed and I realized my hold was too strong.
“Sorry. I’m new.” I pulled back and took him in. He was fully suited up for hunting, stakes and all; his chin was scabbed over and bleeding.
“It’s … going to take some getting used to,” he said, eyes lingering on my lips, which I now wondered if they were tinged red from my “breakfast” with Luka.
Seeing Vaz made me think of Sterling and my heart pinched in sorrow.
“Vaz, I’m so sorry we brought you and Sterling into this.” I looked down at his feet, unable to meet his eyes.
Reaching out, he tipped my chin up. “I’d rather die knowing the truth than live a lie. Sterling was the same.”
That made me feel a little bit better. “What news do you have of Ruby?”
Vaz sighed. “I was laying low at my cousin’s, like Sterling told me to, when Ruby started to contact me. We talked every day until her calls stopped.”
I frowned. They must have been sharing info on everything and trying to put the puzzle pieces together.
“So I came out to Spokane to check on her and saw that the House of Thorns had been burned to the ground. Everyone gone.”
I gasped and Liv nodded. “She got everyone out but it’s ruined,” she said.
Holy crap. It had to be Maz.
Vaz ran a hand through his dark hair. “So I started thinking. If I wanted to find Ruby and I figured Maz had her, I just needed to find Maz.”
I snort-laughed. “Please tell me you didn’t try to break into House of Rose. You’d be a dead man.”
It was the most secure building in the inland Northwest. He shook his head. “I’m not crazy. But I do know a lot about the woman that raised us. Especially when she brags about seeing her beloved blade maker on—”
“Tuesdays!” Liv and I yelled in unison.
Every Tuesday, Maz picked up the House of Rose weapons. Some were new and some were just old blades getting sharpened, but Maz liked to go herself. We all thought she had a bit of a crush on the blade maker.
“And!” I flapped my hands, urging him to go on.
He nodded. “She had Ruby with her, bound and gagged in the car.”
I frowned. Why would she be bringing Ruby around with her? Why hadn’t she killed her yet?
“Aspen, I think Ruby is the lure,” Vaz told me. “She’s setting a trap to pull you and Liv to her so that she can kill you and stop you from saving the other women in the breeder encampments.”
“Well, good, then she is going to get her wish.” I cracked my knuckles and grit my teeth.
Vaz shook his head. “No. Ruby wouldn’t want that. She’d want you to lead her team and continue her work. Save the six other encampments we have data on.”
