Asylum (Causal Enchantment #2)(19)

“Your friends?” Julian asked slowly, quietly. I nodded before his icy tone registered in my mind. “Your vampire friends?” When I saw his eyes narrow to slits, I knew I had made a mistake. “I thought you might be a hostage . . . but you’re friends with those leeches!” Julian suddenly screamed, his face twisting with rage as he stepped toward me.

I don’t know what his intentions were and I didn’t find out because the door exploded into dozens of splinters and Max barreled through, sending me stumbling to the side before regaining my balance. When I had, I saw Julian pinned against the wall with Max’s nose pressed up against his collarbone. Hackles raised, teeth bared, Max growled so low, he sounded more like a bear than a dog

“Max! Don’t!” I screamed. Max didn’t move away. In fact, I think he may have edged closer. His fangs were inches away from Julian’s throat and I knew he would tear it out at the slightest provocation. I’d seen firsthand what this werebeast was capable of when protecting me. “Max, please don’t!” I pleaded, tears welling in my eyes now. “There’s been enough death because of me. I can’t take any more!”

My words silenced Max immediately. He shuffled back to stand next to me, his eyes never leaving Julian. Not that there was anything to worry about—Julian remained pressed up against the wall as if Max’s fangs still held him there, his face as white as the snow outside.

“Get out,” he finally whispered hoarsely, eyes wide with terror and acutely aware of how close to death he had just come. “Leave me alone. Please.”

I nodded, shoving Max none too gently ahead of me as I bolted out of the room. I scampered down the stairs two at a time.

“Did that make you feel better?” Leo asked when I re-entered the great room; I heard the “I told you so” in his smug tone. He stood in front of the bookshelves, leafing through a new magazine, this one with cheetahs on the cover.

I didn’t answer him at first. I walked stiffly over to the dining table to grab a bottle of water. Only when I tried to unscrew the cap did I realize that my hand was shaking violently. It wasn’t about feeling better, I decided as I took a swig of water. As disturbing as it was to admit to myself, I couldn’t help but feel some sort of connection to Julian. We had so much in common—both lied to and both orphans at the hands of vampires. If there was ever anyone I could feel a kinship with in this world, it would be him. I swallowed my mouthful of water and wiped a dribble from my chin before answering Leo. “His parents were murdered and he’s been thrown into a world he has no clue about. Sound familiar?”

After a long pause, Leo inclined his head in assent and said no more, instead scanning the titles of the magazines on one of the bookshelves.

I slowly walked over to stare out the bay window at the wintry abyss. I swore it couldn’t be any later than mid-afternoon, yet it was getting dark. It would be nightfall soon. Treacherous for a human. “And he’s thinking of running away,” I warned, branding myself a tattler. “Out there!”

“That’d solve one of my problems,” Leo mumbled.

“Leo! His parents are dead because of me! Yes, they may have been ogres, but still! And if Julian goes out there, he’ll die too.” A sudden swarm of emotions made my eyes burn. “Everyone’s dying because of me.”

Pity flickered across Leo’s face. He walked over and patted me on the shoulder. “Sometimes I forget you’re not accustomed to this dark world we’ve forced upon you . . . He’s not going anywhere. The dogs will keep guard.”

I’ll guard him, alright, Max muttered indignantly. I’ll guard him right off a cliff.

Now it was my turn to glower, at my guard dog. “Max, I’m having a hard time dealing with all of this. Can you stop being so . . . you?” I whirled away, stopping with my back to him.

“Why don’t you go and get some fresh air, Max,” Leo suggested, walking over to open the side door. I knew what that meant: go kill something. Probably a good idea. He hadn’t gone hunting since we arrived.

In my peripheral vision, I watched Max slink out the open door, leaving behind an air of rejection and a brisk chill that had crept inside with his exit. Guilt drew creases on my forehead. Toughen up, Evangeline.

“Now, what set Julian off, exactly?” Leo asked as he pushed the door closed.

“I told him I’m friends with vampires,” I mumbled, pulling my stack of pictures out of my pocket once again. I flopped down on the couch, no longer interested in conversation. Leo took the hint and focused on feeding the flames in the fireplace with more wood. I flipped through the entire stack, recalling the nights with my friends. They were the best days of my life. Now I had to be kept away from them because they’d kill me. Could I even call them friends anymore? As long as I was human, I would never be safe around them.

I flipped through the pictures three times before resting the stack on my chest and closing my eyes. I was far from falling asleep so I simply lay there, listening to the soft crackles of the fire in the silence of the cabin. My eyes were still closed when an eerie scratching sounded against the side door. I sat up immediately, my body rigid.

“Oh, not to worry.” Leo chuckled, walking over to turn the knob. “It’s just Max.” He yanked the door open and a large black rump backed inside. It was Max, alright.

“What the . . . ” Leo muttered.