AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How many are in your coven?”
“There are twelve at present. Ten of us are employed by or with humans. I’m a physician. Attended Cambridge when Queen Victoria ruled much of the modern world. And learned most of what I know after that,” he added with a grin.
“That must have been fascinating.”
“It had its moments. Most of them immediately before and after the Ripper.”
“I bet.”
He looked me over, brow furrowed as if he was working through a puzzle. “And how was it to grow from child to adult as a vampire? That must have been fascinating.”
He seemed genuinely curious, probably at least in part because of his medical background, so I didn’t give a snippy response.
“It just was,” I said honestly. “Impossible to compare it to anyone else. I aged normally, stayed away from sunlight, ate plenty of chocolate chip cookies.”
His smile was broad. “I’m very glad to hear that. How long will you be in town?”
“To be determined,” I said.
Ronan nodded. “We would be happy to host you and Connor at our home while you’re in town. It would be... fascinating to learn more about Chicago’s vampires and shifters.”
“I’m not sure how long we’ll be here, but I appreciate the gesture.”
Connor came outside, joined us.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“We’re getting there. Details to work out, and we’re making our way through them.” He slid his gaze to Ronan. “Everything okay here?”
“Fine,” I said. “Ronan has invited us to the coven if we have time. I told him we’d see.”
Ronan smiled at him. “If there’s anything I can do to assist the clan or the investigation, I would be happy to offer my services.” But he kept his gaze on me, kept the words aimed at me.
“We’ve got it,” Connor said, the words short and clipped.
“Then I’ll leave you to it.” Ronan held out a hand to me, and we shook, magic tingling beneath my fingertips. Then he walked into the dark, the other vampires falling in line behind him.
I turned back to Connor, noticed the tightness around his eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Vampires,” he said, the word nearly a growl.
Since he seemed pretty displeased by the categorization, I pointed at myself again. “Vampire,” I reminded him.
This time, he actually did growl. “I don’t like being manipulated.”
“Manipulated? What did he do?”
“Glamour. You didn’t feel it?”
I looked to the spot where they’d disappeared into darkness. “I could feel his magic—but just of the general vampire variety. He didn’t try to glamour me.”
“It felt like he was trying to keep us calm, relaxed.”
That was classic glamour, used once upon a time to keep humans eager for the bite of a hungry vampire.
I put my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. There was no need for him to use magic at all; he already knows the clan, and apparently has a decent enough relationship with them. I wonder if he was aware of it, or if it’s just habit.”
“Just habit,” Connor repeated, heat in his voice now, “to manipulate us?”
