Page 2 of Nightfall


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“That’s a lovely name,” she agreed.

I didn’t share with her that it meant “princess,” and that I thought it a fitting name for the daughter of a king.

I grabbed the plastic bag full of baby supplies and turned a tight smile toward the woman. I’d stalled for as long as I could. “Anyway, great talking to you. Have a lovely evening.”

I headed for the store exit and glanced at the clock above the door. Declan told me he’d be here at nine-thirty to pick me up. But it was still early, still ten minutes to go.

He had the baby—well,Sara—with him, and had insisted that he give me a short break from playing the part of Insta-Mommy, a position I had very little experience with, or interest in, before a few short days ago. But I was doing my best for Matthias’s daughter. My own safety had officially taken a backseat to hers.

And I had to admit, the thought of someone like Declan Reyes looking after an infant all on his own for a couple hours was incredibly amusing to me, like a sitcom titled “The Assassin and the Baby.” Amusing enough that I finally agreed to give him the chance while I took care of a few chores.

Soccer-Mom followed me outside.

I’d hoped she wouldn’t. But here we were. This was going to end one of two ways, and I was hoping very much for door number one. That was the door with the least amount of blood behind it.

“I know what you are,” I said to her evenly.

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

“And what am I?” she asked.

“A vampire.”

Soccer-Mom’s lips stretched into a cold smile, and I finally saw the razor-sharp tips of her fangs. “What do you know of vampires?” she asked.

“Enough. I’ve had a bit of a crash course when it comes to your kind,” I told her. “Literally, actually.”

“If that’s so, you seem so calm. You really shouldn’t be.”

“I’m not calm at all,” I replied. “I’m not a big fan of getting bit.”

“You’ve been tasted before?” she asked.

I nodded, repressing my shudder as best as I could. “A few times. I’m starting to lose count.”

The vampire approached slowly, but I knew she could move much quicker than that, so I didn’t bother to attempt to run away from her. She swept the long hair back from my shoulder to study my throat, which still bore the fading marks from my handful of fang-induced injuries.

“Are you a blood servant?” she asked.

“No. I’m nobody’s servant.”

“Then what are you and what makes you smell so good?” she whispered, her face drawing closer to mine. The scent of my blood had quickly become her entire focus.

“I’ve been called many things lately,” I said, clutching the handle of my shopping bag, and tensing up as she brushed her mouth against my throat.

Monsters like her had absolutely no respect for personal space.

“Oh? Such as?” she murmured.

I felt the tip of her fangs graze me, and I braced myself to accept that door number two was the only way this would be going down tonight.

“Death,” I told her. The warning was clear in my voice, but she was too far gone to hear me now.

Before the vampire managed to pierce my skin, she suddenly lurched back from me.

Declan stood behind her now, with a handful of the vampire’s hair in his grip, and he tossed her to the side. As she scrambled to return to her chosen prey of the evening, he drew a silver stake out from beneath his long black coat.

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