Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(73)

“Not in the slightest. You’re delusional.”

“And you’re a neurotic head case who wastes too much time and energy on fear. You are the one to be feared. Start believing it.” He pulled me in against him and gave me a comforting squeeze. His scent of cologne and hair products teased me. It was one of my favorite smells.

“You can’t turn Gabriel, Arys,” I whispered, afraid of disturbing the brief moment of peace. “Promise me that you won’t.”

He took too long in answering. I expected it when he said, “Don’t make me promise anything, Alexa. Not with someone like Shya in the picture.”

I gave a small growl of frustration. “Fine. But you have to promise me not to tell anyone what Hurst said about losing my light. Nobody can know there’s a way to save it. I’m not compromising on this one.”

He met my intense gaze, seeing how gravely serious I was. With a nod, he kissed the side of my nose, and I smiled. “Fair enough. That’s your secret to share.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what Hurst had meant by a sacrifice. It didn’t matter. I would never allow anyone to sacrifice themselves for me. Never. I carried enough guilt without that weighing on my conscience. If the darkness was bound to claim me, then so be it.

“So where are you taking us tonight?” I forced a smile. This city meant something to Arys; I didn’t want to crap all over his attempt to show me what he loved about it.

A brilliant smile broke over his handsome face. It warmed my heart. Taking my hand, he pulled me off the bed and from the room. “To see a little magic. The Vegas kind.”

By the time we made it down The Strip to another hotel for the show, I was starting to feel good about playing tourist with the humans. It was what I’d ideally wanted since we arrived.

We were all dressed casual, each of us wearing fight-friendly attire. Hopefully it wouldn’t be a requirement for the evening. If I could get out of Vegas without another incident, it would be a miracle.

As we filed into the theatre with hundreds of people excited to see a magic show, the bloodlust didn’t taunt me, a pleasant surprise. Surrounded by humans, their hearts pumping crimson joy steadily through their veins, I felt nothing.

My gaze landed on Shaz. Taking blood from him had satisfied the hunger, though at the time, I hadn’t known how much. The blood of a shifter was stronger, more potent than human blood. My bloodlust seemed to like it. As it was also an intoxicant to vampires, I’d have to be very careful.

The theatre was loud with many people, all chattering away at once. The air conditioning was especially high, creating an actual chilly breeze. Compared to the heat outside the building, it contrasted greatly. This climate certainly took some getting used to, but it was doing wonders for my hair.

“How much do you want to bet that this guy’s not even human?” Jez leaned in to whisper close to my ear.

I’d seen this stuff on TV. Vegas was known for its magicians and illusionists. Many had come before, and many would follow. Parlor tricks that involved a diversion of attention were clever, but they were very human.

“I’ll take that bet,” I replied.

The theatre dimmed, and everyone fell into a hushed silence. The hum of excitement was lively, tickling my senses in a pleasing manner. The show began, and in no time, the crowd was applauding wildly.

I analyzed everything the magician did and watched every move he made, every hair on his head. A few of his tricks I saw right through. But then the real magic started to happen. We watched attentively as illusion after illusion made me question everything I thought I knew about magic for entertainment purposes. Disappearing from center stage to reappear seconds later in the crowd, that was not a human feat. Levitation could be faked, but in this case, it was very real.

I couldn’t resist the urge to take a poke at the guy, just to feel him out a little from where I sat. He would know, but by the time he identified it as me, we would be gone. His energy felt strong and solid, not demon, shifter or vampire. Whatever he was, I had yet to encounter another.

“I don’t know what he is,” I whispered to Jez, “but it’s definitely not human.”

“Ha. I knew it.”

Las Vegas was built on illusions. It always had been. Everyone wore a human face. How deceiving. There were more supernatural types walking the city streets than I would have guessed, far more than there were back home. How in the hell were Arys and I going to establish a position of power in a place that had more monsters than I knew what to do with?

The show ended, and we exited the theatre. I excused myself to the restroom while the others browsed the merchandise store outside. After using the facilities, I washed my hands and tried to smooth down a few flyaway strands of hair.

My hackles rose, and immediately I felt eyes upon me. The restroom was empty of anyone but me. Or so I thought. In the mirror, I watched as a stall door behind me opened and Linden strode out. I spun to face him, and he caught me by the throat. Pinning me against the bathroom counter, he gave me a rough shake.

“My, my, fancy meeting you here,” he said, his face void of any emotion. His eyes glittered with malevolence.

I’d met more than one vampire in my time who had the ability to withstand my power. They were few and far between, and they were still dead. However, a vampire seldom managed to sneak up on me. Linden was awfully sure of himself merely because I couldn’t blast him with my mind. He was forgetting that I was a different kind of monster.