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“College? A child?”
“She’s no longer a child. That’s a story for another day.” She slides to the front of the couch. “Celeste isn’t normal. Most immortal children are like Gretchen. They lack the ability to control their impulses. They can’t control the monster inside of them. I once witnessedCeleste destroy a horde of strigoi by herself. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. The difference is that she was able to stop. Most can’t.”
“You love her?” My words are more of a statement than a question.
“I do. She acts like my mother, but I love her like she’s my sister.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I know how painful it is to see something like that. I know the horror that fills you at the thought of children becoming monsters. I understand.”
“How can you? Were you taken against your will and forced to become this?” I run my hands down my body, adding extra drama.
“Yes,” she answers simply. “Not in the same way you were, but I had no choice in becoming a vampire. Hell, I had no choice in becoming a lycan hybrid. I’m a damn freak of nature.” She laughs. “I’m even a freak among the paranormal community. Most are terrified of me, and others want to fuck me.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it.” Amelia knows what I mean.
She closes her eyes. “It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.” She looks me in the eyes. “We’re not so different, you and me.”
“Last I checked, I can’t turn into a wolf on demand.”
Amelia smirks at my words. “That’s probably for the best.”
The front door opens, revealing two oversizedlycan. Topher moves straight to Amelia, kissing her on the forehead. “I checked with Aunt Susan. Edon is doing great, but she thinks he might be teething.”
“My baby is growing teeth, and I’m not there to see it?” Sadness covers her face.
“Don’t worry. He’ll gain plenty more,” Topher says, pulling her to his chest.
“Elijah would like to meet with us,” Micah says from the foyer.
“What’s the point? He didn’t know anything,” Amelia asks.
“He’s the one that requested a meeting this time. I’m guessing he knows more than he let on before.”
“Or he’s going to try to kill all of us,” Thorne adds, coming into the room. “Sorry, I was eavesdropping. When’s the meeting?”
“In half an hour at his home,” Micah answers.
“Am I the only one who feels this is a little weird?” I look around the room as I speak. “What could he possibly know that he couldn’t tell us earlier?”
“In his defense, he was surrounded by people he didn’t know or trust. Maybe he was intimidated.” Micah moves into the room. “I’ve known Elijah since I was a boy. He’s worked with my father many times over the years and has always been honest.”
Thirty minutes later, we pull in front of a house that rivals vampire homes from B-roll movies. The Gothic Greek design features a two-story turret and a darknearly black brick exterior. “This isn’t obvious at all,” I say, sliding out of the back seat.
“This is something Viktor would do,” Amelia laughs.
I turn toward Thorne. “Viktor? The same Viktor that was your maker?”
“Aye,” he answers. “It’s a long story.”
“That’s an understatement,” Amelia adds, following the lycan to the entrance.
The heavy wooden door opens, revealing a young woman dressed in a French maid’s uniform. “Welcome,” she says, bowing her head. “My master was expecting you.”
Master? This is getting better by the minute. We pile into the elaborately decorated foyer, awaiting our next instructions. Hunter green wallpaper, covered in large bouquets of blue hydrangeas, lines the walls from floor to ceiling, giving the home funeral home vibes.
“Please, have a seat. I’ll alert him of your arrival.” She turns, leaving us alone in the opulently designed sitting area. A fireplace with a dark wooden mantle is the showpiece of the room. To the right of it sits a chair that reminds me of something you’d find on death row, complete with the straps for ankles and wrists. I half expect to see a coffin in the dining room.
