Page 42 of Slayer

“Slow down, killer,” Luna said, and I laughed. “We need training first.”

I really liked these girls. I’d only known them for a few hours, and already they had taken me in like I was one of them and formed a little circle of trust around me, letting me in.

Harper shrugged. “We can’t wait three years to be fully trained. Not after last night. We should be using all our free time to practice with each other.”

Luna nodded. “I’m ashamed to say that when the vamps first showed up, I froze. I’ve been learning how to fight them since I was six years old, and I froze.”

Harper reached for my hands. “Me too. I can fight them in a club in the mortal world, but seeing them here shook me, and if it weren’t for Stella stepping in front of us, we might be gone.”

She squeezed and I squeezed back.

“I just…reacted. I wasn’t really thinking,” I told them, yawning as sleep pushed harder into me.

“Spoken like a true hunter,” Harper said, yawning herself.

Luna let out a yawn, and we all laughed. “It’s contagious.”

I eyed her outfit. “Do you ever wear anything other than black?”

She shook her head, wearing a disgusted look. “I’d rather die.”

Harper snickered. “She even wears black underwear.”

Luna crossed her arms and stuck her chin out. “I’m an old soul. Besides, I’m allergic to color.”

Harper rolled her eyes, and I smiled. Given that Luna’s hair was the color of bubble gum, I doubted that was true, but I loved her vibe.

It was weird, but I’d never felt more at home than I did here…which was kind of depressing considering how short of a time I’d been here.

Had my life been that unfulfilling before?

A few hours with some nice girls and I was soaking up the attention like an abandoned cat.

I yawned again, and it made its way around the room for the second time.

“Let’s get some sleep.” Harper stood and pulled out a hidden trundle bed that was under hers. “Luna can sleep with me. Stella, you can take the trundle?”

I nodded gratefully, sinking into the bed as Harper turned out the lights. We all held tightly to our weapons, none of us outwardly saying anything, but we all tucked them under the covers with us.

I was just about to doze off when Harper cursed.

“Stella, it was your birthday! We didn’t do anything.”

“It was? Worst birthday ever! We need to fix that,” Luna agreed into the darkness.

I chuckled. “Birthdays are not a big deal to me. Some years, my foster family forgot, and we didn’t even celebrate. It’s fine.”

Silence descended on the room, and I felt like I’d probably just made things awkward. TMI?

“That’s sad.” Harper’s voice was filled with empathy.

“Even for me,” Luna agreed. “And I like sad.”

“That’s life. It’s no big deal,” I said and rolled over. “Good night.”

“Night,” came their glum voices in unison.

Sleep took me so hard, I didn’t even dream.