Chapter 78
Miss Branock
Ihit the Brew button on my coffee pot, pull the plastic wrap off the plate of sliced banana bread, and close my eyes.
This is not a social visit.
This is work.
I open my eyes and chew my lip.
It’s work. But it’s also, probably, the most important moment of my career.
I glance at the food items.
Do vampires drink coffee? Will Nix still eat?
The fragrant brew starts to trickle into the pot.
Too late now.
Glancing at the clock, I hurry over to the bathroom in this little one-bedroom house and double-check that I look okay.
Jeans. Navy sweater. Hair up. Glasses on.
I look how I usually do. How Nix Novak, mate to a fucking vampire, and apparent fan of mine, is used to seeing me in videos.
Back in the living room, I take a deep breath.
You can do this, May.
This is just an interview.
They are both professionals.
Okay, one is a professional. The other is an ancient, powerful being, who has only grown more powerful in the past week, putting him even more on the radar of the world’s leaders.
I glance at the clock again. Three minutes left in Nix’s five-minute heads-up.
You can do this.
A final check confirms that my computer is put away in the bedroom, and my notebook, pen, and backup pen are on the coffee table.
Surrounding the coffee table is a striped couch and a pair of fairly uncomfortable armchairs. And on the other side of the open living area is the small kitchen and dining area.
I left the dining table completely empty, in case they prefer to sit there.
Obviously, I could still have a recording device hidden somewhere, but keeping the setup stripped down helps to give the feeling of privacy.
Not to mention the fact that I have never and will never secretly record someone. If I did, I’d probably be dead by now. And I certainly wouldn’t try to pull one over on Volik. Who even knows what he’s capable of?
Maybe me, after tonight? Maybe I’ll learn something that no one else knows.
Inhaling slowly, I force my nervous system to calm down.
Chill. Out. May.
One minute left.
Putting my game face on, I cross to the front door.
I’m pretty nomadic. My belongings are limited, and I stay in short-term rentals. All so I can have the freedom, and privacy, to follow stories. But this is my first and last time renting a house in the damn Appalachian Mountains.
I already have the curtains pulled shut, since darkness has fallen and I don’t want anyone seeing in, but if people weren’t coming over, I’d also have this door deadbolted with a chair wedged under the handle.
Professional. I remind myself, then I open the door.
Pretending I’m not scared of the things that call my name from the woods, I step out onto the low front porch.
This house isn’t super secluded, but it’s in an old neighborhood with large lots and full-size trees blocking any direct views of the neighbors, making it feel much more isolated than it is.
I slide my hands into my pockets so I can’t watch my fingers fidget.
The porch light is on, but the bulb is old and yellow, and the glow barely reaches past the front step.
Maybe I should just wait inside.
As I think that, the night goes silent.
My pulse jumps.
Oh hell no.
Then something huge drops to the ground just yards away from my front steps.
An embarrassing scream yanks free from my throat.
“Sorry!” Nix’s voice comes from the dark. “It’s just us.”
And I try to act cool as I press both of my hands to my stomach.
The pretty woman with black eyes and fangs peeking out between her lips steps into the light with a guilty look on her face. “I told him we should’ve walked up.”
I fight to keep my voice even. “Nope, you’re good. I just… wasn’t prepared for that.”
It’s embarrassing to admit because I’m an investigative journalist. I should’ve made better assumptions about their mode of transportation.
Volik steps up beside Nix, into the light, and the forest around us comes back to life.
I glance toward the dark. Usually when it goes quiet, it stays that way for several long, terrifying minutes.
“You are under my protection now.” Volik’s deep and serious voice brings my attention back to him. “I have told them.”
“Them?”
He dips his chin. “The woods.”
My eyebrows lift. And as wild as it all sounds, I suddenly feel a thousand times better about staying in this house.
“Well.” I blow out a breath. “I appreciate that.” Then I step to the side. “Please, come in. We have lots to talk about.”