Chapter 26 #2
“Man,” Paige exhales. “I feel sorry for you.”
Gregory doesn’t respond to the jab.
The waitress returns with our food.
As she sets Gregory’s salad down, she brushes her chest against his arm.
“Here you go,” she says in a sultry voice.
Paige and I share an amused look.
Gregory leans back, trying to avoid contact, but Hannah is not deterred.
She places plates in front of me and Paige, then clears her throat.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asks the table, but her eyes fix on Gregory.
“I think we’re all set,” I answer politely.
She waits an extra second. When Gregory doesn’t look her way, her smile falters.
“Great. Enjoy your meal.”
She walks away, but not before giving Gregory one last longing look.
“Alright,” he mumbles, stabbing a piece of lettuce with his fork. “I saw it that time.”
Paige and I laugh.
He smirks, but it falls when his phone’s screen illuminates.
He snatches it up and answers the incoming call immediately. “Hello?”
I take a bite of my salmon and watch him, chewing slowly. His posture tenses as he listens. The casual restaurant noise around me fades under the sudden shift in his energy.
“Yes. Alright. I will send you my location.”
He ends the call and sets the phone down.
I swallow and take a sip of water. “Who was that?”
“An informant,” he replies, stabbing a tomato and popping it into his mouth. “She will be meeting us here.”
“Seriously?” Paige’s eyes widen. “Here? Are we getting backup?”
“She’s an ally,” Gregory says. “King Alexander has been informed. He approved the meeting. Our source cannot risk venturing to the safehouse.”
“Why not?” She frowns. “Is she a fugitive or something?”
“She is undercover,” Gregory answers, voice clipped.
“Is it safe?” I ask.
If she’s undercover, meeting in a public restaurant feels…reckless.
“Yes,” he says without hesitation, but he doesn’t elaborate.
“I don’t like it,” Paige says. “The safehouse is secure and hidden from the rebellion. We’re out in the open here.”
Gregory’s gaze flicks to her. “Who said she needs to conceal herself from the rebellion?”
Before I can ask what he means, the sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor slices through me.
My breath catches.
My mind throws me backward to Evetta’s attack. To pain and terror. To the moment my old life ended.
Panic rushes up my throat.
I squeeze my eyes shut and force air into my lungs.
It’s just shoes…
It’s just shoes.
“Rose,” Gregory’s voice yanks me out of my spiral.
I open my eyes.
His attention is locked over my shoulder.
I turn in my seat.
A tall, curvy woman approaches our table with the confidence of someone who knows every head will turn.
Her heels click steadily. Her hips sway with each step. Her skin is pale, almost luminous under the fluorescent lights. Her hair looks black at first, but as she draws closer, I realize it’s a deep, dark scarlet. Her bright green eyes shimmer when they land on Gregory.
She is…unreal.
“Gregory,” the woman purrs, stopping beside his chair. She leans in and presses her red lips to both of his cheeks. “Long time no see.”
Even her voice is enthralling, smooth, and dangerous.
“It has been too long.” His expression brightens. “Thank you for being willing to meet here.”
Wait…what?
She’s the contact?
“Of course.” She waves away the thanks. “Anything for you.”
In an effort not to gawk like an idiot, I take another sip of water, only to choke.
I cough hard, turning away.
Paige pats my back awkwardly. When I meet her eyes, she looks just as shocked with the newcomer as I am.
Gregory clears his throat. “Rose, this is Paige, daughter of Lucas Green.”
He waves to Paige before his gaze shifts to me.
“And this is Darcie.” His voice deepens ever so slightly. “Daughter of Jennifer of the Nightsbane clan.”
“Of course.” Rose turns her smile on me. “I would have recognized you without the introduction. You look very much like Jennifer.”
Not knowing what to say, I nod stiffly as my coughing subsides.
“Nice to meet you both,” Rose says warmly.
“Nice to meet you, too,” Paige and I murmur back.
“Will you have a seat?” Gregory gestures to the empty chair between him and me.
“Thank you.” Rose slides into the chair with effortless grace. Her gaze drops to the table, and she smirks. “A salad, Gregory. Really?”
He chuckles. “I’m on a diet.”
They laugh like it’s the funniest thing in the world.
Paige looks at me with an incredulous expression that silently asks, What is happening?
I shrug, just as confused.
Paige clears her throat. “Do we need to leave while you two…talk?”
“Of course not,” Rose says, turning that picture-perfect smile to us. “Forgive me. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Gregory. I apologize for my rudeness.”
Her sincerity seems real.
“It’s fine.” I shift in my chair. “We just don’t want to be in the way for your…debrief?”
“You are never in the way,” Gregory says immediately.
I blink once. “Okay.”
Rose’s gaze lingers on me for a moment too long, her expression soft and amused, until she straightens.
“Well, then.” She claps her hands lightly. “Let’s discuss the matter at hand, shall we?”
He nods. “Please do. What can you tell us?”
“My master has been invited to a meeting in DC,” Rose says. “All undeclared covens have received invitations. And, if rumors are to be believed, so have many untied witches and warlocks.”
Gregory’s tone shifts, all business. “What is the purpose of the meeting?”
“I do not know.” Her lips turn down. “I only saw the invitation by chance. If Adir hadn’t signed it, I’m sure I wouldn’t have given it a second thought.”
“Wait.” I cut in before I can stop myself. “Adir invited your master? Who is your master?”
What is a master?
“A powerful vampire, dear. For your own good… that is all you can know.”
I resist the urge to shudder.
Paige swallows. “A vampire? Does that mean you’re—”
“Yes,” Rose says simply. “I’m a vampire.”
Duh, Darcie.
The pale skin. The unnatural beauty.
How did I miss it?
“You’re Adir’s descendant?” I ask.
“Actually, no.” At my confused look, Rose adds, “I was turned.”
I want to kick myself for prying. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She waves a dismissive hand, her smile just as sincere as before. “It’s a common mistake. Another Immortal bloodline courses through my veins, making me appear more like the ancestral vampires you’ve come to know.”
I only know Gregory and Alex, but I keep that information to myself.
“Which Immortal?” Paige asks.
Her stunning eyes shift to the brunette. “Eros.”
A laugh escapes Paige’s lips. “Eros? The flirty one?”
Rose’s grin grows. “The one and only.”
Wow.
I’ve never met one of Eros’s offspring before.
What other abilities does she possess by being descended from the enigmatic Immortal’s line?
And now that I think about it…which Immortal bloodline do were-beasts descend from?
“Did you see where the meeting will take place?” Gregory asks, pulling me from my thoughts. “And will your master attend?”
“Tomorrow night,” Rose says. “In an abandoned embassy off Massachusetts Avenue. And yes, he plans to attend.”
Her tone makes it clear she’s not thrilled.
Gregory nods. “Can you forward me the address?”
“Already have.” She glances at his phone and winks. “It’s encrypted, but I trust you can figure it out.”
“Thank you, Rose.” He reaches for the device, and his fingers start flying across the screen. “I owe you one.”
“Just don’t get caught,” she says, sliding off her chair to stand beside him. Leaning in, she places a lingering kiss dangerously close to the corner of his lips. When she pulls back, there’s a glint in her eye. “I would miss you too much.”
I school my expression to hide my surprise before Rose turns to me and Paige.
“It was lovely to meet you both,” she says. “I hope to see you again someday.”
“Same here,” I say, lifting my hand in a wave.
Paige mirrors me, still looking slightly dazed.
Without another word, Rose turns on her heel and glides out of the restaurant looking like a supermodel on the runway.
Paige whistles. “Wow. Greg. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“It’s Gregory,” he snaps back.
Paige laughs. I join in.
The corner of Gregory’s lips twitches, but he keeps his attention on his phone—on the information Rose sent his way.
“So, what now?” I ask.
He hums and puts down his phone, picking up his fork. “Now, we eat.”
Paige nods. “Sounds good to me.”
She cuts aggressively into her chicken-fried steak and pops a piece in her mouth, humming in delight.
My salmon stays untouched. I note the sly smile curving his lips as he takes a bite of his salad.
“And after we eat?” I press.
He chews slowly, bright eyes locked onto mine.
He swallows, then shoots me a mischievous wink.
“Then, we prepare for our next mission. And we finally find Adir.”