Page 62 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

I fell silent, watching the emotions play out over his face as he sat down heavily on the bed. "If I could go back and look for you, I would. I wouldn't have let them send you away, out into the world to be killed. You would have had a family, and I would have killed before I let this be your life—but I didn't get the choice and neither did you." He scrubbed a hand down his face and when he looked at me I could see the truth in his eyes. "If you need to hate me, I understand. But just know that I'll take whatever you can give me. I wasn't there before, but I can be now—if you'll let me."

I knew Hayes was listening, knew what he thought I should say or do—but this was my life and it had to be my decision. "I don't know how I feel. I don't know if I ever missed you, or wondered about you, because I don't remember my life. I think I need time, but I'll try to be less of a dick to you. Just don't start holding back with me in training just because I'm your kid."

His lips tipped up at the corners and I half-smiled back.

"There, was that so hard?" Hayes said as he strolled out of the bathroom.

"Prick," I said, throwing an orb of water at him that he deflected easily and Cal frowned.

"I didn't teach you that one."

I shrugged. "Figured it was the same principle as the light."

"Well, just be careful. I don't want you biting off more than you can chew."

"Noted."

Hayes was typing on his phone again and when he looked up, his face was grim. "They've named the vamp—Montlake."

"Is that bad?" I wondered aloud and Hayes nodded.

"He's the second most powerful vampire on the council. Or, well, I suppose he was..."

"They're probably in uproar," Cal said quietly and I tended to agree. "Stay here. Don't draw attention to yourselves. Be safe."

"Where are you going?"

Cal looked at me and there was something in his eyes I'd never seen before. Pride? Affection? I couldn't tell. "I'll be back, don't worry. Just stay alive until then. Okay?"

We both nodded and Cal smiled before vanishing.

"Fuck, I really need him to teach me how to do that soon.”

"Let’s just focus on keeping you from becoming a snack,” Hayes said dryly and I raised an eyebrow. "Well, he may have been a dick about it but Cal had a point—youarehalf-mage. So that probably makes you the tastiest thing in the castle."

Great.

ChapterTwenty-Nine

Teeth glintedred and a smile stretched too wide as full lips pulled back over teeth that weren't right. Too long, too sharp. I’d screamed—I remembered that now. There had been a dazed moment of confusion when I’d hit the ground, my head thumping down on the pavement and stunning me. It was all the time the monster needed to bury its teeth in my throat, to slash and bite and growl until my head felt loose and the world darkened around me.

If I could still sweat, I was certain my body would have been covered in it as I woke up. Another partial memory. The same night. I just couldn't see their damnedface. As it was, I was shaking and I felt around in the covers for Hayes, nausea hitting me when his familiar form didn’t appear.

I had no reason to think anything was wrong, he might have just gone for a night-time walk, but why would he take the risk when Elowen and the council were on the warpath?

No. Something didn't feel right. I swung my legs out of bed and crept over to the window, peering outside. Nothing looked amiss, there was no struggle in our room and I was certain one would have woken me up anyway. All I could see outside was moonlight, trees and mist.

I focused on the beat in my chest that was Hayes and could sense him out in the forest, which seemed odd for this time of night. Maybe he'd discovered something? Or had received a message? His phone was on the bedside table, so I picked it up and scrolled through, nothing particularly standing out. My thumb hovered over Cal's name before deciding against calling him. I didn't know for sure that anything was wrong.

Still, I pulled on a pair of joggers and one of Hayes' grey tees as well as my boots and slipped quietly out of the door.

The castle was dead silent in a way that unnerved me. I could hear no signs of life as I moved around and I wondered if many people had air shields surrounding their doors like the one Hayes could conjure. But why?

I made my way down the stairs quickly and quietly, and paused when a figure emerged up ahead.

Adrian.

I hung back as he patrolled the corridor. Now it made more sense why everyone was so silent—nobody wanted to draw the unwanted attention of the council. Not when they were on a literal vampire hunt.

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