Page 141 of The Last Vampire
“Why? Lore, just let him go.”
“I can’t do that. I’m not like you. I can’t be cold to someone out of the blue, the way you’re being to Trevor.”
She flinches like I struck her. “Fine,” she murmurs, and she turns back into the dining hall.
I know I should go after her and apologize. But I have plenty of time to do that—and possibly only seconds to find William. If he’s here at all.
I rush to the first tower and race up the steps. Then I swing open his door, bursting inside.
The space heater is on—but the room is dark and empty.
“Hello?” I call out loud, as if he might materialize out of thin air.
Did he take off? I see the box with his clothes, and when I dig my hand inside, I find the green book. Then I look behind the loose stone, and his things are there. Is he leaving everything behind, or is he still nearby?
“Looking for something?”
The velvety voice makes me inhale sharply, and I whirl toward the window.
William steps inside, and there’s something hard in his gaze that wasn’t there earlier today. Like he’s angry with me.
“What is it?” I ask.
“You told Salma.”
He isn’t asking—heknows. I feel my mouth go dry, and as much as I’d like to lie, I know there’s no point. “She won’t tell anyone.”
Light flashes in his eyes, like a bolt of anger. “How could you betray me like that?”
“You were gone! I had no idea if you were ever coming back. I needed my friend—”
“Then you are weak.”
“So are you!” I snap, and now his brow is a hard line, but I ignore the threat. “Why else are you still here, confiding in a human who can’t be compelled?”
“Watch yourself,” he warns.
“Why are you still here?”I demand.
“I was patrolling to make sure there are no vampires nearby.” His voice is low and constrained, but his eyes are explosive. “Yet I fear I may have made my perimeter too wide—Nate and Cisco could have slipped past me if they approached from a different direction. I am now going to do a final sweep of the manor, then I will gather my things and leave for good.”
The last three words are a dagger in my gut.
“Right after I compel Salma to forget what you told her.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Please, she won’t tell anyone! I promise.”
“Do you understand that she will be in the same grave danger as you if I don’t erase her memories? You are my Familiar, so I have achanceat keeping you safe—but the same cannot be said for her.”
“Listen,” I say, “Salma has been obsessed with vampires since forever. She’s always said that you guys are real, and no one’s ever believed her before, so why should that change now? She has no proof! Please, let her be.”
His anger softens at the edges, like it is battling sadness. “Do you not see?” he asks. “This is why we cannot be friends. You will always be a human first, and I will always be a vampire. Our allegiance will always be to our kind.”
“Maybe there’s a third option—”
“Leave,” he commands me. “Go now, or I will make it to your room before you and take Salma’s memories with me.”
In this moment, I think I hate him.
