Quinn chuckled and crossed the room to pull him in for a hug. “Look at you, all impressed with yourself. A few days ago, you were at death’s door, and now you’re all smug and showing off again.”
Sinking in her gut, Adair choked on a glob of jealousy. She knew he wasn’t with Quinn anymore. That they were friends. But to tease him in the full light, to have that history…
Running forward, Lana added to the hug and jumped up and down, nearly knocking Bennett over. “I don’t think I’ve seen that ego in months. I missed that kick-ass attitude.”
“I’m glad I can still fight and not have to skip out on any daytime missions.”
The team moved into the light, happy and chatting and welcoming Bennett back into their fold. Standing in the shadow of the kitchen, Adair looked down at little Skye. The infant didn’t have a clue how wide open her future was.
***
On realizing Adair had been trapped in the kitchen, the excitement of the moment had faded damn fast. Bennett’s thrill at the realization that he wasn’t totally useless to his team was quickly subdued at her isolation.
Would she even want to join? She’d made it clear she was happy as a vampire. Hell, she had some crazy stories. She’d been offered a ride on theTitanicbut had enough wherewithal tonothead out on a maiden voyage; like dirigibles and old ironclads, she’d left the crazy to humans. But she’d been a force with the suffragettes, had heard Martin Luther King Jr speak, had tossed tea into Boston Harbor, and was on the cover ofVogue.
She’d help to take out Calloway, as she had no other choice. When they’d taken on Sonra and her cronies, Adair had made it clear it was only out of self-preservation. He’d tried to convince her she’d make a hell of a hunter, but she wasn’t interested. Despite the change in circumstances, he doubted her feelings had changed.
He gulped down the last of his beer and set the glass on the table. Diffuse moonlight shined into the room, coalescing with the glow of the fire that warmed the night. “This vampire thing is brilliant.” He grinned. “My eyes should be swimming from reading old texts all day, but still fresh.”
Astrid glared at him. “Speaking of. I think it’s break-time. I’m not finding much.”
Leaning back in his chair, Bodie graced his hand over her back. “Me neither. I’m finding stuff on how vampires change–wish we’d found this book a few days ago–but no mention of a demon hunter ever being changed, or even anyone considering it.”
Closing her book, Astrid pushed it away. “I was so sure I would find the prophecy in the book that we found Quinn and Ryan’s. But I’ve read it twice in twenty-four hours, and there’s hardly even mention of a prophecy that pertains to vampires.”
“Hardly?” Ryan glanced at the monitor that chirped, rising to check on Skye.
Bennett shook his head. “She’s falling back to sleep.”
Lowering back to the chair, Ryan fisted his hand in his short hair as he settled back in. “Creepy, but thanks.”
“Youthink it’s creepy? I had to hear Lana’s chat with her latest boyfriend this afternoon. I really didn’t want to know that much about her… uh, her… Wow, I can’t even say it out loud.” His cheeks flushed as the vivid imagery invaded his brain.
Lana threw a piece of popcorn at him. “You were the one saying that I should try dating a guy for more than a night or two.”
Adair smiled softly and flipped the page in her book. “You get used to it. At least people bathe and wear deodorant these days.”
Crunching a handful of popcorn, Ryan shook his head. “Let’s get back to the ‘hardly.’ What did you find on vampire prophecies?”
Scowling, Astrid grabbed the book and flipped the pages. “Something about a vampire cure, which sounds ridiculously complex and more likely to end in a painful death, or worse. There was another about vampire origins.”
Bennett waved his hand along encouragingly. “And…?”
“Well, I don’t know that it’s relevant; it doesn’t make much sense. Supposedly the demon that fed the first human to create the first vampire left something somewhere in our realm. The language is excessively verbose and has been translated several times over, but he either left his blood for an emergency, or it is some sort of door, or it will unleash something. It doesn’t make any sense. No vampire can actually get to it, but only a vampire can get to it. It sounds like a complex gauntlet of puzzles, blocked stone passageways, leaps of faith, sunlight, and I’m pretty sure it even references a blood test.”
Raising his hand, Bennett chuckled. “Like, maybe someone with vampire blood that can withstand daylight and is strong enough to move heavy rocks that might block a doorway, someone that can jump far, run fast, drink blood…”
Quinn snorted with an amused chuckle. “Yeah, like if someone merged a vampire with a demon hunter.”
Astrid grinned sheepishly and threw popcorn at him.
He caught it midair and popped it into his mouth.
She left the book open and slid it to the center of the table. “And I’m calling it quits for the night.”
Vann sat quietly, a scowl on his face. “This prophecy is relevant, but there’s more. I want to know what Calloway found. The why of it. For now? Agreed, I’m toast. Let’s sleep on it, and maybe more will come to light now that we have something to explore.”
Bennett watched as the others traipsed off to bed. Adair remained at the opposite end of the table. The space between them had been cavernous since… since she’d tempted the hell out of him and simultaneously pissed him off with her little seduction that morning. Had she truly been uncertain that he was indefinitely attracted? He’d made it clear, years ago, that she was permanently imprinted in his fantasy world. Yet she had remained unmoved like they were no big thing.
