Page 8 of Fortune's Ashes
I shook my head. I didn’t want to meet him there either. ‘The graveyard. At Knight’s church.’
Lukas was silent for a moment. ‘You want to meet on neutral ground? You think I’m going to do something and you need us to meet somewhere safe?’
‘No! Of course not. It’s just—’ I couldn’t put it into words. That graveyard was where I’d literally experienced death. It seemed apt that it would also be the place where I’d experience metaphorical death. It felt right. ‘If we could just meet there,’ I finished lamely.
‘Fine.’
‘Ten o’clock?’
‘I’ll be there and waiting.’
I exhaled. ‘Thank you. Can you call off your goons? Their presence is getting annoying. I’m not going to run away, and I don’t need their protection. You know that.’
His response was curt. ‘As you wish.’ He paused. ‘I love you, Emma.’
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed the button to end the call. Only then did I whisper back, ‘I love you too.’
A warm breeze picked up, rattling a few errant scraps of litter and brushing through my hair. I replaced the phone in my pocket with a heavy heart and watched as one of the vamps answered his phone. A moment later, all three of them peeled away.
Their disappearance didn’t make me feel any better; the burden that had settled on my shoulders the moment I’d realised I was a Cassandra only seemed heavier. I wasn’t going to be able to escape it. There was no way out – and with a child involved, now I wouldn’t be able to give Lukas an escape from it either.
I kicked a nearby lamppost and walked stiffly away.
* * *
There weren’tmany parking spots near to Laura’s home so I had to walk half a mile or so to reach Tallulah. It should have been a pleasant stroll; the weather was warm and the sun was already shining, despite the early hour, and for once I wasn’t being trailed by any vampires. But the beautiful day didn’t lift my spirits, it only made me more depressed.
I trudged past a tree and scowled at a little blue tit perched on one of the lower branches as it sang its pretty heart out. I’d shake off my angry fugue by the time I reached the office, but I would allow myself twenty minutes to wallow in my misery before I plastered on a smiley façade that would get me through the rest of the day.
‘What’s that poor birdie ever done to you?’
I stiffened at the sound of Buffy’s lilting voice and stopped, turning to glare at her as she appeared from the other side of the tree. She either didn’t notice or didn’t care that her presence was ruining my glum start to the day. ‘What are you doing here?’ I said through gritted teeth.
Her bubble-gum pink lipsticked mouth stretched into an even wider smile. ‘It’s wonderful to see you too, DC Bellamy.’
I mentally cursed the day I was born, the day Buffy was born and the existence of the entire planet. ‘How did you know I was here?’ I demanded. ‘And what the fuck do you want?’
‘I knew you were here because I came looking. And what I want is some advice.’ She dipped into a mock curtsey and fluttered her eyelashes.
‘You want advice?’ I said flatly. ‘From me?’
She nodded enthusiastically. ‘Yep!’
‘Are you planning to commit a crime?’
‘No.’
‘Have you committed a crime?’
She pretended to consider the question. ‘I stole a Mars Bar from a corner shop when I was ten years old.’
‘Buffy—’
She beamed. ‘Emma.’
I counted to ten in my head. Buffy might not be planning anything illegal but I was beginning to think that I’d happily murder her if she didn’t get to the point. Fortunately for both our sakes, she seemed to realise that.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘The thing is, I need some romantic advice and you’re the perfect person to give it.’
