Page 11 of Twisted
I swallow my pounding heart, feeling my throat tighten with nerves.The outside porch lights of my family’s home flash before me as the door opens and quickly closes as he gets into the car, sliding in close to me.
“Don’t touch me,” I say when he reaches out, moving my hair off my face.
“I can do whatever I want with you, darling.”
“Like hell you will,” I say through gritted teeth and bring my hand up, fingers clenched around the dagger.
Devon’s eyes widen for just a millisecond.Then he laughs.“That won’t kill me.”
“I beg to differ.”
“I would think a hunter like you would know only a wooden stake can kill a vampire.”
Letting my eyes close in a long blink, I feel for the dark energy that comes off in waves from a vampire.There is none.I’m right.I know I am.
At least I really fucking hope so.
“Oh, I do know that,” I sneer.“Just like I know that cutting off the head and ripping out the heart also kills vampires.But you…you’re not a vampire.”
His face tenses and if my hearing was as acute as a vampire’s, I would hear his heartbeat increase.“You’re pushing your luck, sweetheart.”
“What are you going to do, bite me?”
“Don’t tempt me.”
I move my hair over my shoulder and arch my neck.“Go ahead, I’m waiting.”
“I wouldn’t want to spoil my meal.I want to purify your blood anyway.Who knows what you’ve been eating.”
“Sure,” I state, and continue staring at him as the car starts moving forward.He’s good at pretending, moving slowly to keep his breath controlled and not obvious.He doesn’t even blink that often.But I see it, the gentle rise and fall of his chest.And most of all…he’s warm.I can feel his body heat radiating off of him and the most confusing part is that it’s almost comforting.“They won’t be happy, you know.”
He shoots me a look, unable to help himself.“Who?”
“The actual vampires.When you walk me into that house…” I just shake my head, trying my hardest not to look as terrified as I am.Because I have no freaking idea what actual vampires will do when they find out the chosen one is a witch.“I mean, you’re only human, so maybe they’ll forgive you.”
“I am a vampire.”He quickly turns, advancing and getting close.My lips part and a trembling breath escapes me.The heat coming off of him intensifies, warming me right to my core.
“If someone is constantly yapping about how much prettier, happier, more successful, or more accomplished they are than others, it’s a dead giveaway that they’re actually miserable inside and trying to convince themselves of the things they keep saying.The lion doesn’t need to remind the sheep they are above them on the food chain.”I take in a breath, not looking away from Devon’s blue eyes.“And a vampire doesn’t need to tell a witch he’s a vampire.We already know.”
CHAPTER5
It has to be close to sunrise, though I wouldn’t know because the windows in the car that took me from my Asheville home were completely blacked over, stopping any sunlight from getting in.I still remember when “vampmobiles” first came onto the market and the outcry that came from a majority of the public, saying it wasn’t safe to have window tintthat darkyet they somehow failed to understand that only the back was blacked out.The driver, obviously, had to be able to see.
And, more obviously, the driver wasn’t a vampire.
Yet people complain about anything they can and will enjoy it all the more ifwhothey’re complaining about are different than they are.Which goes into the whole debate of considering vampire people…or monsters.
The Order defines them as monsters.But the Order defines witches as monsters too, and I thought I’d proven that wasn’t the case.Vivian found me locked in a closet after demons ripped my parents to shreds.She didn’t know I was a witch and brought me home, raised me as her own, and yet my powers still came out.It should have shown everyone that witches aren’t evil.We don’t make deals with the Devil or sell our souls in exchange for the ability to cast spells.We inherit our abilities, just like I inherited green eyes and dark hair from someone in my family.
Devon has been quiet most of the ride.He didn’t know what to do once his plan of pretending to be a vampire fell through.There was some paperwork “to go over” but I didn’t pay attention because I’m trying to tell myself this doesn’t matter.I’ll figure something out.
And really, for the last two or so hours, I’ve been trying to hold it together.Because my family sold me out as if it were nothing.I’ll never forget the smug look Larissa gave me as I was marched out of the house, or the look of relief on Marco and Vivian’s faces.Not just relief that Larissa was safe, but relief they won’t have to deal with me—the witch—ever again.I was someone else’s problem, though giving a witch to a vampire definitely wasn’t part of their plan.
I can’t hide who I am from real vampires.They can sense the magic and are drawn to it.I’ve had little training from other witches, but I know enough tonever trust a vampire.They are inherently jealous of us and our ability to walk in both light and dark.Vampires are made from dark magic, magic we possess on some level, and they hate us for it.Plus, I assume our blood tastes better or something.
The car comes to a stop and the engine cuts off.The divider separating the back comes down, and the driver turns, eyes glazed over, a telltale sign that his brain is basically Swiss cheese from being held spellbound so many times.
“Take Miss Russo to her room,” Devon tells him.“I’ll let my brother know the latest hunter arrived.”
