“I know something you don’t as well,” Takashi whispered. He squeezed Zack’s shoulders. “Everything is going to be okay in the end.”
Thomas’s letter had been filled with signals that he was prepping for something dangerous. Now Takashi was saying everything would be fine. Whatever the plan was, it was going off tonight. He could imagine—no. He had to trust Roger and Takashi. The best way for Zack to help them was to mentally sing annoying songs to keep himself from thinking something that would put them in danger.
Let’s see how many times I can sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in a row.
CHAPTER 53
Takashi abandoned his smile as soon as the limo door was shut. He was in a seat beside the divider to the driver’s cabin. Thanks to the general chaos of being at a crowded party, he’d been able to drink enough blood that he felt far more like himself. The situation he was in wasn’t immensely improved, but a general cloud had been obscuring his senses. He only noted it for its absence. There had been moments where the fog was lighter—the times Zack had shared blood with him—but even that didn’t compare to energy that came from mortal blood.
Seamus’s pets sat across from Takashi. The three mortals looked exhausted, bags under their eyes, and the girl leaned against one of the boys. Did Roger have a plan for them? Takashi didn’t want to leave them behind, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure they’d want to go. As much as they might fear their lives, they might prefer the pain they knew than face the unknown.
Zack, Katie, Anton, and Seamus were at the other end. When Zack tried to slide down toward Takashi, Seamus glared at him. A bright panic—loud as an elephant trumpeting—poured out from Zack and knocked through Takashi.
Zack was worried for him. Likely, Seamus was planning retribution. Over the course of the party, Takashi had hearda few rumors about Seamus’s intentions for the future. Murmurings of abuse and lunacy concerning dragons had been almost as common a theme as fawning over the new fledglings making their debut. Only four people could have started that sort of talk. Anton and Seamus never would, and Takashi knew he hadn’t. That left Zack.
Whatever patience Seamus had for Zack was rapidly thinning. Takashi would likely be the first target of his wrath, but he wouldn’t be the last.Please, please let Roger come before anything irreversible happens.
“When do we get to go back there?” Katie said as she stretched out. “I haven’t had that much fun ever.”
“We’ll go soon,” Anton said.
“We’ll take you to a few other places, too,” Seamus said. He had his arm around Anton’s shoulders. If one didn’t know better, they looked like a perfectly contented couple. “If you thought the Chateau was fun, wait until you have a night at Devil’s Cove.”
Katie scrunched her nose. “Isn’t that a blood club? I heard those places were gross.”
Seamus’s smile tightened, and his tone cooled. “Just when I believe you’re a young lady, you demonstrate that your tastes remain that of a child.”
“She’s very young, love,” Anton said. “You know mortals these days are not like the ones of former decades.”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps it is you and Takashi have made a poor choice,” Seamus replied, his words as sharp as his fangs. “As I recall, there were three girls, two of whom made off with my sports car? One of them would have been a better vampire. It may not be too late to start over on this little experiment of yours.”
Zack stared at his knees, not saying a word. His fists were clenched, and Takashi could see the tension in his lover that meant an inner war was waging. However, he was staying still.Quiet. Was he biding his time? Or trying to keep from making something worse?
“Maybe Anton could do a lot better than a megalomanic sociopathic prick for an eternal partner,” Katie returned.
Seamus narrowed his eyes. “You will treat me with respect,child.”
Katie clutched the edge of her seat and leaned forward toward Seamus. “I don’t respect anyone who doesn’t respect me.”
A glimmer of intense rage boiled out from Seamus.
Katie had only responded to what had been done to her. She had merely tried to be herself. For that, the turning wheels of Seamus’s mind were fueled with anger. No doubt, he was preparing to punish Katie. He was making a fist.
Master vampires often used violence against their subordinates. With supernatural healing, physical wounds seemed like nothing. The violence carried psychological damage, though. Takashi could already see the ripples changing Zack, turning him fearful in a way he hadn’t been before.
We can build a wonderful new world. Together, Roger had said.
Takashi wanted to see what that world would be like. He longed to know what a home was. And he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing a sliver of Katie cut away because Seamus willed it so. She was part of him, though they still knew so little of each other. Allowing her emotions past his walls, he sensed her bubbling longing for unending life and fun. She was a drop of youth in amber. Seamus wanted to melt away the protection keeping her from fearing him and the world around her.
Takashi’s own youth had been cut away in pieces, the first large chunk sliced off when a stranger spat at him. The last of it had been ripped away on a cold shore of an island in Lake Michigan. As young as Zack was, he didn’t have the spark thatKatie did, and whatever was left of his youth was already falling away.
She deserved safety, love, happiness—everything that was the antithesis of Seamus’s household.
Takashi locked gazes with Anton. He willed his own desire to protect Katie toward him.
Anton matched his stare, then pursed his lips and nudged Seamus. “You’re being too hard on her.”
“Don’t you dare begin,” Seamus snapped. “I have had enough of the children acting up tonight. I do not need your bullshit.”
