9. Kieran

By seven, I'm almost falling asleep where I stand. The post-work rush is over, so the shop's quiet, and I've been left to stock up and tidy, which is not exactly helping to energise me.

It takes me a minute to notice Carey standing at the end of the aisle, watching me with her hands on her hips. She frowns, scrunching her button nose when I jolt and notice her.

She shouldn't be able to sneak up on me like that.

God, I'm tired.

"You look like shit," she says as she approaches. She rests her hip against the cage I'm unloading, tipping her head back to look up at me. I sigh and turn away. She's in charge tonight and even though there are only four of us in, I know she won't hesitate to send me home if she thinks I'm ill.

She kind of does what she wants all the time. I don't mind. When she does come and help with something, she usually manages to do it in half the time it takes the rest of us, and she does it well.

"Thanks," I mutter. I'm not surprised. I've healed but getting better that fast burns some serious energy. Plus, I can't remember what I ate today. I skipped breakfast. Lunch…?

"We both know you're not gonna go home, so why not take a nap in the back?"

"Huh?" I blink at her, then shake my head. "No. I'll be fine."

Besides, something feels weird. I'm pretty sure I'm just spooked after getting kidnapped and interrogated and then from sensing magic earlier today, but still…

I don't want to leave them all out here alone.

"Fine," she says, sighing as she throws her hands in the air. "But if you pass out, I'm leaving you there. Don't think my tiny arse could lift you anyway."

I huff a laugh as she walks away, still muttering to herself. Once I'm alone again, I slip my phone out of my pocket and shoot Sam a quick text to ask if he wants me to pick anything up.

Bring chocolate.

He's at the flat, then, which settles me a little. If Sam's back and wanting chocolate, then Dante's safe, too, meaning we're all fine.

I let out a quiet sigh, jerking my head up when I realise, again, I'm not alone.

Lucien stands at the end of the aisle and when he sees me looking, his gaze darts away. My heart hammers in my chest for a second before I get control of myself.

I glance around again. There's no one here, so I stalk over to him with a scowl. "What are you doing here?" I hiss. "How did you even find me?"

He gestures at the logo on my shirt. Fuck, yeah, okay. I was wearing my other one yesterday and this is the only store of this chain so close to my flat.

"What's going on?"

"There has been a… development."

I stare at him when he stops talking. Does he think I can just guess?

"What's happened?"

"Tristan and Adelaide have escaped."

The floor seems to tilt beneath my feet, and I shoot a hand out, grasping a nearby shelf so I don't stumble. It takes me a second to realise Lucien's hands are on me, too, that he's holding my elbow to keep me steady.

When he sees I've noticed, he lets go.

My skin tingles where he touched. It's not wholly unlike the feeling I get when I sense magic, but I don't want to think about it for too long.

"What do you mean, ‘they escaped'?"

"They killed the guards. The human ones. And the other two vampires who were with them last night. A magic user helped them."

A mage? Oh, fuck. I rub the back of my neck when every hair there stands on end. Are they here? Are we being watched?

"We have to go."

"No!" I say, too loudly, and when Carey walks past the end of the aisle, peering in with concern, I give her what I hope is a reassuring smile. I grab Lucien's arm and steer him away, handing him something from the shelves, not even looking at what it is before I push it into his grip.

"It is not safe—"

"For them," I say, jerking my head in a way that I hope encompasses everyone I work with. "I can't just leave them unprotected."

"They will be fine."

"Can you promise it?"

Our eyes meet, something sparking between us. I already know he can't. How could he? Tristan clearly has no qualms about killing humans, and it seems like Adelaide isn't much better. If they did that to people they knew…

"He is likely to come after you."

"Then it'll be the last thing he does. I can promise you that."

Lucien shakes his head. "You do not understand. He is—"

"No, you don't understand," I hiss. "I didn't ask for this! This is exactly what I've been trying to avoid. But you all couldn't control your clan, so I had to do it. And now you've all fucked up again, but somehow this is my problem? No, fuck that."

Lucien's shoulders curl in as I snap at him, and I ignore the flare of guilt I feel in my chest. It's not my fault. It's his. Or the vampires', anyway.

"Just leave me alone," I say. "I'll be fine. I don't need your help."

As I watch, the guilt on Lucien's face twists into anger. His lips press into a thin line, and I know I shouldn't, but I can't help the spark of interest I feel at that expression.

It doesn't matter. It's gone in an instant, and Lucien ducks his head in something that might have once been a polite bow.

"Very well," he says. He extends the box of cereal bars I shoved at him back to me, and I hesitantly take it. "I am certain you will be fine."

I do my best not to think of Lucien for the rest of my shift, but it's basically impossible. When I'm not thinking about him, I'm thinking about Tristan and Adelaide—are they nearby? Are they waiting for me to come out, or will they barge in at any moment and kill everyone I work with?

Carey eyes me as I wait while she locks up. "Everything good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I need her to get in her car. I need to be behind the safety of the wards. The flat's not far from here.

"Really? Because it looked like you and your boyfriend were getting into it."

I turn my head so quickly, I'm surprised I don't give myself whiplash. "Boyfriend?"

"Yeah. That hot blond guy you were talking to. You're together, right? Oh, is it new?"

"I—We're not—"

She waves me off. "Not my business, I get it. Hope it works out, though." She turns her face up to the night sky before she looks at her car. "Want a lift?"

I shake my head. I need the walk home, the fresh air. It's only fifteen minutes, and even if Tristan is out there, I can take him when it's one-on-one. Besides, I literally have something up my sleeve.

Fuck, the mage, too. Two-on-one.

But if they're waiting at the flat…

"Nah, I'm good," I say. "See you tomorrow?"

Carey eyes me for a moment before she shrugs, apparently giving in. "Sure, see you tomorrow."

I wait for her to pull away before I leave the relative shelter of the shop doorway and step out onto the street. Vampires can run fast, but I'm pretty sure they have trouble keeping up with cars.

I'm not supposed to be thinking about vampires, anyway. It's done with. Tristan and Adelaide have escaped? Great. Not my concern. I—

I come to a sharp stop as I round the first corner.

Lucien is there, leaning against a low garden wall. He looks up when I stop, expression pinched with resignation.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might try to walk home alone," he says. "It would be ill-advised tonight."

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

Lucien's glare is cutting. "Yes."

"Then go do that!" I stomp past him, but all he does is push off from the wall and follow.

This guy… I clench my jaw, not liking that he's at my back.

No. That's not it.

I pause for a moment and Lucien catches up, walking alongside me. That's better. I just need to have eyes on him, that's all.

"You don't have to walk me home. I'll be fine."

"It is not as if I do not already know where you live," Lucien replies. "It would be difficult for you to disappear."

Well, that's true. "Tell me someone's out looking for him, at least."

"Of course." Lucien sniffs, his accent a little stronger. Is he annoyed? "Our crai has mobilised the clan. Every chieftain is out with a small team, trying to track them down."

"Every chieftain?" I frown. Fuck if I know anything about the clan, but from what I remember from last night, Lucien's got a position, right? "Then what are you doing here?"

Lucien raises an eyebrow but only holds my gaze for a moment before he sighs. "Crai Vasile asked me to come," he admits. "I believe he thought you would be more amenable to my presence than that of one of the other vampires."

Hm. I don't have a reply to that; mostly because he's not wrong. The thought of seeing any of those other vampires in the shop—I can't guarantee I wouldn't have staked them.

Lucien's different. I don't know why, and I shouldn't want to.

I open my mouth to speak again as we round the final corner—how we've come this far so quickly is beyond me—but I pause.

"Lucien—"

Something grabs me around the middle and tosses me to the ground.

No, not something.

Someone.

Tristan.

He snarls, teeth way too close to my throat for comfort, but I get an arm between us and shove him back. It's only a second before he's gone. Lucien grabs him and drags him back, and as he turns in Lucien's grip, trying to bite him, too, I scramble to my feet.

They grapple, snarling and hissing. My backpack is on my back, but I don't think of that.

I shift my arm, feeling the stake slide down my sleeve.

I didn't come out unprepared tonight.

Tristan gets a heavy punch in and Lucien stumbles, letting him go. He recovers quickly before Tristan can turn towards me. I can barely see Lucien, the blur of movement he is, but then—

My skin tingles, like it did at the gym earlier, and Lucien freezes in place.

Tristan smirks, attention snapping back to me. "Looks like it's just us."

I can't see anyone else. Can't hear them. Lucien can't move his legs, but he looks at me and shakes his head. "Run!"

Oh, fuck that. Like I'm leaving him alone.

Tristan runs at me, but I'm ready. I duck beneath his arms—he's overreaching in his anger—and when I turn behind him, the stake is already in my hand.

His eyes widen when I grab the collar of his T-shirt. He doesn't stand a chance.

"Tristan!"

It's a woman's voice. Not Adelaide's, but it almost sounds like someone I've heard before. It doesn't matter. I don't see her—I can't see her—before Tristan vanishes, my hand closing around thin air as if he's never been there to begin with.

I stumble forward and hear Lucien move behind me. When I look back, he's free, and he eyes the stake in my hand before he comes closer.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Magic."

I snort. Yeah, I got that. I turn the stake over in my hands. Lucien is looking at me.

"What?"

"Are you injured?"

I shake my head. There's an ache where I landed, but it's just a bruise. "Are you?"

Lucien blinks in surprise. Did he really not expect me to ask?

"I am fine."

He's not. He's favouring one side, and I wonder if I might be able to smell blood if I had the senses for it.

"What now?"

Lucien sighs. Something in me recognises the sound. It's bone-weary, and my expression softens.

"I need to escort you home and call the clan to tell them what has happened. We will investigate the area. Did you see Adelaide?"

"No."

"Neither did I." He frowns. "I do not know what is going on here, but…"

"But?"

Lucien looks at me. "It does not matter."

"It seems bigger than them, right?" I say, and the corner of my mouth twitches at his astounded expression.

"Yes."

"C'mon then." I want to investigate, but I shouldn't. I should let Lucien walk me home because he's worried, and he's been injured because of me, and then I should forget all about this. They'll have Tristan in no time.

"You will be safe, behind the wards?" Lucien asks.

I've been wondering that myself, but I don't let any of that doubt show as I meet Lucien's eyes. He winces when he moves and I shift a little closer, ready to catch him if he falls.

"Yeah, of course. I'll be fine."