Page 40 of Taste of Fate

“I knew it!” Amy pumped a fist victoriously. “He’s a rake.”

“A what?”

“A manwhore, basically.” She held up a paperback and waved it in my face. “Forced into an arranged marriage, but still clinging to his rakeish ways. How long until he realizes his bride is his perfect match after all?”

“Shut up,” I groaned. “My life is not a romance novel.”

Amy cackled at my reaction. “You have to admit, it sounds like the start of one.”

“Well, it’s not. The little taste he did get of my blood must have been horrible because he’s been all pissed off at me since last night.” My mouth slammed shut. Fuck. I must have wanted to get that off my chest more than I realized. At least I didn’t mention the kiss, although that too was now a burning weight on my chest.

Amy’s expression sobered. “Oh, I’m sorry, Tav. Were you starting to, you know, like him?”

“No, not like that.” I shoved back the memory of hugging him, the sensation of his bare skin, and the utter euphoria of his kiss. “We were becoming friends, like I said. It was his idea to let me come visit, and he got me a bunch of winemaking supplies. Also these.”

I swung forward the backpack I’d been carrying and pulled out the two cell phones that Bea helped me to activate. “One is yours. So we can keep in touch.”

“Phones?” She took one of the slim black devices and held it as carefully as if it were a gold bar. “Wow, a personal phone! Your vampires must be rich.”

“Keep it hidden when you’re not using it,” I said. “Use the outlet in Robin’s place to charge it.”

I had already recorded my number into her phone and sent her a text right then and there. She startled when the device buzzed in her hand and I laughed, showing her how to type out a reply on the screen’s keyboard.

“I’m texting!” Amy laughed in delight as she spammed me with multiple emojis. “This is amazing, it’s like passing notes.”

“Call or text me any time you can,” I said. “Just make sure no one sees you. Any time of night is fine. I’m becoming more nocturnal these days.”

She nodded, slipping the phone and charging cord under the pile of pillows on her bed. “So, you’re doing okay over there? You’re not locked in a dungeon with a bunch of vampires gnashing their teeth at you?”

“No.” I laughed. “It’s nothing like that. It’s…good, actually. I have a friend, a woman named Bea. She’s actually a brusang, not a vampire.” I quickly explained the difference to Amy. “She’s been helping me adjust. They have a market where humans can buy food. Humans can also earn money in exchange for blood at the blood bank, which is totally safe and regulated. The vampires are actually pretty nice. I mean, most of them ignore me, but a couple have been friendly. They’re fans of my wine, it seems.”

Amy snorted. “Who isn’t a fan of your wine?”

I grinned. “They drank it all like a bunch of frat boys, but I’ll save a bottle for you on my next visit.” I grabbed a pillow, hugging it as I relaxed onto my side. “How’s everything been here? Same old bullshit?”

She knew I was asking if others were still bullying her or giving her too much work to do. To my relief, she said, “No one’s been messing with me much lately. Something else caught everyone’s interest a couple days ago.”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense, Ames.” I nudged her with my foot. “What happened?”

“Someone stumbled in from the human world.” Amy chewed her lip.

“Really?” My eyes widened. A human accidentally finding their way to our world wasn’t unheard of, but it was rare. “Where are they now?”

“That poor thing,” Amy sighed. “They’re keeping her in the council room because she kept trying to run. She wants to go home but is completely disoriented on which direction to go. She keeps running straight for the Heart of Sanguine. We would’ve escorted her to the closest human-world border, but someone let it slip that vampires rule this world. She doesn’t believe it, but the council are still worried that she could be a liability if she makes it home and starts telling everyone. So they’re kind of…holding her and figuring out what to do.”

“Wow,” I snorted. “Typical council.” Magic was blocked in the human world, to the point where vampires, shifters, and witches were only in folk tales and legends. Even if the woman made it home and ranted about vampires enough so that some people listened, the odds of them finding their way into our world were minuscule.

“Yeah, Robin’s going to appeal to the council tomorrow. The woman should be welcomed in the community and free to make her own choices, not treated like a criminal.”

“Have you met her?”

“Yeah, I bring her clothes, blankets, and food. She was really upset and confused, at first. But now I think she’s accepting that she won’t go home any time soon.”

“That’s too bad. I wonder if the vampires can help at all.”

“Help?” Amy scoffed. “You mean help her leave and lose a potential blood source? Yeah, right.”

“I mean, they’re just people, Amy.” My defensiveness surprised even me. “I’m sure some will love to hear about a human stumbling in their territory with no hope of escape, but they’re not all predators. Everyone in Blood 'til Dawn wants humans to be treated well, and I’m sure that would include returning them home.”

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