“Don’t go near my dad again. Ever. If you do, it’ll be the last time the Order sees me.”
“Answer your phone, then I won’t need to.”
“It broke.”
“Of course it did. The number of your new one?”
She clenched her jaw, then rattled it off.
Darian didn’t reach for his own phone to enter it, just walked on with his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Mr. Alexander’s growing impatient. I have to give weekly reports, you know.”
“At least I’ve saved you some paperwork.”
“There is that.” He smiled. “How’s Eve?”
She fought to keep facing forward and not look at him in alarm. “Fine, thanks.”
“Oh, good. I did worry, when she didn’t turn up to work. For two weeks.”
“She’s been on vacation.”
“Of course she has,” he replied, perfectly accepting. “And you? How’s your vacation been?”
“Lovely.”
Darian paused on the sidewalk, forcing her to turn and stop. “You promised to help us, Cally.”
“I’m not sure I did.”
He inclined his head as though she’d scored a point, then deliberately looked back at her dad’s house. “I assume you will though, right?”
Cally swallowed. “Right,” she agreed, her mouth dry.
“Great! Mr. Alexander will besopleased.” He gave her a smile, easy and genuine and surprisingly charismatic. Why did all the bastards have to be good-looking? He nodded to her dad’s house again. “This is where you grew up, isn’t it?”
“You already know that.”
“Yes, we do. We also know this is where your mom died.”
She tensed.
“Vampires are territorial.” Darian cocked an eyebrow at her. “Were you aware?”
Yes.“No.”
“He’s here, in Milton. Nico Aldobrandini. Would you like to know where he lives?”
She said nothing, conscious of her pulse racing, and struggled to keep her calm.
Darian didn’t seem to mind her silence. “Eve has the book still?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “There’s a spell in there that will immobilize a vampire once he’s asleep, Miss Davis. By Friday morning, I expect you to be able to cast it.”
“A week to learn a spell?” She made no attempt to keep the incredulity from her tone. She couldn’t even do magic.
“You’d have had three if you hadn’t decided to leave me at the airport.”
