“Laurel filled me in on all the dirty details about last night’s affairs." His eyes flick over to Aamon, then back to me. Heat stains my cheeks as I clench my fists. But I force myself to remain calm. He must mean Aamon turning me. And the being bloodbound. Not the . . .otherstuff.
“And from what she shares with me, we hope you’ll continue to get better the more Arcane blood you continue to consume.” He gestures down to the discarded bloodbag behind Quinn. “Seems that father of yours just didn’t know how to properly care for his offspring. All you needed was a bit of blood and the power of the Arcane to feel good as new.” He winks at me, an unsettling chill creeping over my skin.
“Now, if you ladies would excuse us, I have some Order business to discuss before tonight.”
“Tonight?” I ask, brows knitting together in confusion.
“You mean, the boys haven’t told you?” Andras laughs, looking from Quinn to Aamon with an air of disappointment. “Come on now, boys. What kind of hosts are we being?”
“I hadn’t planned to bring her tonight.” Aamon’s voice is low from where he's leaning against the sink behind me. But I can tell there’s an edge to his words. “She did almostdieyesterday.” His eyes rise slowly to meet Adras’. “After all.”
Andras seems to mull this over for a moment, or at least feigns concern. “Laurel? What do you think, my love?”
“I can evaluate her, Aamon. Make sure everything seems stable enough. If you wish for her to accompany you tonight.”
“Accompany youwhere?”I repeat myself, more demanding this time. Which seems to amuse Andras.
“Quite the spirit in this one, isn’t there? Perhaps she would make a good addition to the Blood Order.” He chuckles, the only sound in the room as Aamon and Quinn tense. Even Laurel seems a little rigid. “The full moon, my dear. It’s Esbat,” Andras clarifies at last. “A night of celebration. It’s tradition for the Blood Order to spend every full moon within the Market Ebon. Amongst our people.”
“As a reminder to the ungoverned district to stay in line,” Quinn continues for him.
“To keep the Arcane-touched subdued during their most powerful night of the month,” Aamon corrects. I swallow, unaware it was already time for the full moon.
“Now boys, you’re scaring the poor creature.” Andras tsks, dropping his arm wrapped around Laurel and stepping up to me. He takes my hand in his. “See? The girl’s practically shaking. I promise, it’s nothing to fear. We treat it as one large ritualistic party—drinks, music, dancing. Celebrating the magic that flows through our veins. It’s a night of indulgence!”
He pulls me forward, settling his hand against my back and walking me towards the entrance to the kitchen. “Stay close to the Blood Order and I promise you will have nothing to worry about.” He passes me off to Laurel and she offers me a friendly grin, taking my hand and guiding me to the common area.
“I know it can feel intimidating, but Andras is right. If you stick with Aamon and Quinn, you’ll be fine.” She settles me on the couch, taking a seat beside me so that our knees are touching.
I nod, but my curiosity gets the better of me. “This Esbat—this night of indulgence—what should I expect?”
Laurel raises an eyebrow as she starts assessing me. “Honestly? A bunch of drunk assholes trying to out-Alpha each other.” She rolls her eyes and I have to stifle the giggle that bubbles up. “It’s nothing too crazy. But the people of the ungoverned district are filled with incredulous power.We don’t believe as your kind does.” I flinch at her words. She offers me an apologetic smile before continuing. “That the Arcane is inherently evil or that that power should be oppressed. But that doesn’t mean that everyone within our territory is inherently good, either. So it’s best to stay with those that can guide you through the festivities.”
She pulls out a cuff similar to the one I had on my arm after Aamon turned me. Part of me wants to pull back, distrusting of such technology since Tamiel's experiments. But even in this short time, I know I trust Laurel. That simple fact has me relaxing into her touch.
“How are you feeling today?”
“Okay,” I answer. It’s the truth. And I’m shocked it is. It seems like I should be falling apart after everything that has happened. But somehow I feel stronger than I ever have before, more stable. “The Arcane is taking some getting used to. I feel a weird energy in my bones, almost like they're vibrating?” I shake my head, unsure. “But it doesn’t feel bad. If anything, I feel more like myself than I have in a long time.”
“That’s good." She smiles.
“Does this mean that I’m cured?” I ask, too hopeful to keep the excitement out of my voice.
Laurel pauses briefly, the smallest hint of pity passing over her features. “It’s hard to say what this means, Evangeline. As far as any of us know, you are the first of your kind. The Arcane is at odds with your inherent nature as a Watcher.Just because you’ve chosen to accept that magic over the other doesn’t mean it’s not going to continue causing issues for you in the future.”
I let loose a breath, my shoulders slumping in disappointment. I should have known better than to expect a miracle. I’ve gone through periods before where my pain and discomfort has been minimal, falsely fooling myself into believing I had somehow been miraculously healed. But every time the pain returned. And this would be no different.
“That’s alright,” I say at last, vowing to enjoy this reprieve while it lasts.
“But the more you feed yourself the longer your current state will likely last,” she reassures me quickly. “As a fresh vampire, your appetite will be nearly insatiable. Don’t fight it. Okay?”
I nod. It’s going to take some getting used to, this near constant hunger that has taken over me. I couldn’t imagine even trying to fight it.
Laurel’s gaze drifts over to the males still in the kitchen. I can’t make out their words from this distance, only one here and there. But it seems as though they are discussing plans for tonight. “I have something for you." She leans in, whispering to me as she keeps her eyes on them.
Her hand finds mine easily and she passes a small vial to me, wrapping my fingers securely around the glass. “What’sthis?” I ask, risking a glance down. She seems to want to hide whatever it is, so I keep my voice low.
“I’m not sure what the arrangement is between you and the boys, but I figure it’s not going to get any less complicated tonight.” She turns her head back to face me again. Her hard eyes soften as she takes me in and a grin slips across her lips. “I’m not one to judge, and you will never catch me telling you or anyone else how to live their lives.” She pauses, cutting a sidelong glance to the kitchen. “Well, maybe Quinn and Aamon. Those boys couldn’t find their asses with both hands.”
