Clive is intimidatingly powerful for other vampires.Clive told Russell that he wouldn't give up something because of the fanaticism that mosquitoes were buzzing in his ears. Was all this rage really because of me? My stomach was cramped. Owen squeezed my knee.I didn't mean how it sounded. Vampires look down on all of us. I can only imagine how some of them would have reacted to Clive willingly touching a wolf. Owen stopped on the street a block from the store. He pulled the car into the parking lot and turned to me.“I heard there's a commotion among the vampires, so it might have absolutely nothing to do with you. I believe that some high-ranking vampire is visiting here now.And his retinue. It could be a power game to take San Francisco from Clive, or it could be a tribute visit. Based on the little vampire gossip I've heard over the years, Clive is intimidatingly powerful for other vampires."I looked out the window, remembering. I used to think of Clive as scary too. Then I spe

In Clive's homePulling the covers tight and tucking my hands under my armpits, I tried to hide the trembling that was shaking my body. I just felt cold. That's all.“Possibly, but most likely a sorcerer. Demons don't have the concentration needed to put in that much effort to kill. The sorcerer, however, uses the demon's knowledge and power to enhance his spells. I could be wrong, but I guess we're looking for a black witch who's crossed over into sorcerer territory,” Dave said.“Where, Sam guessed, tortured wolves probably come from. What do we know about Schuyler?" Clive asked.Dave shrugged. "Owen said he was going to ask his mom about her. According to him, he has known Schuyler for some time, and the black streaks in her aura came as a surprise to him."My teeth started chattering. "Dave, can you make Sam some cocoa?" Clive leaned closer, hugging me with one arm."Thank you. I don't know if that means anything, but I think I smelled a vampire, a wolf, and possibly a demon in her

Now I was in bed with CliveThe way he said "side" in an offended British accent made me snort and laugh. He rolled his eyes, which went back to their usual dark gray color. "Let's go," he said, leading me into his living room. "Would you like something to drink?""Do you have chocolate milk?"His face went blank. "No. I guess we don't.""Bummer."Narrowing his eyes, he motioned me to a gray and black striped couch. “Do you really want me to send someone for chocolate milk, or are you kidding me?”“Clive, lack of trust hurts." Confused, he looked charming."That's what I thought. Do you want me to send for tea?"“Can you guarantee that they won’t spit in there?” The vampires wanted to kill me. I was almost certain that adding bodily fluids to my tea was not an unreasonable concern.Clive thought for a moment. "A bottle of water?""That's it. No. I'm fine,” I said, running my hand over the soft damask fabric. He stood awkwardly for a second, noticed that his shirt was open, and began b

Spent the night with Clive She looked more like an administrator than a killer. "I'm sorry to stop you. I'm Norma, Mr. Fitzwilliam's personal assistant. I was asked to give you this.” She handed me a black velvet box. "It was delivered this morning. The Magister wanted to make sure you had it before you left the protection of his house."With a curt nod, she turned and walked back down the corridor. My nose determined that she was fully human, and that made sense. He needs people to work during the day.Pushing all my thoughts aside, I focused on what she handed me. I opened the box and found the necklace. It was different from my mother's, but, on the other hand, my mother was not a jeweler. The necklace was longer than the pendant, but not by much, which meant it wouldn't get in the way when I reincarnated. I didn't recognize the metal used. He did not fire, so it was not silver, but a lighter and brighter metal. Thin metal threads were woven into something like a narrow cage that

In which she learns the fastest way to piss off a witch"I mean, okay." A scarred book nerd in shapeless clothes couldn't be anyone's fantasy.And that would suit me just fine. I was content with a quiet life, books and booze, periodically dreaming of a vampire, but now everything has changed. The safe, predictable life I thought I'd lead was turned upside down. I was terrified, yet I didn't feel much sadness as I watched that old life disappear."I'm sorry, Sam. I need to sort out some business. If you hear that I destroyed the whole nocturne, it probably won't be true." Clive changed gears, steering the car up a steep hill. He checked for traffic in both directions before he passed the intersection and climbed the next hill."Everything is fine." In any case, it will take several hours for my breathing to return to normal." Actually, no. I apologize for stopping by.” He reached out and squeezed mine for a moment. “Some of my kind need to be beaten to a pulp.""What's happening?""To