Page 31 of Blood and Hexes

End of Time

Maybe the Eirikrson wasn't as bad as Diana had initially thought. For one, she'd spent the last week training her for one or two hours per day with the rest of the girls, and while her brown eyes brightened when she concentrated, like any vampire, Diana had not seen her lose control once. She didn't seem to crave vampire blood at all. Her fangs occasionally shot out, but she didn't see one sign of bloodlust in her demeanor.

Chloe seemed nice. Truly, genuinely nice. Perhaps it was because the girl was in her twenties. They all changed in time. Hardened. They became more calculating and less caring. After losing people, they were bound to lose some of their innocence.

Diana wasn't certain why she was still here, though. Maybe she had judged Chloe unfairly, but it didn't change the fact that Juniper's warning had been warranted. They had closed Oldcrest to its rightful residents. There was a fight brewing between the Eirikrsons and the rest of the world—a fight she didn't want to get in the middle of.

No one spoke to her about the details. In fact, everyone on the hill took great care to avoid mentioning any sensitive information about anything in her presence. Not that she could blame them. She wasn't one of them. From what she'd gathered, when some of the families on the hill heard that an Eirikrson was alive, still in her mortal shell, they'd taken steps to try to get rid of her—an impulse Diana could comprehend regardless of how nice Chloe was in person. She wasn't going to shed centuries of fear with a smile. Equally understandable was Levi's reaction: he'd closed Oldcrest to protect his mate, after a Beaufort had sided with those who stood against Chloe. She got both sides. She just didn't want to get in the middle of them.

For all that, Diana was enjoying her time here. In her home. In her perfect room. With Alexius and Avani, who was becoming a friend. Hell, she liked just about everyone who popped by Night Hill.

She hadn't yet ventured to the Institute or Adairford, content to remain where she was. There were too many memories she didn't want to confront downhill. Memories of friends long since buried and turned to dust. Memories of a time she'd been weak. Her home had changed enough for her to avoid thinking about those days much, but a trip into town held no appeal.

Lounging on a chaise at the back of the house, she watched two gigantic wolves play together in the distance. She was still getting used to the fact that her brother was now a shifter. Alexius had taken to it like a fish to water. She smiled as she watched him pounce and nibble at his wife's ears.

"Isn't it too cloudy for tanning?" Chloe asked, walking to her from the main road, Mikar at her heels.

Diana did her best to purposely ignore the great sexy brute who could make her tingle all over with a single glance. He might be unfairly hot, but he was still an alpha male used to being in charge. Definitely not her type. With men or women, Diana liked to be on top. She'd lived so long, she was set in her ways, and no Adonis was going to change that.

She glanced up at the gray sky. "Maybe, but it's a cute bikini, right?"

She'd found the adorable twopiece at the back of her wardrobe. The white crocheted ensemble was also going to be packed up with her stuff when she left.

"Extra cute," Chloe replied. "Right, Mikar?"

The barbarian had the gall to snort. "I wouldn't call it cute."

Diana scowled. "Good thing no one cares what you'd call it." To Chloe, she chirped, "Fancy a drink?"

She pointed to a carafe filled with Sex On The Beach. Her bloodlust had faded over the last few days. She was back to sipping the occasional Olla every other day.

Chloe wrinkled her nose. "I'll pass. I don't feel that hot today. I was hoping Alexius could check me over, maybe give me some of his potions or whatever."

That snared Diana's attention. Vampires didn't get sick—not in a human way, in any case. Some viruses could have effects on them, but they were specific to vampirekind, and none of them were good news. They could also get hexed.

Concerned, Dianafocused all of her mind on Chloe, not letting anything else register. Chloe didn't feel sick to her. In fact, she felt radiant. Wonderful. Her scent had become sweeter, sharper, and more complex, though it was a subtle difference. Like she was…

She blinked, her jaw falling open.

"Yeah, getting Alexius to look at you is a great idea." She turned to Mikar. "You want to go get him?"

The guard frowned, looking at Chloe.

"Come on, you can leave her with me for two minutes,” Diana pleaded. “I'm too comfy to move."

His jaw tightened. For a moment, Diana thought he might refuse, which said tons about how little he trusted her. But then he nodded and walked away. Diana let him reach the wolves, before she shot to her feet, grabbed Chloe's hand, and dragged her inside the house, out of earshot. It was no one's business but the girl's.

Chloe opened her mouth to ask what was up, but Diana cut her off, words rushing out of her mouth. They only had seconds before Mikar and the others hurried back. "You're not sick. You're pregnant."

Chloe's jaw fell open. She said nothing, staring at her in horror. "I can't. I can't be…I'm…"

"An Eirikrson. Born vampires from those turned directly by Ariadne can bear children."

But that wasn't what Chloe had been about to say. "Twenty-five. I won't be twenty-six until Halloween. I can't have a child now. I'm not…ready."

"If you don't want to share with the class, you have about five seconds to get your face back to normal, or they will nag until you spill."

Diana was surprised to see that Chloe managed to school her features into something fairly neutral, though her eyes remained too wide. Poor kid. And at the same time…Diana didn't feel sorry for her at all. While it was no doubt a shock, she was certain that Chloe was going to rock this.

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