Page 19 of Magic and Muffins

Anchor raised a questioning brow.

“But no, this alert is for Orphia.” She released me from her strangling arm-hold and looked at her phone. “It’s another video.”

My stomach roiled. “I don’t think I can watch it.”

“It looks fine,” she said as she pressed play. “Look. It’s just a bunch of people hanging out and playing cards.”

Large men busted down the door and infiltrated the room. Based on the way they sprouted fur and attacked the card players, the card players weren’t just people. They were vampires who hadn’t had time to say anything or blur away before they died. It was just a card game, door-breaking, and almost-instant death.

It was over so quickly that I didn’t even have time to close my eyes before the video cut over to a shot of Orphia. She looked different in this video. Her expression was forlorn instead of cold.

“The killing needs to stop,” she said. “Werewolves are extinguishing innocent lives. As you just saw, they didn’t stop to ask if the people they killed had ever harmed anyone. If they had asked, they would have learned they hadn’t. Their source of nourishment—human blood—was ethically secured from volunteer donors who were well-compensated for their compassion and generosity.

“The werewolves are desperate to silence vampires, a race that has always existed alongside humans. And why? We don’t kill like werewolves do. Yet, we’re hated because we need blood to survive.

“We aren’t new. We’re simply more unjustly hated than the other races. You’ve been told vampires are bad and werewolves are good, so you’ve turned a blind eye to what’s really happening.

“The werewolves need human women to survive, while we only need blood. Why is it more acceptable to humanity to surrender women to breed the next generation of killers than for a vampire to pay for a donated bag of blood?

“Our voices have been suppressed. We need you and your voice blended with ours to be heard. Speak to your local representative about how you feel vampires are being treated. It’s time we all learn to coexist and stop the senseless killing of the innocent.”

The video ended, and Vena snorted. “What a load of shit.”

“Weknow it is, but how many people will believe it?”

“A lot,” Anchor said, looking troubled.

I patted his arm, and Vena batted my hand away.

“Touch your own men.”

“I did, right before you showed up.”

She pretended to clutch her imaginary pearls, and I grinned.

“How many shelves need decorations?” I asked, steering us back on topic and away from the horrid video. “Do we have enough?”

“Between decorations and potted plants, I think we do. It’s going to look really good. Just you wait and see.”

Her phone rang as Anchor ushered us toward the checkout.

When Vena answered, I listened to her half of the conversation as Anchor placed our purchases on the counter. The cashier scanned the items and took the card Cross had given me for business purchases. Vena hung up the phone and looped her arm through mine as Anchor collected the bags.

“Miles?” I guessed as we walked toward the door.

“Yeah. He talked to Mom and Dad. Grandma and Grandpa were quiet about what they were working on before disappearing. All they told my parents was that a private broker contacted them to find a relic that could influence all creatures. My grandparents declined my parents’ offer to help them research, which they thought was odd, but they were busy working on another project and were distracted.

“After Miles explained to them what Cross had told us about the book and the portals, Mom and Dad agree there’s likely a connection between what Grandma and Grandpa were looking for and the vampires.

“They want to head back to the mountain to talk to Curran. He might have answers, and Miles wants to apologize again.”

“King Curran? How can he help?” I asked, struggling to keep up.

“Mom and Dad saw some books in the royal library—really old books about otherworlders. Even if they can’t find information about the relic my grandparents were looking for, maybe they can find more information about vampires and their curse.”

“Because what’s cursed can maybe be uncursed?” I guessed.

“Exactly. If we can uncurse vampires, there’d be nothing to worry about anymore.”

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