“You said you’d do anything if I brought your friend back, remember?” I looked over at Ian with disgust. He was right, I had said I’d do anything for Fiona to be brought back but that didn’t mean I’d give up my life to act as a blood whore to Ian Despereaux. I’d kill him before that happened.

Ian must have noticed my unease because he said, “Don’t worry, little witch I prefer my woman to be willing. You will meet me tomorrow night to put an end to the big man in charge.” My eyes shot wide and my mouth hung open in surprise.

Ian wanted me to help him take down the man behind the brew distribution? He didn’t need to ask me twice, I nodded my head. “Alright.”

20

I felt like my life revolved around vampires. I had stayed up all night with them which left me to sleep it off the next day. I called Penny to see if she would open the store for me. I’d have to give that girl a raise for all the help she gave me.

It was just after the sun had set. I sat at our kitchen table, eating a bowl of vegetable soup. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d eaten, which tended to happen whenever I was around creatures that don’t eat regular food. I dipped a cracker into my soup and scooped up vegetables onto it, then placed the whole thing in my mouth. I was either starving or the soup was the best vegetable soup in the world, probably the latter.

Fiona trudged into the kitchen and sat across from me, leaning her head on her propped up arm. She looked like she hadn’t slept at all, dark circles shadowed her eyes and her skin was pale. My worry overtook my appetite and I pushed the bowl of soup away from me.

“How are you feeling?” I asked. Fiona looked up at me with bloodshot eyes and gave a small smile.

“Tired, but alive.” I watched her for a few moments and then got up and filled a cup with hot water, placed it in the microwave and retrieved the tea bags Ms. Ozland had given me for energy.

Two knocks sounded at our front door so I walked the short distance to answer it. Ian stood on the other side with crossed arms and a smile. His blonde hair was perfectly gelled into a spiky style. He wore jeans with a gray turtleneck sweater and a black leather coat. I squished the thought that appeared in my mind on his attractiveness. I turned on my heel when the microwave beeped, leaving the door open and my invitation unspoken. Vampires had to have an invitation to enter a home, but Fiona had already invited Ian in, so he didn’t need me to say it. If I were smart, I’d rescind his invite so he couldn’t come into our apartment without both of our okays.

“They let you out?” I asked, astounded. I plopped a teabag into the cup of hot water and set it in front of Fiona. She started to self-consciously fix her hair and I noticed she had magicked makeup on her tired face. I hated that she was worrying about impressing Ian when she needed to focus on resting.

“They couldn’t hold me without evidence and the person I was accused of murdering is quite alive, and looking very lovely.” I rolled my eyes at Ian’s sickening smooth talk and took my seat. Ian walked over to Fiona and lifted her hand in his and pressed a kiss atop it. Fiona giggled, while I silently gagged. What the hell was the matter with her? How could she not see that Ian Despereaux was bad news?

After whispering sweet nothings to Fiona, Ian straddled the seat next to her and wrapped his arms around the back of the chair. I took a drink of my bottled water and waited for him to say something, hoping he had forgotten about me helping him with his plan. I had no qualms about capturing the psycho responsible for the killings, but I didn’t want to work with Ian.

Two more knocks sounded at the front door. I pursed my lips at Fiona but got up and answered it. Aiden and Micah stood next to each other, Micah with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Aiden smiled at me and I smiled back, happy that he wasn’t pissed at me for feeding Ian.

“Hey guys, what are you doing here? I looked between both of them. Micah had been leaning against the rickety railing that was meant to protect anyone from falling from our second story apartment hall and when he turned, his right eye was swollen, with red and purple coloring the surrounding flesh. I gasped and said, “What happened?”

“Micah learned that he shouldn’t kiss another man’s woman,” Aiden said with a grin. My eyes shot wide and I stepped out of the apartment to inspect Micah’s eye.

“Like you left me alone when I was Micah’s?” I shot back at Aiden. Some girls love when men fight over them, but I wasn’t that type. I didn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s pain.

“I did leave you alone, at least in the physical sense, and you shouldn’t coddle him, he deserved it,” Aiden said with a sneer. As much as I would have loved to argue with the fact that Micah didn’t deserve it, I couldn’t. Micah shouldn’t have kissed me when we were both with other people, but I still didn’t want him to be punched over the violation.

“Did you come to punch me also?” Ian said from the kitchen. Aiden stepped over the threshold with me following quickly behind, worried that a full-blown fight would start in the middle of my little apartment.

“If you guys break anything, you’re paying to fix it,” I warned. It was pathetic, at best, but I threw it out anyway.

“I came because there’s no way I’m letting Gwen be alone with you for a second, but now that you mention it…”

Aiden was across the room in a flash as his fist connected with Ian’s face. Luckily, Ian didn’t fight back and the commotion was over within seconds. Ian held his face but sniggered. A punch in the face to a vampire was as painful as a stubbed toe. He’d heal before any bruising.

Fiona jumped up from the table and rushed to make sure Ian was okay. I’d been slapped over the kiss, why shouldn’t Ian be punched for it also?

“Feel better?” I asked Aiden. Micah walked into our apartment and shut the door. His bruising was already turning yellow. Werewolves could heal at an exceptional rate but vampires healed quicker. His eye would be yellowish for a day and then it’d be good as new.

Aiden wrapped his arms around my waist and said, “I’d much rather rip their heads off, but this will suffice, I suppose.” He leaned in and gave me a soft kiss that radiated tingles throughout my body. I smiled at him but realized that we had an audience so I reluctantly unwound my arms from him and turned around.

“There hasn’t been another body found, has there?” I asked Micah. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and cleared his throat.

“No. I knew that Ian would be coming over here to have you help him and I didn’t trust him to be alone with you, so…” he said, leaving the sentence to hang. So I had two bodyguards against Ian; that was comforting.

Aiden snickered behind me and I elbowed him and smiled at Micah and said, “Thank you.” He nodded his head as if to say “no problem.”

“I think I’m offended,” Ian said. We all turned to look at him, begging him to prove it. He shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms across his chest.

Fiona looked like she was dead on her feet, so I went over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Maybe you should go lie down.” She looked apprehensive to leave but nodded her head. I walked her back to her bedroom and helped her get settled into her bed. Then I flipped on the television and handed her the remote. She smiled up at me but I could tell there were unspoken words dangling on her lips. After a moment, she finally spoke. “Gwen, I’m sorry for slapping you and saying that I was moving out. I don’t know why I acted like that. If you don’t mind, I’d love to keep living here.”

I sat on the edge of her bed and held her delicate hand. It wasn’t the first time Fiona and I had fought, and it wouldn’t be the last. I loved her like a sister and because of that, I would put up with anything from her.

“I understand you were upset and I’m sorry for hurting you. Of course, you can live here, for as long as you want, or until the building collapses,” I laughed. “I love you, Fiona, and I only want you to be safe.”

“Thanks, Gwen, you really are a great friend.”

I smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. “Get some sleep.”

I left her room and returned to the kitchen where I would have to deal with three stubborn men. I’d much rather crawl into bed with Fiona and watch reruns of Ghost Whisperer with her. All three men were sitting at my small table, eyeing each other with contempt. I released a heavy breath and took a seat next to Aiden, with Micah directly in front of me.

“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” I asked. We all looked at Ian and waited for him to come forth with his information.

“What I want to know is, how Ian knew I was indisposed the night of the Gala and why he came galloping to escort my girlfriend to the ball?” Aiden said, his hands balling into fists from his anger. I arched an eyebrow at Ian, wondering the same thing. Obviously he had lied when he said he knew Aiden and that Aiden had sent him to escort me.

“Louis told me to escort Gwen and find out what she was. Aiden had let it slip that a woman from Flora was able to read the dead. Louis thought you might be a psychic, but he still wanted to be sure. He made sure Aiden wouldn’t make the Gala,” Ian said. “Of course, that night didn’t go as I planned, so I wasn’t sure about your spirit walker status until I drank from you.”

I looked at him with disgust and Aiden glared at him with hatred. “So you killed Fiona so you would have the opportunity to drink from me? Because you knew I’d do it if Fiona’s life was in danger?” I kept my voice low so that Fiona wouldn’t hear, but I put all of my anger into my whispers.

“Fiona was never dead, not really.”

“What do you mean she wasn’t really dead? I saw her, she was dead.”

“Yes, I knew you’d allow me to drink from you if it was for her life. I’ve been drinking brew for about a year now. I’ve learned how to do wonderful things with the magic,” Ian grinned. “Fiona was under a spell, one that was meant to make you think of what could happen if you didn’t go along with Louis’ plans.”