Page 103 of Mage Massacres

What would you do?

“I don’t know.”

21

Sloane

Sunday, June 14th

Early Morning

Hours had passed us by, and I’d begun to grow antsy. I tapped my fingertips together as I lay on the bed in my room. My left foot wiggled as if it had a mind of its own. I sighed for the dozenth time, my impatience needing a more active release.

I eased off the bed with the intention of pacing to burn some energy. But as soon as my feet hit the ground, I was in the hall.

“Where are you going?” Vaughn called from behind me, tugging a white t-shirt over his head as he followed.

“I’m done waiting. I want to know what’s going on, and I know he’s awake now, so they all owe me some answers.”

As soon as my path was decided, my shoes felt as if they were fashioned of lead and laces. The canvas slip-ons were holding me down, affecting my breathing as much as my steps. The wooden floor became quicksand, the hallway a continuous loop.

I knew it was all in my mind—the anxiety crippling me until my heart skipped beats—but I wouldn’t turn away. As I drew closer to my destination, I dragged my fingertips over the chair rail on the walls, counting the thump, thump, thump that sounded in my ears.

Four thousand, three hundred and ninety-six.

I stopped outside of the master suite—which would have been Amelia’s room if she were here—but I couldn’t move any farther. My parents were talking to Raguel, and I’d developed a bad habit of eavesdropping lately.

I was firmly placing the blame on my nosy vampire. His lack of privacy was contagious.

“Where is she?” Raguel growled, his anger knocking the breath from my lungs.

Papi sighed, his tone the same one he used when I was being particularly stubborn. “She’s fine, Rig. She has a house full of mates and friends to keep her company. You should rest.”

“Sit down, Rig,” Dad demanded.

Something crashed against the wall, and I cringed. Remorse ate its way into my turbulent emotions as I listened to them. They were arguing because of me.

“No. I need to see her.”

“Rest first,” Papi pleaded. “Sloane can wait.”

“You have time to talk to her,” Dad began, but Raguel cut him off.

“She has waited,” the angel snarled. “Just shy of twenty-four years. I promised her answers that should have been delivered hours ago. I’ve already spent her lifetime being kept away from her. She’s our only child. I refuse to wait any longer.”

Raguel’s voice rose with each word until he was shouting. “You can’t hide in here, using me as an excuse. You both need to stop trying to avoid her and start explaining why you’ve spent the last two decades lying.”

If I hadn’t been standing outside the door, I would have heard him at the other end of the estate. I wasn’t the only person in this house with sensitive hearing, and I soon heard my guys’ chatter flow through my mind.

“Does he sound like Escanor to you, Trouble?”

I furrowed my brows as I continued to gape at the closed door. “Who—Who is that?”

“See,” Briggs chimed in. “I told you. No one watches fucking anime, Novak.”

“The demon knows who he is.”

“No, I don’t.” Stone’s gruff reply made my vampire scoff.