Page 66 of Vampire's Hearth

“Do you know where you’re going?” Rory asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

Dani’s eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror, catching mine for a moment before she nodded. “I’ve been there once or twice—for herbs.”

Rory pressed her lips into a line and turned to me. “I see. So you’ve been telling them how to answer my questions with non-answers.”

I squeezed her hand in a gentle grip. “I hope you understand.” I needed to keep her safe, and the less she knew, the safer she was.

Her brow furrowed as she turned to look out at the passing landscape, the tension between us thickening with every mile. “I wish I knew what you were protecting me from.”

My chest tightened. How would I ever tell her I was protecting her from my brother, the vampire her coven sought? And that if he knew how close they were to being able to end him, the entire coven would be in danger—not to mention the Cure we intended to find. I took a deep breath, my fingers intertwined with hers.

A calm settled over her as we drove the winding roads to Oak Leaf Hallow. “I guess I don’t have to ask if you’ve been here before.” Her voice was quieter now.

I nodded, echoing Dani’s response. “Once or twice. I may have been a guest for a time.” The trees grew denser as we wound through the narrow roads, the soft glow of the rising sun wrestling to break through the thick canopy. The closer we got, the more the air seemed to hum with an old, familiar energy.

“I take it I don’t need to show you around?”

I shook my head.

“Well, that should make things interesting,” she said, her tone light. She shifted in her seat, her thumb tracing absentminded patterns against mine, her voice calm, but her eyes betraying the nervous energy she tried to hide.

The plantation house loomed before us, its wraparound porch with white columns and gallery now modernized with electric lamps. Yet history clung to the air as if the very earth we drove across remembered me.

The tires crunched over the drive as Dani slowed to a stop. A woman with brown hair stepped onto the front porch.

“That’s Jade,” Rory said, her eyes lighting up. “I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

I squeezed her hand. “And what does she know?”

She bit her lip, her gaze flicking to me before she answered, as though something unsaid lingered between us. “Not as much as she should, but I haven’t spoken to her since we left for Ireland.”

“It will make for an interesting introduction,” I said with a smile. I couldn’t shake the feeling that “interesting” was anunderstatement. Jade’s shoulders remained rigid as she took a step forward, her back stiff and her eyes narrow as she scrutinized my every step.

I climbed out of the car and made my way to Rory’s side, opening her door. Hand in hand, we walked up the stairs toward Jade. The wooden stairs creaked under our feet, the scent of moss and gardenia blossoms hanging in the humid, salty air.

Her arms crossed over her chest, but her eyes betrayed a mixture of curiosity and wariness as if she were trying to gauge the situation. “This is quite the turn of events.” Jade’s eyes glinted with curiosity.

Rory smiled coyly. “We’ll talk later,” she said, dropping my hand and wrapping her friend in a hug.

Jade looked at me, her eyes darkening. “Amara and Lyra haven’t returned yet.”

Rory pulled back and nodded. “How long has Amara been gone?”

“A few hours,” Jade replied. “She went to pick up Lyra.”

Rory glanced at me and smiled. “Well, I guess you were right—we beat them here.”

I smiled back, reaching for her hand. “Sometimes it pays to have your own jet.”

Dani came up behind us and placed Rory’s backpack and my bag on the porch, nodding a silent greeting to Jade before turning toward me. “If that’s all, sir, I’ll be going.”

I nodded at her with a smile. “I’ll be in touch.”

Dani returned to the car, driving off without another word.

Rory’s eyes followed her path before she turned toward me. “Where’s she going to stay while we’re here?”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “She’ll be fine. By tonight, she’ll have a mortal warming her bed.”

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