Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(77)

“God, I hate you,” he muttered.

I happily added his chips to my dwindling stack. “Consider me extremely relieved. I’ve come to learn that a vampire’s love is far deadlier than his hatred.”

Arys’s expression was unreadable. If he was perturbed by my claim, he didn’t show it.

“Anything else?” Jenner rose. His poker face no longer in place, he regarded us each with utter contempt.

“We’ll be in touch,” Arys replied coolly. “Oh, and Jenner, it’s not so bad really. Being hers. One day, you might even like it.”

There wasn’t much Jenner could say. His own game turned on him. If he hadn’t forced us to play, he wouldn’t have lost. With a glower so hot it almost burned, he stalked out with a hateful, “Go to hell.”

“That went well,” Arys observed, watching his brother go. “Better than I expected really.”

“You shouldn’t have said that,” I scolded, thinking of Kale. “You don’t know what it’s like to be mine the way he is. The way Kale is.”

“Nobody is yours the way Sinclair is.” Arys’s expression turned from grim satisfaction to open hostility at the mention of Kale’s name. “Don’t forget, Alexa. I longed for you before you were even born. There is no one deeper under your spell than me.” That knocked me down a peg. I often reminded myself that Arys had waited for me for over a century. His staying power was admirable. I’d have lost my mind years ago.

“You’re right. Love is a two way street, and I tend to forget that you’ve walked it much longer than I have.” I went to him, leaning down to slide my arms around him. “I’m sorry, Arys.”

He patted my arm and graced me with a tender smile. “Don’t be. It’s been a hectic few days. Let’s go home.”

Chapter Eighteen

Damn it felt good to be home. I stretched languorously in my bed, all but hugging the mattress. Well, there may have been a little hugging of the mattress. Leaving home felt nice, but nothing compared to returning.

We had landed in Edmonton before sunrise. Needing some time to myself, I’d sent both of my boys on their way and headed home alone. My mind was cluttered, and I needed some quality time with my pillow in my own house.

It took many attempts to haul my ass out of bed at sundown. The temptation to stay immersed in the soft blankets until hunger forced me out was strong, though not stronger than my insatiable need for knowledge.

I planned a coffee date with Brogan. The talented witch had agreed to meet with me regarding the amulet her mother had left me. Hurst had shed much light upon it, but I needed to know more. I needed verification.

After a hot shower, I applied some smoky eye makeup and blow-dried my hair. All the while, I turned over the events of our trip in my head. I’d known it would be crazy, but it had exceeded my expectations.

Jenner lingered in my thoughts. Part of me wished I could go back in time and undo what I’d done to him. That had to be the scrap of humanity I had left. The side of me that was ruled by the vampire thought his arrogant ass had deserved it. Still, he was under my thrall now, a victim of my manipulation. That had to be all kinds of wrong.

It was bittersweet to have to leave my house so soon after returning. I had recently purchased it, and it still had that new feeling to it. It wasn’t lived in enough. I cast a longing look out my living room window at the forest beyond my backyard. The forest was the main reason I had chosen the house, other than the lack of neighbors; the place was just too perfect for someone like me.

Slinging my bag onto my shoulder, I locked up and made the quick trek from my small town to the big city just down the highway. Being on the open road with the local rock station blasting was invigorating. It made it almost possible to ignore the steady hum of the amulet in my bag.

A quick stop at Starbucks for two Frappuccinos, and I was on my way to Toil and Trouble, the small magic shop Brogan had inherited from Lena. It was a cozy little place on the south side of the city. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too busy this close to closing time.

The door chime sounded as I entered. The scent of incense greeted me. A table filled with gemstones sat in the center with a sale sign hanging overhead. Shelves lined with spell books hugged the walls. Everything from love charms to voodoo dolls graced Brogan’s shop.

“Hey, welcome home!” Brogan called out from the back where she was arranging a jewelry display. “How was the trip? Looks like you made it back in one piece.”

“Just barely. The trip was a nightmare.” I crossed the store to where she was and handed her a coffee. “You like caramel, right?”

“Love it. Thanks.” She took a sip and made a face of pure joy. “So good. Now, tell me about your trip.”

I gave her the recap of my Vegas vacation while browsing the aisles. A display case filled with vampire hunting tools caught my eye. “This is new. Isn’t it?”

Brogan shrugged. “It’s a novelty item. I’ve had requests for it. Nobody is going to hunt vampires with that stuff. I mean, there’s a bottle of holy water in there. That doesn’t even work on vampires.”

No, it would work on demons or fallen angels though. It piqued my interest that someone had specifically asked for vampire hunting gear though. “Who asked you to order in this stuff?”

“I have no idea. I get calls and emails about stuff like that all the time. Nobody has bought any of it yet though.” She paused, scrutinizing the so-called vampire hunter kit. “You don’t think it was a serious request, do you?”