Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy #1)(66)

Everyone was really on edge, which was why I was surprised and more than a little confused when, about a week and a half after my fight with Rupert, I found myself slathered in suntan lotion and floating in the mythical Drake Hall swimming pool.

It was beautiful, of course. The pool was enormous, and it wasn’t just a lap pool but had two legit waterfalls taller than a human, a big slide, and a spa that I could climb into from the pool. The surrounding patio was just as extravagant with stone tiling and lots of comfortable patio furniture arranged under huge umbrellas that were lined with the same sun-proof lining the vampires used on their personal umbrellas. The pool was fenced in with hedges and a few delicate trellises that were covered with ivy to provide additional sun coverage. One of them even spanned the deep end of the pool.

I should have expected the pool would be gorgeous—couldn’t have anything less than perfect for Killian Drake, including a swimming pool he apparently didn’t use—but I was still more than a little surprised as I floated in the warm water and squinted in the early afternoon sun. I paddled until I had successfully turned around and was facing Killian.

He—along with eight other Drake vampires—was sitting under the shade of the umbrellas. Or rather, Killian was sitting. Everyone else was standing at attention.

“What are we doing?” I asked the master vampire.

Killian took a long drink of his blood pouch—which he was again drinking like a kid sipping a juice box. It would have added to the weirdness of the afternoon, but it irked me to see he somehow still looked stylish. “I already told you. We’re testing to see if the seal on your magic is water soluble.”

I struggled to adjust myself in my inner tube, but when I was tempted to shuck it off Killian gave me the evil eye, so I kept it on even though I knew how to swim. “I might regret this, because this is probably the most enjoyable ‘test’ you’ve put me through, but are you for real?”

Killian was stretched out on a lounge chair, looking indolent and cool even though it was really hot and he was still wearing his black suit. “Would you rather we return to flinging you off buildings? Or perhaps running you until you collapse?”

I pressed my lips together. “No.”

“Then shut up.” Killian went back to his blood pouch.

Disgruntled, I paddled around the pool, returning to my own thoughts.

Rupert was still bothering me. As little as I liked it, I didn’t think he was the killer. I wasn’t stupid: he was a jerk, and he obviously hated me. But he hadn’t fought back when Killian nearly killed him.

If he was really the murderer, there’s no way he wouldn’t have fought for his life. But who else could it be? I didn’t know about the other murder victims, but I was almost positive the slayings that took place on Drake land were an inside job. Who else could get in through all the layers of security? And I wasn’t so quick to write off the werewolf’s complaints about only smelling vampires. But I also didn’t know who out of the Drake Family it could be.

I’d met nearly all of them, and I got the feeling they all would walk through fire for Killian.

I thoughtfully glanced up at the other vampires who stood around the patio, searching for…I don’t know what.

All of them were stiff. I didn’t think it was the sunlight—I’d seen them running in the afternoon sun before—but probably the situation with the murderer. Neither Celestina nor Josh was present—I was pretty sure they were heading two separate investigations looking into the murder since Gavino AKA Steely Voice had taken me running and done some basic sword drills the previous day instead of them.

They—the vampires, not just Celestina and Josh—needed to lighten up. They were all grim, and it wasn’t a good look on them. (Heck, even their stereotypical deadly expressions were better!)

A plan started to hatch in my mind, and my impulsive side won out, so I paddled over to the side of the pool. “Killian.”

He’d been swiping through his cellphone, but when I called he looked up. “What?”

“Come here, please?”

I couldn’t judge the expression in his eyes because he wore sunglasses, but the lack of movement in his eyebrows told me he wasn’t amused. “No.”

“But I have a question.”

“Go bother Gavino.” He went back to looking down at his phone.

I pressed my lips together and wiggled in my slippery inner tube as I tried to plot. What would get him over here? I planted my palms on my inner tube and lifted myself up, trying to sit on the edge, but the plastic ring was slippery, and I flipped over, going face first into the water.

I laughed when I resurfaced and was encouraged to see Killian had lifted an eyebrow above the curve of his sunglasses.

“I’m sorry, did I disturb you?” I asked, completely unrepentant.

His eyebrow stayed up as he sipped his blood pouch.

I watched him as I kicked my feet on the surface of the pool, splashing water and making a lot of noise.

“You are a pest.” Killian set his blood pouch and phone down, then sauntered over to the edge of the pool. “What do you want?”

“Vampires can get wet, right?” I asked.

Killian shed his sunglasses so he could properly stare at me. “Do you really think I’d have a pool on my property if that wasn’t the case?”