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Thanks to some magic I picked up in Mexico two weeks ago, no one can see me.
No other drivers, no police officers, so in this cloak, I can do whatever the fuck I want. I reach forward and crank up the stereo. Amy Guess andLay Lowfill my ears, and I smile. For centuries, I’ve lived in the shadow of others, seeking affection from those who would ultimately break my heart.
But now?
I whip to the left to avoid clipping the backend of a minivan and then whip back to the right.
Now, I am the fucking shadow.
Exiting, I head down the street that will take me closer to Tarnley. Reaching forward, I turn down the music, good mood gone, as I take in the boarded-up windows of his bar. Never, in the entire time he’s had it open, has he closed the doors.
Panic sends my heart rate racing. The moment the car is in PARK, I jump out and race up to the door.What if I was too late?
Then we no longer need him.
Ignoring the voice, I press my palm against the doors and watch as they melt beneath my touch, turning to ash on the ground. Heart in my throat, I step past the threshold.
“Tarnley?”
It’s dusty, overturned tables and broken chairs cover the once pristine floor. Heels clicking against the floor, I push through the bar, stepping over remnants of bar stools and shoving my way into Tarnley’s back office.
Papers litter the desk and floor.
And draped over the back of his chair is a dust-covered jacket. My fingers shake as I reach forward, all efforts I made to let go of my past over the last two months gone. If he’s dead—if I killed him by leaving …
Closing my eyes, I lift it to my nose and inhale. His scent is muted, barely a blip on my radar, but it’s the faint iron of the blood coating it that has me dropping my ‘don’t give a fuck attitude’ and choking on a cry. I cover my mouth with a hand, the other still clinging to Tarnley’s jacket.
“What do we have here?”
I whirl, magic snapping at my fingertips. A vampire I’ve never seen before stands a few yards away from me, red eyes narrowed on my face. “What are you doing here, pretty little witch?” He inches forward, so I carefully set Tarnley’s jacket down.
“Looking for a drink.”
“Funny. So am I.” His canines slip down, and he blurs toward me. I raise my hand and grip him by the throat, spinning to slam him into the wall as he grips my forearm and fights against my hold. “What the hell are you?”
“Someone you don’t want to fuck with. Where is the vampire who used to run this place?”
“He boarded up, left town. Heard he’s somewhere in the south now.”
Gone?“He left?”
“Yes. Let me go.”
“You going to try and eat me again?”
He shakes his head as best he can with my hand gripping his throat, so I drop him. “Why are you looking for him, anyway?”
“We’re old friends.”
It’s then the bloodsucker’s eyes widen. “You’re the witch they’re all looking for.”
“Excuse me?”
“The hunters and the fae. They’re all looking for you, lady. Last I heard, they were pretty pissed. You may want to lay low.”
“They are not my concern.” Reaching down, I retrieve Tarnley’s jacket.” You said he’s in the south?”
The vampire shrugs. “He goes back and forth. Sometimes, he’s here; then he leaves again. Or, at least, that’s what the rumors are. No one’s seen him since they took Lucy out.”
