The second vampire steps out of a shadow. I’m surprised to see that she looks familiar. It’s the vampire who recruited me, at the vampire bar. Tonight, her sleek black hair is draped over her shoulders, but her terrifying gaze is trained on me again.
“Crimson sent her in here,” she continues, tilting her head slightly to the side. She’s looking at me like I’m a tender, juicy steak. “She’s probably going to drink from her, after your meeting.”
The other vampire’s expression softens. “Ah…”
“We canuseher,” the second vampire says. She bends toward me, and I can see she’s holding a vial of some clear liquid in one hand. She puts on a smile, her eyes widening as she looks down at me. Ratherthan making me feel more at ease, her expression puts all my nerves on high alert. If these vampires don’t kill me, the stress of the night will be enough to give me a heart attack. “I remember you from the bar. I recruited you, didn’t I?”
I’m too scared to speak, so I nod instead.
“And what a wonderful little morsel you are,” she purrs, her eyes traveling over my body. “Would you be willing to do us afavour, pretty one?”
A shiver crawls up my spine. But I know that this isn’t the time to cower. I might not understand what they’re up to, but I know that it’s something I want no part in. I’ve gotten myself in way too deep already.
“Please,” I whimper, desperately. “I just want to go home. I won’t tell anyone anything, I swear on my mother’s grave…”
“What use do we have for dead mothers?” mutters the first vampire, rolling his eyes. “Let’s drain her, Sabina.”
“Patience, Waylan,” hums the second vampire. She looks me over again, her stare like a blaze of frost.
If they’re going to kill me, I want them to get it over with.
“How about this,” Sabina says, addressing me. “Why don’t you help us out for…twenty thousand dollars? You do us a favour, we send you the money, and you go back to your little human life.”
My jaw drops. Twentythousanddollars? That would be enough to pay for both Miles’s treatmentandto start my nursing school fund again.
“That seems like a yes,” Sabina says, with a wide smirk. Her long fingers take the vial of clear liquid and uncork it in one smooth motion.
In the blink of an eye, she’s suddenly crouched over me. Instinctively, I try to scramble away, but she grabs me by my dress, dripping the concoction over my neck. I shudder as she rubs the cold liquid over my skin. It tingles unpleasantly.
“Make sure she drinks from your neck,” Sabina instructs, tucking the empty vial back into her pocket. She takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. My legs feel like jelly, but with effort, I manage to stand. “And don’t stop her. If you feel her bite start to ease, that means it’s working. But it may take some time. Do you understand?”
“I…I understand,” I reply, weakly.
Sabina turns to the other vampire. “I’ll be nearby.”
He nods, then he grips me firmly by the arm and drags me out of the room and into the office opposite, the one that says “Xavian Night” on the door. It’s even larger than the office we were just in, and full of expensive-looking, ebony furniture. There’s an ornate-looking wooden desk and a wide, leather couch. The only light comes from a dim wall sconce.
I deeply regret not coming directly here. Now I’ve entangled myself in some devious vampire plot. The potion on my throat feels sticky and cold.
But…if I could earn that money…that would completely change my life. My brother’s life. I don’t feel good about it, but everything is happening so quickly, and I don’t know if I could refuse even if I wanted to.
The office door swings open suddenly, and the vampire from before enters. She must be Roslyn Night, although the other vampires also called her Crimson. Her grey eyes immediately find Waylan, and she regards him disdainfully.
“You let yourself into my office,” she snarls.
“Xavian’soffice,” he shoots back.
She hisses at him. Instinctively, I recoil backwards, against a heavy bookshelf in the corner of the office.
“I am the King of the Night clan,” she declares. “Everything that was Xavian’s now belongs to me. The sooner you accept that, thesaferyou will be, Waylan.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Crimson,” he replies, eyes flashing. “You seem to forget that there’s no large difference between us in age or strength…”
Crimson barks out a sharp, condescending note of laughter. “If you think that, Waylan, then your grave is already dug. You’ll never best me, and you know it.”
“You’re cocky,” Waylan growls. “Arrogant, andoverconfident. You think that…”
“Iknowthat I’m more powerful than you are,” Crimson says, with a flicker of amusement in her eyes. The other vampire tries to speak, but she cuts him off. “And I’m sick of listening to your whining.”
