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Chapter Nineteen
Plans and Consequences
I said nothing when I realized the one person Zoe decided not to include in our revenge group was our father. She was right. He couldn’t be trusted, and not just because he was likely glamoured as well. Okay, most certainly glamoured, based on the realization he couldn’t see his own invention in the corner of his lab.
Daphne, Sam, Hazel, and Lydia were seated around the firepit in our backyard between the woods and our house. Mama had taken Em inside to bed. I’d probably tell her everything later, but that would be on my terms.
Sam’s face appeared downright sinister in the flickering flames as he listened to Zoe’s summary of the situation. When she got to the part where Silas glamoured me, he crushed his still half-full beer can in one hand. It sprayed Lydia, who sat a few feet away in black jean shorts and a tube top.
“Watch it, Wolfman,” she said in her demon voice.
“Lydia saw him biting me,” I interjected to get their attention back and also prevent Sam from saying something awful in response. I shoved away the unwelcome heat of shame and disgust that surfaced at the memory and pushed forward. They had to know how sick the man was. “He glamoured her, probably not for the first time. That’s why she’s been trying to help me but couldn’t say anything in front of anyone—and not much to me either.”
Lydia’s shoulders dropped with relief as she smiled at me. I returned the favor, so happy to have my friend back.
“How did you break his glamour?” She wanted to know.
“I used mind-bending on myself,” I said. “Lydia, should I—”
“Hell-to-the-yes, please, Doc.”
I nodded. “You no longer have to listen to Silas, no matter what he says or does. That’s retroactive too,” I added, using my magic.
She sprung to her feet and whooped as I drank from my water bottle. Unlike Sam, beer would have an effect on me. I needed a clear head.
“Thank you, by the way,” I said, and Lydia stopped her victory dance to look at me. “For still letting it be my choice.
“No problemo.” She grinned and crossed in front of the firepit to hug me. “I know what it feels like not to have a choice. And I thought I should return the favor. You let me decide to remain a vampire when you could’ve just jabbed me with the cure. So quit blaming yourself for me getting turned. I know you, Doc. You made it my choice in the end.”
I guess I had done that without even realizing it.
“So how do we get in to kill him?” Sam asked, standing.
“Getting in won’t be a problem,” Lydia said, sashaying by him to take her seat again.
“Hold on.” I stopped them as they started to plan a murder. “We can’t just go kill him.”
Everyone gaped at me.
Daphne spoke first. “Honey, sometimes there’s no other way.”
“But I think I have a way,” I said. “Hear me out. When we infiltrated Mordock’s nest, I ended up giving him the cure. We could do that to Silas.”
“Turn him human?” Lydia asked.
“You have a cure?” Sam shouted.
“Yes. But not much of it. I didn’t want another version of GodKiller on my hands,” I explained. “And yes, turn him human. He won’t be a threat any longer.”
“Yes, he will. If he’s a psychic in human form, that would be awful,” Hazel said. “No offense, Char, but someone with your gifts and no moral compass would be like a super villain.”
“But he is like me. Or will be if he gets ahold of me.”
“That’s why you should let me turn you. At least temporarily until we can take care of the threat,” Lydia said, striding forward until she could grasp my arms. “It’s temporary if you want it to be.”
“I think we can do this without me becoming a vampire,” I said, looking away at the fire. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Not when I knew that many new vampires had serious control issues. If I hurt someone, I’d never forgive myself. Especially if the whole point was to save myself.
Lydia let me go and returned to the other side of the fire.
