Chapter 10

S imon blinked like he didn't understand where my shock came from. He tilted his head. "Your companions, the redhead and her lover. They are vampires, are they not?"

I gaped at him, shock burning through my bloodstream before I shook myself out of my trance, reaching for my bag. "This is unbelievable. You can tell Addie this isn't fucking funny. It hurts."

Simon was faster than me, placing his hand on my bag before I could grab it and keeping it in place. I tried to wrench it away with a feral yowl, but it was unmoveable beneath his grip. I tugged again and opened my mouth to scream.

"Sit down," Simon snarled before I could. "You're making a scene."

"I don't give a shit. Let go," I yelled, gripping my bag so tightly my knuckles turned white.

"Ah, I see," he said, a knowing smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth. I hated it. I hated that he watched me like he knew some big secret I didn't. "Either you had no idea what they are, or you just found out. Which is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, wrenching my bag.

I thought about leaving without it, but I couldn't get back into the hotel, call for help, or pay for anything ever again. I needed it. I tugged it again. Only, that time, as I pulled it back, Simon released it. My bag collided with my chest as I stumbled backward, tripping on a nearby chair. I fell with a clatter, knocking over several chairs and hitting my forehead on the corner of a table in the process. I swore, clutching my head.

When I looked up to curse Simon out, he leaned forward in his chair and his eyes darkened in the same way Addie's had earlier today. Black veins spread across his under-eyes and a little red rim appeared to accentuate the green. "Sit down, Indy."

There they were. When he spoke, I saw the fangs in his mouth. The same ones Addie had—perfectly sharp, proportional, and… real.

"Fuck you," I snapped, my hand on my throbbing forehead. Even so, when a server appeared to help me off the ground, I slumped into the chair across from Simon.

"There was no need for a tantrum," Simon said.

I opened my mouth to retort, but another server appeared to set two plates and a cocktail in front of me. I held my breath until he walked away, my eyes never leaving Simon. If the server noticed his red eyes and fangs, they said nothing.

"Eat your dinner," he said coolly.

His face returned to normal and the fangs disappeared. I blinked rapidly, resisting the urge to cry.

What the hell was going on in this city?

Had my sister been telling me the truth?

Was she a vampire? Was Holland? Was Simon?

I lowered my hand from my forehead to my chest. My heart raced so fast I worried it would explode or I would be sick. I didn't think I had a concussion; I wasn't dizzy and my whole head didn't hurt, only the concentrated bump. I made a mental note to check myself regularly.

"Thanks for the fucking concussion," I snapped at Simon.

Simon said nothing, reaching for the carafe of tap water on the table and pouring a small glass. He pushed it toward me with two fingers. I didn't think twice. I gulped it down, nearly dropping the cup when I finished. Simon poured another glass. I drank it again.

He did not pour me a third. I lowered the glass and stared at the soup and vegetable in front of me, images flashing through my mind like a slideshow.

Addie's face. Addie's fangs. Addie's devastation when I left her behind.

Simon's face. Simon's fangs. The curious look he gave me as I grabbed my pi?a colada and gulped it down in four swallows.

"You did not know," Simon said without question. His voice was softer now, sympathetic.

I tilted my head, lowering my drink. "About what?"

Amusement flashed in his eyes. "About vampires."

I winced. "I'm not convinced that's what's going on here."

Simon chuckled and snapped his fingers. Like magic, one of the servers appeared at his side, a dainty blonde with a gentle smile and wide eyes. She said something in French too quickly for me to understand. Simon simply held out his hand.

The girl lit up like a mirrorball, setting her pen and pad down on my table and unclasping the watch on her wrist. She held her wrist out to Simon as if she had done it a hundred times before. My brow furrowed in confusion, only to be replaced by horror.

Simon winked at me before he took her hand. His eyes held mine, pinning me where I sat as the dark veins reappeared on his face. His fangs flashed in his mouth before he sank them into her skin. They cut through flesh like butter. A trail of blood leaked down her wrist and dripped to the ground.

Another scream built in my throat, winding tighter and tighter until I thought I might explode. The server hummed in pleasure . Simon's eyes remained holding mine as blood leaked out around his mouth.

He was drinking her blood.

Just as I thought I would faint, Simon released the girl. Her blood stained his tongue and lips as he flashed a smile at her. The girl seemed awestruck, pulling a handkerchief from her apron to stop the bleeding. She took her pen, pad, and watch without another word and wandered away.

I watched, frozen in time while Simon poured himself a glass of water. He swirled it around his mouth momentarily and dragged his tongue along his bottom lip before turning back to me.

"Do you believe this now?"

"No," I whispered. It was impossible.

Black dots swam in my vision, duplicating by the millisecond. I placed two hands on the table in a feeble attempt to gain my bearings. Faster and faster, the world spun around me.

Faster and faster.

Faster and faster.

Until everything fell dark.