11. Kieran

Sam leaps to his feet when I close the front door behind me. "What the fuck, Kieran? What happened now?"

I sigh, resting the back of my head against the door for a minute. This had better not be a common occurrence; the last few months have been a massive pain in the arse, and the last thing I want to do is spend the rest of my life fending off vampires.

"Tristan and Adelaide escaped. Tristan attacked us on the way back."

"They—He did? Wait, ‘us'?"

I shake my head, removing my shoes and coat before I wander into the kitchen. Sam moves to the other side of the counter, watching as I start making tea for us both.

"Yeah, and you were right to be worried, too. I'm pretty sure whoever I sensed at the gym this morning is the same person helping Tristan out."

"Fuck." Sam clenches his jaw.

As I wait for the kettle to boil, I lay out what happened tonight. His eyes are round as saucers when I finish, but his expression is no less thunderous for it.

"Teleportation?" he mutters. "That's impossible."

I shrug. "I don't know what to tell you."

"I should go check—"

"They're all out there. Lucien called some other vamp before I came in."

"So what now?"

"I think they'll keep an eye on me. The vamps, I mean. Hopefully, they'll track him down and—"

Sam shakes his head vehemently. He takes his tea and curls up in a corner of the sofa again, though he waits for me to join him before he speaks. "Not if he's got a mage who can teleport. They'd have to be from one of the old families. There are spells to do it, but not the way you described."

"She. I heard a woman shout Tristan's name before he vanished. Wasn't Adelaide."

"You didn't see her?"

"No, why?"

Sam's face is pale. He shakes his head. "She either teleported him to her and then them both away or teleported them both away from different locations. Whichever it was, she's very powerful, but it means she shouldn't be out again tonight, either."

"Why?"

"That kind of magic is… draining." Sam frowns into his cup, and I can see him thinking something over before he speaks again. "To do what she did, she'll have pulled from the firmament. It's dangerous, but it gives you more power."

I have a thousand questions, even with as little as I know about magic. In the end, I settle on, "Is she more powerful than you?"

Sam meets my gaze for a moment but doesn't answer. We lapse into silence. When Sam finishes his tea, he sets his empty mug down and gets to his feet.

"I'm going to check the wards."

"Sam…"

"No, they—they'll hold. I know that. I just need to make sure."

"I'll come with you."

"No. I'll take my phone."

I frown, but he's already at the door and he slips out without looking back.

I never should've killed that first vamp. We'd been on our way back from a night out, Sam and I, when we'd heard a woman scream. Neither of us had hesitated to run towards the sound, but what we'd come across—

The vampire had been torturing her. I didn't look at him long enough to see if he'd been glamoured. Why would I? Sam had rushed past, trying to help the woman, even though we both knew it was useless, and then for a second, the vamp had got the better of me, and he'd turned towards Sam, and I'd…

I didn't even have a stake at the time. Blood stained my hands, shards of bone scraping my skin. Nothing I did would keep him down. There was a skip nearby, and I'd grabbed a stray piece of wood and just—

We couldn't save the woman. Neither of us wanted to speak to the Council, but Sam more so than I, and he'd had this distant stare that had scared me more than anything else we'd faced that night.

But now…

I sigh, leaning forward to rest my face in my hands. I don't regret trying to save her. I can't. Just like I can't regret anyone I've saved since—either there and then or just the nebulous hypotheticals.

My life would be easier, though, if I'd done nothing. Sam's too.

My phone buzzes and I frown, debating pulling it from my pocket. I don't know what I was thinking, giving Lucien my number. I shouldn't want to hear from him again.

After a moment, I sigh and pull it out. The text is from an unknown number—naturally—but my heart leaps into my throat when I realise it's not from Lucien at all.

Hey. It's Drew. Sorry I never got in touch, but I need help. Please. I need to leave. Can I come to you?

I stare at the message until the letters blur and then I get up and march into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I don't know when Sam will be back, and he can't see me like this.

I slump to the floor, the door at my back. When I hold my phone up again, my hands are shaking.

There's only one way my brother could have this number, so I'm almost certain he's being honest. There are a handful of people I trust in this world, and two of them are with him, just like I begged them to be.

But if anyone gets hold of his phone… I still can't give too much away.

I let out a heavy breath. The lines are blurring, the walls I erected between my own life—the life I want—and all that darkness crumbling bit by bit.

Still, what else can I do? Throw him to the wolves?

Of course. When? We can sort it out.

Once the message has been sent, I stare at my phone until the screen goes dark. He's probably turned his off.

By the time Sam returns, I'm pacing the living room. One thing is certain. I can't have Drew here if there's a threat to me. To us.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Yeah." I should tell him about Drew. Tell him he's coming, at least, but I can set that aside for now. "We should check out where I was attacked tomorrow. The vampires will be gone by then."

"Yeah, okay." Sam narrows his eyes. "You sure you're okay? You look… frazzled."

I take a deep breath. I need to maintain control. If my head is spinning, then I'm not thinking properly.

"No, I'm fine. I just—"

"You don't think the vampires are going to catch him, do you?"

"No."

"You think we can?"

"Do you?"

Sam chews the inside of his cheek, crossing his arms over his chest. He stares past me, apparently thinking it over.

"I think we can try," he says eventually.

It'll have to be good enough.

The next afternoon finds us at the attack site. I lean against a nearby wall, watching as Sam works.

Not that I can see anything. I can feel his magic, though, increasing from the prickle I'm used to up to an almost annoying hum. When I frown, Sam turns towards me and rolls his eyes.

"You know you don't have to be right up my arse the entire time, right?"

I shake my head. I can't help it. After the attack, Lucien's injury, and now the prospect of Drew coming, I'm on edge. I hardly want Sam out of my sight.

Sam shrugs. Disgruntled as he is, he doesn't want to argue, and I'm glad for it.

After a while, he speaks. "There's a magical signature. It feels…"

When he trails off, I frown. "You recognise it?" My voice is pitched low, even though there's not anyone around to hear me.

"I can work with Ophelia and Dante to try to track it," Sam says instead, ignoring the question. "We can try for Tristan and Adelaide, too. Vampires aren't mages, but they still have a unique magical signature."

I take the bait, just like he knew I would. "You can track vampires?"

Sam joins me in leaning against the wall. "They're powered by magic. Death magic. They can't use it, but it's still theirs. Any creature of magic is the same."

"So humans…"

"Humans without any magical blood don't have it," Sam says with a nod. "Same for hunters."

"Hunters don't have magic?" I'm surprised. I've always thought they did, though admittedly my exposure to hunters has been very limited.

"No. Well, again, not most of them. They're human, just humans with different abilities."

I let out a surprised grunt. Good to know. I wonder…

It doesn't matter. There's some magic in me, sure. Enough to feel the rest of it, if it's concentrated enough. I don't know if I like that it makes me trackable, but then we live in one of the most heavily surveilled countries in the world. I don't think I need to get miffed about the magic thing.

"When you're with Ophelia and Dante—" I begin.

"I'll ward where we're working," he promises. "The wards will still be up at the flat, so you'll be protected if you're there, too."

"Isn't that too much?"

A shadow crosses Sam's face.

"No," he says finally. He pushes off from the wall and I drop into step beside him. "It'll be fine. I'll still be able to help with the tracking spell, but the gods only know if we'll manage it. It's not a speciality for any of us."

"Whatever you can do," I say. I'm not optimistic about the vampires finding Tristan, but I hope they manage it.

We split once we're back home and I start to get ready for work. I'm still tired and more than a little concerned about how safe we'll be there tonight, but there's nothing else I can do. If I hole up in the flat, and Tristan really is out to get me, then what's there to stop him going after everyone in the shop?

When I step out into the chilly night, my eyes narrow at the sight of Lucien waiting by the street. Our gazes lock and my stomach flips. I gave him my number so he wouldn't surprise me like this.

What is he doing?

He smiles tentatively as I step through the wards, and I fight my own smile in return. His drops quickly.

"What are you doing here?"

"We still have found no sign of Tristan," Lucien says. "Crai Vasile thought it prudent for someone to accompany you to and from work until we do."

I glance up at him. I think he's lying. I don't know why I think it because the words are smooth and make sense, but I do.

"And you couldn't call?"

Lucien frowns. "I did not…" Did it even occur to him?

I sigh. "C'mon, then."

I'm not happy about it. Of course not. I don't want vampires in my life. Still, it's different to have Lucien at my side as I walk. For some reason, I don't consider him a threat, which means he has to be here to help, right?

"Did you all find anything new today?"

"No." Lucien's brow furrows in frustration. "Nothing."

"And did you—"

"I cannot speak of clan matters."

I blink at him in surprise. His tone is sharp, cold. It makes me frown in return, and I shove my hands into my pockets.

I shouldn't be annoyed. That distinction is what I want.

Right?

We round another corner and I shoot him a furtive look. Lucien is looking everywhere but at me as we walk, which should make me feel better—he's alert—but I feel like…

I feel like he's avoiding something.

"What's going on?" I say, coming to a stop.

"Excuse me?" Lucien stops, too, and the confusion on his face is almost real.

"You're being…" I wave a hand in his direction. "Strange."

"You do not know me well enough to attest to that."

"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" I scowl and take a step closer. To his credit, Lucien doesn't move away. "What happened? Did you find them?"

"We did not."

"Then what—" I throw my hands up in exasperation. "Why are you here? Is Tristan gonna come out of nowhere again?"

"It is a distinct possibility."

The truth hits me, sinking like a stone in my stomach. "I'm bait."

A flicker of guilt crosses Lucien's face. It's gone quickly but not fast enough.

"Fucking hell," I mutter and start walking again. "I don't know if it's worse that I have a vampire babysitter or that your clan's using me to draw your rabid member out."

"It is not—You will be fine."

"Oh, sure. Up until he sinks his fangs into me, I will be."

I'm being a bit dramatic, maybe, but I can't help myself. Lucien's grip on my arm is sudden and strong. I jerk to a halt, too surprised to do anything but stop and look at him.

"He will not get to you." His green eyes burn as they bore into mine, as though he can keep me safe just by sheer force of will. "That is why I am here. Yes, we believe your presence will force Tristan to come out of hiding, but that does not mean you will be unprotected."

My heart thuds against my ribs and for once, I have no way of slowing it down. It feels as though it's jumped up into my throat and if I speak, it'll leap at Lucien and beg to be his.

I tug my arm out of his grip at the thought, noting absently that his breathing has sped up to match my own.

"I—" I cut myself off. "Thanks. I think."

Lucien nods in reply. We don't speak for the rest of the walk.