Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“No,” I say, not seeing the point in lying about it. “I didn’t.”
“But that’s not where the surprises end,” she goes on. “Just today, your name was brought up at the station.”
“Station?” I question, though I know exactly what she means. And she knows it.
She gives me a small smile, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Quite unfortunate you had to witness a druggie run into oncoming traffic.”
“Yeah, it was, uh, awful.”
“But you weren’t too fazed.” She cocks an eyebrow.
“What makes you say that?” I ask and take in a breath.
“Xavier Malus isn’t the only one with his hand in the cookie jar. We have wolves employed by the CPD. You were given the star treatment, weren’t you?”
I drop my guard, lowering the mental shield that I subconsciously carry around me to get a read on her energy. It’s not that she doesn’t like me—she really is curious—and she’s smart to be wary. “Yeah, I was. I guess I can thank my husband for that.”
Everyone else at the table is watching the exchange, eyes bouncing from Larkin to me like pingpong balls.
“I guess you can.” She drums her fingers on the table, tapping each long nail one by one. “I couldn’t connect you to a coven,” she repeats. “But I did uncover your maiden name. Florence Russo.”
“Yeah. That’s me. Or was me.”
“Part of the Russo family.” Larkin did her research, which probably isn’t that hard. “Mark and Vivian Russo are your parents.”
“Adoptive parents,” I correct.
Bazzel leans forward. “I’m not following,” he says, shaking his head.
“Consider yourself lucky,” Larkin goes on. “Mark and Vivian Russo are well known hunters in the area.”
“Hunters?” James echoes.
“Yes,” Larkin says, eyes on me. “Some of the best in the Order.”
“The Order?” Delphi repeats. “Like the Order of the Mystic Realm?”
“Yeah,” I reply. “I was raised in the Order.”
“How?” Victoria, who’s been quiet until just now, asks.
Deciding to go with the story I was told my entire life, I inhale. “The Russos were hunting the demons that killed my family. They found me and were afraid the demons would come back to finish the job, so they took me home with them to protect me.”
“That’s fucked up,” Delphi says. “They just kept you like a lost puppy? You didn’t have other family looking for you?”
I shrug. “Apparently not,” I go on, stomach tightening. It is fucked up, and even more so when you know the real story.
“I’m sorry,” Delphi says. “I just can’t. How the hell does a witch end up in the Order? Once they realized you were a witch, they would have killed you. As a child, it would have been easy to do.” Larkin gives her a pointed look. “Oh come on. We all know the Order hates anyone who’s not fully human.”
I pick up my drink, giving myself a few seconds to consider my answer. No one needs to know my whole history, but I’m not ashamed, and sharing something personal is a good way to build trust. The wolves aren’t here by chance. They’re at this bar, in the same building as the VC is gathering, for a reason. The Malus vampires have been in control of the city for a very long time, but that doesn’t mean they will never be challenged.
“It’s kind of a long story.”
“I’ll make time for it,” Bazzel says and leans back. “She’s not the only one curious, and there’s been talk. It’s always best to hear it right from the source instead of trying to interpret all the rumors going around.”
“Oh, there’s rumors about me?” I chuckle and then take a drink, carefully planning my every move. I’ve been trained on how to connect with people, and know the subtle tricks of the trade to employ to help gain their trust. And right now, I need to make them think that I consider myself on the same level as them. They’re used to the vampires in this coalition acting all high and mighty—for good reason, I might add—but that telling someone you’re better than they are isn’t a good way to make a friend.
James raises his eyebrows. “You can imagine everyone’s shock when Xavier Malus of all people shows up at a coalition meeting with a human wife who turns out to be a witch. Witches and vampires don’t share a friendly history.”
“We don’t,” I say, and feel like an outsider. I am a witch, but I wasn’t raised like one and the history of my people is mostly unknown to me. But now’s not the time for crippling imposter syndrome. Everyone is staring at me, waiting for me to explain my origin story.
“Like I said, the Order was hunting the demons that killed my family. Vivian Russo told me when she found me, she knew I was in danger and wanted to protect me, and that they didn’t know my parents were witches too. The Order believed witches got their powers from making a deal with the devil or something, which isn’t true. We’re born with powers. There’s no way to gain them or even get rid of them.”