Page 39 of The Vampire's Hunter

She’d waited, and waited, and waited, until still he hadn’t come.

And finally, when others noticed she was waiting too, for the first time in her life she’d felt like a fool. For assuming Corbin could ever want her, for mistaking his kindness as an invite to be his mistress, or at the very least, the woman on his arm for the night.

She’d been about to go home. She even would have walked if she had to. Anything was better than standing there, realizing she’d been made a fool. She turned to leave then, only for Cillian to stop her by her wrist.

“Come inside,” he’d whispered, his voice a glamour filled hiss. “Come inside and join me, Dani.”

Abruptly, the door to the choir room opened, startling Dani from the memory. The door shut just as quickly, sealing behind whoever entered.

Dani swiped at the tears which prickled at the corner of her eyes and spun to face him. “You could have told me that you—”

She stopped; her words cut short.

“You thought I was Corbin, didn’t you?” Cassandra asked, taking a step toward her. “Don’t worry. He’s looking for you. I just happened to get to you first.”

Dani stepped back a little, placing more distance between them. “Please, don’t hurt me.”

At that, Cassandra threw back her head and laughed, her joy a sharp, and shrill cackle. “Now, explain to me why I would want to do that, hmmm?” She trailed her manicured fingers over a nearby music stand, her words sharper than its metal edges. “Corbin already wants me dead for how I sold him out to Lucien. Touching you would make me a fool.”

There was that word again, the one she’d used to disparage herself. Dani didn’t know how Cassandra knew the power it held over her, but the siren latched onto it like a hungry babe at the tit.

“You make him look foolish, you know? Every time he stands beside you when he could be standing by me.” Cassandra ran both hands over her breasts, down the curves of her sides, curves any woman would have envied. “I’m more beautiful than you’ll ever be,” she whispered through pouty, full lips. “Anyone with eyes can see it.”

“You’re right,” Dani admitted. “Youarebeautiful.” She let her gaze fall over Cassandra’s form, appreciating. “Flawless really.”

Cassandra preened, smiling that smug grin of hers.

“But Corbin sees my flaws, scars and all,” Dani gestured to her own body, “and he likes those, too.” She met Cassandra’s eyes then. “I don’t think he’d say the same for you.” Forcing herself to be braver than she usually would be—practice, she supposed—Dani stepped forward. “You may be beautiful, Cassandra. More beautiful and powerful than I’ll ever be.”

Her gaze raked over the other woman, voice lowering to a whisper. “But inside you’re ugly, and it’s what a man thinks when he’sinsidethat really counts.” Dani drew toe-to-painted-toe with the other woman, turning down her nose at her. “You’d best run back to Angelo. No doubt he’ll be missing you.”

“Don’t be surprised when he gets bored with you,” Cassandra said, a surprising flash of pain in her eyes. “Corbin took longer than most, but eventually, they all grow bored with you.” To Dani’s surprise, Cassandra left without another word, slithering back to her new lover. Thankfully for Dani’s pride, the gorgeous siren had miscalculated on exactly where to hit Dani to make it hurt, what to say truly undo her. It wasn’t Cassandra’s beauty Dani envied. Dani was a beauty in her own right. True: a human beauty, but a beauty, nonetheless.

No, it wasn’t Cassandra’s sumptuous looks that drew Dani in, made her heart turn green with envy. It was the power Cassandra exuded from every pore. The power that came from being a siren, from being an untouchable, supernatural entity. Someone who could defend herself, who didn’t have to rely on anyone to save her anymore.

And given time, if Dani had her say, she’d claim that same power for herself.

And her revenge against Lucien, too.

It was all within her grasp. All she needed to do was reach out and take it.

Corbin had scouredthe whole of the church’s interior and had even contemplated clomping across the grounds all the way to the rectory, before finally on his second pass through the main corridor, Cassandra blew past him, spitting angry. “She’s in the choir room, if you must keep searching.”

Corbin quickened his steps, moving a faster. Reaching the choir room shortly, he paused momentarily, before finally charging in.

Dani sat in one of the practice chairs, her back facing toward him, staring up at a painted portrait of Christ, as she thumbed through an abandoned music sheet.

“Is it true?” she whispered, not bothering to turn toward him. “Tell me, is it true?”

“Whatever Cassandra said to you Dani, it—”

“Is it true that you grew bored of Cassandra and that’s why you left her? From my guess, only a handful of days before me.”

Corbin chose his next words carefully. “I’ve lived a very long life, Dani. I won’t apologize for having relationships before you.”

“I don’t expect you too,” she whispered softly, her voice cracking a little. “But why didn’t you tell me you had a wife? Children too?”

The question settled between them, unsurprisingly heavy.

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