Page 25 of Fang Fiction

“I’m sure you’ll forgive the precaution.” Nantale folded her arms. She wore simple, flowing pants and a sleeveless top made of crimson silk, which emphasized the warm glow of her skin in the room’s dim lighting. For having been dead nearly six hundred years, she looked exceptionally good.

“Of course,” Tess said softly. “Of all the precautions you could have taken, this one seems pretty measured.”

Nantale laughed softly as she approached Tess, and some of the other vampires joined in.

“So tell us, human,” Nantale intoned. “Who are you? What is your purpose here?”

“And what’s been going on for the last eleven years?” Hamish folded his arms. He had a flaming ginger beard, a pudgy belly, and an effete manner. “Did Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson get back together, or did the cheating ruin them forever?”

“Hamish, not now!” Nantale snapped.

“You have your priorities, I have mine,” Hamish retorted.

“Um, Kristen Stewart’s actually gay now?” Tess offered. “Total lesbian icon.”

Hamish approached Tess, his face lined with grave concern, and knelt before her.

“I need you to tell me everything.”

But before Tess could say anything, a desperate voice rang through the hall, deep and gravelly, with a crisp British accent.

“Octavia? Octavia, is that you?!”

Callum Yoo stood in the great room’s doorway. Tess could immediately see he was Octavia’s twin: He was tall and gorgeous like her, but where she was sharp and delicate, he was thick and muscular. It was obvious why everyone in Blood Feud was terrified of him—Tess didn’t know if she’d ever seen so much raw power emanate from a person.

Until he took one step forward and stumbled, grabbing a nearby column to stay standing. A few of the vampires rolled their eyes.

Was Callum Yoo…drunk?

“Callum, you’re wasted.” Antoinette sighed. “Octavia died, remember?”

Tess inhaled sharply. So Octavia was right: Callum had assumed her disappearance meant she was dead—and apparently he’d told the whole clan his suspicions.

“Of course he remembers, he’s refused to leave his rooms since it happened,” Angelique responded.

“Then why did he think she was here?” Antoinette asked.

“Who cares? This is boring.” Angelique turned to Nantale. “Can we drink some blood now?”

“I thought I smelled Octavia…” Callum shook his head, looking confused and devastated.

“As you may have noticed, that’s a literal human,” Hamish said.

Callum turned toward Tess in shock—the rest of the room looked at her too.

“Um, you’re right, you do smell Octavia,” Tess said, her heart pounding. “Because I have her scent vial.”

In a flash, Callum was right beside Tess—he moved faster than any creature Tess had ever seen, and he stared at Tess with a terrifying intensity. She was taken aback by how attractive he was—high cheekbones, gray eyes, curved nose, strong jaw covered in stubble, full lips pursed in a knowing smile. He ran a finger along Tess’s neck, and she tensed with fear—

“Callum,” Nantale warned, “what exactly do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m not going to hurt her.” Callum’s voice was gruff and low, and his scent reminded Tess of Octavia: pine and smoke and leather. He looped his finger inside the chain around Tess’s neck, slowly drawing the scent vial out of her cleavage. “I just want to know where she got this.”

“Octavia gave it to me,” Tess said with as much confidence as she could muster. “Because she’s not dead—she’s in New York City.”

“You’re lying,” he whispered. There was desperation behind his eyes, raw and vulnerable—it was obvious to Tess that he was in agony. He jerked on the chain and it snapped easily, ripping it right off Tess’s neck—she yelped in surprise and pain. “Did someone glamour this for you? Did Felix put you up to this?”

“Callum!” Nantale said sharply. “You haven’t wanted to discuss details, so I haven’t pressed. But now I must ask: Did you actually see your sister die?”