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)
“Just forget it,” I tell him and get up. Xavier and Theo are at another VC summit, and they won’t be back for hours. Pushing my hair back, I go through the butler’s pantry and into the kitchen so I can sneak upstairs the back way.
Bickering with Devon makes the biggest knot form in my stomach. I’ve been giving him grace, saying he just has to adjust. Maybe he’s dealing with subconscious anger over being turned. I was, presumably, the only person who knew he hadn’t wished to be turned that night.
“Hey,” Mabel calls softly, standing in the double doors that lead into Xavier’s large bedroom. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just a little frustrated. I’m so close to figuring out who this demon is. I don’t recognize the sigil and I don’t have access to all the books like I used to, and I can’t ask Antonio or Leo to dig into it because they’re not even supposed to know about it.”
“I meant are you okay after the things Devon said.”
“Oh.” I sink down onto the foot of the bed and shrug. “I miss him. Whoever that is…it’s not him. Only, it is. I never knew he felt that way about me when he was human.”
“I don’t think he did. Or really does. Hurt people hurt people.” She comes in and sits next to me. “You didn’t do anything wrong. If I hadn’t been held spellbound, I would have tried to run away too.”
“I thought about it. A lot,” I confess. “I knew it couldn’t be an impulse decision. The Order would come after me. Xavier would have too.” Inhaling, I hold my breath for a few seconds and then let it out. “I didn’t know where I’d go, and Devon pretty much said wherever I went, he’d go too.”
“I shouldn’t say that’s romantic, but it is.” Her brows push together and angles her body toward mine. “I think, in the end, he thought you two would be together.”
I want to brush her off and say that’s crazy. There’s no way Devon looked at me as anything but someone to carry on the family line, fulfilling a duty before he could ascend into vampirism. I want to, so the guilt doesn’t crush me…but I can’t. Because she’s right.
“Things don’t go the way we think they will and that’s the beauty and pain of living, right? Even after you’re dead.” She puts her hand on mine and gives it a squeeze. “I’m really glad you didn’t run away. Call me a selfish-sally for saying that, but I am glad.”
“I’m glad too.” My eyes go to the metal blinds on the bedroom windows. Xavier has these set to close five minutes before sunrise and open exactly one minute after sundown, which gives me a few minutes to enjoy a tiny bit of fading natural light. Thinking about that for some reason makes an idea pop into my head.
The cops went to the campground during the day. They did a pretty thorough investigation, according to the report, but they were there in the morning and gone before the sun went down. It will be completely different in the dark.
She smiles. “Once Devon can get control of himself, he can be part of business stuff more. He’ll settle into a routine and have some purpose. He’s like a border collie that needs a job.”
“I might have one.”
“A job? Are you going to have him chase sheep?”
“No. Something much more fun. Demons.”
Chapter
Thirty-One
Iextend my hand, using magic to push open the tall, metal gate that leads to Camp Dogwood. Xavier watches, looking both proud and turned on from me using magic. A little pressure builds right behind my eyes from the concentration it takes to bend energy to my will. I’m going to have to put in hours of practice to really get telekinesis down.
The gate slowly creaks back, opening up so Xavier, Devon, and I can walk through.
“You know,” I say as we start down the long, gravel driveway leading to the camp. “All things considered, this place is nice.”
“It has that stereotypical summer-camp vibe,” Devon agrees. “And makes a good setting for a horror movie.”
“I should have sent you here,” Xavier says. “Would have been cheaper than the summers you spent at Lake Geneva.”
Man, it’s so weird to think about Xavier always looking the same while watching Devon grow up. That’s probably the real reason why Xavier never sees any new vampires he creates as equals. Despite them not having powers vampires only get with age, they are still children in his mind.
We could all benefit from so much therapy.
“Remember,” I tell them. “If you think you hear someone calling your name…you didn’t.”
“I don’t know if I believe in skinwalkers,” Devon replies and I come to a sudden halt, giving in an are you fucking serious look. He motions to Xavier. “He’s lived in this area for how long and hasn’t seen one.”