Page 137 of The Donor’s Dilemma

Verity found the name and phone number as the phone started ringing. Theo glanced down and smiled when he found Elliot calling.

“What is it?” Verity asked.

“Back up,” he told her.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The festival was everything Verity hoped it would be. The moment she stepped out of Theo’s car, a pair of laughing children ran past, flower crowns askew, heading for the park. She smiled, remembering a similar night with Cora when they were children. Carefree, no thought of vampires or conspiracies or the Vital Exchange. None of it existed in her world back then. It was somewhere beneath the surface, beyond the small, safe bubble she’d grown up in. That bubble had burst a long time ago.

Theo held out her handbag and slipped his hand into hers, giving it a soft squeeze. “You ready?”

She nodded, sliding the bag over her shoulder. Checking her dress and the golden chain around her neck, the flower with its petals of sparkling moonlight. She was ready.

One night. If everything went to plan, it would be over by morning. The Exchange, the secrets, the danger. She and Theo could finally live their lives without wondering where donors were disappearing to and where the next would come from, without hiding what they were to each other. A real couple, not a dirty secret.

“I’m ready,” she said, and they headed into the market square, following the music drifting from the bandstand on the warm spring breeze.

Heads turned as they passed. Whispers followed. They’d braced for it, for hostility and difficult questions. For the curious stares of people watching them the way you might watch an animal at the zoo, waiting to see what they’d do. Verity held her head high and smiled at Theo, pretending none of it existed. They were just another couple, out enjoying the festival.

They spotted Ed and Charlie first, perusing a table of artisan cheeses. Ed wielded a sample on a stick, attempting, with great enthusiasm, to feed it to Charlie. The stallholder watched the pair with open bemusement, a human trying to force feed a vampire. Marcy and Elliot were with them, acting far more civilised while onlookers gave them a wide berth.

“I swear that man is obsessed with food,” Theo muttered, and Verity snorted.

She guided him to a bakery stall, relieved when the baker didn’t flinch at the sight of them. He had been giving out sweet buns to the children running wild through the square. A small boy was clutching one in each fist, sprinting away from another who was shouting, “That’s mine!” The baker laughed and handed the second boy a fresh bun before turning to Verity and Theo.

“Good evening,” he said, eyes flicking between them.

“Hi,” Verity said. “I wanted to thank you again for helping with the festival.”

He waved her off, shaking his head, “I’m just glad to be part of it.” They chatted a moment longer before moving on to the next stall.

Lois and Dr Smythe were admiring an artist’s wares nearby, the good doctor stoic as ever, nodding along while Lois pointed pieces out to him. Verity was about to go over when Stella appeared.

“Evening,” she said, looking between them.

“Good evening,” Verity said, smiling. Stella scowled.

“I’m not talking to you.”

The corner of her mouth twitched all the same, and Verity knew that she’d already been forgiven for the break-in.

“The police need to talk to you,” Stella said to Theo.

“We’re at the festival.”

“It’s urgent. And we still need to go over your speech, you’re up in fifteen minutes. Then you introduce the choir, then the dancers.” She launched into the itinerary Verity had given her, rattling through it without pause for breath.

“Fine,” Theo said, scanning the crowd until he spotted Jesse. “Why don’t you go stay with him for a bit?”

Verity didn’t much care for being handed-off like a child needing minding, but she understood. Plus, Petra was due any moment, and Verity wanted to be sure Jesse was ready.

“Okay,” she said, tilting her head back in a dare. He smiled, brushed a strand of hair from her face, and kissed her quickly.

“See you in a minute,” he said, and was gone, Stella already talking at him before they’d taken three steps. Something cooled in the air the moment his hand left hers.

She made her way toward Jesse, picking up the pace when she realised he was talking to Cora.

“Terrible patients,” he was saying as she arrived. “The pair of them, always misbehaving. Getting stuck into things they shouldn’t,” he said pointedly, eyes flicking to Verity as she joined them.