Page 10 of Threads of Crimson 2

“You’ve told no one where you are, correct?” I knew he hadn’t. He’d promised, and I believed him. He’d never slip like that.

“No, of course not.” He stood up. “Why? What’s wrong?”

I stared down at him, feeling a presence that didn’t belong here traveling through my town—my territory. Benji had taken an online test for World Religions as soon as we closed tonight, so it was late—later than a random stranger would be traveling without a purpose.

Cupping his cheek, I said, “I need you to lock the door behind me and stay here. Do you understand? Don’t go anywhere else.”

The wards around my house would keep him safe if he was there, but the protections surrounding this room were just as strong.

His face paled, and he gripped my hand with both of his. “Lysandro, what’s wrong? What’s happening?”

“There’s another vampire here. I need to know you’re safe while I check it out. Go nowhere.”

Then I was gone.

The trespasser was traveling by vehicle instead of by their own natural abilities, making their trip far slower than necessary. Besides the beast I tracked, there was the heartbeat of another. I watched as it turned down the road to Ego’s monstrosity of a house. Why on Earth would someone be going there?

Very few in this town knew my true nature, but Ego’s cousin, Sky, and his found family were in the know. Sky’s best friend, Chance, was a medium, and Sky’s mentors included a mystic and a High Priestess, and with his own witch magic, he was the tether for a Dreamwalker, so they spent their evenings asleep in bed while roaming the Dreamveil and rescuing those humans being attacked in their sleep.

I’d met Ego, the famous popstar, once when he’d initially found out about the supernatural. I’d let them all in on my secret in case they ever needed me. The paranormal activity in our small town had ramped up when Chance bought the Bed & Breakfast that resided on the town’s ley lines.

But Scotty, one of Chance’s employees who came into the library frequently—one of the few I actually considered a friend—said that Ego had been MIA since his last tour. He was supposed to have already been back here, moving into his mini-castle, but he’d been laying low and dodging his family. Could he be the heartbeat in the vehicle? Where had he found his vampiric passenger and how?

I watched the two figures get out and walk inside. Ego’s shoulders slumped in a way that was unusual for him. Scotty had complained to me that he couldn’t stand what a diva the popstar was, and that didn’t remotely resemble the musician now. Hadn’t Scotty also told me that Ego had figured out he was a sound witch? Given what he did for a living and his magical affinity, I was shocked to see him look so bedraggled.

The other human was a small, petite woman. As I focused all my senses on her, I realized she wasn’t mortal at all. She was Fae. When was the last time I’d seen a fae? A fae in Willowhope was…intriguing. But if she was a fae, then that meant Ego had been turned.

I wanted to ram my head into the tree I stood behind. I couldn’t just make Ego leave. He was already a resident of Willowhope. How was he to know how rude it was to allow the change without conferring with me—the local vampire. Dammit. I didn’t want to scare the fledgling, but I needed to know who his Master was and what trouble he’d brought to my door.

Growling with frustration, I stomped to the front door and knocked. Since it was my territory, and he was but a baby, I could breeze my way in, but I wanted to keep this as civil as possible. Besides, it was important to keep good relations with his people.

The fae woman answered the door, and my appearance was met with confusion and suspicion. Despite Ego not wanting visitors, and his companion obviously worried about the young vampire, I entered the mini-castle like I’d done it a million times.

This drafty old place reminded me of the homes my Maker had inhabited, and I wasn’t about that life, but a cursory glance showed how nicely it had been renovated.

I spoke, keeping it light, knowing I wouldn’t be leaving here without his Maker’s name. “Ego, may I ask, where is your Sire?”

A pained expression crossed the man’s face. I quickly took in his unkempt appearance, limp black hair, and a face scrubbed clean of the makeup he was known for. “I…I don’t know.”

My initial irritation at having to deal with another vampire faded as concern took its place, and I directed Ego to take a seat so we could talk. How could his Maker not be here to keep him properly fed? Newly made vamps were vulnerable. They could so unwittingly make a mistake that would lead to their final death.

He began a story that included a missing Sire, Delaney—the fae with him—being the one to explain the basics of our kind—not that she knew too much—and how she’d known of a supplier to hook Ego up with blood bags. My concern grew into apprehension. That wasn’t enough nourishment for a fledgling. He needed his Maker’s blood.

“So you didn’t ask for this?” I asked.

Ego shook his head, continuing his story until I felt like I’d burst open with my rage. A nonconsensual turning was not only a disgusting violation, but it was against our rules. Punishable by death.

The larger problem in front of us was that Ego wouldn’t make it without his Sire’s blood.

“So am I going to die…again?” he asked softly, looking so pitiful, so heartbroken, that an idea began forming in my mind.

“You won’t perish, but you’ll go into a comatose state unless…” I scrubbed a hand down my face. If I didn’t keep my true thoughts to myself, I was going to end up in a position that I’d never intended to be in. “Unless an older, seasoned vampire steps in and feeds you.”

And our conversation went on, leading to exactly where I’d never wanted it to go. But what could I do? I couldn’t leave him to go into a state from lack of nourishment. Finally coming to an agreement, I stood up, unbuttoning the sleeve of my shirt to give him my wrist.

He paled further, practically climbing over the back of the couch to get away from me. He shook his head. “No. I can’t do…that.”

Goddess help me, this was going to be a problem. I ended up slicing my own wrist and filling up a golden goblet with my blood, at least providing him sustenance before I made my exit.