Page 7 of Insidious Monsters
“What?” Jacob sat back, shaking his head. “I demand a rematch.”
Telarion rose from his seat. “Maybe tomorrow night, old man. But now I must feed.” His gaze dropped to my neck and my pulse jumped beneath it.
Did he need my blood? I posed the question with my eyes.
His darkened and his mouth parted before he stepped back, allowing the shadows to wreath him and hide his expression, leaving only the gleam of his eyes visible. “There’s still time to hunt for evil.”
I didn’t miss the growl in his words, or the way his fists clenched.
He wanted my blood, the contact, the heat as much as I wanted to give it to him. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Well, okay. I’ll see you…later?”
“Make sure you’re asleep.” He swept from the crypt.
I allowed my knees to buckle and dropped into the seat he’d just vacated.
“I like him,” Jacob said.
“Yeah, I like him too.”
And that was the problem.
three
Ifingered the blindfold. “Is this really necessary?”
“No, I thought it would be fun to blindfold you,” Quentin said dryly.
“No need to get snippy.”
“Then don’t ask redundant questions.”
I sat back in my seat with a sigh. I didn’t do well on an empty stomach. All we’d managed before we’d left the house was a cup of tea each, which Quentin had kindly made.
Why did the Order have to make their appointments so early? “You know, drives are pretty boring when you can’t look at the view, not to mention it feels kinda kidnappy.”
“You want me to put you in the trunk to complete the flavor?”
“Ha ha. What you need to do is tell Genevieve that this shit is no longer necessary. Telarion isn’t about to rip out her throat. We have a deal, and we don’t intend to fuck it up.”
“It’s protocol,” Quentin said. “As far as the Order is concerned, you’re a compromised asset right now. Once you guys are separated, there will no longer be a need for that blindfold.”
I allowed myself a moment to absorb his words. “No need for it because they’ll sign a contract to leave me alone?”
He was silent for several seconds. “I’m sorry about the delay on that front, August.”
Rift walkers belonged to the Order. It was just the way things were, but my mother had coerced the Order to sign a blood contract to leave me alone. Telarion infecting me had breached that contract by making me a danger to society. It had put me back into the Order’s clutches. I needed a contract that stipulated my freedom once Telarion and I were separated. But the Order was dragging its heels on that front.
“A week is a delay, but it’s been over a month. What’s the holdup? No, forget it. I’ll ask her myself when we get there.” We drove in silence for several minutes. “And whenwillwe be there?”
“Soon. Here, listen to some music.” He turned on the radio to a throwback channel.
I exhaled and focused inward, searching for Telarion, but he was buried deep, silent, and I wasn’t even sure he was watchful right now. I’d tried to stay awake for his return but failed.
I missed the growly, arrogant bastard.
Urgh.
