Chapter 11
ELEVEN
The firelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across our faces.
Across the fire, Ivy and Sam were making out, lost in their own world.
Beside me, Vail sat deep in conversation with Diana, her expression calm, though her fingers fidgeted slightly.
She looked more at ease than before, but I knew her too well—no matter how composed she looked, George’s absence was still on her mind.
I glanced over at Connor to find him watching me.
The firelight softened the angles of his face, making him appear like a subject from a Renaissance painting.
As soon as our eyes met, he looked away, redirecting his attention to Donovon.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself, pleased by the attention Connor had unwittingly given me.
The lake was beautiful at this hour, its surface reflecting the quiet majesty of the night.
We were on the far side, tucked near the dense trees, away from the public park and the hum of the city streets.
I hadn’t had the chance to truly take it in the other day.
I walked toward the shore, and the moonlight spilled across the water, weaving a celestial tapestry that shimmered in harmony with the vast, starlit sky.
As I stood there, the night air nipped at my skin.
I felt a pang of regret for not having savoured this enchanting view the other night.
Time, when someone is immortal, slipped by faster than it did when I was human.
The fleeting moments of my Vampire existence often felt swifter than the years of my past life.
I reminded myself to cherish these small, beautiful fragments of time.
Gazing out at the shimmering expanse, my thoughts wandered back to Elmcross.
I recalled the nights spent by the river, the soothing sounds of nature that had once been a constant comfort.
My eyes drifted upward to the night sky, where I spotted the faint red dot of Mercury.
It made me think of my father and the stories he used to tell me about the stars when I was a child.
It had been years since I’d thought about him, and though I barely knew him before he passed, it felt strange to still have those memories.
Connor’s voice reached me before he did. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said, appearing at my side.
I looked over at him, his eyes radiant in the night and his dimples deeply formed by his smile.
He is beautiful.
“Hi,” I said, taking a step closer.
Without a word, Connor removed his leather jacket and extended it to me. “You seem cold.”
I accepted it, and the warmth enveloped me, carrying the faint scent of him. I breathed in, and as I did, my stomach growled, unsure if it was the hunger from a missed meal or the subconscious desire to feed on the human next to me.
“That’s a nice necklace,” Connor murmured, his fingers brushing lightly against it. I didn’t stop him. His touch was warm, seeping through the cool metal. I wanted him to linger—to let his fingers drift lower, tracing a path along my skin. My body ached for more.
“It belonged to my mother.”
“Where does she live?”
“She passed away when I was young,” I told him. There was something about staring off into the lake that made me feel vulnerable.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you, but it was a long time ago, and I had support,” I gave him a small smile and turned around, hearing a shout.
Donovan and Diana were jumping up and down in excitement as the flames roared from the gasoline they had just poured on the fire.
The hunger inside of me roared as well; being near all these humans wasn’t helping, and I could feel my self-control starting to slip.
I looked at Vail, who shifted uncomfortably, but I ignored her.
Looking back at Connor, I said, “I still think about my mother a lot, but not as much as I used to. It’s strange how some memories linger while others fade.”
Connor nodded. “Yeah, I haven’t seen my mom in a while.
Not that it’s the same thing as what you went through,” he quickly added, almost apologetically.
“She lives on the other side of the country. But we talk pretty often, mostly about music. It’s something we both love, so it helps keep us connected. ”
“How long have you been in a band for?” I asked, wanting to redirect the conversation.
Connor’s eyes lit up. “It’s been quite a while.
We all joked about it in high school—Sam, Don, and me.
You know, touring, recording, etc … Then Sam met Ivy.
Her dad had a big garage, so we could practise there on weekends.
Diana came into town last year. We heard her at an open mic and knew we had to invite her into the band.
She’s a perfect fit. We’re like a family, you know? ”
“That sounds amazing,” I said, trying to sound engaged, though hunger gnawed at me. The night was quiet, and I breathed through my mouth, determined not to inhale more of Connor’s scent. “Have you guys toured?”
“No, not yet. We’ve mostly been playing at the same bar,” he admitted. “That’s why I was so surprised to see you tonight. It was a last-minute gig—we’d never played there before. But touring is definitely on our minds. When the right opportunity comes, we’re all ready to drop everything and go.”
“That’s nice, knowing what you want.”
We stood in silence for a moment, and then Connor cleared his throat.
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you …Would you like to go out with me sometime?” He ran his fingers through his hair.
Fuck.
“I’m not looking for anything serious right now,” I told him. Sure, I was attracted to him, and fooling around would be fun, but the last thing I needed was to get involved with a human. I knew the Vampire-human relationships never worked out.
The air between us grew awkward, and I found myself glancing at the empty bottle in his hand.
“Want me to grab you another drink?”
“Yeah, sure, thanks. They’re in the back of the van,” he replied.
I strolled toward the bonfire, its flickering glow casting long shadows on the ground. Walking past Vail, I squeezed her shoulder as she listened to Diana’s story.
I walked over to Connor’s van, where the back doors were already open. As I maneuvered around them, I nearly collided with Donovan, who was digging through one of the cases in the van.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Donovan said. He glanced at me with a charming smile as he quickly shut the case and carried an armful of beers toward the campfire.
I took two beers from a cooler, one for Connor and the other for me to make it look like I was drinking.
But Donovan’s gesture made me curious as I eyed the case he had been rummaging through.
My fingers brushed the metal latch for a moment, then I flicked it open.
Inside, I discovered an assortment of weapons: stakes, crossbows, and other Vampire-killing tools.
I quickly closed it and opened another case, only to find the same grim contents.
Panic surged within me.
These guys were Vampire Slayers.
I had to get Vail and me out of there. Now.
Taking a deep breath, I returned to the fire, handing Connor his jacket and beer.
“Hey, I think I have to go, it’s getting late.” Before he could object, I assured him, “Vail and I will walk back together. It’s okay.”
“Okay, keep the jacket for the walk home,” he offered. “It’s cold out.”
I took it back, eager to end the conversation.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll see you around,” he said, smiling.
I hope not.
I went over to Vail and whispered in her ear, “Let’s go.”
She didn’t protest. We said goodbye to everyone and walked off down the path into town. She waited until we were far enough away from them to ask.
“Rosie, what’s wrong?”
I took her hand and walked faster.
“How could I be so stupid?” I said, scolding myself. “Vail, they’re Vampire Slayers.” I told her.
“What?” She stopped walking. “How do you know?”
“I saw Donovan opening a case in the back of Connor’s van when I went to get drinks. He left quickly when he saw me. I was curious, so I opened it. And found weapons.”
Vail’s face flushed. “Oh my god.”
I tugged her back along the path, determined to put as much distance between the Slayers and us.
“How did you not know they were Slayers? I thought you and George were investigating this place for months?” I asked her, my anger boiling inside me.
“We thought Lakeview didn’t have Slayers!” she said. “The only ones I know about are from out of town.”
“Well, you were wrong.”
“Why do you think Donovan went into the case?” she asked.
“No clue, but I don’t think they know about us. If they did, we would be dead.”
I felt disoriented, and my skin was clammy from anxiety that clung to me. Vail chewed on her lip and took my hand, walking quicker down the street, her heels clicking on the cement.
I stopped walking. “Vail, wait.”
“Rosie, we have to hurry and get home! I don’t feel safe out here.”
I couldn’t go home. Not with everything I was feeling. I needed to feed. I needed to get a hot, fresh meal to feel normal again, not crappy cold blood from Vail’s fridge. I felt like I was crawling around in my skin. My hunger was overwhelming.
“I need to feed,” I said bluntly. “I’ll walk you home, but then I have to find some fresh blood.”
Vail’s expression darkened. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not with the drug still circulating.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured her, convincing both of us as I led her back to the Victorian house.
In the dimly lit streets of the city, I wandered, searching for the perfect person to feed from—anything to drown out the noise in my head.
I felt stupid. Reckless. Dragging Vail into danger because I wanted to do whatever the hell I wanted.
I should have listened to her. Should have been smarter.
But instead of dealing with that, all I wanted was a fun little snack to forget about it.