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TWENTY | TUESDAY
Bella e Buona. Beautiful and good, it meant. At least, that was what Cyrus had told me when I’d asked, grinning and eyeing me meaningfully around a mouthful of pasta and garlic bread. “Just like you,” he’d added, his eyes gleaming.
I made a mental note about the garlic bread. I was pretty sure that was a myth, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I had to focus on work, otherwise I’d tumble into a swirling pit of anxiety. There were too many thoughts to contend with – too many difficult, confusing thoughts – so I kept my mind purposefully blank, save for useful information. It was a notepad, and my thoughts were allowed to be the pen – and only the pen.
I was yet to meet his family, and considering the time I’d spent with him already, there weren’t many notes to make. I idly commented on the food, which was, admittedly, delicious – too delicious for a vampire to h
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The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-ONE | THE FALLS
As I took Cyrus’s hand, I made a split-second decision. I’d not yet met his family, but with each passing second the likelihood of that shrunk further. And, even if I did meet them, would I be able to discern their true nature? A chef at work or a barman would be unlikely to do anything that would suggest something one way or another, and Cyrus was willing to tell me the truth. About what I didn’t yet know, but I had a feeling I wanted – needed, even – to hear it.So I took his hand, and I followed him out into the dark.He drove. It was a nice car, more understated than I’d expected for a man of his arrogance and wealth. The seats were plush and comfortable, but the dashboard was relatively low-tech. Actually – I squinted through the dim light – was that a tape cassette player? I thought they’d become obsolete years ago.I nodded to it. We’d been sat in comfort
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-TWO | LEDGE
I froze. But it was not just fear that flooded me; it was relief, too, as cold as ice water and just as refreshing too. Someone other than my Dads and the others hunters knew, and the heady part, the thing that freed me, was that I hadn’t told him. I hadn’t broken their trust. He just… knew. But how?My second response was to lie, to protect myself and my team. “A hunter?” I repeated, curling my lip up into a bemused smirk.He rolled his eyes at me. “Don’t pretend.”I sighed. “Fine, okay, yeah.” I gave in too easily, simply because I didn’t want to have to hide it. My whole issue with Harper came from my omission of the truth in our relationship, and now here we were, sleeping in separate beds while I went off on trysts with another man. A man who knew who I was, far better than I’d anticipated. “How do you know, exactly?”
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-THREE | VAMPIRE
I stumbled backwards, my hands moving automatically to my waist, wanting to grab a stake. Realising that I was unprepared – unaware of the danger I faced – my hand slipped further down, and I quickly crouched to grab the switch blade I kept in my sock for emergencies. I’d never been more relieved to feel a sharp piece of metal before. It wouldn’t do much against a vampire – and we’d come in his car, so I didn’t even have my supply of stakes in my boot with me – but it was better than being completely empty-handed.I swung into a defensive stance, my right knee bent and my arms raised. Cyrus rolled his eyes at me.“I’m not going to hurt you, Callie.”I snorted. “How can I believe that? You know what I am. That means that you know what I think of – of things like you.”I swung at him, all of my prior attraction having d
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-FOUR | UNDONE
“Good date?” My Paps teased. His arm was slung across the back of the sofa, and he shuffled around to face me as I sloped into the living room. The wood burner was crackling quietly in the corner, and the mantelpiece was strung with fairy lights. The dark room was bathed in a soft, golden glow, and it made my brain feel even foggier.“Date?” I frowned. “What date?”My Paps raised an eyebrow at me, and I grinned. I toed off my boots and sat down beside him. The living room was painted in deep, neutral shades, cool blues and sandy beige along the skirting board. The sofa was a soft grey, and my Paps blended in neatly. He, and the room, looked like something straight out of an Ikea showroom. He gave me a quick squeeze, and then I settled against the cushions, tucking myself into the throw he offered to me.“It was fine. A bit boring, really. Where’s Dad?”
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-FIVE | SPELLBOUND
“And you’re sure you don’t remember anything out of the ordinary?” Trigger asked, tapping her sleek purple boot against the linoleum floor. Her boiler suit – orange today – shifted with the bouncing movement, tightening at her waist only to tug loose again immediately after.I swung my own legs haphazardly from my seat on the desk. Tonight we were in my old school – they often hired out the assembly room and larger classrooms, and it was a good second best for us when the town hall was booked solidly. We’d dragged in tables and chairs, though most of the chairs were left unused and had been discarded to one side, as the majority of us had opted to sit on the tables or stand.I’d settled myself down next to Sierra, who had been alone and off to one side. Though she was well-liked, there was still some unease between the other hunters and her, especially since the mishap with Old Tim. I&rsq
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-SIX | SIERRA
Sierra rented a small flat down by the coast. It had to be extortionate – it had a sea view, for God’s sake – although it was a studio, and about the size of mine and Harper’s living room. It had the closed in, cosy feel of an academic space, like a towering library or study nook, as it was crammed with books and other odds and ends that looked old and worn. I decided that I liked it.“Sorry it’s such a mess,” she said, flapping her arms wildly as she shoved clothes around, kicking shoes under the bed and launching jackets across the back of the sofa. “I knew you were coming, but I guess I’m so used to living in it that until I saw you stood in here I didn’t realise just how bad it was.”I grinned, and shook my head at her. “No, no, it’s fine. Harper and I are the same. Especially after he’s been at work, or I’ve been on a hunt – I just want to ge
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-SEVEN | RESEARCH
I leant back in my chair and stretched. My legs, outstretched and resting on the desk, shifted and jostled my latest stack of unhelpful documents.“I forgot what it was like to read this much in one go,” I groaned, resting my current book on my lap. “How do you do it?”We’d been working all day, and, as of yet, we’d found nothing of substance. It was exactly what I’d expected – I’d had a hunch, nothing more, and the hunch would always remain just that. It was a vague idea, an uneasy feeling, and there was no literature anywhere in Sierra’s collection to back it up.The sky had darkened hours ago, which made me feel even more separated from the outside world. Sierra’s flat was cosy and warm, with huge bulbs dotted across the walls, slung over her small, ancient television, and wound up the sides of her multiple bookcases. There was enough light for us to wo
The Hunter and the Vampire TWENTY-EIGHT | DROWNING
I held the switchblade carefully between my hands, weighing it across my palms and tilting it back and forth in the morning sunlight. It streamed through my childhood bedroom window, slanting across my bed and catching the silver of the blade.I’d left Sierra’s feeling uneasy last night. I’d checked the back of my car for intruders at least ten times before I’d settled myself in the driving seat, and even then I’d felt the need to continue checking over my shoulder.My Dads had both been asleep by the time I’d got back, and I was glad I hadn’t had to talk to them, even though I’d wanted to ask if Diamond and Trigger had uncovered anything useful on their trip so far. I couldn’t shift the description of the vampire from my mind, and, paired with the re-appearance of my knife and the nagging feeling that I was forgetting something – something huge – from my night with Cyrus, I&r
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