She laughs. “No, no, you’re all right. I know it’s unusual, but yes, she’s a vampire. We both love children, and we wanted to expand our family, so…” she gestures at her round stomach.
“That’s amazing,” I answer. “I didn’t even think that was possible.”
“It’s definitely complicated. We had to do some legal research to make sure she could be on the birth certificate. And it’s been tough that she can’t be awake during the day. But we’ve made it work so far.”
I lean across the table, amazed at what I’m hearing. I take a moment to collect my thoughts. This woman seems very nice, and she obviously knows more about the magical world than I do. And more than that…I feel like I can trust her.
She seems to sense my thoughts, and watches me patiently.
“I’m…also seeing a vampire,” I tell her, a little nervous to be disclosing this information to someone. “It’s been a few months, but I…I think I have really strong feelings about her. And I think she might feel the same way about me.”
Lily nods. “Vampires can be complicated.”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “No matter how hard I try, she doesn’t seem to want to let me in.”
“Have you told her how you feel?” Lily asks.
“It’s difficult. I’m worried I might scare her away.”
She thinks about this for a moment. “Well, you seem like a nice person, and you deserve to be with someone who feels the same way about you.”
“I guess so.” I fiddle with my hands in my lap. “But she’s this older, super-powerful vampire, and I’m just…I don’t know, I’m just a regular person.”
“I’m sure you’re not just a regular person,” Lily says. “Don’t sell yourself short. It’s hard to navigate the magical world, especially for non-magical people like us. I’m sure she would be lucky to have you.”
“That’s nice of you to say.”
Lily leans over, and squeezes my shoulder tightly. “Tell her howyou feel. Honesty is always the best policy, trust me.”
“That’s good advice,” I reply, feeling emboldened.
Maybe she’s right. It’s not fair to expect Crimson to communicate with me if I can’t even communicate how I feel to her.
And maybe…maybe Idodeserve that same love and respect. I might be young, and inexperienced, but I’ve grown so much in the months I’ve worked for the Night clan.
“Thank you so much for your help,” I tell Lily, standing up from the table. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
CHAPTER 43: DESTINED TO LOSE
Crimson
“How many did they get?” I demand.
“Four of the newborns,” reports Eloise’s shaky voice from my phone’s speaker. “Their crypts were the closest to the entrance, and the least guarded. At that point, the witches realized something was happening and they managed to stop them. But it wasbad, Crimson…”
“Fuck,” I hiss. “Does anyone else know?”
“Not yet, I called you the moment the sun set. I think it was just an initial strike. The shifters must have turned against us, all of the wolves at least.”
This is what I was worried about. And of course it had to happen when most of the older vampires are away.
“Don’t let anyone leave the mansion. Call back any vampires who are in the city, or make sure they have reinforcements. You said the witches are still allied with us?”
“I think so. They stopped the shifters from wiping out all of the vampires during the day.”
“Was there any indication that they could be working with Oana or Cedric?”
“I’m not sure.”
