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“No, I’m not,” Blaire growls. “She, quite justifiably, told him to fuck off. He laughed and said she’d be back begging him to pop her vamp cherry, once she realized no one wants to date a half-breed. I’m pretty sure he was talking about being half witch, but Casey took it as a half Native American thing and again, quite justifiably, almost shoved her shrimp skewer through his shriveled, hateful little heart. Instead, she decided to leave. But don’t worry, Colin’s taking her home, so she’ll be safe.” Her shoulders slump. “But I’m sad. I wanted her first Nightfall social event to be fun, something she would remember fondly and help get her mind off all the Manny shit. Instead, that life-sized vampire butt-plug had to go and ruin everything.” Her eyes narrow on mine. “Do you have any idea who it could be? Did you see her talking to any vampires while you were circulating?”
I shake my head, then amend, “Well, she was talking to Edmond for a little while. But I was right there, and he was perfectly nice. Charming, really. But Casey did seem a little freaked out, even by him. I thought maybe it had something to do with that…predatory energy vampires give out sometimes, even when they don’t really mean to.”
Blaire’s lips turn down as she rolls the spaghetti strap of her glittering gold gown thoughtfully between two fingers. “Maybe. Though as far as vampires go, Edmond is pretty harmless. He can’t shapeshift or read minds and he isn’t much stronger than your average gym rat. He can communicate with certain animals, but when your clan brothers can turn into bats and hurl boulders into the sea without breaking a sweat, that’s not much of a flex.” She glances over her shoulder, her expression softening as her gaze settles on her fated mate. “Darcy worries about him. Especially when he’s overseas. The vampires in the old country still think the vampire ranks should be thinned, and that the weakest vampires should be the first to go.”
I shiver, suddenly cold despite the heat lamps blazing in every corner of this part of the patio.
But the wind is picking up, and I’ve always been cold-blooded.
As a child, my permanent case of winter shivers was why I stayed home to mind the fire while my sisters tumbled out the door to build snow families or skate on the frozen pond at the edge of our property. But I never felt like I was missing out. I loved snuggling under a blanket with a book and spending a cozy afternoon alone. I excel at being alone, and almost always enjoy it.
But I’m tired of flying solo. Nearly as tired as I am of always feeling like the odd woman out, the awkward, bookish girl who can’t seem to “adult” the way the rest of the world adults.
I proved that by waiting over three decades to ditch my virginity.
Now, I’m pregnant, with only seven and a half months to go before I become a mother, and there’s still so much I don’t understand. How am I going to raise my daughter to be a strong, confident woman when most of the time I still feel like that little girl hiding in a book myself?
I don’t know. But I know that if I have to endure Baron’s passionless politeness again tonight, I might scream. And screaming is frowned upon in Nightfall, unless you’re being chased by something that provoked the screaming and are in need of immediate assistance.
I lean in to kiss Blaire’s cheek. “I’ll head home then, too, and check on Casey.”
Blaire gives me a quick hug. “Okay, thank you, sweets. I would go, but Darcy and I are kind of the reason for the party so…”
“No, you should stay,” I assure her. “Have fun, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You sure will. Darcy already warned everyone that we won’t be staying for the sunrise breakfast in the underground ballroom, since he has to be home to feed Amy when she wakes up.” Her lips twist. “He got a few eye rolls about it, but whatever…shitters gonna shit.”
I cock my head sharply to the right.
Blaire laughs and answers my unspoken question. “Like haters gonna hate, but…with shitty people? No?” She waves a hand. “All right, I’ll go back to the drawing board with that one, but you know what I mean. Shitty people who hate other people for things they can’t control—like having a demon for a father and adorable little horns—are going to stay shitty. We’re never going to change their minds. But the people who are just a little nervous are different. As soon as they see Amy toddling around town, being a sweet little love bug, they’ll adore her as much as we do.”
She shrugs. “And even if she slips up and accidentally sets something on fire when her demon heat comes in, it’s not like the other supernatural kids are saints. Baby wolf shifters are always nipping at things they shouldn’t, and Sally said her niece sucked her kindergarten teacher dry on the first day of school last year. Baby succubus feed on hugs, not sex, and she hadn’t learned to control her withdrawal speed yet. People around here understand unique growing pains. Even with a few bigoted shits talking smack behind her back, this is the best place for Amy. And Casey.” Her brow furrows with worry as she squeezes my arm. “Will you please try to convince her of that when you get home? I’ll work on her tomorrow, too. I just don’t want her to get fed up and leave when this is as much her home as anyone else’s. She won’t be safe out on her own. And sadly, there are horrible jerkholes like that vampire everywhere.”
“Though they don’t want to drink your blood everywhere,” I say, compelled to state the obvious.
I want Casey to stay, too, but Nightfall does have its issues. I think the pluses outweigh the minuses, but Casey has more than herself to worry about.
The thought makes my stomach clench as I add, “But, yes, I’ll talk to her. And she starts her new job tomorrow. That should make her feel better. She’s always at her best when she’s surrounded by people, dazzling them with her craft cocktail talent.”
“Totally,” Blaire agrees. “She’s going to fit right in at the Pug and Crone, Amy’s going to have a fabulous first night at daycare, and by next week they won’t be able to remember living anywhere else. Do you have someone to walk you home?”
“I’ll wait until Colin gets back from taking Casey and ask him to make another quick trip,” I say, though I don’t intend on doing anything of the sort. I made the trip between our house and the Blackmore estate dozens of times while Colin and I were pretending to be engaged. The tram down the mountain is completely safe and the streets between our homes are well-lit and lined with other Victorian homes in need of a little TLC. I don’t know our neighbors well, but they seem like decent people who would poke their head out the window if they heard something sketchy going on outside.
I’ll be fine.
And I could really use some time away from my family to think.
I force a smile and wave to Darcy over Blaire’s head before hurrying inside to collect my wrap and starting for the tram. At the small loading platform, there are two cat shifter women I don’t know well, but vaguely remember from the town harvest celebration. We exchange smiles and some small talk about being too old to stay up past midnight, and then I’m left alone with my thoughts.
As I watch the moonlight glitter on the ice-cold winter sea on the ride down the mountainside, I keep thinking about what it must be like for Casey, to have a piece of her heart running around outside of her body, vulnerable to the evils of the world—and this town—in a hundred different terrifying ways.
So far, I’ve been happy in Nightfall and grateful for the chance to connect with my family’s history. I haven’t minded the occasional snub from people who judged my mother for having children by so many different fathers—most of them not warlocks, which put the fate of the town in jeopardy until Blaire came into her power. But the friendly townsfolk far outnumber the jerks, and Colin and Sophie are two of the best friends I’ve ever had. Add in the comfort of having a home of our very own and the chance to learn magic, just like in the fantasy books I loved so much as a child, and the pluses have far outweighed the minuses.
But will I still feel the same way when I have a tiny, helpless baby in my arms?
Will I still feel safe walking these streets alone at night when I know there are monsters in the wilds around town who relish the blood of children above all else?
I try to remind myself that there are human monsters everywhere, and that no town is completely safe, no matter how close-knit the community or how well-patrolled the streets, but by the time I step through our front door, my stomach is in knots.
