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Jesse nods as if he accepts her explanation. We trade a few more pleasantries, and Tamelen promises to keep an eye out for any trace of other witches while she’s in the area. Then, saying our goodbyes, we continue on toward the gift shop as Tamelen walks in the opposite direction.
Jesse pulls me around the corner of the building and into a small diner. We take a table in the back, ordering two glasses of iced tea when the waitress comes to take our order. After she walks away, I meet Jesse’s turbulent gaze.
“She was lying,” he says quietly. “Despite the rush of magic I felt as she tried to hide it, I could hear her heartrate accelerate when she tried to explain her presence in this part of town.”
“So why do you think she’s really here? Maybe we should’ve followed her.”
“No, I’m certain she’s aborted whatever plan she had and is currently shopping for souvenirs to cover her tracks. Whatever she’s up to, we’re not going to figure it out today.”
He goes quiet as the waitress delivers our drinks. He sniffs them covertly before giving me a shallow nod, and I take a long drink. He tells the waitress we’re not ordering food, and after she flashes him a flirtatious smile and saunters away, I shake my head.
“If she’s a witch, I’m certain she’d poison me to get a shot at you,” I whisper.
He smirks slightly before the expression drops. “There’s no poison or magic in the drinks.”
“How do you know?” I ask, taking another sip. I refuse to live in fear. “Tamelen obviously lied about being able to completely mask the scent of magic, so there could be something in here and you’d never know.”
His frown deepens, and I reach out to grip his forearm. “It’s okay. I feel fine, and not every person in L.A. is out to get us.”
“I cannot be so cavalier with your safety,” he says quietly.
“And I love you for that, but I refuse to live my life in complete paranoia.”
I finish my tea, then drink some of Jesse’s so it looks like he drank it. He obviously ordered it as some sort of cover, like he didn’t want the staff or other customers in the diner to know he’s a vampire…like they’d somehow jump to that exact conclusion if he didn’t order something for himself.
Speaking of paranoia…
But I suppose he has reason to be paranoid. Besides spending the last seventy years pretending to be human, I mean. Someone did attack his father with magic, and the ancient vampire is going to die if we don’t figure this out.
Jesse drops some money on the table to cover the drinks and a generous tip, and we head back out into the California sunshine. I keep my eyes peeled as we head down the boulevard toward the wax museum. Across the street, I see a familiar form…the one I’ve been looking for.
“Steph!” I shout before I think, and Jesse grinds to a halt beside me, his gaze following mine.
The woman stutters to a stop, looking around until her eyes land on mine. A beautiful smile spreads across her face as she spins and heads toward me, darting through the traffic on swift feet as I stand frozen in shock.
She hops up onto the curb and races toward me, her body slamming into mine as her arms circle around me. I stand still, my arms dangling at my sides as she hugs me tightly. When she pulls back, she shoots me that oh-so-familiar impish grin.
“Surprise! I’m here!”
24
THAT DOESN’T SOUND OMINOUS, AT ALL
“Steph? What are you…? How?”
My mind is spinning, my heartbeat pounding in my ears as I grab my best friend’s arms and hold her still so I can look at her. She’s bouncing lightly on her toes despite my firm grip, her gaze skipping from me to Jesse and back again.
“Aunt Bernadette surprised me with a plane ticket,” she says breathlessly. “She said she couldn’t stand to look at my sullen face a moment longer. She’s even paying me for my days off so I’d have no excuse not to come. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Unbelievable,” I murmur, meeting Jesse’s concerned gaze.
“You don’t seem happy to see me,” she says, deflating a bit.
“Of course, I’m happy,” I say, forcing a smile. “I’m just in shock.”
I pull her in for another hug, and her relief is palpable as she melts against my chest. I hope she can’t feel the tension coiling inside me. Try as I might, I can’t seem to release it and relax into the embrace.
Pulling back, I ask, “When did you get here? Where are you staying?”
