Page 55 of Vampire's Hearth

She bit the inside of her cheek. “Thank you. It is good to have someone else to share her story with. I’m sure Declan gets sick of hearing about her.”

I picked up my phone and twirled it in my hand. I allowed the stories to swirl in the back of my mind, but there was another conversation I wanted to have with Isla. “So, you and Declan, you’re mates?”

Isla’s expression softened, a sweet, distant smile curving her lips. “We are. Have been for about a year now.”

I took a deep breath. I barely knew this woman, but she was the only one with an answer. “What’s it like?” I asked, unable to mask the curiosity in my voice.

She took a sip of her tea before answering. “It’s… everything. He’s everything I need.”

I raised my brow teasingly. “Everything?”

A blush crept up her cheeks, and she nodded. “Everything.”

“Aren’t you worried about… getting pregnant?” I asked, shifting in my seat.

Isla shook her head gently. “No. I’ve known for years that I won’t be able to have children.”

“I’m sorry,” I blurted. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

She waved away my concern. “Don’t worry about it. I know you’re just curious, not trying to judge.”

We fell into a comfortable silence until another question formed, hesitating on my lips. “Is it frightening? Always having vampire blood in your system?”

“Not really,” she replied thoughtfully. “I’ve made peace with the fact that if something happens to me, I could be turned. But statistically, the chances of something like that happening are small. For the first few months, though, I was extra careful. I think Declan thought I’d wrapped myself in a cocoon.” She laughed, and I joined in, comforted by her indifference.

Setting her drink down, Isla studied me closely. “Is there a reason for all these questions?” Her eyebrow arched in curiosity.

Heat rose to my cheeks. “Maybe,” I muttered, the sensation of Mac’s lips on mine creeping into them again.

“Mac seems pretty smitten with you.” Isla’s eyes sparkled. “He and I haven’t known each other long, but he and Declan go back quite a way. About a century and a half, actually.”

“A century and a half?” I echoed in disbelief. I wasn’t sure I would ever wrap my head around Mac having lived so many lifetimes.

“Yep.” She sighed. “They both want to find the Cure so badly. I wish I had found any trace of Donovan O’Cillian. It’s like he vanished after leaving Kentucky.”

I smiled, thankful that she had so skillfully changed the topic. I traced around the edge of my phone, still in my hands. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say a witch was involved.”

Her eyes shifted, narrowing as she focused on my necklaces. “Mac mentioned you’re intended to be the next High Priestess ofyour coven. Does that have anything to do with the pendants you wear?”

I hesitated, her question throwing me off guard. “Yes,” I answered finally. “Two of them, at least. This one”—I pointed at the black obsidian—“is my pendulum. It helps guide me, answer questions, and leads me toward things.” I lifted the lynx pendant, feeling its weight dissipate from my chest. “And this one marks me as the High Priestess Heir.”

“May I see it closer?” Isla asked, leaning forward.

I set my phone on the table with a sigh. I rarely took off the pendant, and to just hand it over to someone else was quite the request. Genuine curiosity shone in her eyes as I unclasped the chain and handed it to her. She handled it as though it was a precious jewel, and I felt some of the tension fade from my shoulders. She studied it, tracing her finger along the delicate engravings.

“Did Mac show you the embossing on the outside of the lineage?” I asked, reasoning out loud about her interest in it.

“No.” She handed the pendant back, a curious look in her eyes, her words taking on absolute seriousness. “There’s something you need to see. Come with me.”

“Where are we going?” I asked, standing to follow her.

“Up to Kieran’s receiving room.”

My heart flickered with nerves. I hadn’t been in any of the family’s rooms, but I followed her assured footsteps.

As we passed the fireplaces into the great hall, she spoke, her voice no louder than before. “Any being that can hear me needs to meet me in the gallery.”

Her words sent a ripple of energy through the air, subtle but commanding. Within moments, three vampires appeared in the gallery, their postures expectant. The sudden convergence of power filled the room, heightening my senses.

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