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But those urges and thoughts pause when we walk past the roses on the table in the hall.
They aren’t dead.
Even though Solon would have passed by them to come in my room, and even though he’s passing by them now, they’re still alive, blooming with blood.
“Well, well, well,” he says, coming to a stop and eyeing them curiously. “How about that, Lenore.”
I blink at them. “They won’t die anymore.”
He eyes me, looking impressed, then he snaps his fingers together.
The roses automatically wilt.
“That’s a dickhead move,” I grumble at him, though I’m secretly impressed by him now. A snap of his fingers was all it took. He’s not even a witch, why can’t I learn how to do something like that?
He grins at me, his teeth sharp. “I’m known for my magic fingers.”
I roll my eyes at that, even though my body burns in response, knowing all too well. We head down the rest of the stairs until we finally reach Dark Eyes.
Like before, the music is audible, there’s loud chatter, and through the doors I can smell all the vampires in there, their spicy, acidic melting pot of scents overwhelming my senses. I put my hand on his arm, halting him.
“Tell me again why you throw parties for vampires who hate you?”
“Who says they hate me?” he asks, quickly doing up his bowtie with expert precision.
“You’re a bounty hunter. You turn over your own kind to witches.”
“This is true,” he says, a slight smile on his lips, as if he finds this conversation amusing. “But I give them something in return, other than the occasional witch. I give them a place to be themselves, where they are safe. A place to feed. And I have a rule that I never take or harm a vampire inside this house…unless they bring it on themselves.”
“How noble,” I say dryly.
“Noble, I am not,” he says, linking his arm around mine. “But fair is something I aspire to be.”
And at that, he pushes open the doors and we walk in.
Chapter Twenty
As happened the last time I went to a vampire party, every single head in Dark Eyes swivels toward us, but this time they look a little more wary than they did before. Perhaps because I’m still here and that I belong to the man of the house, the vampire boss of the city of San Francisco.
At first, Solon keeps to his word, to never let me leave his side, always keeping his arm tightly around my waist. We go from vampire to vampire, saying hello and exchanging pleasantries. No hands are shaken though, and he keeps me just out of everyone’s reach. They’re all interested in me, but I don’t fear them per se, it’s more that they may fear me, and that’s something I can deal with.
But eventually, Solon turns into a social butterfly in this place, and soon he’s going around, having deep conversations with people, leaving me on my own.
Okay, well I’m not on my own.
I smile up at Wolf, who is sticking by my side.
“You don’t have to babysit me,” I tell him. “I know that’s your job when Solon isn’t around.”
Wolf gives me a charming smile, looking devilishly handsome in his white tux. “Perhaps I like your company, Lenore, did you ever think of that?”
“Phhff,” I wave him away. “I’m not the company you crave.”
He frowns at me, sparks in his golden eyes. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” I say, leaning in close, knowing how good everyone’s hearing is, “I’ve seen the way you look at Amethyst.”
He gazes at me steadily. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, half-witch.”
